Joe Emersberger (2019-10-23). Ecuador\'s Austerity Measures, Repression Based on Lies AP Happily Spread. fair.org AP piece in the LA Times ( 10/14/19) | Bernie Sanders tweeted an Associated Press article in the LA Times ( 10/14/19) about Ecuador\'s recent protests, in which eight protesters were killed in 11 days. \"Economic elites ke…

Andre Vltchek (2019-10-23). India is Confused: where does it go from here? dissidentvoice.org At J. Nehru University, most students know about China and Russia only from the BBC, Reuters and other Western media outlets. Even those individuals who claim they belong to the left are not immune; influenced mainly by the British propaganda. ***** It has been like this for years: usual confusion, all around India: tough nationalistic, …

Staff (2019-10-23). Tulsi Gabbard Isn\'t a Russian Asset. It\'s More Complicated Than That. therealnews.com The Nation\'s Jeet Heer discusses Hillary Clinton\'s recent remarks toward Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Why do anti-war activists and the right wing seem to love her?

Staff (2019-10-23). Congress Holds Hearing on Big Oil\'s War on Climate Science. therealnews.com The House Oversight Committee heard testimony about the fossil fuel industry\'s multimillion dollar campaign to suppress knowledge of their contributions to the climate crisis.

Staff (2019-10-23). Lebanese Join Growing Protest Wave Against Austerity and Corruption. therealnews.com Anti-austerity protests have swept Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, and now Lebanon. As\'ad Abukhalil discusses how Lebanon is joining what seems like a second Arab Spring focused on a demand for social justice.

Jonathan Cook (2019-10-23). The Democrats Helped Cultivate the Barbarism of ISIS. counterpunch.org There is something profoundly deceitful in the way the Democratic Party and the corporate media are framing Donald Trump\'s decision to pull troops out of Syria. One does not need to defend Trump\'s actions or ignore the dangers posed to the Kurds, at least in the short term, by the departure of US forces from More

Ramzy Baroud (2019-10-23). Betty McCollum Is Pushing Congress to Stop Subsidizing the Torture of Palestinian Children. mintpressnews.com \"The legislation I am introducing is expressly intended to end U.S. support and funding for Israel\'s systematic military detention, interrogation, abuse, torture, and prosecution of Palestinian children.\" – Betty McCollum…

Dave Lindorff (2019-10-23). Military Spending\'s Out of Control While Slashing It Could Easily Fund Medicare for All. counterpunch.org Something very unusual happened on Thursday, Oct. 17. The New York Times suddenly ran an article on its opinion page explaining how to cut $300 billion from the $1-trillion military budget — enough, the article explained, to fund Bernie Sanders\' proposed program for an expanded Medicare program to cover all Americans without raising a dime More

Kenneth Surin (2019-10-23). Western China and the New Silk Road. counterpunch.org Coming to China every few months has almost become a regular occurrence for me, though this time I am in a part of China I have not been to before. China\'s developmental model has for decades been tilted towards export-based manufacturing. This model has brought immense benefits to China. Its eastern coastal regions, Guangdong and its hinterlands in particular, have flourished, while China inland and to the west has lagged behind this hectic developmental pace. More

John Horning (2019-10-23). Spotted Owls and the National Christmas Tree. counterpunch.org The national Christmas tree this year will come from my home state of New Mexico. It might be the only Christmas tree that comes from a national forest in New Mexico — and if that happens, people are going to blame me. That\'s because my organization, WildEarth Guardians, won a court ruling halting all timber More

Louisa Willcox (2019-10-23). Inviting the Chief of the Grizzlies to Our Feast. counterpunch.org Harvest season is a time of abundance. From the earth\'s gifts we bake apple pies, pickle beets, and boil cranberry for jelly. Many head out hunting, not unlike grizzlies. In fact, as fellow omnivores, we humans and grizzlies share similar tastes. This can be a terrible recipe for conflict, especially when hungry grizzlies contest foods More

Michael de Adder (2019-10-23). In Honor of the Kurds. thenation.com Grave concerns.

RT (2019-10-23). But China! Cryptos crater as Congress tries to pin Zuckerberg down on \'too big to fail\' Libra. rt.com Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies plummeted as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried to defend his beleaguered digital currency Libra — a project rapidly losing institutional support as it hits one regulatory hurdle after another. | If Facebook isn\'t allowed to go forward with the rollout of its digital currency, China will surpass the US in technological innovation, Zuckerberg threatened the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday. The billionaire\'s bid to save Libra — and its public image — after several of the big-name financial institutions backing the online payments system dropped o…

Harry Targ (2019-10-23). United States foreign policy: yesterday, today, and tomorrow. mronline.org This essay makes the connections between the initiation of the permanent war economy, the drive for US empire, and today\'s factional disputes and similarities among political elites. | Source

RT (2019-10-23). Buzz off! Wasp interrupts mortal combat between two snakes in Florida (VIDEO). rt.com One horrified Gainesville, Florida resident went to investigate a ruckus in her backyard and happened upon a bizarre battle: two snakes fighting upside down while a yellowjacket wasp stung one of the surly serpents. | Evangeline Cummings initially assumed the strange rustling in her rose bush was a dead hanging snake. But before she could fully investigate, she spotted another snake weaving its way towards the tree, before climbing up and attacking its serpentine sibling, at which point she began filming. | It wasn\'t long before a yellowjacket wasp joined the bizarre and violent backyard brawl. | Um ok, &sbquo…

Emile Schepers (2019-10-23). Opposition to Trump\'s anti-Cuba policy at new high in U.S. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—With new sanctions just announced, the Trump administration\'s effort to roll back the advances in U.S.—Cuba relations achieved toward the end of the Obama administration is going full blast. Will opponents of these policies in the United States be up to the challenge of countering this reactionary wave? On the weekend of Oct. 19-20, the …

RT (2019-10-23). HUD Secretary Ben Carson warns \'political correctness\' will \'DESTROY' the US (VIDEO). rt.com Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson took aim at \"political correctness\" at a contentious committee hearing, warning that the impulse to control speech and expression would \"destroy\" the country. | During Tuesday\'s House Financial Services hearing, Representative Jennifer Wexton (D-Virginia) raised previous comments Carson had made about \"big, hairy men,\" widely understood to be directed at transgender women, inviting him to apologize, but the secretary was having none of it. | \"I think this whole concept of political correctness — you can say this, you can\'t say that, you can\'t repeat what…

Associated Press (2019-10-23). Astros GM apologizes after hurling taunts at female reporters, MLB says it will investigate. peoplesworld.org HOUSTON (AP) — It\'s fitting that the Houston Astros lost Game 1 of the World Series against the Washington Nationals the same day assistant general manager Brandon Taubman apologized for using \"inappropriate language\" after a Sports Illustrated report said he repeatedly yelled toward a group of female reporters about closer Roberto Osuna during a clubhouse …

Kevin Cooper (2019-10-23). A Key Reparation to Descendants of Slaves Wouldn\'t Cost a Dime. truthdig.com Ending the death penalty, which is disproportionately imposed on African Americans, would be a good first step toward righting some of this nation\'s wrongs.

Staff (2019-10-23). Republicans Storm Closed Door Impeachment Hearing. therealnews.com Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Cooper arrives to testify at deposition as part of Trump impeachment inquiry on Capitol Hill in Washington REUTERS/Carlos Jasso | Republicans stormed the House Intelligence Committee\'s Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility on Wednesday as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper was due to testify at a closed-door deposition. Cooper\'s testimony, which was delayed as a result of Wednesday\'s actions but resumed later that afternoon, is part of House Democrats\' impeachment inquiry. | It happened a day after William B. Taylor Jr., the acting U.S. ambassador to Uk…

Tom Coburg (2019-10-23). UK authorities may have just provided the perfect reason why Assange\'s extradition should end. thecanary.co A UK authority may have just provided the perfect reason for dismissing the US extradition request for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. | Court hearing: | At a 21 October court hearing, Assange\'s lawyers made it clear to district judge Vanessa Baraitser that the US extradition request should be denied because of surveillance in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Significantly, that surveillance included the monitoring of privileged client-lawy…

Craig Murray (2019-10-23). Assange in Court. globalresearch.ca I was deeply shaken while witnessing yesterday\'s events in Westminster Magistrates Court. Every decision was railroaded through over the scarcely heard arguments and objections of Assange\'s legal team, by a magistrate who barely pretended to be listening. | Before I get …

Eric Zuesse (2019-10-23). That We Live Under a Dictatorship Is Now Unquestionable: The Assange Case. globalresearch.ca What else can we call it when a publisher does what the New York Times did when it published the Pentagon Papers and was ruled by the Supreme Court in 1971 (New York Times Co. v. United States) to have …

Aaron Maté (2019-10-23). Jill Stein: Hillary Clinton is still sabotaging progressives. thegrayzone.com Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein responds to Hillary Clinton calling her a \"Russian asset\" and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard…

Ilhan Omar (2019-10-23). Sanctions Are Part of a Failed Foreign Policy Playbook. Stop Relying on Them. commondreams.org Economic and sector sanctions are too often designed to inflict maximum pain on civilians, not empower them. (Photo: Syrian Refugees/Josh Zakary/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/refugeesvienna-a.jpeg …

Ben Norton (2019-10-23). US troops are staying in Syria to \'keep the oil\' — and have already killed hundreds over it. thegrayzone.com Hundreds of American soldiers are remaining in Syria to occupy its oil reserves and block the Syrian government from revenue…

Ed Sykes (2019-10-23). Trump slammed for \'rewarding murder\' in Syria as he lifts sanctions on Turkey. thecanary.co Donald Trump has said he will lift sanctions on Turkey after it reportedly agreed to \'permanently\' cease hostilities against the largely-Kurdish areas of northern Syria (aka Rojava). But he has faced criticism across the board for being soft in the face of his NATO ally\'s crimes. | A new stage of the invasion: | Turkey has faced accusations of ethnic cleansing and…

Elliott Negin (2019-10-23). ExxonMobil Is Still Bankrolling Climate Science Deniers. commondreams.org Climate activists demonstrate in Washington, D.C. in 2015. One displays a sign admonishing ExxonMobil for its complicity in furthering the climate apocalypse. (Photo: Johnny Silvercloud) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/22286952533_bee67ae3e5_o.jpg …

Staff (2019-10-23). Elizabeth Warren and Activists Say Big Tech Companies Should Be Broken Up. truthout.org Facebook continues to face growing criticism and demands that it be broken up. Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has repeatedly called for Facebook and other big tech companies to be broken up on antitrust grounds. Roger McNamee, a Silicon Valley investor who went from being an early supporter of Facebook to a vocal critic, speaks with us about 2020 candidates\' platforms on big tech. Antitrust regulation is \"the one issue that seems to cut across the entir…

Lynda Carson (2019-10-23). Activist claims CITES exemption for finished musical instruments may set a bad precedent. indybay.org The handmade guitar made by the author of this story around 34 years ago is partially made of East Indian rosewood and Brazilian rosewood. It would be confiscated by government officials if it was taken across an international border.

Saad Hafiz (2019-10-23). America\'s Mission to Remake Afghanistan Has Failed. counterpunch.org The United States is ready to leave Afghanistan despite the latest gambit by President Trump to call off peace negotiations with the Taliban. The US intervention in the country in 2001 has turned into a trillion-dollar disaster. It was ostensibly intended to punish the Taliban for sheltering Al-Qaeda before 9/11 and to prevent the use of More

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2019-10-23). Better Relations Between the US and Russia Are Not in the Cards. globalresearch.ca By now Russians must wonder if the better relations they desire with the US are ever to be. US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Democrat from Hawaii is the latest peacemaker to be declared \"a Russian asset\" by Hillary, the DNC, …

United Nations (2019-10-23). Somalia advancing towards \'inclusive and peaceful future\' for women, deputy UN chief. un.org Somalia has made \"enormous strides on its path to peace and stability\", and Somali women\'s participation in peace and security efforts has \"helped advance society towards an inclusive and peaceful future\", UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said on Wednesday.

South Front (2019-10-23). Video: Erdogan, Putin Reach \'Historical Deal\' on Northern Syria. globalresearch.ca On October 22, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached an agreement to settle the situation in northeastern Syria. | According to the agreement, Turkey\'s Operation \'Peace Spring\' will continue in a limited area between Tell Abyad …

Binoy Kampmark (2019-10-23). Celebrity Protesters and Extinction Rebellion. counterpunch.org Benedict Cumberbatch. Olivia Colman. Fine actors. They believe in Extinction Rebellion, or perhaps, rebelling against the prospect of extinction. The environment thing, humanity as a damnably scandalous, ecologically damaging species. But they also believe in taking sponsorship from the very same entities who are doing their best (or worst) to engage in matters of existential More

Jen Moore (2019-10-23). Abusive North American Companies Pay Off Latin American Police to Harass Critics. commondreams.org Indigenous Peruvians protest mining pollution, 2015. (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/peru.jpeg …

WSWS (2019-10-23). Mass protests continue in defiance of military crackdown in Chile. wsws.org The military-police crackdown on protests in Chile is only one of the most shocking expressions of the global turn toward dictatorship by governments throughout the world.

Lucas Koerner (2019-10-23). US Renews Chevron License as European Refiner Cuts Venezuela Ties over Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com Finnish-Venezuelan refiner Nynas is one of PDVSA\'s few remaining cash buyers.

Ralph Nader (2019-10-23). Where Are the Influentials Who Find Trump Despicable? globalresearch.ca The British political philosopher, John Stuart Mill, was a man of many pithy phrases. Possibly his most widely quoted assertion is that \"Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and …

Renee Parsons (2019-10-23). Hillary, \"Russian Assets\" and Realignment. The Dems Morph into Neocons. globalresearch.ca As you may have figured out by now, Hillary Clinton, warped by her own self aggrandizement of entitlement, did Tulsi Gabbard and her Presidential campaign against interventionist wars a huge incidental favor. | While the Democrats continue to splinter and …

Prof. Marjorie Cohn (2019-10-23). As Trump Aids and Abets Turkey\'s War Crimes, the UN Must Act. globalresearch.ca Nearly two weeks have passed since Turkey launched its ground and air attack on Rojava, the autonomous region of northeast Syria, following Trump\'s sudden removal of 1,000 U.S. troops from the area. | While the United States and Turkey reached a …

Stephen Lendman (2019-10-23). Russian/Turkish Agreement on Northern Syria. globalresearch.ca When deals are struck, the devil is in the details, along with implementation of what was agreed on by all parties involved. | The historical record is clear. The US, West and Israel can never be trusted. The Russian Federation operates …

Ed Rampell (2019-10-23). The Kill Team Kills Again. progressive.org The new film illustrates how Washington\'s endless imperialist wars of aggression tragically pit Americans against not only overseas \"enemies,\" but one another.

WSWS (2019-10-23). Germany, US threaten war amid Russia-Turkey summit on Syria. wsws.org German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer called for a massive European Union (EU) force to occupy northern Syria, involving up to 40,000 troops.

Max Parry (2019-10-23). The EU Is Rewriting World War II History to Demonize Russia. globalresearch.ca Last month, on the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II, the European Parliament voted on a resolution entitled \"On the Importance of European Remembrance for the Future of Europe.\" The adopted document: | \"…Stresses that the Second World …

Staff (2019-10-23). Turkey Signals It\'s Holding Back on Resuming Syria Push. truthdig.com Ankara indicates it will not resume its offensive against Kurds in northeast Syria, following separate agreements reached with the U.S. and Russia.

Kurt Nimmo (2019-10-23). Russia and Clinton\'s Election Plan B. globalresearch.ca America is an insular nation, exceptional only in its willful ignorance of the rest of the world. Many Americans, undoubtedly a majority, know very little about what is really going on in the world. | Millions of Americans are unable to …

Andrew Korybko (2019-10-23). The Russian-Turkish Deal on Syria: Who Won and Who Lost? globalresearch.ca Presidents Putin and Erdogan reached a deal on Syria that represents a decisive victory for Turkey while being a drastic climbdown for Damascus after President Assad vowed earlier that day that the Syrian Arab Army was \"prepared to support any …

Staff (2019-10-23). Former Zuckerberg Mentor: I Raised Alarm on Russian Interference But Was Ignored. truthout.org Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies on Capitol Hill Wednesday, where he is expected to face questioning about the company\'s cryptocurrency Libra, among other issues. Zuckerberg has faced scrutiny before, including for Facebook\'s role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. A former mentor of Zuckerberg and longtime Silicon Valley investor Roger McNamee speaks out about the company\'s dismissal of Russian interference in the election. \"They treated it like a PR problem, not a business issue,…

United Nations (2019-10-23). UN and partners call for solidarity, as Venezuelans on the move reach 4.5 million. un.org Since 2015, approximately 4.5 million Venezuelans have fled their country as the Latin American nation\'s political, humanitarian and economic crisis drags on, creating one of the \"direst\" displacement crises in the world, the UN and European Union said on Wednesday, ahead of a solidarity conference next week.