(2020-08-23). 'Palestine is Still the Issue': UN Vote Exposes, Isolates Canada. zcomm.org Recent events at the United Nations have exposed the true nature of Canada's global position, particularly in the matter of its blind and unconditional support for Israel…
(2020-08-23). Nuclear Complacency and the Dangerous Drift Toward a New Cold War with China. zcomm.org For relations among states having nuclear weaponry, stability is achieved by relying on various forms of deterrence combined with the implementation of the nuclear apartheid regime…
(2020-08-23). Protecting people from conflict, cyclones and COVID-19 in Mozambique: a UN Resident Coordinator blog. news.un.org By the UN Resident Coordinator Myrta Kaulard, Laura Tomm-Bonde, IOM Chief of Mission and Samuel Chakwera, UNHCR Resident Representative, all based in Mozambique.
(2020-08-23). If Trump Had Followed Vietnam's Lead on COVID, US Would Have Fewer Than 100 Dead. zcomm.org 35 percent of the entire U.S. labor force filed unemployment claims between March and August.
(2020-08-23). US Threatens Fresh Sanctions Against Iran, JCPOA Members. peoplesdispatch.org The US withdrew from the JCPOA or the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. However, it is now trying to get sanctions imposed on Iran claiming violations of a deal it is not even part of…
(2020-08-23). Respecting the Dignity of Every Human Being: Reflections on John Lewis. zcomm.org "Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."
(2020-08-23). FROM THE FIELD: Ugly veggies in Kenya destined for lunch not landfills. news.un.org Hundreds of tons of fresh and edible vegetables which are typically dumped because they do not meet the aesthetic requirements for export are ending up on the plates of hungry Kenyan students thanks to the UN's World Food Programme (WFP).
(2020-08-23). Thunberg, other activists tell Merkel to 'abandon fossil industry contracts'. zcomm.org Thunberg said the activists were looking to find leaders who "prioritise the future over the past" and argued that the letter merely describes "the very minimum" of what needs to be done to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
(2020-08-23). UE Calls for Rank-and-File Control, Return to 'Them and Us Unionism'. zcomm.org The United Electrical Workers (UE) published a new pamphlet, Them and Us Unionism, which argues that the labor movement needs to return to the class-struggle unionism that animated the founding of the industrial unions in the 1930s…
(2020-08-23). California Is Burning—and Trump Gathers Kindling. zcomm.org No sympathy for those whose homes are threatened or firefighters risking their lives. Instead, he's lobbed insults and stripped environmental protections…
(2020-08-23). S. Korea offers medical equipment for clearing debt to Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) — Hossein Tanhayi, head of the Iran-South Korea chamber of commerce said on Sunday that South Korea has made an offer to clear part of its $7.5-billion debt to Iran via selling medical equipment to the country.
(2020-08-23). Iran registers 2,113 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,113 people and claimed 141 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.
(2020-08-23). Tehran not allow others to manage IAEA-Iran relationship. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) — Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Kazem Gharibabadi said that Tehran will not allow other countries to manage the IAEA-Iran relationship.
(2020-08-23). Iran is Russia's strategic partner: Russian Defense Min. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) — The Russian Defense Min. Sergey Shoygu referred to the join strategical, regional and international goals and interests between Tehran and Moscow, underlining the developing mutual defense cooperation between the two sides.
(2020-08-23). Promoting economic resilience axis of all gov't efforts. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that promoting economic resilience and implementing resistive economy policies have been the axis of all activities and efforts of the government.
(2020-08-23). Muharram ceremonies in Shahriar. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) — People held the mourning ceremonies in the second night of Muharram in Shahriar County with health protocols in place.
(2020-08-23). Monday 8/24: Call to Action: Demand McConnell & Senate Return to Pass COVID Relief, Fund USPS, Voting! indybay.org Online via livestream…
(2020-08-23). March for the Dead, Fight for the Living at the Golden Gate. indybay.org Police prevent peaceful march at Golden Gate Bridge…
(2020-08-23). Tuesday 8/25: Bayview Hunters Point A25 "We Can't Breathe" Protest Caravan. indybay.org MLK Park in the Bayview District of San Francisco @ 3rd St. and Carroll Ave. We'll caravan to the corrupt Lennar development company "Welcome Center" at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, and from there to City Hall.
(2020-08-23). Tuesday 8/25: Call to Action: US Mail Not For Sale! Rally Day w/ APWU & NALC Worker Unions. indybay.org SF Bay Area & nationwide (events list growing)…
(2020-08-23). Tuesday 8/25: Bayview Hunters Point "We Can't Breathe" indybay.org MLK/Bayview Park, 3rd & Carroll, SF to Lennar "Shipyard Welcome Center" to SF City Hall…
(2020-08-23). WATCH 'Give 'Em Hell' protesters smash windows & set fires across Denver, try to breach Colorado State Capitol fence. rt.com 
Dozens of anti-police protesters have been swarming around downtown Denver, Colorado, setting fires and smashing windows, with authorities seemingly struggling to contain the hit-and-run violence. | Police officers in riot gear were seen guarding the Denver Police Department on Saturday night, but elsewhere across downtown Denver, local reporters described "ugly scenes" of arson and vandalism. | Agitators are now trying to rip down a fence surrounding the state Capitol building
(2020-08-23). Louisiana cops shoot & kill black man as he 'walks away', tries to enter gas station 'armed with a knife' (DISTURBING VIDEOS). rt.com 
Police officers in Lafayette, Louisiana have shot and killed a man who resisted arrest and tried to walk into a gas station store "armed with a knife," triggering a new wave of outrage over police brutality and "systemic racism." | Lafayette Police Department officers responded to a disturbance call, involving a man with a knife at a Shell gas station around 8pm Friday. When they tried to apprehend the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Trayford Pellerin, he allegedly ignored repeated orders to surrender as well as several taser shots fired at him. | Several cops surrounded a Black man and fatally shot him 10+…
(2020-08-23). Anything goes to spite GOP? Popular British historian draws fire by cheering on hurricanes about to batter 'Trump voting states'. rt.com 
Two potentially devastating hurricanes hitting the United States may actually be a good thing, since they would disrupt next week's Republican convention and stick it to Donald Trump, British historian Dan Snow said. | Tropical Storms Laura and Marco are moving through the Gulf of Mexico towards Texas and Louisiana and are projected to make landfall on Monday and Tuesday, less than 24 hours apart. One might think the destruction and loss of life they could cause is bad news, but not so for Dan Snow, a popular British media personality famous for his historical films. | Snow managed to find dark irony in the po…
(2020-08-23). Trump plans to veto House-approved bill to protect US Postal Service amid election row. thecanary.co 
Legislation that would reverse recent changes in US Postal Service operations has been approved by the House of Representatives in a rare Saturday session. The legislation would also send 25bn USD (£19bn) to shore up the agency ahead of the November election.Speaker Nancy Pelosi recalled lawmakers to Washington over objections from Republicans dismissing the action as a stunt."It is all designed to suppress the vote": President Donald Trump urged a no vote, including in a tweet on Saturday 22 August, railing against mail-in ballots expected to surge in the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis. He has said h…
(2020-08-23). Care homes were bullied into accepting coronavirus patients, research reveals. thecanary.co Care homes were pressured into accepting patients with coronavirus (Covid-19) while simultaneously being refused treatment for residents by hospitals and GPs, research has revealed. | A report by the Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) found homes were told that hospitals had a blanket "no admissions" policy at the height of the pandemic. | The QNI, a charity which focuses on the improvement of nursing care of people in their own home, found care home residents were regularly refused treatment in April and May. | Published by the Independent, the research also found that GPs and local managers in some homes had place…
(2020-08-23). Leaked dossier reveals chaotic worst-case scenario if no-deal Brexit and coronavirus coincide. thecanary.co The military may be drafted in to airdrop food to the Channel Islands under emergency plans drawn up by the government to protect the UK if a second coronavirus wave coincides with a no-deal Brexit. | A Cabinet Office "reasonable worst-case scenario" document, leaked to the Sun newspaper, also discusses using the Navy to stop British fishermen clashing with illegal European fishing boat incursions. | No-deal chaos: | The document says parts of the UK may face power and petrol shortages if thousands of lorries are stranded in Dover. Meanwhile, shortages of medicines caused by port blockages could lead to a…
(2020-08-23). Lebanon's challenge: Prioritize reforms or keep peace. yenisafak.com More than two weeks after devastating explosion here, the situation in the Lebanese capital remains critical, with a pervasive culture of negligence, corruption and complacency by rulers becoming more visible.The destruction of the Port of Beirut on Aug. 4 left more than 170 dead, greater than 6,000 injured and 300,000, or 5% of residents homeless.Once considered the Paris of the Middle East, Beirut now looks like a scene from a horror movie, with collapsed buildings, unsurpassable roads and broken glasses scattered everywhere.The damage caused is estimated at more than $7 billion, equivalent to 14% of the countr…
(2020-08-23). Indonesia reports 2,037 new coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Indonesia reported 2,037 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing its total tally to 153,535, data from the country's COVID-19 taskforce showed.The Southeast Asian country also added 86 new deaths on Sunday, taking the total number to 6,680, the highest COVID-19 death toll in Southeast Asia.
(2020-08-23). Russia plans COVID-19 vaccine output at 6 mln doses a month. yenisafak.com Russia expects to produce between 1.5 million and 2 million doses per month of its potential COVID-19 vaccine by the year end, gradually ramping up production to 6 million doses a month, the RIA news agency cited industry minister Denis Manturov as saying on Sunday.Large-scale testing of the vaccine, developed by Moscow's Gamaleya institute, is due to start in Russia next week.
(2020-08-23). Saudi-led coalition intercepts rebel drone from Yemen. yenisafak.com The Saudi-led coalition said on Sunday it had intercepted an explosives-laden drone fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Saudi Arabia.Coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said the drone was shot down over Yemen, without giving any further details, according to the Saudi SPA news agency.On Saturday, the coalition said it had destroyed a bomb-laden drone ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels towards the kingdom.Meanwhile, the Houthi group accused the Saudi-led coalition of dropping cluster bombs over the Bajil district in the western al-Hudaydah province.The news was carried by the Houthi-run Al-Masira tel…
(2020-08-23). Christchurch attacker set to be sentenced. yenisafak.com The sentencing of the terrorist responsible for Christchurch mosque attacks, New Zealand's deadliest shooting, will be…
(2020-08-23). Erdogan offers condolences to families of Turkey after deadly floods. yenisafak.com The Turkish president offered condolences to families of those who lost their lives in floods in the country's northeast.Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued directives to mobilize all means to heal the wounds of affected people and to take necessary steps to prevent such incidents from happening again, the Turkish Communications Directorate said in a statement.Erdogan also received information about the latest developments in the region and the status of search and rescue operation from Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli, who arrived at the scene.The death toll from fl…
(2020-08-23). Greek Police release Man United's Maguire from custody. yenisafak.com The captain of England's Manchester United, Harry Maguire, was released from police custody Saturday after his arrest in Greece."Harry has pleaded not guilty to the charges. It would be inappropriate for the player or club to comment further while the legal process takes its course," Manchester United said in a statement."Following the appearance in court today we note the adjournment of the case to allow the legal team to consider the case file," it added.Also, a court date has been set on Aug. 25 for Maguire, who can be represented by his lawyer.On Thursday, Maguire and two others were involved in a brawl with…
(2020-08-23). Austrian leaders condemn attack against Jewish community in Graz. yenisafak.com Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and other senior government politicians said they were shocked over an attack on a Jewish community leader in the southern city of Graz on Saturday, and ordered tighter security at Jewish institutions around Austria.An unknown assailant attacked the Graz Jewish community's president, Elie Rosen, with a wooden club on the premises of their synagogue, which was twice targeted by acts of vandalism in the past week, the community said in a statement late on Saturday.Rosen took shelter in his car and was unhurt. The attacker then fled, according to the statement.Police in Styria, the…
(2020-08-23). Kuwait to rebuild Lebanon's only large grain silo after blast. yenisafak.com Kuwait said it will rebuild Lebanon's only large grain silo that was destroyed by the massive Beirut port explosion, raising fears of food shortages in a country already in financial meltdown.The destruction of the 120,000-tonne capacity structure at the port, the main entry point for food imports, meant buyers must rely on smaller private storage facilities for their wheat purchases with no government reserves to fall back on.Kuwait's ambassador to Lebanon, Abdulaal al-Qenaie, said in comments to local radio VdL at the weekend that the silo was first built in 1969 with a Kuwaiti development loan.The Gulf monarch…
(2020-08-22). After two years of school strikes, the world is still in a state of climate crisis denial. zcomm.org We can have as many meetings as we like, but the will to change is nowhere in sight. Society must start treating this as a crisis…
(2020-08-22). Crushing US sanctions devastate Syria's people and post-war reconstruction. thegrayzone.com Leading Syria scholar Joshua Landis on how crippling US sanctions are devastating Syria's people and hindering post-war reconstruction. In a new article for Foreign Affairs, scholar Joshua Landis and former Obama administration official Steve Simon write that US sanctions on Syria "further immiserates the Syrian people, blocks reconstruction efforts, and strangles the economy that sustains …
(2020-08-22). On Covid-19 And Authoritarian Abuses. thealtworld.com 
Over the last few months there's been a clique of indie media who've been urging their respective followings to bully and cajole other indie media into focusing on Covid-19, lockdowns, mask laws and Covid-related authoritarian agendas in their coverage of world events. | I personally find the idea of fighting with indie media in a world that is dominated by murderous globe-spanning power structures absurd, so I won't make this about them, but since their attacks are getting more heated now I'm going to try to spell out my own position on the matter here as clearly as possible. I don't expect this essay to have an…
(2020-08-22). Global Capitalism, "World Government" and the Corona Crisis. globalresearch.ca The COVID-19 crisis is marked by a public health "emergency" under WHO auspices which is being used as a pretext and a justification to triggering a Worldwide process of economic, social and political restructuring.
(2020-08-22). Does the Face Mask Protect You From Covid? Ask Dr. Anthony Fauci. When He Spoke against the Mask, It Was Categorized as "Fake News" globalresearch.ca Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) described as one of the world's leading experts on infectious diseases was until recently categorically against wearing the face mask. | He offered advice and provided specific …
(2020-08-22). New York lawmakers denounce DSA as antisemitic after group challenges junkets to Israel. mronline.org 
At the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) convention in 2017, the group endorsed the BDS movement by an overwhelming majority. That resolution asserted that "socialists have a responsibility to side with the oppressed and are committed to their unconditional liberation."
(2020-08-22). UK Muslim Charity Board to Resign as Director Calls Designated Terrorists 'Great Men', Media Says. sputniknews.com The organisation bills itself as an international aid agency that provides humanitarian relief to over 40 countries in the world irrespective of gender, race, or religious belief. Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband once described the organisation as representing "the values that bind Britain together as a liberal democracy."
(2020-08-22). Venezuela Receives Humanitarian Aid To Fight Covid-19. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Vice Minister for Europe Yvan Gil Saturday announced the arrival of a 73 tons' Humanitarian aid bound from Spain and Portugal, in order to face COVID-19 in the country. | RELATED: | "This shipment is a contribution made by the European Union (EU) and the governments of Spain and Portugal to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We are talking about 73 tons of medical supplies," Gil said. | Gil pointed out…
(2020-08-22). Brazil Calls for COVID-19 Plan to Protect Indigenous People. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Supreme Federal Court (STF) Judge Luis Roberto Barroso Friday ordered President Jair Bolsonaro's administration to present a new version of the plan to halt the COVID-19 in the Indigenous communities. | RELATED: | The original plan was requested last July, following a request from the Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) and several political parties. | The new order requires the document to be reworked and sub…
(2020-08-22). Colombia: New Massacre Leaves Six People Dead in Cauca Valley. telesurenglish.net The Ombudsman's office of Cauca Friday denounced a new massacre in that Colombian department in which six people were killed by armed groups. | RELATED: | "The massacre took place in the Uribe village. We are waiting for a Colombian Army's delegation to arrive in the area," Mayor Carlos Vela said. | The six people were taken by an illegal armed group. Afterward, they were found dead between the Uribe and Ortega Llanos se…
(2020-08-22). Three Massacres in Colombia in 24 Hours. telesurenglish.net The government of Colombia's Nariño department has confirmed a new massacre in the area of La Guayacana, a rural area of the municipality of Tumaco. | RELATED: | There, six young people were murdered and two more are missing, according to preliminary information. | It's not yet known who was behind this latest massacre. | The incident occurred just hours after President Ivan Duque traveled to Samaniego, where last weekend eight people, b…
(2020-08-22). Vandals scribble Holocaust-denying graffiti on WWII monument to French village massacred & torched by Nazis (PHOTO). rt.com 
Unknown vandals have defaced a memorial wall in French village of Oradour-Sur-Glane, that saw the country's largest massacre of civilians by the Nazis during World War II. French authorities vowed to bring the vandals to justice. | The offensive graffiti was discovered on the memorial wall at the entrance to the Center for Remembrance late on Friday. | The vandals crossed out the inscription 'Martyr Village', spraying 'Liar Village' instead. The graffiti also reads "Reynouard is right", in an apparent tribute to Vincent Reynouard, a prominent French revisionist, Holocaust denier and neo-Nazism proponent, repea…
(2020-08-22). Greece denying pushbacks despite evidence: Rights group. yenisafak.com In a recent interview with CNN, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis denied the accusations, saying: "They are an insult to the Greek Coast Guard that has saved tens of thousands of migrants and refugees."However, evidence and reports describing the abuses are too many to be ignored, Eva Cosse, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a report.Cosse, after interviewing victims and witnesses, said that Greek authorities have been seen forcibly pushing back migrants and asylum seekers from Rhodes, Samos, and Symi islands in small inflatable boats.A victim from Syria, who used the pseudonym of Marwan, describ…
(2020-08-22). US Smears Those Questioning Latest Claims vs. China. thealtworld.com 
The Coda Story — a media front funded and created by and for the US government, its "Atlanticist" partners, and the corporate interests driving the vast majority of Western foreign policy — recently ran a smear against alternative media figures questioning the US-led "Uyghur-Xinjiang" narrative. | The smear is part of a wider campaign aimed at anyone questioning Washington's Uyghur-Xinjiang narrative and the US' attempt to use it to undermine China. | These smears follow a very specific playbook. Step one — deny there is a terrorism problem in Xinjiang, China. Step two — cite reports based ent…
(2020-08-22). Eviction crisis looms in Portland, Or. liberationnews.org 
Even before the pandemic hit, Portland was one of the most rent-burdened cities in the United States, with almost half of renters spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing.
(2020-08-22). Global campaign frees Mahmoud Nawajaa. workers.org 
Mahmoud Nawajaa is free! An international campaign pressured Israel to release the general coordinator of the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement from detention. Armed Israeli forces charged into Nawajaa's home near Ramallah in occupied Palestine on July 30 and brutally seized him. He was illegally held without charges until . . . |
(2020-08-22). The Heat: Biden's Foreign Policy. america.cgtn.com 
It's official. Joe Biden becomes the Democratic Party candidate for U.S. president. But what might change in U.S. foreign policy if he gets elected?>
(2020-08-22). 'Drone bomb me': Rose McGowan clashes with Alyssa Milano & other libs over Dem Party 'making world a better place'. rt.com 
Actress and #MeToo pioneer Rose McGowan has continued an all-out assault on the Democratic Party, sparring with liberal celebrities over 2020 presidential pick Joe Biden and the Dems' progressive bonafides. | McGowan launched a fresh offensive on Friday night, picking up from a rapid-fire tweet session the day prior — in which the actress dubbed the party "frauds," "monsters" and "the lie." She first tangled with Biden backer and fellow actress Alyssa Milano, who responded to McGowan's earlier tweet storm with a thread outlining how the Democrats had "[made] the world a better place." | Milano's thread di…
(2020-08-22). Virginia health chief says he will MANDATE coronavirus vaccine, 'strongly opposes' exemptions. rt.com 
Virginia's health commissioner said he will make a coronavirus vaccine legally mandatory for all state residents when one is ready, arguing it will save lives, as critics push back, demanding the right to choose for themselves. | Dr Norman Oliver, who heads up the state's department of health, said he would require all Virginians to get the jab so long as he remains health commissioner when a vaccine is available, "[Covid-19] is…
(2020-08-22). Half of Russians don't want to take world's first Covid-19 vaccine — only 42% willing to try Sputnik V. rt.com 
A majority of Russians don't want to be vaccinated against coronavirus, according to a brand-new survey, which showed only 42 percent of the country wants to be immunized with the homegrown 'Sputnik V' formula, unveiled last week. | On August 11, Russia's president Vladimir Putin announced that the country had registered the world's first Covid-19 vaccine. Developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, the vaccine will be available to the general public from January 2021, but is to be offered to teachers and medical workers first. The process of creating the vaccine has bee…
(2020-08-22). 'A bit like flu': Coronavirus will stay with us 'FOREVER', British scientist says. rt.com 
Covid-19 will stay with humankind "forever in some form or another," a leading British scientist has predicted, advocating regular vaccinations of the population against the deadly disease. | The not-exactly-optimistic prognosis was produced by Sir Mark Walport, a member of the UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), on Saturday. | Unlike some other diseases, like smallpox "which could be eradicated by vaccination," Covid-19 is unlikely to be completely destroyed, the scientist told BBC Radio 4. At the same time, "global vaccination" is a must merely to contain the ongoing pandemic, h…
(2020-08-22). 'DANGEROUS statement': Pelosi slams Trump for tweet claiming 'DEEP STATE' FDA delaying Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com 
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) has accused Donald Trump of making a "dangerous statement" by tweeting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has hindered the US' covid-19 response, including the approval of a vaccine. | In a Saturday "The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for dr…
(2020-08-22). Board of Britain's biggest Muslim charity resigns over posts calling Hamas 'great men' and Israel 'Zionist enemy'. rt.com 
The entire board of the biggest Muslim charity in Britain is set to resign following anti-Semitic social media posts by its director, who was already a replacement for a trustee who had also resigned over controversial comments. | Almoutaz Tayara, the board director of the charity Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) based in Birmingham, had posted on his Facebook page in 2014 and 2015 a cartoon that depicted former US president Barack Obama wearing the Star of David with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Assad of Syria on his lap, saying, "Death to America!" | Other posts called leaders of the Palestinian milit…
(2020-08-22). Fort Hood WMD specialist missing amid string of mysterious deaths & disappearances around army base. rt.com 
The US Army has asked the public for help finding a biological, chemical and nuclear specialist stationed at Fort Hood in Texas, the latest soldier to vanish after a spate of puzzling deaths and disappearances around the base. | The 23-year-old sergeant, Elder Fernandes, was reported missing earlier this week, last seen by his staff sergeant on Monday at a residence near the Fort Hood army base in Killeen, Texas,
(2020-08-22). Lukashenko calls Belarus protests 'Color Revolution,' accuses foreign countries of meddling. rt.com 
President Alexander Lukashenko has likened recent events in Belarus to color revolutions, saying protesters are trying to follow a similar, foreign-backed template to overthrow the government. | "Everything is clear. As we expected, everything is following the plan of color revolutions by whipping up domestic political tensions in the country," Lukashenko said. | The embattled leader, who has headed Belarus for 26 years, also accused foreign countries of interfering with its internal affairs and of seeking "regime change." | 'Color Revolution' is a term used to describe anti-government movements throughout the…
(2020-08-22). Proud Boys vs. BLM & Antifa: VICIOUS Portland clashes with paintballs & street brawls caught on VIDEO. rt.com 
After months of violent Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon, hardline right-wing groups like the Proud Boys and other Donald Trump supporters showed up to support police, and things descended into chaos. | Proud Boys members gathered around the Justice Center in downtown Portland around noon on Saturday, some carrying rifles and others sporting shields that referenced c…
(2020-08-22). Belarus is being used as 'trampoline' to attack Russia, Lukashenko tells RT, amid post-election crisis. rt.com Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko says he and Vladimir Putin "agree" that the forces allegedly directing the ongoing political crisis in Belarus are aiming to attack Russia next. | "In Russia, I often see the media saying: 'Oh, in Belarus, in Belarus…' But it's happening right here, on the western border [of Russia]," Lukashenko told RT in the city of Grodno, where he spoke at a supporters' rally on Saturday. | "We're being pressured, hounded. Myself and Putin have agreed that they're hounding us here to jump on Russia later. It's a trampoline, and we must destroy it. It's an opinion we share with Pr…
(2020-08-22). Belarusian opposition leader Tikhanovskaya to meet with senior US State Department official — says Lukashenko will 'have to leave'. rt.com 
Exiled Belarusian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has revealed she will meet with US diplomat Stephen Biegun to discuss this month's disputed election, controversially awarded to incumbent Alexander Lukashenko. | She has also said Lukashenko "will have to leave" office. Tikhanovskaya's meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun will take place in Lithuania on Monday and focus on the current crisis in Belarus, prompted by the controversial presidential election, her team told Reuters on Saturday, during an online interview she was giving to the news agency. | "During the campaign, I…
(2020-08-22). Catapulting Russian-Meddling Propaganda. strategic-culture.org 
The New York Times is leading the full-court press to improve on what it regards as Special Counsel Robert Mueller's weak-kneed effort to blame the Russians for giving us Donald Trump. | Ray MCGOVERN | The fresh orgy of anti-Russian invective in the lickspittle media (LSM) has the feel of fin de siècle. The last four reality-impaired years do seem as though they add up to a century. And no definitive fin is in sight, as long as most people don't know what's going on. | The LSM should be confronted: "At long last have you left no sense of decency?" But who would hear the question — much less any answer? The…
(2020-08-22). Protesting students demand Gavin Williamson's resignation. thecanary.co 
Students have gathered outside the Department for Education to demand the resignation of the secretary of state, Gavin Williamson.The government was forced to make a U-turn last week and give students their teacher-predicted grades, after an algorithm system saw tens of thousands given lower marks than expected.Many students are still angry after losing university places that were handed to other candidates in the days after the algorithm-based results were announced.Students called for the resignation of Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (Victoria Jones/PA)"We are the future": Campaigners say there is…
(2020-08-22). US attorney general 'vehemently opposed' to pardoning Edward Snowden. thecanary.co 
US attorney general William Barr has said he would be "vehemently opposed" to any attempt to pardon former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden.The attorney general's comments in an interview with the Associated Press come days after president Donald Trump said he would "look at" whether to pardon Snowden.Snowden was charged under the Espionage Act in 2013 with disclosing details of highly classified government surveillance programmes."We can't tolerate that": Trump said of Snowden at a news conference on Saturday 15 August: There are many, many people — it seems to be a split decis…
(2020-08-22). Palestine, Azerbaijan hail Turkey's natural gas find. yenisafak.com Palestine and Azerbaijan congratulated Turkey on Saturday for the discovery of major natural gas reserves in the Black Sea.Palestine's President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call, Turkey's Communications Directorate said in a statement.He hailed Turkey's success as Palestine's success, while Erdogan reiterated Ankara's support for the Palestinian cause.The two leaders also discussed bilateral ties and regional developments, the statement said.Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov phoned his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu to congratulate him on the sig…
(2020-08-22). Democratic Convention: New Faces, Similar Policies but Sharp Contrast with Trumpism. commondreams.org Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, his wife Dr. Jill Biden, Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff raise their arms on stage outside the Chase Center after Biden delivered his acceptance speech on the fourth night of the Democratic National Convention from the Chase Center on August 20, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/dncc-nader-955px.jpg …
(2020-08-22). Californian court passes injunction on gig workers' law, after threats from Uber and Lyft. peoplesdispatch.org In a major setback to gig economy workers' struggle in the United States, an appellate court judge in California passed an injunction against an earlier court ruling on ride-sharing drivers, on Thursday, August 20. The injunction came within hours of ride-sharing corporations such as Uber and Lyft had threatened to suspend all operations in the state. Following the injunction they retracted their threats. | In April 2018, the state supreme court passed down a judgement that would have forced ride-sharing companies to reclassify their drivers, and others working in the gig economy as workers, instead of independen…
(2020-08-22). The verdict on Rafik Hariri's assassination. peoplesdispatch.org The UN-backed International Special Tribunal for Lebanon said it found no evidence of Hezbollah or Syria's involvement in the 2005 assassination of Rafik Hariri. However, this verdict may not mark the end of the issue…
(2020-08-22). 2020 Election Is a Fight Against Trump, Authoritarianism, Greed, Oligarchy & Bigotry. zcomm.org In his speech to the Democratic National Convention, Sanders urged people to fight "against greed, oligarchy and bigotry" by voting President Trump out of office in November…
(2020-08-22). US Elections: Dissecting the Democrats in 2020. globalresearch.ca "There's a term: 'Good Cop. Bad Cop.' And Trump is the 'bad cop.' Biden is the 'good cop.'" | -Mark Robinowitz, from today's interview. | LISTEN TO THE SHOW | The race that …
(2020-08-22). The Biden campaign and the attempt to "rescue" American hegemony. wsws.org The factions of the state backing the Biden campaign have set out to "reclaim America's place in the world" by "getting tough" with Russia and China.
(2020-08-22). Venezuela Receives 73 Tons of Supplies & Equipment from Europe. telesurenglish.net Seventy-three tons of donated supplies Saturday arrived in Caracas, Venezuela, from Europe to assist in the fight against COVID-19. | RELATED: | The shipment includes equipment and supplies such as medicine, vaccines, PPE, water purification equipment and family hygiene kits. | The two flights which came from Madrid, were received by Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister for Europe, Yvan Gil, in the company of Jan Harfst, representative…
(2020-08-22). China & the US: 21st Century's "Great Game" zcomm.org The U.S. has dominated the Pacific Ocean—sometimes called an "American lake"—since the end of World War II. Suddenly Americans have a competitor, although it is a rivalry that routinely gets overblown.
(2020-08-22). Jamaica's Election Campaigning Affected by COVID-19 Measures. telesurenglish.net With Jamaica's elections less than two weeks away, campaigning is looking a bit different under the current COVID-19 restrictions. | RELATED: | On Friday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced that political motorcades have been prohibited in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus. | "This is to say, motorcades with more than two buses, which we call Coaster buses; motorcades that are stopping and greeting; motorcades t…
(2020-08-22). Nearly 300 workers infected in COVID-19 outbreak at Northampton sandwich factory. wsws.org Northampton, already on a coronavirus watchlist, has the highest rate of new cases in England and could be subjected to a local lockdown.
(2020-08-22). Educators Demand Virtual Schools as 'Least Bad' but Safe Option. zcomm.org As the coronavirus continues to spread, teachers and school employees are being handed reopening plans that require them to be in their classrooms at the bell—and they are resisting.
(2020-08-22). Over 800,000 People Have Died From COVID-19 in the World. telesurenglish.net Worldometers website Friday warned that the COVID-19 deaths worldwide Friday exceeded 800,000, while new infections reached 23 million. | RELATED: | "The COVID-19 has caused so far 803,374 deaths and 23,130,443 infections," the website assured. | The numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths "have been rising amidst a relaxation of measures to prevent the spread and rebound of the virus in Europe," Wordometers added. | The most…
(2020-08-22). Coronavirus testing remains at reduced levels in the US. wsws.org To fully map spread of the pandemic, and contain the disease, the US should be doing 6—10 million tests per day. It currently does about 700,000.
(2020-08-22). Fiat Chrysler, UAW conspire to keep workers on the job after exposure to coronavirus. wsws.org In order to cut costs and boost profits, management and the UAW are seeking to eliminate the limited and inadequate safety protocols put in place in May.
(2020-08-22). Cornell residential advisors hold one-day strike over coronavirus safety as school reopens. wsws.org The strike action was spontaneously organized in response to the university's reckless reopening plans that left RAs with larger workloads than in pre-pandemic semesters.
(2020-08-22). Cuba's vaccine candidate "Sovereign" is all set to enter clinical trials. peoplesdispatch.org Cuba's vaccine candidate is the first from the Latin America and the Caribbean region and marks a continuation of its pioneering work in combating COVID-19 across the world…
(2020-08-22). First Person: Pakistan health worker commits to polio fight, despite COVID fears. news.un.org Despite suffering the after-effects of the COVID-19 virus, Husna Gul, a staff member with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Pakistan, is committed to ensuring that as many children as possible are vaccinated against the devastating consequences of polio, which can cause muscle-wasting, paralysis and death.
(2020-08-22). 'A Vaccine Will Not End the Pandemic on Its Own' WHO Warns. telesurenglish.net World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Friday warned that a COVID-19 vaccine creation does not mean the pandemic will end on its own. | RELATED: | "Although a vaccine will be a vital tool, we know little about the long-term effects it may have," Adhanom said. | Most countries that have reopened their economies are experiencing new outbreaks after a period of little or no transmission. "Thi…
(2020-08-22). European countries force children back to school amid resurgence of COVID-19. wsws.org The drive to reopen schools after the summer break continues unabated throughout Europe as the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates across the continent.
(2020-08-22). US: Top Medical Association Prohibits Use of Hydroxychloroquine. telesurenglish.net The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has revised its guidelines for the use of hydroxychloroquine advising hospitals to stop using the drug to treat COVID-19 patients. | RELATED: | On Friday, the IDSA updated its guidelines on COVID-19 patients, recommending not to use hydroxychloroquine in hospitals by itself or along with the antibiotic azithromycin. The IDSA had previously advised for a limited use of hydroxychloroqu…
(2020-08-22). Defeat COVID-19 and put an end to hate and discrimination: UN chief. news.un.org In a message published on the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Violence Based on Religious Belief, which falls on 22 August, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of a rise in racism since the spread of COVID-19 across the world.
(2020-08-22). Why Trump's attacks on mail-in ballots are a desperate attempt to undermine democracy. nationofchange.org "It's ugly, and as un-American as you can get."
(2020-08-22). Ceasefire in Libya will be key for region. peoplesdispatch.org The declaration of a ceasefire in war-torn Libya has raised hopes that a political solution can be reached and years of hostility ended. The war in Libya and the possible peace has great regional significance too.
(2020-08-22). Hundreds march on the DNC in Milwaukee, 'We can't breathe!'. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – In the early evening of August 20, around 500 people gathered in Dontre Hamilton (officially Red Arrow) Park in downtown Milwaukee to mark the final day of the Democratic National Convention. The turnout in spite of the pandemic and the vastly diminished physical presence in the city for the convention was a testament to the hard work and dedication of the organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC. | "No matter who anybody votes for, no matter who wins, we're always going to be out in the streets. We're always going to be fighting for justice," said Omar Flores, an organizer with the Milwa…
(2020-08-22). US: Police Continue to Repress BLM Protesters in Portland. telesurenglish.net U.S. Police repression continues in Portland, Oregon against demonstrators who continue to take to the streets to demand an end to police brutality and racism in the United States. | RELATED: | For 90 days now, protesters have taken to the streets of the U.S. city of Portland following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. | As per social media videos, protesters were met with heavy police repression inc…
(2020-08-22). Trump Might Cheat. Activists Are Getting Ready. zcomm.org Election sabotage needs to be met with the largest protests yet…
(2020-08-22). Seven protest leaders in Thailand arrested by police. wsws.org This week's state crackdown on the student leadership of mass protests that have swept across the country reveals the Thai ruling elite's fear of a broader movement.
(2020-08-22). Tropical Storm Laura Hits Puerto Rico With Heavy Rains. telesurenglish.net The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) Saturday announced that Tropical Storm Laura reached Puerto Rico's territory with heavy rains. | RELATED: | In the early hours of this Saturday, Laura was 20 miles southwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 210 miles east-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. | The tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour and is moving westward at 20 miles per hour. | Lau…
(2020-08-22). Sanctuary Camp Residents Pressured to Move, No Housing Solution In Sight. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — Houseless Twin Cities residents have recently endured arrests, the trashing of their belongings, and violent actions at the hands of Park Police, whose participation in these sweeps has been documented by local photographers. | Several hundred people living in dozens of camps across…
(2020-08-22). Facebook censors anti-fascist and anarchist groups, falsely linking them with extreme-right violence. wsws.org Facebook has adopted positions put forward by the Trump administration and US Justice Department targeting left-wing opposition in the latest expansion of its political censorship regime.
(2020-08-22). Muharram mourning in Semnan. en.mehrnews.com SEMNAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — Observing health protocols and social distancing due to coronavirus, people of the central Iranian city of Semnan attended the mourning ceremonies for Imam Hussein (PBUH) on the second night of Muharram.
(2020-08-22). Iran COVID-19 update: 126 deaths, 2,028 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,028 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 356,792.
(2020-08-22). Armed Forces ready to nip any threat in bud. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — Commander of the Iranian Army Ground Force Brigadier General Kiomars Heidari highlighted the readiness of the Iranian Armed Forces to counter any threat.
(2020-08-22). Iran-Russia military coop. 'positive, progressive': Hatami. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami said that military cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation is 'positive and progressive'.
(2020-08-22). IAEA chief to visit Tehran on Monday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi announced that he will visit Tehran on Monday to hold talks with Iranian officials.
(2020-08-22). Iranian envoy warns on weakening UN position. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — The Iranian Ambassador to France warned about undermining and weakening the international status of the United Nation in international bodies.
(2020-08-22). Trump facing sharp drop in popularity: Vaezi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — Iranian President's Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi said that Trump is facing a sharp drop in popularity and approval in the last months of his administration.
(2020-08-22). US troops to withdraw from Camp Taji on Sunday: report. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) — Iraqi sources announced that US troops will evacuate Camp Taji in northern Baghdad on Sunday.
(2020-08-22). Islamic Revolution lovers' presence in Syria defeated US. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said that the defeat of the US and its allies in Syria is due to the presence of the lovers of the Islamic Revolution.
(2020-08-22). Hosseini Infants Ceremony marked in Hazrat Masoumeh Mausoleum. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 22 (MNA) — The Hosseini Infancy Ceremony was held at the holy Mausoleum of Hazrat Masoumeh (PBUH) on Sat. on Qom province by fully observing of health protocols and guidelines due to the spread of pandemic in the country.
(2020-08-22). Nasrallah chastises US warmongering across world. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 23 (MNA) — Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement Hassan Nasrallah has severely rebuked the United States' warmongering against other countries across the world.
(2020-08-22). Saturday 8/22: Meetup: How we will Place a Moratorium on Murder. indybay.org Online Zoom…
(2020-08-22). "Pay Us Benefits" & "No On Prop 22" Uber Workers Protest at SF Uber World HQ. indybay.org Uber and Lyft workers and supporters protested at the UBER World Headquarters to demand worker benefits and also to oppose Proposition 22 which would undermine AB5 which forces ridedshare companies to pay workers comp, disability and social security,…
(2020-08-22). Don't Throw Us Under The Bus! SMART 1741 SF School Bus Drivers Fight For Healthcare. indybay.org The San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Vincent Matthews and the SFUSD school board are taking away healthcare benefits from the SMART 1741 school bus drivers and union members protested on 8/20/20…
(2020-08-22). Tuesday 8/25: Giants and Warriors Workers Fight Back. indybay.org ORACLE PARK (Giant's ballpark) | PICKET LINE: Willie Mays statue, 3rd & King Streets | CAR CARAVAN: ILWU parking lot, 2nd & King Streets…
(2020-08-22). Lenders Deny Mortgages For Black Homeowners At A High Rate. popularresistance.org Discrimination in home lending goes back to the beginning of home lending itself. During the last housing boom, when subprime mortgages were all the rage, predatory lending to minority borrowers was rampant. When the mortgage market came crashing down, taking the economy with it, some major lenders were held accountable. They ended up paying massive, multibillion-dollar settlements to the federal government. But there is clearly still bias in the market. | A majority (59 percent), of Black homebuyers, are concerned about qualifying for a mortgage, while less than half (46 percent) of white buyers are, according t…
(2020-08-22). At Washington Post, Defunding Police Is A Step Too Radical. popularresistance.org Since the May 25 murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police, calls across the US to defund police departments—shifting resources from law enforcement to social services—have grown louder. In June, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio shifted $1 billion from the NYPD—at least on paper (Gothamist, 6/29/20)—and Minneapolis city council members vowed to dismantle the police department and build a new model of public safety (though the city's charter commission kept an initiative to eliminate a requirement to maintain a minimum number of police officers off the November ballot—Washingt…
(2020-08-22). Banks Have Made $18 Billion From 'Paycheck Protection Program' Processing Fees. popularresistance.org Whether or not a sin ≠gle job or com ≠pa ≠ny is saved through the CARES Act's Pay ≠check Pro ≠tec ≠tion Pro ≠gram (PPP), lenders will be paid hun ≠dreds of mil ≠lions of dol ≠lars in tax ≠pay ≠er mon ≠ey. As of mid-July, PPP lenders, includ ≠ing JPMor ≠gan Chase Bank, Bank of Amer ≠i ≠ca and Wells Far ≠go, had racked up $18 bil ≠lion in fees—more than was allo ≠cat ≠ed to oth ≠er pro ≠grams to devel ≠op vac ≠cines, pro ≠vide med ≠ical sup ≠plies and health ser ≠vices, and feed chil ≠dren. Near ≠ly $130 bil ≠lion…
(2020-08-22). Antifascists Are Facing Off Against The Far-Right, Backed By Local Cops. popularresistance.org Every Friday in Sunland-Tujunga, a small neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, just 15 minutes from Downtown LA, a group of violent far-Right Trump supporters meets under the guise of rallying in support of the police. Here's how local antifascists have responded. | They assemble out front of a Big 5 on Foothill Blvd from around 11 am to sundown every Friday and have since the start of the George Floyd uprising. Their hate has been countered by members of the local community since day one. Early demos would have 2-3 Black Lives Matter protesters standing across from a group of…
(2020-08-22). The Ongoing US Dominance Of The Dominican Republic. popularresistance.org This is an island with two nations that have suffered from foreign intervention and repeated imperialist invasions, and, in our case, a country that has been absolutley captured by the Pentagon after our most recent attempt to change ourselves into a sovereign nation in 1965 (following Cuba's path in our own manner) precisely due to the popular-democratic revolution of 1965 which was blocked by the landing of 42,000 invading US Marines. | Since then we've been unable to break these powerful chains. Every time there are attempts in our country at changes out of the control of the US, the shackles are tightened.
(2020-08-22). Walking The Tightrope: Latin America's Pink Tide. popularresistance.org Latin America's Pink Tide: Breakthroughs and Shortcomings, edited by economic historian and prominent Latin Americanist Steve Ellner, offers a critical ethical theoretical framework for assessing the performance of left and left-of-center governments in Latin America during the Pink Tide. The "Pink Tide" refers to the wave of progressive governments beginning with the election of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela in 1998. These progressive governments provided alternatives to the neoliberal economic model that had brought growing economic and social inequality, austerity, privatization of public resources, and political s…
(2020-08-22). House Approves Bill to Provide $25 Billion to US Postal Service. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to provide $25 billion in support to the US Postal Service and block policy changes that could affect mail-in balloting during the 3 November presidential election.
(2020-08-22). Why COVID-Led Surge in Public Debt Has Become a Double-Edged Sword for the UK Economy. sputniknews.com UK public debt has exceeded 100% of gross domestic product for the first time since 1963, breaching £2 trillion ($2.6 trillion) following the government's £26.7 billion ($34.9 billion) borrowing in July. Economists have explained how Britain found itself under such a massive debt burden and whether they can get it under control.
(2020-08-22). COVID Dampens Ganesha Festivities: Idol Sculptors Left in Lurch Over Celebration Curbs in India. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Drenched in a glorious past and cloaked with traditions and culture, festivals showcase the spirit of the Indian way of life. As celebrations and reminders of India's secularity, its 1.35 billion people get together in at least 36 annual festivals, most of which begin after Ganesha Chaturthi.
(2020-08-22). Photo: China's Final Type 055 Destroyer Spotted Preparing for Possible Launch. sputniknews.com New reports from Chinese social media platforms Weibo and WeChat reveal that Beijing's eighth and final Type 055 destroyer may be ready for launch soon, as the stealth guided-missile destroyer was spotted receiving a new paint job at a Dalian shipyard.
(2020-08-22). COVID-19 Pandemic May Fuel International 'Famine of Biblical Proportions', UN Official Warns. sputniknews.com Prior to the pandemic, the head of UN World Food Programme warned that 2020 would be the worst year since the Second World War because of the severe damage inflicted upon food systems by natural disasters and conflicts.
(2020-08-22). Iran Arms Embargo: America's Alleged 'Over the Top Ridiculousness' Added to US Isolation in UN Vote. sputniknews.com Last week, the UN Security Council rejected a draft resolution introduced by Washington to indefinitely extend a weapons embargo on Tehran envisioned by the 2015 Iran nuclear deal ahead of the embargo's expiration on 18 October.
(2020-08-22). Iranian Envoy to Russia Says Tehran-Moscow Military Cooperation 'Will Reach New Levels'. sputniknews.com The announcement comes as a UN embargo on weapons sales to the Islamic Republic is about to expire amid continuing opposition to the move by the United States.
(2020-08-22). UN Invites Libyan Tribes to Participate in Crisis Settlement, Country's Elders Council Official Says. sputniknews.com BENGHAZI (Sputnik) – Libyan tribes have been invited to participate in the political process on the Libyan crisis settlement by the United Nations, Senussi al-Haleeq, the deputy chairman of the Supreme Council of Libyan Sheikhs and Elders, which supports the Libyan National Army, said on Saturday.
(2020-08-22). Officer Wounded During Protest March in Jerusalem, 7 People Detained, Police Say. sputniknews.com TEL AVIV (Sputnik) – Seven protesters were detained during an anti-government march in Jerusalem; one law enforcement officer was injured, according to Israeli police.
(2020-08-22). Lukashenko Reveals What Putin Told Him Before Belarusian President Addressed Supporters. sputniknews.com The president showed up at a rally of his supporters in Grodno following two weeks of opposition-organised protests and strikes in the country. Lukashenko accused foreign countries of funding the riots with the aim of ousting him under the made-up pretext of rigging the election.
(2020-08-22). China and the U.S.: The 21st Century's 'Great Game'. strategic-culture.org Conn M. HALLINAN | From 1830 to 1895, the British and Russian empires schemed and plotted over control of Central and South Asia. At the heart of the "Great Game" was England's certainty that the Russians had designs on India. So wars were fought, borders drawn, and generations of young met death in desolate passes and lonely outposts. | In the end, it was all illusion. Russia never planned to challenge British rule in India and the bloody wars settled nothing, although the arbitrary borders and ethnic tensions stoked by colonialism's strategy of divide and conquer live on today. Thus China, India, Pakistan, Afgh…
(2020-08-22). Bismarck, Britain's COVID -19 Crisis and the Failure of the National Health Service. strategic-culture.org The appalling record of Britain's National Health Service in dealing with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has also revealed the country's false pride, ignorance and arrogance about the NHS in striking contrast with that of Russia and Germany. | It is often commented that after the exhausted and bankrupt British were forced to give up their enormous global empire after World War II, they comforted themselves — very much in the manner of a spoiled and immature child sucking his or her favorite frozen sweet — by assuring each other that they had the most advanced and impressive free health care service…
(2020-08-22). Blue Collar Workers and Democracy. strategic-culture.org Even an honest politician can't do everything they want. So why do we vote for "dictatorial" results when we are proud of Democracy? Watch the video and read more in the
(2020-08-22). U.S. Isolated From Double-Think & Arrogance on 'Snapback' Sanctions Against Iran. strategic-culture.org More than two years ago, in May 2018, the Trump administration unilaterally walked away from the international nuclear accord with Iran signed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. President Trump derided the deal as the "worst ever" and proceeded to re-impose crippling U.S. sanctions on Iran. | This week the United States
(2020-08-22). Prosecutors Have No Place in Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commissions. truthout.org As abolitionist organizers on the ground in Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco, we are appalled and angered by the
(2020-08-22). US House takes on Postal reforms seen as threat to mail-in ballots. yenisafak.com The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Saturday on providing the cash-strapped Postal Service with $25 billion and block policies that have stirred concerns about mail-in balloting ahead of the Nov. 3 election.The Democratic-led chamber is widely expected to pass the bill, dubbed the "Delivering for America Act," at a rare Saturday session called by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the congressional August recess. But it is unlikely to be taken up in the Republican-controlled Senate.With mail-in voting expected to surge during the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump has alarmed De…
(2020-08-22). Australian national cabinet exploits pandemic for economic restructuring. wsws.org Despite paying lip service to the aged care catastrophe, the federal, state and territory government leaders adopted "economic recovery" as their top priority.
(2020-08-22). France delays launch of COVID-19 economic reboot plan to September. yenisafak.com The French government said on Saturday it would unveil details of its 100 billion euro ($118 billion) plan to reinvigorate the economy in the first week of September, instead of next Tuesday, as it focuses on preparing the new school term."The recovery plan is ready, the timetable for its implementation still stands," government spokesman Gabriel Attal said in a statement.Schools are set to reopen on Sept. 1, after most were closed during a two-month lockdown earlier this year to fight the coronavirus, and the government is working to ensure protective measures will be adequate, Attal said.France has already outl…
(2020-08-22). Pakistan congratulates Turkey over gas discovery. yenisafak.com Pakistan's president on Saturday congratulated Turkey over the natural gas discovery in the Black Sea."I must congratulate our friends, President @RTErdogan and the people of Turkey, on their biggest natural gas discovery in the Black Sea. Friends revel and rejoice in the happiness and prosperity of friends. Mashallah," Arif Alvi said in a Twitter post.The development remained one of the top trends "HayirliOlsunTurkiye– #PakGreetsTurkey" on Twitter and other social media sites, with users congratulating Ankara over historic discovery.On Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced some 320 billion cubic mete…
(2020-08-22). Philippines reports 4,933 coronavirus infections, 26 deaths. yenisafak.com The Philippines reported 4,933 infections of the new coronavirus on Saturday, the fifth straight day above 4,000, and 26 COVID-19 deaths.In a bulletin, the health ministry said total confirmed cases have increased to 187,249 while confirmed deaths have reached 2,966. The Philippines has the most infections in Southeast Asia, and second-highest number of deaths, behind Indonesia.
(2020-08-22). Turkey: Hot air balloons up in the skies after months. yenisafak.com Colorful hot air balloons dotted the skies of Pamukkale in southwestern Turkey on Saturday morning, as the popular tourist activity resumed after a pause of over five months due to the coronavirus pandemic.The UNESCO World Heritage Site in Denizli province is famous for its mineral-rich thermal waters and white travertine terraces.The balloon tours, which give visitors the chance to take in the area's natural splendor from up above, were grounded on March 15 as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.Pamukkale's Kocacukur area swarmed with tourists on Saturday morning, who lined up for their balloon rides…
(2020-08-22). Turkish dentists say visits safe during COVID-19. yenisafak.com Patients can visit dental hospitals or clinics without worry despite the coronavirus pandemic, a Turkish dentist told Anadolu Agency."Under the control of the Turkish Health Ministry, dental clinics and hospitals have taken advanced level of measures against COVID-19," according to Lutfi Ciftci, chief physician at the Bursa Oral and Dental Health Hospital.Ciftci said they took measures against the virus such as taking temperatures of patients at the entrance, asking if they have any symptoms, hanging information brochures on walls as well as informing them to wear masks and using disinfectants regularly."Consider…
(2020-08-22). Iraqis burn party offices over attacks on protesters. yenisafak.com Angry protesters tore down the offices of Shia political parties in Iraq's southern province of Dhi Qar on Saturday in revenge for attacks on demonstrators.Protesters, escorted by bulldozers, demolished the offices of the Dawa Party and Badr Organization in the city of Nasiriyah, according to eyewitnesses."They first set fire to the buildings before destroying them," one of the witnesses told Anadolu Agency.On Friday, three protesters were injured when a blast struck near a protest camp in Nasiriyah.Four people, including two activists, were also shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Basra on Wednesday.Popular prot…
(2020-08-22). Protesters hold seventh anti-Kremlin march over detained governor. yenisafak.com Around 1,500 people marched through the streets of the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk on Saturday, marking the seventh consecutive weekend of protests after the region's governor was detained in early July.Residents of Khabarovsk, 6,110 km (3,800 miles) east of Moscow, have protested since the detention of Sergei Furgal, the region's popular governor, on July 9 in connection with murder charges which he denies.His supporters say the detention is politically motivated.People marched on Saturday with posters reading "Freedom to Furgal" and "Belarus – Khabarovsk is with you" – a sign of support for oppositio…
(2020-08-22). Australian union cancels Sydney bus drivers' strike. wsws.org The calling off of the stoppage is in line with the role played by the unions throughout the pandemic, in seeking to suppress all working-class opposition.
(2020-08-22). Making Politics Work for You. dissidentvoice.org Winston Churchill, in the British House of Commons on November 11, 1947, made the following statement: Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of …
(2020-08-22). A Sudanese political evacuee's views on Britishness and the 'refugee crisis'. thecanary.co Somewhere in Sudan, in the latter half of the 1990s, a warrant was issued to arrest and charge one Gamal el-Din Khougali with conspiracy and crimes against the government. The successful businessman and political activist's 'crimes' were organising awareness campaigns and producing material critical of the now ousted The inf…
(2020-08-22). NDP Should Use Its Clout to Push Vulnerable Liberals to Take Urgent Climate Action. commondreams.org Climate campaigners in Canada and beyond and protested Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's ongoing support for the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project. (Photo: Greenpeace) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2018-03-23_at_3.33.16_pm_1_0_0_0.jpg …
(2020-08-22). 'This is the Opposite of What Americans Fought a Revolution For': Tennessee to Strip Right to Vote from Protesters. commondreams.org 'If our votes didn't matter they wouldn't work so hard to silence us.' | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/tennessee-black_lives_matter-955px.jpg …
(2020-08-22). #SaveThePostOffice: New Documents Show Postal Delays Are 'Far Worse' Than Previously Known. commondreams.org Nearly 700 demonstrations were underway today—"Save…
(2020-08-22). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Slams Controversial Tennessee Anti-Protester Law. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-22). Amidst California's Airpocalypse, Protesters Call on Samsung to Quit Coal. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-22). Which Black Voices Should Their White Supporters Heed? commondreams.org Travon Brown, with megaphone, leads the Black Lives Matter Protest march through Marion, Virginia on Friday, July 3, 2020. (Earl Neikirk for The Washington Post via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/blm-va-955px.jpg …
(2020-08-22). [Editorial] Trump versus Biden: a fight for the health of a nation. thelancet.com With only 73 days until Nov 3, the 2020 presidential election in the US has entered a decisive phase with Democratic candidate Joe Biden's announcement of California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. It comes against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic that has revealed a nation of stark inequity, especially in terms of health. Over the past three decades, non-communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases, cancers, neurological disorders, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease have been the predominant causes of death and disability in the US.
(2020-08-22). [World Report] COVID-19 and readjusting clinical trials. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted clinical trials worldwide, with long-lasting effects on medical science. Aaron van Dorn reports.
(2020-08-22). [Comment] In sepsis-induced heart failure, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation can provide support. thelancet.com Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.1 Septic shock occurs when serum lactate is elevated and vasopressor medication is required despite adequate fluid resuscitation.2 Many cardiovascular features of septic shock exist, including tachycardia, alterations in vascular tone, and reduced ventricular function. Haemodynamic patterns differ with age, characteristically manifesting as pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure in newborn infants, left heart failure in young children, and distributive shock in adolescents and adults.
(2020-08-22). [Clinical Picture] E-cigarette-induced lung disease: from acute to chronic. thelancet.com A 52-year-old man attended our hospital reporting breathlessness on exertion that had been worsening over the past 2 weeks. He had smoked 20 cigarettes a day for the past 40 years. He had no other symptoms—specifically no systemic or gastrointestinal complaints. The patient had tried to quit smoking 4 months earlier and had started vaping: he had been using commercially available e-cigarettes which did not have any Œî9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) added.
(2020-08-22). [Perspectives] Noni MacDonald: inspirational leader in Canadian and global health. thelancet.com It is not easy to pigeon-hole Noni MacDonald, Professor of Pediatrics at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS, Canada. Paediatrician, infectious disease specialist, vaccinologist, founder of a paediatrics journal, the first woman in Canada to become Dean of Medicine, and passionate global health advocate, her career has been long and diverse. "My professional life has all been about confronting health problems. In my view, if you don't do something to solve the problem, you end up being part of the problem", she says.
(2020-08-22). [Perspectives] Pandemics past and dystopian futures. thelancet.com My children, when small, asked me, variously: "tell me a story not in a book"; "tell me a story from your mouth". The youngest now asks instead: "tell me a dystopian future". Last year, this amused me. I could tell tall tales, weird and bad. Now, I am not sure where to start, and I am certainly not sure where to end. This is still our world, but we queue compliantly in supermarkets at 2 m intervals; we shout to our older relatives as we drop off food from the end of the garden path, walking away as we do, and we need to find a face mask before going into a shop or onto a train.
(2020-08-22). [Articles] Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to rescue sepsis-induced cardiogenic shock: a retrospective, multicentre, international cohort study. thelancet.com Patients with severe sepsis-induced cardiogenic shock treated with VA-ECMO had a large and significant improvement in survival compared with controls not receiving ECMO. However, despite the careful propensity-weighted analysis, we cannot rule out unmeasured confounders.
(2020-08-22). [Correspondence] WSO and WHF joint position statement on population-wide prevention strategies. thelancet.com In 2008, Rod Jackson and colleagues1 proposed that prevention strategies for high-risk cardiovascular disease, based on screening individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease, would deliver large benefits for the population. Simon Capewell2 cautioned that these strategies could mislead health professionals and politicians into thinking they can tick the box reading mission accomplished and, with screening completed, cardiovascular disease prevention would be resolved. Both sides of this debate were based on assumptions and therefore did not reach consensus, but the high-risk approach to the prevention of ca…
(2020-08-22). [Review] Sex and gender: modifiers of health, disease, and medicine. thelancet.com Clinicians can encounter sex and gender disparities in diagnostic and therapeutic responses. These disparities are noted in epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, disease progression, and response to treatment. This Review discusses the fundamental influences of sex and gender as modifiers of the major causes of death and morbidity. We articulate how the genetic, epigenetic, and hormonal influences of biological sex influence physiology and disease, and how the social constructs of gender affect the behaviour of the community, clinicians, and patients in the health-care system and interact with p…
(2020-08-22). [Articles] The Community-Level Interventions for Pre-eclampsia (CLIP) cluster randomised trials in Mozambique, Pakistan, and India: an individual participant-level meta-analysis. thelancet.com The CLIP intervention did not reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes. Future community-level interventions should expand the community health worker workforce, assess general (rather than condition-specific) messaging, and include health system strengthening.
(2020-08-22). [Obituary] William Charles Dement. thelancet.com Founder of sleep medicine. He was born in Wenatchee, WA, USA, on July 29, 1928, and died of cardiovascular disease in Stanford, CA, USA, on June 17, 2020, aged 91 years.
(2020-08-21). "We're Back": Greta Thunberg Kicks Off Third Year of Fridays for Future Protests in Germany After Meeting With Merkel. commondreams.org "We want leaders to step up, take responsibility, and treat the climate crisis like a crisis." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/greta_berlin.jpg …
(2020-08-21). Drug Trafficking Militias Massacre Social Leaders in Colombia. globalresearch.ca In Colombia, a terrible wave of violence affects the people and especially traditional indigenous communities. According to United Nations data, more than 40 murders of social leaders have occurred this year alone. | Last Tuesday, August 18, three Indians of the …
(2020-08-21). FSO Safer: Stricken Oil Tanker Off Yemen Coast Could Cause Explosion Dwarfing Beirut Blast. mintpressnews.com 
The FSO Safer, a moored oil tanker on the verge of explosion or a catastrophic spill, has become yet another bargaining chip in the ongoing war in Yemen, with the Houthis, UN, US and Saudi Arabia all vying to take possession of the valuable oil onboard.
(2020-08-21). "A disturbing milestone": America's top 12 plutocrats now own $1 Trillion in wealth. mronline.org 
New figures from the Institute for Policy Studies show that, despite a pandemic that has stunted the economy for months, America's billionaire class is becoming richer than ever, adding nearly $700 billion to their fortune since the nationwide lockdown in March.
(2020-08-21). Mail Sorting Machines Across America Dismantled Ahead of November Election. mintpressnews.com Some 671 mail sorting machines have already been decommissioned ahead of the upcoming presidential election, where record numbers of Americans are expected to vote by mail.
(2020-08-21). Carefully Choreographed Convention Confirms Progressive Policies Not Central to Biden Bid. thealtworld.com The key message from this year's DNC is the emphasis the Biden campaign is putting on reaching out to so-called "moderate Republicans," presenting Trump as an aberration and Biden as the cure. | MPN— The Democratic National Convention continued for a fourth night last night, as the party coronates former vice president Joe Biden as its nomination for November. Originally scheduled to be held in Milwaukee, the current pandemic meant that it is mostly taking place virtually, allowing the DNC to hold a more carefully choreographed celebration than would otherwise have been possible. | One key message from the p…
(2020-08-21). NATO Poses a Threat to Belarus: Why Did Russia Reaffirm Its CSTO Support to Belarus but Not to Armenia? globalresearch.ca Russia's reaffirmation of its CSTO mutual defense obligations to Belarus was made in response to Lukashenko's claims that NATO poses a threat to Belarus, which Moscow evidently believes are at least credible enough to remind the alliance about its red …
(2020-08-21). On Fox, The Grayzone's Anya Parampil rips 'criminal neocons' in Biden & Trump camps. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone's Anya Parampil joins Tucker Carlson Tonight to address the revival of Iraq war neocons and militarists by both the Biden campaign and Trump White House.
(2020-08-21). The Covid-19 "Big Lie": Is This What You Want for Your Children? globalresearch.ca The Daily Mail has come out with an incisive review of a Kinder-garden in Thailand which has applied the model of social engineering imposed by the Royal Thai government. | Similar guidelines have been imposed by governments throughout the World. | Social …
(2020-08-21). Headlines for August 21, 2020. democracynow.org Joe Biden Accepts Presidential Nomination, Pledging End to "Season of Darkness", CDC Director: Up to 60 Million U.S. Residents Were Infected with Coronavirus, White House Declares Teachers "Essential Workers" as Unions Threaten Strikes over Coronavirus, Stock Markets Surge Even as 1.1 Million U.S. Workers File New Unemployment Claims, Protesters Call on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to #MakeBillionairesPay, Postmaster General to Face Congressional Grilling over "Sabotage" of Postal Service, Massive California Wildfires Leave 5 Dead, 700,000 Acres Burned, Steve Bannon Arrested, Charged with Pocketing Private Border W…
(2020-08-21). "Light Is More Powerful Than Dark": Biden Vows to Fight COVID, Climate, Racism & Economic Meltdown. democracynow.org 
We air highlights from Joe Biden's highly anticipated speech on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, in which he formally accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, focused on the dangers of President Trump's reelection and pledged to address the four simultaneous crises of systemic racism, the pandemic, the economic downturn and the climate crisis. "United, we can and will overcome this season of darkness in America," Biden said. The 25-minute speech was delivered from his home state of Delaware.
(2020-08-21). Cornel West & Ben Jealous on the DNC and Whether Progressives Can Push Joe Biden Leftward. democracynow.org 
Harvard professor Cornel West and Ben Jealous, president of People for the American Way and former president of the NAACP, discuss the 2020 DNC, Joe Biden's vow to fight systemic racism and "overcome this season of darkness in America," the historic nomination of Kamala Harris as his partner on the ticket, and how the convention was a showcase for a broad anti-Trump coalition, including prominent Republican figures given plum speaking slots, but few voices from the party's insurgent left wing. "At this moment, with the decline and fall of the American empire, it looks as if the system is unable to generate enough…
(2020-08-21). Virtual 2020 DNC Wraps with Calls for Empathy, Unity & a Broad Coalition to Rally Around Joe Biden. democracynow.org 
The 2020 Democratic National Convention has wrapped up, with speakers on the final night including California Governor Gavin Newsom, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and 13-year-old Brayden Harrington, who talked about how Joe Biden had personally helped him with his stutter. We air highlights from the evening's addresses.
(2020-08-21). The Black Led "Defund the Police" Movement Wins Great Breakthrough in Los Angeles: An Organizer's Interpretation. counterpunch.org 
At 11 PM on Tuesday June 30—after 13 hours of public testimony and board deliberations and yes, years of organizing—the Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police movement in Los Angeles and nationally took a great leap forward. The Los Angeles School Board, led by Board Member Monica Garcia, with the support of board members
(2020-08-21). Belarus: Why Is Lukshenko Being Color Revolutioned Just Now? globalresearch.ca The globalist Powers That Be have clearly decided to topple the long-standing sole-ruler of Belarus, President Aleksander Lukashenko. The question is why at just this time? There is a case to be made that one reason is he is …
(2020-08-21). About My "Facilitation of, and Collaboration with, Fascism" counterpunch.org A Response to the Lying Slanderers of the RCP I notice that a recent column of mine (Aug. 13) has occasioned…
(2020-08-21). Israel launches airstrikes against Gaza and threatens war. wsws.org Israel is preparing for war on the besieged Palestinian enclave, even as it ups the ante against Hezbollah in Lebanon and its primary target, Iran.
(2020-08-21). Israel's Blockade of 2 Million Palestinians in Gaza is making it Uninhabitable. zcomm.org Gantz, Netanyahu and others know for sure that Gazans have nothing to lose as life is unbearable under the ongoing 14-year siege, while peace on Israeli terms is a mirage…
(2020-08-21). In Further War Crime, Israelis cut Electricity to Gaza, Idling 50,000 Factory Workers. zcomm.org Source: Informed Comment The government of far right Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu cut off fuel for the sole power plant in the Gaza Strip, a small Palestinian territory surrounded on three sides by and blockaded by Israel. As a result, on Monday the Gaza Strip's sole power plant went dark, Al Jazeera reports. The
(2020-08-21). How to Rig an Election: an Interview With Greg Palast. counterpunch.org 
Greg Palast does not mince words about the 2020 elections. Only the voter fraud he warns about is not by the voters, as President Trump insists. It's by the vote-stealers in the Republican Party. And they've been at it for a long time, unbeknownst to the American people.
(2020-08-21). Roaming Charges: Conventional Weapons at the DNC. counterpunch.org 
I can't recall a GOP convention that was as saturated with religious symbolism, moral posturing and spiritual gaslighting as the one the Democrats just inflicted on us…and they didn't even let Marianne Williamson near a camera.
(2020-08-21). Former US Allies Britain, France, Germany join Russia and China in Forcefully Rejecting Trump Iran Sanctions. commondreams.org The "Trump administration is perfectly capable of maintaining publicly that international UNSC sanctions on Iran have been restored even if no one goes along with Washington," writes Cole. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_alone.jpg …
(2020-08-21). Mismanagement of the Covid Crisis: Governments and Their Agencies Are Killing Their Own People? globalresearch.ca Governments subservient to globalist diktats are willfully killing their own people in the name of fighting a misnamed "pandemic". | SARS-COV-2, the virus said to be the causative agent of COVID-19, has been neither isolated nor purified. Nevertheless, even according to …
(2020-08-21). Fired for striking, grad students win reinstatement. workers.org 
Graduate student workers at the University of California-Santa Cruz, represented by United Auto Workers Local 2865, have won the rehiring of 41 teaching assistants fired in February for striking. "In large part, this is a win for Santa Cruz workers — for workers in general," said Veronica Hamilton, the UAW . . . |
(2020-08-21). 1848: Marx's school of revolution. mronline.org 
The revolutionary wave of 1848 began with a joyous struggle for democracy. But it ended with violent struggles between workers and capitalists, liberals and socialists, revolutionaries and reformers. The experience was a decisive influence on the development of Marx's theory of revolution.
(2020-08-21). Federal judge orders second investigation into Virginia immigrant detention center hit by mass outbreak of COVID-19. wsws.org The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found prison staff were refusing to use safety equipment or provide inmates with protection from COVID-19.
(2020-08-21). Latino leaders: Trump's hatred goes beyond DACA and throwing kids in cages. peoplesworld.org 
It's not just DACA. And it's not just having ICE agents yanking little kids away from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border and throwing them into cages. No, leaders of top Hispanic-American organizations say, GOP President Donald Trump's hate of anyone with a Hispanic name, the undocumented, migrants, and asylum seekers extends far beyond those …
(2020-08-21). Reclaiming an Irish anti-imperialist legacy. workers.org 
While the dominant narrative of the "Irish experience" in the U.S. is often reduced to little more than a fairy tale of hard-working immigrants grateful for a stake in the "land of opportunity," the grim reality for Irish people in the U.S. was, for centuries, characterized by inequality, exclusion and . . . |
(2020-08-21). Only Medicare For All Can Beat Covid. counterpunch.org 
The horrible irony is that the one candidate, Sanders, who could have done the most good for pandemic victims, lost the race just when he was most needed. Since then his somewhat muted support for Medicare for All and how uniquely helpful it would be at this historic juncture, is dispiriting. The thought that this relative silence originates in a desire not to offend the candidate, Biden, whom he now supports, is downright depressing.
(2020-08-21). Teamsters union gives thumbs up to Biden-Harris ticket. peoplesworld.org 
DETROIT (PAI)—The Teamsters board unanimously voted to endorse the Democratic election duo of Joe Biden for president and Kamala Harris for VP, union President Jim Hoffa announced Aug. 20. The endorsement, two days before Biden's acceptance speech to the Democratic National Convention, carries a lot of weight. The union has more than a million members …
(2020-08-21). Biden, Harris Feel The Heat Over Fossil Fuel Subsidies. therealnews.com 
The DNC says the platform statement calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies was an "error" and that's why it was removed. But climate activist circles smell a rat and are calling for clarification.
(2020-08-21). Infomercial Over: Not Good, But It Could Have Been A Lot Worse. counterpunch.org 
Before long, this year's Democratic Party convention, its infomercial, will be a distant memory. The production values were good. For the most part, I found it watchable, even when the focus was on Biden rather than Trump. In view of what the Democrats are selling, it could have been a lot worse. There was, of
(2020-08-21). Democratic outreach to Jewish voters cites rising anti-Semitism under Trump. peoplesworld.org 
One afternoon breakout session of the Democratic National Convention that took place on the afternoon of August 18, the first full day of the quadrennial nomination ritual, addressed the Jewish American community in support of the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris ticket. A reported 2000 viewers had registered for this livestreamed two-hour-plus session. The Jewish American vote …
(2020-08-21). Why Payroll Taxes Are the Achilles Heel of Social Security. counterpunch.org 
On August 8th, Donald Trump took four executive actions on coronavirus relief. One was a memorandum deferring, to the end of the year, payment of the employee portion of the payroll tax for employees making less than $4000 biweekly. (Employer payments had already been deferred in the CARES act.) He did this, according to the
(2020-08-21). The Real Problem With COVID-19 Vaccines. thealtworld.com 
Before even debating the efficacy, safety, and necessity of different vaccines — one must get past the fact that the most corrupt corporations on Earth hold a monopoly over their development (and the profits made from them). | Forbes in their article, " The article would claim: With more th…
(2020-08-21). Why Starbucks wouldn't let us say 'Black Lives Matter'. liberationnews.org 
More than media backlash, what corporations fear the most is a united workforce.
(2020-08-21). Return to Leopold: Dare We Speak Up for Yellowstone? counterpunch.org 
The watchword defending what's come to be called the "collaboration and compromise" model of conservation is "practical." When confronted with its abandonment of the land ethic and conservation aesthetic that Aldo Leopold bequeathed us in the 1940's, the mainstream and best-funded conservation community defends its approach by pointing out the obvious, that the world has
(2020-08-21). On the Portland Beating: The Ubiquity of Phones is Arresting. counterpunch.org 
Portland, Oregon It's a weird position to find oneself in, a pacifist scanning video feeds for hours to detect "intentions of violence." How is it that one can spend 12 hours—on and off—reading accounts of a violent confrontation on a street corner involving many chaotic actors and by the end of it know as little
(2020-08-21). The Day After Election Day. counterpunch.org 
The view passed down from on high in the U.S. is that elections are the effective and legitimate means of collective decision-making in the realm of the political. Conversely, on matters of war and peace, economic distribution, environmental wellbeing, healthcare, education, housing, and social welfare— the areas where collective outcomes matter, these are either considered
(2020-08-21). What Portland Protesters Think of the Feds. counterpunch.org 
This image was taken on July 24, 2020, when the battle was up close at the reinforced iron fence surrounding the Mark Hatfield Federal Courthouse. These protesters had no respect for the U.S. Global Empire. You can certainly see the extremely high intensity energy in this image. Now, just imagine how horrendously loud this was,
(2020-08-21). 'Black Suns' at Louvre Lens: Coal mines transformed into gift shops. peoplesworld.org 
Lens, a small town, but a highly important one in the industrial era of the late 19th century, located in the former French-Belgian coal belt, is now the home of the Louvre satellite museum Louvre-Lens and the site of the first major post-COVID lockdown exhibition in France and perhaps the first in the world. Soleils …
(2020-08-21). "Save Mercy" rally protests hospital closure in Chicago. liberationnews.org 
"…if you look at all the data that came before COVID hit, it was a very busy hospital with very sick patients. It can't close."
(2020-08-21). Understanding India's low COVID-19 death rate. peoplesdispatch.org 
Contrary to the Narendra Modi government's claims, India's low case fatality rate in the COVID-19 pandemic is not because of any well-thought out strategy. It is rather due to a relatively young population and some statistical tricks…
(2020-08-21). Florida education workers organize week of action. workers.org 
Tallahassee, Fla. To protect school staff, bus drivers, students and parents during the COVID-19 crisis, Workers World Party-Central Gulf Coast and the Party for Socialism and Liberation-Central Gulf Coast teamed up to call "Six Days of Actions: Florida Fights Back!" across the state on Aug. 3-8. Education workers from . . . |
(2020-08-21). Murders of women rising in Turkey; government does nothing. peoplesworld.org 
Nearly 250 women have been killed in Turkey so far this year, new statistics suggest, prompting a call for international solidarity from women's organizations in a bid to save lives. Four women were detained in Istanbul Thursday after they unveiled a banner in Taksim Square charging that the "patriarchal state" was responsible for the death …
(2020-08-21). Añez intensifies persecution of social leaders. mronline.org 
Those who took part in the protests against…
(2020-08-21). Democratic convention: $4 trillion infrastructure bank would create 25 million jobs. peoplesworld.org 
Pending legislation to establish a $4 trillion National Infrastructure Bank would rebuild the nation's rusting bridges, roads, and power grid and create 25 million union jobs desperately needed as the nation sinks into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. That was the message from building trades union leaders, economists, and community activists, speaking …
(2020-08-21). Convention: Having squelched left, DNC pivots hard right. liberationnews.org 
Convention highlights war makers, marginalizes progressives.
(2020-08-21). Deep State Throats: Towards a Franker Lingua. dissidentvoice.org 
You should never judge a book by its title, but with whistleblower Edward Snowden's Permanent Record the reader gets as close s/he can possibly get to the soul of a narrative before actually reading it. He means it: The American government, with help of its data-gathering 5 Eyes partners, is gathering up information on every …
(2020-08-21). Build solidarity with prisoners: Fight for abolition! workers.org 
This slightly edited talk was given at an Aug. 13 Workers World Party webinar, "From Black August to Black Lives Matter," hosted by the WWP Prisoners Solidarity Committee. Texas: Credit: Kavin Rashid Johnson Revolutionary greetings from Houston, Texas, a city that contains the country's third largest jail. The Harris County Jails . . . |
(2020-08-21). A 75th anniversary salute to Vietnam's August Revolution. workers.org 
We live in tumultuous times, and it is during times like this that we as socialists must look to the struggles and successes of our predecessors to give us inspiration to continue our struggle. As a Vietnamese-American, I take heart in remembering the struggles of my people in their fight . . . |
(2020-08-21). The psychological impact of solitary confinement. workers.org 
The following is a slightly edited commentary recorded for "Voices From the Inside" by PrisonRadio.org. The brain and nervous system, or "the mind," cannot function normally without stimulation. Neither can it function normally when given too much stimulus. The brain and the nervous system must be maintained in a "steady . . . |
(2020-08-21). Long live the memory of Ka Randy! workers.org 
By the Communist Party of the Philippines Workers World is reprinting the following statement from the Communist Party of the Phillipines that condemns the murder of Randall Echanis on Aug. 10. Since the 2016 presidential election in the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte has carried out numerous assassinations of peace activists and . . . |
(2020-08-21). Newly-detected asteroid put on RISK LIST as calculations predict it could hit Earth. rt.com 
A freshly detected asteroid has been put straight onto the European Space Agency's 'risk list' as calculations forecast that it could smash into Earth in 10 years. | The agency detected the space rock this week and immediately added it to the list of potentially hazardous near-Earth objects, as calculations predict that it may hit our planet on August 31, 2029. | The data indicates that the object, known as 2020 PG6, will be traveling at an average speed of over 46,000kph as it races towards Earth. Thankfully, if the asteroid does stray into Earth's path, it's unlikely to cause a significant amount of damage a…
(2020-08-21). Where's Tulsi? Outsider candidate Gabbard smeared by Clinton not even invited to Democratic convention. rt.com 
The Democratic convention featured senior never-Trump figures from the Republican Party, but Tulsi Gabbard, a primary contestant who won delegates, wasn't invited. Was that due to her anti-war rhetoric or Hillary Clinton's grudge? | This week's Democratic virtual gathering to nominate the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris ticket for the November election was a triumph of party centrism over the progressive wing. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was given a whopping 90 seconds to nominate Bernie Sanders in a technical procedure, and no members of her 'squad' were given the stage. Instead, a parade of speakers from…
(2020-08-21). As Democrats deliver 4-point poll boost to TRUMP, media spin says convention bounce 'not the point'. rt.com 
While the mainstream media have sought to downplay the impact of 2020 party conventions, polls showing President Donald Trump surging ahead as the Democrats held their virtual rally have them both stumped and spinning. | "Don't be surprised if Biden doesn't get a convention bounce in the polls. That's not the point," declared an early Friday headline in the Washington Post. Post-convention surges are hard when the country is polarized and the parties "stage theirs back to back, as they will this year," argued opinion writer Karen Tumulty. | | © Twitter/screenshot | Except both things were just as true i…
(2020-08-21). 'Reexamine your life choices': Trump hater Soledad TRIGGERED by praise of Biden's 'conservative themes' in DNC speech. rt.com 
Liberal journalist Soledad O'Brien launched a pointed attack on Twitter after Joe Biden's DNC acceptance speech was deemed "conservative," a term that the Trump critic apparently found unbearable in being linked to the Democrat. | After Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, praised Biden's speech as more conservative than any Donald Trump has given because of a focus on "family, faith and character," O'Brien jumped in to blast the commentary and tell Longwell to "reexamine" her "life choices." | "What is wrong with you? What kind of a terrible person says this? Do you not know any people of color who over-…
(2020-08-21). Biden tells Trump there's 'no miracle coming,' then vows to stop coronavirus… with 'Covid truth & mandatory masks'? rt.com 
Instead of "waiting for a miracle" like Donald Trump, Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden has vowed to bring Covid-19 under control — starting with a national mandate to wear masks as a "patriotic duty." | Biden gave his official acceptance speech on the last night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, at one point taking shots at US President Donald Trump's coronavirus response. But moments after warning that "no miracle is coming," Biden said his administration would provide just that, promising to roll out a "national strategy" to bring the pandemic under control on "day one." | Joe…
(2020-08-21). 'You are frauds. You are the lie': Rose McGowan torches the DNC, calls Biden a rapist, inciting a horde of party defenders. rt.com 
Actress Rose McGowan drew fire from Democratic partisans on Twitter, after seemingly continuing her no-compromises approach to public discourse by accusing the US liberals of uselessness, and Joe Biden of being a rapist. | "You are the season of darkness," the MeToo firebrand tweeted on Thursday, referring to Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. "You are monsters," she added. "You are frauds. You are the lie." | You are the season of darkness.
(2020-08-21). Chris Wallace, welcome to the #Resistance? MAGA crowd CANCELS Fox News host who complimented Biden's DNC speech. rt.com 
Trump supporters seem to have finally decided to engage in 'cancel culture' on Twitter after Chris Wallace, a host on the traditionally pro-Republican Fox News network, praised the speech by the Democratic nominee Joe Biden. | "I thought [Biden's speech] was enormously effective," Wallace said on Thursday night, after Biden's address wrapped up the last day of the Democratic convention in Milwaukee. In Wallace's opinion, Biden effectively countered President Donald Trump's criticism that he was "mentally shot" and a "captive" of the left wing of the Democratic Party. | "And yes, Biden was reading from the tele…
(2020-08-21). Joe Biden delivers acceptance speech at DNC virtual convention. rt.com 
Presidential nominee Joe Biden is delivering an acceptance speech on the closing night of the Democratic National Convention.
(2020-08-21). US ready 'to block Russia & China' if they disregard Iran sanctions, Pompeo warns, as Washington pushes for UN 'snapback'. rt.com 
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that the United States is prepared to block Russia and China if they refuse to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran. | The statement came a day after Britain, France and Germany — who are still party to the Iranian nuclear agreement — joined Beijing and Moscow in Speaking to Fox News, Pompeo said Washington was disappointed its allies did not support the US effort to trigger a "snapback" of U…
(2020-08-21). Philippines mounts diplomatic protest over China's seizure of fishing equipment in ongoing row over disputed shoal. rt.com 
The Philippines foreign ministry has accused China's coastguard of illegally seizing fishing equipment near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. The move has sparked a fresh row with Beijing. | Manila lodged a diplomatic protest on Friday over the "illegal confiscation" in May of floating devices used to catch fish. The ministry also "resolutely objected" to China issuing radio challenges to Philippines aircraft conducting maritime patrols in areas of the sea claimed by Manila, AFP reported. | Beijing said the coastguard's actions "are understandable" as they carried out law enforcement activities. China's…
(2020-08-21). WHO chief 'hopes' coronavirus pandemic will end in under TWO YEARS. rt.com 
The Covid-19 crisis is unlikely to be over any time soon, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated, in a not very optimistic prognosis, saying he "hopes" it'll be over in less than two years. | Given the developments of modern technology, the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to end faster than the deadly 1918 outbreak of the Spanish flu, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference in Geneva on Friday. However, the world has become significantly more global since then, which gives the coronavirus "a better chance of spreading," he noted. | At the same time, we also have t…
(2020-08-21). Cones of shame? Maine orders restaurant servers to don face shields like dog collars in bizarre Covid-19 guidelines. rt.com 
The Maine state government is in the doghouse with residents after an order mandating that restaurant staff wear face shields upside down, attached at the collar, which netizens dubbed "cones of shame" more befitting a family pet. | The latest "
(2020-08-21). Russian doctors say Moscow protest leader Navalny's condition has stabilized – he CAN be flown to Germany at family's request. rt.com 
Anti corruption activist Alexey Navalny, who remains in an artificially induced coma at a Siberian hospital, can be transferred to Germany within hours, his doctors have said, agreeing to family requests for treatment abroad. | Given the seriousness of Navalny's condition, he must be transferred to the airport with extreme care, the doctors of the Omsk clinic where the Moscow protest leader is hospitalized told the media on Friday. | An aircraft ambulance, dispatched by a German NGO to transport the activist, landed at the local airport earlier in the day. However, his doctors noted that while it will certainl…
(2020-08-21). 'Purely a medical decision': Anti-corruption activist Navalny won't be allowed to fly until his doctor allows it, says Kremlin. rt.com 
There are no obstacles preventing Moscow protest leader Alexey Navalny from flying abroad for treatment other than receiving permission from his doctor, according to Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov. | Navalny was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk on Thursday morning, after becoming ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. Members of his team believe the activist has been poisoned, and have arranged to fly him to the European Union. His associates have appealed to the Kremlin to allow him to be evacuated to a German specialist hospital, but Moscow insists the decision to let him go must be mad…
(2020-08-21). Fighting Russia has become an existential necessity for NATO, if tensions are reduced alliance has no purpose — Russia FM Lavrov. rt.com 
Confrontation with Russia has become the sole reason for NATO's existence, and this encourages instability in Europe, creating artificial dividing lines on the continent. That's according to Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. | The veteran diplomat told the Moscow daily Trud that everyone knows there are no real threats to security in Europe but that NATO needs to invent them in order to keep itself relevant. Lavrov also drew attention to the fact that Russia has repeatedly proposed measures to reduce tensions and reduce the risk of incidents on the continent. | "Now, just like during the Cold War, fighti…
(2020-08-21). 'F**k, f**k, f**k': Dem senator caught cursing out assistant on hot mic as technology beats him (VIDEO). rt.com 
Democratic Party Senator Tom Carper has given Twitter something to laugh about as he got caught cursing on a hot mic at a virtual Senate hearing after getting "frustrated with technical difficulties." | The 73-year-old Carper (D-Delaware) was shown swearing at his assistant after seemingly thinking his live feed wasn't functioning properly — except it was. | "F**k, f**k, f**k," Carper is heard saying, before an aide moves in to help him. The entire exchange was livestreamed to the Senate. | Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) tried to move on to another senator for questioning while Carper dealt with his "tech…
(2020-08-21). MPs slam ministers for paying 'scant regard' to data protection during pandemic. thecanary.co 
The UK's information rights body must act to ensure the government stops "playing fast and loose" with people's health, it has been claimed.A cross-party group of MPs has written to information commissioner Elizabeth Denham raising concerns over the government's approach to data protection and privacy.In a letter, the group accused ministers of paying "scant regard" to both privacy concerns and data protection duties during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.Government "appears unwilling to understand its legal duties": The group accused the government of engaging with private contractors that have "probl…
(2020-08-21). Half of young people want a job in the green economy, survey finds. thecanary.co 
Published on the eve of so-called Earth Overshoot Day, a survey of 1,000 people aged 18 to 34 found 50% wanted a job in the green economy. Earth Overshoot Day marks the point at which humanity has used up all the resources the planet can provide for a year.This year, the date was pushed back by three weeks due to a reduction in carbon emissions and commercial forestry caused by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. It had previously been falling earlier and earlier — arriving in July for the first time in 2019.Overshot: The Global Footprint Network calculates that humans currently use 60% more resource…
(2020-08-21). Syrian NHS cleaner's plea on Channel-crossing refugees beamed onto White Cliffs of Dover. thecanary.co 
An emotional plea for compassion for refugees crossing the English Channel has been beamed onto the White Cliffs of Dover.The landmark was lit up with a giant video of NHS cleaner Hassan Akkad, a Syrian refugee who crossed to Britain several years ago.He highlighted the "terrifying and devastating" journeys that so many people are undertaking to reach the UK by boat. He also blamed the government for using the crisis as a distraction from the coronavirus pandemic.The giant projection is the latest stunt by Led By Donkeys, a group of activists famed for their giant billboards of politicians' tweets. | A message fr…
(2020-08-21). Experts 'do not have confidence that R is currently below 1 in England'. thecanary.co 
There is a risk the overall coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in the UK is growing as figures for the reproduction number (R value) suggest it has risen above 1.0. Data released on Friday by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) shows the estimate for R across the UK is now between 0.9 and 1.1. This is an increase from the range of between 0.8 and 1.0 one week ago.Transmission: The growth rate of coronavirus transmission, which reflects how quickly the number of infections is changing day by day, has also changed slightly across the UK since last week, wit…
(2020-08-21). Six million people in UK are behind on bills due to coronavirus, study finds. thecanary.co 
Six million people across the UK have fallen behind on household bills due to coronavirus (Covid-19), a new study has found. Research from Citizens Advice shows that one in nine people in the UK are behind on bills, with around a fifth of these individuals having to go without essentials including food. | Disparity: | The study finds that carers, those who were shielding during the pandemic, and key workers are twice as likely to have fallen behind on bill payments due to coronavirus. It also found that Black people, those aged between 18 and 34, and disabled people are at least twice as likely to be in a…
(2020-08-21). Biden: "I will be an ally of light, not darkness" peoplesworld.org 
WILMINGTON, Del.—Asking the country to "choose hope over fear," former Vice President Joe Biden formally accepted the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on Thursday night. "Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us not the worst. I will be an ally …
(2020-08-21). Love in the time of Coronavirus: We are in this together. mronline.org 
In some ways, it is true that we are in this together. We are all facing a global pandemic. We are keeping the most vulnerable among us safe by trying to follow the advice of public health experts. But, when it comes to looking out for one another's best interests, we are not in this …
(2020-08-21). Bigger bombs don't end wars. workers.org 
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the United States atomic bombing of Japan, the first and only use of nuclear weapons for warfare. On Aug. 6, 1945, the U.S. military dropped the "Little Boy" atomic device from a B-29 called Enola Gay onto the city of Hiroshima. Three days . . . |
(2020-08-21). U.S. cities, states look to socialist Cuba for COVID-19 help. workers.org 
With the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 expected to surpass 200,000 by the end of August, governing bodies in U.S. cities and states are taking matters into their own hands. They are calling for U.S.-Cuba scientific and medical collaboration against the pandemic. On July 21, the San Francisco Board of . . . |
(2020-08-21). China and the US: the 21st Century's "Great Game" counterpunch.org 
From 1830 to 1895, the British and Russian empires schemed and plotted over control of Central and South Asia. At the heart of the "Great Game" was England's certainty that the Russians had designs on India. So wars were fought, borders drawn, and generations of young met death in desolate passes and lonely outposts. In
(2020-08-21). Marquee Moon — LUNA. counterpunch.org 
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(2020-08-21). New push to lift 33-year-old ban on uranium mining in NSW. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-08-21). No fee hikes! Student fightback national day of action. greenleft.org.au 
The federal government is push to raise the cost of Ar…
(2020-08-21). How Israel Wages War on Palestinian History. counterpunch.org 
When the Palestinian actor Mohammed Bakri made a documentary about Jenin in 2002 — filming immediately after the Israeli army had completed rampaging through the West Bank city, leaving death and destruction in its wake — he chose an unusual narrator for the opening scene: a mute Palestinian youth. Jenin had been sealed off from
(2020-08-21). The Specter of a Fascist Coup by Trump Haunts the US, But There's Worse to Worry About. counterpunch.org 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
(2020-08-21). Palestine burning in fire of Zionist regime's impudence. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 21 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that innocent Palestine is still burning in the fire of the Zionist regime's impudence and incursion and the treason of certain Arab rulers.
(2020-08-21). 'Palestine is Still the Issue': UN Vote Exposes, Isolates Canada. commondreams.org Protesters hold a giant Palestinian flag as they walk across University Avenue during a demonstration in Toronto, Canada, December 9, 2017. (Photo by Giordano Ciampini/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/palestinecanada.jpg …
(2020-08-21). Chinese Peacekeepers Provide Aid After Explosion In Beirut. popularresistance.org Chinese peacekeepers will provide medical aid to Beirut following the deadly explosion on Tuesday | that killed at least 135 people and injured 5,000 others. | Upon the request of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the 18th batch of Chinese peacekeeping troops to Lebanon organised an emergency team of nine medical personnel from fields including surgery, internal medicine, burns and anaesthesiology, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday. | The personnel and vehicles would head to Beirut, carrying medical supplies and protective equipment, the medical unit said.
(2020-08-21). Agenda ID2020: The Diabolical Agenda within the Agenda. "Genetically Modified Humanity" globalresearch.ca "A Wakeup Call to the World" — this is what Dr. Carrie Madej calls the hidden agenda within the barely talked about ID2020. | What is envisaged is a "genetically modified humanity" (GMH) so as to better control, command the world …
(2020-08-21). A UN Vote Exposed Canada's Blind and Unconditional Support for Israel. mintpressnews.com While Canada's support for Israel is, to a certain extent, consistent with Canada's own colonial past and present interventionist foreign policy, the Canadian people and the international community remain major obstacles, challenging the toxic affinity between Ottawa and Tel Aviv.
(2020-08-21). Scheer Intelligence: Something's Rotten In The Corporate States Of America. popularresistance.org Beginning with the slave trade and leading all the way up to the climate crisis, author Barbara Freese's "Industrial Strength Denial" examines eight of private industries' most egregious crimes against humanity. On this week's installment of "Scheer Intelligence," the author and former assistant attorney general of Minnesota joins Robert Scheer to discuss what the host calls "heinous behavior" on the part of the corporations involved in each case, and, most importantly, how the corporatization of the United States has allowed unfettered greed to cause irreversible harm and an astounding loss of life.
(2020-08-21). Dorothy Day Found Her Calling Fighting The 1918 Flu Pandemic. popularresistance.org In 1917, having dropped out of college and moved to New York with her family, Dorothy Day took her first New York job, with a daily Socialist news paper, The Call, and settled into her own one-room apartment on Cherry Street. She was 19 years old and quickly overcome by the poverty she encountered and the smell of that poverty inside the tenements she frequented. At this point, she mentions, for the first time, in her major autobiography, "The Long Loneliness," that she could feel "the spell of the long loneliness descend" on her.
(2020-08-21). Video: Idlib Is Burning. New Proxy War in Deir Ezzor. globalresearch.ca The series of unfortunate events involving the US-led coalition, Turkey and Turkish proxies continues in Syria's Greater Idlib. | Late on August 19 and early on August 20, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) shelled positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham near Haranabush …
(2020-08-21). Russia/US New START Extension Talks, No Resolution of Major Differences. globalresearch.ca In not renewed, New START expires on February 5, 2021. | Months earlier, Trump falsely called it a "bad deal." | He never read it and knows no more about it than what Pompeo and other regime hardliners told him. | The decade-ago …
(2020-08-21). Landlords Pressuring Tenants To Pay Rent Are Getting Pandemic Relief. popularresistance.org The first time she remembers protesting in the region, about 10 years ago, Tara Maxwell was outside the Virginia home of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. His wife Virginia, the target of Maxwell's ire that day, is a prominent right-wing lobbyist and current adviser to President Donald Trump's administration. | "If I can protest at Clarence Thomas' house, I can protest at anybody's house," Maxwell says dryly. "It doesn't bother me." | So when Maxwell, an independent contractor with experience in law enforcement and political consulting, moved into the Park 7 Apartments on Minnesota Avenue NE last August, she…
(2020-08-21). U.S. Judge Urges Supreme Court to End U.S. Police State It Imposes. strategic-culture.org This article reports important news-events that are not being reported in America's mainstream news-media and that are crucial for understanding both the murder of George Floyd and the current U.S. Presidential contest: | A black U.S. District Court Judge in Mississippi — one of America's most bigoted-against-Blacks states — issued on August 4th a
(2020-08-21). Democrats nominate Biden in inane display of political reaction. wsws.org The sheer contempt for the intelligence of the population and the viewing audience was summed up in Biden's acceptance speech, which sought to cram every possible trite phrase into a single 20-minute address.
(2020-08-21). The Burden of the Debt: Lessons for Biden Adviser Ted Kaufman. zcomm.org he idea that we would not address pressing needs, like climate change, child care, and health care because we are concerned about the debt burden is close to crazy. As long as the economy is not near its capacity, there is zero reason not to spend to address these priorities…
(2020-08-21). Joe Biden's Radical Compassion. progressive.org DNC wraps up with a call for spiritual renewal to end the era of Trump.
(2020-08-21). Lesser Evil is Still Evil. counterpunch.org Every four years America is presented with a false choice, each one essentially a continuation of the status quo by different means, politically and economically related, but optically opposed. Biden had already said that nothing will fundamentally change if he is elected president, so why should any American bother to vote for this specific lesser
(2020-08-21). Biden's speech stirs up sense of déjà vu — same old lies disguised as new promises, little more than a wolf in sheep's clothing. thealtworld.com One speech, well written and read well, does not a president make. At the end of the …
(2020-08-21). Still Triangulating After All These Years. counterpunch.org While it's stunning to watch the DNC repeat the losing strategy of 2016, we should know this is part of a decades-long history of moving toward the right: aka Triangulation. It's not that the Democrats don't want to win — Wall Street, billionaires and the war profiteers are depending on them — it's just that
(2020-08-21). Steve Bannon is Arrested for Nonprofit Fraud After Using an Octopus of Nonprofits to Help Elect Trump. counterpunch.org One of the key right-wing architects of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Stephen K. (Steve) Bannon, was arrested early yesterday morning while cruising in the Long Island Sound on a 150-foot yacht owned by the fugitive Chinese billionaire, Guo Wengui, according to law enforcement officials. Bannon had served as CEO of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential
(2020-08-21). How does China plan to counter US sanctions? peoplesdispatch.org In the second part of the conversation on the US tech war on China, Charles Xu from Qiao Collective talks about the short and medium-term strategy of Huawei and China in general to deal with the US sanctions.
(2020-08-21). Dems Must Address Climate Crisis. zcomm.org DNC Drops Pledge to End Fossil Fuel Subsidies…
(2020-08-21). Architect of Sweden's coronavirus policy advocated keeping schools open to reach "herd immunity" more quickly. wsws.org Chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell's callous disregard for human life is not an individual phenomenon, rather his chilling email correspondence reflects the thinking of the ruling elites in every country.
(2020-08-21). Kumho Tire workers beat company intimidation and win union. fightbacknews.org Macon, GA – Workers at Kumho Tire in Macon won their battle to join the United Steelworkers (USW) despite the corporation's relentless and illegal campaign to thwart their organizing rights. | On August 11 the National Labor Relations Board declared the union drive victorious after processing the final 13 ballots from an election last fall. | Workers sought USW representation to fight low wages, hazardous working conditions and abusive treatment at Kumho, which ruthlessly harassed and bullied union supporters in an attempt to derail the organizing campaign. | "These workers voted to unionize even though Kumho tri…
(2020-08-21). A Virtual Cinema Potpurri. counterpunch.org AMC has announced that its theaters will be opening soon with Christopher Nolan's "Tenet", a typical summer blockbuster. Social distancing will be followed with no more than 30 percent of the seats filled and the staff wearing masks. I suppose that Nolan will be a magnet for fans of his movies, an experience roughly equivalent
(2020-08-21). Colleges Remain Unchartered Territories. counterpunch.org In a few weeks, I begin my semester as a teaching assistant in an undergraduate sociology class. I am not sure what to expect. Last March, when our school sent the students home, everything happened suddenly. We weren't sure what time zones our students would be in. We didn't know if each student had a
(2020-08-21). Trump 2.0: The Red Pill or the Blue Pill? counterpunch.org [I]t's easy to imagine for me to imagine that everything in our lives is just a creation of some entity for their entertainment. —Neil deGrasse Tyson Has the world gone mad, or have I? Each night I have to pinch myself to make sure that the day's events weren't some feverish nightmare. Seventy days until
(2020-08-21). Anything to Salvage From the Trump Nightmare? counterpunch.org Our two party system which has operated as a duopoly on economic issues, especially in regard to letting Wall Street and business leaders shape what globalization is, can't cover the complexity of forces now surging in the U.S. President Trump is an outlier in that duopoly and as such he's been the nemesis of the
(2020-08-21). How "Defund the Police" was Blocked in Minneapolis. counterpunch.org In mid-July, CounterPunch published, "Minneapolis Ballot Measure to Dismantle the Police Will Test the Strength of Our Movement," authored by Robin Wonsley & Ty Moore. Intrigued by this article, I contacted Robin, and less than a month later, I interviewed her for my podcast. But already the proposal—which had attracted so much national attention—was dead,
(2020-08-21). Pro-imperialist coup topples Malian President KeàØta. wsws.org The coup leaders exploited growing anger among workers and youth at KeàØta, but then declared they would support France's neo-colonial occupation of their country.
(2020-08-21). Amid French occupation pro-imperialist coup topples Malian president KeàØta. wsws.org The coup leaders exploited growing anger among workers and youth at KeàØta, but then declared they would support France's neo-colonial occupation of their country.
(2020-08-21). WHO stresses need for quick action amid reports of fresh COVID-19 outbreaks. news.un.org With several countries experiencing fresh COVID-19 outbreaks after periods of little or no transmission, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday highlighted the need for authorities to be able to move quickly to prevent further spread of the disease.
(2020-08-21). A feminist response to the pandemic. zcomm.org The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the essential roles care work and reproductive labor fulfill in our societies. But will it lead to gender liberation?>
(2020-08-21). Rohingya crisis needs lasting solutions, renewed commitment amid COVID-19 pandemic, UN refugee agency. news.un.org Three years after violence in Myanmar forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas to seek refuge in Bangladesh, the international community must adapt its assistance to the critical needs of those displaced and the host communities supporting them, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
(2020-08-21). As Burkina Faso grapples with COVID-19, new UN data reveals 'alarming deterioration' in food security. news.un.org An estimated 3.3 million people in Burkina Faso are facing acute food insecurity, two United Nations agencies warned on Friday.
(2020-08-21). Millions of Indian workers strike to protest attacks by Modi government amid COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org Millions of workers have joined strikes and protests opposing the government's attacks on their wages and working conditions.
(2020-08-21). German authorities cover up COVID-19 infections in Hamburg schools. wsws.org Events in Hamburg show how recklessly the ruling class is putting the lives of teachers, pupils and parents at risk and covering up the true extent of the pandemic.
(2020-08-21). US to Tighten Venezuela Sanctions after Gasoline Seizure. globalresearch.ca The Trump administration is reportedly considering ending all Venezuela oil sanctions exemptions in October. | "Whatever oil business is left has to be completed (by the deadline)," an anonymous source told …
(2020-08-21). The 'Snapback' Iran Stunt Will Blow Up in Pompeo's Face. globalresearch.ca Following last week's humiliating rebuke of the U.S. at the Security Council, Mike Pompeo is
(2020-08-21). The Fault Dear Citizens… Elections… globalresearch.ca " … Is not in our stars but in ourselves". Paraphrased right out of Shakespeare (Julius Caesar) you have it in a nutshell, for all of you, like myself, who actually vote. | It seems that during each and every major …
(2020-08-21). A Labor and Immigration Policy that Empowers all Workers. dissidentvoice.org Read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, and Part VIII. Workers are the bedrock of every nation on earth. Even autocratic and fascist societies and those that repress workers depend upon them nevertheless. The nature of work may change with technology, and the dichotomy between worker and …
(2020-08-21). Rockets hit U.S. base in Syria. fightbacknews.org According to Iran's authoritative FARS News Agency, several rockets exploded on Tuesday, August 18 at a U.S. military base north of Syria's Deir Ezzur province. The base is located near the Conoco oil field controlled by American troops. | "This is the first-ever attack on one of the 12 military facilities, created by the United States since 2015 in Syria's provinces of al-Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir Ezzur. U.S. forces, together with Kurdish groups, control oil-rich areas on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, including the oil fields of Al-Omar, Tanak, Al-Jafra and Conoco, which accounted for 80% of all oil pro…
(2020-08-21). Iran rejects US bid to reimpose sanctions. peoplesdispatch.org The United States, despite no longer being part of the JCPOA or the Iran nuclear deal, has been seeking the resumption of sanctions against Iran for supposed violations of the provisions of the deal…
(2020-08-21). Desert One: Barbara Kopple returns to the fold with her Iran hostage crisis film. wsws.org Released in theaters or available to stream today, Desert One is a documentary film about the US military's effort in April 1980 to free American embassy staff captured during the 1979 Iranian revolution.
(2020-08-21). Iraq: UN Mission condemns killings of activists in Basra. news.un.org The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has strongly condemned the killing of two activists and attacks against others in the southern city of Basra, urging increased efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
(2020-08-21). Libyan warring factions announce immediate ceasefire, to be followed by national elections. peoplesdispatch.org Both the Government of National Accord and the House of Representatives which supports the Libyan National Army made announcements indicating an end to all hostilities, as well as the demilitarization of the cities of Sirte and Al-Jufrah…
(2020-08-21). Sudanese refugee drowns attempting to cross English Channel. wsws.org Family members say the victim had his claim for asylum in France refused, and risked the dangerous sea crossing seeking a better life.
(2020-08-21). Traumas of terrorism cannot be erased, but victims' voices must never be forgotten. news.un.org The impact of terrorism on victims can "last a lifetime and reverberate across generations", the UN chief said on Friday during a virtual commemoration for International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
(2020-08-21). White Nationalist Organization Forms Racist, Antisemitic Political Party. splcenter.org White nationalist organization The Right Stuff (TRS) announced Wednesday the formation of a political party called the National Justice Party, which includes a cluster of known white supremacists and has a platform shaped around a conspiracy theory suggesting that whites are being deliberately eliminated in the U.S.
(2020-08-21). Germany's Left Party hails the SPD's chancellor candidate, pledges support for militarism and war. wsws.org The Left Party embraces Olaf Scholz not despite, but rather because of his reactionary policies.
(2020-08-21). Union leader in Trinidad and Tobago warns that racial tensions "serve the interest of the elite class" peoplesdispatch.org The Oilfields Workers' Trade Union rejected the racial discourse and stressed that the racial divisions between Afro-Trinbagonians and Indo-Trinbagonians were created intentionally by politicians and the elites to divide the working class…
(2020-08-21). 5 years later, Chicano nearly killed by LAPD is not done fighting. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – On August 22, 2015 Alfredo Santibañez almost lost his life. Around 11: 30 p.m., Santibañez was walking along Soto Street near the 24-hour McDonalds, when he noticed two white, bald men in a Ford Crown Victoria approaching him. Santibañez says he immediately thought they were white gang members. | "Not once did they identify themselves," said Santibañez recalling the events leading up to his shooting. "One of them asked me without warning, 'Are you strapped?'" | Santibañez did not know that the two white men in the car were undercover Los Angeles Police officers David Bunch and Boyan Brkic in plai…
(2020-08-21). Muharram mourning in Mosalla of Tabriz. en.mehrnews.com TABRIZ, Aug. 22 (MNA) — Observing health protocols and social distancing due to coronavirus, a mourning ceremony for Imam Hussein (PBUH), was held on Friday in the Mosalla of Tabriz concurrent with the start of mourning Islamic month of Muharram.
(2020-08-21). 'Selfie with Democracy' to take part at US' SFFILM Festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 21 (MNA) — Iranian feature 'Selfie with Democracy', directed by Ali Atshani, will take par at the San Francisco International Film Festival in the US.
(2020-08-21). 3 Iranian hostages held by Somali pirates released. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 21 (MNA) — Three Iranian fishermen who were taken hostage by Somali pirates five years ago and released this week, arrived in Tehran on Friday.
(2020-08-21). Thursday 8/27: Supporting Voting Rights in California Jails: A Community Training. indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2020-08-21). GLIDE Expands Access to its Free, Low-barrier Tenderloin Neighborhood COVID Testing Site. indybay.org GLIDE expands access to its free, low-barrier Tenderloin neighborhood COVID testing site and continues to provide essential services to meet the growing needs of vulnerable residents.
(2020-08-21). On Facebook Banning Anarchist and Antifascist Pages & the Digital Censorship to Come. indybay.org Today Facebook deleted a variety of far-Right militia and Qanon accounts along with anarchist and antifascist pages, including It's Going Down and CrimethInc. The following is a joint statement in response.
(2020-08-21). Thursday 8/20: Rideshare Drivers to Protest Across CA as Uber, Lyft Threaten to Abandon Drivers. indybay.org 1455 Market St San Francisco, CA 94103…
(2020-08-21). The End Of The Hariri Trial. popularresistance.org Judges at a U.N.-backed tribunal said Tuesday there was no evidence the leadership of the Hezbollah militant group and Syria were involved in the 2005 suicide truck bomb assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. … | The trial centered on the alleged roles of four Hezbollah members in the suicide truck bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others and wounded 226 people. Prosecutors based their case largely on data from mobile phones allegedly used by the plotters to plan and execute the bombing. Based on that 'almost entirely circumstantial' evidence the tribunal found that only one of the accu…
(2020-08-21). New York Teachers Union To Strike Against School Reopening. popularresistance.org Despite Donald Trump's administration pressure for schools reopening, several states and institutions postponed the resume of learning activities or issued not-in-person strategies due to new spikes of COVID-19 cases. | The U.S New York United Federation of Teachers (UFT) on Wednesday said the organization would strike or sue district authorities if they do not enforce an accurate precautionary plan before schools reopening. | "The minute we feel that the mayor is trying to force people into a situation that is unsafe, we go to court, we take job action," UFT President Michael Mulgrew said.
(2020-08-21). Shrinking The Footprint Of Police: Six Ideas For Enhancing Safety. popularresistance.org Spurred by the brutal and senseless murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans, people are demanding that we redirect money away from police budgets into sustainable community-driven solutions. Policymakers, communities, residents, and organizations are committing themselves to finding solutions that build safety, limit the use of police, and are rooted in anti-racist practice. | The Center for Court Innovation has worked with communities to build public safety for decades. Based on lessons learned, we believe that this is not the work of a moment, but rather a long-term shift in both thoug…
(2020-08-21). Police Use Violence On Protesters Against Police Violence. popularresistance.org A group of protesters gathered again Wednesday evening at the Point Breeze home of Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto to protest the snatching of a protest marshal off the street over the weekend by heavily armed police officers in an unmarked white van. This was the second consecutive night of protests. On Tuesday evening, an even larger crowd showed up at Peduto's front door and spent the night until they were ordered by Police to leave at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. | A different scene unfolded Wednesday evening though, as the group was met by Peduto sitting on his front porch, waiting to talk.
(2020-08-21). Canada Reaches Deal With 3M to Produce N95 Masks in Ontario. sputniknews.com TORONTO (Sputnik) – The governments of Canada and Ontario are moving forward with a partnership with US manufacturer 3M to produce N95 masks in the province, Premier Doug Ford's office said in a statement.
(2020-08-21). Whose Century Is It? Don't Ask Donald Trump. strategic-culture.org Dilip HIRO | For the Trump administration's senior officials, it's been open season on bashing China. If you need an example, think of the president's blame game about " When it comes to China, in fact, the ever more virulent criticism never seems to stop. | Between the end of June and the end of July, four members of his cabinet vied with each other in spewing anti-Ch…
(2020-08-21). Four-week extension of eviction ban confirmed amid fears of homelessness surge. thecanary.co The eviction ban has been extended for four weeks and landlords will have to give the majority of tenants six months' notice to protect vulnerable renters hit by the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis from a winter eviction. | 28 days: | The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced the move after charities warned there could be mass evictions around Christmas and said tens of thousands of outgoing tenants could be unable to access affordable homes, prompting a "devastating homelessness crisis". | Renters have been protected during the virus crisis by a ban announced in March and…
(2020-08-21). Post-Brexit trade deal talks approaching deadlock over key issues. thecanary.co Post-Brexit trade talks between the UK and EU are approaching deadlock, with progress "frozen" as both sides refuse to back down on the key issues of fisheries and state aid. | EU negotiator Michel Barnier warned that agreeing a deal before the 31 December deadline currently "seems unlikely". He suggested Britain is "wasting valuable time". | His UK counterpart David Frost also warned "there has been little progress" after the conclusion of the seventh round of talks on Friday 21 August. | "Frozen": | Both sides accept time is running out to broker a deal before the transition period comes to a close at t…
(2020-08-21). Biden Vows to Fight COVID, Climate, Racism and Economic Meltdown. truthout.org We air highlights from Joe Biden's highly anticipated speech on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, in which he formally accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, focused on the dangers of President Trump's reelection and pledged to address the four simultaneous crises of systemic racism, the pandemic, the economic downturn and the climate crisis. "United, we can and will overcome this season of darkness in America," Biden said. The 25-minute speech was delivered from his home state…
(2020-08-21). Biden Isn't a Progressive. The Question Is How Far He Can Be Pushed. truthout.org By now, teeming bacteria on the volcanic floor of the Mariana Trench have heard that last night was the speech of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's life. It was, and he exceeded expectations. | At his best, Joe Biden gives speeches the way good carpenters build bookcases: All sturdy right angles and nothing too fancy. Last night, certainly in awareness of the stakes, Biden found a new gear. His rhetoric did not soar, but he was evocative in his passion. He did not say the words "Donald Trump"
(2020-08-21). USPS Workers Told Not to Reinstate Mail Sorting Machines in Internal Email. truthout.org Despite a promise from United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to suspend his controversial efforts to "reform" the United States Postal Service (USPS), workers and management at post offices across the country are being told they cannot reinstate mail sorting machines at their facilities. |
(2020-08-21). DNC Featured Most Native Speakers Ever, But Native Issues Remain Under-Addressed. truthout.org This year's Democratic National Convention (DNC) has had more Native representation than any other in the party's history. | Native delegates were included in the
(2020-08-21). DeJoy Has "No Intention" to Reinstall Sorting Machines, Mailboxes. truthout.org Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Friday that he has no plans to reinstate mail sorting machines in U.S. Postal Service (USPS) facilities, nor to replace public mailboxes that have been removed across the country. | Questioned by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan) about whether the dozens of sorting machines that were removed from USPS facilities throughout the U.S., would be restored or not, DeJoy responded in the negative. | "There's no inte…
(2020-08-21). Useful idiot: Donald Trump and the right's project to destroy the U.S.P.S. nationofchange.org If he wins the presidential election, Joe Biden will almost certainly find a hollowed out postal service when he takes office, the fulfillment of a long running conservative project.
(2020-08-21). Are Postal Service Cuts Motivated by Voter Suppression or Privatization—or Both? commondreams.org A USPS postal worker wears protective gloves while making deliveries in Cambridge, Massachusetts during the COVID-19 pandemic on April 8, 2020. (Photo: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/postal_service_coronavirus_0.jpg …
(2020-08-21). Turkey discovers gas reserve in Black Sea, says Erdogan. yenisafak.com Turkey's drilling ship Fatih has found 320 billion cubic meters of natural gas, Erdogan addedThe Turkish ship has been operating since late July in an exploration zone known as Tuna-1, about 100 nautical miles north of the Turkish coast in the western Black Sea.Details to follow…
(2020-08-21). UK public debt crosses $2T for first time in history. yenisafak.com The UK's public debt has crossed £2 trillion ($2.6 trillion) for the first time in its history, the country's official statistics agency said on Friday.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the public debt increased £227.6 billion at the end of July compared to the same time last year.Borrowing hit a record £150.5 billion this year, which the ONS said was $128.4 billion more than between April and July last year.British Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "This crisis has put the public finances under significant strain as we have seen a hit to our economy and taken action to support millions o…
(2020-08-21). COVID-19 vaccine to seek regulatory review in October. yenisafak.com German-based biotech firm BioNTech announced late Thursday that vaccine candidate for COVID-19 with US drug giant Pfizer was on track for regulatory review as early as October."Assuming clinical success, Pfizer and BioNTech are on track to seek regulatory review of BNT162b2 as early as October 2020," said the company statement."If regulatory authorization or approval is obtained, currently plan to supply up to 100 million doses worldwide by the end of 2020 and approximately 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021," it added.The companies also released additional data from phase 2/3 trial of the BNT162b2 mRNA-based v…
(2020-08-21). What you need to know about the coronavirus right now. yenisafak.com Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: New, milder, virus variant foundResearchers in Singapore have discovered a new variant of the COVID-19 coronavirus that causes milder infections, a study published in The Lancet medical journal found.The study showed that COVID-19 patients infected with the variant of SARS-CoV-2 had better clinical outcomes, with a lower proportion developing low blood oxygen or requiring intensive care.The study also showed the variant elicited a more robust immune response.The variant, which likely came from Wuhan, China, was detected in a cluster of infections from J…
(2020-08-21). 'Bangladesh needs other testing methods for COVID-19'. yenisafak.com Experts in Bangladesh suggested that alternative testing methods be introduced alongside the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis amid low COVID-19 testing and sample collection, which has raised fears over the further spread of the deadly disease in the country.The time has come for utilizing antibody and antigen testing to detect the coronavirus as a supporting method as such testing involves less effort and is hassle free, they observed.Bangladesh is now the 16th worst affected country in the world in terms of total infections. Meanwhile, there is an over 20% infection rate in dail…
(2020-08-21). Libyan government calls for cease-fire. yenisafak.com The Libyan government on Friday announced a cease-fire and ordered the military to stop all combat operations.The Tripoli-seated Government of National Accord said that the "cease-fire requires the areas of Sirte and al-Jufra to be demilitarized within security arrangements."It called for presidential and parliamentary elections in March.For his part, Aguila Saleh, speaker of pro-Khalifa Haftar Libyan parliament, called on all parties for immediate cease-fire.He said the truce will make Sirte a temporary seat for a new presidential council to be guarded by police forces from various regions in the country.UN welc…
(2020-08-21). Europe's travel recovery stalls in August. yenisafak.com Europe's travel recovery stalled at the start of August after a stronger performance in July, as quarantine rules and warnings over rising infection rates created uncertainty and deterred tourists from booking trips abroad.In July, ticket numbers for cross-border air travel within Europe stood at 28% of 2019's levels, as Europeans began to travel again after months of lockdown.But by the first week of August, volumes had fallen to 18%, according to data provided by travel analysis group ForwardKeys.Britain brought back quarantine rules for arrivals from Spain on July 26, just over two weeks after saying travel th…
(2020-08-21). Russia has not contacted us, Belarusian opposition politician Tsikhanouskaya says. yenisafak.com Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Friday that Russia had not made contact with her campaign, speaking at her first press conference since fleeing into exile last week following a disputed presidential election.Tsikhanouskaya has led the biggest challenge to President Alexander Lukashenko's 26-year rule of Belarus. Mass protests broke out against Lukashenko, accusing him of rigging the August 9 election, which he denies. Russia has warned the West not to intervene and offered military help to Minsk.
(2020-08-21). EU-UK talks hit a snag again. yenisafak.com The 7th round of the EU-UK negotiations on the partners' future ended without progress, EU's chief negotiator announced Friday. | "I am frankly disappointed, concerned and surprised as well," Michel Barnier told journalists summarizing the talks that had taken place in Brussels this week. | Despite the promises of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on speeding up the process, "the British haven't shown any willingness to move forward with topics crucial for the EU", he said. | "It feels like as if we were going backward rather than forward. At this stage, any agreement seems unlikely. I don't see why we are was…
(2020-08-21). Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny hospitalized as crisis in Belarus deepens. wsws.org Navalny's hospitalization comes amid an escalating crisis around the protests and mass strikes in Belarus which have heightened tensions in Europe and Russia.
(2020-08-21). Australian inquiry says serious errors led to Ruby Princess COVID-19 debacle. wsws.org Thousands of possibly coronavirus-infected passengers were allowed to leave the cruise ship without being tested, leading to the spread of the virus and fatalities across the country.
(2020-08-21). Australia: Sharp increase in COVID-19 among Victorian healthcare workers. wsws.org The Victorian Labor government is attempting to downplay the growing number of infected healthcare workers in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city.
(2020-08-21). Australian government prepares expanded emergency and military call-out laws. wsws.org The political establishment is exploiting the COVID-19 catastrophe—for which its own policies are directly responsible—to introduce police-state powers.
(2020-08-21). Extinction Rebellion Activists Launch Ocean-Focused Offshoot With Direct Actions Targeting Luxury Cruise Liner. commondreams.org The group aims to "address cascading collapses in biodiversity due to overfishing, human-caused climate change, deep sea mining, and other marine emergencies." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/oceanrebellion-fal-launch-demo-461.jpg …
(2020-08-21). After Spending Months Denying Need for Testing, Trump Moves to Gut FDA's Oversight Process for Coronavirus Tests. commondreams.org Public health experts on Friday raised alarm over a new policy unveiled by the Health and Human Services Department, blocking the Food and Drug Administration from regulating a number of laboratory tests including those that test for Covid-19. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/coronavirus_testing_0_0.jpg …
(2020-08-21). Five Ways Coronavirus Is Deepening Global Inequality. commondreams.org A stranded mother carries her child by a road with little traffic as she awaits transport to get into the central business district of Harare, Zimbabwe on June 2, 2020. (Photo: Jekesai Njikizana/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/5-ways-inequality.jpg …
(2020-08-21). Nearly 700 Protests Planned for Saturday at Post Offices Across Country as DeJoy Slammed for Defense of Mail Sabotage. commondreams.org As of Friday afternoon, more than 650 demonstrations were planned as part of "Save…
(2020-08-21). Lancetgate: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to Treat Covid-19 Patients. Why Was this "Monumental Fraud" Not a Huge Scandal? globalresearch.ca A high-profile and highly influential scientific
(2020-08-21). [Letter] Police use of force during street protests: A pressing public mental health concern. thelancet.com Street protests are a common means of civic expression and occur across the globe. In the past few years, millions of citizens have attended street protests worldwide. Sometimes however, street protests can constitute significantly stressful and violent contexts. Research has highlighted the physical health impact of street protests due to clashes between protesters and law enforcement or use of CS gas [1]. In addition, police use of less-lethal weapons, such as rubber pellet launchers, is known to cause severe ocular injuries [2].
(2020-08-21). The Manchurian Candidate in 2020. counterpunch.org The Manchurian Candidate is a fascinating backdrop for current political theater best evidenced by the Democratic National Convention right now. Many liberals became very worked up about Russiagate—the obsession over Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Similarly, The Manchurian Candidate captures a fear about interference from a menacing communist force propping up the right-wing in a horseshoe
(2020-08-21). The Fox is Still in the Henhouse at the Post Office. counterpunch.org Skyleigh Heinen, a U.S. Army veteran who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and anxiety, relies on…
(2020-08-21). Can Joe Biden Unrig the Economy? thenation.com Can Joe Biden Unrig the Economy?
(2020-08-21). When It Comes to Climate Change, It's Joe Biden Versus the DNC. thenation.com When It Comes to Climate Change, It's Joe Biden Versus the DNC…
(2020-08-21). Will Public Schools Survive Covid-19? thenation.com Will Public Schools Survive Covid-19?
(2020-08-21). The DNC Was Virtual, but the Protests Were Real as Hell. thenation.com The DNC Was Virtual, but the Protests Were Real as Hell…
(2020-08-21). The Burden of the Debt: Lessons for Team Biden. counterpunch.org Top Biden adviser, and long-time personal friend, Ted Kaufman was seen in the Wall Street Journal warning that the debt run up by the Trump administration will seriously limit what Biden will be able to do as president. This is wrong big time, and it is the sort of silly thing that no one in
(2020-08-20). New FOIA Docs Expose Conditions in Private Immigration Prison So Bad That Even ICE Was Shocked. mintpressnews.com 
Documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests show a consistent pattern of abuse at the privately-run ICE facility in Farmville, where detainees suffered abuse, neglect, and threats of retaliation if they complained.
(2020-08-20). Amazon workers describe spread of COVID-19 at warehouse in Romulus, Michigan. wsws.org Wayne County, Michigan, where the warehouse is located, is the state's epicenter for the virus, with 29,242 confirmed infections and 2,841 deaths as of this writing.
(2020-08-20). Steve Bannon Arrested for Fraud Related to Role in Privatized Border Wall Scheme. commondreams.org The "We Build the Wall" campaign, led by Iraq War veteran Brian Kolfage, raised over $25 million. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bannon-arrested.jpg …
(2020-08-20). The Geopolitics Of The Belarusian Crisis: Anti-Russian, Neutral To China, Pro-Polish. thealtworld.com The Belarusian Crisis is an American Hybrid War against Russian interests in support of Poland's US-backed regional ones related to the "Three Seas Initiative", which won't harm China's interests even in the worst-case scenario despite Beijing's plans for the Eurasian Land Bridge to transit through the Color Revolution-beleaguered former Soviet Republic since the People's Republic has already pioneered several complementary East-West corridors that it could rely on instead. | Geopolitical Basics | The "
(2020-08-20). The Belarusian Labor Strike Movement Could Bring Down Lukashenko. globalresearch.ca Belarus' disproportionate budgetary dependence on five big businesses makes it extremely vulnerable to economic destabilization if the tiny percentage of the country's population employed in those companies join in the nationwide labor strike movement to remove Lukashenko. | "The Economic Factor …
(2020-08-20). Biden's Headquarters Rents A Fence To Stop The Poor People's Army. popularresistance.org Cheri Honkala is a founder and coordinator of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC) . We spoke after she was arrested outside Biden campaign headquarters on the opening day of the virtual Democratic National Convention. | Ann Garrison: I see you marched from Philadelphia's Liberty Bell to Biden's Philly headquarters and got arrested yesterday. What did you do to once again menace the foundation of our American institutions? | Cheri Honkala: We challenged American institutions by saying they shouldn't be run by corporations.
(2020-08-20). New Senate Intelligence Committee volume on "Russian interference" smears WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. wsws.org The one-thousand-page fifth volume of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence investigation is largely devoted to building an elaborate and false narrative against WikiLeaks.
(2020-08-20). Torturing Assange: An Interview with Andrew Fowler. counterpunch.org 
It seems quite clear that there is an attempt by the British and US administrations to destroy Assange, either driving him to suicide or a psychological breakdown. He has had a lung condition for a number of years, which has not been properly treated, and is clearly suffering from huge stress. During his last court appearance over a video link, there were long pauses between his words, even when speaking his own name.
(2020-08-20). How the US Helped Push Lebanon to the Brink of Collapse, and Now Threatens More Sanctions. globalresearch.ca While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the US government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to push regime change and crush Lebanese resistance with sanctions and aggressive hybrid warfare. | *** | As the people of Lebanon suffer …
(2020-08-20). USAID Document Exposes New US Plot to Overthrow Nicaragua's Elected Socialist Government. globalresearch.ca A disturbing new document outlines plans for a US regime-change scheme against Nicaragua's elected leftist government, overseen by USAID, to bring about a "market economy" and a purge of Sandinistas. | *** | A newly released document exposes a US government operation …
(2020-08-20). The Assassination of Yasser Arafat was Ordered by The Israeli Cabinet: "We will Choose the Right Way and the Right Time to Kill Arafat." globalresearch.ca First published on November 19, 2013. | Author's Note | Who killed Hariri, Who killed Arafat? | According to the August 18, 2020 verdict by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) in The Hague Salim Ayyash was found guilty of killing Prime Minister …
(2020-08-20). Headlines for August 20, 2020. democracynow.org Kamala Harris Accepts Democratic Party's Nomination for Vice President, Hundreds of Wildfires Choke California, as Coronavirus Sidelines Prisoner Firefighters, U.S. Records Nearly 1,300 New Coronavirus Deaths as PPE Shortages Persist, NYC Teachers' Union Threatens Strike If Schools Reopen Without Safety Measures, New Zealand Deploys Troops to Enforce Quarantine; Zambian Vice President Positive for Coronavirus, Emails Reveal Swedish Epidemiologist Urged Coronavirus Spread to Attain Herd Immunity, Iran's Official COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 20,000 as Trump Pushes for New Sanctions, European Union Readies Sanctions A…
(2020-08-20). Abolitionist Derecka Purnell on Historic Kamala Harris VP Pick & Why Black Progressives Feel Torn. democracynow.org 
As Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman of color to run on a major party presidential ticket, many Black progressive women remain ambivalent, says Derecka Purnell, a human rights lawyer, abolitionist and columnist for The Guardian newspaper. "It's just unfortunate that you have to protect someone because of their identity … while at the same time if you care about the masses of Black people, the masses of poor people, the masses of immigrants in this country, you know that you have to speak truth and be honest about their record," Purnell says.
(2020-08-20). Before Kamala Harris, There Was Charlotta Bass: Remembering 1st Black Woman to Run for VP in 1952. democracynow.org 
Senator Kamala Harris is the first Indian American and first Black woman to be nominated for vice president on a major party ticket, but, as many historians have noted, Harris is not the first Black woman to run for vice president. That distinction belongs to the journalist and political activist Charlotta Bass, who was the editor of The California Eagle for nearly 30 years, one of the country's oldest Black newspapers, which covered women's suffrage, police brutality, the Klu Klux Klan, and discriminatory hiring and housing practices. Bass joined the Progressive Party ticket in 1952 on an antiracist platform tha…
(2020-08-20). "I Know a Predator When I See One": Kamala Harris Takes Aim at Trump, Accepts Historic VP Nomination. democracynow.org 
Senator Kamala Harris has formally accepted the Democratic vice-presidential nomination, becoming the first woman of color to run on a major party presidential ticket. We feature part of her historic speech.
(2020-08-20). "Don't Let Them Take Away Your Power": Obama Slams Trump at DNC & Warns U.S. Democracy Is at Risk. democracynow.org 
On the third night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, party leaders argued that U.S. democracy is at risk if President Trump is reelected in November, with a lineup of speeches from former Congressmember Gabby Giffords, senator and former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren and former President Barack Obama, who grew emotional describing the stakes of the election and urged people not to "let them take away your democracy." We air excerpts from the night's events.
(2020-08-20). Memoir of a World Watcher: Diana Johnstone. globalresearch.ca We discuss Diana Johnstone's memoir, "Circle in the Darkness": | Yugoslavia under Tito; bombing of Serbia; Camp Bondsteel; spook revelation journalism; | Paris in 1968; anti-war movement of the '60s; legacy of Charles de Gaulle; Europe occupied since WWII; | the Greens; …
(2020-08-20). Global South Calls For Sanctions On Apartheid Israel. popularresistance.org Israel's decades-old regime of apartheid and theft of Palestinian land is continuing unabated. Reports that Israel is "suspending" formal annexation are a smokescreen for continued colonisation and piecemeal ethnic cleansing of Indigenous Palestinians. | Around the world, advocates for justice are pushing back.The Global South response, initiated by South African civil society, brings together notable figures, intellectuals, policy makers, civil society leaders and experts from Africa, Latin America and Asia, in a joint effort to promote lawful sanctions on Israel to end its decades-old oppression of the Palestin…
(2020-08-20). Celebrity, War, and Presidential Elections. counterpunch.org On May 30, 1979, a letter appeared in 5 major newspapers in the US assailing the human rights record of Vietnam, a nation where the US killed about 3 million people and where about 58,000 of its own soldiers died. In bordering Cambodia, where the US war has spread besides a vicious air war over Laos, millions
(2020-08-20). German NGO sends in ambulance plane to pick up 'poisoned' Kremlin critic Navalny at Pussy Riot co-founder's request. rt.com 
The Berlin-based Cinema for Peace Foundation has readied an ambulance aircraft, specialized for transporting coma patients, to pick up Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny to transfer him to Germany for treatment. | The NGO said the plane will fly to Russia late on Thursday. The activists noted the transfer was requested by Navalny's fellow opposition figure, Pyotr Verzilov, best known as the co-founder of the punk band Pussy Riot. | "For humanitarian reasons, at Pussy Riots Pyotr Verzilov's request, we will send at midnight an air ambulance with medical equipment and specialists with which Navalny can be…
(2020-08-20). Battelships in Beirut —MES EP.68. thealtworld.com Several European navies have deployed vessels to Beirut port under the pretext of providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance following the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut. The French Marine Nationale, British Royal Navy, German Deutsche Marine and Hellenic Navy have all dispatched vessels to Beirut as Lebanese people fear the return of 1982. To discuss this issue with us from Paris is Jean Pierre Duthion, political commentator. | Iraq cancelled a ministerial visit and summoned Turkey's ambassador last week as it blamed Ankara for a drone attack that killed two high-ranking Iraqi military o…
(2020-08-20). Bolivia's right-wing coup government is facing resistance. mronline.org 
On 28 July, tens of thousands took to the streets of El Alto, the predominantly working-class and Indigenous city that overlooks La Paz, in a mobilisation called by the Bolivian Workers Centre (Central Obrera Boliviana, or COB), the country's chief trade union federation, together with other worker, peasant and Indigenous organisations (gathered under the title …
(2020-08-20). Aboriginal Rights and the Discrepancy Between Profit and Heritage. strategic-culture.org Following the destruction of two heritage sites in Juukan Gorge by the Australian mining company Rio Tinto in May, Aboriginal communities are facing another threat to their quest to protect their heritage and culture. Western Australia's Federal government has been asked to take a step back by Australian mining companies when it comes to legislation protecting Aboriginal heritage. | The Native Title Act (NTA) currently allows six months for Aboriginal communities to reach an agreement with mining companies over any projects that can harm indigenous territory, thus placing mining companies at a constant advantage…
(2020-08-20). Trump's Disgraceful Assault on the Post Office. counterpunch.org Lagging in the polls, Donald Trump has launched a campaign to discredit the upcoming election and disparage the United States Postal Service. He's repeated the utterly baseless claim that voting by mail — the safest way to vote in a pandemic — will lead to massive fraud. He's opposed aid to states that would help
(2020-08-20). Red line? Biden rejects DNC guest Linda Sarsour's endorsement over her 'anti-Semitism' & BDS support. rt.com 
Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden hasn't encountered many far-left policies he won't embrace — from free healthcare for illegal aliens to free college — but he found one leftist supporter he won't abide: Linda Sarsour. | Sarsour, a Muslim activist and co-founder of the Women's March, endorsed Biden last week and spoke on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention's "Muslim Delegates and Allies Assembly." Biden responded by denouncing her. | "Joe Biden has been a strong supporter of Israel and a vehement opponent of anti-Semitism his entire life, and he obviously condemns [Sarsour's] view…
(2020-08-20). 'Urgent need' to scale up search and rescue in the Mediterranean. news.un.org UN agencies have called for search and rescue to be stepped up in the central Mediterranean, in the wake of a tragic shipwreck that claimed the lives of 45 migrants and refugees, including five children.
(2020-08-20). EU rejects UK demand for right to return migrants. yenisafak.com The UK has wanted to extend the Dublin system after the end of the transition period at the end of the year. | The system allows countries to return refugees and migrants to the EU country from where they came, and is the basis of the current EU asylum system. | The Guardian reported that the EU rejected extending the system outside the EU, which the UK would be post-Brexit. | The UK offered the same system vice versa, so that they would have to accept migrants who landed in the EU from the UK, except those who arrive by airplane. | The EU said the plan was "very unbalanced," as southern Europe takes in 10 tim…
(2020-08-20). The Tight Rope #DemConvention Watch Party Ro Khanna Zephyr Teachout Howie Hawkins. therealnews.com 
Cornel West and Tricia Rose bring you live coverage and commentary of the final night of the 2020 #DemConvention featuring Joe Biden's speech from Wilmington, Delaware and confirmed guests Congressman Ro Khanna, Zephyr Teachout, Howie Hawkins, and Angela Walker.
(2020-08-20). Biden won't save us / Keep it in the streets! workers.org 
As the November election approaches, pressure will mount on revolutionary organizations within the U.S. to fall in line with the Democratic Party and endorse Joe Biden. The argument often made is that a Democratic president is needed to counter reactionary policies put in place by a Republican administration. Does this . . . |
(2020-08-20). When It Comes to Trump v. Biden Yoga Berra is Right: It Ain't Over Till it's Over. counterpunch.org 
While most of the prediction models understand the electoral college issue, they nonetheless still fail to appreciate that polling needs to be done at the state if not even at the county level to understand the micro trends impacting presidential elections. As I have repeatedly pointed out, and do so again this year, it is a few swing voters in a few swing counties in a few swing states that will decide the presidential election.
(2020-08-20). Donald Trump is Losing His Tech War with China and Doesn't Even Know It. counterpunch.org 
For the Trump administration's senior officials, it's been open season on bashing China. If you need an example, think of the president's blame game about "the invisible Chinese virus" as it spreads wildly across the U.S. When it comes to China, in fact, the ever more virulent criticism never seems to stop. Between the end
(2020-08-20). Woe to the Powerless! Once Again Palestinians Are Paying the Price. counterpunch.org 
During this century, 2020 seems like a year we would like to remove from our memory. With life being toppled upside down for everybody all over the world due to the Corona Pandemic, forces of evil still find a way to strike again and again We hardly got over the shock of the explosion in
(2020-08-20). On Vacation. No Internet. No News. counterpunch.org 
Last time I went on vacation without access to news, I was in Greece, on Ithaca, and Chernobyl happened. I found out about it a week later when I got to Athens to catch my flight back to Hamburg. There was an English language newspaper there — Daily American perhaps, or that was the paper
(2020-08-20). Giants and Warriors Workers Fight Back. counterpunch.org 
The San Francisco Giants returned home on Friday, August 14 and found themselves being picketed by the workers who normally sell garlic fries and beer to the fans. This must have been bad karma, as both Friday and Saturday the Giants blew a big lead over the Oakland A's in the ninth inning, then got blown away by the
(2020-08-20). Hands off Lebanon: Macron's Self-serving 'New Pact' Must Be Shunned. counterpunch.org 
French President, Emmanuel Macron, is in no position to pontificate to Lebanon about the need for political and economic reforms. Just as thousands of Lebanese took to the streets of Beirut demanding "revenge" against the ruling classes, the French people have relentlessly been doing the same; both peoples have been met with police violence and arrests.
(2020-08-20). A Note on Lost GDP During the Shutdown. counterpunch.org 
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
(2020-08-20). Prague's Fights Over Kundera: Biography From the Files of the Secret Police. counterpunch.org 
In 2008, while I was staying in Prague, a scandal broke out involving the Czech writer Milan Kundera, who has lived in Paris since 1975. Respekt magazine published an article claiming that Kundera had informed on a foreign spy of Czech extraction who was staying that night in the students' residence of which Kundera was
(2020-08-20). A new rapid spit test for COVID-19 could be the game changer we need. therealnews.com 
Are known cases just the tip of the iceberg? A new test holds promise – and peril – for how we fight back against the disease.
(2020-08-20). Obama warns: Re-elect Trump and U.S. democracy dies. peoplesworld.org 
PHILADELPHIA — Re-elect Donald Trump, Barack Obama warns, and U.S. democracy dies. That, in a nutshell, was the stark message Obama delivered about his successor to the entire country in a speech from the U.S. Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Wednesday night. "I have sat in the Oval Office with both of the men who …
(2020-08-20). Racists outnumbered at Stone Mountain. liberationnews.org 
This summer of mass protests against police brutality and the brutality of this capitalist system more broadly has stirred up a predictable reaction from the far-right, leading several of Georgia's most notorious racists to plan an Aug. 15 march up Stone Mountain, about 30 minutes east of Atlanta, to prove the vitality of the racist …
(2020-08-20). Detainees during the Pandemic. mronline.org 
It is a common practice all over the world that when those incarcerated face a threat to life, the authorities send them home.
(2020-08-20). Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger problem. workers.org 
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York issued a strong statement July 21 that condemned Margaret Sanger's relationship with eugenics theory and practice. "By saying this, we disarm a tool anti-abortion opponents use to shame women of color, especially Black women, from seeking the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health . . . |
(2020-08-20). Venezuela: The real enemy. mronline.org 
We became an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. imperialism in 1999. From that moment on, our enemy declared war, not a conventional war, but war nonetheless.
(2020-08-20). Prisoners' lives matter! 'Inmates cannot social distance'. workers.org 
Makinni Iyapo By Makini Iyapo This edited talk was given at an Aug. 13 Workers World Party webinar, "From Black August to Black Lives Matter," hosted by the WWP Prisoners Solidarity Committee. I am so honored to be here, in the company of people of like minds. I feel rejuvenated . . . |
(2020-08-20). The Heat: U.S. politics and COVID-19 in Latin America. america.cgtn.com 
Politics and the pandemic. Plus — Latin America passes Europe as the region with the most Covid deaths the world.
(2020-08-20). 'Where's the war? I don't see the war': Trump says Obama & Hillary marched the US into conflict while he 'kept us out' of new wars. rt.com 
President Donald Trump has boasted that by replacing Barack Obama and defeating Hillary Clinton, he saved the US from war with North Korea. An unlikely dove, Trump has often accused his rivals of clamoring for conflict. | Speaking on Thursday from Old Forge, Pennsylvania — just two miles from Joe Biden's hometown of Scranton — Trump tore into his opponent, calling Biden a "puppet of the radical left movement" who wants to "hike your taxes" and "take away your guns," among other by now well-worn criticisms. | After rounding on Biden, Trump boasted of his own accomplishments in office, including his se…
(2020-08-20). Obama shreds Trump's 'reality show' presidency, vows his former VP Biden will save US democracy & solve all America's problems. rt.com 
Former US president Barack Obama said the Trump administration had turned the presidency into a "reality show" in his speech to the Democratic convention, holding up Joe Biden as a panacea for all of the country's troubles. | Addressing the third night of his party's national convention on Wednesday, the ex-POTUS took an uncharacteristically harsh tone on President Donald Trump, saying he hadn't "grown into the job because he can't" while laying blame for the Covid-19 crisis squarely on his administration. | "I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job…
(2020-08-20). Journalism professor melts down after seeing Trump ads on Washington Post website, accusing the paper of SELLING ITS SOUL. rt.com 
Seeing the front page of his beloved Washington Post plastered with campaign ads for President Donald Trump sent one journalism professor into a fit of rage. And the angrier he got, the more people in the comments laughed. | "No, @washingtonpost, no, no NO. How dare you? Were these pieces of silver worth the price of your soul?" City University of New York journalism professor Jeff Jarvis tweeted on Thursday, after seeing an ad slamming Joe Biden emblazoned across the banner of the Washington Post's website. | No,
(2020-08-20). 'Trump is destroying our country!' Billie Eilish targets young voters with pro-Biden rant & new song performance at Dem convention. rt.com 
American pop star Billie Eilish tore into US President Donald Trump before performing a new song at the Democratic convention, in an apparent attempt to attract young voters to the party's 77-year-old nominee, Joe Biden. | "Donald Trump is destroying our country and everything we care about… We need leaders who will solve our problems like climate change and Covid, not deny them… It starts with voting against Donald Trump and for Joe Biden," Eilish said before performing her new track, 'My Future,' at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night. | You don't need me to tell you things are a mess.
(2020-08-20). 'Take it from me': Still bitter Hillary Clinton warns Americans that Trump & 'foreign adversaries' could steal election AGAIN. rt.com 
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton again sounded alarms about election-meddling "foreign adversaries" in her speech to the Democratic convention, while urging voters to take revenge for her bitter 2016 loss to Donald Trump. | "For four years, people have said to me, 'I didn't realize how dangerous he was,' 'I wish I could go back and do it over,' or worse, 'I should have voted,'" Clinton said in her address to the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, taking voters to task for not sending her to the Oval Office in the last presidential contest. | Well, this can't be another woulda coulda sh…
(2020-08-20). LA Mayor Garcetti crowned Covid-19 'dictator' after shutting off utilities at TikTok star's Hollywood party mansion. rt.com 
Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti has been labeled a despotic hypocrite by social media, after he cut off water and power at a TikTok influencer's residence where gatherings were held in violation of coronavirus orders. | In a tweet, Garcetti The residence in question has reported…
(2020-08-20). Please clap: DNC mocked for failing to find 30 people to cheer for Kamala Harris as duplicates spotted on live feed. rt.com 
When Kamala Harris was receiving applause at the end of her DNC speech, it became apparent that some of the virtual clappers seemed just to have been duplicated images of the same audience members, leading to a laugh riot online. | The vice presidential nominee's address to the Democratic National Convention was supposed to be the grand finale of Wednesday's event as she accepted the much-hyped vice-presidential nomination. Because the gathering was virtual, due to Covid-19 safety measures, Harris was provided with an online video audience to applaud and underscore the speech's importance. | Having delivered i…
(2020-08-20). Big Brother ain't so bad, after all? Almost half of Muscovites support city's ever-expanding facial recognition system. rt.com 
Moscow's CCTV system, recently used to catch people violating the Covid-19 quarantine, continues to split opinion. A survey has revealed that just under half of the capital's residents support the expansion of facial recognition. | According to research conducted by the Levada Center, 42 percent of Muscovites oppose the installation of facial recognition cameras, with 47 percent supporting it. The Russian capital has an extensive citywide CCTV system, allowing the authorities to track and find criminals wanted by law enforcement. In recent months, the cameras were used to detect and punish citizens for breakin…
(2020-08-20). Portland police use tear gas to disperse protesters after mob targets ICE building (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
Federal officers tussled with protesters in Portland after a crowd vandalized an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in the city. Police declared the assembly a riot and deployed tear gas. | Several hundred demonstrators marched to the ICE building on Wednesday night, where they proceeded to shine lights and lasers at federal officers inside the premises. According to a statement released by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), the crowd began kicking and banging on the building's doors, and tagged the government office with graffiti. The office's windows were also damaged. | Federal agents exited th…
(2020-08-20). US formally requests 'snapback' of UN sanctions against Iran, even though it exited nuclear deal. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has sent a formal request to the UN Security Council to 'snap back' sanctions against Iran, claiming Tehran violated the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington has unilaterally ditched. | The letter accuses Iran of "significant non-compliance" with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 arrangement negotiated with Tehran by the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany. | The deal was codified by the UNSC Resolution 2231, which the US is now citing as grounds for invoking the "snapback" provision, even though the Trump administration unilaterally lef…