Steve Sweeney (2019-10-09). Turkey invades Syria to wipe out Kurds after Trump gives green light. peoplesworld.org Kurds are fearing ethnic cleansing today as Turkish forces launch a ground invasion following yesterday\'s bombing of Kurdish areas in northern Syria. Turkey\'s aggression comes after U.S. troops withdrew from the region earlier this week. President Donald Trump announced the pullback of U.S. forces suddenly and without warning late on Sunday night. Late Tuesday, Commander …

Vijay Prashad (2019-10-09). What to expect from Turkey\'s coming invasion of Syria. mronline.org Erdogan\'s government is preparing to enter Syria for a major military operation against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is made up largely of Kurdish factions who set up this armed force to defend the mainly Kurdish enclave in northern Syria. | Source

Staff (2019-10-09). Trump\'s Withdrawal From Syria: Betrayal of Kurds or End to Endless War? therealnews.com President Trump\'s intention to withdraw from Syria was met with outrage on many sides, with people calling it a betrayal of a key ally in the Syrian conflict. Kurdish expert Edmund Ghareeb says there is probably a deal between Trump and Erdogan.

Dean Baker (2019-10-09). Trump\'s Trade War: a Report From the Front. counterpunch.org Donald Trump is bravely carrying on a trade war, not just with the bad guys with China, but with longtime allies like Canada and the European Union. Incredibly, the media just don\'t seem that interested in reporting on the ongoing progress. Last week the Commerce Department released trade data for August, and it got almost More

Patrick Cockburn (2019-10-09). Iraq Protests: Death Toll Soars as Militias Target Protesters. counterpunch.org Iraqi paramilitary groups close to Iran are suspected of joining attacks on protesters in Baghdad and other cities, leading to heavy loss of life among demonstrators. Some 107 people have been killed and over 6,000 wounded in the last six days, though hospital doctors say the government is understating the true number of fatalities. More

Staff (2019-10-09). Extinction Rebellion: Hundreds Arrested in Protest of Climate Crisis. therealnews.com Thousands are taking part in two weeks of civil disobedience aimed at forcing governments to address climate change…

Zoya Teirstein (2019-10-09). Science is in crisis under Trump, new reports show. peoplesworld.org Acceptance of the root cause of climate change — human beings — is growing among the American public. But among policymakers, acceptance is on the decline. That\'s the dismal conclusion of a new peer-reviewed study in Environmental Research Communications published on Thursday. Between 2010 and 2017, Washington policymakers became less supportive of the science behind climate change. What\'s …

Minnie Bruce Pratt (2019-10-09). Huelgas climáticas mundiales: la crisis de la Tierra despierta millones. workers.org En Montreal, provincia de Quebec, Canadá, más de 500.000 personas marcharon el 27 de septiembre en un esfuerzo por detener la crisis climática, en la huelga más grande en la historia de la ciudad, según los organizadores. Este y otros eventos de Global Climate Strike terminaron una semana después, cuando . . . | Continue reading Huelgas climáticas mundiales: la crisis de la Tierra despierta millones at Workers.org

Eva Bartlett (2019-10-09). Return to Russia: Crimeans Tell the Real Story of the 2014 Referendum and Their Lives Since. mintpressnews.com Eva Bartlett traveled to Crimea to see firsthand out how Crimeans have fared since 2014 when their country reunited with Russia, and what the referendum was really like.

John Wojcik (2019-10-09). White House makes it official: Trump is above the law. peoplesworld.org The White House essentially claimed yesterday that the executive branch is the only part of government that matters and that it will not cooperate in any way with what it said is an \"illegitimate\" impeachment process. That includes its refusal to provide any documents, material or witnesses that Congress is seeking. In open defiance of …

RT (2019-10-09). \'Unconstitutional, illegitimate & secretive\': White House pens lengthy letter on why it won\'t cooperate with \'impeachment inquiry\'. rt.com A showdown between the White House and Democrats is in full swing with the former penning a letter declaring it would not cooperate with an \"illegitimate\" and \"unconstitutional\" impeachment inquiry conducted in secret. | The letter, published on Tuesday evening, condemned the impeachment initiative in the harshest terms yet, arguing it deprived President Trump of \"constitutionally mandated due process,\" and that the inquiry lacked legal legitimacy, as it was never a…

Howard Lisnoff (2019-10-09). Public School Uniforms: Symbol of the Times. counterpunch.org The uniformity of the shades of dark and light blue clothing on the children fans out from the New York City street corner next to a charter school and seems to cover an entire city block. The uniformity is everywhere. Even the student backpacks are blue. Growing up in the late 1950s and early to More

Dr. Hakim Young (2019-10-09). From Kabul: Youth on the Road to Peace. counterpunch.org In September 2019, facing everyday dangers of the war and under constant pressure to view those from other tribes as enemies, young people from each of Afghanistan\'s 34 provinces gathered for a three day \"On the Road to Peace\" conference in Kabul. 30th September 2019 / 8th Mezan 1398. Despite the violent crises which we More

Evaggelos Vallianatos (2019-10-09). Of Horses and Civilization. counterpunch.org I love all animals. I grew up in a Greek village where domesticated animals were part of my family. We had chickens, dogs, cats, sheep, goats, donkeys and mules. I rarely saw a horse because horses then, now, and in antiquity were and are possessions of rich people. However, while a teenager, I did have More

George Ochenski (2019-10-09). Time to Leave the Political Ghosts of 2016 Behind and Face the Future. counterpunch.org The citizenry has been pummeled with the panoply of controversy and corruption that marked the 2016 elections for four very long years now. But as the years passed, the very serious problems facing the nation and planet have only gotten worse. It\'s time to leave the mud wallow of the 2016 elections behind and address More

Gary Leupp (2019-10-09). Zelensky\'s Capitulation and Trump\'s Open Appeals for Foreign Help on Biden Dirt. counterpunch.org \"It looks like Zelensky has capitulated\" reports MSNBC\' Matt Bradley in Kiev, to President Trump\'s demand that he \"play ball\" and investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. The investigation of Burisma Holdings has been reopened at U.S. mafiosa-like prodding. In other words, Trump\'s threat to withhold aid pending an agreement to investigate a political foe worked. More

Michael Otto and Zoila Ramirez (2019-10-09). General strike rocks Ecuador. workers.org Oct. 7 — Support for a call for a general strike in Ecuador has grown quickly in the past few days, bringing the country to the brink of a change in government. Credit: Telesur The latest upsurge in mass struggle began after the unpopular President Lenín Moreno issued a decree . . . | Continue reading General strike rocks Ecuador at Workers.org

Staff (2019-10-09). Ecuadorian Protests Intensify as President Flees Capital, Blames Venezuela. therealnews.com Shortly after the government of President Lenin Moreno announced new IMF-imposed austerity measures and price increases, protests against the government, uniting workers, students, and indigenous movement escalated in the capital of Quito this week.

Michael Otto and Zoila Ramirez (2019-10-09). General strike rocks Ecuador. workers.org Oct. 7 — Support for a call for a general strike in Ecuador has grown quickly in the past few days, bringing the country to the brink of a change in government. Credit: Telesur The latest upsurge in mass struggle began after the unpopular President Lenín Moreno issued a decree . . . | Continue reading General strike rocks Ecuador at Workers.org

Eds. (2019-10-09). A green Earth with peace and room for us all. mronline.org Draft Globalization programme submitted by the National Board of the Red-Green Alliance/Enhedslisten, Denmark, to the party\'s next Annual Congress on 5 — 6 October. It is a programmatic text about global development. | Source

Mehdi Hasan (2019-10-09). Dear Ellen: The Problem With George W. Bush Is Not His Beliefs — It\'s His War Crimes. theintercept.com George W. Bush is not a \"kind, sweet man.\" There is nothing \"beautiful\" about him. He was a monster as governor of Texas and a monster as president.

RT (2019-10-09). \'Completely unacceptable\': Anger as power company shuts off supply to 800,000 over California wildfire fears. rt.com Around 800,000 PG&E customers in California are facing power cuts this week after the company announced it would take the drastic measure in order to limit the risk of their power lines sparking serious fires. | Some 20,000 customers are already affected, as the roll-out began in some places at midnight local time and will continue to be widened out to 34 counties across California. | Law enforcement in the affected areas are warning motorists to take extra care on the streets and to bear in mind that traffic lights will not be functioning over the shut-down period. | #MarinPSPS

RT (2019-10-09). \'Completely unacceptable\': Anger as power company shuts off supply to 800,000 over California wildfire fears. rt.com Around 800,000 PG&E customers in California are facing power cuts this week after the company announced it would take the drastic measure in order to limit the risk of their power lines sparking serious fires. | Some 20,000 customers are already affected, as the roll-out began in some places at midnight local time and will continue to be widened out to 34 counties across California. | Law enforcement in the affected areas are warning motorists to take extra care on the streets and to bear in mind that traffic lights will not be functioning over the shut-down period. | Public Safety Power Shutoff in Marin is un…

Monica Moorehead (2019-10-09). New York City gala celebrates women laundry workers. workers.org Juana (left) presents award to Ricarda, Oct. 4. The Laundry Workers Center held a fundraising gala at St. Peter\'s Church in Manhattan on Oct. 4. The center\'s political philosophy \"is rooted in organizing workers and building their leadership skills and political power through a variety of worker-led tools and tactics, . . . | Continue reading New York City gala celebrates women laundry workers at Workers.org

Monica Moorehead (2019-10-09). New York City gala celebrates women laundry workers. workers.org Juana (left) presents award to Ricarda, Oct. 4. The Laundry Workers Center held a fundraising gala at St. Peter\'s Church in Manhattan on Oct. 4. The center\'s political philosophy \"is rooted in organizing workers and building their leadership skills and political power through a variety of worker-led tools and tactics, . . . | Continue reading New York City gala celebrates women laundry workers at Workers.org

Eds. (2019-10-09). Speech on \'Environmental Protections\' by Karl Liebknecht. mronline.org This speech was delivered in 1912 to the Prussian House of Deputies in response to a proposal by the Free People\'s Party. Environmental destruction was not as far-reaching then as it is now, yet Liebknecht was keenly aware of the disappearance of butterflies and insects, of the small changes that bode ill. | Source

RT (2019-10-09). \'Time to deliver\' Elon Musk? NASA nervous as spaceship delays threaten to cut off astronauts from ISS. rt.com With NASA\'s contract with Russia about to run out without a replacement spaceship ready, the US space agency is leaning on SpaceX to hurry up and deliver. CEO Elon Musk says everything is on schedule — but is it? | Since the Space Shuttle program was scrapped in 2011, NASA has had no crewed spaceship capability, having to pay Roscosmos $80 million a seat to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. SpaceX and Boeing were both contracted to develop a domestic alternative, but both the Crew Dragon and the Starliner have yet to get beyond the testing stage. | This is a problem for the US space ag…

Ian Goodrum (2019-10-09). On Hong Kong and more, NBA must adapt to global opinion—or perish. peoplesworld.org Correspondent Ian Goodrum is based in Beijing. When meeting someone from another country, it\'s sometimes hard to answer that age-old question: \"Where are you from?\" There are quite a few options. The simplest is just to say \"the United States\"—with a mixture of shame and regret over the images the person I\'m speaking to might …

Nina Cross (2019-10-09). Britain\'s Unconvicted Prisoner: Keeping Assange on Lockdown in Belmarsh Prison on Behalf of Washington. globalresearch.ca This article is a second piece focusing on Belmarsh prison, where the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, continues to be arbitrarily detained by the British government. The first part showed how Belmarsh prison has been systematically denying Assange access …

Staff (2019-10-09). The U.S. Arming of Ukraine Is a Scandal on Its Own. truthdig.com What follows is a conversation between journalist Aaron Maté and Max Blumenthal of The Grayzone. Read a transcript of their conversation below and watch part one of their interview below. | There is growing evidence that President Donald Trump briefly froze U.S. military assistance to Ukraine for political goals. Max Blumenthal explores how the Ukrainegate scandal overlooks the dangers of those weapons sales to Ukraine and the corrupt interests behind it. | Under Trump, U.S. military assistance has prolonged a bloody proxy war with Russia, killing thousands in Ukraine and enabling far-right Ukrainian forces [mdas…

Sarah Lahm (2019-10-09). Midwest Dispatch: What Happens When Trump Comes to Town. progressive.org The President\'s upcoming visit to Minneapolis is being framed as something of a grudge match with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. But that\'s just one element of the racial dynamics surrounding this tour stop.

teleSUR (2019-10-09). U.S: Eyes on Cuba and Russia for Supporting Venezuela. telesurenglish.net U.S. special envoy on Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, told Reuters exclusively Washington ¥s new sanctions on Cuba for its support for Nicolas Maduro as well as the \"closer look\" at Russia\'s role in helping him remain in power. | RELATED: | Almost One Million Migrants Arrested at US Border | President Donald Trump\'s frustration over the failure of his \"maximum pressure\" campaign to overthrow Maduro has spurred foreign policy aides to ready further U.S. actions and press for tougher sanct…

Juan Cole (2019-10-09). Trump\'s Syria Policy Could Be a Gift to ISIS. truthdig.com As a result of the turmoil the U.S. and Turkey are causing in the region, 12,000 Islamic State fighters in containment camps could escape.

teleSUR (2019-10-09). Turkey Begins Operation Against Kurdish Forces in Syria. telesurenglish.net Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday that the Turkish Army and its Syrian rebel allies have launched their military operation into northeastern Syria. | RELATED: | Turkey Pledge to Pursue Military Plans in Syria Despite US Threats | Erdogan said the offensive, dubbed \"Operation Peace Spring\", would aim to eliminate threats from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and the Islamic State militants, and enable the return of Syrian refugees in Turkey after th…

Andrei Ilyashenko (2019-10-09). Russia and China Reach New Level of Military Cooperation. China\'s Missile Early Warning System. globalresearch.ca The government of Japan intends to intensify negotiations with Russia to resolve the territorial issue and conclude a peace treaty. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again reminded about this in his keynote speech at the parliament opening session. | \"By solving …

East Bay Peace Action (2019-10-09). Speaker Pennie Opal Plant on \"Let Us Save the World Together\" indybay.org Fred Weaver Resident Center, St. Paul\'s Tower, second floor, 100 Bay Pl, Oakland, CA 94610 (near 27th and Harrison)…

teleSUR (2019-10-09). India\'s Modi to Host China\'s Xi Amid Strained Ties Due to Kashmir. telesurenglish.net India\'s far-right Prime Minister Narendra Modi will welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping at an informal summit on Oct. 11-12, the Indian foreign ministry informed Wednesday, their talks come at a tense time over the situation in occupied Kashmir. | RELATED: | \'20 Protests Per Day\' in Kashmir Despite India\'s Crackdown | \"The forthcoming Chennai Informa…

teleSUR (2019-10-09). Ecuador Protests Enter 7th Day Against Pro-IMF Economic Reforms. telesurenglish.net After resting for a few hours during the early hours of Wednesday, Ecuador\'s workers, students, farmers, Indigenous peoples, senior citizens, mothers and even their children resumed demonstrations to protest against President Lenin Moreno. | On Tuesday night, the protests did not subside despite the curfew and the \"state of exception\" whereby the authorities want to contain social unrest. | RELATED: | \'Lenin Moreno is Out of Reality\', President Maduro Warns | In Quito, the capital city,…

Staff (2019-10-09). Indigenous-Led Anti-Austerity Protests Force Ecuador to Move Capital. truthout.org | | Tens of thousands of people, led by indigenous leaders, are expected to again bring Ecuador to a standstill today in massive ongoing anti-government protests. Demonstrators flooded the streets of Quito Tuesday to decry government-imposed austerity measures and a steep hike in fuel prices, despite a severe police crackdown. Civil unrest has been growing since President Lenín Moreno ended a decades-old fuel subsidy program last week as part of a so-called reform plan imposed by the Internati…

Jessica Corbett (2019-10-09). Ecuador\'s President Moves Government Operations From Capital to Escape Protests. theantimedia.com Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno has moved government operations out of the capital of Quito following days of nationwide protests.

teleSUR (2019-10-09). Progressive Gov\'ts, Movements Back Ecuador Protests. telesurenglish.net Social organizations in Latin America, as well as several governments in the region including Bolivia and Venezuela, have expressed public support to the protests that have shaken Ecuador for almost week Tuesday, rejecting the austerity measures imposed by the government of President Lenin Moreno. | RELATED: | Ecuador: Public Radio Pulled Off Air For Reporting on Anti-Gov\'t Protests | \"Sadly, the economic policies imposed by the International Monetary Fund only result with the ban…

WSWS (2019-10-09). Ecuador\'s president retreats from capital in face of growing mass protests. wsws.org In the face of a continuing strike and mass indigenous mobilization, Moreno took the unprecedented step of moving his government from Quito to Guayaquil.

Harvey Goldberg (2019-10-09). Sixth straight day of mass protests throughout Ecuador against austerity measures. indybay.org Protesters in Cuenca, Ecuador approach police line. | October 7, 2019 | Monday saw another day of protests, with highway blockades, being the main tactic. Protests continued in major cities, especially Monday night. A national strike has been called for Wednesday.

Stephen Lendman (2019-10-09). Popular Outrage Against Ecuador\'s President Moreno. Deadly Wave of IMF Economic Reforms. globalresearch.ca This important article by Stephen Lendman brings the forefront the insidious role of IMF Economic Medicine. | The policies implemented by Moreno were imposed by the IMF in a March 2019 Report. The Executive Summary of this report is included …

South Front (2019-10-09). Video: US Troop Withdrawals? Washington Green-light to Turkish Incursion into Northeastern Syria. globalresearch.ca On October 7, US forces started withdrawing from their positons along the border with Turkey, in northern Syria. The US military had permanent garrisons in Tel Abyad, Tel Musa, Tel Hinzir and Tel Arqam. They were abandoned. | On October …

Jeet Heer (2019-10-09). Trump\'s Erratic Syria Policy Deserves No Anti-Imperialist\'s Cheers. thenation.com Trump\'s Erratic Syria Policy Deserves No Anti-Imperialist\'s Cheers…

Tyler Durden (2019-10-09). Erdogan Says Military Invasion of Syria Has Begun as Turkish Jets Bomb the Kurds. theantimedia.com Video shows Turkish troops crossing the border, as journalists warn that \"a new phase of this bloody regional war could be about to begin.\"

Staff (2019-10-09). Julián Castro Backs Impeachment Effort, Condemns Trump\'s \"Betrayal\" of Kurds. truthout.org | | Turkey\'s government says its troops are prepared for an imminent assault on Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, after President Trump ordered U.S. troops to fall back from their positions on the Turkish-Syrian border. Kurdish fighters said they\'re bracing for a \"humanitarian catastrophe.\" This follows warnings that former Kurdish allies of the U.S. who feel betrayed by President Trump will abandon thousands of prisoners captured during the U.S.-backed war against ISIS over the past two years.

Pepe Escobar (2019-10-09). Tracking Foreign Interference in Hong Kong. globalresearch.ca Lawrence YK Ma is the executive council chairman of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation and director of the China Law Society, the Chinese Judicial Studies Association and the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation. He also finds time to teach …

teleSUR -EF (2019-10-09). Caribbean Corals Suffer From Ocean Warming, Climate Change. telesurenglish.net The main threat to coral reefs in the Caribbean is heat stress from ocean warming, said a research unit in Merida, Mexico on Wednesday. | RELATED: | Purdue Begins Bankruptcy in Push To Settle Opioid Lawsuits | An investigation by the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav) Merida Unit conducted with the National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Smithsonian Institute, suggested that the temperature increase in the regional waters has been…