2020-07-19: News Headlines

David Swanson (2020-07-19). Legislation in Congress Would Require Flying Flag With Pentagon on It. zcomm.org While war monuments are being toppled, a war flag is being raised.

Mario Carbonell (2020-07-19). The Electoral College: protecting the rich from democracy since 1787. liberationnews.org The Electoral College is designed to protect the U.S. government from excessive influence from the "unruly mob."

Ariel Gold (2020-07-19). The U.S. struggle for justice for Palestine begins a new chapter. zcomm.org The progress and victories of recent years absolutely are a cause for celebration. But it is important to keep in mind that the fight is far from over.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-19). "Optimism of the Will": Palestinian Freedom is Possible Now. dissidentvoice.org In a recent TV discussion, a respected pro-Palestine journalist declared that if any positive change or transformation ever occurs in the tragic Palestinian saga, it would not happen now, but that it would take a whole new generation to bring about such a paradigm shift. As innocuous as the declaration may have seemed, it troubled …

Fight Back (2020-07-19). Milwaukee: Northside marches against WE Energies and for green jobs. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – On July 16, Northside Rising held a rally seeking divestment from WE Energies (also known as Wisconsin Electric), a waiver of their planned moratorium on energy assistance, and investment in green, net-zero carbon jobs that are not monopolized by the company. Investing more in a climate justice plan, as well as a solution to the depletion of job opportunity for Milwaukee's Northside, would be a step in the right direction for the city's Black residents. | The rally began at the Victory Garden Park in the Harambee neighborhood. Speakers included Pastor Jonathan Barken, Supreme Moore Omukunde, Dana…

Mike Hastie (2020-07-19). Homeless in Portland, Oregon. zcomm.org Old Town Portland looks like a huge refugee settlement. I deliver lunches to 4 homeless encampments three days a week. It is like walking into a poverty war zone…

Thom Hartmann (2020-07-19). The Disastrous Handling of the Pandemic Is Libertarianism in Action. zcomm.org Will Americans Finally Say Good Riddance?>

Terry Everton (2020-07-19). Burger Chef And Dan Died On The Same Day. zcomm.org If you're like most 16 year old males, there's a better than average chance that the suit inventory in your wardrobe consists of a total of one. And by suit I mean the matching sport coat and pants that was purchased on clearance from a discount warehouse that has as much chance of staying in

Ali Salam (2020-07-19). Israeli Forces Injure Many Palestinians, Including Medic at Peaceful Demonstration Near Nablus. imemc.org Two Palestinian civilians were injured, on Saturday, and many others choked on tear-gas fired by the Israeli forces, at a nonviolent protest in the village of Beita, Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. WAFA correspondent stated that Palestinians held a demonstration, south of Nablus City in the northern occupied West Bank, …

Laura Flanders (2020-07-19). The racist reality of who is dying of Covid-19. zcomm.org The institutionalized bias that reflects this is even more of a national shame—or it should be—than that distractor-in-chief, our president…

Ali Salam (2020-07-19). Dozens of Palestinians Choke on Tear-gas in Hebron Protests. imemc.org Dozens of Palestinian youths suffered the toxic effects of tear-gas inhalation, on Saturday, when they confronted Israeli forces in the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron, the Jerusalem Press reported. Local sources said that hundreds of Palestinian youths were protesting Israel's annexation plans, at the "Shuhada Street" military roadblock, …

Dean Baker (2020-07-19). Prescription drugs & American exceptionalism. zcomm.org It would be a great thing for humanity if a low-priced coronavirus vaccine became the first example of a new prescription drug policy in America.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (2020-07-19). How We Remember a Prophet. thenation.com Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II How We Remember a Prophet…

news.un (2020-07-19). 'My children ask me when I am coming home': stranded seafarers share their frustrations. news.un.org Hundreds of thousands of seafarers are finding themselves stranded at sea, sometimes for over a year, and with no end in sight, as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions. The uncertainty and long spells away from home are taking a heavy mental toll.

Stephanie Luce (2020-07-19). Housing Is a Worker Issue. zcomm.org Why the Labor Movement Should Support the 'Beyond Recovery' Campaign…

Irwin Redlener (2020-07-19). America Is on Track for $1M Covid Cases a Day and 800K Deaths. zcomm.org Until we have effective and safe medications, a proven vaccine and better testing, our best shot at getting control would be to again close many businesses and activities…

Nicole de Vries (2020-07-19). The Kalkbreite: Participative housing planning in Zurich. zcomm.org As housing affordability diminishes in large cities and inexpensive living space becomes scarce, the cooperative model is resurging in popularity…

Ali Salam (2020-07-19). Palestinian Family Forced to Demolish Their Homes in East Jerusalem. imemc.org By order of the municipality of West Jerusalem, the Palestinian Abu Turki family, on Saturday, continued to self-demolish their two homes in the Jabal al-Mokabber village in occupied East Jerusalem, according to local sources. The Abu Turki family told the Wadi Hilweh Information Center (Silwanic) that they began to demolish …

Dedrick Asante-Muhammad (2020-07-19). The simplest way to close the racial wealth gap? Direct cash payments. zcomm.org Here's my proposal: give $20,000 to every American with an enslaved ancestor, every year, for 20 years. We can afford it…

Ali Salam (2020-07-19). Israeli Army Detains Palestinian Youths from Ramallah, Jerusalem. imemc.org The Israeli army, at dawn Saturday, stormed al-Jalazoun refugee camp in the central West Bank city of Ramallah, and detained three Palestinian teens, the Palestinian Information Center reported. According to Asra Media Office, members of a special Israeli military unit detained three teenagers from their homes in al-Jalazoun camp. The …

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-19). Covid-19 claims 209 lives in past 24 hours in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) — Iran's Health Ministry spokesperson announced on Sunday that in the past 24 hours the lethal coronavirus has claimed 209 lives in Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-19). Iran-Turkey flight canceled due COVID-19 restrictions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) —According to reports the Iranian Mahan and Qeshm airlines announced the cancellation of the flights to Turkey.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-19). Zarif, Hakim hold meeting in Baghdad. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met and held talks with Leader of the National Wisdom Movement of Iraq Seyyed Ammar al-Hakim on Sunday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-19). Hunger increases across world: FAO. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) — The United Nations agencies say that the world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger, warning if recent trends continue, the number of people affected by hunger will surpass 840 million by 2030.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-19). Iran sends medical aid to Iraq concurrent with Zarif's visit. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) — Islamic Republic of Iran sent medical aid, as weigh as 1 ton, to neighboring Iraq concurrent with the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister's visit to Iraq.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-19). VIDEO: protest against Netanyahu. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) — Police used water to disperse demonstrators around Zionist regime's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence on Saturday as protests mounted against him over alleged corruption and his handling of the coronavirus crisis.

RT (2020-07-19). Florida officials admit counting MOTORCYCLE death as Covid-19 fatality, remove it from list after media scrutiny. rt.com Officials in Orange County, Florida have confirmed that a motor accident death was initially included into the coronavirus death toll. It was later struck off the list, but not until authorities were challenged by the media. | Florida Department of Health in Orange County announced on Saturday that it no longer counts the death of a man aged in his 20s in a motorcycle accident as a coronavirus fatality. | The case "was reviewed and he was taken off the list for Covid fatalities," Kent Donahue, spokesman for Orange County Health Officer Dr Raul Pino, told Fox35, which initially broke the story after perusing li…

RT (2020-07-19). Activists call for Harvard University's Board of Overseers to be renamed due to racist connotations in latest wokeness crusade. rt.com Harvard University is again caught up in controversy over a name that some students and alumni have found to be racially offensive, as an activist group is pressing the Ivy League school to rename its Board of Overseers. | The Coalition for a Diverse Harvard is taking issue with the word "overseers" because it harks back to slavery. The men hired by plantation owners to supervise and violently control slaves were called overseers. | The activist group has been urging individual members of Harvard's second-highest governing body to get rid of the word "overseers" in its name since 2017, and with anti-racism pro…

RT (2020-07-19). 'Not comfortable having them in our space': Portland mayor orders feds to be kicked out of police incident HQ as riots grip city. rt.com Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said he has banned federal officers, who were deployed to the city to protect federal property, from sharing headquarters with police amid claims they whisk "peaceful protesters" away in unmarked cars. | "Earlier today I directed that staff who are part of federal agency operations are no longer allowed to co-locate with the police bureau's incident command," Wheeler tweeted on Saturday. | Although the Democrat mayor acknowledged that "sharing a space" advanced cooperation between local and federal law enforcement, allowing for clearer communication, he said that "recent actions" by…

RT (2020-07-19). Police union office set on fire as Portland protest descends into riot (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com A mob broke into the office of the Portland police union and set a small fire to the building amid growing hostility between demonstrators and law enforcement in the city. The blaze was later put out as officers cleared the area.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-19). Zarif holds meeting with Iraqi officials. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Baghdad on Sunday morning to meet with Iraqi officials.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-19). Iranian elite abroad cooperating with country: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) -An official in the vice presidency of science announced the statistics of the definite return of elites to the country, adding that "More than 8,000 Iranian elite abroad are cooperating with the country."

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-19). 'Goodby Olymbic' goes to Chinese film festival. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) — Iranian short 'Goodbye Olympic' directed by Mojtaba Pourbakhsh has made it into the competition program of Beijing International FICTS Festival.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-19). FM Zarif, Iraqi President discuss regional, intl. issues. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 19 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Iraqi President Barham Salih hold a meeting in Iraq's capital on Sunday.

PACT -People Acting in Community Together (2020-07-19). Sunday 7/26: Reimagine Public Safety & Police Reform, July 26th. indybay.org Downtown San Jose – City Hall | Santa Clara and Fourth St. SJ…

Zach Conti (2020-07-19). G20 Finance Ministers Kick COVID Crisis Decisions to Fall. indybay.org Washington DC – Chaired by Saudi Arabia, G20 Finance Ministers met virtually and focused on the global health and economic impacts of the coronavirus. A communiqué issued by the Ministers suggested most decisions on the crisis will be made later in the year.

#NoShutoffs Coalition (2020-07-19). Tuesday 7/21: #NoShutoffs Town Hall: Demand a Nationwide Moratorium on Utility Shutoffs. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Pika-Nonymous (2020-07-19). Military-garbed agents in unmarked vehicles at Martinez protest. indybay.org During the July 12th protest in Martinez there were military-garbed agents, who arrived and left in unmarked civilian-looking vehicles.It is unclear what agency they are part of.

Women's March, Indivisible, NorCal Blue, more (2020-07-19). Saturday 8/1: #GOTV Action: Training to Win 2020 Election Virtual Conference. indybay.org Online/virtual conference…

By Lynda Carson (2020-07-19). Housing wage for 2 bedroom unit is $43.06 for Oakland-Fremont area. indybay.org COVID-19 Guidance for Multifamily Residential Buildings:…

Orion the elder (2020-07-19). Friday 7/24: Orion's Awesome "Live No Jive Hamond b3 Organ Trio w Special Guests. indybay.org Alameda Dog Park 1302 8th street alameda…

Alameda Health System SEIU & others (2020-07-19). Monday 7/20: Alameda County Strike for Black Health and Vitality. indybay.org ALAMEDA COUNTY: | Highland Hospital, 1411 E 31st St, Oakland, CA 94602 | Fairmont Hospital, 15400 Foothill Blvd, San Leandro, CA 94578…

Lynda Carson (2020-07-19). In Memory of Sam Johnson at Effie's House in Oakland. indybay.org In Memory Of Sam Johnson:…

yenisafak (2020-07-19). Turkey has suspended flights to Iran amid coronavirus outbreak. yenisafak.com Turkey has suspended flights to Iran amid a coronavirus outbreak in the Islamic Republic, a spokesman for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, Reza Jafarzadeh, said on Sunday, according to the official IRNA news agency.The suspension of flights had begun on Saturday, he said.

yenisafak (2020-07-19). Germany's Merkel warns of summit failure on EU recovery fund. yenisafak.com European Union leaders toiled in search of a coronavirus stimulus deal for a third day on Sunday but German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the mounting acrimony over the level of spending might not easily be overcome.Germany and France, the EU's powerbrokers, are seeking a deal on a 1.8 trillion euro ($2.06 trillion) economic recovery package to rescue the bloc's economies that are facing their worst recession since World War Two.Sticking points are the size of the new recovery fund and what proportion should be in grants and loans, with some "frugal" richer states led by the Netherlands pushing to limit it,…

yenisafak (2020-07-19). Kuwait says emir, 91, had successful surgery. yenisafak.com Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 91, underwent successful surgery on Sunday, according to the official KUNA news agency.KUNA cited a statement by the country's royal court calling the surgery a "success," but gave no further details.The royal court said Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah "temporarily assumed some of the emir's constitutional duties for the duration of the operation and till the [emir's] health event was over".Last October, Sheikh Sabah, who ruled Kuwait since 2006, conducted "medical checkups" in the US.*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara…

yenisafak (2020-07-19). UK's Raab says clear Uighurs in China suffered human rights abuses. yenisafak.com British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Sunday it was clear the Uighur minority in China had suffered abuses of their human rights."It is clear that there are gross, egregious human rights abuses going on, which is why in Geneva at the UN we raised this with 27 partners … to call out the government of China for its human rights abuses of the Uighurs, also of Hong Kong," Raab told the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show.Beijing's ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming told the same programme that most Uighurs were living happily and that ethnic minorities in China were treated as equals.

yenisafak (2020-07-19). Iraqis protest power outage in Karbala. yenisafak.com Hundreds of protesters shut down a power plant in Iraq's southern Karbala province on Sunday over repeated power outages.Angry protesters barred employees from entering the plant in the al-Jammaliya area in the province until their demands are met."Hours of electricity cuts have increased at a time when temperatures are very high," Yasir al-Hakim, a protester, told Anadolu Agency.Iraqis suffer shortage in power supplies, especially in camps where thousands of displaced Iraqis live.Iraq generates around 13,500 megawatts and plans to increase its capacity with an additional 3,500 megawatts this year, according to t…

yenisafak (2020-07-19). Turkish steel exporters hail US ruling against Trump. yenisafak.com A US court ruling striking down US President Donald Trump's high tariffs on steel imports from Turkey is being welcomed by Turkish exporters and experts alike.In 2018 and 2019 the Trump administration raised tariffs up to 50% on steel imports from Turkey, causing major losses for Turkish steel exporters.The US Court of International Trade last week ruled that the move was unlawful.Turkish exporters hailed the ruling, adding that they would file a claim for compensation.Ismail Gulle, head of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), said the court's decision was belated but right.Trump's decision to double tariffs la…

yenisafak (2020-07-19). Blast at power plant in Iran's central Isfahan province. yenisafak.com An explosion occurred at a power plant in Iran's central Isfahan province on Sunday but there were no casualties, the official IRNA news agency reported.The blast was caused by the wear and tear of a transformer at the power plant in Islamabad, the managing director of the Isfahan power company told IRNA.There have been several explosions and fires around Iranian military, nuclear and industrial facilities since late June.

yenisafak (2020-07-19). Greek PM calls for deal on COVID stimulus, says EU cannot appear weak. yenisafak.com Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday he hoped the third day of EU leaders' summit will manage to ove…

yenisafak (2020-07-19). Pakistan's COVID-19 daily tally continues to drop. yenisafak.com Pakistan's daily coronavirus tally continued to fall, as the country recorded only 1,579 new cases over the past 24 hours, the lowest single-day sum since May, Health Ministry data said Sunday.With the new cases, the total number of infections reached 263,496, with 1,763 of them in critical condition, the data showed.Another 46 patients lost their battle against the disease across the country in the last 24 hours, raising the death toll to 5,568. Nearly 70% of patients, or 204,276, have recovered so far.Health experts, however, cautioned that a sharp fall in the number of COVID-19 cases could be the result of fe…