P.E. Moskowitz (2019-08-20). Everything You Think You Know About \'Free Speech\' Is a Lie. thenation.com How far-right operatives manufactured the \"crisis\" of free speech with books, think tanks—and billions of dollars.

Staff (2019-08-20). Pope Francis Confronts the \"Idolatry of Money\" — RAI with Matthew Fox (7/8). therealnews.com With his criticism of excessive capitalism and of climate change, Pope Francis has become the target of the far-right, and especially of the secretive Opus Dei sect within the Catholic Church, explains former priest Matthew Fox…

Vijay Prashad (2019-08-20). Why the world is watching the fate of an Iranian tanker in the Mediterranean. mronline.org The British, it is clear, seized the Iranian tanker at the urging of the United States. There was no previous British warning that it might enter in such a muscular way into the U.S. attempt to suffocate Iran. | Source

Al Neal (2019-08-20). Elections 2020: Warren and Klobuchar address Native American presidential candidate forum. peoplesworld.org SIOUX CITY, Iowa—\"Over the past couple of years, I\'ve had the opportunity to get to know Elizabeth. We have spoken often of the needs of Indian Country, and she has taken action to address them, helped me get elected to Congress, and we\'ve worked together to introduce legislation on affordable healthcare, pre-k education, and housing,\" …

RT (2019-08-20). Make love, not war? Department of PEACE plan unveiled by Marianne Williamson, and Twitter loves it. rt.com Democratic presidential hopeful and spiritual guru Marianne Williamson has revealed a proposal for a new \"Department of Peace,\" a project devoted to \"ending the scourge of violence\" around the world. Twitter felt the good vibes. | The proposal was rolled out on Monday night in a post on Williamson\'s website, calling for a new cabinet-level department. The plan lists a lofty series of goals, ranging from addressing \"white supremacy\" and domestic gun violence, to developing \"restorative justice programs\" and \"new structures of nonviole…

Karl Grossman (2019-08-20). Einstein\'s Atomic Regrets. counterpunch.org \"If I had known that the Germans would not succeed in constructing an atom bomb, I never would have moved a finger,\" wrote Albert Einstein in his 1950 book Out of My Later Years. He was speaking about a letter from his vacation home on Nassau Point on Long Island that warned President Franklin D. Roosevelt of a breakthrough in Nazi Germany in nuclear fission which could \"lead to the construction of bombs, and it is conceivable…extremely powerful bombs of a new type.\" Atom bombs. More

James Phillips (2019-08-20). Calm and Conflict: a Dispatch From Nicaragua. counterpunch.org I\'ve lost count of how many times I\'ve been in Nicaragua, beginning with almost two years in the country during the Contra War of the 1980s. This month, I spent another nine days in the country. Here are some of observations \"from the field.\" Things are calm in Nicaragua in some ways. There is little More

Frederick B. Mills (2019-08-20). Monroeism is the Other Side of Jim Crow, the Side Facing South. counterpunch.org Presentation before the Forum of Sà£o Paulo, Washington DC, on July the 20th, 2019 This Forum of Sà£o Paulo of Washington DC marks a significant step forward in building North-South solidarity on behalf of economic and social justice throughout the hemisphere and respect for the sovereign equality of nations. The Forum comes on the heels of More

Colter Louwerse (2019-08-20). Kushner\'s Threat to Palestine: An Interview with Norman Finkelstein. counterpunch.org Norman Finkelstein is a leading authority on the Israel-Palestine conflict. While most observers have proclaimed Jared Kushner\'s ongoing \'peace\' initiative to be dead in the water, Norman warns that it may pose a serious threat to the Palestinians. In part 1 of this interview, I spoke with him about what we can expect from the More

Tony Pecinovsky (2019-08-20). Review: Russian revolution revered as trailblazing event in the developing world. peoplesworld.org \"Like a brilliant sun, the [1917] October [Bolshevik] Revolution shone over all five continents, awakening millions of oppressed and exploited people around the world. There has never existed such a revolution of such significance and scale in the history of humanity,\" wrote a young H·ªì Chí Minh while in Paris. He had just read the …

FIRE (2019-08-20). Tell Greyhound: ICE off our buses! workers.org The call to action below can be shared and signed at bit.ly/ICEoffBuses. Fight for Im/migrants and Refugees Everywhere is a multinational, multigenerational and multigendered organization based in the U.S., seeking to bring together all sectors of society to concentrate on abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, immediately putting an end to . . . | Continue reading Tell Greyhound: ICE off our buses! at Workers.org

Eds. (2019-08-20). Lula: \"U.S. hand\" on everything that\'s happened in Brazil. mronline.org In an interview with Bob Fernandes, on TVE Bahia, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that the U.S. government \"created the Lava Jato investigation to take our oil.\" | Source

Marilyn Bechtel (2019-08-20). New Calif. law is one of nation\'s strongest to prevent police shootings. peoplesworld.org On a stage packed with legislative and other civic leaders, civil rights activists and members of families with loved ones killed by police, California Governor Gavin Newsom on Aug. 19 signed one of the country\'s strictest laws limiting conditions for police to use lethal force. The law, Assembly Bill 392, the California Act to Save …

Natasha Lennard (2019-08-20). The NYPD Finally Fired the Cop Who Killed Eric Garner — but the Police Reaction Shows How Little Will Change. theintercept.com The decision will not alter the entrenched police ideology that allows for deaths like Garner\'s — showing why reform will be slow and tough.

Mehdi Hasan (2019-08-20). Mike Pompeo Has Extreme Views on Muslims — and Liberals Don\'t Seem to Care. theintercept.com U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo before an event on June 26, 2019. | began Mike Pompeo, before going on to claim that \"silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts and, more importantly still, those that may well follow.\" | Pompeo\'s remarks were \" false and irresponsible,\" as the Council on American Islamic Relations demonstrated at the time. Every major Muslim organization in the United States had

Dean Baker (2019-08-20). The Mythology of the Stock Market. counterpunch.org The stock market enjoys a mythological place not only among mainstream media types, but also among many progressives. For some reason this measure of expected future corporate profits is taken as a measure of economic well-being. The fact that the media obsesses over the stock market hardly needs to be mentioned. If there is one More

Nyla Ali Khan (2019-08-20). Jammu and Kashmir: the Legitimacy of Article 370. counterpunch.org Introduction The recent unilateral decision of Prime Minister Modi\'s government to revoke Article 370, which guaranteed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir; dismemberment of the State, and its diminishment are flagrant violations of the sovereign Constitution of India. These maneuvers jeopardize the federal structure of India. The erosion of the rights and privileges of More

John Kendall Hawkins (2019-08-20). Toni Morrison: Beloved or Belovéd? counterpunch.org One of the strangest-turned-ugly conversations I\'ve ever found myself trapped in had to do with the pronunciation of Toni Morrison\'s novel Beloved. Should you say it with or without the accent? I was beginning a new career as an English teacher overseas — in Istanbul — and was unpacking my books in my new \"digs\" More

WSWS (2019-08-20). Julian Assange\'s father warns WikiLeaks\' publisher\'s health is \"declining rapidly\" in Belmarsh Prison. wsws.org \"The government will willingly sacrifice Julian\'s well-being to the demands of the US and the UK.\"

Vijay Prashad (2019-08-20). Why the World Is Watching the Fate of an Iranian Tanker in the Mediterranean. commondreams.org The British seized the Iranian tanker at the urging of the United States. (Photo: Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/iran_tanker_uk.jpeg …

Staff (2019-08-20). Portland Anti-Fascist Coalition Shows Us How We Can Defeat the Far Right. truthout.org | | The far-right \"western chauvinist\" street gang known as the Proud Boys is already talking about a follow-up rally next month in Portland, Oregon, following their rally there on Saturday, August 17. | Local anti-fascist resistance is growing, however, and anti-fascist activists say they emerged from their counterprotest against the Proud Boys last Saturday with a strengthened and historic coalition of organizations that will continue to make fascism unwelcome in their community. | Portland…

teleSUR (2019-08-20). US-North Korea Peace Talks Have Not Resumed: Pompeo. telesurenglish.net The U.S. and North Korea have not returned to the negotiation table as quickly as they initially hoped, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday, but he added that Washington knew there would be \'bumps on the road\' in the denuclearization talks. | RELATED: | Trump Designates Brazil a \'Major Non-Nato Ally\' | \"We haven\'t gotten back to the table as quickly as we hoped but we\'ve been pretty clear all along, we knew there would be bums along the way,\" Pompeo said during an interview with CBS…

Staff (2019-08-20). As Deadly Bombings Devastate Afghanistan, US-Taliban Peace Talks Continue. truthout.org | | In Afghanistan, a series of bomb attacks devastated restaurants and other public spaces Monday in the eastern city of Jalalabad, injuring at least 66 people. The explosions took place on Afghanistan\'s 100th Independence Day, following Saturday\'s bloody suicide bombing at a wedding in Kabul that killed 63 people, wounding around 200 others. ISIS claimed the attack, which was the deadliest this year in Afghanistan. The bombings came as the U.S. and Taliban are reportedly close to a peace deal a…

teleSUR (2019-08-20). Indonesia Curbs Net, Sends More Police to Papua Amid Protests. telesurenglish.net Indonesia sent 200 more police officers to Papua Tuesday and reined in internet speeds to \"prevent hoaxes from spreading\" as civil unrest persisted in some parts of the country\'s easternmost area, officials said. | RELATED: | Thousands Demand Independence in Indonesia\'s Papua Regions | Thousands of Papuans took the streets of the cities of Sorong, Manokwari, and Jayapura Monday, blocking roads, damaging an airport and torching government buildings. | The protests were triggered by th…

Daniel Warner (2019-08-20). Is Hong Kong Important? For Whom? counterpunch.org Hundreds of thousands in the streets of Hong Kong protesting the anti-extradition bill for now over ten weeks; thousands closing down the busy international airport; an influential British parliamentarian proposing to return UK citizenship to Hong Kong residents; Chinese students supporting the government and those supporting the protesters clashing in foreign countries; videos showing Chinese More

WSWS (2019-08-20). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Hundreds of thousands staged protests last week across Brazil last week in major cities targeting the policies of the Bolsanaro administration, in particular those attacking education.

teleSUR (2019-08-20). Iran Praises North Korea for \'Exercising Vigilance Against US\'. telesurenglish.net The speaker of Iran\'s parliament, Ali Larijani, has praised North Korea\'s \'intelligent\' approach to the U.S., and said that they have successfully resisted unilateral pressures, thereby securing their independence. Larijani also said that he hoped Iran and North Korea could increase their cooperation, since both are heavily sanctioned by Washington. | RELATED: | War With Iran Will Be \'Mother Of All Wars\': Rouhani | \"North Korean leader [Kim Jong-un] acted properly during negotiations with t…

Staff (2019-08-20). Italian Leader Conte Resigns With Scathing Attack on Far-Right\'s Salvini. truthdig.com The prime minister blames the collapse of his populist government on his deputy\'s desire to gain \"full powers\" for his League party.

Mondialisation (2019-08-20). Sob o \"escudo\" de mísseis nucleares USA na Europa. globalresearch.ca A instalaàßà£o de mísseis da NATO em Deveselu, na Roménia, que faz parte do sistema Aegis americano de \"defesa anti-mísseis\", terminou a \"actualizaàßà£o\" que comeàßou em Abril passado. Comunica a NATO, assegurando que \"nà£o conferiu nenhuma capacidade ofensiva ao sistema\", …

Eugene E Ruyle (2019-08-20). The Plot to Attack Iran:‚Ä® How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Iran. indybay.org NPML, 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (just North of Alcatraz Ave.)…

WSWS (2019-08-20). Trump calls for naval blockade of Venezuela. wsws.org The US president\'s demand for a military option reflects growing desperation in Washington over the failure of its regime-change operation.

Fight Back (2019-08-20). Say no to the McCarthyite attack on Chicago teachers. fightbacknews.org As the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) find itself locked in tough contract negotiations and faces the possibility of a strike, corporate and right-wing media like the Chicago Tribune, Breitbart and others have launched a bizarre attack that seems like it is straight out of the 1950s red scare. Rather than addressing the real problems impacting teachers and students in Chicago schools, these reactionary pundits have decided the rant and rave about – of all things – a delegation of teachers that traveled to Venezuela earlier this summer. | Here are the facts of the matter. A group of teachers who are also members of…

teleSUR (2019-08-20). Nevada Casino Workers Fight to Save Unions Amid Owners\' Threats. telesurenglish.net Casino workers of Nevada, United States, are battling the owners to either form new unions or save existing unions from intimidation, busting, or retaliating against union members. | RELATED: | Shell Union Coerced into Attending Trump Speech, or Lose Pay | Owners of casinos, mostly billionaire allies of U.S. President Donald Trump have stalled recognition, delaye…

Anti Police-Terror Project (2019-08-20). APTP Monthly Membership Meeting: Scott Morris on Santa Rita Jail. indybay.org East Side Arts Alliance | 2277 International Blvd. | Oakland, CA 94606…

teleSUR (2019-08-20). China Warns of Reemergence of Islamic State Group in Syria. telesurenglish.net A senior Chinese official said Tuesday that there was a danger of Islamic State group re-emerging in Syria and called for progress in the political process between the Damascus government and the opposition to end the war. | RELATED: | Syria Slams US-Turkey Safe Zone, Calls it \'Blatant Aggression\' | \"There is now a danger of terrorist organizations like ISIS…

teleSUR (2019-08-20). Basque Country: Over 13,200 Police to Be Deployed at G7 Meeting. telesurenglish.net France\'s Interior Minister Christophe Castaner reported on Tuesday that over 13,200 police, gendarmes and military will be deployed to protect the next G7 summit, which will take place in Biarritz, the Basque Country, from August 24 to 26. | RELATED: | G7 Countries Take a Step Towards Taxing Big Internet Companies | More than 450 firefighters and 13 mobile emergency and resuscitation teams will also be part of the deployment in order to make possible public altercations. | At…

Martin Billheimer (2019-08-20). A Clerk\'s Guide to the Unspectacular, 1914. counterpunch.org \"There ain\'t nothing to do…\" — Dead Boys Now available for the first time in English, Jean de la Ville de Mirmont\'s Sundays of Jean Dézert is a series of dryly comic vignettes in the life of a young Parisian petit bourgeois on the eve of the Great War. This kind of book describes a More

Mohamed Elmaazi (2019-08-20). Twitter\'s new policy on \'state-controlled news media\' should concern us all. thecanary.co Twitter has announced an update to its advertisement policy which may reflect yet another assault on free speech by social media giants. On 19 August, Twitter declared that: Going forward, we will not accept advertising from state-controlled news media entities. | While this may not see…

WSWS (2019-08-20). The fascist attack on Guardian journalist Owen Jones. wsws.org The brutal assault on Guardian journalist Owen Jones must be taken as a grave warning of the dangers to the working class from the far right.

John Nichols (2019-08-20). Elizabeth Warren Has a Plan to Finish What FDR Started. thenation.com Elizabeth Warren Has a Plan to Finish What FDR Started…

Staff (2019-08-20). Elizabeth Warren Takes Aim at Department of Justice. truthdig.com ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for ProPublica\'s Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published. | This article was produced in partnership with American Banker. | Sen. Elizabeth Warren is demanding information from the Justice Department about actions that Trump administration officials took last year to reduce the penalties against two large banks that sold faulty mortgages to investors in the run-up to the financial crisis. | \"These weak settlements send a clea…

Staff (2019-08-20). The Trump Administration Owns the Surge in White Nationalist Violence. truthdig.com Both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued warnings about the far right. New reporting finds no one wanted to listen.

WSWS (2019-08-20). Australian prime minister elevates pro-US militarists to top cabinet, intelligence positions. wsws.org Shearer\'s role will be to advise Morrison and other ministers on how to publicly promote the US-led preparations for war with China.

WSWS (2019-08-20). \"You can\'t trust the government\": Flint, Michigan residents speak out on Newark water crisis. wsws.org The lead-in-water crisis in Newark, New Jersey is evoking angry responses from Flint residents who have gone through similar experiences over the last five years.

Staff (2019-08-20). Trump-Tied Operatives Register as Foreign Agents of Libyan Wealth Fund. truthout.org | | Michael Cohen\'s former lawyer and the political strategist reportedly behind Donald Trump\'s famous escalator descent launching his 2016 presidential campaign are working as foreign agents for a sovereign wealth fund managed by the government of Libya as it seeks to regain access to billions of dollars in assets frozen since 2011. | David Schwartz represented Cohen, Trump\'s longtime personal la…

teleSUR (2019-08-20). China, Russia Accuse US of Inciting New Arms Race. telesurenglish.net The United States is stoking military tensions with their latest ground-launched cruise missile test, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. | RELATED: | \'We May Not Do Any Business With Huawei\': Trump Says as License Expires Aug. 19 | The Kremlin said the U.S. missile test revealed Washington had long been preparing to exit the nuclear pact. The U.S. previously accused Russia of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which was established during the Cold War. | T…

WSWS (2019-08-20). Behind Fiat Chrysler\'s $4.5 billion investment in the Motor City. wsws.org The investment of $4.5 billion by FCA in automotive manufacturing in Detroit is part of a global strategy predicated on further dramatic reductions in labor costs.

Patrick Walker (2019-08-20). Exploiting Russiagate coma, Democrats raped climate movement. nationofchange.org Introduction: Some gallows humor: | Seeing the grave existential and political fix we\'re now in, some gallows humor—a sophomoric old joke highly pertinent to my title theme—seems as good a way to start as any. | Q: What\'s the difference between a virgin and a light bulb? | A: You can unscrew a light bulb. | Like the virgin of this admittedly sick joke (relic of more patriarchal times), the climate movement has been truly and royally screwed by Democrats. Given what\'s at stake, a more appropriately inflammatory term is raped, and…

teleSUR (2019-08-20). Kidnapper Shot After Hijacking Bus in Brazil With 40 Passengers. telesurenglish.net A man hijacked a bus in Rio de Janeiro with almost 40 passengers on board and threatened to set the bus on fire Tuesday. | RELATED: | Brazil\'s Inequality Widens, Super-Rich Hold 28% of Total Income | Brazilian police confirmed his death after holding the passengers\' hostage for almost four hours. They also confirmed the safety of the hostages and…

Staff (2019-08-20). Emerald Garner Responds to the Firing of Officer That Killed Her Father. truthout.org | | Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who killed Eric Garner in 2014 by using an illegal chokehold, was fired Monday and stripped of his pension benefits. The decision came more than five years after Pantaleo held Garner, an unarmed African-American man, in a chokehold until he dropped to the ground. Before dying, he gasped \"I can\'t breathe\" 11 times. Despite outcry from the family and community members, Pantaleo had remained on the police force on desk duty since the killing. Last month, on the…