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

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

Lukashenko Has No One To Blame But Himself For Belarus' Color Revolution Unrest
Andrew Korybko | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-13
It was entirely predictable that the Color Revolution unrest that Lukashenko himself earlier kindled by partially laying the blame for this regime change attempt on Russia, which he did in a misguided attempt to co-opt this movement and use it as a post-election pretext for accelerating his pro-Western pivot, would ultimately end up backfiring after the rioters' real Western patrons thought that they could intensify their pressure upon him in order to squeeze more concessions out of the geopolitically confused Belarusian leader. | Maidan In Minsk: | Belarusian President Lukashenko is being portrayed in po…

Lukashenko Has No One To Blame But Himself For Belarus’ Color Revolution Unrest

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

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

Progressives' problems with Kamala Harris
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-13
Liberals praised Harris, Republicans attacked her as a "radical leftist," but progressives say the selection underscores the need for sustained grassroots pressure.
therealnews.com/stories/progressives-problems-with-kamala-harris

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

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

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

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

Belarus: A Color Revolution of a Different Shade?
Peter Koenig | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-13
Belarus is in turmoil, after an election where the incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko — 25 years already in power (in office since 1994) — has won with 80% of the popular vote. That's what the official stats and media say. True or false? Does it matter? The margin is large enough that it cannot be …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/belarus-a-color-revolution-of-a-different-shade/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why a Growing Force in Brazil Is Charging That President Jair Bolsonaro Has Committed Crimes Against Humanity
Vijay Prashad | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
Jhuliana Rodrigues works as a nurse technician at the Hospital Sà£o Vicente in Jundiaí, Brazil. "It is very difficult," she says of her job these days. Brazil has just passed 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, with 3 million Brazilians infected with the virus.
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/why-a-growing-force-in-brazil-is-charging-that-president-jair-bolsonaro-has-committed-crimes-against-humanity/

Why a Growing Force in Brazil Is Charging That President Jair Bolsonaro Has Committed Crimes Against Humanity
Vijay Prashad | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
Jhuliana Rodrigues works as a nurse technician at the Hospital Sà£o Vicente in Jundiaí, Brazil. "It is very difficult," she says of her job these days. Brazil has just passed 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, with 3 million Brazilians infected with the virus. "We meet colleagues and feel a heavy energy, a lot of pressure, a block," Rodrigues says. She is the vice president of Sinsaúde Campinas, a trade union of health workers. | …
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/why-a-growing-force-in-brazil-is-charging-that-president-jair-bolsonaro-has-committed-crimes-against-humanity/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don't Stigmatise the Nuke! Opponents of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
It would seem a logical step, at least from an existential perspective: to ban something so utterly horrendous to life; to forbid its use in any circumstances, whatever rationale employed to justify its use. But the nuclear weapon has its admirers. There are those who continue to worship its sovereign properties, and those who leave…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/dont-stigmatise-the-nuke-opponents-of-the-nuclear-weapons-ban-treaty/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Repaying the debt owed to Black people requires a democratic and reparative economy
Ron Daniels | zcomm.org | 2020-08-13
The entire racial capitalist system that extracts labor and blood from Black lives must go…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/repaying-the-debt-owed-to-black-people-requires-a-democratic-and-reparative-economy/

Review: 'Crip Camp,' an inspiring flick on the struggles of the disabled
John Bachtell | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-13
The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act is celebrating its 30th birthday. But the moment also calls for celebrating the movement that birthed it. Winning the ADA, legislation on par with the Civil Rights Act of 1965, was the culmination of years of struggle, extraordinary courage, and perseverance of the disability community and its allies. However, …
peoplesworld.org/article/review-crip-camp-an-inspiring-flick-on-the-struggles-of-the-disabled/

On Right-Wing Violence in Texas, Media's Silence Sends Message
Henry Brannan | zcomm.org | 2020-08-13
The end result of national media's neglect and local media's muddling is the erasure of right-wing political violence, sending a message to would-be future attackers that there will be no consequences for their actions.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/on-right-wing-violence-in-texas-medias-silence-sends-message/

Bolivian movements and trade unions propose to hold elections on October 11
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-13
On August 12, Bolivian social movements and trade unions, which have been mobilizing against postponement of general elections for the past ten days, issued an official statement and proposed to hold elections on October 11. | The main organizers of the national strike and the nationwide road blockades, the Bolivian Workers' Center (COB) and the Pact of Unity (a national alliance of social movements and grassroots organizations), said that they are ready to lift blockades and end the…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/13/bolivian-movements-and-trade-unions-propose-to-hold-elections-on-october-11/

Our fight is with capitalists, not with higher-paid workers
Laurent Ross | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-13
This submission was received as a response to the article Is Black Lives Matter a tipping point on class inequality?, by Tim Libretti, which appeared in People's World on Aug. 4, 2020. It also engages with the long-running topic of meritocracy which has appeared in previous articles by Libretti. Author Tim Libretti once again, for …
peoplesworld.org/article/our-fight-is-with-capitalists-not-with-higher-paid-workers/

'He was a militant till his last breath'
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-13
Samir Amin's works are not the only things he left behind. His legacy was a guide to those who want to change the world.
mronline.org/2020/08/13/he-was-a-militant-till-his-last-breath/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=he-was-a-militant-till-his-last-breath

How These Rural Canvassers Disrupt Racist Narratives
Jordan Green | zcomm.org | 2020-08-13
"We believe that organizing in rural spaces with progressive, multiracial solidarity messaging is the future"
zcomm.org/znetarticle/how-these-rural-canvassers-disrupt-racist-narratives/

What If Trump Won't Leave?
Frances Fox Piven | zcomm.org | 2020-08-13
Trump is prepared to do whatever it takes to keep power. Can he be stopped?>…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/what-if-trump-wont-leave/

A second Manifesto for the World Social Forum? From an Open Space to a Space for Action
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-13
Is the World Social Forum (WSF), which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2021, just an open space or can it (should it) also be a space for action? This question has been discussed for years in the WSF International Council, and so far, it has not been possible to reach a conclusion.
mronline.org/2020/08/13/a-second-manifesto-for-the-world-social-forum-from-an-open-space-to-a-space-for-action/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-second-manifesto-for-the-world-social-forum-from-an-open-space-to-a-space-for-action

Diversions, posturing as school board votes to reopen school in small-town Massachusetts
wsws.org | 2020-08-13
Scituate, a small coastal town south of Boston, is one example of broader situation in the state, where Governor Baker has pushed for schools to fully reopen in the fall.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/13/mass-a13.html

Both Parties Honor the Dark Side
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-13
Stir Crazy! Episode 77: Today we are joined by journalist Justine Barron and TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery. Hosted by Kim Brown. Email us your questions/comments/suggestions at stircrazy@therealnews.com…
therealnews.com/stories/both-parties-honor-the-dark-side

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

Police set fire to MST camp during eviction
Brasil de Fato | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-13
Military police set fire to the Quilombo Grande camp of the Landless Rural Workers' Movement, located in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, with the objective of evicting the families that have been resisting a land repossession order for more than 35 hours. On the morning of Thursday August 13, the Eduardo Galeano Popular School was destroyed with a tractor. In addition to the school, on Wednesday morning, the police evicted dormitories where three families lived. | Despite the declarations from the governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema (Partido Novo), on social media that affirmed that his government defend…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/13/police-set-fire-to-mst-camp-during-eviction/

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

Latest wave of NBA activism aims at getting out the vote
Kyle Hightower | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-13
peoplesworld.org/article/latest-wave-of-nba-activism-aims-at-getting-out-the-vote/

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

The daily life of those fighting for $15 and a union: Bettie Douglas
Al Neal | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-13
The rank and file workers that came before us said a union was not the union hall nor the labor temple, nor was it the elected union officials that come and go. The union was its people–the honest, hardworking membership. Comrades of sweat and toil pushed and prodded too far for the sake of an …
peoplesworld.org/article/the-daily-life-of-those-fighting-for-15-and-a-union-bettie-douglas/

New strategy builds a multiracial coalition in Trump country
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-13
Deep canvassing can connect rural white voters to issues of racial justice to build a multiracial coalition we need.
therealnews.com/stories/dly072920_azemun_multiracial

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

The Heat: U.S. congress investigates Big Tech companies
Anand Naidoo | america.cgtn.com | 2020-08-13
Are America's big tech companies TOO big? So much so that they violate antitrust laws? We will take a look at the U.S. Congressional inquiry that could force Silicon Valley giants to break up.
america.cgtn.com/2020/08/13/the-heat-u-s-congress-investigates-big-tech-companies

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

Transition to Zero Pollution launches series to inform research and policy
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-13
Imperial's Transition to Zero Pollution initiative has launched an online series to bring together experts from across College and industry.
imperial.ac.uk/news/201353/transition-zero-pollution-launches-series-inform

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

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

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

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

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

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

Police Off Campus: Defund Police & End Police & ICE Presence at UCSC
John Malkin | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Interview with University of California at Santa Cruz professors on Defunding Police and Ending Police / ICE Presence on Campus…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835887.php

Friday 8/28: "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" Film Screening & Discussion
Mechanics' Institute Library of San Francisco | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Online via Zoom…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835907.php

Perù: Lucha Indà¨gena Agosto2020
reenvia Red Latina sin fronteras | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Perù: Lucha Indà¨gena | Agosto 2020 | Director: Hugo Blanco…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835876.php

2020 Sequoia National Park ~ Buffalo Soldiers Day Celebration
Khubaka, Michael Harris | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
California US Senator Kamala Harris, a native daughter of Oakland, California, has an special connection with Buffalo Soldiers as she continues to lead the way helping quantify and qualify the merits of our California Buffalo Soldiers Project.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835879.php

Wednesday 8/19: www.facebook.com/events/2651741481710615/
Direct Action Everywhere | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Online…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835897.php

Europe needs an effective guarantee of youth solidarity
Johann Bacher, Dennis Tamesberger&awblog.at. | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
The Youth Guarantee could create an entry-level job market in the public or non-profit sector – in other words, jobs that serve the common good. It is the austerity policy in the wake of the finnacial and economic crisis that has delayed the socio- and ecological transformation in European countries and opened up gaps in services which now need to be closed.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835903.php

Wednesday 8/19: How to Change the World in One Generation – DxE Intro Workshop
Direct Action Everywhere | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Online…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835897.php

ENLACES de Red Latina sin fronteras 13.08.2020
Red Latina sin fronteras | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
ENLACES de Red Latina sin fronteras 13.08.2020 | comunicaciones e información para la liberación…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/13/18835899.php

Friday 8/21: Rally & March to Slash SFPD's Stash
Slash SFPD's Stash | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Gather at Civic Center Plaza in front of SF City Hall | March to 850 Bryant…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835884.php

Thursday 8/13: Sacramento Caravan: #SayTheirNames & Bring Our Loved Ones Home
Families United to End LWOP, FUEL | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
California State Capitol | 1315 10th St | Sacramento, CA 95814…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835890.php

Tuesday 8/18: City Hall Action: Cut SCPD Budget
Faisal Fazilat — DSA | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Starts at Santa Cruz City Hall 809 Center St | Details and exact times TBA…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835893.php

Employing and feeding people at Millcreek Manor in Batavia, Illinois
Lynda Carson | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
The Empire Room, A Dining Room At Millcreek Manor In The Late 1960s:…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835866.php

Fired UCSC Grad Students Win Their Jobs Back
Direct Action | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
The COLA movement shows that when we fight we win! Our wildcat strike has made concrete gains for grad student-workers, including a $2,500 annual housing stipend and 5 years of guaranteed TAships or other funding. | Let this win motivate us in our fight for justice in higher education!
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835895.php

When Wealth Destroys Wealth: Inverse Capitalism and its Limits
Norbert Trenkle | indybay.org | 2020-08-13
Ever-increasing real estate prices was an illusion. The boom that the US stock markets have experienced in recent years deserves the name fracking boom. Fictitious capital put the US economy back on the growth track. Inverse capitalism describes contemporary capitalism determined by dynamics of the financial market.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/12/18835865.php

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Youth Are Leading The Movement For Police-Free Schools
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-13
In this moment of transformative possibility, amid activists' growing calls to defund and abolish the police, young people across the country are leading a movement to remove police officers from schools. They are demanding that city and school district leaders reallocate funding for police into services and resources for students, including counseling, social workers and restorative justice programming. | The movement for police-free schools has a long history of Black youth leading this fight as a key strategy to dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline, a process of funneling predominately Black and Latinx st…
popularresistance.org/youth-are-leading-the-movement-for-police-free-schools/

New York City's Newest Neighborhood: Abolition Park
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-13
At the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall Park lies in a cold-stone land where law and order rule. The area is defined by French Renaissance-style courthouses and municipal buildings. The NYPD's headquarters is across the street and the Manhattan Detention Complex, colloquially referred to as "the Tombs" by many, is a short walk away. | While the park provides one of the only green spaces in the concrete-scape of Lower Manhattan, it does not have a laid-back, community ambiance the way that many smaller New York parks do.
popularresistance.org/new-york-citys-newest-neighborhood-abolition-park/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Get the f**k out!': WATCH Chicago residents confront BLM protesters in tense standoff
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Residents of Chicago's Englewood community angrily accosted a group of Black Lives Matter protesters who showed up to demonstrate at a police station, where hostilities between locals and activists nearly boiled over into a brawl. | A BLM protest march from Englewood to Chicago's 7th District police station on Tuesday ended in a showdown with community members, at times devolving into shouting matches as locals insisted the demonstrators were giving their neighborhood a bad name. | "If you ain't from Englewood, get the f**k out of here!" longtime south side resident Darryl Smith was heard shouting at the prote…
rt.com/usa/497870-chicago-residents-blm-protest/

Black protector of Confederate statues dubbed a Dave Chappelle 'skit come to life' by Twitter users
rt.com | 2020-08-13
A black Alabama man vowing to defend symbols of the pro-slavery Confederate States of America went viral as his atypical persona reminded Internet community of a character from a sketch on comedian Dave Chappelle's show. | "Regardless of how the next person feels, I'm not going to take my flag down," Daniel Sims said on Wednesday to the local WHNT news in Alabama's Marshal county. He aims to protect the monuments to the US Civil War Confederacy from being taken down by vandals or any local authorities that may be pressured by the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. "If I've got anything to do with it, ain't n…
rt.com/usa/497953-black-protector-of-confederate-statues/

Newsweek forced to deny promoting 'birther' theory against Kamala after 'RACIST' op-ed takes deep dive into 14th Amendment
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Newsweek was pushed into defending an op-ed questioning Kamala Harris' eligibility for the position of vice president based on the 14th amendment after numerous critics slammed it as "racist birtherism." | In a Wednesday op-ed titled 'Some Questions for Kamala Harris Eligibility,' Chapman University law professor John C. Eastman questioned Harris' ancestry and whether it clashed with the language of the 12th amendment, which states in part: "no person constitutionally ineligible to th…
rt.com/usa/497964-kamala-harris-newsweek-14th-amendment/

'The Great Senior Short Sale': Boomers' retirement plans to be scuppered as millennials can't (or won't) buy their homes
rt.com | 2020-08-13
The dream of selling their home for a retirement nest egg will hatch into an albatross around the neck of many Americans, according to new research forecasting that millions of homes will become unsellable in the coming years. | A study from the University of Arizona predicts that baby boomers and Gen Xers will not be able to sell the home they've spent decades paying for because millennials and Gen Zers aren't interested in, or can't afford, the properties. | The research predicts that the shift in home-buying patterns will result in a glut of houses that could climb to as high as 15 million by 2040. This wil…
rt.com/usa/497903-us-housing-market-crash-boomers-millennials/

DOJ accuses Yale of racial discrimination against WHITE and ASIAN applicants after 2-year-long probe
rt.com | 2020-08-13
A Department of Justice investigation has found that Yale University is discriminating against white and Asian applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, but the school calls the accusation "meritless." | "Yale's race discrimination imposes undue and unlawful penalties on racially-disfavored applicants, including in particular Asian-American and White applicants," Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband wrote to Yale's attorneys on Thur…
rt.com/usa/497975-justice-department-yale-racial-discrimination/

Over 500,000 California ride-share drivers face uncertainty after Uber & Lyft threaten to PULL OUT of state over Dem-sponsored law
rt.com | 2020-08-13
Both Uber and Lyft have warned that a recent court decision in California may force them out of the state for good, after the companies were ordered to provide their combined 500,000-plus drivers with employment benefits. | "If the court doesn't reconsider, then in California, it's hard to believe we'll be able to switch our model to full-time employment quickly," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told MSNBC on Wednesday, two days after a judge granted an injunction requiring the two ride-sharing giants to reclassify their drivers from independent contractors to full-fledged employees. | While Uber and Lyft have vowe…
rt.com/usa/497872-uber-lyft-shut-down-california/

Kamala Harris? Really?
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-13
Riva ENTEEN | Kamala Harris might be the perfect lens to reveal who the Democrats really are. A good run-down on her track record highlights her assertion that "It is not progressive to be soft on crime." As a San Francisco social worker, I sat on the school district committee that met with families of chronically truant students. Once, when we asked a student why he didn't go to school, he said there was too much police tape and shootings at his school bus stop. Harris, as CA Attorney General, was putting parents…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/13/kamala-harris-really/

Making Excuses for Trump: Where Does the Buck Stop?
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-13
One might make the case that Donald Trump was elected president on the antiwar vote. Running against Hillary the Hawk it was, of course, relatively easy to position oneself as a critic of the endless wars started and sustained under the Bush and Obama administrations. Even though we Americans had heard similar noises from those very same gentlemen when they were running for office, many socially conservative voters like myself were nevertheless attracted by yet another a presidential candidate who pledged to bring home the troops and might actually have meant what he said. | Well, the bloom is off the rose after…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/13/making-excuses-for-trump-where-does-buck-stop/

CIA-Sponsored Propaganda Has Been Around for 75 Years
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-13
The release a report by the U.S. Department of State's Global Engagement Center (GEC), billed as the Donald Trump administration's "dedicated center for countering foreign disinformation and propaganda, cites the Strategic Culture Foundation in Russia, Canada's Global Research Center, and other on-line publications as "proxy sites" for Russian intelligence and the Russian Foreign Ministry. The State Department's report is titled, "Pillars of Russia's Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem" and it is not much different than the series of reports issued by the State Department's "International Information Progr…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/13/cia-sponsored-propaganda-has-been-around-for-75-years/

Moral Panic Over Refugees in the English Channel Is the Ugly Face of Brexit
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-13
John WIGHT | Then imagine that no matter the hostility that awaits you at the end of this perilous voyage, it pales when compared to the horrors you managed to escape in your country of origin, horrors borne of the conflict, chaos and societal collapse underwritten at least in part by the foreign policy of the very country you are trying to reach for asylum and sanctuary. | To witness news crews from the BBC and Sky News sailing around some of those trying to reach British shores in these dinghies is to witness the funeral of the UK as the beacon of decency, human rights and civilisation it's proponents have long…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/13/moral-panic-over-refugees-in-english-channel-iugly-face-brexit/

'Ludicrous' testing system needs to be more localised, says health official
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-13
A public health official suggested making Test and Trace more localised to help reach more people, as he described the centralised system as "ludicrous".Ivan Browne, director of public health for Leicester, also said the government needs to change its narrative when it comes to easing restrictions, as he expressed his concerns over schemes such as Eat Out To Help Out.His comments came as the latest weekly NHS Test and Trace figures showed a drop in the 24-hour turnaround target for coronavirus (Covid-19) "in-person" test results to just two-thirds, despite prime minister Boris Johnson pledging that all such tests…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/08/13/ludicrous-testing-system-needs-to-be-more-localised-says-health-official/

Hundreds of thousands of A-level results downgraded in UK exam fiasco
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-13
Hundreds of thousands of pupils' results have been downgraded after this year's summer exams were cancelled because of coronavirus (Covid-19).The proportion of A-level entries awarded an A grade or higher has risen to an all-time high, with 27.9% securing the top grades this year, figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show.But exam boards downgraded nearly two in five (39.1%) pupils' grades in England, according to data from Ofqual — which amounts to around 280,000 entries being adjusted down after moderation.Teachers were told to submit the grades they thought each student would have received if t…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/13/hundreds-of-thousands-of-a-level-results-downgraded-in-uk-exam-fiasco/

Turnover slides at majority of UK businesses, ONS survey finds
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-13
More than half of UK firms have reported a fall in turnover, with more than a tenth saying it has at least halved, according to new figures. | The latest Office for National Statistics survey of the impact of coronavirus (Covid-19) revealed that 54% of firms said they saw a decrease in turnover for the two weeks to 26 July. | Firms in the North East of England were the worst-affected, with 61% of companies in the region saying that turnover has decreased. | Companies in Scotland were also particularly affected, with the new figures revealing that 57% of surveyed firms in the country saw turnover fall. | Meanwhile…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/13/turnover-slides-at-majority-of-uk-businesses-ons-survey-finds/

'Incensed' school head accuses Gavin Williamson of ignoring teachers' judgment
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-13
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has been angrily accused by a school head of ignoring the professional judgment of teachers over their students' A-level results. | Williamson was confronted by Christine Cunniffe, the principal of LVS Ascot, during an uncomfortable appearance on ITV's This Morning. | Cunniffe said she had seen some of her top students downgraded by two grades as a result of the system put in place by the government for moderating exam results in England. | She urged the education secretary to follow the example of Scotland and abandon the system, saying students had "been through enough". | H…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/13/incensed-school-head-accuses-gavin-williamson-of-ignoring-teachers-judgment/

Lebanon parliament grants sweeping powers to military in Beirut
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-13
Lebanon's parliament has approved a state of emergency in Beirut in its first session since the explosion in the city last week.It has granted the military sweeping powers amid rising anger and political uncertainty in the capital.The blast that killed more than 170 people and injured at least 6,000 others changed the face of the city and forced the government to resign.People walk past debris from destroyed buildings in Beirut (Felipe Dana/AP)Before resigning, the government declared a state of emergency in Beirut that granted the military sweeping powers including the power to declare curfews, prevent public ga…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/08/13/lebanon-parliament-grants-sweeping-powers-to-military-in-beirut/

Number of people waiting over 18 weeks for hospital treatment at highest level since records began
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-13
The number of people waiting longer than 18 weeks for routine hospital treatment in England is at the highest level since records began.New figures show numbers rose to more than 1.85 million in June, topping the 1.79 million recorded in August 2007.Data from NHS England also showed urgent cancer referrals dropped by a fifth on the same month last year, rising to 43% for breast cancer. | A total of 153,134 urgent cancer referrals were made by GPs in England in June, down from 194,047 in June last year — a drop of 21%.Urgent breast cancer referrals decreased from 14,885 to 8,495.The figures are "worryingly lo…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/08/13/number-of-people-waiting-over-18-weeks-for-hospital-treatment-at-highest-level-since-records-began/

Trump: If I Lose to Biden, Get Ready to 'Have to Learn to Speak Chinese'
Justin Baragona | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Ramping up his incendiary rhetoric towards his 2020 opponent, President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that China would be in control of the United States if former Vice President Joe Biden wins this November. Better get ready to speak Chinese, …
globalresearch.ca/trump-lose-biden-get-ready-learn-speak-chinese/5720995

Kamala Harris: Where Does Biden's Running Mate Stand on Middle East Issues?
Ali Harb | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
The American constitution does not grant the vice president much power. Other than the ability to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate, the VP's main responsibility is to assume the presidency in case of a sudden vacancy in the …
globalresearch.ca/kamala-harris-where-does-biden-running-mate-stand-middle-east-issues/5720998

The environmental legacy of Kamala Harris, Biden's newly-announced running mate
Olivia Rosane | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-13
Former Vice President Joe Biden made a historic announcement Tuesday when he named California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate in the 2020 presidential election. Harris is now the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to run for national office for a major political party in the U.S., the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) …
peoplesworld.org/article/the-environmental-legacy-of-kamala-harris-bidens-newly-announced-running-mate/

Critic of Wildlife Department Removed Day Before Scheduled Meetings on Revisions to Wolf-killing Protocols
CounterPunch News Service | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
SEATTLE Environmental groups called on Gov. Jay Inslee today to reform wolf management in Washington after the sudden removal of conservationist Tim Coleman from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's Wolf Advisory Group. Today's letter urges Inslee to reject the Department's resistance to reform and calls for the crafting of a new state wolf…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/critic-of-wildlife-department-removed-day-before-scheduled-meetings-on-revisions-to-wolf-killing-protocols/

Freakish Arctic Fires Alarmingly Intensify
Robert Hunziker | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-13
NASA satellite images of fires in eastern Siberia depict an inferno of monstrous proportions, nothing in modern history compares. And, as of July, it's intensifying. Should people be concerned? Answer: Yes, and double yes. According to Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/freakish-arctic-fires-alarmingly-intensify/

China says US' Pompeo spreading 'political viruses'
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-13
China on Thursday slammed top US diplomat Mike Pompeo for spreading "political viruses and disinformation" as tensions between the two economic powers show no signs of abating.At a news conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the US secretary of state's persistent criticism of China and the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) stemmed from "a Cold War mentality and selfishness.""Wherever Pompeo goes, he brings political viruses and disinformation," he was quoted as saying by the daily Global Times.The reaction was in response to Pompeo's remarks on‚ÄØWednesday that…
yenisafak.com/en/world/china-says-us-pompeo-spreading-political-viruses-3536751

Priest who shared stage with Modi tests positive; India sees record number of cases
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-13
India reported another record jump in its surging coronavirus cases on Thursday with nearly 67,000 new infections, among them a religious leader who shared a stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a ceremony to launch construction of a grand temple.Nritya Gopal Das, an 82-year-old Hindu priest, was the latest public figure to test positive after a string of Modi's top cabinet colleagues were stricken with COVID-19, including interior minister Amit Shah.With Thursday's jump of 66,999 cases India now has nearly 2.4 million infections, according to the Health Ministry, behind only the United States and Brazi…
yenisafak.com/en/world/priest-who-shared-stage-with-modi-tests-positive-india-sees-record-number-of-cases-3536753

Israeli police indicted for assaulting Palestinians
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-13
Israel's Justice Ministry on Thursday filed indictments against five border police officers for assaulting and robbing Palestinians, said state media. | "Today, the Police Internal Investigations Department at the Ministry of Justice submitted indictments to the Beersheba District Court against five border guards," reported the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation. | The indictments included "crimes related to armed robbery, assault, conspiracy, assault in dangerous conditions, abuse, and other crimes against Palestinians." | The attacks were carried out against Palestinians seeking to go through Israeli milit…
yenisafak.com/en/world/israeli-police-indicted-for-assaulting-palestinians-3536750

Iran briefly seized oil tanker in Persian Gulf, says US
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-13
Iranian naval forces briefly seized and boarded a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, according to the US military.The US Central Command (CENTCOM) released a black-and-white video on Thursday showing special forces getting down from a helicopter and boarding the ship named MV Wila."Today in international waters, Iranian forces, including two ships and an Iranian "Sea King" helicopter, overtook and boarded a ship called the 'Wila'," CENTCOM said in a statement.The video was shot from a US warship some five kilometers (about three miles) away, according to Americ…
yenisafak.com/en/world/iran-briefly-seized-oil-tanker-in-persian-gulf-says-us-3536754

India rights groups seek independent probe into killings of Kashmiris
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-13
Human rights groups and rights activists in India have called for a "transparent" and "independent" probe into the case of three missing Kashmiris in Jammu and Kashmir, whom their family members say the Indian army killed in a fake gunfight."Amnesty International India calls for the extrajudicial execution to be investigated and prosecuted by independent civilian authorities. Civilian investigations and trials offer a degree of transparency and independence that is missing from the military justice system," Avinash Kumar, executive director of Amnesty International India, said in a statement on Wednesday.The stat…
yenisafak.com/en/world/india-rights-groups-seek-independent-probe-into-killings-of-kashmiris-3536755

EU eyes Belarus sanctions over disputed election, protests crackdown
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-13
The European Union will likely impose new sanctions on Belarus as soon as later this month, diplomats and officials said, after strongman President Alexander Lukashenko cracked down on protests triggered by a disputed vote.Germany, Lithuania, Latvia and Sweden have spoken publicly in favour of sanctions and Austria was another hawk, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers on Friday.With any EU decision on sanctions requiring unanimity of all 27 member states, Hungary was the main sceptic, according to the sources.
yenisafak.com/en/world/eu-eyes-belarus-sanctions-over-disputed-election-protests-crackdown-3536752

At least 3 terrorists neutralized in Turkey's southeast
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-13
At least three terrorists were neutralized in an air-backed domestic anti-terror operation in southeastern Turkey, authorities announced Thursday.The Interior Ministry said in a statement that as part of domestic security operations, Provincial Gendarmerie Command units conducted operation in rural areas of Bitlis province."Thus, six terrorists were killed in the last two days, including three in Hakkari [province] and three in Bitlis," the statement said.Operations are ongoing in the region, it added.Turkish authorities generally use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were…
yenisafak.com/en/news/at-least-3-terrorists-neutralized-in-turkeys-southeast-3536748

Top Muslim Brotherhood figure dies in government custody in Egpyt
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-13
Abdel-Mon'em Abdel-Maqsoud, a lawyer for Muslim Brotherhood leaders, told Anadolu Agency: "Security officials informed me of the death of Essam Al-Aryan without giving any reasons for his death." | "I don't know whether he died in prison or in hospital… I informed his family of his death and started procedures after his death," Abdel-Maqsoud added. | Egyptian pro-government media sources, including Al-Masri Al-Youm, said Al-Aryan's death was from natural causes or a sudden heart attack. | Egypt's Interior Ministry has yet to comment on Al-Aryan's death. | Al-Aryan, 66, was arrested following the ouster of Egyp…
yenisafak.com/en/world/top-muslim-brotherhood-figure-dies-in-government-custody-in-egpyt-3536756

COVID-19 provides more proof of corporate bloodsucking
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-13
Economy Peter BoyleIssue 1276 Australia National COVID-19 Commission Advisory Board Green Left Fighting FundAugust 13, 2020Every day the stress of the COVID-19 pandem…
greenleft.org.au/content/covid-19-provides-more-proof-corporate-bloodsucking

Galilee Blockade takes action on Adani
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-13
Environment Coral WynterIssue 1276 Australia Galilee Blockade Stop Adani SydneyAugust 13, 2020On August 7, 15 of us met for an early cof…
greenleft.org.au/content/galilee-blockade-takes-action-adani

Yellowstone Imperiled by Compromise
Joseph Scalia III | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-13
From Ramshorn Peak on the Gallatin Crest, the Buffalo Horn Creek drainage stretched majestically before us. Two colleagues of the Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Alliance and I had hiked there to reflect from that vantage point on the threat of loss of Wilderness protections for this crucial part of the Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/13/yellowstone-imperiled-by-compromise/

Leaked: "Deadly" Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to treat Covid 19: How the World's Top Medical Journals, The Lancet and NEJM, Were Cynically Exploited by Big Pharma
Elizabeth Woodworth | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-13
Article first published by Gr on June 14, 2020 | Abstract and Background | A publishing scandal recently erupted around the use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to treat Covid 19. It is also known as quinine and chloroquine, and is …
globalresearch.ca/leaked-deadly-hcq-world-top-medical-journals-lancet-nejm-exploited-big-pharma/5715859

Who Gets to Tell the Story of Wuhan's Lockdown?
Jaime Chu | thenation.com | 2020-08-13
Who Gets to Tell the Story of Wuhan's Lockdown?
thenation.com/article/culture/fang-fang-wuhan-diary-review/

The Brookings Hand Behind Russiagate Points Back to Rhodes Trust Coup on America
Matthew J.L. Ehret | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-13
An incredible report on Real Clear Politics by Paul Sperry on July 24 has revealed a new dimension to the Russiagate frenzy that contaminated American politics for the last four years. While all claims of Russian collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin have been thoroughly debunked over recent months, it was believed that …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-brookings-hand-behind-russiagate-points-back-to-rhodes-trust-coup-on-america/

Making sense of the ongoing anti-corruption protests in Israel
Abdul Rahman | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-13
Protests in Israel which began with the demand for prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resignation over corruption charges are gradually changing in nature. Anti-occupation and pro-Palestinian groups are entering the space as well…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/13/making-sense-of-the-ongoing-anti-corruption-protests-in-israel/

Until you've drifted a mile in their tiny dinghy, don't even think about criticising the Channel crossers
John Ranson | thecanary.co | 2020-08-13
I can still remember the first bit of political graffiti I ever saw. It was in the 70s. I can't have been more than about four or five. Daubed scruffily on a bridge in Norwich were the words: "NO MORE BOAT PEOPLE". | Boat People: | Having no idea what on earth this meant, I asked my mum, who explained that it referred to people from countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia who were escaping war and trying to get into the UK. Well fair play to them I thought, dimly aware that those countries were somewhere near China and therefore a hell of a long way away. If they can make it all the way in a little boat (I…
thecanary.co/opinion/2020/08/13/until-youve-drifted-a-mile-in-their-tiny-dinghy-dont-even-think-about-criticising-the-channel-crossers/

The Democratic Convention Is Shaping Up to Be a Centrist Hoedown
Elie Mystal | thenation.com | 2020-08-13
The Democratic Convention Is Shaping Up to Be a Centrist Hoedown…
thenation.com/article/politics/democratic-convention-speakers/

Disparaging Stokely Carmichael, Bill Clinton attacks the black freedom struggle
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-08-12
During a historic upsurge of black activism, Bill Clinton attacked the late Stokely Carmichael/Kwame Ture, a leading black power revolutionary….
thegrayzone.com/2020/08/12/disparaging-stokely-carmichael-bill-clinton-attacks-the-black-freedom-struggle/

Democratic Establishment Commits to Status Quo with Kamala Harris VP Pick
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
Just as America seemed to be in the midst of reckoning over-policing and racial justice, the Democratic establishment threw its support behind a hawkish former prosecutor with a questionable record. | MPN– There were mixed reactions to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden choosing Kamala Harris as his running mate last night. Many at the top of the party hailed the pick as a strong choice. "I'm thrilled to welcome Kamala Harris to a historic Democratic ticket," said Biden's predecessor Hillary Clinton…

Democratic Establishment Commits to Status Quo with Kamala Harris VP Pick

Former McCain Advisor and Iraq War Advocate Niall Ferguson Warns TikTok Is a Chinese Imperial Plot
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
Ferguson argued that Tiktok is brainwashing 100 million mostly Generation Z Americans who use the platform into "becoming soldiers of Beijing's new revolution." | MPN– Writing in Bloomberg, Niall Ferguson, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential…

Former McCain Advisor and Iraq War Advocate Niall Ferguson Warns TikTok Is a Chinese Imperial Plot

Former McCain Advisor and Iraq War Advocate Niall Ferguson Warns TikTok Is a Chinese Imperial Plot
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-12
Ferguson argued that Tiktok is brainwashing 100 million mostly Generation Z Americans who use the platform into "becoming soldiers of Beijing's new revolution."
mintpressnews.com/niall-ferguson-warns-tiktok-chinese-imperial-plot/270349/

Democratic Establishment Commits to Status Quo with Kamala Harris VP Pick
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-12
Just as America seemed to be in the midst of reckoning over-policing and racial justice, the Democratic establishment threw its support behind a hawkish former prosecutor with a questionable record.
mintpressnews.com/democratic-establishment-commits-status-quo-kamala-harris-vp-pick/270327/

The Deforestation of Brazil's Amazon
Jenny Gonzales | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
The latest INPE (National Institute for Space Research) deforestation data for the Brazilian Amazon, released last Friday, comes as the result of the policies of President Jair Bolsonaro, say critics. According to DETER, INPE's real-time forest monitoring system, …
globalresearch.ca/amazon-tree-loss-worsens-political-pressure-grows-brazil-hedges/5720890

'Emergency Was a Sham': Top Democrat Says IG Report on Saudi Arms Deal 'Deeply Damning' for Pompeo
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
"What sort of emergency makes itself known a few months in advance and can be resolved with weapons delivered years later?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/state-dept-oig-report-emergency-sham.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/emergency-was-sham-top-democrat-says-ig-report-saudi-arms-deal-deeply-damning-pompeo?cd-origin=rss

Twitter Spreads Paid U.S. Gov't Propaganda While Falsely Claiming It Bans State Media Ads
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-12
Twitter says it bans ads from state-affiliated media outlets. However, US government propaganda organs like Voice of America's VOA Persian pay the social media corporation huge sums of money to spread disinformation against Iran and other foreign adversaries. | Ben NORTON | Twitter has demonstrated a clear, consistent bias in favor of the US government and its geopolitical interests. The social media giant has also repeatedly lied about its policies on state-backed media outlets. | Twitter unveiled a new feature on August 6 that labels government-affiliated media on the platform. Users immediately pointed out…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/12/twitter-spreads-paid-u-s-govt-propaganda-while-falsely-claiming-it-bans-state-media-ads/

As Kamala Harris Makes History as VP Pick, Her "Top Cop" Record Faces New Scrutiny Amid BLM Protests
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-12
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's selection of California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate for the November election makes her the first Black woman and the first Indian American on a major party presidential ticket. "It's hard to overstate how historic, how monumental this is," says Aimee Allison, president of She the People, which works to elevate the political voice and leadership of women of color. But in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history against racist policing, Briahna Joy Gray, the former national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders pres…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/12/joe_biden_kamala_harris_vp_pick

What the Nazis Learned from Jim Crow: Author Isabel Wilkerson on the U.S. Racial Caste System
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-12
In her extensively researched new book, "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson argues the United States' racial hierarchy should be thought of as a caste system, similar to that in India. In a wide-ranging interview, she describes how she also looks at the ways Nazi Germany borrowed from U.S. Jim Crow laws. "The Nazis needed no one to teach them how to hate," Wilkerson says. "But what they did was they sent researchers to the United States to study Jim Crow laws here in the United States, to study and to research how the United States had managed to subordinate…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/12/caste_isabel_wilkerson

With Biden-Harris Ticket Set, Climate Groups Demand 'Transformative Action From Day One' If Elected
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
"Let's do our part to end this era of chaos and defeat Republicans up and down the ballot. Then, let's turn up to make a Biden-Harris administration lay the groundwork for a Green New Deal." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/kamala_reversal_cnn_climate_forum_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/biden-harris-ticket-set-climate-groups-demand-transformative-action-day-one-if?cd-origin=rss

The Other Americans: Indigenous Activists Are Being Targeted in Honduras
Jeff Abbott | progressive.org | 2020-08-12
As attacks on the Garifuna, an Afro-Indigenous community, increase, Trump ignores the violence.
progressive.org/dispatches/indigenous-activists-targeted-honduras-abbott-200812/

Chile's Militarisation of the Araucania Influences Racism Against the Mapuche Population
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-12
As Chile shifted its attention to the coronavirus pandemic, which brought out the country's widespread social inequalities, the state's aggression towards the Mapuche people went on unhindered. In June, President Sebastian Piñera dispatched 80 members of its special forces to Temuco in the Araucania region, as resistance to state violence against the indigenous populations increased. Earlier in the same month, a Mapuche leader, Alejandro Alberto Treuquil, was murdered by "individuals outside the community", as…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/12/chiles-militarisation-of-araucania-influences-racism-against-mapuche-population/

Lebanon's Leaders Resign over deaths of 200, but Trump refuses Accountability for 163,462 Deaths
Juan Cole | zcomm.org | 2020-08-12
Trump by his peculiar combination of narcissism, contrarianism, irrationality, and political guile, has polished off more Americans than died in the entire Vietnam War…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/lebanons-leaders-resign-over-deaths-of-200-but-trump-refuses-accountability-for-163462-deaths/

UN human rights chief condemns use of violence in Belarus against protesters, after '6,000 people detained in 3 days'
rt.com | 2020-08-12
The United Nations human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, on Wednesday condemned the use of violence by the Belarusian authorities to quash peaceful protests. | After President Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in Sunday's election, Bachelet said police were reported to have used excessive force, firing rubber bullets, using water cannon, and throwing stun grenades, Reuters reports. | "Reports suggest that [approximately] 6,000 people have been detained in the last three days, including bystanders, as well as minors, suggesting a trend of massive arrests in clear violation of international human…
rt.com/newsline/497844-belarus-human-rights-un/

Illegal terror against im/migrants continues
| workers.org | 2020-08-12
By B.L.S. San Antonio, Texas "They told me not to tell my family where I was," a Haitian asylum-seeker recounted. "I heard people being taken away in the hall [of the hotel] screaming, 'I'm not going! I'm not going!'" An im/migrant Haitian mother and her daughter are incarcerated by ICE . . . | Continue reading Illegal terror against im/migrants continues at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50530/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=illegal-terror-against-im-migrants-continues

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

Meatpacking Workers Continue To Struggle During The Pandemic
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-12
Five thousand plant workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nebraska, representing nearly 20 percent of cases statewide, and at least 21 of those workers have died. Plants predominantly employ immigrants and refugees, consisting mostly of Latinos, but also Sudanese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, and other groups. Even though workers' pay increased at the plants, so too did their workload. With many still out sick, workers have been expected to keep up with line speeds operating at full capacity. Many workers live in multigenerational homes, and the coronavirus case and death figures cited by Sen. Vargas do not acco…
popularresistance.org/meatpacking-workers-continue-to-struggle-during-the-pandemic/

Using Royal Navy to tackle refugee crossings 'declaration of maritime war' — Calais mayor
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-12
Sending the Royal Navy into the English Channel to deal with migrant crossings is a "declaration of maritime war", the mayor of Calais has said. | Natacha Bouchart told France 3 that the British government must take responsibility. She called on Priti Patel's French counterpart to push them on the issue. Her fierce words came as more refugees arrived in the UK on Wednesday 12 August. | Meanwhile, at least 19 refugees who arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats, and were due to be deported on Wednesday 12 August, have had their removals paused, the PA news agency has learned. | Unwanted ref…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/12/using-royal-navy-to-tackle-refugee-crossings-declaration-of-maritime-war-calais-mayor/

A Message to the Left About Kamala Harris—And Us
Richard Eskow | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
Kamala Harris addresses the media about migrant children in front of a detention center in Homestead, Florida on June 28, 2019. (Photo: Rhona Wise / AFP / Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/kamala_harris_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/12/message-left-about-kamala-harris-and-us?cd-origin=rss

Turkey Marks 100 Years Since Treaty of Sèvres. Renewed Hostilities with Greece
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
Yesterday marked the 100-year anniversary from when the Treaty of Sèvres was signed. The Treaty of Sèvres saw the Ottoman Empire dismembered, with Greece, Syria and Armenia gaining old lost lands, an independent Kurdistan established, and France, Britain and Italy …
globalresearch.ca/turkey-marks-100-years-since-treaty-sevres-renew-hostilities-greece/5720871

Serbia's Intention to Buy Chinese Weapons. US Concerns
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
Belgrade's announcement that it may purchase the Chinese FK-3 anti-aircraft missile system was enough for the U.S. to express concern about Serbia's future, not only with Europe, but with the entire world. | The U.S. Embassy in Belgrade said that | "procuring | …
globalresearch.ca/us-concerned-about-serbia-intention-buy-chinese-weapons/5720915

The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020"
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
WHO has most likely received orders from "above", from those people who also manage Trump and the "leaders" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.
globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-causes-effects-real-danger-agenda-id2020/5706153

TG5 Biden picks Kamala Harris — More Dem business as usual
Philip Giraldi | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
Peter Lavelle is joined by Philip Giraldi — former CIA counter-terrorism specialist. We discuss what she brings to the ticket and importantly what a Biden-Harris foreign policy would look like.

TG5 Biden picks Kamala Harris – More Dem business as usual

The Likud Conspiracy: Israel in the Throes of a Major Political Crisis
Ramzy Baroud | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
Protests against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have raged on for weeks, turning violent sometimes. Israelis are furious at their government's mediocre response to the coronavirus pandemic, especially as COVID-19 disease is experiencing a massive surge throughout the country. Netanyahu warned protesters, thousands of whom have been rallying outside his residence in Jerusalem, against…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/the-likud-conspiracy-israel-in-the-throes-of-a-major-political-crisis/

The Politics of War: What is Israel's Endgame in Lebanon and Syria?
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-12
Israel's strategic interests in the Syria conflict go beyond Netanyahu's need for a cheap victory. The outcome of the Syria war has the potential of yielding a nightmare scenario for Israel.
mintpressnews.com/the-politics-of-israel-endgame-in-lebanon-syria/270361/

The US Contracts Out Its Regime Change Operation in Nicaragua
John Perry | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
Masaya, Nicaragua. An extraordinary leaked document gives a glimpse of the breadth and complexity of the US government's plan to interfere in Nicaragua's internal affairs up to and after its presidential election in 2021. The plan,[1] a 14-page extract from a much longer document, dates from March-April this year and sets the terms for a…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/the-us-contracts-out-its-regime-change-operation-in-nicaragua/

Video: Crisis in Belarus as Sign of Global Division
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
Over the past days, Belarus, an eastern European state bordering with Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, has become a scene of a new regime change attempt on the territory of the former USSR. | On August 9, the country held presidential …
globalresearch.ca/video-crisis-belarus-global-divisin/5720851

Who is Democratic Senator Kamala Harris?
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
In this political profile of Harris, published in July 2019, the World Socialist Web Site summed up her career as a representative of the US criminal justice system and a reliable defender of corporate and intelligence state interests.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/intro-a12.html

Video: Lights, Camera, Action: Staging of Protests in Belarus
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
In Belarus presidential elections were held. According to the Central Election Committee, the turnout was quite high and amounted to about 84% of the population. The results of the exit poll confirm the victory of the current President of Belarus, …
globalresearch.ca/video-lights-camera-action-staging-protests-belarus/5720815

Joe Biden Picks Kamala Harris as Running Mate. Biden-Harris vs. Trump-Pence. Who is Kamala Harris?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
Whenever US presidential and congressional elections are held, voters get to choose between two pro-war, pro-corporate empowerment, anti-progressive right wings of the one-party state. | Names and faces change, results always the same. Dirty business as usual wins every time — …
globalresearch.ca/biden-picks-anti-progressive-kamala-harris-running-mate/5720921

Mass Looting in Chicago, My Neighborhood Under Siege
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
I awoke Monday morning to distressing news, alerted me by pre-dawn email from my residential building's management. | I and other building residents were told about overnight vandalism and mass looting of retail shops along Chicago's Magnificent Mile in our neighborhood …
globalresearch.ca/mass-looting-chicago-neighborhood-under-siege/5720847

'Vital Democracy Reform' Takes Hit in Oregon After US Supreme Court Undermines Another Ballot Initiative
Lisa Newcomb, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
A state-level effort to put redistricting in the hands of the people amid the pandemic was set back after the nation's highest court intervened. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty_supreme_court_crop.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/vital-democracy-reform-takes-hit-oregon-after-us-supreme-court-undermines-another?cd-origin=rss

An anti-racist vote for class unity
Editor | workers.org | 2020-08-12
Rashida Tlaib of Detroit made history on Nov. 7, 2018, when she became the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress. This year, in the weeks leading up to the Michigan Democratic Party primary on Aug. 4, the capitalist media questioned whether she would get a shot at reelection. "Congressperson . . . | Continue reading An anti-racist vote for class unity at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50527/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-anti-racist-vote-for-class-unity

Beirut: A tragedy that threatens the region with war and chaos
Vanessa Beeley | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
On the 4th August 2020 an apocalyptic event took place in the main port of Lebanon's capital city, Beirut. Two explosions tore the city apart. The first explosion was registered on multiple mobile phone videos. The second ripped through the city with terrifying force, killing an estimated 220 and injuring more than 7000. Many victims are still missing as the search for survivors and bodies continues in the aftermath of thirty seconds that has left Beirut and Lebanon reeling with shock. | Three hundred thousand people are reported to be homeless although it is suspected that all estimated numbers are conservative.

Beirut: A tragedy that threatens the region with war and chaos

Growing Force Is Charging That Bolsonaro Has Committed Crimes Against Humanity
Vijay Prashad | zcomm.org | 2020-08-12
The lawsuit says that Bolsonaro's disregard for the danger of the pandemic has put "the Brazilian people at the edge of the abyss."
zcomm.org/znetarticle/growing-force-is-charging-that-bolsonaro-has-committed-crimes-against-humanity/

Brexit, COVID and the continuing ambiguity in Britain
Newsclick | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-12
Vijay Prashad, Executive Director, Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, talks to Musician Pandit G of the Asian Dub Foundation speak of the power of music and community in fighting the evils of society.
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/12/brexit-covid-and-the-continuing-ambiguity-in-britain/

Exposing US Color Revolution in Thailand Aimed at China
Tony Cartalucci | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
Western media — after claiming recent protests in Thailand were "leaderless" and comprised of "students," decries arrest of US-funded lawyer leading them — never mentions US funding. | *** | The Western media was quick to decry the arrest of 34 year-old …
globalresearch.ca/exposing-us-color-revolution-thailand-aimed-china/5720574

New Report Reveals U.S. Special Forces Active in 22 African Countries
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-12
While there is much talk, (or more accurately, condemnation) in Western media of China's imperialist motives in Africa, there is less discussion of the U.S.' continuing role. While China operates one base in the Horn of Africa and has greatly increased its economic role on the continent, the thousands of American troops operating in dozens of countries are overlooked.
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/12/new-report-reveals-us-special-forces-active-in-22-african-countries/

Bailing on Boeing: Order Cancellations Exceed New Sales for Sixth Straight Month
Zero Hedge | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
The embattled manufacturer saw customers abandon plans to buy 43 of its 737 MAX planes in July, where cancelled orders once again outpaced the company's sales, according to CNBC. | Boeing has net negative orders of 836 planes this year…
globalresearch.ca/bailing-boeing-order-cancellations-exceed-new-sales-sixth-straight-month/5720894

How Kamala Harris as VP Can Be a Win for Progressives
Ruth Conniff | progressive.org | 2020-08-12
With the choice of Harris, Democrats are saying: bring it on.
progressive.org/dispatches/kamala-harris-biden-vp-conniff-200812/

With Harris pick, Biden reaches out to young Black Americans
SFIDCB | nationofchange.org | 2020-08-12
Harris joining up with Biden may have made the Democratic ticket more attractive to younger Black Americans, who now comprise what we define as a critical set of swing voters.
nationofchange.org/2020/08/12/with-harris-pick-biden-reaches-out-to-young-black-americans/

Biden picks former law-and-order prosecutor Kamala Harris to be his Democratic running mate
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
Harris satisfies the advocates of identity politics while reassuring big business with her law-and-order record and close ties to the moneyed elite.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/harr-a12.html

Lebanon should look East and abandon the West
Pepe Escobar | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
Post-blast Lebanon has everything to gain from rejecting the West's neoliberal demands and embracing China's Belt and Road | As much as Covid-19 has been instrumentalized by the 0.001% to social-engineer a Great Reset, Beirut's massive port explosion is already being instrumentalized by the usual suspects to keep Lebanon enslaved. | Facing oh-so-timely color-revolution-style "protests," the current Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab has already resigned. | Even before the onshore portion of the port blew up, Beirut had requested a US$10 billion…

Lebanon should look East and abandon the West

AEP 59: The American Trap sprung on Tiktok and Huawei, with Carl Zha
Justin Podur | mronline.org | 2020-08-12
Back with Carl Zha of Silk & Steel podcast, who we last saw in our episode on the India-China border conflict.
mronline.org/2020/08/12/aep-59-the-american-trap-sprung-on-tiktok-and-huawei-with-carl-zha/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aep-59-the-american-trap-sprung-on-tiktok-and-huawei-with-carl-zha

MSM Smear Merchants Target Critics Of Establishment China Narratives
Caitlin Johnstone | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
slow-motion third world war against unabsorbed governments continues to accelerate, narrative management campaigns are getting more and more frenzied. We see this exemplified in two recent smear pieces published by imperial spinmeisters about critics of the establishment-authorized narratives about what's happening in China. | The oligarch-funded Axios has published a new article titled " The American blo…

MSM Smear Merchants Target Critics Of Establishment China Narratives

Leaked documents reveal what TikTok shares with authorities — In the U.S
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-12
A glimpse at what the social media platform does in the U.S. underscores that data privacy issues extend beyond China.
mronline.org/2020/08/12/leaked-documents-reveal-what-tiktok-shares-with-authorities-in-the-u-s/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=leaked-documents-reveal-what-tiktok-shares-with-authorities-in-the-u-s

Selective Maritime Rules: The United States, Diego Garcia and International Law
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
There are few more righteous sights than the paunchy US Secretary of State savaging the People's Republic of China with his next volley on Chinese territorial aspirations. In July, Mike Pompeo released a statement putting any uncertain minds at ease on where Washington stood on the matter.
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/selective-maritime-rules-the-united-states-diego-garcia-and-international-law/

Reformers Aim to End Prison Firefighters' 'Indentured Servitude' in California
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-12
California's incarcerated firefighters program plays a central role in fighting climate change-fueled wildfires. With exploitative pay and history rooted in colonialism, activists are pushing for a career path for those who serve.
therealnews.com/columns/reformers-aim-to-end-prison-firefighters-indentured-servitude-in-california

Peru hit hard by second wave of COVID-19
Tanya Wadhwa | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-12
Peru has been hit by a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the country began to ease lockdown restrictions at the beginning of July, in the same month it experienced a slight increase in the number of coronavirus cases. In the first ten days of August, the daily new cases have spiked sharply. With a population of 33 million, Peru is reporting more than 7,000 new cases everyday. Following the concerning surge in infections, President Martín Vizcarra has reimposed a state of emergency with general quarantine measures and curfews until the end of this month. | Currently, Peru is the third worst-hit country i…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/12/peru-hit-hard-by-second-wave-of-covid-19/

Coronavirus and schools: Access to handwashing facilities key for safe reopening
news.un.org | 2020-08-12
Nearly 820 million children worldwide do not have basic handwashing facilities at school, putting them at increased risk of COVID-19 and other transmittable diseases, according to a report published on Thursday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070072

Over a million jobs lost in Spain amid coronavirus pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
Another 1 million workers are still furloughed in Spain, and will likely be cast onto unemployment rolls when this scheme comes to an end in the autumn.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/jobs-a12.html

Analysis shows 54,000 "excess deaths" in US, pointing to coronavirus death toll of 200,700
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
A new analysis shows that the number of deaths from the coronavirus has likely been undercounted by 37 percent.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/exce-a12.html

The Road to Portland: The Two Decades of 'Homeland Security'
Khury Petersen-Smith | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
Troops have stood down in Portland and, for now, the city is quiet — which may say something about who was driving the violence there. For weeks, masked men in the city were recorded throwing protesters into unmarked cars, firing tear gas and projectiles at contingents of mothers, fathers, and veterans, and generally carrying on with impunity. But the repression in…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/the-road-to-portland-the-two-decades-of-homeland-security/

Kamala Harris? Really? Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Riva Enteen | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
Kamala Harris might be the perfect lens to reveal who the Democrats really are. A good run-down on her track record highlights her assertion that "It is not progressive to be soft on crime." As a San Francisco social worker, I sat on the school district committee that met with families of chronically truant students.
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/desperate-times-desperate-measures-dump-the-democrats/

It Could Have Been Different
Tom Engelhardt | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
Let me be blunt. This wasn't the world I imagined for my denouement. Not faintly. Of course, I can't claim I ever really imagined such a place. Who, in their youth, considers their death and the world that might accompany it, the one you might leave behind for younger generations? I'm 76 now. True, if…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/it-could-have-been-different/

Teaching Palestinian Children to Love Beethoven, Bizet, and Mozart is a Threat to a Depraved Israeli Society
Raouf Halaby | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
The subject box of a mid-March email from Jerusalemite Palestinian author and scholar read: "Simply Reflecting." Samia Khoury's 16/March/2020 message was a concise and tellingly prescient homily on the pathetically worsening universal condition of humanity as well as the depraved banality to which Israel's Jewish leaders have descended. The topics included the spread of Covid-19,…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/teaching-palestinian-children-to-love-beethoven-bizet-and-mozart-is-a-threat-to-a-depraved-israeli-society/

Within Health Care USA, Risk and Reward Have Never Been More Out of Kilter
Sam Pizzigati | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
How's pandemic life been going for you? If you work in America's health care industry, that depends. That totally depends. If you happen to provide health care services to actual Covid-19 patients — as a nurse or a doctor, an orderly or a physician's assistant — this has been the year from hell. Amid the…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/within-health-care-usa-risk-and-reward-have-never-been-more-out-of-kilter/

"We Didn't Bleed Him Enough": When Normal is the Problem
P. Sainath | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
Bloodletting was a common medical treatment for nearly 3,000 years. It developed around an idea, originating with Hippocrates and later wildly popular in Europe of the Middle Ages: that an imbalance of the four humours of the body — blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile — caused illness. Around 500 years after Hippocrates, Galen declared…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/we-didnt-bleed-him-enough-when-normal-is-the-problem/

The Improbability of CO2 Removal From the Atmosphere
Manuel García, Jr. | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
The concentration of carbon dioxide gas in today's atmosphere is 417ppm (parts per million). There are 10^44 gas molecules in the entire atmosphere (78% diatomic nitrogen, 21% diatomic oxygen, 1% everything else), so 1ppm is equivalent to 10^38 gas particles. The 417ppm of CO2 represents a total of 4.17?10^40 molecules. Some people hope for new…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/the-improbability-of-co2-removal-from-the-atmosphere/

Santa Davis and the "Stalag 17" Riddim
Stephen Cooper | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
Relatable to reggae music lovers everywhere, Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet Mary Oliver once wrote: "Rhythm is one of the most powerful pleasures, and when we feel a pleasurable rhythm we hope it will continue. When it does, the sweet grows sweeter. When it becomes reliable, we are in a kind of body-heaven." On June 30 I was…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/santa-davis-and-the-stalag-17-riddim/

Kamala Harris? Really? Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Riva Enteen | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
Kamala Harris might be the perfect lens to reveal who the Democrats really are. A good run-down on her track record highlights her assertion that "It is not progressive to be soft on crime."
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/desperate-times-desperate-measures-dump-the-democrats/

Armed forces and fascist gangs mobilized against blockades in Bolivia
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
The demand for the immediate fall of the àÅñez regime, brought to power in last November's US-backed coup, is gaining increasing popular support.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/boli-a12.html

Political strike shuts down Bolivia
Michael Otto | workers.org | 2020-08-12
Ibarra, Ecuador Do Bolivian lives matter? The Bolivian masses are experiencing a perfect storm of social, health and economic crises. A U.S.-backed military coup overthrew President Evo Morales Ayma in November 2019 — Morales called it a lithium coup. To Wall Street, only the great reserves of Bolivian lithium matter. . . . | Continue reading Political strike shuts down Bolivia at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50536/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=political-strike-shuts-down-bolivia

The Medical Assessment of Covid: America Desperately Needs a "Second Opinion"
Jeff Harris | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
Doctors are human and subject to human mistakes. Even doctors with exceptional "expert" credentials are still human and like all humans fallible. That's why patients often seek a second or even third opinion from other expert physicians BEFORE implementing a …
globalresearch.ca/america-needs-second-opinion/5720897

Union intervention wins back garment workers' jobs in Myanmar
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-12
The intervention by the Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar has led to the reinstatement of 168 garment workers who had been laid off by two companies during the COVID-19 lockdown in March and April…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/12/union-intervention-wins-back-garment-workers-jobs-in-myanmar/

What do we know about the Russian COVID-19 vaccine?
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-12
Dr. Satyajit Rath talks to Peoples Dispatch about the recent announcement made by Russian president Vladimir Putin declaring that the country has developed a vaccine for COVID-19.
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/12/what-do-we-know-about-the-russian-covid-19-vaccine/

Ford Chicago Assembly workers launch Rank-and-File Safety Committee to save lives
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
Our coworkers are falling ill and even dying, but management and the union refuse to tell us the truth about how many have been exposed to or become infected with COVID-19.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/rank-a12.html

Hospital fire in southern India kills 10 COVID-19 patients
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
With the pandemic spreading rapidly in the country, the circumstances of the fire point to criminal negligence on the part of governments and hotel and hospital authorities.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/vija-a12.html

Systemic corruption, mismanagement worsen Zimbabwe's economic crisis
Pan Africanism Today Secretariat | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-12
The spread of COVID-19 has further exposed an already failing system, leading to an intensified political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe. The government, however, seems busy cracking down on critics…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/12/systemic-corruption-mismanagement-worsen-zimbabwes-economic-crisis/

Amid COVID-19, UN commitment to peace 'more urgent than ever'
news.un.org | 2020-08-12
COVID-19 threatens not only hard-won development and peacebuilding gains, but also "risks exacerbating conflicts or fomenting new ones", the UN chief reminded the Security Council on Wednesday, during a briefing on the challenges to achieving sustainable peace, while pandemics ravage communities worldwide.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070082

Meet Alabama's feminist doctor protecting women giving birth under COVID-19
Francesca Visser | zcomm.org | 2020-08-12
"The US is the most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world."
zcomm.org/znetarticle/meet-alabamas-feminist-doctor-protecting-women-giving-birth-under-covid-19/

Lebanon: WFP racing to help vulnerable, prevent food shortages
news.un.org | 2020-08-12
The World Food Programme (WFP) is racing to prevent food shortages in Lebanon as the country continues to reel from the triple shock of the devastating blast in Beirut, economic meltdown and the COVID-19 pandemic.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070062

Vietnam donates 10,000 masks to Maryland to fight COVID-19
Vietnam News Agency | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-12
WASHINGTON–The Embassy of Vietnam in the United States presented 10,000 face masks to the state of Maryland at a ceremony held on August 7. At the handover ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the U.S. Ha Kim Ngoc voiced his hope that the face masks will contribute to containing the spread of COVID-19 in Maryland. He added …
peoplesworld.org/article/vietnam-donates-10000-masks-to-maryland-to-fight-covid-19/

The 'Wall of Vets' Continue Long Legacy of Veteran Activism
Brian Trautman | zcomm.org | 2020-08-12
Veterans are mindful of the crimes that an authoritarian government and occupying military force are capable of. They know that we have a civic duty to stand up to these existential threats to democracy, freedom and liberty…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-wall-of-vets-continue-long-legacy-of-veteran-activism/

This Is Not A Drill Live
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-12
The sprint to November 2020 is underway. The question that remains for left organizers is, who will we bring in to our growing coalition organized around racial justice and radical economic democracy? The overlapping political and economic crises of our time have opened the door to growing far beyond our normal base of support. How…
therealnews.com/stories/this-is-not-a-drill-live

The U.S. Presidential Election: A Referendum on Donald Trump's Character or a Campaign on Law-and-Order?
Prof Rodrigue Tremblay | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." –Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States, 1861-65. | "We must reject any thinking of our cities as a 'battlespace' …
globalresearch.ca/us-presidential-election-referendum-donald-trump-character-campaign-law-order/5720901

80 Years Ago: Fall of France, the Wehrmacht's Advance Through the Ardennes Forest
Shane Quinn | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
Eight decades ago in the late summer of 1940 the Wehrmacht's generals, at Adolf Hitler's behest, were beginning preparations for a massive invasion of the USSR. Morale within the German Army was very good indeed, for obvious reasons. Within six …
globalresearch.ca/80-years-ago-fall-france-wehrmacht-advance-through-ardennes-forest/5720860

#WhiteHouseSiege — This Group Plans to "Lay Siege to" and "Occupy" the White House Next Month
Daisy Luther | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
The group that takes credit for the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 has a new and even more outrageous plan in mind. They intend to "occupy" the White House. | Adbusters, an online magazine that describes itself as "a global …
globalresearch.ca/whitehousesiege-group-plans-lay-siege-occupy-white-house-next-month/5720797

A Courageous Family Needs Your Help to Seek Justice for the Murder of Their Son on 9/11
Richard Gage | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
I'm writing this article today because a courageous family needs your help — and their struggle for justice offers what I believe is the best opportunity the 9/11 Truth Movement has ever had to break through on a global scale….
globalresearch.ca/courageous-family-needs-your-help-seek-justice-murder-son-911/5720879

The Hiroshima Myth
John V. Denson | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
This article was crossposted from LewRockwell.com where it was originally published in 2006. | Every year during the first two weeks of August the mass news media and many politicians at the national level trot out the "patriotic" political myth that …
globalresearch.ca/hiroshima-myth/5720903

Is a "Color Revolution" Possible in Belarus?
Lucas Leiroz de Almeida | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
The political crisis in Belarus is getting worse day after day. As a result of elections in the country, a violent wave of protests began in several cities. The focus of the demonstrations is Minsk, the country's capital. In the …
globalresearch.ca/could-color-revolution-possible-belarus/5720891

Macron Lectures Lebanon: The Condescending Politics of Aid
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
The explosion in a Beirut portside warehouse containing over 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate on August 4 has done its bit to light more fires under Lebanon's ruling powers. With the blast still bloodily fresh and traumatic — the destruction …
globalresearch.ca/macron-lectures-lebanon-condescending-politics-aid/5720862

This Is America: Where Fascism, Totalitarianism and Militarism Go Hand in Hand
John W. Whitehead | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government IS the problem."–Ronald Reagan | There's a pattern emerging if you pay close enough attention. | Civil discontent leads to civil unrest, which leads to protests and counterprotests….
globalresearch.ca/amerika-fascism-totalitarianism-militarism-go-hand-hand/5720869

Crisis of Civilization. The Manifestation of the Beauty of Humanity. The Legacy of Ancient Chinese Philosophy
Jenn Zhu | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
I have once written a long story based on part of my own life experiences and some other real materials which might have caused some stir among the people who happened to have read it, in which the protagonist is …
globalresearch.ca/benevolence-righteousness-proper-rite/5720813

Guyana Geopolitics: Washington's New Game Plan Against Venezuela
Lucas Leiroz de Almeida | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
Having gained its political independence a few decades ago, Guyana is a small South American country with little international relevance. Without major economic or geopolitical projections, the country has agriculture and mining as its main activities, not being a fully …
globalresearch.ca/guyana-new-american-bet-against-venezuela/5720874

Is the Face Mask Epidemic "Bringing on the Dumbing Down of Society?"
John C. A. Manley | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
"The mask is just as detrimental to society as vaccinations," says Rose Davidson in a viral video.
globalresearch.ca/is-face-mask-epidemic-bringing-dumbing-down-society/5720867

Trump turning state-owned VOA into personal propaganda arm
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-12
USAGM's pro-Trump CEO Michael Pack is implementing Trump's anti-immigration agenda and purging VOA and other USAGM affiliates of international staff by refusing J-1 visa renewals, landing dozens of foreign journalists in limbo…
therealnews.com/columns/trump-turning-state-owned-voa-into-personal-propaganda-arm

Families of missing Kashmiri men allege they were killed in a staged encounter
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-12
Three men were killed by security forces in Shopian district of Kashmir on July 18. A few days ago, their pictures appeared on social media and were identified by their family members who said they were laborers who were searching for jobs…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/12/families-of-missing-kashmiri-men-allege-they-were-killed-in-a-staged-encounter/

Yemen: State Department Clears Bomb Peddler Pompeo of Wrongdoing in Civilian Deaths Investigation
Raul Diego | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-12
A report issued by the State Department's Inspector General found that US arms sales raise the possibility of civilians getting killed, but also finds that the guy who sells the guns, Mike Pompeo, did nothing wrong.
mintpressnews.com/yemen-state-department-clears-bomb-peddler-pompeo-wrongdoing-civilian-deaths-investigation/270338/

Anti-Laundering Bill Targeting Shell Companies Stalled in Senate as Big Banks Caught Cooking Books
Raul Diego | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-12
The Anti-Money Laundering Act would expose the owners of shell companies now sits alone on a shelf in the US Senate while the Federal Reserve shrugs its shoulders in the face of blatant manipulation by the too-big-to-fail banks.
mintpressnews.com/key-anti-laundering-bill-stalled-senate-big-banks-caught-cooking-books/270378/

Looking for an Excuse to Crackdown, Police Departments are Pitting Protesters Against Each Other
John Whitehead | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-12
Civil discontent leads to civil unrest, which leads to protests and counterprotests, and instead of restoring order, local police stand down. Tensions rise, violence escalates, and federal armies move in.
mintpressnews.com/crackdown-police-departments-intentionally-pitting-protesters-against-each-other/270315/

Podcast: The Beirut Explosion, Economic Terror and the Drumbeat of War Against Hezbollah
Mnar Muhawesh Adley | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-12
Lebanese journalists Laith Marouf and Marwa Osman recount their experience living through the recent blast that destroyed much of Beirut, an explosion that not only occurred during a period of rapid economic decline but of increasing public outrage over corruption and Western sanctions that have squeezed Lebanon dry.
mintpressnews.com/podcast-beirut-blast-economic-terror-drumbeat-of-war-against-hezbollah/270369/

The Beirut Port Explosion: A Comprehensive Analysis
Leonid Savin | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
On the evening of 4 August, there were two explosions in Beirut's port area. The first was relatively small and was caused by ignited fireworks, which the fire brigade went to extinguish. Enormous clouds of smoke attracted a large number of onlookers, who caught the second explosion on camera. This one was like the detonation of a tactical nuclear device. The explosion was so powerful that all the buildings in the city's business district and even the airport, which is in a different part of the city, were damaged by the blast wave. | By the evening of 5 August, the death toll had reached 135, with nearly 5,000 w…

The Beirut Port Explosion: A Comprehensive Analysis

MST Quilombo Campo Grande camp resists eviction in the midst of the pandemic
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-12
The Quilombo Campo Grande camp is resisting an eviction which began early on August 12. The camp is home to 450 landless families who have been living, producing and working there for over 2 decades.
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/12/mst-quilombo-campo-grande-camp-resists-eviction-in-the-midst-of-the-pandemic/

After White House, Congress cut aid to unemployed, evictions and food lines spread across the US
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
As eviction filings increase to pre-pandemic levels, workers and their families are left to fend for themselves.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/unem-a12.html

Canada's military launched operation to "shape" opinion amid pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
Sparked by fears of "civil unrest," the operation included plans for military personnel to broadcast government-approved propaganda over loudspeakers and temporary radio stations.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/cami-a12.html

Beirut Blast Aftermath–MES EP.67
Marwa Osman | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
The majority of Lebanese people put the blame squarely on the political elite and the corruption and mismanagement for the Beirut Explosion on August 4rth. However, only the US backed politicians in Lebanon began parroting from the first hour of the blast that Hezbollah is to blame for this disaster and sent in their protestors that same week to start riots in the capital while hundreds were still missing and thousands remain in hospitals getting treated as hundreds were laid for their final rest. To discuss this issue with us from Beirut is Mr. Maan Bachour Former secretary general of the Arab National Congress.

Beirut Blast Aftermath–MES EP.67

Protesting Thai students call for prime minister's resignation and reforms to monarchy
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-12
Thousands of students participated in anti-government demonstrations at the Thammasat University near Bangkok on Tuesday. Students have been protesting for the past few days demanding reforms…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/12/protesting-thai-students-call-for-prime-ministers-resignation-and-reforms-to-monarchy/

Black Lives Matter rally in Waupaca, WI takes the street
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-12
Waupaca, WI – Nearly 100 people turned out for a Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally in the rural Wisconsin town of Waupaca. This huge turnout for an action in such a small town came in the wake of two earlier events that faced a growing amount of harassment from police and white supremacists. | The violent arrest of activist Matt Banta at a march on August 2 and the subsequent rise in racist threats toward others contributed to the organizing of this larger event. Organizers of previous BLM actions in Waupaca have been targeted by white supremacists, with a mass armed counter-protest allegedly being planned. | Hosted…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/8/12/black-lives-matter-rally-waupaca-wi-takes-street-0

Belarus: UN rights chief condemns violence against protesters, calls for grievances to be heard
news.un.org | 2020-08-12
The flow of free information is "crucial" in a democratic society, the UN human rights chief said on Wednesday, spotlighting the landlocked eastern European nation of Belarus, "especially in a context of crisis and social unrest".
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070112

Protests, crackdown follow Belarus elections
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
Western imperialism is seeking to exploit the Lukashenko government's violent suppression of protests to fuel its war drive against Russia.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/bela-a12.html

Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni sentenced to three years in prison for Facebook posts
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-12
An Algiers court handed journalist Khaled Drareni a three-year prison sentence. The verdict has been widely condemned by human rights groups and Hirak movement protesters…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/12/algerian-journalist-khaled-drareni-sentenced-to-three-years-in-prison-for-facebook-posts/

Podcast: The Beirut Explosion, Economic Terror and the Drumbeat of War Against Hezbollah
Mnar Muhawesh | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
Lebanese journalists Laith Marouf and Marwa Osman recount their experience living through the recent blast that destroyed much of Beirut, an explosion that not only occurred during a period of rapid economic decline but of increasing public outrage over corruption and Western sanctions that have squeezed Lebanon dry. | elcome to MintCast — an interview series featuring dissenting voices the establishment would rather silence– I'm your host Mnar Muhawesh Adley. | Lebanon is re…

Podcast: The Beirut Explosion, Economic Terror and the Drumbeat of War Against Hezbollah

Replaying the 'Syria Scenario' in Lebanon
Abdel Bari Atwan | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
The US and its clients are trying to exploit the crisis to advance their plans to destroy Hezbollah. They should know better. | Let us start at the end, without getting bogged down in the details and analyses that fill the Lebanese and Arab media these days: The current ferment in Lebanon, which resulted in the resignation of Hassan Diab's government over the Beirut Port explosion, will eventually lead to the demise of Lebanon's corrupt ruling elite and the 1989 Taif Agreement that brought it to power and established the sectarian carve-up system that sustains it. | The Lebanese people want genuine democratic ref…

Replaying the ‘Syria Scenario’ in Lebanon

Russia wants neither 'rethink' nor 'reset' if it means restoring American supremacy & returning to Cold War diplomacy
Scott Ritter | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-12
Some 136 American "experts" on US-Russian relations recently debated the merits of "rethinking" US policy on Russia. What these specialists failed to consider is that Moscow may not be interested in their plans. | In the span of a week, Politico, a non-partisan global news and information company whose stated mission is "providing accurate, nonpartisan impactful information to the right people at the right time," published two pieces that addressed the topic of US-Russian relations. | The first, which appeared on August 5, was an "open let…

Russia wants neither ‘rethink’ nor ‘reset’ if it means restoring American supremacy & returning to Cold War diplomacy

Beirut mega-blast unleashes political tsunami
John Catalinotto | workers.org | 2020-08-12
Aug. 10 — An earthquake-size explosion in the port of Beirut on Aug. 4 killed 200, wounded 6,000 and left 300,000 people homeless in that densely populated city. It also unleashed a political tsunami that pulled in regional and imperialist powers as well as Lebanese political forces. Lebanese emergency workers . . . | Continue reading Beirut mega-blast unleashes political tsunami at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50533/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beirut-mega-blast-unleashes-political-tsunami

El uso de la tecnología por parte del estado: un problema para el movimiento
Ben Carroll | workers.org | 2020-08-12
La información está en todas partes. En el 2020, la tecnología es una parte omnipresente de la vida cotidiana de muchos trabajadores en este país y en todo el mundo. Usamos las redes sociales y el correo electrónico para mantenernos en contacto con familiares y amigos. Vemos transmisiones en vivo . . . | Continue reading El uso de la tecnología por parte del estado: un problema para el movimiento at Workers.org…
workers.org/2020/08/50524/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=el-uso-de-la-tecnologia-por-parte-del-estado-un-problema-para-el-movimiento

The Heat: Biden picks Sen. Kamala Harris as running mate
Anand Naidoo | america.cgtn.com | 2020-08-12
Democrat Joe Biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his running mate to take on Donald Trump in the U.S. Presidential election.
america.cgtn.com/2020/08/12/the-heat-biden-picks-sen-kamala-harris-as-running-mate

Bomb blast in W Afghanistan kills four policemen
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Four members of local police forces were killed and ten civilians were injured in a bomb blast in the western province of Farah in Afghanistan.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162211/Bomb-blast-in-W-Afghanistan-kills-four-policemen

Iran to set up pavilion at Chinese high-tech. fair
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Iranian knowledge-based companies are planning to set up a pavilion at 22nd edition of China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF), which is going to be held on November 11 to 15 at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, Shenzhen, China.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162193/Iran-to-set-up-pavilion-at-Chinese-high-tech-fair

VIDEO: Russia registers world's 1st COVID-19 vaccine
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Russia registered the world's first Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday. It marks a milestone in the fight against the new coronavirus but amid safety concerns in the West over the country's accelerated clinical evaluations.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162176/VIDEO-Russia-registers-world-s-1st-COVID-19-vaccine

Iran COVID-19 update: 2,510 cases, 188 deaths
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,510 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 333,699.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162189/Iran-COVID-19-update-2-510-cases-188-deaths

Zarif says US determines EU's trade partners not Union itself
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Criticizing the EU's dependency on the US, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that this is the United States Department of the Treasury that determines EU's trade partners, not Europe itself.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162190/Zarif-says-US-determines-EU-s-trade-partners-not-Union-itself

Police seize 460 kg of narcotics in SE Iran
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — The police force of Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province have seized 460 kg of illicit drugs in Saravan County.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162210/Police-seize-460-kg-of-narcotics-in-SE-Iran

'Driving Lessons' wins at Beirut Intl. Women Film Festival
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Iranian Short 'Driving Lessons' has won at Beirut International Women Film Festival.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162182/Driving-Lessons-wins-at-Beirut-Intl-Women-Film-Festival

Exports via Qom province top $50 million in four months
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — More than 49,000 tons of commodities worth around $56 million were exported through the customs of Qom province, central Iran, during the first four months of the current fiscal (March 20 -July 21), a senior official said.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162194/Exports-via-Qom-province-top-50-million-in-four-months

US clings personal position of PGCC's SG 'regional consensus'
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the United States, in desperation, calls the position of the Secretary General of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) as 'regional consensus'.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162206/US-clings-personal-position-of-PGCC-s-SG-regional-consensus

FAO supplies Iran with more desert locust equipment
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — FAO delivers two more consignments of desert locust control equipment and materials to Iran to further enhance national technical capacity to prevent and decrease the damages caused by this migratory pest.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162181/FAO-supplies-Iran-with-more-desert-locust-equipment

Parliament's open session on Wed
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 13 (MNA) — Iranian lawmakers held an open session on Wednesday and did not give the vote of confidence to Hossein Modarres Khiabani as the new industry minister.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/162188/Parliament-s-open-session-on-Wed

Iran symbol of power in region: Brig. Gen. Heidari
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces said that Islamic Republic of Iran is a symbol of power in the region and the Global Arrogance must leave the West Asia.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162209/Iran-symbol-of-power-in-region-Brig-Gen-Heidari

'Inner Love' goes to Italian film festival's final
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Iranian short 'Inner Love' has made it into the final stage of the 8th edition of Spi Stories Film Festival in Italy.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162186/Inner-Love-goes-to-Italian-film-festival-s-final

Sidelines of Cabinet meeting
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — On the sidelines of the Cabinet meeting, some of the Iranian ministers and officials answered reporters' questions on Wednesday.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/162177/Sidelines-of-Cabinet-meeting

Iranian documentary wins at Ierapetra filmfest of Greece
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Mahmoud Reza's documentary 'Kiarostami and His Missing Cane' has won an award at the 2020 edition of Ierapetra International Documentary Film Festival in Greece.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162184/Iranian-documentary-wins-at-Ierapetra-filmfest-of-Greece

IRGC, Army commanders hold seasonal meeting
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — High-ranking commanders of the Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guard Crops held a seasonal meeting on Wednesday.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162192/IRGC-Army-commanders-hold-seasonal-meeting

Qatar says stances of PGCC Sec. Gen. not of council members
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Qatari special envoy Majed Al-Qahtani said that the stances of the Secretary-General of the PGCC Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf about the extension of Iran's arms embargo can not be generalized to other council members.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162178/Qatar-says-stances-of-PGCC-Sec-Gen-not-of-council-members

Police dismantle 3 drug-smuggling bands in Tehran
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — According to Tehran's Police Chief, the anti-narcotics police of the province have dismantled three drug-smuggling gangs and seized over 2 tons of illicit drugs in the Iranian capital during separate operations.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162180/Police-dismantle-3-drug-smuggling-bands-in-Tehran

Introduction, farewell ceremony of Markazi prov. IDO's chief
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
ARAK, Aug. 12 (MNA) — An introduction and farewell ceremony of the director general of Islamic Development Organization (IDO) in Markazi province and introduction of new head of Mehr news agency's office in this province was held on Tue. evening.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/162165/Introduction-farewell-ceremony-of-Markazi-prov-IDO-s-chief

US needs terrorists in region: Bashar al-Assad
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-12
TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the United States is in desperate need of terrorists in the region including ISIL terrorist group and seeks to support terrorists using Caesar sanctions law against Syria.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162212/US-needs-terrorists-in-region-Bashar-al-Assad

Santa Cruz for Bernie Endorses Brown, Hill and Kumar for Santa Cruz City Council
Santa Cruz News Network | indybay.org | 2020-08-12
Santa Cruz County for Bernie Sanders has announced their organization is endorsing three progressive candidates for Santa Cruz City Council in the November 2020 election: Sandy Brown, Kelsey Hill, and Kayla Kumar.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/10/18835817.php

Tuesday 8/18: Tackling the A-Z Impacts of Plastic: Impact on Climate (Part 1 of 2)
People Over Petro | indybay.org | 2020-08-12
Online…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/11/18835853.php

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

Thursday 8/20: Tackling the A-Z Impacts of Plastic: Impact on Climate (Part 2 of 2)
People Over Petro | indybay.org | 2020-08-12
Online…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/11/18835855.php

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

How South Korea's past informs Moon Jae-In's civil rights policy
Michael Owens | indybay.org | 2020-08-12
President Moon Jae-In is the current president of South Korea. His presidency began without the typical two-month adjustment period, coming out of the previous scandal involving President Park Geun-hye. His justice minister pick became embroiled in a scandal, and the country's economy and unemployment rate have taken a turn for the worse. His approval rates have fallen to record lows, as protestors take to the streets. What actions is President Moon taking to bolster his candidacy? Let's examine how South Korea's political history has informed President Moon Jae In's public policy.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/10/18835823.php

Saturday 8/15: Love, Peace and Justice
Martha Hubert | indybay.org | 2020-08-12
Highland Avenue Bridge @ Arlington, over the San Jose Ave. exit/entrance to Interstate 280, in the Bernal/Mission/Noe/Glen Park vicinity.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/10/18835819.php

Eviction crisis across the nation threatens 30-40 million people
Lynda Carson | indybay.org | 2020-08-12
Protesting Tenants Demanding That The Rent Must Be Cancelled:…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/10/18835848.php

In SF, Low Riders Join Day to Demand "Shut Down CA Concentration Camps"
PIMHCH | indybay.org | 2020-08-12
First there was a rally at Justin Herman Plaza, then a caravan led by Roberto Hernandez of the SF Low Rider Council in his classic white convertible. On August 8, during a statewide day of action to end ICE detention camps, over 1,000 marched behind the caravan of low riders in San Francisco. The culmination of the protest was at ICE headquarters on San Francisco's Sansome St. where demonstrators left red colored handprints to say, "ICE….you have blood on your hands."
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/10/18835824.php

Coronavirus As An Opportunity
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-12
The lack of connections between the dots of the Corona and security — human security in particular — would be another example. The present author would see the handling of the Corona pandemic as the most fundamental documentation of the fact that not a single government has practiced security the right way: billions of taxpayers' dollars have been spent on weapons (that de-crease security in most cases), while there was nobody who had thought of face masks, thermometers, hospital equipment, and facilities — for what must be called a perfectly predictable security challenge. | Instead, the Corona…
popularresistance.org/coronavirus-as-an-opportunity/

Utah Teachers Oppose Schools Reopening
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-12
School districts across Utah are planning to open with in-person classes for the start of the new school year, despite the state having twice the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus as they did when schools closed in March. Governor Gary Hubert requested school districts open for in-person learning, while leaving planning and procedures up to individual school districts. School boards have been making minimal changes without input from teachers, school employees and parents. | The Granite Education Association, representing teachers in Utah's largest school district, held a rally outside the district offices…
popularresistance.org/utah-teachers-oppose-schools-reopening/

The Execution Of Elephants And Americans
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-12
This first execution in 17 years was performed by lethal injection because hanging has a bad rep these days. It feels too Wild West, though it is carbon neutral. And electrocution has been on the outs because I imagine the environmentalists were furious the electricity was coming from coal power plants. (Don't quote me on that.) | I mean, if you're going to turn a guy into a shish kabob, don't use dirty energy to do it, okay? Maybe he could pedal a bike that powers his own murder. That's eco-friendly. Or how about death by a wind turbine? I'm sure if you got a guy close enough to one of those things, the blades w…
popularresistance.org/the-execution-of-elephants-and-americans/

Mountain Valley Pipeline Water Permit Denied
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-12
Another natural gas pipeline in North Carolina has been derailed, at least temporarily, as the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has denied a water quality permit for the MVP Southgate project that would route through Rockingham and Alamance counties. | In a letter released this afternoon, Division of Water Resources Director Danny Smith wrote, "Due to uncertainty surrounding the completion of the MVP Mainline project," it has determined that "work on the Southgate extension could lead to unnecessary water quality impacts and disturbance of the environment in North Carolina."
popularresistance.org/mountain-valley-pipeline-water-permit-denied/

Remembering Hiroshima And Nagasaki By Shutting Down A Nuclear Base
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-12
At around 6: 45 AM on Monday, demonstrators arrived at the Main Gate and formed a vigil line along the roadway. At around 7: 05 AM, four "peacekeepers" entered the roadway and stopped traffic, while behind them, six demonstrators set themselves and their banners on the roadway. | Three of the demonstrators carried a banner stating, "Hiroshima Nagasaki Never Again!" Two demonstrators held a blue painted banner stating, "No More Genocide in My Name." One demonstrator carried a banner, "Peace Walk Nuclear-Free World, Black Lives Matter."
popularresistance.org/remembering-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-by-shutting-down-a-nuclear-base/

Numerous Assaults Witnessed During Black Lives Matter Protests
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-12
A group of about thirty Black Lives Matter protesters from Gardnerville, Carson City and Lake Tahoe took to the streets of Douglas County today, where they were met with hundreds of heavily armed counter-protesters, some of whom were physically and verbally assaulting the mostly-teenaged protesters. | After Douglas County Sheriff Dan Coverley issued a public open letter to the Douglas County Library Board stating his opposition to their proposed support of Black Lives Matter, joining numerous library associations across the country, and threatening to not respond to the library's call for assistance anymore, many…
popularresistance.org/numerous-assaults-witnessed-during-black-lives-matter-protests/

UC Santa Cruz Reinstates Graduate Students After Months-Long Strike
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-12
The University of California has agreed to reinstate 41 UC Santa Cruz graduate student workers who were fired in March after waging a months-long 'wildcat' strike. The strike for a cost of living adjustment galvanized students at nearly every single campus in the UC's 285,000-student system. | Last week, following months of protests, campus negotiations, and outcry from elected officials, the University of California agreed to reinstate the 41 teaching assistants. | The university also agreed to offer the 41 students, who had lost their teaching appointments, an additional quarter of funding and an employment gua…
popularresistance.org/uc-santa-cruz-reinstates-graduate-students-after-months-long-strike/

A Company Of Thieves Run By Washington To Steal Syrian Oil
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-12
Stealing the resources of the Syrian people and plundering their wealth has always been a major goal of the United States in Syria, as it has completed its hostile approach by supporting terrorism there through an agreement between it and Qasad (SDF) militia to pillage the Syrian oil in an aggravated and declared crime that violates the rules of international law. | The administration of US President Donald Trump has worked for years on the scheme to plunder the Syrian oil, which was finally embodied in the agreement between Washington and Qasad militia as informed sources revealed to the (CNN) that the agreement…
popularresistance.org/a-company-of-thieves-run-by-washington-to-steal-syrian-oil/

Wanna bet? US statisticians give Trump 'exact same odds' against Biden as the ones he beat in 2016
rt.com | 2020-08-12
The major statistical analysis website FiveThirtyEight has US President Donald Trump's odds of winning the November election at 29 percent — exactly the same chances he was said to have had in 2016 before he went on to win. | Nate Silver's website, named for the total number of electors in the US electoral college, unveiled its forecast, based on 40 thousand simulations, on Wednesday. Democrat Joe Biden came out the overwhelming theoretical victor, with a 71 percent chance of getting into the Oval Office.
rt.com/usa/497849-statisticians-give-trump-same-odds/

Atheists for Trump? David Silverman reacts to Biden naming Harris with 'Are You Serious?' face, saying he might VOTE RED
rt.com | 2020-08-12
David Silverman, one of America's most prominent atheists, says he's so troubled by the Democratic Party's radical shift to the left and the mowing down of libertarian principles that he may do the unthinkable: vote Trump. | Silverman's face became a popular online meme after his 2011 stand-off with Bill O'Reilly on Fox News, in which he reacted with a particularly perplexed face to the host's "tide goes in, tide goes out" argument supposedly proving the existence of God. It now appears that Joe Biden's Tuesday pick of the Senator Kamala Harris (D-California) as his running mate has triggered a new major "Are…
rt.com/usa/497867-atheist-flips-to-trump/

MSNBC accused of cropping image of Biden calling Kamala to remove script he was reading
rt.com | 2020-08-12
MSNBC has been accused of some comically conspicuous cropping of a photo of Joe Biden, obscuring his notes for the video call in which he told Kamala Harris she would be his 2020 election running mate. | As election season gathers pace ahead of the November vote to decide the US president, every word, photo and soundbite will be pored over endlessly by both the media and the public, which makes it all the more bizarre that MSNBC would attempt to somewhat needlessly obscure the phone script for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. | pic.twitter.com/kaiTOz0tDT– Steve Guest (@SteveGuest)
rt.com/usa/497770-msnbc-accused-doctoring-biden-image/

Polls show young voters support Biden… but running mate Kamala Harris thinks they're 'STUPID' (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-08-12
Though young voters seem lukewarm about Joe Biden, polls show their support for the Democrat is greater than for Donald Trump. But a newly-surfaced clip shows his VP pick Kamala Harris doesn't think much of the American youth. | At 77 years-old, Biden would be the oldest president in history if he manages to defeat President Trump in November. His advanced age, however, hasn't repelled young voters. According to the latest Monmouth University poll, voters aged between 18 and 34 favor Biden b…
rt.com/usa/497851-biden-harris-voters-stupid/

'Keep on marching': Biden & Harris stick to 'stop Trump' message in first public appearance together
rt.com | 2020-08-12
Joe Biden has made his first joint appearance with running mate Kamala Harris, centering focus on the need to give the boot to Donald Trump while touting the California senator as the first woman of color on a major party ticket. | …
rt.com/usa/497866-biden-harris-first-appearance/

MSNBC accused of cropping image of Biden calling Kamala to remove script he was reading
rt.com | 2020-08-12
MSNBC has been accused of some comically conspicuous cropping of a photo of Joe Biden, obscuring his notes for the video call in which he told Kamala Harris she would be his 2020 election running mate. | As election season gathers pace ahead of the November vote to decide the US president, every word, photo and soundbite will be pored over endlessly by both the media and the public, which makes it all the more bizarre that MSNBC would attempt to somewhat needlessly obscure the phone script for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. | MSNBC cropped the photo of Joe Biden video chatting with Kamala Har…
rt.com/usa/497770-msnbc-accused-doctoring-biden-image/

'Trust no one & have fun': Sarah Palin embraced by libs as she comes out with words of encouragement for Biden's VP pick Harris
rt.com | 2020-08-12
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who ran as VP on the McCain ticket in 2008, has been praised as a "class act" by her detractors after she gave Biden's freshly-announced VP pick Kamala Harris a long list of dos and don'ts. | …
rt.com/usa/497756-palin-tips-harris-vp/

Russian Health Ministry says catching Covid-19 is far more dangerous than any possible side effects from world's first vaccine
rt.com | 2020-08-12
The risks posed by coronavirus are far more severe than any possible side effects of Russia's new vaccine, according to the Ministry of Health in Moscow, which has rejected claims that the development process was rushed. | Sergey Glagolev, an adviser to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, explained that being vaccinated involves significantly lower risk than having contact with someone who has been infected with Covid-19. This ought to be taken into account, given the scale of the pandemic, he said. | "Using our digital capabilities, we can monitor the safety of the vaccine in real-time," Glagolev said, noting t…
rt.com/russia/497842-health-ministry-covid-more-dangerous-than-vaccine/

Lawmakers in Netherlands criticize government's handling of coronavirus crisis
rt.com | 2020-08-12
The leader of one of the parties in Dutch PM Mark Rutte's ruling coalition joined opposition lawmakers on Wednesday in criticizing the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis, AP reported. In particular, a decision to make some quarantine measures mandatory was slammed. The criticism came during a debate that interrupted the Dutch parliament's summer recess, and amid sharply rising infection rates in the Netherlands. | "If I look at how the Cabinet has reacted over the past weeks, the word that springs to mind is chaos," opposition Labor Party leader Lodewijk Asscher said, as he opened the debate with…
rt.com/newsline/497825-netherlands-government-handling-crisis/

Norway to reimpose 10-day quarantines for more travelers
rt.com | 2020-08-12
The government in Oslo said it would reimpose quarantine measures on travelers from more foreign countries and reiterated its advice that Norwegians should avoid going abroad. | Norway diagnosed 357 people with Covid-19 last week, the highest since April, still well below the record 1,733 cases found in a single week in late March, Reuters reports. | Last week, Norway put on hold a plan to further reopen society and urged its citizens to refrain from foreign travel. | The co8ntry will now reimpose 10-day quarantines from Saturday for all travelers from Poland, Malta, Iceland, Cyprus and the Netherlands, the Fa…
rt.com/newsline/497839-norway-reimpose-quarantines-travelers/

Wrong narrative? US mainstream media mum on murder of 5yo white boy allegedly shot by black man in his own front yard
rt.com | 2020-08-12
The story of a 5-year-old North Carolina boy who reportedly was killed when a man ran up to him and shot him in the head for no known reason apparently was not compelling enough to merit US mainstream media coverage. | There were some details that might have drawn the attention of the decision makers at CNN, the Washington Post and other mainstream outlets, that have remained conspicuously silent on the story. The boy, Cannon Hinnant, was riding his bike in front of his own house Sunday in North Carolina, and the 25-year-old suspect was a neighbor. He allegedly shot the child at point-blank range as the boy's…
rt.com/usa/497753-media-ignores-child-murder/

Cure worse than disease: We filmed REAL BLM protesters burning a Bible. NY Times tried to 'debunk' it with actual FAKE NEWS
rt.com | 2020-08-12
Mainstream media have denounced RT's Ruptly video agency for documenting Portland protesters burning Bibles, dismissing the unaltered footage as 'Russian disinfo' in an attempt at bad-faith 'shoot the messenger' gaslighting. | Protesters gather around a burning Bible, chanting "F*** Trump," as they neatly drape an American flag over the flames. A few of the demonstrators rub their hands over the tiny fire, aping warming themselves as the flames devour the book. The 90-second clip was part of a 4-hour livestream. | It's an incendiary image (no pun intended) — protesters already denounced from some corners…
rt.com/usa/497751-blm-protesters-bible-ny-times/

Cure worse than disease: We filmed REAL BLM protesters burning a Bible. NY Times tried to 'debunk' it with actual FAKE NEWS
rt.com | 2020-08-12
Mainstream media have denounced Ruptly video of Portland protesters burning Bibles as 'Russian disinfo', countering the unaltered viral footage with fake news of their own in bad-faith 'shoot the messenger' gaslighting. | Protesters gather around a burning Bible, chanting "F*** Trump" as they neatly drape first an American flag over the flames, in the original video, which clocks in at under 90 seconds. A few of the demonstrators rub their hands over the tiny fire, aping warming themselves as the flames devour the book. | It's an incendiary image (no pun intended) — protesters already denounced from some…
rt.com/usa/497751-blm-protesters-bible-ny-times/

Cure worse than disease: Ruptly filmed REAL BLM protesters burning a Bible. NY Times tried to 'debunk' it with actual FAKE NEWS
rt.com | 2020-08-12
Mainstream media have denounced RT's Ruptly video agency for documenting Portland protesters burning Bibles, dismissing the unaltered footage as 'Russian disinfo' in an attempt at bad-faith 'shoot the messenger' gaslighting. | Protesters gather around a burning Bible, chanting "F*** Trump," as they neatly drape an American flag over the flames. A few of the demonstrators rub their hands over the tiny fire, aping warming themselves as the flames devour the book. The 90-second clip was part of a 4-hour livestream. | It's an incendiary image (no pun intended) — protesters already denounced from some corners…
rt.com/usa/497751-blm-protesters-bible-ny-times/

Too little, too late — but the open letter 'It's time to rethink our Russia policy' at least opens the free-speech gates in the US
rt.com | 2020-08-12
A group of 103 international-relations scholars has called for change in America's course on Russia in an open letter titled 'It's time to rethink our Russia policy.' One is tempted to respond simply, "No sh*t." | More appropriately, such a call might have been a surprise, but it has been needed since about 1992. | It's not only the text that's comment-worthy; the group of signatories is of some interest, too. Some of the statement's backers possess a sound record of sincere support for a realist or at least reasonable American policy towards Russia. Indeed, at least one of them, Dmitry Simes, has been accused…
rt.com/russia/497853-russia-us-reset-little-late/

Farage warns 'Britain won't be truly free' if Brexit deal agreed this year
rt.com | 2020-08-12
Leading Euroskeptic Nigel Farage has issued a stark warning to Brexiteers, advising that the UK will not successfully be able to break free from the European Union if London does a deal with Brussels this year. | Farage has warned Leave voters that they are likely to be left furious when the Brexit transition period draws to a close on January 1, 2021, because exiting the bloc would not be the "true freedom" that they have "fought for decades." | The Brexit Party leader said that the Withdrawal Agreement that the British government agreed with Brussels will never leave the UK "free," and noted that Britain wil…
rt.com/uk/497846-farage-brexit-deal-britain-wont-be-free/

Arkansas Man Planted 'Mysterious China Seeds', Drawing Concerns From USDA
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-12
The United States Department of Agriculture has issued a warning against "questionable" foreign seeds, advising Americans not to plant them. The warning came after multiple reports emerged of US citizens receiving unsolicited packages from China and other Asian countries containing the seeds.
sputniknews.com/us/202008121080149509-arkansas-man-planted-mysterious-china-seeds-drawing-concerns-from-usda/

Customers Attack 17-Year-Old Chili's Restaurant Hostess for Enforcing COVID-19 Guidelines
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-12
The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic prompted many businesses and public places to shut down for months before being allowed by local governments to reopen, with the condition of enforcing social distancing and wearing masks to slow the spread of the deadly respiratory disease.
sputniknews.com/us/202008121080149445-customers-attack-17-year-old-chilis-restaurant-hostess-for-enforcing-covid-19-guidelines/

Explosion Reportedly Hits International Coalition Military Convoy Near Iraqi Town of Batha
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-12
No injuries were reported after the explosion took place, according to a report by Al Sumaria TV that cited security sources. An investigation into the incident has been launched.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008121080149127-explosion-reportedly-hits-military-convoy-of-international-coalition-near-iraqi-town-of-batha/

Photo: South Korea Unveils Design for New Aircraft Carrier That Will Carry F-35Bs
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-12
The South Korean Ministry of Defense has released an updated design for its upcoming aircraft carrier, now dubbed the LPX-II. Based on the Dokdo-class helicopter carriers, the LPX-II is far larger and reconfigured to accommodate the vertical takeoff-capable F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, like US amphibious assault ships do.
sputniknews.com/asia/202008121080149343-photo-south-korea-unveils-design-for-new-aircraft-carrier-that-will-carry-f-35bs/

'Gotta Go to School': Trump Issues Guidance for Reopening Educational Institutions Amid Pandemic
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-12
US President Donald Trump says that teams from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stand ready for possible deployment as schools across the nation reopen for in-school classes.
sputniknews.com/us/202008121080149333-gotta-go-to-school-trump-issues-guidance-for-reopening-educational-institutions-amid-pandemic/

Journalism Advocacy Group Says Labeling State Media on Social Platforms 'Fraught'
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-12
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warned that labeling state media on social platforms is "fraught" given that the procedure implemented by Facebook, Google and Twitter may lack transparency, objectivity and consistency.
sputniknews.com/world/202008121080149696-journalism-advocacy-group-says-labeling-state-media-on-social-platforms-fraught/

Letters From Melbourne, a 'Ghost Town Police State' Under Brutal Covid Lockdown
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-12
The citizens of Australia's second most populous city are suffering under the harshest lockdown conditions of all Western democracies. Their voices need to be heard. | In the last several weeks, Melbourne has introduced shockingly draconian anti-Covid measures, imposed on the metropolis of some 5 million souls. What tragedy was responsible for spurring officials to leap into action? To blame was a fractional uptick in the number of coronavirus deaths — seven to be exact, and all invo…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/12/letters-from-melbourne-ghost-town-police-state-under-brutal-covid-lockdown/

The Russians Are Coming! Or Have They Already Arrived?
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-12
Right at the beginning of the Cold War, the paranoid slogan "The Russians are coming!" was rather popular in a certain part of the American establishment. It is attributed to an eccentric US Defense Minister who fell out of a window in mysterious circumstances following a mental breakdown. Years passed by and the Cold War apparently came to an end, but the Russians kept on coming without ever arriving, while vast sums of US taxpayers' money were spent on the arms race and on propaganda proclaiming that the Russians were still coming. | And now, finally, the Russians have arrived. They have arrived in America's so…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/12/the-russians-are-coming-or-have-they-already-arrived/

UK facing 'long road' to recovery from deep recession, warn experts
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-12
Britain faces a "long road ahead" to recovery after suffering the biggest hit so far from the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic of the major global economies, experts have warned. | June's 8.7% bounce-back in gross domestic product (GDP) means the economy is set to emerge from its record-breaking recession in the third quarter, but the sheer size of the contraction means it has further to crawl back. | Business groups and economists also cautioned the path of the recovery may not be smooth, given the threat of a second wave and possible further lockdowns, with a jobs crisis also on the horizon as government support…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/12/uk-facing-long-road-to-recovery-from-deep-recession-warn-experts/

Study advises regular testing and 'extreme caution' to reduce risk of coronavirus in maternity wards
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-12
NHS staff should have regular tests for coronavirus (Covid-19), scientists have said, after a new study highlighted the proportion of staff who had the disease but showed no symptoms. The new study found that one in six maternity health workers have had coronavirus. One in three of these were completely asymptomatic — meaning they continued to go about their work as usual, potentially passing the virus on to mothers and their new babies. | Asymptomatic: | The new study, published in the journal Anaesthesia, examined infection rates among workers in two London hospital maternity units. | In total, 20…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/12/study-advises-regular-testing-and-extreme-caution-to-reduce-risk-of-coronavirus-in-maternity-wards/

Science and politics tied up in global race for a coronavirus vaccine
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-12
The announcement on Tuesday by Russian president Vladimir Putin that his country was the first to approve a coronavirus vaccine has been met by doubts about the science and safety.But it also underscored how the competition to have the first vaccine is about international rivalries as well as science.The first nation to develop a way to defeat the novel coronavirus will achieve a kind of moonshot victory and the global status that goes along with it.That is valuable to Putin, whose popularity at home has declined amid a stagnant economy and the ravages of the virus outbreak.Russian President Vladimir Putin announ…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/08/12/science-and-politics-tied-up-in-global-race-for-a-coronavirus-vaccine/

Exam results fiasco — what is happening across the nations?
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-12
The question of what to do with A-level and GCSE students in a year when exams have been cancelled has been a tricky equation to solve.The government on Tuesday came up with an answer for England, but it still has not pleased everyone. Here is a closer look. | — What was the problem?The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic forced sustained school closures across the UK during the back end of the spring term and the majority of the summer term.It has meant pupils have been unable to sit GCSE or A-level exams, crucial in deciding how best to continue their education, where to look for work or training, or which col…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/12/exam-results-fiasco-what-is-happening-across-the-nations/

Activist's arrest in Portland galvanises Black Lives Matter movement
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-12
The arrest during a protest in Portland, Oregon, of a Black woman who became a leading activist in the racial justice movement, has galvanised Black Lives Matter groups. The activist, Demetria Hester, was assaulted by a white supremacist three years ago. | Portland has endured more than two months of often violent, nightly protests since George Floyd's police killing in Minneapolis, including weeks of clashes between protesters and federal agents. The agents were dispatched to the city by US president Donald Trump. | Authorities said they won't be charging Hester, a prominent activist, following her arrest after…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/08/12/activists-arrest-in-portland-galvanises-black-lives-matter-movement/

Kamala Harris's "Top Cop" Record Faces New Scrutiny Amid BLM Protests
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-12
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's selection of California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate for the November election makes her the first Black woman and the first Indian American on a major party presidential ticket. "It's hard to overstate how historic, how monumental this is," says Aimee Allison, president of She the People, which works to elevate the political voice and leadership of women of color. But in the midst of the largest protest movement in American hist…
truthout.org/video/kamala-harriss-top-cop-record-faces-new-scrutiny-amid-blm-protests/

3 in 5 Americans Firmly Oppose Trump on His Push to Reopen Schools, Poll Finds
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-12
Americans overwhelmingly oppose schools fully reopening as coronavirus cases continue to climb across the country, according to a new poll. | A new Politico/Morning Consult poll asked respondents whether they support K-12 schools reopening while the pandemic rages on. Only 33 percent said they were in favor of schools having in-person classrooms, while 59 percent said they opposed fully reopening. | That's an…
truthout.org/articles/3-in-5-americans-firmly-oppose-trump-on-his-push-to-reopen-schools-poll-finds/

The 2020 Race Is Down to Center-Right vs. Far Right
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-12
Vice President Mike Pence was doing a campaign gig in Arizona last night, the state where incumbent Republican Sen. Martha McSally continues to trail Democratic challenger and former astronaut Mark Kelly. Pence's boss is locked in a virtual tie with presumptive Democratic…
truthout.org/articles/the-2020-race-is-down-to-center-right-vs-far-right/

Trump Calls QAnon Conspiracy Theorist Who Won Georgia Primary "Republican Star"
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-12
A Georgia Republican primary runoff election on Tuesday has resulted with voters selecting a candidate who promotes a highly dubious and potentially violent far-right conspiracy theory. | Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is a supporter of the QAnon set of conspiracy theories, defeated John Cowan in a runoff primary race in Georgia's 14th congressional district. Being…
truthout.org/articles/trump-calls-qanon-conspiracy-theorist-who-won-georgia-primary-republican-star/

The Election Is Being Sabotaged Before Our Eyes
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-12
As Trump continues his attacks on…
truthout.org/audio/the-election-is-being-sabotaged-before-our-eyes/

Trump turning state-owned VOA into personal propaganda arm
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-12
The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) management, which oversees five federally-funded broadcast networks, has suspended four journalists on contract with possible termination. The four journalists are charged with influencing the US elections and violating federal laws by favoring Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden in a video published by the Urdu language service of…
therealnews.com/columns/trump-turning-state-owned-voa-into-personal-propaganda-arm

Selection of Kamala Harris as VP candidate makes history
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-12
WASHINGTON–In a move that is widely expected to boost voter turnout and push Donald Trump out of office in less than 83 days, presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris yesterday as his vice presidential running mate. The selection is being widely lauded not just by Black women but by broad swaths of …
peoplesworld.org/article/selection-of-kamala-harris-as-vp-candidate-makes-history/

Now Comes the Difficult Work of Pushing the Biden-Harris Ticket Left
Natalie Shure | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
Democratic presidential hopefuls former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) speak during the second round of the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by CNN at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan on July 31, 2019. (Photo: Jim Waton/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/joe_biden_kamala_harris_healthcare.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/12/now-comes-difficult-work-pushing-biden-harris-ticket-left?cd-origin=rss

Freakish Arctic Fires Alarmingly Intensify
Robert Hunziker | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
NASA satellite images of fires in eastern Siberia depict an inferno of monstrous proportions, nothing in modern history compares. And, as of July, it's intensifying. Should people be concerned? Answer: Yes, and double yes. According to Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/freakish-arctic-fires-alarmingly-intensify/

Trump's Attack on the Postal Service Now Endangers Democracy
Michael Hiltzik | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
The truth is that the USPS's problems were largely created by Congress. (Photo: Ron Doke/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/usps_1_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/12/trumps-attack-postal-service-now-endangers-democracy?cd-origin=rss

Kamala Harris pick can forge historic unity in fight for justice in America
John Wojcik | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-12
The selection of Kamala Harris as the first Black female candidate of a major party for the vice presidency of the United States deserves the support of every single person in this country who cherishes democracy, economic justice, and equality. Kamala Harris has said that in these tough times, "People say it is important that …
peoplesworld.org/article/kamala-harris-pick-can-forge-historic-unity-in-fight-for-justice-in-america/

Coronavirus deaths rise to almost 19,000 in Iran
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-12
As many as 188 new coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 18,988, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.A total of 2,510 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the tally to 333,699, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.She said more than 290,244 patients have recovered so far, while 3,940 are hospitalized in critical condition.Since appearing in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Center.More than 20.3 mil…
yenisafak.com/en/world/coronavirus-deaths-rise-to-almost-19000-in-iran-3536666

Beijing shuts tourist sites as precaution against heavy downpours
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-12
A heavy rainstorm forecast in China's capital Beijing has forced authorities to shut parks and tourist sites, state-run media reported.The Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau said the capital is expecting to receive "heaviest rainstorm" this summer, said Xinhua News Agency.Hence, authorities have closed parks, including the Summer Palace, Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park, and Beijing Zoo. The expected tourists who booked tickets are being given refunds.The bureau added that operations of almost all landscaping projects have been suspended, and workers shifted to safer places before the rainstorm hits the capital…
yenisafak.com/en/world/beijing-shuts-tourist-sites-as-precaution-against-heavy-downpours-3536669

Yemeni president to visit US for medical checkups
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-12
Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi will leave Riyadh for the United States on Wednesday to undergo medical checkups in Cleveland, a senior government official told Anadolu Agency. | "Hadi is in good health," the source said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. | He said the Yemeni leader, who had undergone a heart surgery in May, was scheduled to visit the US a few months ago, but the trip was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. | Hadi had made several trips to the US for medical examinations due to his heart condition. | Yemen has been engulfed by violence and…
yenisafak.com/en/world/yemeni-president-to-visit-us-for-medical-checkups-3536668

COVID-19: Face masks mandatory in Brussels
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-12
Wearing a face mask became mandatory in all public spaces of the Belgian capital Brussels as of Wednesday.The measure entered into force automatically after the publication of the latest COVID-19 figures.So far, Brussels residents were only obliged to cover their nose and mouth in shops, as well as on public transport and certain popularly frequented streets.But, the city council decided last week to make face covers obligatory everywhere if the daily average of new infections passed the limit of 50 per 100,000 inhabitants on a weekly average.According to the latest data of the country's Public Health Institute S…
yenisafak.com/en/world/covid-19-face-masks-mandatory-in-brussels-3536665

Brent oil price up with estimated US crude stocks drop
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-12
Brent crude oil prices rose on Wednesday as an expected decrease in US crude oil inventory relieved investor fears about a fall in demand.International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $44.98 per barrel at 0633GMT for a 0.8% increase after closing Tuesday at $44.62 a barrel.American benchmark West Texas Intermediate was at $42 per barrel at the same time, up 0.16% after ending the previous session at $42.07 a barrel.Late Tuesday, the American Petroleum Institute (API) announced its estimate of a fall of 4.4 million barrels in US crude oil inventories last week, more than an expected 3.2 million-barrel draw.Al…
yenisafak.com/en/economy/brent-oil-price-up-with-estimated-us-crude-stocks-drop-3536672

Turkey renovates 1,700-year-old tomb in northern Syria
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-12
Afrin — just across Turkey's southern border — was liberated from the terrorist YPG/PKK by Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in 2018, but has still been subject to occasional attacks by the YPG/PKK terror group.Turkey continues to take care of the cultural assets in the area, thus, the restoration work was carried out by the Turkish southern Hatay province's Regional Directorate of Foundations.The renovation work, which started around six months ago and is planned to be completed at the end of the year, is being meticulously carried out by expert teams.According to the General Directorate of Foundations…
yenisafak.com/en/world/turkey-renovates-1700-year-old-tomb-in-northern-syria-3536674

Turkey lays 1,750 km streamer under Mediterranean Sea
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-12
Turkey announced on Wednesday that it had laid two streamer cables on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea bed as part of its ongoing hydrocarbon exploration activities."By Aug. 23, a total 1,750 kilometers of streamer (seismic cable) was laid under the Mediterranean Sea for two-dimensional seismic exploration," Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said on Twitter.Turkey's seismic research vessel, the MTA Oruc Reis was "x-raying the seas."As part of the country's hydrocarbon surveying activities, Turkey released a NAVTEX (navigational telex) on Aug. 10, 2020, announcing that the Oruc Reis would begin cond…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-lays-1750-km-streamer-under-mediterranean-sea-3536673

Pakistanis | say 'Turkey is not alone' with countless tweets over East Med | dispute
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-12
Tens of thousands of Pakistanis voiced their support for Turkey regarding the Eastern Mediterranean dispute on social media using the hashtag, "#Turkeyisnotalone", amid an escalating rift between Ankara and Greece over seismic exploration and drilling activities in the region.As a sign of unity between the two brother countries, the hashtag "#Turkeyisnotalone" remained a top trend in Pakistan on the microblogging website on Wednesday.Posting countless tweets and photos, Pakistanis expressed their solidarity with Turkey over mounting tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean."Pakistan and the Pakistani nation will nev…
yenisafak.com/en/technology/pakistanissay-turkey-is-not-alone-with-countless-tweets-over-east-meddispute-3536671

Nationalise aged care homes and mandate staffing levels
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-12
Workers & unions Sue BoltonIssue 1276 Australia Our Common Cause aged-care homes COVID-19August 12, 2020The COVID-19 disaster in res…
greenleft.org.au/content/nationalise-aged-care-homes-and-mandate-staffing-levels

Federal Court orders Dutton to free man from detention
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-08-12
Anti-racism Michael O'ReillyIssue 1276 Australia MITA immigration detention centre COVID-19 MelbourneAugus…
greenleft.org.au/content/federal-court-orders-dutton-free-man-detention

Australia: Rising number of COVID-19 infections in Sydney schools
wsws.org | 2020-08-12
Experts have warned that the school clusters are likely the "tip of the iceberg," signalling broader community transmission in New South Wales.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/12/aust-a12.html

A BBC journalist's tweet sums up the broadcaster's rancid attitude towards refugees
Steve Topple | thecanary.co | 2020-08-12
A BBC journalist managed to sum up in one tweet the broadcaster's rancid coverage of refugees crossing the Channel. But the situation also points to a wider problem: how co-opted the media is, and how corporations co-opt politics for their own gains. | The BBC: scraping the bottom of the barrel: | Both BBC and Sky News have faced criticism for their journalists…
thecanary.co/opinion/2020/08/12/a-bbc-journalists-tweet-sums-up-the-broadcasters-rancid-attitude-towards-refugees/

The Decrepit UK Political System
Kenneth Surin | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
The Covid-19 pandemic and the continuing Brexit crisis have cast an unforgiving light on the UK's failed political system, the pivot of which lies with its "first past…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/the-decrepit-uk-political-system/

How the Guardian betrayed not only Corbyn but the last vestiges of British democracy
Jonathan Cook | zcomm.org | 2020-08-12
The Guardian, like the rest of the corporate media, has derided and vilified as "populism" the emergence of any real political alternative.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/how-the-guardian-betrayed-not-only-corbyn-but-the-last-vestiges-of-british-democracy/

How the Guardian Betrayed Not Only Corbyn but the Last Vestiges of British Democracy
Jonathan Cook | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
It is simply astonishing that the first attempt by the Guardian — the only major British newspaper styling itself as on the liberal-left — to properly examine the contents of a devastating internal Labour party report leaked in April is …
globalresearch.ca/guardian-betrayed-not-only-corbyn-but-last-vestiges-british-democracy/5720905

Study Shows 'Unambiguous Evidence' Covid-19 Infectious in the Air, Researchers Claim
Lisa Newcomb, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
While study not yet peer-reviewed, one expert said: "If this isn't a smoking gun, then I don't know what is." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-covid_florida_crop.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/study-shows-unambiguous-evidence-covid-19-infectious-air-researchers-claim?cd-origin=rss

First Study to Quantify Potential COVID-19 Spread from Hurricane Evacuation: Where Evacuees Go Matters
commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
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commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/12/first-study-quantify-potential-covid-19-spread-hurricane-evacuation-where?cd-origin=rss

As Florida Sets Daily Record for Covid-19 Deaths, Sheriff Bans Deputies From Wearing Masks
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
The policy "actively puts peoples' lives at risk," critics warn. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-949117346.png …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/florida-sets-daily-record-covid-19-deaths-sheriff-bans-deputies-wearing-masks?cd-origin=rss

Denouncing 'Smear Campaign' Against Alex Morse, Former Detractor Calls for Focus on 'Damage Richie Neal Is Doing to Our Democracy'
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
A Massachusetts law professor on Wednesday retracted an earlier statement about Holyoke, Mass. mayor and progressive U.S. House candidate Alex Morse, who came under attack last weekend regarding consensual sexual relationships he allegedly had with college students. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-08-12_at_3.13.04_pm.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/denouncing-smear-campaign-against-alex-morse-former-detractor-calls-focus-damage?cd-origin=rss

International Community Should Condemn Violent Repression of Pro-Democracy Protests in Bolivia, CEPR Co-Director Says
commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
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commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/12/international-community-should-condemn-violent-repression-pro-democracy-protests?cd-origin=rss

Groundbreaking Study Shows Organic Diets Drastically Lower Glyphosate Levels in the Body
Krissy Waite, editorial intern | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
"We all have the right to food that is free of toxic pesticides." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/organic_apples_credit_jeff_k_flickr.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/groundbreaking-study-shows-organic-diets-drastically-lower-glyphosate-levels-body?cd-origin=rss

Amid Pandemic and Economic Pain, UNICEF Unveils First-Ever Project to Combat Child Suffering in US
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
International children's aid agency UNICEF on Wednesday announced its first permanent initiative focused on aiding children in the U.S., after decades of focusing mainly on supporting young people in developing countries affected by extreme poverty, war, and disease. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1207373633_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/12/amid-pandemic-and-economic-pain-unicef-unveils-first-ever-project-combat-child?cd-origin=rss

Trump Has Failed to Lead at Every Step of Pandemic, Economic Crisis
commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
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commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/12/trump-has-failed-lead-every-step-pandemic-economic-crisis?cd-origin=rss

Saudi Crown Prince's Hit Squads Reflect His Foreign Policy—And Ours
Gabe Murphy | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
A protester dressed as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and another dressed as U.S. President Donald Trump stand outside the White House in the wake of the disappearance of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on October 19, 2018. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/khashoggi_mbs_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/12/saudi-crown-princes-hit-squads-reflect-his-foreign-policy-and-ours?cd-origin=rss

Betsy DeVos Has a Very Deadly Plan to Reopen US Public Schools
Robert Reich | commondreams.org | 2020-08-12
"In the middle of the worst public health crisis in more than a century," writes Reich, Trump's Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is "jeopardizing the safety of our students, teachers, parents, bus drivers, and custodians, while rerouting desperately needed public school funds towards the private schools she's always championed." (Image: Inequality Media) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/devos_betsy_reopening_schools.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/12/betsy-devos-has-very-deadly-plan-reopen-us-public-schools?cd-origin=rss

Kamala Harris and her "Top Cop" Record
CP Editor | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/kamala-harris-and-her-top-cop-record/

Trump's War On Arms Control and Disarmament
Melvin Goodman | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-12
Seventy-five years ago, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing more than 200,000 Japanese and injuring another 100,000. The great fires that raged in each city consumed many of the bodies. If ever there was a visceral force for promoting a world free of nuclear arms, it should be the memory…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/12/trumps-war-on-arms-control-and-disarmament-2/

Mohammed bin Salman Faces His Biggest Threat to the Throne. US Law Suit against Saudi Crown Prince
Steven Sahiounie | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, has been able to dodge legal responsibility in the death of Jamal Khashoggi, while US President Trump has defended and supported him. It appears Mohammed bin Salman is facing …
globalresearch.ca/mohammed-bin-salman-faces-biggest-threat-throne/5720881

Using the COVID-19 to influenza ratio to estimate early pandemic spread in Wuhan, China and Seattle, US
Zhanwei Du, Emily Javan, Ciara Nugent, Benjamin J. Cowling, Lauren Ancel Meyers | thelancet.com | 2020-08-12
The spread of COVID-19 in Wuhan and Seattle was far more extensive than initially reported. The virus likely spread for months in Wuhan before the lockdown. Given that COVID-19 appears to be overwhelmingly mild in children, our high estimate for symptomatic pediatric cases in Seattle suggests that there may have been thousands more mild cases at the time.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30223-6/fulltext?rss=yes

Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the US
Amyn A. Malik, SarahAnn M. McFadden, Jad Elharake, Saad B. Omer | thelancet.com | 2020-08-12
Although our study found a 67% acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine, there were noticeable demographic and geographical disparities in vaccine acceptance. Before a COVID-19 vaccine is introduced to the U.S., public health officials and policymakers must prioritize effective COVID-19 vaccine-acceptance messaging for all Americans, especially those who are most vulnerable.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30239-X/fulltext?rss=yes

[Commentary] Some challenges of sparse data necessitating strong assumptions in investigating early COVID-19 disease
John Norrie | thelancet.com | 2020-08-12
In this study published in EClinicalMedicine, Du et al. [1] use a novel approach to estimate unseen COVID-19 cases early in the pandemic, when neither awareness of the disease nor suitable testing was available. By retrospectively testing samples from patients seeking treatment for seasonal flu, then calculating the 'COVID-19-to-influenza positives ratio' (CIPR) of SARS-CoV-2 positives to flu positives, and applying the CIPR to observed flu cases, they extrapolate the likely unseen COVID-19 cases.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30243-1/fulltext?rss=yes

What Is Italy Doing for Nuclear Disarmament?
Manlio Dinucci | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-12
On the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, reiterated that "Italy strongly supports the goal of a world free from nuclear weapons." He was echoed by the …
globalresearch.ca/italy-doing-nuclear-disarmament/5720876

The UK's rail network just descended into further coronavirus chaos
Steve Topple | thecanary.co | 2020-08-12
Amid the economic and social chaos of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, people who regularly use the rail network just got some potentially bad news. Because it's looking likely that another ticket price rise is on the way. | Rail fares: ticket touting?: | Every January, train operators put some fares up. This is because the government allows rail operators to…
thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2020/08/12/the-uks-rail-network-just-descended-into-further-coronavirus-chaos/

Grief in Florida
Gregg DeChirico | thenation.com | 2020-08-12
Grief in Florida…
thenation.com/article/society/coronavirus-grief-florida/

After Charlottesville, Protesters Are Still in Danger
Aubtin Heydari | thenation.com | 2020-08-12
After Charlottesville, Protesters Are Still in Danger…
thenation.com/article/activism/charlottesville-heather-heyer/

The Grim World Our Grandchildren Will Inherit
Tom Engelhardt | thenation.com | 2020-08-12
The Grim World Our Grandchildren Will Inherit…
thenation.com/article/world/trump-war-tomdispatch/

Ending Mass Incarceration Is Only the Beginning
Daniel Fernandez | thenation.com | 2020-08-12
Ending Mass Incarceration Is Only the Beginning…
thenation.com/article/society/interview-law-schwenwar/

Climate, crude, and COVID devastate Ecuador's Amazon
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-11
Unprecedented flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic, and catastrophic oil spills are wreaking havoc in Ecuador's Amazon and its Indigenous communities, one of the groups hardest hit by the climate-related emergencies fueled by unbridled drilling for oil and mining for minerals. | In April, as COVID-19 began to overwhelm the healthcare system, both of Ecuador's transnational oil pipelines ruptured, dumping thousands of barrels of oil into the Coca river and its tributaries that provide fresh water and livelihoods to native communities. Regarded as Ecuador's worst spill in a decade, the collapsed pipelines are still not…
therealnews.com/columns/climate-crude-and-covid-devastate-ecuadors-amazon

Medical Experts Denounce 'Irresponsible' Rush to Covid-19 Vaccine by Russia
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-11
"The collateral damage from release of any vaccine that was less than safe and effective would exacerbate our current problems insurmountably." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/russia-covid-vaccine.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/11/medical-experts-denounce-irresponsible-rush-covid-19-vaccine-russia?cd-origin=rss

Scores of Education Experts Call on Schools to Reject Screen-Saturated Return to Learning
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-11
"Now is the time for parents and teachers to come together and demand what children really need." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/experts-statement-schools-warn-edtech.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/11/scores-education-experts-call-schools-reject-screen-saturated-return-learning?cd-origin=rss

End Torture and Medical Neglect of Julian Assange
Dr. C. Stephen Frost | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-11
Repost, first published on February 11, 2020 | On Nov 22, 2019, we, a group of more than 60 medical doctors, wrote to the UK Home Secretary to express our serious concerns about the physical and mental health of Julian Assange.1 …
globalresearch.ca/end-torture-medical-neglect-julian-assange/5704006

No Extradition: New film documents Julian Assange's plight for freedom
John McEvoy | thecanary.co | 2020-08-11
On Thursday 13 August, the new documentary No Extradition: Julian Assange's Father & The Struggle for His Son's Freedom will premiere. It's about the ongoing extradition proceedings against WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange. The 32-minute film, which also screens on Saturday 15 August, features exclusive interviews with Assange's father John Shipto…
thecanary.co/feature/2020/08/11/no-extradition-new-film-documents-julian-assanges-plight-for-freedom/

Twitter spreads paid U.S. gov't propaganda while falsely claiming it bans state media ads
Ben Norton | mronline.org | 2020-08-11
Twitter says it bans ads from state-affiliated media outlets. However, U.S. government propaganda organs like Voice of America's VOA Persian pay the social media corporation huge sums of money to spread disinformation against Iran and other foreign adversaries.
mronline.org/2020/08/11/twitter-spreads-paid-u-s-govt-propaganda-while-falsely-claiming-it-bans-state-media-ads/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=twitter-spreads-paid-u-s-govt-propaganda-while-falsely-claiming-it-bans-state-media-ads

Trump Launches Attack on Social Security and Medicare
Dave Lindorff | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-11
Watch out! Uncle Donald is coming for your and all your relatives' Social Security and your Medicare! The all-out attack on Social Security and Medicare, those two remaining standing edifices of the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's New Society, has begun in earnest with President Trump's latest executive order calling for the…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/11/trump-launches-attack-on-social-security-and-medicare/

"Prisons Are Not Fit for Human Occupation": San Quentin Prisoners Speak Out as Virus Deaths Reach 25
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-11
California's notorious San Quentin State Prison is experiencing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the United States. At least 2,200 prisoners have been infected, and 25 have died. More than 260 staff members have also been infected. We hear from two people incarcerated at San Quentin about conditions inside and the punitive measures authorities have taken against prisoners campaigning for better safety measures, and speak with James King, a member of the Stop San Quentin Outbreak Coalition. "The conditions at San Quentin are horrific," says King, who was incarcerated at San Quentin from 2013 until December 2019.
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/11/san_quentin_worst_outbreak_in_us

How the Pandemic Defeated America: Ed Yong on How COVID-19 Humiliated Planet's Most Powerful Nation
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-11
As the world passes a grim milestone of 20 million coronavirus cases, we look at how the pandemic humbled and humiliated the world's most powerful country. Over a quarter of the confirmed infections and deaths have been in the United States, which has less than 5% of the world's population. Ed Yong, a science writer at The Atlantic who has been covering the pandemic extensively since March, says existing gaps in the U.S. social safety net and the Trump administration's "devastatingly inept response" made for a deadly combination.
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/11/atlantic_ed_yong_coronavirus_us_response

Lebanon's Gov't Resigns Amid Public Rage over Beirut Blast, But Protesters Demand Structural Change
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-11
After days of protests, Lebanon's government has resigned following the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut that killed 200 people and injured thousands. The port blast, the source of which was 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate left unattended in a warehouse for more than six years, occurred as Lebanon was already facing political, economic and public health crises. We speak with Ziad Abu-Rish, a historian and research fellow at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and co-director of Bard College's Masters of Arts program in human rights and the arts, who says despite public outrage toppli…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/11/ziad_abu_rish_lebanon_govt_resigns

Towards a US-China War? The Creation of a Global Totalitarian System, A "One World Government"?
F. William Engdahl | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-11
If we step back from the details of daily headlines around the world and try to make sense of larger patterns, the dominant dynamic defining world geopolitics in the past three years or more is the appearance of a genuine …
globalresearch.ca/remake-1941-hitler-stalin-great-war/5720769

By clasping hands with Netanyahu, 'top cop' Kamala Harris whitewashes Israel's racism
Hamzah Raza | thegrayzone.com | 2020-08-11
A friendly meeting California senator and self-declared "top cop" Kamala Harris held with Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows…
thegrayzone.com/2020/08/11/netanyahu-top-cop-kamala-harris-israel-racism/

Ilhan Omar speaks at Minneapolis celebration of NO BAN Act passage In House
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-11
Minneapolis, MN – A small crowd gathered in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on August 10 for a press conference celebrating the passage of the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. | The bill would repeal President Trump's racist travel ban that has prevented immigration from a list of Muslim-majority and African countries. It would also strengthen prohibitions against discrimination on visa applications, permanently barring the executive branch from banning people from entering the United States on the basis of religious affiliation. Approv…
fightbacknews.org/2020/8/11/ilhan-omar-speaks-minneapolis-celebration-no-ban-act-passage-house