Julian Assange Court Case Delayed Again in Bizarre Circumstances
Alan MacLeod | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
"I have never in my career faced so much difficulty attempting to trial monitor as in Julian Assange's case." — Rebecca Vincent, Director of International Campaigns for Reporters Without Borders. | *** | There were bizarre scenes at Westminster Magistrates' …
globalresearch.ca/julian-assange-court-case-delayed-again-bizarre-circumstances/5721250

As Congress Goes on Vacation, Calls for a General Strike Across America Grow Louder
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-17
Government inaction, added to the prospect of being forced back to work under unsafe conditions, is leading to increasing calls for a general strike to begin on September 1.
mintpressnews.com/calls-general-strike-across-america-amid-congress-inaction-coronavirus/270489/

US Remains Defiant, Promises New Sanctions After UN Rejects Anti-Iran Measures
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-17
According to the State Department, it was the world that was wrong, not Washington. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the decision to reject their "reasonable resolution" and side with "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism" as "inexcusable."
mintpressnews.com/following-failure-un-us-promises-snapback-sanctions-iran-coming-days/270470/

Facial recognition technology riddled with racial bias; cities are fighting back
Cameron Hughey | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-17
In the wake of the George Floyd protests, many cities and technology conglomerates are banning police agencies from utilizing facial recognition technology, citing racial discrimination as a vital concern. While many believe these preventative measures need to be taken a step further, corporations such as IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon have restricted or at least halted …
peoplesworld.org/article/facial-recognition-technology-riddled-with-racial-bias-cities-are-fighting-back/

Missionaries Gain Access to Amazon's Indigenous Peoples, Despite Pandemic
Eduardo Campos Lima | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
When the first COVID-19 cases hit Brazil in March, the government agency in charge of protecting the country's Indigenous peoples, the National Indigenous Foundation, ordered all civilians to leave the Indigenous reservations. Only essential workers, such as health care personnel …
globalresearch.ca/missionaries-gain-access-amazon-indigenous-peoples-despite-pandemic/5721293

Anti-Racist Uprising Infiltrated by Extreme-Right Hooligans
Andre Vltchek | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
The city of Minneapolis is where it all began. It is where the last drop fell on the surface of a proverbial overflowing lake, causing the dam to burst, consequently starting to destroy the foundations of the empire. | A death …
globalresearch.ca/anti-racist-uprising-infiltrated-by-extreme-right-hooligans/5721286

Russian-Belarusian Relations: Back to Being Brothers? Crimea 2.0 Is Unlikely
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
Several recent developments in Russian-Belarusian relations — in particular, Belarus' return of 32 suspected Wagner mercenaries to Russia, Belarusian opposition leader Tsepkalo's departure from Russia, and the two phone calls between Presidents Putin and Lukashenko — hint that bilateral ties …
globalresearch.ca/russian-belarusian-relations/5721299

The Show Trial of Julian Assange: A Cruel and Pseudolegal Farce
Thomas Scripps | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
Yesterday's hearing in London made clear, if any further proof was needed, that the prosecution of Julian Assange is a shameful and degrading show trial, intended to railroad an innocent man to prison or death for revealing the crimes of …
globalresearch.ca/show-trial-julian-assange-cruel-pseudolegal-farce/5721279

Prominent lawyers and legal associations demand Assange's freedom
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
The 152 legal experts are unambiguous: the campaign against Assange has been based on gross violations of law and he must be immediately released from prison.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/assa-a17.html

NATO War Crimes: NATO's "Humanitarian" Bombings, the Balance Sheet of Destruction in Yugoslavia (1999)
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
This article by Michel Chossudovsky was written in 1999 at the height of the NATO bombing campaign. It was presented to the Ad-hoc Committee to Stop Canada's Participation in the War in Yugoslavia, Press Conference, Monday, April 12, National Press …
globalresearch.ca/impacts-nato-humanitarian-bombings-balance-sheet-destruction-yugoslavia/5721209

A Letter on Gary Leupp's "The RCP, Fascism, and Chairman Bob's Endorsement of Biden for President"
Larry Everest et al | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Lies, slanders, distortions, and ad hominem attacks don't constitute substantive discussion, debate and controversy — they prevent it. Dearn CounterPunch, We, the undersigned have all written for CounterPunch. We come from different perspectives, but we all greatly value your work for its edge, willingness to engage controversy, and openness to a diversity of views and…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/a-letter-on-gary-leupps-the-rcp-fascism-and-chairman-bobs-endorsement-of-biden-for-president/

Platform fight precedes Democratic convention
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-17
The Democratic National Convention hasn't started yet, and already there's a fight over the party platform. There are differences in a party united in its determination to defeat Trump but divided on some key issues like Medicare-for-All and the Green New Deal. And another fight may be brewing over the party leadership's decision to basically …
peoplesworld.org/article/platform-fight-precedes-democratic-convention/

The 2020 Census Will Be a Bust
Howard Lisnoff | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
I wanted to get the count of people who live in my geographical area right during the 2020 US Census. I had taken part in the 2010 census and I enjoyed working both on the streets counting people in my area, and later on, working at the local census office in western Massachusetts attempting to…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/the-2020-census-will-be-a-bust/

Chile: Mapuche People Call for Actions Against Capitalism
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Mapuche people Sunday condemned Chile's capitalist regime, which is the main responsible for the domination and oppression of this Indigenous people. | RELATED: | Chile: Mapuches Mobilize In Solidarity With Political Prisoners | "We are calling on the people to carry out sabotage against capital, forestry industry, and other capitalist investments that threaten Mapuche People's lives," the Arauco-Malleco Coordination (CAM) stated. | This call was made amid the Mapuche people's…
telesurenglish.net/news/chile-mapuche-people-call-for-actions-against-capitalism-20200817-0009.html

Trump's America Fails Coronavirus
Juan Cole | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
170K — 202K dead, Child Cases Spike, while other Countries are back to Normal…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/trumps-america-fails-coronavirus/

Venezuela: President Maduro Volunteers To Test Russian Vaccine
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Sunday announced he'll be the first to get vaccinated when the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, arrives in the country. | RELATED: | Russia Officially Produces First Batch of COVID-19 Vaccine | He recalled that Russia was the first country in the world to vaccinate its population and volunteered to test the Sputnik V. | "There will be a time when we all get vaccinated and the first to be vaccinated will be me. I'm going to get the vaccine, I…
telesurenglish.net/news/venezuela-maduro-volunteers-to-test-the-russian-covid-19-vaccine-20200817-0005.html

Xi's article on Marxist political economy in contemporary China to be published
Xinhua | mronline.org | 2020-08-17
An article by President Xi Jinping on opening new horizons of the Marxist political economy in contemporary China will be published Sunday.
mronline.org/2020/08/17/xis-article-on-marxist-political-economy-in-contemporary-china-to-be-published/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=xis-article-on-marxist-political-economy-in-contemporary-china-to-be-published

From the Archive | Part two: Marxism and African liberation
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-08-17
In this second of a two-part series, Guyanese historian and activist Walter Rodney argues that the theory of scientific socialism can and should be used in the African context.
mronline.org/2020/08/17/from-the-archive-part-two-marxism-and-african-liberation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-the-archive-part-two-marxism-and-african-liberation

History of Settler Colonialism in Palestine
Dr. Zuhair Sabbagh | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
The following research article aims at exploring the issue of history of settler colonialism in Palestine. It will tackle three different settler colonial projects that were established in Arab Palestine: the German Templers, the Jewish and the Zionist. | In the …
globalresearch.ca/history-settler-colonialism-palestine/5721303

The Decline in Power of the Oil States
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
President Donald Trump is cock-a-hoop over the United Arab Emirates becoming the first Arab Gulf state to normalise its relations with Israel. He needs all the good news he can get in the months before the US presidential election. "HUGE breakthrough today! Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!" Trump tweeted.
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/the-decline-in-power-of-the-oil-states/

"I Cannot Vote for This Platform": Rep. Ro Khanna on Why Democrats Must Support Medicare for All
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-17
As the Democratic National Convention kicks off virtually in Milwaukee, we speak with Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna, who says he will be voting no on the Democratic platform because it does not support Medicare for All. Khanna, who served as national co-chair of Senator Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign, says ensuring universal healthcare is crucial for the Democratic Party, especially during a pandemic. "I am very enthusiastic about supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump, but I cannot vote for this platform that does not have universal healthcare as a right," says Khanna.
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/ro_khanna_universal_healthcare_dnc_platform

Rep. Ro Khanna: Trump's Postal Service Changes Are a Deliberate Strategy to Steal the Election
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-17
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls lawmakers back from summer recess for an urgent vote this week to stop changes at the U.S. Postal Service that could interfere with the upcoming election, we speak with California Congressmember Ro Khanna, who says millions of ballots could be at risk of going uncounted. "That, in my view, is a deliberate strategy to try to disqualify millions of votes and for the president to try to steal this election," says Khanna. President Trump recently admitted he's working to undermine…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/ro_khanna_usps

"We Have to Expand the Squad": Cori Bush on Her Upset Primary Win, Defunding Police & Kamala Harris
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-17
We speak with Cori Bush, a nurse and single mother who was formerly homeless, who joins the growing number of young Black progressives likely headed to Congress this November, after she won a stunning primary upset over 10-term incumbent Congressmember William Lacy Clay Jr. in Missouri's 1st Congressional District in the St. Louis area. Bush says her campaign's victory was a result of a grassroots effort from across her district and beyond. "We believed that it's time for a change, it's time for an active leader, someone who knows the streets, someone who knows the struggle of what's happening in our country, esp…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/cori_bush_2020_missouri_primary_victory

"We Have to Expand the Squad": Cori Bush on Her Upset Primary Win, Defunding Police & Kamala Harris
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-17
We speak with Cori Bush, a nurse and single mother who was formerly homeless, who joins the growing number of young Black progressives likely headed to Congress this November, after she won a stunning primary upset over 10-term incumbent Congressmember William Lacy Clay Jr. in Missouri's 1st District in the St. Louis area. Bush says her campaign's victory was a result of a grassroots effort from across her district and beyond. "We believed that it's time for a change, it's time for an active leader, someone who knows the streets, someone who knows the struggle of what's happening in our country, especially with C…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/cori_bush_2020_missouri_primary_victory

We Are in Danger Daily: Honduran Afro-Indigenous Garífuna Demand Return of Kidnapped Land Defenders
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-17
At least 212 land and environmental defenders were murdered last year — the highest number since the group Global Witness began gathering data eight years ago. Some 40% of those killed were Indigenous peoples. We get an update from Honduras, where the Afro-Indigenous Garífuna community continues to demand the safe return of five Garífuna land defenders who were kidnapped by heavily armed men who were reportedly wearing police uniforms and forced them into three unmarked vehicles at gunpoint. This was the latest attack against the Garífuna community as they defend their territory from destructive projects fu…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/garifuna_land_defenders_honduras

International Lawyers Make Urgent Appeal To British Government
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
We write to you as legal practitioners and legal academics to express our collective concerns about the violations of Mr. Julian Assange's fundamental human, civil and political rights and the precedent his persecution is setting. We call on you to act in accordance with national and international law, human rights and the rule of law by bringing an end to the ongoing extradition proceedings and granting Mr. Assange his long overdue freedom — freedom from torture, arbitrary detention and deprivation of liberty, and political persecution. We remind the UK government that the right to a fair trial is a corner…
popularresistance.org/international-lawyers-make-urgent-appeal-to-british-government/

How to Fund the Salvation of Humanity
Simon Whalley | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
A smartphone being operated in front of Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon logos as background in H√©d√©-Bazouges, western France, on Septemeber 28, 2017. (Photo: Damien Meyer/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gafa_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/how-fund-salvation-humanity?cd-origin=rss

Ocasio-Cortez Welcomes Help From Anti-Trump Republicans in Defeating President—But Rejects Kasich's Attempt to Define Party
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Monday made clear that she will reject any attempt by so-called "moderate" Republicans who are invited to the party's convention to define what the Democratic Party stands for. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12098953161_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/ocasio-cortez-welcomes-help-anti-trump-republicans-defeating-president-rejects?cd-origin=rss

Ainu People Sues Japan to Confirm Salmon Fishing Rights
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
A cultural organization of the Ainu People Monday sued the Japanese State and the Hokkaido Island government so that the authorities recognize their indigenous rights and lift the ban on commercial salmon fishing in rivers. | RELATED: | Chile: Mapuche People's Spiritual Advisor Stops Drinking Water | The lawsuit is the first of its kind filed by members of this Indigenous people, who were subjected to forced assimilation more than a century ago. | Although Japanese law recognize…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ainu-People-Sues-Japan-to-Confirm-Salmon-Fishing-Rights-20200817-0002.html

The Cost of 'Singapore Inc.'? A Coronavirus Outbreak Among Migrants
Kirsten Han | thenation.com | 2020-08-17
The Cost of 'Singapore Inc.'? A Coronavirus Outbreak Among Migrants.
thenation.com/article/world/singapore-coronavirus-migrant-workers/

A matter of life and death: What war and the pandemic have in common
Patrick Cockburn | mronline.org | 2020-08-17
Patrick Cockburn examines the threads between the pandemic and the media's coverage of age of endless war.
mronline.org/2020/08/17/a-matter-of-life-and-death-what-war-and-the-pandemic-have-in-common/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-matter-of-life-and-death-what-war-and-the-pandemic-have-in-common

Agenda ID2020 of the "One World Order": The 101 to Understanding Its Implications
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
Agenda ID2020 — is hardly mentioned by any media, let alone the mainstream. Agenda ID2020, if carried out, is the ultimate control by a small elite — of the One World Order (OWO), also called the New World Order (NWO) …
globalresearch.ca/agenda-id2020-101-understanding-implications/5721260

Needed: Indicators for Measuring Injustice and Societal Decay
Ralph Nader | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
Adequate housing, healthcare, food, public services, education, mass transit, health & safety standards, and environmental protections are the prerequisites for a humane democracy. | *** | Economic indicators — data points, trends, and micro-categories — are the widgets of the big information …
globalresearch.ca/indicators-measuring-injustice-societal-decay/5721284

Beirut Explosion, Western Imperialism And Media Misinformation
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
On August 4, 2020, an explosion of tons of ammonium nitrate being stored at the port of Beirut Lebanon ripped through the city killing 0ver 170 people and injuring 6,000 people. This happened at a time when Beirut was already suffering an economic collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic. We speak with Rania Khalek, a Lebanese-American independent journalist who was in Beirut, about what it was like during and after the explosion, the protests that followed and the complicated political situation in Lebanon. Khalek explains how the United States and other Western and Gulf States are interfering and causing more harm an…
popularresistance.org/beirut-explosion-western-imperialism-and-media-misinformation/

'Regime Change' in Belarus Looks Like an Objective of Both the Trump Administration and the Biden Campaign
Adam Dick | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
It seems that whoever wins the presidency, United States foreign policy will keep chugging away at intervening across the world, including via "regime change" efforts. Over the last couple decades, targets for US-government-supported overthrow have included Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, …
globalresearch.ca/regime-change-belarus-objective-trump-administration-biden-campaign/5721254

Can Lebanon be Saved?
Robert Fisk | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
How do you save a truly corrupt country like Lebanon? It's a question with an almost impossible answer…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/can-lebanon-be-saved/

Belarus Kicks Off Large-scale Military Drills Near Poland, Lithuania
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
On August 16, the Belarusian Armed Forces announced large-scale military drills near the country's nuclear plant and in the Grodno region bordering Poland and Lithuania. The drills will take place on August 17-20 and involve rocket and artillery units, air-defense …
globalresearch.ca/belarus-kicks-off-large-scale-military-drills-near-poland-lithuania-lukashenko-losing-propaganda-war-western-backed-opposition/5721276

Lebanon Devastated by Corruption, Economic Collapse, and Beirut Explosion
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
A perfect storm affects Lebanon and vast majority of its near-seven million people, including: | Out-of-control rampant corruption. | Unemployment of a third or more of working-age Lebanese. | Poverty exceeding 50% of the population. | Over 80% inflation since last October, debasing the …
globalresearch.ca/lebanon-devastated-corruption-economic-collapse-beirut-explosion/5721271

US intelligence agencies have another bounty case in Afghanistan, alleging Iran paid the Taliban to attack American forces
rt.com | 2020-08-17
It turns out Russia isn't the only country that US intelligence agencies are anonymously accusing of paying bounties to Taliban fighters to attack US troops in Afghanistan. Another bogeyman, Iran, is allegedly to blame this time. | A foreign government paid bounties to the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network for an attack last December on the Bagram Air Base that killed two civilians and injured more than 70 other people, including four US troops, CNN reported Monday, citing a Pentago…
rt.com/usa/498257-iran-taliban-bounty-claims/

Venezuela: Attorney General to Investigate Disappearance of Revolutionary Carlos Lanz
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-08-17
The former guerrilla fighter, who was investigating paramilitary infiltration in Venezuela, disappeared from his home on August 8.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14971

Snowflakes Hither, Yonder and In the Tropics: Ungentrifying Journalism from Brazil to Ecuador
Julian Cola | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-17
The mammoth machine of mainstream and western media at-large tells us who is articulate enough, indeed worldly, mindful, and honest enough to saddle the demands required of international journalism.
mintpressnews.com/racism-international-journalism-brazil-to-ecuador/270468/

We've Filed 400 Legal Actions Against Trump
aclu.org | 2020-08-17
Immediately after Trump's election, we put the president and his administration on notice: If they enacted unconstitutional and illegal policies, we would see them in court. We meant it. As of today, we've filed 400 legal actions against this administration. Our 400th filing was a class-action lawsuit that seeks to block the removal of
aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/weve-filed-400-legal-actions-against-trump

An Abortion Advocacy Movement for Everybody
Blair Wallace | aclu.org | 2020-08-17
Abortion is legal in Texas and across the United States, but that doesn't stop anti-abortion politicians from doing whatever they can to interfere with access to reproductive healthcare. Local governments have added fuel to the fire by passing anti-abortion ordinances that confuse residents about their rights and increase the ever-present stigma around seeking abortion care., , That's why, for the first time, reproductive rights, health, and justice groups in our state are joining forces to expand essential health care access for all Texans by creating the Texas Abortion Access Network. Join us for TAAN'…
aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/an-abortion-advocacy-movement-for-everybody

Following protests across the globe, Israel releases BDS activist Mahmoud Nawajaa
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
Following his release after 17 days in prison, Mahmoud Nawajaa called for the intensification of BDS campaigns "to bring to an end this system of apartheid and oppression and free all 4,700 Palestinian prisoners"
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/following-protests-across-the-globe-israel-releases-bds-activist-mahmoud-nawajaa/

Do Americans Dream of Capitalist Sheep?
Hiroyuki Hamada | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-17
It's capitalism after all. Those political parties for the rich and powerful know how to sell exploitation and subjugation by their good cop/bad cop marketing. If you don't buy this, you get Trump. But if you buy what they sell, you get Biden, an imperialist with the crime bill, Patriot Act, and the rest of the schemes …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/do-americans-dream-of-capitalist-sheep/

The Biden/Harris campaign and the dead-end of "lesser evil" politics
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
As the US election enters its final stage, enormous pressure is being brought to bear to convince workers and youth that the only way to oppose Trump is to support Biden and Harris.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/pers-a17.html

The Hoopla Over the Kamala Harris VP Selection Obscures the Many Young People of Color Who Are Winning Offices Nationally
Sonali Kolhatkar | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Joe Biden's pick of Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate for the 2020 Democratic presidential ticket has generated strong responses. While many Democrats are elated at the idea of seeing a brown-skinned woman of Indian and Jamaican heritage in such a position, progressives are debating one another about Harris' mixed record on bread-and-butter…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/the-hoopla-over-the-kamala-harris-vp-selection-obscures-the-many-young-people-of-color-who-are-winning-offices-nationally/

The US Press on Huawei by Limiting Its Access to Tech
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
The U.S. Department of Commerce Monday restricted access by Huawei and its affiliates on the tech items produced domestically and abroad from U.S. technology and software. | RELATED: | US Warns Brazil About Consequences of Authorizing Huawei in 5G | "Huawei and its foreign affiliates have extended their efforts to obtain advanced semiconductors developed or produced from U.S. software and technology in order to fulfill the policy objectives of the Communist Party," Commerce Sec…
telesurenglish.net/news/The-US-Press-on-Huawei-by-Limiting-Its-Access-to-Tech-20200817-0012.html

10-year-old rape victim in Brazil safely aborts after feminists expel religious extremists
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
Religious fundamentalists attempted to invade a health center in the city of Recife in a bid to prevent the procedure. The child earlier had to travel over 1,800 km after she was denied her legal right in her home State…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/10-year-old-rape-victim-in-brazil-safely-aborts-after-feminists-expel-religious-extremists/

Venezuela and Trump's Irrational Electoral Policy
Jorge Arreaza Monserrat | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Caracas, Venezuela. Elections always have an interesting effect on public policy, in particular if the person in charge of designing and implementing a certain policy is up for reelection. In politics, it is logical that an incumbent candidate decides to show successful policies and accomplishments while minimizing failures or shortcomings. However, what is irrational is…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/venezuela-and-trumps-irrational-electoral-policy/

US: Donald Trump's Younger Brother Dies At The Age Of 71
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
U.S. President Donald Trump's younger brother Robert Trump Saturday passed away in New York after being hospitalized in the intensive care unit for several days. | RELATED: | US: Trump Plans to Ban Alibaba, China's e-Commerce Giant | The President himself made the announcement hours after visiting his brother in the hospital, alerted by White House officials about his critical condition. However, he did not release a cause of death. | "It is with a heavy heart I share that my wonderful b…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-donald-trumps-younger-brother-dies-at-the-age-of-71-20200817-0004.html

China Announces Its First COVID-19 Vaccine Patent
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
China's National Intellectual Property Administration Monday granted the first patent to a COVID-19 vaccine developed in the Asian nation. | RELATED: | Russia Registers the World's First COVID-19 Vaccine | The Ad5-nCoV vaccine was co-developed by CanSino Biologics, the Beijing Biotechnology Institute, and a People's Liberation Army (PLA) team. | During the next year, the vaccine will be for the military forces' exclusive use. However, the military high command will be responsible for autho…
telesurenglish.net/news/china-announces-its-first-covid-19-vaccine-patent-20200817-0011.html

FROM THE FIELD: Protection among the mangroves
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
The rehabilitation and replanting of mangrove forests in Cuba's coastal regions is helping to protect the lives of people living on the Caribbean island, and reduce the effects of climate change, thanks to a UN Development Programme project.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070362

'We Want Climate Justice Now!' protest set for Minnesota Governor's Mansion
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-17
Minneapolis, MN – While the Democratic National Convention will take place virtually in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from August 17 to 20, activists from Minnesota's Climate Justice Committee and others are planning their own action targeting the DNC. Protesters are planning to picket the Minnesota Governor's Mansion to send a message to superdelegates that they want climate justice faster than the Democratic nominee's environmental plan. | Minnesota's Governor Walz is one of those superdelegates attending the DNC virtually. So on August 18, at 5 p.m., protesters plan to picket the Governor's Mansion at 1006 Summit…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/8/17/we-want-climate-justice-now-protest-set-minnesota-governor-s-mansion

Historic Collapse of US Economy: Real GDP Registers Biggest Quarterly Slump in Last 70 Years at 32.9%
Justinas Baltrusaitis | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
The United States economy has been growing steadily over the last few years as indicated by the real Gross Domestic Product figures. However, the coronavirus health crisis has plunged the economy to the worst levels in about seven decades. | Data …
globalresearch.ca/collapse-of-us-economy-real-gdp-registers-biggest-quarterly-slump-in-last-70-years-at-32-9/5721272

Engineered COVID-19-Infected Mouse Bites Researcher Amid 'Explosion' of Risky Coronavirus Research
Jonathan Latham | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
University researchers genetically engineer a human pandemic virus. They inject the new virus into a laboratory mouse. The infected mouse then bites a researcher…..It is a plot worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster about risky coronavirus research. But according to newly obtained minutes of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) of the University of North Carolina (UNC),…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/engineered-covid-19-infected-mouse-bites-researcher-amid-explosion-of-risky-coronavirus-research/

Coronavirus, Corruption, and Resistance: Life Under South Africa's Lockdown
Unicorn Riot | unicornriot.ninja | 2020-08-17
Durban, South Africa — Five months ago South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa, declared a national state of emergency and announced a "21 day lockdown" in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus in South Africa. The lockdown's time frame has since been extended multiple…
unicornriot.ninja/2020/coronavirus-corruption-and-resistance-life-under-south-africas-lockdown/

The Dystopian Coronavirus America
Peter Crowley | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
A parade of armed white nationalists took over the Michigan statehouse demanding that Gretchen Whitmer "Liberate Michigan" and reopen. The police stood there and did nothing, with some likely smiling inside. Fast forward two months to Portland, Oregon, where protesters outside a federal building were tear gassed and beaten with batons by federal agents. Covid-19…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/the-dystopian-coronavirus-america/

Coronavirus 'starkly' exposes vulnerability of persons with disabilities
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
The COVID-19 pandemic has "starkly exposed" the heightened vulnerability and risks to persons with disabilities, a major meeting convened to discuss the international treaty that supports persons with disabilities, heard on Monday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070372

Doctors Lay Out Plan to 'Punish' People Who Refuse Coronavirus Vaccine: 'There Is No Alternative'
Claire Chretien | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
'Simply put, getting vaccinated is going to be our patriotic duty,' and America should consider making it difficult for the unvaccinated to participate in society, three doctors wrote. | *** | A coronavirus vaccine should be mandatory, and tax penalties, higher insurance …
globalresearch.ca/doctors-lay-out-plan-punish-people-refuse-coronavirus-vaccine-no-alternative/5721252

White Christian Bigotry
James Haught | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Racism is much stronger among America's white Christians than among churchless whites — and it always has been. That's the message of a new book by social analyst Robert Jones, head of the Public Religion Research Institute. White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity contends that white churches didn't merely adapt…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/white-christian-bigotry/

Trumps' Coy Snowden Mystery: The Kiss of Death
John Kendall Hawkins | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Had we but world enough and time, This coyness, lady, were no crime. — Andrew Marvell, "To His Coy Mistress" (1681) I'm tired of the bullshit. Now that I've joined Twittersphere I've been getting magic bullets tweeting me all day. Up and to the Left. Some Mark Chapman is said to be disappointed in how…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/trumps-coy-snowden-mystery-the-kiss-of-death/

Wear a Mask If You Can, Don't Bully Those Who Can't
Jill Richardson | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
I've been seeing memes online advocating shaming people who aren't wearing masks. Please don't. If you see someone in a store without a mask, talk to the store instead of bothering the customer. There are two reasons why. First, your bigger problem isn't the person — it's the store. What are their procedures? Ask them…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/wear-a-mask-if-you-can-dont-bully-those-who-cant/

The Pandemic Has Revealed America's Zip Code Map of Inequality
Marshall Auerback | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
It is understandably tempting to drop all the blame for America's catastrophic response to COVID-19 on the big desk in the Oval Office. But there's more to the story than epic incompetence, grift and delusion at the highest levels of government. The stark divide in the level of health care from testing to treatment is…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/the-pandemic-has-revealed-americas-zip-code-map-of-inequality/

Domestic Violence in the Time of the Pandemic
Cesar Chelala | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
One of the most neglected consequences of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 is the increasing violence against women of all ages. UN Women has called it "the shadow pandemic," and António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General has said,…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/domestic-violence-in-the-time-of-the-pandemic/

Rental Inflation Appears to be Slowing, Especially in High-Priced Cities
Dean Baker | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
The overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.6 percent in July, the same as the rate in June. The core CPI rose 0.6 percent in July after rising 0.2 percent in June. Over the last year the indexes are up 1.0 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively. The inflation of the last two months is overwhelmingly…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/rental-inflation-appears-to-be-slowing-especially-in-high-priced-cities/

About Portland: An Interview with Author Jennifer Robin
Tamra Lucid | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Writer Jennifer Robin shares her experiences at the Portland Protests. One of the most compelling writers in America, Jennifer's first book, Death Confetti: Pickers, Punks, and Transit Ghosts in Portland, Oregon, is a series of vignettes of jarring experiences vividly portraying people struggling in the apocalyptic shadow of America. She was writing then about the surreal reality…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/about-portland-an-interview-with-jennifer-robin/

Never Surrender in Portland, Oregon
Mike Hastie | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
There is a whole new generation of Americans who have decided that non-stop resistance is the only way to confront the lethal power structure that is bound and determined to tattoo obedience on their very souls. That relentless longevity of energy is being acted out in Portland, Oregon like no other city across this nation. This has really become a profound awakening of historical precedence. The Black community only represents 6% of the population in Portland. Most of the demonstrators have been predominately young white people who are strong supporters of Black Lives Matter. There has been some very effective B…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/never-surrender-in-portland-oregon/

Mining the Deep Sea
Julia Barnes | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
They want to mine the deep sea. We shouldn't be surprised. This culture has stolen 90% of the large fish, created 450 deoxygenated areas, and murdered 50% of the coral reefs. It has wiped out 40% of the plankton. It has warmed and acidified the water to a level not seen since the Permian mass…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/mining-the-deep-sea/

COVID and Kafala
Faisal Hamadah | mronline.org | 2020-08-17
To imagine that a country as structurally classist as Kuwait could have ever succeeded in fighting a pandemic that was born from exploitation and thrives on inequality is the kind of naivety one dreams of achieving, so comforting must it be.
mronline.org/2020/08/17/covid-and-kafala/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=covid-and-kafala

Russia officially produces first batch of COVID-19 vaccine
teleSUR Desk | mronline.org | 2020-08-17
"Russia's health workers and teachers will be the first ones to receive the vaccine in the country," Russia's Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said.
mronline.org/2020/08/17/russia-officially-produces-first-batch-of-covid-19-vaccine/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=russia-officially-produces-first-batch-of-covid-19-vaccine

Pregnancy and labor during COVID-19
Nation Nyoka | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
"I feel so bad for him. He only knows four people right now in his life and I…" Her face is eclipsed by the chubby cheeks of a curious baby. Before she can continue, he repeatedly attacks the screen with the palm of his hand, babbling away in baby talk. His bottom milk teeth are obscured when his drool drenches the camera before the call is summarily cut. | "Eish, this boy! Sorry sisi, I was saying he doesn't know any other faces or people except us," says Maria Beda*, wiping the camera clean. | Like Beda, Thembeka Sibiya, 27, is concerned that her newborn son will not enjoy the same social life as her seven-ye…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/pregnancy-and-labor-during-covid-19/

Real Life Heroes: building trust, and saving lives
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
Marie-Roseline Bélizaire, a doctor and epidemiologist with the World Health Organization (WHO), is using her passion for community medicine to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the Central African Republic (CAR).
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070292

Trump Pushes to Reopen Schools Despite the US Health Crisis
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
U.S. President Donald Trump once again pushed for schools reopening despite his country registers 5,400,180 COVID-19 cases and 169,955 deaths. | RELATED: | US Senate Hearing Unveils Trump's Plans Against Venezuela | "The children have to return to the classrooms. They tend to only develop mild COVID-19 symptoms. Health complications in minors are incredibly rare," Trump said. | Previously, on July 6, he also said that "schools must reopen in the fall," insisting that "children are su…
telesurenglish.net/news/trump-pushes-to-reopen-schools-despite-alarming-infection-rate-20200817-0013.html

With pandemic raging, Florida governor deepens drive to reopen schools
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
School districts and teachers in Florida have been forced to resume in-person learning while COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to surge throughout the state.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/flor-a17.html

A risky game with health and lives as schools reopen throughout Germany
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
With the beginning of mandatory school attendance, the number of COVID-19 infections is increasing.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/germ-a17.html

The war on democracy
Thomas Magstadt | nationofchange.org | 2020-08-17
"I don't know what else to call it when a president is actively curtailing voting rights and doing his damnedest to de-legitimize the election…"
nationofchange.org/2020/08/17/the-war-on-democracy/

Ecuador: Court Begins Trial for Rebellion Against Paola Pabon
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Ecuador's Constitutional Court Monday held a hearing to start a trial for rebellion against the Pichincha Prefect Paola Pabon, Virgilio Hernandez, and Christian Gonzalez, all of whom are members of the Citizen Revolution Movement (RC). | RELATED: | Ecuador: Former President Bucaram Is Arrested for Organized Crime | They belong to the party supporting former President Rafael Correa and are accused of organizing a rebellion during the national strike th…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ecuador-Court-Begins-Trial-for-Rebellion-Against-Paola-Pabon-20200817-0010.html

Foiled in the Security Council: The United States, Extending Arms Embargoes and Iran
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
There are no official policing authorities as such when it comes to international relations. Realists imagine a jungle of states, the preyed upon and the predators, a grim state of affairs moderated by alliances, agreements and understandings. But there is …
globalresearch.ca/security-council-united-states-extending-arms-embargoes-iran/5721265

Private U.S. Contractors Part of the 'Kill Chain' in East Africa "Anti-Terrorist Operations"
Kira Zalan | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
It was early on a Sunday morning when Al-Shabab militants attacked the small airstrip next to a military base on Kenya's north coast. Plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky as the militants destroyed six aircraft and killed three …
globalresearch.ca/private-us-contractors-part-kill-chain-east-africa-anti-terrorist-operations/5721291

"The World That I See Today": Sanity, Her Son, and the Credulous
Jordan Henderson | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-17
I have recently completed a large painting (oil on canvas), exploring the emotional and spiritual side of mandatory masks, and what they symbolize. Visual art can serve as a medium to express sentiments from an angle that cannot be …
globalresearch.ca/sanity-her-son-credulous/5721263

Foiled in the Security Council: The United States, Extending Arms Embargoes and Iran
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-17
There are no official policing authorities as such when it comes to international relations. Realists imagine a jungle of states, the preyed upon and the predators, a grim state of affairs moderated by alliances, agreements and understandings. But there is one body whose resolutions are recognised as having binding force: the Security Council, that most …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/foiled-in-the-security-council-the-united-states-extending-arms-embargoes-and-iran/

"A Cynical Manipulation": On Israel's Empty Gesture of Goodwill to Beirut
Miko Peled | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-17
While some may see Israel's gesture as an act of magnanimity, showing solidarity with an enemy country, one is hard-pressed to find words to express just how disgusting and cynical it really is.
mintpressnews.com/tel-aviv-israel-gesture-of-goodwill-to-beirut-lebanon/270455/

As Defense Bill Divides Senate, the Pentagon Shows a Crack in the Armor
Raul Diego | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-17
The national security state is on the verge of a radical transformation. From DHS to the military, the pressure is mounting on all sides to revamp federal law enforcement hierarchies, shift information pipelines, and reimage the nature of warfare.
mintpressnews.com/as-defense-bill-divides-senate-the-pentagon-shows-a-crack-in-the-armor/270495/

'The Killing Was Really Cut and Dry'
Brian Gilmore | progressive.org | 2020-08-17
George Floyd's murder sparks a worldwide campaign to end policing as we know it.
progressive.org/magazine/the-killing-was-really-cut-and-dry-gilmore/

Texas A&M faculty decry plans to reopen campuses in midst of pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
Faculty, professors and students at multiple Texas A&M University campuses recently penned an open letter that has garnered roughly 900 signatures.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/oppo-a17.html

Latin America Increases its Food Exports to the European Union
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
The Latin American countries increased their agricultural exports to the European Union (EU) during the pandemic. | RELATED: | Spain: One In Four Citizens At Risk Of Poverty — Survey | "The behavior of the Latin American agricultural exports has been outstanding compared to the rest of the world," the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) specialist Joaquin Arias said. | He also mentioned that the Latin American countries are takin…
telesurenglish.net/news/Latin-America-Increases-its-Food-Exports-to-the-European-Union-20200817-0007.html

Modi govt attempts to dilute Indian environment laws amid pandemic
Surangya | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
India's right-wing government is set on diluting its environment protection laws. In yet another neoliberal move, the government has proposed amendments in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process that will make it easier for private capital to exploit natural resources.
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/modi-govt-attempts-to-dilute-indian-environment-laws-amid-pandemic/

Rival Belorussian protests take place in Minsk as EU ponders new sanctions
Steve Sweeney | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-17
peoplesworld.org/article/rival-belorussian-protests-take-place-in-minsk-as-eu-ponders-new-sanctions/

Belarus: Mass Protests Against President Lukashenko Continue
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko Sunday attended a demonstration organized by government supporters in Minsk, while hundreds of thousands of citizens gathered to demand his resignation at the most massive opposition demonstration ever. | RELATED: | EU Won't Accept Belarus Election Results, Sanctions Coming | The protests began in Minsk nine days ago, after the announcement of Lukashenko's re-election. Today the demonstrations have spread throughout Belarus, with more par…
telesurenglish.net/news/mass-protests-continue-in-belarus-against-president-lukashenko-20200817-0001.html

Protests, strikes against Lukashenko regime mount in Belarus
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
The involvement of growing sections of workers has panicked the Lukashenko regime, and the NATO-backed opposition is calling for "dialogue" with the regime.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/bela-a17.html

Lebanon's future is uncertain after this month's massive explosion
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-17
After protests, citizens are looking to end corruption once and for all.
therealnews.com/stories/lebanons-future-is-uncertain-after-massive-explosion

Thousands hit the streets in anti-government demonstration in Bangkok
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
An estimated ten thousand people participated in a demonstration on Sunday, supporting the ongoing students' movement calls for political reforms. This is the latest in a series of growing protests against the establishment…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/thousands-hit-the-streets-in-anti-government-demonstration-in-bangkok/

Teacher sickout closes Arizona school district as support grows for national strike
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
Phoenix area teachers forced the closure of the first day of school today as protests against the unsafe opening of schools spread across the country.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/ariz-a17.html

Somalia: UN condemns 'brazen' terrorist attack on beachside hotel
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
The UN in Somalia has strongly condemned a terrorist attack that took place on Sunday at the Elite Hotel in the capital Mogadishu, which reportedly killed at least 16 people and left many others injured.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070342

El Salvador: Prosecutor's Office Arrests Ex Defense Ministers
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
In El Salvador, the Attorney General's Office confirmed that former Defense Ministers David Munguia and Jose Atilio were arrested on charges of illegal weaponry exchange. | RELATED: | El Salvador: Bukele Accuses Judges Of Obeying Parliament | Munguia and Atilio held office between 2009 and 2014 during President Mauricio Funes' administration. Three civilians, Hector Mejia, Manuel Romero, and Carlos Davidson were also captured. | Besides being a pharmaceutical…
telesurenglish.net/news/El-Salvador-Prosecutors-Office-Arrests-Ex-Defense-Ministers-20200817-0003.html

Confirmed: King Juan Carlos I Is in the United Arab Emirates
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
Spanish Royal Family Monday confirmed that the Emeritus King Juan Carlos I has been in the United Arab Emirates since early August. | RELATED: | King Juan Carlos I Flees to the Caribbean to Evade Justice | On August 3, he arrived in the Arab country and has remained there ever since. His decision to leave Spain occurred amid an investigation into hidden businesses that Juan Carlos I maintained in Switzerland. | It was speculated that the monarch had chosen an exclusive neighborhood…
telesurenglish.net/news/confirmed-king-juan-carlos-i-is-in-the-united-arab-emirates-20200817-0008.html

Terrorism victims must never be forgotten: UN Secretary-General
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
Secretary-General António Guterres has underscored UN solidarity with all victims of terrorism and urged people everywhere to ensure they are never forgotten.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070352

World Bank's rating obsession will negate debt justice
Patrick Bond | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
The World Bank and IMF continue squeezing poor countries on behalf of commercial lenders, failing to provide the debt cancellations desperately needed.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/world-banks-rating-obsession-will-negate-debt-justice/

The Secret History of the Emirates' Relationship to Israel
Dr Adnan Abu Amer | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
The Palestinians have always felt that the UAE has been seeking for years to exploit their suffering and their need for financial and relief aid, to stipulate that they should not issue a position condemning any step to enhance normalisation with Israel.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-secret-history-of-the-emirates-relationship-to-israel/

Cops Have Repeatedly Attacked and Obstructed Street Medics During BLM Rebellion
Ella Fassler | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
Dozens of reports of police arresting medics and destroying their property have arisen since the revolt began in late May. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, police assaulted medics at their tent in a Kmart parking lot on May 31.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/cops-have-repeatedly-attacked-and-obstructed-street-medics-during-blm-rebellion/

Judge blocks GM's bid to reopen racketeering case against Fiat Chrysler
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
The judge made the ruling despite credible and explosive new allegations about the scale and scope of FCA's bribery of the United Auto Workers union.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/auto-a17.html

Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen in The Good Liar: The consequences of light-mindedness
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
Essential conformism on important matters seems an apt summing up of Bill Condon's film career to date. At any rate, The Good Liar will not do much to change one's attitude.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/liar-a17.html

Community-based farms rise to the occasion as big food supply chains stall
Elizabeth Henderson | nationofchange.org | 2020-08-17
Organic CSA farms like Massaro in Connecticut have been able to nimbly reorient marketing and production to serve the urgent needs of their communities.
nationofchange.org/2020/08/17/community-based-farms-rise-to-the-occasion-as-big-food-supply-chains-stall/

Belarus crisis: Top UN official concerned over torture allegations
news.un.org | 2020-08-17
In the wake of ongoing electoral-related unrest in Belarus, the top UN official in the country has requested an urgent meeting with authorities focused on the issue of human rights, according to a statement from her offic…
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070322

Mijente Stayed Out of the 2016 Election. Here's Why It's Going All In This Time
Ray Levy-Uyeda | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
Hispanic voters will comprise 13% of the electorate this year–the largest nonwhite demographic group of eligible voters. Mijente's "Fuera Trump" campaign aims to mobilize them for the November election.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/mijente-stayed-out-of-the-2016-election-heres-why-its-going-all-in-this-time/

Blood and soil!
Philip Farruggio | nationofchange.org | 2020-08-17
What both those storm troopers of 90 years ago and this new breed of lemmings should be saying is "Yeah, Our blood and Their soil!" as to who really calls the shots for their actions.
nationofchange.org/2020/08/17/blood-and-soil/

Maine Shipbuilders Bring the Hammer Down, Reject Concessions
Andy O'Brien | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
More than 4,300 shipbuilders at the Bath Iron Works shipyard in Maine struck for seven weeks from June to August in the largest private sector strike in the U.S. this year…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/maine-shipbuilders-bring-the-hammer-down-reject-concessions/

Charter Schools Have Failed (And We Need to Stop Funding Them)
Jeff Bryant | progressive.org | 2020-08-17
Nearly one million students have been left stranded because of charter school closures in the past twenty years–there's clearly something wrong here.
progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/charter-schools-have-failed-bryant-200817/

US child care in existential crisis as schools and businesses reopen
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
As plummeting enrollment at day cares during the spring forced many to close, the beginning of grade school classes in the fall will compound the crisis.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/chil-a17.html

India: Motherson's "inquiry" rubber stamps sacking of strikers
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
The ongoing persecution of Motherson autoparts strikers was facilitated by the Maoist Left Trade Union Centre's betrayal of the 140-day walkout.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/moth-a17.html

Half of UK Early Years learning workers paid less than minimum wage for 25-year-olds
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
Low pay is one of the main reasons given for leaving the profession, alongside increasing work demands and a lack of training and professional development.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/earl-a17.html

Indiana Rank-and-File Safety Committee demands reinstatement of whistleblower at Faurecia Gladstone plant
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
The newly-formed Faurecia Gladstone Rank and File Safety Committee is also demanding an immediate halt on the part of the company and the local union to all forms of intimidation and harassment.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/indi-a17.html

Heat wave, rolling blackouts affect thousands across California
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
A major heat wave affecting much of the southwestern US caused rolling blackouts Friday and Saturday throughout California.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/cali-a17.html

Abnormalize The Status Quo
Caitlin Johnstone | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-17
We are in the same situation now. We are having a wildly insane status quo thrust upon us by the powerful and for the benefit of the powerful. Only difference is we're not all out in the streets, and instead of thrusting this horrible situation upon us suddenly, they've been doing it this entire time. | Which is precisely why we're not out in the streets. We were born into this mess, so we assume it's normal and that things are supposed to be this way. But it isn't, and they aren't. | What is normal is health. Health is the normal default condition. If you wake up with a fever and stabbing pain in your abdomen yo…

Abnormalize The Status Quo

Racist Soledad prison guards intentionally infect Black prisoners
Patricia Gorky | liberationnews.org | 2020-08-17
Racist prison guards brutalized more than 200 Black prisoners at Soledad in a violent 3 a.m. raid, forcing prisoners to sit shoulder-to-shoulder, with no masks. Guards in riot gear hurled racial slurs at the Black men who were targeted.
liberationnews.org/racist-soledad-prison-guards-intentionally-infect-black-prisoners/

Calls For Nationwide Sickout As Arizona School District Cancels Reopening
Lois Beckett | zcomm.org | 2020-08-17
Arizona public school district forced to abandon plans after more than 100 teachers and staff members called in sick…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/calls-for-nationwide-sickout-as-arizona-school-district-cancels-reopening/

Bolivian social movements and trade unions end strike and lift blockades
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-17
The decision was taken following the enactment of a new electoral law that calls to hold general elections no later than October 18 and imposes criminal penalties on any effort to postpone the date…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/17/bolivian-social-movements-and-trade-unions-end-strike-and-lift-blockades/

The NYPD is withholding evidence from investigations into police abuse
Eric Umansky and Mollie Simon | nationofchange.org | 2020-08-17
The NYPD has regularly failed to turn over key records and videos to police abuse investigators at New York's Civilian Complaint Review Board.
nationofchange.org/2020/08/17/the-nypd-is-withholding-evidence-from-investigations-into-police-abuse/

Antifa crackdown is the new red scare
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-08-17
The Nation's Ken Klippenstein discusses the United States government's recent push against antifa.
therealnews.com/stories/antifa-crackdown-new-red-scare

Latino Theater Company offers free virtual online season starting August 18
Special to People's World | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-17
LOS ANGELES — Pay no attention to this dateline! Although the storied Latino Theater Company is based here, the virtual online season can be accessed literally from wherever you are in the world! Over the next five months, LTC's fall season includes streamed, archival footage of fully staged hit productions and live streamed "sneak-peek" readings …
peoplesworld.org/article/latino-theater-company-offers-free-virtual-online-season-starting-august-18/

The First Emancipation
Alan Johnstone and Stephen Shenfield | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-17
Dramatic news spreads among the slaves. Their masters are at war! They are told that their masters' enemies are also theirs. But some doubt whether that is true. Might not their masters' enemies be their friends? Soon it is rumored that any slave who crosses the lines into enemy-held territory goes free. A scene from the Civil War, …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-first-emancipation/

Canadian provinces and cities confront huge deficits as economic crisis deepens
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
Huge debts, which have been accumulated chiefly through measures to bail out the banks and financial oligarchy, are being seized upon to demand intensified austerity for the working class.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/debt-a17.html

This week in history: August 17-23
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
25 years ago: Mumia Abu-Jamal escapes death penalty Mumia Abu-Jamal, the former Black Panther and broadcast journalist who had been on Pennsylvania's death row for over 13 years, narrowly escaped an execution scheduled for August 17, 1995 when his trial judge granted a stay.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/twih-a17.html

US-backed opposition in Solomon Islands opposes ties to Beijing
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
A provincial administration in Malaita insists that it has the right to maintain its own relations with Taiwan and refuses to recognise Beijing.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/solo-a17.html

South Dakota governor first to reject unemployment aid from Trump executive order
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
While four states have already been approved by FEMA to begin authorizing payments, Kristie Noem cited cherry-picked statistics to justify her rejection of federal benefits.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/unem-a17.html

Observing health protocols emphasized by all religious figure
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in a televised speech on commemorating Ashura amid the spread of coronavirus with Almanar TV urged the Shia Muslims to hold mourning ceremonies of Muharram with health protocols in place.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162402/Observing-health-protocols-emphasized-by-all-religious-figure

Iran registers 2,247 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,247 people and claimed 165 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162387/Iran-registers-2-247-COVID-19-cases-in-24-hours

Armed Forces has taken giant stride in fight against COVID-19
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) –Spokesman of the Iranian Armed Forces said that the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have taken giant strides in battling the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 and its activities should be reflected duly.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162381/Armed-Forces-has-taken-giant-stride-in-fight-against-COVID-19

67 years after 1953 Coup; Is it possible to put trust in US?
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iran is marking the 67th anniversary of the 1953 Coup, a clear foreign intervention by the United States that that shaped Iran-US relations up to now.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162388/67-years-after-1953-Coup-Is-it-possible-to-put-trust-in-US

Tough sanctions situation should be disseminated to people
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that tough conditions of sanctions imposed against the country as well as salient measures taken by the government should be disseminated to all walks of life.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162403/Tough-sanctions-situation-should-be-disseminated-to-people

Foreign patent offices registers 110 of Iran's inventions
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iran Patent Center announced that as many as 110 inventions by Iranian scientists have been granted patents by authentic foreign patent offices, according to Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162391/Foreign-patent-offices-registers-110-of-Iran-s-inventions

'Gabriel' to go on screen at Cheongju Intl. Short FilmFest
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iranian short film, 'Gabriel' directed by Yousef Kargar, will be screened at the 17th edition of the Cheongju International Short Film Festival in South Korea.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162392/Gabriel-to-go-on-screen-at-Cheongju-Intl-Short-FilmFest

Police Seize 853 kg of narcotics in Yazd province
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — The police forces of Yazd province in central Iran have seized 853 kilograms of illicit drugs in two separate operations.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162405/Police-Seize-853-kg-of-narcotics-in-Yazd-province

'Untimely' to take part at Italian, American film festivals
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — Iranian feature 'Untimely', directed by Pouya Eshtehardi, will take part at three international film festivals in Italy and the US.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162398/Untimely-to-take-part-at-Italian-American-film-festivals

Iran Air to resume Tehran-Madrid flights after 17 years
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Spain announced the resumption of weekly flights on the Tehran-Madrid-Tehran route after 17 years.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162401/Iran-Air-to-resume-Tehran-Madrid-flights-after-17-years

Supreme Council of Standards meeting held
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iran's Supreme Council of Standards held in meeting on Monday morning with the presence of First Vice President Es'hagh Jahangiri and other senior officials at the place of Presidential Administration.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/162378/Supreme-Council-of-Standards-meeting-held

Three Asiatic cheetahs spotted in Semnan
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
SEMNAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Park rangers have spotted three Asiatic cheetahs in near Sharoud in Semnan province, central Iran.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162372/Three-Asiatic-cheetahs-spotted-in-Semnan

Triggering Snapback Mechanism to create more problems for US
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov criticized the White House for claiming to trigger the Snapback Mechanism.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162407/Triggering-Snapback-Mechanism-to-create-more-problems-for-US

Persian Restaurants in New Mexico
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — The restaurant concept is defined by business model and restaurants theme, style of service, cuisine, interior design, and price point. One of these concepts is catering restaurants.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162374/Persian-Restaurants-in-New-Mexico

UAE rulers' betrayal not to be erased from Muslims' memories
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Referring to UAE-Israeli tie normalization, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said that the strategic mistake and the brazen betrayal of the UAE rulers will not be erased from the historical memories of the Muslims and freedom seekers.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162389/UAE-rulers-betrayal-not-to-be-erased-from-Muslims-memories

VP visits Ardabil to pursue provincial development affairs
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
ARDABIL, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Vice President and Head of Plan and Budget Organization (PBO) Mohammad Bagher Nobakht visited northwest Ardabil province on Monday with the aim of following up measures to develop the province.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/162404/VP-visits-Ardabil-to-pursue-provincial-development-affairs

Khuzestan taekwondokas win medals at intl. online competition
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-17
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Taekwondokas from Khuzestan Province grabbed three medals at the Takavaran International Online Poomsae Competition, head of public relations of Khuzestan Taekwondo Board said.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162373/Khuzestan-taekwondokas-win-medals-at-intl-online-competition

World still in 'early stage of pandemic' – Neil Ferguson
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-17
Neil Ferguson is 'optimistic' Europe won't see very large numbers of new COVID-19 cases this year, but poorer nations may face 'bigger problems'.
imperial.ac.uk/news/201953/world-still-early-stage-pandemic-neil

Special Award for Pandemic Service goes to academic behind rapid COVID-19 test
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-17
Professor Chris Toumazou has been awarded a President's Special Award for Pandemic Service by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
imperial.ac.uk/news/202053/special-award-pandemic-service-goes-academic

Low-cost sensor developed by Imperial students to identify recyclable objects
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-08-17
Students from Imperial have used AI-powered cameras to identify recyclable objects, enabling them to be automatically sorted at waste facilities.
imperial.ac.uk/news/200954/low-cost-sensor-developed-imperial-students-identify

Kamala Harris seals Trump's re-election
Jacob Reimann and Thomas Denkler | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
The appointment of Kamala Harris as Biden's vice candidate is now the result of the Democratic establishment's pathological fear of anything that could even begin to smell left. The cause of this pathology lies in the historical shift to the right of the US party system described by Chomsky.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835950.php

Embodied Inequality: The Intersections Between COVID, Racial Justice, and the Environment
Brianna Cunliffe | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
The consequences of our fossil fuel economy and a global pandemic fall heaviest on America's most vulnerable communities. Elected Officials are saying enough.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835948.php

Friday 8/21: Online Event: Covid's Hidden Toll with Filmmakers Daffodil Altan and Andrés Cediel
Revolution Books | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Revolution Books, 2444 Durant Ave. Berkeley CA 94704…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/16/18835940.php

G7 Calls for More Debt Relief to Confront COVID-19 Crisis
Zach Conti | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin convened G7 Finance Ministers, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to coordinate responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835951.php

Tuesday 8/18: "Defund SFPD Now" Direct Action & Protest
indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Holly Park, 424 Holly Park Circle…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835954.php

Saturday 8/22: Nationwide Protest: Save the Post Office from Trump, Save Our Votes Now!
MoveOn, SEIU, NAACP, Indivisible, others | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Nationwide protests at local post offices across the country in support of USPS…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835952.php

SMART Local 1741 School Bus Drivers Rally At SF City Hall For Justice
SMART Local 1741 | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
SMART 1741 School bus drivers will be protesting against their layoffs, cuts in medical benefits and privatization…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835953.php

Giants and Warriors Workers Rally at Ballpark
Marc Norton | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Giants and Warriors workers rallied at the Giants ballpark on Friday, August 14. The Giants have lost 13 out of 19 games since the Giants fired their concession workers.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/17/18835946.php

Saturday 8/22: Swing Left SF Phone Bank Training for Introverts (& Friends)
Swing Left San Francisco | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Online Event…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/15/18835938.php

Saturday 9/5: Strike Debt Bay Area Book Group: Modern Monetary Theory
Strike Debt Bay Area | indybay.org | 2020-08-17
Online via Zoom | EMAIL STRIKE.DEBT.BAY.AREA@GMAIL.COM FOR ZOOM INFO A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/15/18835937.php

As Bolivian Regime Delays Elections A Third Time, Media Continue To Ignore Coup
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
After both of the nation's leading papers admitted that the reason for declaring the October election a fraud was itself a fraud, few have asked the critical questions about why the OAS and the United States were so quick to have Morales removed from office. In fact, few media outlets altered their coverage of Bolivia at all. | Reuters (7/9/20) described how "a disputed election led to widespread protests that eventually toppled…Evo Morales," with a later piece (7/15/20) reporting that Añez "took power in a political vacuum." A CNN segment (7/17/20) on the COVID crisis in Bolivia described how "widespread unres…
popularresistance.org/as-bolivian-regime-delays-elections-a-third-time-media-continue-to-ignore-coup/

During COVID-19, The Risk To Health Care Workers Has Never Been Greater
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
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 worst worldwide pandemic in over a century, you've been working long, intense, chaotic hours. You've watched patients die at rates unimaginable just six months ago. You've watched colleagues die. You've worried that you may be bringing death home to your families. | If you work in health care but don't interact with pandemic patients, the months since March haven't exactly been easy street either. In April alone, 1.4 mill…
popularresistance.org/during-covid-19-the-risk-to-health-care-workers-has-never-been-greater/

Trump's War On Arms Control And Disarmament
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
Trump's hostile and counterproductive acts have undermined the arms control regime that U.S. presidents have developed over the past seven decades. Every president from Eisenhower to Obama contributed to improving the verification and monitoring of strategic arms; reducing the numbers of strategic weapons; eliminating intermediate-range missiles, and/or trying to avoid accidental confrontation. During the presidential campaign in 2016, ten former nuclear control officers anticipated the worst and organized a letter stating that, if elected, Trump should not be given the nuclear codes. | For the past two years, Tr…
popularresistance.org/trumps-war-on-arms-control-and-disarmament/

School Cancelled In Arizona Area After 'Sick Out' Over Reopening
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
An Arizona school district that ignored state safety guidelines and voted to begin in-person learning on Aug. 17 has had to cancel classes after staff said it was unsafe to return and called in sick. | Greater Phoenix's J.O. Combs Unified School District canceled all instruction for Monday due to "insufficient staffing," days after its board disregarded state benchmarks on when students can safely return to classes during the pandemic. | The "sick out" underlined the difficulties in returning to in-person learning in the United States after schools in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama closed this week as students a…
popularresistance.org/school-cancelled-in-arizona-area-after-sick-out-over-reopening/

Discussion Of Wikileaks Or 'Hacked Information' Banned Under New YouTube Rules
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
Social media giant YouTube announced yesterday a host of new measures it says are aimed at preventing any interference in the upcoming presidential elections. Chief among the list it wrote on its blog, is "removing content that contains hacked information, the disclosure of which may interfere with democratic processes, such as elections and censuses." An example it gives would-be deleting "videos that contain hacked information about a political candidate." | It also promised to "raise up authoritative voices" when it comes to current events and politics by changing its algorithm to show users more credible chan…
popularresistance.org/discussion-of-wikileaks-or-hacked-information-banned-under-new-youtube-rules/

NATO's 'Unified Front' At Breaking Point
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
The NATO alliance's fault lines extend beyond the Arab World. In most cases, these divisions trace back to member states' unease with U.S. imperial overreach and pugnacious provocations. Early rumblings surfaced during the Afghan War, when many NATO allies proved unenthusiastic about — and attached combat-avoidance "national caveats" to — increased roles in the alliance's first "out-of-area" expeditionary operation. Member states were quick, and correct, to point out that NATO was never designed for such missions. | More recently, in ruptures that can be blamed on Mr. Trump, some NATO allies have prov…
popularresistance.org/natos-unified-front-at-breaking-point/

Indicators For Measuring Injustice And Societal Decay
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-17
Economic indicators — data points, trends, and micro-categories — are the widgets of the big information industry. By contrast, indicators for our society's democratic health are not similarly compiled, aggregated, and reported. Its up and down trends are presented piecemeal and lack quantitative precision. | We can get the process started and lay the basis for qualitative and quantitative refinement. Years ago, when we started "re-defining progress" and questioning the very superficial GDP and its empirical limitations, professional economists took notice. Unfortunately, with few exceptions, economis…
popularresistance.org/indicators-for-measuring-injustice-and-societal-decay/

Democrats' election platform demands end to 'forever wars' — most of which were launched last time Biden held office
rt.com | 2020-08-17
The Democratic Party's 2020 electoral platform includes a call to end the US' "forever wars" – which sounds great, except that a Democratic president started many of those wars and the party has stonewalled efforts to end them. | "Democrats know it's time to bring nearly two decades of unceasing conflict to an end," the platform, released in draft form on Monday and expected to be approved by Democratic leaders later this week, reads. | It's a relatively uncontroversial statement in itself: at nearly 19 years and counting, the US war in Afghanistan is the longest conflict in American history. The various satel…
rt.com/usa/498229-democrats-forever-wars-hypocrisy-biden/

Trump carves into Biden's lead on eve of Democratic convention, poll shows
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Donald Trump is nearly neck-and-neck with presidential opponent Joe Biden, who earlier enjoyed a comfortable lead over the incumbent, according to a new CNN poll. Voters are divided over Biden's VP pick, Kamala Harris. | The presumptive Democratic nominee leads Trump by just four points nationally, 50 percent to 46 percent, the poll shows. In fifteen battleground states, the CNN poll gives the former vice president a one-point lead, with Biden at 49 percent and Trump at 48 percent. Factoring in the poll's margin of error, ranging from 3.7 to 5 percentage points, the presidential contenders may be close to tied…
rt.com/usa/498179-trump-biden-cnn-poll-convention/

Joe Biden blasted for softball interview with Cardi B after avoiding real journalists ahead of convention
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Joe Biden is facing a backlash after taking the time to sit down for a video chat with rapper Cardi B, having dodged interviews with major journalists and news outlets ahead of the Democratic convention. | Biden tuned in for a candid video conversation with the provocative and political rapper Cardi B for Elle Magazine. Posted online on Monday, the virtual tete-a-tete prompted immediate eye-rolling and accusations that the Democratic candidate was using the celebrity to appear relevant. | The unusual pairing discussed a variety…
rt.com/usa/498227-joe-biden-softball-cardi/

'Joe and the Hoe': Rush Limbaugh's mockery of Kamala Harris' sex life triggers outrage & accusations of skewed priorities
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh's "sexist" riff on Democratic VP candidate Kamala Harris' past relationship with a powerful older politician has liberals outraged and conservatives rolling their eyes. | In his Friday broadcast, Limbaugh brought up the NBA's dismissal of a freelance photographer who had posted a mock campaign ad of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden with Harris captioned 'Joe and the Hoe' on Facebook. | Noting the photographer was given the boot over a "sexist Facebook post referencing Kamala Harris," he explained the 'Joe and the Hoe' quip was a reference to Harris' sexual relat…
rt.com/usa/498249-kamala-harris-sexist-outrage-limbaugh/

Great minds think alike? NZ PM Ardern postpones election over coronavirus spike, sparks comparisons with Trump
rt.com | 2020-08-17
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has announced that she's delaying the general election by a month citing a surge in coronavirus cases. The move has attracted attention in the US where Donald Trump floated a similar idea earlier. | Ardern announced…
rt.com/usa/498174-new-zealand-election-delay-trump/

Great minds think alike? NZ PM Ardern postpones election over coronavirus spike, sparks comparisons with Trump
rt.com | 2020-08-17
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has announced that she's delaying the general election by a month citing a surge in coronavirus cases. The move has attracted attention in the US where Donald Trump floated a similar idea earlier. | Ardern announced…
rt.com/usa/498174-new-zealand-election-delay-trump/

Rolling Stone reporter takes aim at Fox news over Seth Rich murder & gets blasted for failing to get facts right
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Seth Rich 'truthers,' including internet rights activist Kim Dotcom, are hounding a journalist for his book about the former DNC staffer's death. They say he's profiting from Rich's death – the very thing he accuses them of. | Seth Rich was 27 years old when he was gunned down near his apartment in Washington, DC, in 2016. The murder of the Democratic National Committee staffer was declared a botched robbery by police, but widespread online speculation at the time suggested that Rich was responsible for leaking a trove of party emails to Wikileaks, and was killed in retaliation. These emails revealed, among ot…
rt.com/usa/498243-seth-rich-conspiracy-dotcom/

Twitter 'accidentally' suspends satirical site Babylon Bee after it mocked Kamala Harris and USPS conspiracies
rt.com | 2020-08-17
Twitter suspended the account of parody news site The Babylon Bee after it mocked Democrat VP candidate Kamala Harris and 'mail vote suppression' conspiracies. It was shortly restored amid protests about censorship. | The Bee went dark around 6 pm on Monday. Archives showed that their last tweet was a story about President Donald Trump "riding around in an SUV" smashing mailboxes "to make it impossible for people to mail in their ballots." | pic.twitter.com/KUadrxKnlM– Daily Caller (@DailyCaller)
rt.com/usa/498263-babylon-bee-satire-twitter-suspension/

Trump speeds up plans for oil development in Alaska wildlife reserve, but drillers may show little interest amid industry slump
rt.com | 2020-08-17
The Trump administration said it will begin leasing oil exploration blocks in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), inflaming opposition at a time when it may not even be economically attractive to drill in the region. | Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said Monday that opening up 1.5 million acres of federally owned land in the refuge will create thousands of jobs and marks "a new chapter in American energy independence." The first lease sale could take place by the end of this year, four years sooner than is required by 2017 legislation. A tax bill passed that year by Congress, then controlled b…
rt.com/usa/498254-anwr-oil-drilling/

The Abyss of Disinformation Gazes Into Its Creators
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-17
He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. | Friedrich Nietzsche | The other day the U.S. State Department published " Pillars of Russia's Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem". The report should have a disclaimer like this: | Everything you read in the NYT or hear Rachel Maddow say about Russia is true: Putin is a murderer, a thief and a thug, he shot down MH17, poisoned the Skripals, elected…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/17/the-abyss-of-disinformation-gazes-into-its-creators/

The Russian Interference Report, Without Laughing
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-17
Craig MURRAY | Now the madding crowd has moved on, I take a mature look at the report by the Intelligence and Security Committee on Russia. It is so flawed it is tempting simply to mock it. But in fact, it is extremely dangerous. | It calls expressly and repeatedly for the security services to be actively involved in "policing the democratic space" and castigates the security services for their unwillingness to interfere in democratic process. It calls for t…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/17/the-russian-interference-report-without-laughing/

Lights! Camera! Kill! Hollywood, the Pentagon and Imperial Ambitions
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-08-17
Matthew HOH | There's a sickness that comes with the certainty of those who view the world in so black and white, so good and bad, so us versus them terms, that killing is often a morally defensible act. More so, such killing often goes beyond just simple self defense, to a level of retributive necessity, a preventive act that makes the act of killing practically an act of altruism. "If I hadn't killed the bad guy, the bad guy would have killed other people" so the reasoning goes. The myth of redemptive violence, is clearly espoused and…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/08/17/lights-camera-kill-hollywood-pentagon-and-imperial-ambitions/

Wearing a face mask reduces spread of coronavirus through coughing and speaking, new study reveals
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
Wearing a face covering lowers the risk of spreading coronavirus (Covid-19) to others through speaking and coughing, new research suggests.Speaking and coughing without face protection exposes people nearby to droplets carrying the virus that could otherwise be stopped by wearing a mask, according to the study."Wearing a face mask can really make a difference": Researchers found someone standing two metres from a coughing person with no mask is exposed to 10,000 times more droplets than someone half a metre from a coughing person with a mask on.Lead researcher Dr Ignazio Maria Viola, of the University of E…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/08/17/wearing-a-face-mask-reduces-spread-of-coronavirus-through-coughing-and-speaking-new-study-reveals/

Boris Johnson under pressure to end A-level chaos
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
Boris Johnson is facing a Tory backlash over the deepening A-levels crisis in England as pupils and teachers continued to protest about the results awarded.Senior Conservatives called for the government to resolve the "shambles" which had been "terribly unfair" to students who got lower-than-expected grades after their exams were cancelled as a result of coronavirus.Johnson is expected to go on holiday to Scotland this week, but Labour leader Keir Starmer called on him to take "personal responsibility" in dealing with the situation. | The Conservative former education secretary Kenneth Baker urged ministers to de…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/17/boris-johnson-under-pressure-to-end-a-level-chaos/

Boris Johnson surveys the wreckage of the exam results scandal then scoots off on holiday
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
A U-turn over the controversial system for awarding A-level results in England appears imminent after Tory MPs heaped pressure on Boris Johnson and education secretary Gavin Williamson to change course. | Downing Street refused to rule out a shift to a Scottish-style system based on teachers' predicted grades rather than an algorithm aimed at standardising results. | Johnson has gone on holiday to Scotland this week despite the chaos over the A-level results but held talks with Williamson and senior officials on Monday morning. | In an indication that the grades awarded last week may not be the final results, a N…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/17/boris-johnson-surveys-the-wreckage-of-the-exam-results-scandal-then-scoots-off-on-holiday/

Morrisons considers ditching plastic 'bags for life' for paper alternative
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
Morrisons has said it could ditch plastic "bags for life" from its supermarkets as it looks to move to only using paper bags.The supermarket chain has launched a trial across eight stores, which will see only sturdy paper bags used at checkouts instead.It said it hopes to stop using plastic carrier bags in all 494 of its stores if the trial proves popular with customers.Morrisons said it is looking at phasing out the bags for life, which are intended to be reused multiple times, after seeing evidence that they are sometimes being used only once before being binned.Morrisons started providing paper bags in its sto…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/08/17/morrisons-considers-ditching-plastic-bags-for-life-for-paper-alternative/

Government urged to let beaver populations expand in England
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
Beavers should be allowed to stay on a number of English rivers where they are already living wild, the government has been urged. | The semi-aquatic mammals, which are making a comeback after being hunted to extinction more than 400 years ago, should also be given legal status as a native species, as part of a national strategy for the animals. | And plans should be drawn up to license the release of beavers to other suitable rivers, including from where they are currently living in enclosures, proposals drawn up by wildlife charity Beaver Trust and other groups say. | The call comes after a population of the da…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/08/17/government-urged-to-let-beaver-populations-expand-in-england/

Calls for government to support universities after 'late' U-turn on A-levels
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
The government must "step up" and support universities now facing further challenges created by its U-turn on the way A-level results are awarded, a leading education body has said. | Universities UK chief executive Alistair Jarvis has called for "urgent clarification" from the government and advice on a number of "crucial issues" following its policy change on Monday 17 August. | He warned that while 70% of students were placed with their first-choice institution, those who aren't should "think carefully about their next steps" and seek advice from their preferred university. | "The Government will need to s…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/17/calls-for-government-to-support-universities-after-late-u-turn-on-a-levels/

'Considerable gaps' remain in order to reach a Brexit deal in time for 31 December deadline
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
Fears of a deadlock between the UK and the EU persist ahead of negotiations which begin on Tuesday 18 August. Both sides admitted after the last talks in London in July that they still remained some way off reaching a post-Brexit trade agreement. | Ahead of the latest round of upcoming negotiations in Brussels, a No 10 spokesperson said the government "will continue to plug the gaps where any differences remain". | However, after last month's talks, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said a deal looked "at this point unlikely". This was given the UK position on fishing rights and post-Brexit competition rul…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2020/08/17/considerable-gaps-remain-in-order-to-reach-a-brexit-deal-in-time-for-31-december-deadline/

Northern Ireland GCSE students to be awarded grades predicted by teachers
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
GSCE students in the north of Ireland are to be awarded the grades predicted by their teachers, Stormont's education minister has announced.Just days before the results are published on Thursday, Peter Weir has scrapped a plan that would have had grades calculated using a mathematical model that took into account the past performance of schools.The major policy shift comes amid a raging controversy in the north of Ireland about the system used to allocate A-level grades.The move affects grades issued by Northern Ireland exams body, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA).CCEA accounts f…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/08/17/northern-ireland-gcse-students-to-be-awarded-grades-predicted-by-teachers/

Rep. Ro Khanna: Democrats Must Support Medicare for All
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
As the Democratic National Convention kicks off virtually in Milwaukee, we speak with Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna, who says he will be voting "no" on the Democratic platform because it does not support Medicare for All. Khanna, who served as national co-chair of Senator Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign, says ensuring universal health care is crucial for the Democratic Party, especially during a pandemic. "I am very enthusiastic about supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump, but…
truthout.org/video/rep-ro-khanna-democrats-must-support-medicare-for-all/

Racist Neoliberal Response to Hurricane Katrina Foreshadowed Response to COVID
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
We are in the middle of an alternative world struggling to be born while the nastiness of a decaying one adapts to the currents of change. This is evident within the United States as COVID-19 and structural racism coinfect our communities. In a short period of time, the novel coronavirus has mutated in its pursuits to circulate and infect human life. U.S. racial domination has also mutated, albeit over a much longer span of time, adapting from earlier forms of chattel slavery, Jim Crow segr…
truthout.org/articles/racist-neoliberal-response-to-hurricane-katrina-foreshadowed-response-to-covid/

PPE Shortage Could Last Years Without Strategic Plan, Experts Warn
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
Shortages of personal protective equipment and medical supplies could persist for years without strategic government intervention, officials from health care and manufacturing industries have predicted. | Officials said logistical challenges continue seven months after the coronavirus reached the United States, as the flu season approaches and as some state emergency management agencies prepare for a fall surge in COVID-19 cases. | Although the disarray is not as widespread as it was this spring, hospit…
truthout.org/articles/ppe-shortage-could-last-years-without-strategic-plan-experts-warn/

The 2020 Democratic Convention Could Be a Tech Debacle or an Ambitious Feat
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
What do you suppose the Democrats will be talking about at their "convention" this week? | The U.S. crossed the threshold of 170,000 COVID deaths last night; with more than 5.4 million infections, our country is the most virus-riddled nation on the face of the Earth. In response, the president of the United States has begun pushing "an extract from the oleander plant as a dietary supplement to cure COVID-1…
truthout.org/articles/the-2020-democratic-convention-could-be-a-tech-debacle-or-an-ambitious-feat/

Children Will Bear the Brunt of a Looming Eviction Crisis
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
Mikaela Johnson has a vague notion of a home she'd like to live in with her mother and her younger brother and sister. | "A four-bedroom house," she said. "A backyard for sure. Maybe a house that has no mold, no pests, no cracks, no floor that sinks." | She paused. "Maybe I'm asking for too much." | Mikaela just completed eighth grade. She has lived the kind of transient life that school leaders worry about — especially now. Educators know that moving around disrupts learning. They fear the upheavals crea…
truthout.org/articles/children-will-bear-the-brunt-of-a-looming-eviction-crisis/

Trump Is Facing a Nationwide Wave of Backlash Over His Postal Service Sabotage
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
Facing increasingly unfavorable poll numbers, Trump has clearly decided the only way he can win reelection is to cheat. Trump has ramped up attacks on…
truthout.org/articles/trump-is-facing-a-nationwide-wave-of-backlash-over-his-postal-service-sabotage/

State Attorneys General Appear Ready to Sue Trump Over Changes at the USPS
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-17
At least six state attorneys general appear to be discussing possible legal action against the Trump administration due to changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS) that could disenfranchise voters seeking to cast their ballot by mail this year. | The group of Democratic state officials appear to be making moves toward a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and Postmaster Genera…
truthout.org/articles/state-attorneys-general-appear-ready-to-sue-trump-over-changes-at-the-usps/

A Sweeping Win for Salmon and Steelhead on the Willamette River
CounterPunch News Service | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Court finds Army Corps' dam operations harm salmon and violate the Endangered Species Act Today, Chief Judge Hernandez of the District of Oregon ruled in favor of Upper Willamette River wild spring Chinook salmon and winter steelhead, finding that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) failed to take…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/a-sweeping-win-for-salmon-and-steelhead-on-the-willamette-river/

Alliance for the Wild Rockies Stops Trump From Logging and Burning Another 85,000 acres of Idaho National Forest
Mike Garrity | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
Two years ago, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Lost Creek-Boulder Creek Project in Idaho violated the Payette National Forest Plan and the National Forest Management Act. Trump's lawless Forest Service disregarded the Court's decision and approved the same project again late last year. The Alliance took the issue back to court and…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/alliance-for-the-wild-rockies-stops-trump-from-logging-and-burning-another-85000-acres-of-idaho-national-forest/

Eastside Forest Scam: the Proposed Removal of the 21-Inch Rule
George Wuerthner | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
The Forest Service has begun a 30 day comment period on its proposal to eliminate the 21-inch rule or what is known as the Eastside screens. The plan would remove a prohibition against cutting trees larger than 21 inches in the drier forests east of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington. The agency suggests that…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/eastside-forest-scam-the-proposed-removal-of-the-21-inch-rule/

US: California Hits Possible Highest Worldwide Temperature
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-17
U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) recorded 54.4 degrees Celsius in California on Sunday, which could be the highest temperature that modern instruments ever measured. | RELATED: | The US Press on Huawei by Limiting Its Access to Tech | "If verified, this will be the hottest temperature officially verified since July of 1913, also at Death Valley," NSW reported. | An electronic thermometer in the Furnace Creek Visitor Center in the Death Valley registered the data at 3: 41 PM. The devi…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-california-hits-possible-highest–worldwide-temperature–20200817-0014.html

Pelosi calls lawmakers back to stop Trump's election and postal service sabotage
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-17
WASHINGTON–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. has called lawmakers back into session, despite the "virtual" Democratic National Convention, to stop GOP President Donald Trump's multifaceted scheme to stop voting by mail by basically shutting down the U.S. Postal Service before the Nov. 3 election. Trump's objective, along with that of his political puppets, is to stop …
peoplesworld.org/article/pelosi-calls-lawmakers-back-to-stop-trumps-election-and-postal-service-sabotage/

US: Death Valley hits hottest temperature in century
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
A searing temperature of 54.4C (130F) has been recorded in the US state of California amid the ongoing heatwave. It would be the highest temperature ever recorded on earth in the last century. | The temperature was recorded Sunday afternoon in Death Valley, according to the data of the US National Weather Service (NWS). The service said Sunday on Twitter that this is the first time since 1913, when 56.6C (134F) was recorded, that the Death Valley has reached 130F. Last, it reached 129F in July 2013. | "If valid, it would be the hottest August temperature at the site," it added. | The NWS has warned the extreme he…
yenisafak.com/en/world/us-death-valley-hits-hottest-temperature-in-century-3537028

US imposes further sanctions on China's Huawei
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
US President Donald Trump's administration on Monday expanded restrictions on Chinese telecom company Huawei over the company's alleged ties with the Chinese Communist Party.Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Fox Business that Huawei's access to semiconductor chips is banned, and new limitations will further prevent it from getting around the bar."On May 20, we issued an order that prevented American technology from being used in Huawei-designed chips. That led them to do some evasive measures. They were going through third parties," Ross said. "The new rule makes it clear that any use of American software or Am…
yenisafak.com/en/news/us-imposes-further-sanctions-on-chinas-huawei-3537034

France to propose masks at work as infections rise
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Minister for Labor Elisabeth Borne has announced that she will propose it in meetings with union leaders on Tuesday.At least 3,352 new cases of coronavirus infection were registered on Saturday, and 3,015 on Sunday. About 17 more active clusters are being observed. Hospitalizations and cases under intensive care have ticked up slightly.In a tweet, Borne reinforced the need for vigilance on the part of the country."Everyone must do their utmost to prevent the spread of the disease. We will discuss Tuesday with the social partners strengthening health standards in companies to guarantee health at work and the conti…
yenisafak.com/en/news/france-to-propose-masks-at-work-as-infections-rise-3537013

Indonesia reports 1,821 new coronavirus cases, 57 deaths
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Indonesia reported 1,821 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing its infection total to 141,370, data from government's COVID-19 task force showed.The Southeast Asian country also added 57 new deaths, taking its fatalities to 6,207, the highest coronavirus death toll in Southeast Asia.
yenisafak.com/en/world/indonesia-reports-1821-new-coronavirus-cases-57-deaths-3537003

Iran reports 165 more virus deaths, over 2,200 cases
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
At least 165 more coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 19,804, the Health Ministry said Monday. | Some 2,247 more people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, pushing the overall count up to 345,450, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari. | She said more than 299,157 patients have recovered so far, while 3,773 are hospitalized in critical condition. Over 2.88 million tests have been conducted in Iran to date. | Iran is struggling to contain the pandemic since February, when the first cases were confirmed in the holy city of Qom. | The coronavirus pandemic…
yenisafak.com/en/world/iran-reports-165-more-virus-deaths-over-2200-cases-3537008

UK records 713 new daily cases of COVID-19
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
The United Kingdom recorded 713 new daily confirmed cases of COVID-19, official data showed on Monday, the first time i…
yenisafak.com/en/world/uk-records-713-new-daily-cases-of-covid-19-3537038

Lithuania says Russian military help in Belarus would mean 'an invasion'
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Russian military help in Belarus would constitute "an invasion", Lithuanian foreign affairs minister Linas Linkevicius said on Monday."There are no reasons for military support from Russia, and no legal or other grounds for it. It would constitute an invasion into the country and would destroy the last traces of its independence", Linkevicius told reporters in Vilnius."Russia would risk a lot if it did it, in the face of what is going on in Belarus, in the face of the popular support. It should figure out that an invasion would not be justified, neither legally, nor morally, nor politically", he added.The Kremlin…
yenisafak.com/en/news/lithuania-says-russian-military-help-in-belarus-would-mean-an-invasion-3537002

Putin, Erdogan discuss conflicts in Libya, Syria in phone call
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflicts in Libya and Syria with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in a telephone call on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement.The Kremlin said the call's main focus was on the crisis in Libya, highlighting the need to make real steps towards a sustainable ceasefire.It also said both leaders agreed to step up anti-terrorism efforts in Syria, after reports earlier on Monday of a Turkish-Russian joint patrol being hit by a blast in the Idlib region.
yenisafak.com/en/news/putin-erdogan-discuss-conflicts-in-libya-syria-in-phone-call-3537007

Germany asks UAE to use influence over Libya's Haftar
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Germany urged the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to use its influence over warlord Khalifa Haftar, leader of the illegitimate armed forces in eastern Libya, according to the German Federal Foreign Office. | "In Libya at the moment, we are observing a deceptive calm. Both sides and their international allies are continuing to massively arm the country and holding firm to their preconditions for a ceasefire", German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas issued a statement upon his arrival in Tripoli. | Maas said during his two-day official visit to Libya, he will meet with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, Foreign Minister…
yenisafak.com/en/news/germany-asks-uae-to-use-influence-over-libyas-haftar-3537011

Libya belongs to Libyans, says Turkish defense minister
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Turkey on Monday reiterated its support for Libya's legitimate government, with the visiting defense minister saying, "Libya belongs to Libyans"."We believe that we will achieve the wanted results by supporting our Libyan brothers in their just cause," Hulusi Akar said during his visit in the capital Tripoli.Accompanied by Turkish Chief of Staff Gen. Yasar Guler, Akar is visiting Libya to review the training and advisory activities carried out under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two nations on security and military cooperation.The duo met with the Turkish training personnel at lunch, foll…
yenisafak.com/en/news/libya-belongs-to-libyans-says-turkish-defense-minister-3537033

Turkish defense minister, military chief visit Libya
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Turkey's defense minister and chief of general staff on Monday visited Libya to review the activities carried out under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two nations.A military ceremony was held for Hulusi Akar and General Yasar Guler upon their arrival at the Mitiga International Airport in the capital Tripoli.Following the ceremony, Akar and Guler went to the Defense Security Cooperation and Training Assistance Advisory Command, which was created as part of a MoU between Turkey and Libya.On Nov. 27, 2019, Ankara and Tripoli signed two MoUs; one on military cooperation and the other on maritime bou…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkish-defense-minister-military-chief-visit-libya-3537006

Belarusian leader says new election will be held after new constitution adopted: RIA
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said a new presidential election would be held after the country adopts a new constitution, the RIA news agency reported.Lukashenko, who is facing the biggest protests of his 26 years in power following a disputed Aug. 9 presidential election, had said earlier on Monday that no new election would be held.
yenisafak.com/en/world/belarusian-leader-says-new-election-will-be-held-after-new-constitution-adopted-ria-3537037

Turkey arrests 26 suspects for FETàñ, PKK terror links
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Turkish security forces arrested 26 people for their suspected links to the PKK terror group and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETàñ) in southeastern Turkey, security sources said on Monday.Local counter-terrorism police in the Sirnak province nabbed suspects during anti-terror operations held on Aug. 10-16, said the sources who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The suspects were sent to a local courthouse which released 13 of them. The legal procedures continue for the remaining suspects.FETàñ and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the July 15, 2…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-arrests-26-suspects-for-feto-pkk-terror-links-3537035

Belarus: Opposition leader says 'ready to lead country'
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
The leader of the Belarusian opposition said Monday she is "ready to lead the nation" through a transitional period in order to end the unrest and organize "in the shortest terms" a new "fair and open presidential election".In a video message, published on her YouTube channel, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya promised to release all "political prisoners" and relax the election legislation so that the results of the new election are recognized by the international community.Tikhanovskaya, who is currently in Lithuania, also expressed solidarity with the people rallying against the results of the presidential election in Bel…
yenisafak.com/en/world/belarus-opposition-leader-says-ready-to-lead-country-3537012

Turkey marks 21st anniversary of Marmara earthquake
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Turkey on Monday marked 21 years since the devastating 1999 earthquake in Turkey's Marmara region which took some 17,000 lives on Aug. 17.According to information obtained by Anadolu Agency, the 7.4-magnitude-earthquake, which occurred at 3.02 a.m. [0002GMT] and continued for 45 seconds, jolted Istanbul, Kocaeli, Sakarya and Yalova provinces.A total of 17,480 people died in the quake and around 45,000 were injured, according to a 2010 parliamentary investigation commission report.Nearly 16 million people were affected by the earthquake and some 200,000 people left homeless.A total of 66,441 houses and 10,901 work…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-marks-21st-anniversary-of-marmara-earthquake-3537009

Germany: Outrage grows over footage of police violence
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
A video of a police officer in the city of Dusseldorf placing his knee on a young man's neck caused outrage in Germany, as many likened it to the case of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man who died on May 25 after a police officer similarly knelt on his neck.The 15-second video last Saturday showed a police officer — along with two other police officers standing by — placing his knee on a suspect's neck as people at the scene shouted at the police to release him. Authorities said the incident of possible police misconduct was being investigated.Meanwhile, a similar video was recorded in the city o…
yenisafak.com/en/news/germany-outrage-grows-over-footage-of-police-violence-3537032

Israel president invites UAE crown prince to visit Israel
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Monday sent an invitation to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, to visit Israel. | Rivlin posted on his Twitter account a photo of the message he sent to the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). | UAE authorities did not comment on the invitation. | "In my name and in the name of the people of Israel, I open the opportunity to extend to your Excellency an invitation to visit Israel and Jerusalem, as a distinguished and honored guest," Rivlin said in his message. | "The crystallized agreement between our two countries with the mediation of U…
yenisafak.com/en/news/israel-president-invites-uae-crown-prince-to-visit-israel-3537031

Trump says he is weighing Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil drilling in Alaska
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration was considering whether to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling."We will take a look at that," Trump told Fox News in a telephone interview when asked about a Wall Street Journal article on the decision. The WSJ earlier reported that the Trump administration plans to approve an oil leasing program for ANWR on Monday.
yenisafak.com/en/world/trump-says-he-is-weighing-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge-oil-drilling-in-alaska-3537030

Disagreements delay Israeli delegation's visit to UAE
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Internal Israeli disagreements have led to…
yenisafak.com/en/news/disagreements-delay-israeli-delegations-visit-to-uae-3537010

Israeli foreign minister telephones Omani counterpart
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-17
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi on Monday telephoned his Omani counterpart Yusuf bin Alawi, according to Israel's state broadcaster.The move came days after US President Donald Trump announced a deal between Israel and the UAE to normalize their relations.The UAE is the first Gulf state and third Arab nation to have full diplomatic relations with Israel after Egypt and Jordan.Despite reports that the deal halted Israel's controversial plan to annex parts of the West Bank, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his government's continued commitment to the annexation plan.The Gulf state of Oman…
yenisafak.com/en/news/israeli-foreign-minister-telephones-omani-counterpart-3537036

Eric Bentley, critic, playwright, Brecht translator, Hanns Eisler fan, dies at 103
Special to People's World | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-17
Eric Russell Bentley, born Sept. 14, 1916, as World War I was raging, died on August 5, 2020, at the age of 103. Bentley was a British-born American critic, playwright, singer, editor and translator. In 1998, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame and was a member of the New York Theater …
peoplesworld.org/article/eric-bentley-critic-playwright-brecht-translator-hanns-eisler-fan-dies-at-103/

The Wealth of Just 12 US Billionaires Now Totals Over One Trillion Dollars
commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/17/wealth-just-12-us-billionaires-now-totals-over-one-trillion-dollars?cd-origin=rss

Public Lands Are Key to Fighting Climate Change
Tim Whitehouse | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
Existing gas and oil development in the Plateau Creek Drainage, near where BLM leases were sold in December 2016 and December 2017, can be seen from an EcoFlight plane on June 25, 2018 near DeBeque, Colorado. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/public_lands_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/public-lands-are-key-fighting-climate-change?cd-origin=rss

G7 Calls for More Debt Relief to Confront COVID-19 Crisis
commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/17/g7-calls-more-debt-relief-confront-covid-19-crisis?cd-origin=rss

Schools Can No Longer Be Our Social Safety Net
Lisa Arrastia | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
Labels on desks designate where students can sit with respect to social distancing as Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner takes a tour of Burbank Middle School with Principal Christine Moore on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, CA. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/covidclassroom.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/schools-can-no-longer-be-our-social-safety-net?cd-origin=rss

Stamp Out the Trump Attacks on Our Postal Service!
Michael Winship | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
The president and his obeisant postmaster general are out to destroy voting by mail—and democracy.
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/stamp-out-trump-attacks-our-postal-service?cd-origin=rss

It's Time Chevron Faced Justice and Cleaned Up Its Mess in Ecuador—and It's Time for the Persecution of Steven Donziger to End
Jody Williams | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
The lawyer of Ecuadorean people affected by Texaco-Chevron, Steven Donziger, gestures during a press conference on March 19, 2014 in Quito. (Photo: Rodrigo Buendia/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/steven_donziger.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/its-time-chevron-faced-justice-and-cleaned-its-mess-ecuador-and-its-time?cd-origin=rss

Trump Administration Opens Arctic Refuge to Oil and Gas Drilling–Greenpeace Response
commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/17/trump-administration-opens-arctic-refuge-oil-and-gas-drilling-greenpeace?cd-origin=rss

What to Know When Someone Blames Black People for All the Riots
Paul Buchheit | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
A protester wearing a mask holds a large black power raised fist in the middle of the crowd that gathered at Columbus Circle in New York City on June 14, 2020. (Photo: Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/protest_6.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/17/what-know-when-someone-blames-black-people-all-riots?cd-origin=rss

After Organizing Mass 'Sick-Out,' Arizona Teachers and School Staff Applauded for 'Bold' Collective Action to Stop Unsafe Reopening
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
Teachers and school staff members in a Phoenix suburb were praised by progressives and public health experts on Monday for their "bold" decision to call in sick en masse, forcing their school district to reverse its plan to return to in-person classes. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1227655498_1_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/after-organizing-mass-sick-out-arizona-teachers-and-school-staff-applauded-bold?cd-origin=rss

First-Ever Survey of Sanders Delegates Shows Views of Ticket: Half "Disapprove," a Quarter "Approve," a Quarter "Ambivalent"
commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/17/first-ever-survey-sanders-delegates-shows-views-ticket-half-disapprove-quarter?cd-origin=rss

Trump Administration Continues Rushed Push to Drill in the Arctic Refuge
commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/17/trump-administration-continues-rushed-push-drill-arctic-refuge?cd-origin=rss

Activists Demand Bolder Efforts to Address Pollution After Scientists Find Microplastics in Human Organs
Krissy Waite, editorial intern | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
"The best way to tackle the problem is to massively reduce the amount of plastic that's being made and used." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/plastic-a.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/activists-demand-bolder-efforts-address-pollution-after-scientists-find?cd-origin=rss

Trump Administration Approves Drilling In Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/08/17/trump-administration-approves-drilling-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge?cd-origin=rss

'I Hope the Postmaster General Comes Prepared. I Know I Will,' Says Rep. Katie Porter as DeJoy Agrees to Testify on USPS Changes
Lisa Newcomb, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy will appear before the House Oversight Committee next week amid concerns that he and President Trump are trying to sabotage the November election. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty_katieporter.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/i-hope-postmaster-general-comes-prepared-i-know-i-will-says-rep-katie-porter-dejoy?cd-origin=rss

Democrats Demand McConnell Bring Senate Back Into Session to 'Protect USPS and Our Election'
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-17
Speaker Nancy Pelosi had directed House members to return to Washington, D.C. for an emergency vote Saturday on legislation to reverse Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's recent policy changes. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/warren_17_0_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/17/democrats-demand-mcconnell-bring-senate-back-session-protect-usps-and-our-election?cd-origin=rss

Jen Cloher — Analysis Paralysis (Live at Milk! Records)
CP Editor | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-17
counterpunch.org/2020/08/17/jen-cloher-analysis-paralysis-live-at-milk-records/

Risk factors for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers during April 2020 in a UK hospital testing programme
John S Leeds, Veena Raviprakash, Thomas Jacques, Noel Scanlon, Jeremy Cundall, Clare M Leeds | thelancet.com | 2020-08-17
Background: Healthcare workers (HCW) are a crucial part of the workforce but are also at potentially at increased risk of infection from SARS-CoV-2. Emerging evidence has suggested specific groups of HCW are at further increased risk particularly those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups. Previous reports have not examined risk factors associated with contracting the virus and were reported prior to the pandemic peak in the UK.Methods: Staff testing in our facility commenced on the 1st April and all individuals were entered into a database.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30257-1/fulltext?rss=yes

Scotland's schools reopen as COVID-19 infects students
wsws.org | 2020-08-17
The Scottish National Party's school reopening exposes it as the accomplice of the Johnson government's herd immunity strategy.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/17/scot-a17.html

Milwaukee protesters determined to continue as Democratic convention is held remotely
Claud Fullwood | thecanary.co | 2020-08-17
Monday 17 August should have seen the beginning of a four day Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. But thanks to coronavirus (Covid-19), the city will miss out on hosting the DNC this week. Instead of the predicted 50,000 visitors injecting millions of dollars into the local economy, the convention will be almost entirely online. | Wisconsin is seen as a key presidential battleground after Donald Trump won there unexpectedly — and by fewer than 23,000 votes — four years ago. Organisers of the convention had planned to highlight Democrats' commitment to the city and Wisconsin. Th…
thecanary.co/us/us-news-us/2020/08/17/milwaukee-protesters-determined-to-continue-as-democratic-convention-is-held-remotely/

Progressives, Get Ready to Push Them Left
Robert L. Borosage | thenation.com | 2020-08-17
Progressives, Get Ready to Push Them Left…
thenation.com/article/politics/kamala-biden-progressives/

Universities Are Playing Fast and Loose With Students' Health
Cynthia Greenlee | thenation.com | 2020-08-17
Universities Are Playing Fast and Loose With Students' Health…
thenation.com/article/society/universities-reopen-campus-coronavirus/

The 2 Maria Schneiders
David Hajdu | thenation.com | 2020-08-17
The 2 Maria Schneiders…
thenation.com/article/culture/maria-schneider-data-lords/

The Two Maria Schneiders
David Hajdu | thenation.com | 2020-08-17
The Two Maria Schneiders…
thenation.com/article/culture/maria-schneider-data-lords/

Fire Rages Out of Control in Brazil's Pantanal
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Tens of thousands of acres have burned in Brazil's Pantanal region, the world's largest tropical wetland area. | RELATED: | Amazon: Fires Increase During August at an Alarming Pace | 40 thousand hectares were lost in July in the state of Mato Grosso and new jarring video has captured a fire burning over the Transpantaneira highway on Saturday. | Neighboring Mato Grosso do Sul lost an area equivalent to the size of nine cities of the state of Sao Paulo. | The region of Corumba, bo…
telesurenglish.net/news/fire-rages-out-of-control-in-brazils-pantanal-20200816-0007.html

Top Dems Demand DeJoy Testimony, Citing 'Grave Threat' to 'Our Very Democracy'
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
The "Postal Service is a public institution that both serves and belongs to every person in our nation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/dems-demand-dejoy-testmony.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/16/top-dems-demand-dejoy-testimony-citing-grave-threat-our-very-democracy?cd-origin=rss

Top Dems Demand Postmaster General DeJoy Testify, Citing 'Grave Threat' to 'Our Very Democracy'
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
The "Postal Service is a public institution that both serves and belongs to every person in our nation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/dems-demand-dejoy-testmony.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/16/top-dems-demand-postmaster-general-dejoy-testify-citing-grave-threat-our-very?cd-origin=rss

On Contact: Truth Of War With Danny Sjursen
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
On the show this week, Chris Hedges discusses 'Ghost Riders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge' with Danny Sjursen, a combat veteran and West Point graduate. | "We talk a lot about moral courage at West Point. It's a term they throw around but they've largely hijacked it. It is much harder in a lot of ways to speak against the tide and obviously you've done that for your entire career. There are real costs – emotional, professional – and it's a difficult thing. And I think the fact that it's so rare. I mean, name five generals who have spoken out publicly against these wars even in retirem…
popularresistance.org/on-contact-truth-of-war-with-danny-sjursen/

Israel's Army Bombs Gaza as Border Tensions Hit Up
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
The Israeli army Sunday bombed the Gaza Strip again in retaliation for the launching of incendiary balloons from the Palestinian territory into Israel. | RELATED: | Israel Plans Thousands New Illegal Settlements in the West Bank | "Israel's jets and military aircraft attacked Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, including underground infrastructure," Israel's army stated. | Military authorities also reported on clashes along the wall separating Israel and Gaza. | A dozen peopl…
telesurenglish.net/news/Israels-Army-Bombs-Gaza-as-Border-Tensions-Hit-Up-20200816-0006.html

Palestinians burn photos of Abu Dhabi crown prince and Netanyahu in protest over Israel-UAE deal (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-08-16
Palestinians have held protest rallies across the West Bank and Gaza, decrying the recent deal to normalize the ties between Israel and the UAE as a betrayal of their cause and a blow to "Arab solidarity." | Protesters carried Palestinian flags and stomped on photos of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, before setting them on fire in central Ramallah in the West Bank. They also burned photos of US President Donald Trump, who brokered the deal, and Palestinian politician Mohammed Dahlan, who currently resides in the UAE. | Similar demonstrations…
rt.com/news/498143-west-bank-uae-israel/

Israeli Tanks Attack Hamas Positions in Gaza Strip, IDF Says
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
On Sunday, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement that soldiers had repelled an attempted "terror attack" against Rachel's Tomb in the city of Bethlehem, detecting "terrorists who tried to hurl a Molotov cocktail toward the Tomb area".
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008161080190382-israeli-tanks-attack-hamas-positions-in-gaza-strip-idf-says/

The AFT Has Endorsed the Green New Deal. What's Stopping the AFL-CIO?
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-16
The Amer ≠i ≠can Fed ≠er ≠a ≠tion of Teach ≠ers (AFT), the sec ≠ond largest teach ≠ers' union in the coun ≠try, passed a res ≠o ≠lu ≠tion in sup ≠port of the Green New Deal at its bien ≠ni ≠al con ≠ven ≠tion at the end of July. The Green New Deal, fed ≠er ≠al leg ≠is ≠la ≠tion intro ≠duced in ear ≠ly 2019, would cre ≠ate a liv ≠ing-wage job for any ≠one who wants one and imple ≠ment 100% clean and renew ≠able ener &n…
truthout.org/articles/the-aft-has-endorsed-the-green-new-deal-whats-stopping-the-afl-cio/

No Longer Leader of the Free World: Trump Admin. Humiliated at UN over Iran Arms Embargo
Juan Cole | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends Security Council meeting at U.N. Headquarters in New York on September 20, 2019. (Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/iran-resolution-fail.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/16/no-longer-leader-free-world-trump-admin-humiliated-un-over-iran-arms-embargo?cd-origin=rss

Colombia: Armed Men Kill Nine Young People in Nariño
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Nine young people early Sunday morning were killed and others were injured after a group of armed men raided the town of Samaniego, Nariño Department. | RELATED: | UN Condemns Killings of Ex-FARC Members, Social Leaders in Colombia | The city's mayor, Jhon Rojas, spread the news of the massacre on his Twitter profile. | The massacre was added to a series of violent events that occurred in the municipality of Samaniego on Saturday night. | "Colombia's President Ivan Duque, the Defen…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-armed-men-kill-nine-young-people-in-narino–20200816-0001.html

Colombia: UN Condemns Massacre in Nariño
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia condemned this Sunday the massacre in the Nariño department where a group of armed men killed nine young people. | RELATED: | Colombia: Armed Men Kill Nine Young People in Nariño | The OHCHR in Colombia also rejected the recent killing of two minors last August 10 in the border between Cauca and Nariño Department when they were headed to their school to submit their homework. | "We reject the massacre of 8 y…
telesurenglish.net/news/colombia-un-condemns-massacre-in-narino-that-killed-9-20200816-0009.html

Guatemala: Q'eqchi' Maya Farmer Families Suffer Attack
teleSUR, ce | telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
The Altiplano Campesino Committee of Guatemala denounces that 40 Q'eqchi' Maya families in Cubilguitz, Alta Verapaz were attacked by armed groups on Saturday night. | RELATED: | Colombia: UN Condemns Massacre in Nariño | Six houses were completely burned and destroyed, including the clothing and belongings of the victims. Other possessions were robbed by the armed criminals. The community fears a repeat attack as night falls. | The Campesino Committee is linking the violent actions to b…
telesurenglish.net/news/guatemala-qeqchi-maya-peasant-families-suffer-attack-20200816-0011.html

Don't be Hoodwinked by Trump's UAE-Israel "Peace Deal"
Medea Benjamin | zcomm.org | 2020-08-16
The normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel, facilitated by the U.S., serves to prop up three repressive leaders — Trump, Netanyahu, and bin Zayed — and will cause further harm to Palestinians. It is both a shame and a sham…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/dont-be-hoodwinked-by-trumps-uae-israel-peace-deal-2/

Israeli-Emirati Peace Deal Is a Major Blow to Turkey's Regional Ambitions
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
Yesterday, one of the most unexpected geopolitical manoeuvres took place that no one was expecting. U.S. President Donald Trump went to Twitter to announce that Washington's "two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates" made a "Historic Peace Agreement." …
globalresearch.ca/israeli-emirati-peace-deal-major-blow-turkey-regional-ambitions/5721187

The United Arab Emirates and Israel Join Hands: Great for Trump but More Bad News for the Middle East
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
The decision made this week by the United Arab Emirates and Israel to establish full diplomatic relations as part of a commitment to normalize the interaction between the two countries was characteristically announced by President Donald Trump because he is, …
globalresearch.ca/united-arab-emirates-israel-join-hands-great-trump-bad-news-middle-east/5721202

Weaponized Social Media Fuels "Youth" Protests
Anthony Cartalucci | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-16
US-based social-media tools are being used to reward participation in regime change with likes and shares. | Young protesters in Thailand are out demanding "human rights" and "democracy" — and for the current government to step down. | Should their demands be met — the opposition — headed by billionaire fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra and his Pheu Thai Party will take power. Thaksin Shinawatra and his political party represent neither human rights nor democracy. In fact, Thaksin Shinawatra is the worst human rights abuser in Thai history. | So how does one explain the paradoxical nature of young peopl…

Weaponized Social Media Fuels "Youth" Protests

Video: Israeli-UAE Peace Deal Marks Tectonic Shift in Middle Eastern Balance of Power
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
The Middle East is on the brink of the new tectonic shift in the regional balance of power. The previous years were marked by the growth of the Iranian and Hezbollah influence and the decrease of the US grip on …
globalresearch.ca/video-israeli-uae-peace-deal-marks-tectonic-shift-middle-eastern-balance-power/5721194

Evolution of US-Israel Relations During Trump Presidency
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
Preferential treatment for Israel has long been a prerequisite for success in the corridors of power in Washington, where ambitious politicians long ago learned to fear the wrath of 'the Israel lobby', and at the same time yearn for the …
globalresearch.ca/evolution-us-israel-relations-during-trump-presidency/5721186

Turmoil in Belarus, Another US Color Revolution Attempt?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
Time and again, the CIA, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute (NDI), and USAID have been involved in US schemes to replace independent governments with pro-Western puppet ones. | Tactics include violent and non-violent labor …
globalresearch.ca/turmoil-belarus-another-us-color-revolution-attempt/5721213

Trump Vows Unilateral Imposition of Snapback Sanctions on Iran
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
On Friday, the Trump regime was dealt a humiliating Security Council defeat. | Bullying, bribes, and threats failed this time, perhaps indicative of more US setbacks ahead. | Its attempt to extend an arms embargo on Iran indefinitely was supported by only …
globalresearch.ca/trump-vows-unilateral-imposition-snapback-sanctions-iran/5721217

Hoopla Over Harris VP Selection Obscures Many Young People of Color Who Are Winning Offices Nationally
Sonali Kolhatkar | zcomm.org | 2020-08-16
The debate over Biden's running mate obscures a far more exciting development in American politics: that young people of color with clearly progressive values are running for office and winning…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/hoopla-over-harris-vp-selection-obscures-many-young-people-of-color-who-are-winning-offices-nationally/

US: Trump Plans to Ban Alibaba, China's e-Commerce Giant
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday admitted he is considering banning from the U.S the activity of Alibaba, China's Internet e-commerce company. | RELATED: | Trump Signs Order to Ban TikTok Operations in the United States | "Besides TikTok, we are planning to ban the activities of other Chinese companies in the U.S., including Alibaba," Trump said at a press conference. | Trump previously banned the short video application TikTok, owned by ByteDance, and Tencent's WeChat messaging s…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-trump-plans-to-ban-alibaba-chinas-ecommerce-giant-20200816-0003.html

USA to Iraq: We will withdraw but without being humiliated
Elijah Magnier | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-16
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi is preparing to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House, about issues that are burdening Iraq. The country is struggling with a stifling economic crisis, the Coronavirus pandemic, the US military presence that is no longer desirable, the "unmanageable balance" between Iran and the US, and the omnipresent Turkish military activity and Turkey's presence on Iraqi soil. | The Al-Kazemi team includes economic experts and diplomats who want to resume the second round of strategic talks that began between the two countries last June. This exchange has been imposed on both…

USA to Iraq: We will withdraw but without being humiliated

Lockdowns, Coronavirus, and Banks: "Following the Money". Devastating Economic and Social Impacts
Anthony Hall | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
It usually makes sense to follow the money when seeking understanding of almost any major change. The strategy of following the money in our current convergence of crises in late summer of 2020 leads us directly to the lockdowns. The …
globalresearch.ca/lockdowns-coronavirus-banks-following-money/5721191

Les USA à l'Irak : Nous allons nous retirer, mais sans être humiliés
Elijah Magnier | thealtworld.com | 2020-08-16
Le premier ministre de l'Irak Mustafa Al-Kazemi s'apprête à rencontrer le président des USA Donald Trump à la Maison-Blanche, en étant chargé de lourds dossiers dont le poids pèse sur l'Irak. Le pays est en effet aux prises avec une crise économique paralysante, la pandémie de coronavirus, la présence militaire américaine qui n'est plus souhaitable, ´ l'équilibre ingérable ª à maintenir entre l'Iran et l'USA, l'activité militaire turque qui se poursuit et la présence de la Turquie en sol irakien. | L'équipe d'Al-Kazemi comprend des experts économiques et des diplomates dont l'objectif est d'amorcer la…

Les USA à l'Irak : Nous allons nous retirer, mais sans être humiliés

Bolivia: Esther Morales, Evo's Older Sister, Passes Away
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Esther Morales Ayma, the older sister of Bolivia's former president Evo Morales, died on Sunday after being hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Bolivian city of Oruro. | RELATED: | Evo Morales Calls for National Reconciliation in Bolivia | The time of death was recorded around 1h10 local time this Sunday, according to family members. | Esther Morales, 70, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Oruro-Corea Hospital, with a reserved prognosis. | Morales' relatives had to try hard to…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivia-esther-morales-evos-older-sister-passes-away-20200816-0002.html

COVID-19: Who's Scheming?
Dr. Pascal Sacré | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
In order for us to be on the same wavelength, I have to define that word. Conspiracy Theorist: An advocate of Conspiracy theory. | It's like saying, racist: defender of a theory of racism. We don't get very far …
globalresearch.ca/covid-19-whos-scheming/5721235

Distance Learning Plan (DLP) Destroys Education, Based on Flawed Covid Figures: Letter to Superintendents of Public Schools in Minnesota
Dr. Gary G. Kohls | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
Minnesota's superintendents of public schools have been placed in a difficult position, one that the folks at the CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health (DOH) have put them in with their Distance Learning Plan 2.0. | I would like to …
globalresearch.ca/open-letter-superintendents-public-schools-minnesota/5721206

Bolivia's Regime Caught in New COVID-19 Corruption Scandal
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Bolivia's regime officials have been found, for the second time, of misusing funds which were destined for fighting COVID-19. | RELATED: | Bolivia's Regime Mobilizes Far-Right Paramilitary Groups | The Agency for Infrastructure in Health and Medical Equipment (AISEM) has decided to paralyze the process of purchasing reagents for COVID-19 tests, following a complaint of an alleged overcharge in the acquisition of supplies from the Chinese firm Lasa Holding. | Jeanine Añez's defacto hea…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivias-regime-caught-in-new-covid-19-corruption-scandal-20200816-0005.html

Video: 'Do Not Trust the Medical or the National Security Establishment!": Robert F. Kennedy, Jr
Robert F. Kennedy Jr | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-16
Nephew of President John F. Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy, and tireless crusader against the tyranny of the mainstream medical establishment, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. joins today's Liberty Report to discuss his startling discoveries about who really killed his …
globalresearch.ca/video-do-not-trust-medical-national-security-establishment/5721196

Financing Drug Development: What the Pandemic Has Taught Us
Dean Baker | zcomm.org | 2020-08-16
If we want to have serious policy discussions, and not just protect existing patterns of inequality, government-granted patent and copyright monopolies have to be on the table…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/financing-drug-development-what-the-pandemic-has-taught-us/

Residents in East Brighton, UK demand affordable housing
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-16
Residents are protesting plans by a private company to build up to 700 homes for the ultra-rich. They have demanded that at least 40% of the homes be affordable for common people…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/16/residents-in-east-brighton-uk-demand-affordable-housing/

Real Life Heroes: delivering aid under fire
news.un.org | 2020-08-16
Working from a field office in Yemen, Sonia Almassad ensures that UN relief aid reaches those who need it, in the war-torn country. She was previously posted in her home country, Syria, where she negotiated with armed groups on both sides of the conflict, sometimes at great personal risk.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/08/1070282

Chile: Government Denies Resolution To Mapuche Leader's Demands
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Chile's Justice and Human Rights minister Hernan Larrain Sunday announced what would be the Government's final proposal to machi Celestino Cordova, although he warned that "there is no government or court authority that can give him what he requests." | RELATED: | Chile: Mapuche People's Spiritual Advisor Stops Drinking Water | This comes after the Mapuche leader announced that he could begin a dry hunger strike this Monday if he is not granted a six-month stay (or the duration…
telesurenglish.net/news/chile-government-denies-resolution-to-mapuche-leaders-demands-20200816-0010.html

Chilean Film Festival to Be Held Online and for Free
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
The Santiago International Film Festival (SANFIC) in Chile inaugurated today its 16th edition online with over 80 international films and a special focus on films created by women. | RELATED: | HBO Max Removes the Film 'Gone With the Wind' as Racist | This years' Festival will be held 100% online and will hold a new section named "Women Directors' ' that seeks to highlight and recognize the work of women from around the world in the movie industry. | This year, "Women Directors" will ho…
telesurenglish.net/news/chilean-film-festival-held-online-and-for-free–20200816-0008.html

Revolutionary Black resistance has a long tradition
Michaela Warnsley | liberationnews.org | 2020-08-16
Repression will always breed resistance: against this barbaric, systemic exploitation has continued a long tradition of Black liberation struggles.
liberationnews.org/revolutionary-black-resistance-has-a-long-tradition/

The Criminology of Global Warming
Thomas Klikauer | zcomm.org | 2020-08-16
Due to global warming, natural disasters are set to increase, and so will global warming driven conflicts over resources…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-criminology-of-global-warming/

Iran COVID-19 update: 2,133 new cases registered
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry announced 2,133 new cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 343,203.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162339/Iran-COVID-19-update-2-133-new-cases-registered

UAE summons Iran's chargé d'affaires
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — The UAE summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires to Abu Dhabi on Sunday and criticized President Rouhani's remarks on Israeli-UAE relations.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162353/UAE-summons-Iran-s-chargé-d-affaires

US cannot trigger its 'snapback' plan: Zarif
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the Americans are aware that they are not able to trigger 'snapback' mechanism as it is illegal and not acceptable.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162333/US-cannot-trigger-its-snapback-plan-Zarif

Tehran-Tashkent direct flights to be launched
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Uzbekistan has welcomed Iran's suggestion for launching a direct flight between Tehran and Tashkent.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162331/Tehran-Tashkent-direct-flights-to-be-launched

Russia's proposal on UNSC summit with Iran remains on table
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Despite Trump's refusal to support Moscow's proposal for an online conference of leaders of the UNSC states, Germany, and Iran, the Russian deputy foreign minister stressed that the proposal remains on the table.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162344/Russia-s-proposal-on-UNSC-summit-with-Iran-remains-on-table

Ghalibaf congrats Lebanon victory in 33-day war anniversary
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — In messages to his Lebanese counterpart and Secretary General of Hezbollah Resistance Movement, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf offered congratulations on the anniv. of Lebanon victory in the 33-day war.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162335/Ghalibaf-congrats-Lebanon-victory-in-33-day-war-anniversary

Trump has committed worst crimes against Iranian nation
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Donald Trump, the current US President, has committed the 'worst crimes and hostilities' against the noble Iranian nation.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162355/Trump-has-committed-worst-crimes-against-Iranian-nation

Iran oil production at 1.93mn bpd in July
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — In its latest report, OPEC announced that Iran's oil production volume stood at 1.936 million barrels per day (bpd) in July 2020.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162343/Iran-oil-production-at-1-93mn-bpd-in-July

Zarif felicitates Congo on National Day
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has congratulated his counterpart, Jean-Claude Gakosso, on the occasion of Congolese National Day.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162342/Zarif-felicitates-Congo-on-National-Day

History will record such betrayal to Palestinians: envoy
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Referring to UAE-Israeli tie normalization, Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said that history will record such betrayal to Palestinians.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162327/History-will-record-such-betrayal-to-Palestinians-envoy

Top General warns UAE against normalizing ties with Israelis
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — A top Iranian commander denounced the United Arab Emirates' decision to normalize ties with the Israeli regime, calling on Abu Dhabi to reconsider its move.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162338/Top-General-warns-UAE-against-normalizing-ties-with-Israelis

Tehran-Vienna flights resumed on Sat
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Abbas Bagherpour, the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Austria, announced on Saturday the resumption of flights from Tehran to Vienna by Iran Air.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162312/Tehran-Vienna-flights-resumed-on-Sat

Iran-Iraq fights resumes under health protocols conditions
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — An Iranian airliner announced that the flights to Iraqi international airports including Najaf, Basra, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and Baghdad have resumed under some health protocol conditions.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162314/Iran-Iraq-fights-resumes-under-health-protocols-conditions

Yazd earns $103 million in exports during four months
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — More than 860,000 tons of non-oil commodities worth $103 million were exported from Yazd province, central Iran, during the first four months of the current fiscal (March 20- July 21), a senior official said.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162328/Yazd-earns-103-million-in-exports-during-four-months

Minister of Defense attends press conference on Sunday
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 17 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Defense Brigadier General Amir Hatami attended a press conference on Sunday due to the upcoming occasion of Defense Industry Day on August 21.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/162351/Minister-of-Defense-attends-press-conference-on-Sunday

Altruism, patience key to overcome threats, pressure: Zarif
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-08-16
TEHRAN, Aug. 16 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message on Sunday said that culture of altruism, fortitude and martyrdom have been the keys to protect the country against threats and pressures.
en.mehrnews.com/news/162318/Altruism-patience-key-to-overcome-threats-pressure-Zarif

"They're Trying To Boot Us Out" Unite-Here 2 Concession Workers Protest Owner Of Giants
LaborVideo Project | indybay.org | 2020-08-16
Hundreds of Giants Unite Here Local 2 concession workers protested the union busting tactics of Giant's billionaire owner Howard Johnson.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835926.php

All across America elected officials urge Congress to take on a clean energy stimulus plan
Maegan Brejnik | indybay.org | 2020-08-16
COVID-19 has had a detrimental effect on the national economy. In order for the nation to recover quickly and efficiently, Congress must issue a stimulus package for clean energy sectors. Elected Officials to Protect America is urging Congress to take action to ensure our national recovery.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/15/18835936.php

Friday 8/21: Online Event: Covid's Hidden Toll with Filmmakers Daffodil Altan and Andrés Cediel
Revolution Books | indybay.org | 2020-08-16
Revolution Books, 2444 Durant Ave. Berkeley CA 94704…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/16/18835940.php

Monday 8/17: Call to Action: Demand McConnell & Senate Return to Pass COVID Relief, Fund USPS & Voting!
Poor People's Campaign | indybay.org | 2020-08-16
Online via Livestream…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/15/18835933.php

Trump's Mafia State
Masha Gessen | indybay.org | 2020-08-16
The recovery from Trumpism will not be a process of merely returning to a system of government as it was before, to a fictitious normal state as it existed before Trump. The recovery process will only be possible as a reinvention of institutions – as a redefinition of all that politics means to us, of what it means to be a democracy, if that is what we want to be.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/15/18835935.php

Reopening Schools: We Don't Have To Descend Into COVID Hell
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
With Corona virus cases spiking across the country, America is on the verge of forcing millions of people into extreme danger. Suddenly, everyone from CEOs, the President, state governors, and the corporate media are calling for schools to open "to save the economy". | No country has tried to open schools with the virus spreading like here in the US. We are currently in a massive wave of surging cases in 40 states. There are not enough tests or testing. How do you open schools if you can't test and trace? There's no way that you can keep a school safe from coronavirus if the virus is raging out of control in the…
popularresistance.org/reopening-schools-we-dont-have-to-descend-into-covid-hell/

Campus Workers Sue UNC System Over Unsafe Working Conditions
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
North Carolina university employees are suing the UNC System, saying working conditions are unsafe as tens of thousands of students return to campuses during the coronavirus pandemic. | "Essential workers across UNC System campuses continue to report to work with inadequate protective equipment to ensure their safety," the UE150, NC Public Service Workers Union said in a statement Monday. | Some university employees, including housekeepers and other campus workers, are provided one or two masks per week and many don't have access to face shields or gowns, according to the union.
popularresistance.org/campus-workers-sue-unc-system-over-unsafe-working-conditions/

School Bus Drivers Lead Protest To Safely Reopen Los Angeles Schools
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
School bus drivers from the second largest school district in the United States led a noisy protest caravan through downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, demanding federal and state funding to help reopen schools safely amid the coronavirus pandemic. | The drivers from the Los Angeles Unified Schools District (LAUSD) were joined by other vehicles as they circled city hall and honked their horns. | "Until they get conditions safe, I prefer us to be at home," said John Lewis, a school bus driver, who has been in the job for 30 years.
popularresistance.org/school-bus-drivers-lead-protest-to-safely-reopen-los-angeles-schools/

Community-Based Farms Rise To The Occasion As Big Food Supply Chains Stall
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep craters in the U.S. food supply chain. Dairies that supply milk and food products to restaurants have had the heartbreaking task of dumping millions of gallons of milk. Many giant meat processing plants had to close down because their workers were getting infected by the virus. The shutting down of these plants resulted in millions of farm animals being "culled" by drowning, shooting and suffocating. The meat processing plants were ordered to reopen when the administration declared that it is essential to maintain the meat supply in late April…
popularresistance.org/community-based-farms-rise-to-the-occasion-as-big-food-supply-chains-stall/

Protect The Vote And End Privatization Of The Postal Service
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
As we were warned earlier in the year, the US Postal Service is failing due to a long term effort to weaken it plus the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic, recession and intentional efforts by the Trump administration to suppress the vote. | Members of Congress and state leaders are starting to take notice because of the magnitude of the crisis and public outcry, particularly over valid concerns that mail-in voting will be disrupted. Now is the time to not only protect the vote but to use this moment to end privatization and selling off of the US Postal Service and expand it as a critical public institution that…
popularresistance.org/protect-vote-end-privatization-usps/

Belarus: Imperialists Run The Same Tired Old Script
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
The Western establishment narrative managers always follow the same patterns. Just like they fixated on Hong Kong protests, while ignoring those in US-aligned France or Israel, now they're cheering on protests in Belarus. | Imperialist pundit and Obama administration Cold Warrior Michael McFaul recently tweeted the following: | "Belarusians, inside and outside of the country, have reached out to me this week to ask why the West is so indifferent to their courageous fight for democracy. I can't explain. Can you?" | I am not highlighting this tweet because it is remarkable…
popularresistance.org/belarus-imperialists-run-the-same-tired-old-script/

Protesters Make Noise At Postmaster General's Home Over Cuts
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
Protesters filled the streets outside the head of the U.S. Postal Service's home in Northwest Washington, D.C., on Saturday, some carrying signs that read "Don't mess with the USPS" and "Don't stamp out our democracy." | The demonstrators blew airhorns and banged pots as a few of them walked to the front door of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's building and pinned fake ballots to his front door, as protesters accused him and the White House of working together to undermine main-in ballots and the election. | "Hey hey, Louis DeJoy,…
popularresistance.org/protesters-make-noise-at-postmaster-generals-home-over-cuts/

Beirut Explosion: It Is Late, But It Is Early Morning If We Insist
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
Nothing happens in Beirut and Lebanon that is transparent; plots of all kinds unravel against the ordinary hopes of the population. After the deadly explosion, it was impossible to imagine that the most reasonable explanation would be accepted. Rumors flew around, except the rumors did not have their impact. It was clear to the people that this time — unlike so many times previously — it was their own political system that had to be held accountable for the enormous explosion, which came in the midst of a pandemic, a currency and economic crisis, and a long-standing and unresolved political quagmire.
popularresistance.org/beirut-explosion-it-is-late-but-it-is-early-morning-if-we-insist/

US Sanctions Are Strangling A Lebanon In Crisis
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-16
The Lebanese econ ≠o ≠my crashed into the equiv ≠a ≠lent of a brick wall some ≠time in the last few months of 2019. The Lebanese pound (or lira), which was pegged to the dol ≠lar and appeared to be sta ≠ble for well over two decades, start ≠ed to decline at a rate that threat ≠ened the com ≠plete col ≠lapse of the econ ≠o ≠my. In the mean ≠time, the Trump admin ≠is ≠tra ≠tion had been busy build ≠ing a ‚Äã"Great Wall" of sanc ≠tions around Lebanon, even as the coun ≠try as a whole was drown ≠ing in a moun ≠tain of debt. | The firs…
popularresistance.org/us-sanctions-are-strangling-a-lebanon-in-crisis/

'Boycott Sandals'?: Holiday resort chain cancelled by Twitter users over sponsorship of Sean Hannity's 'racist' Fox News show
rt.com | 2020-08-16
A holiday resort chain which sponsors Sean Hannity's Fox News show has found itself in the crosshairs of cancel-happy Twitter users after the host convinced the platform to mark a critical video of him as "manipulated media." | The video which sparked the latest social media drama showed Hannity making comments critical of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, juxtaposed with footage of Donald Trump, which made it appear as though Hannity was targeting the president, whom he staunchly supports. | After getting the footage flagged as "manipulated media" by Twitter, MeidasTouch, the liberal group who put the video togeth…
rt.com/usa/498161-boycott-sandals-sean-hannity-twitter/

Iran will change its approach to UAE over deal with 'child-murdering Israeli regime' — top commander
rt.com | 2020-08-16
The freshly inked peace deal with Israel will change Tehran's attitude towards the United Arab Emirates, a top Iranian commander has warned, saying that Abu Dhabi will now be the prime suspect for any troubles in the Persian Gulf. | "Unfortunately, the UAE has reached a deal to normalize ties with the child-murdering Israeli regime," Chief of Staff for the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri said on Sunday. | Tehran's approach to the UAE will change … If something happens in the Persian Gulf region and if our national security is damaged, however small, we will hold the UAE responsible for th…
rt.com/news/498157-iran-uae-israel-deal/

At least 5 dead, 28 injured as gunmen explode car bomb & storm hotel in Mogadishu (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-08-16
A hotel has been attacked by Islamic militants in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, with at least five people killed. Video posted on social media shows a large plume of smoke emerging from the scene that suffered the explosion. | Reports of the attack emerged on local media on Sunday. Several videos circulating online show dust and smoke rising from the location, identified as Mogadishu's Elite Hotel, while gunfire can be heard in the background. | A VBIED was detonated in front of the popular Hotel known as "Hotel Elite" at Liido beach in Mogadishu. Following the explosion, armed gunmen stormed the building and t…
rt.com/news/498160-gunfire-explosion-mogadishu-hotel/

Belarus to conduct military drills on its western borders amid mass post-election protests
rt.com | 2020-08-16
Minsk has said it will conduct large-scale military drills on Belarus' borders with Poland and Lithuania. The exercises, focused particularly on air defense, come amid mass protests following the contested presidential election. | The drills, which are also set to involve artillery and missile troops, will take place in the western region of Grodno from August 17 to 20, the country's Defence Ministry said Sunday. The action will happen near the town of Astravyets — not far from the country's new nuclear power plant, which is being constructed in cooperation with Russia. | Detachments from three air defens…
rt.com/news/498163-belarus-protests-military-drills/

Portland protesters hurl rocks at police on 80th night of BLM demonstrations, riot declared & 2 officers hospitalized (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-08-16
The 80th night of Black Lives Matter protests in Portland turned violent, with police declaring yet another riot as demonstrators threw rocks and projectiles at officers and their vehicles. Police said two cops were hospitalized. | More than 200 people showed up to an anti-police brutality protest in East Portland on Saturday night. What began as peaceful demonstration later turned violent as protesters began moving into residential areas, throwing rocks and projectiles at police property and officers. | Portland Police eventually declared the demonstration a riot early on Sunday, arresting several people as t…
rt.com/usa/498165-portland-protests-black-lives-matter/

SEA of people flows through Minsk as protesters across Belarus march against Lukashenko's presidential victory (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-08-16
Anti-government sentiment shows no sign of quieting down in Belarus with tens of thousands attending a protest in the capital, Minsk on Sunday. Hours earlier, a pro-government rally was held in the city. | The demonstration is taking place exactly one week after the controversial presidential election in Belarus. The outcome, which gave incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko his sixth term, was rejected by the opposition, who accused the government of rigging the vote. A police crackdown launched against them angered the general public, with mass protests and walkouts held throughout the week. | Belarus Free…
rt.com/news/498156-minsk-anti-government-rally/

Belarus interior minister claims protester killed in anti-government demonstrations could have been hit by 'non-lethal' round
rt.com | 2020-08-16
A protester who was killed in unclear circumstances during clashes with police in Belarus, might have been hit by a non-lethal round, the country's interior minister claimed, urging the public to wait for investigation results. | Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old demonstrator who was killed during protests in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk on Monday, might have come under fire from non-lethal weaponry, Interior Minister Yuri Karaev said on Sunday. | "Maybe he was shot with non-lethal weapons. I don't know yet, I'm not an investigator," Karaev told local media before diverting attention to months-long…
rt.com/news/498167-belarus-protester-death-rubber-bullets/

'I'm KNEELING for you,' Lukashenko tells supporters at a rally, warning Belarus will 'die as a country' if a repeat vote happens
rt.com | 2020-08-16
President Alexander Lukashenko has said that Belarus will cease to exist as a country if authorities concede to demands for a new election. He also warned about NATO troops at the nation's border. | At a rally outside the government's HQ in Minsk, Lukashenko urged his supporters to "defend your country, independence and families." | I am kneeling for you, for the first time in my life. You have deserved it! | In an impassioned speech, the president rejected calls to hold a new election, after the opposition accused him of having rigged the vote to secure a sixth term in office last week. | "The leadership of…
rt.com/news/498154-lukashenko-belarus-supporters-rally/

'This is who you are now, GOP': Obama security advisor Rice freaks out over Snowden pardon idea, is roasted for right-wing stance
rt.com | 2020-08-16
The fact they are even considering a pardon for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden shows how low the Republican party has sunk under Donald Trump, believes Susan Rice, former national security advisor in the Obama administration. | The possibility that criminal charges against Snowden may be dropped was floated by the US president this week. The idea triggered an outpouring of public support, including from such senior US officials as Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky. There were also some strongly negative…
rt.com/usa/498152-rice-snowden-pardon-gop/

'Seems to be a split decision': Trump says he'll take 'a very good look' at idea of pardoning Snowden
rt.com | 2020-08-16
For the second time in a week, US President Donald Trump has indicated that he might be considering pardoning former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, noting that the issue has long transcended party lines. | Asked if he wants to pardon Snowden at a press conference in Bedminster, New Jersey on Saturday, Trump responded that while he was "not that aware of the Snowden situation," he would "start looking at it." | Trump, who once labelled the former CIA contractor turned-whistleblower a "traitor," argued that there is no consensus within the American political establishment on the matter. | "There are many people.
rt.com/usa/498130-edward-snowden-pardon-trump/

Democrats Set to Hold Convention to Nominate Biden for US President
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Democratic Party gathers on Monday for the National Convention to formally endorse Joe Biden as its candidate for the next president of the United States.
sputniknews.com/us/202008161080190025-democrats-set-to-hold-convention-to-nominate-biden-for-us-president/

Israel Closer to US 'Clean Network' by Abandoning Chinese 5G Tech, Report Claims
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
Reports suggesting that the Trump administration is urging Tel Aviv to block China from the development of 5G infrastructure in Israel emerged in late May, falling in line with Washington's confrontation with Chinese tech giant Huawei over its alleged connections with Beijing intelligence.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008161080190667-israel-closer-to-us-clean-network-by-abandoning-chinese-5g-tech-report-claims/

New Zealand Election Postponed Four Weeks Due to COVID-19 Pandemic – PM
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, announced that the election in the country had been moved to 17 October, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and noted that she would not again change the date.
sputniknews.com/asia/202008161080190311-new-zealand-election-postponed-four-weeks-due-to-covid-19-pandemic—pm/

UAE Deal Brings Israel's 'Ultimate Disintegration Closer' – Advisor to Iran Supreme Leader
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced reaching a deal with the United Arab Emirates that would see Abu Dhabi beginning the process to recognize and normalize relations with Tel Aviv, with a formal signing ceremony projected to take place in Washington within a few weeks.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008161080189848-uae-deal-brings-israels-ultimate-disintegration-closer—advisor-to-iran-supreme-leader/

Netanyahu Says UAE-Israel Peace Deal Shows Arab Countries Won't be 'Held Hostage by Palestinians'
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel on Thursday agreed to sign a treaty to begin the process of normalising relations, in a deal said to have been brokered by US President Donald Trump. The Israeli Prime Minister claims that the new relationship between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv will lead to an agreement with the Palestinians.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202008161080189838-netanyahu-says-uae-israel-peace-deal-shows-arab-countries-wont-be-held-hostage-by-palestinians/

Over 20,000 Gather in Bangkok for Anti-Government Rally — Free Youth Movement
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-16
BANGKOK (Sputnik) – More than 20,000 of mostly young people protested in Bangkok on Sunday against the government of Thailand's former junta leader, the largest such demonstration in years.
sputniknews.com/asia/202008161080189942-over-20000-gather-in-bangkok-for-anti-government-rally–free-youth-movement/

Powerful stories from care home staff on the front line of the pandemic
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-16
Care home staff are drained and daunted by the highs and lows of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, one NHS worker has said. Carers were drafted in from the public sector to support privately-run institutions which bore the brunt of last spring's surge in cases. They described an emotional rollercoaster punctuated by grief at losing residents but also immense celebration as a 99-year-old first sat up in bed after defeating the virus. | One said: The past few months have definitely been a draining, sometimes, and challenging period. The circumstances and some events we have seen have been unfortunate. To see some…
thecanary.co/feature/2020/08/16/powerful-stories-from-care-home-staff-on-the-front-line-of-the-pandemic/

COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-16
As the globe enters the sixth month since the World Health Organization (WHO) classified COVID-19 as a pandemic, cases and death rates in countries led by far right authoritarians continue to surge. The vast majority of nations have sought out the advice of experts and coordinated internationally to implement safeguards, yet the right-wing nationalist leaders of the U.S., Brazil, India and Russia have intensified the pandemic — creating more death and uncertainty. | Each leader's respons…
truthout.org/articles/covid-deaths-continue-to-surge-in-countries-led-by-far-right-authoritarians/

Trump Pulls Nomination of "Unapologetic Racist" to Oversee Nation's Public Lands
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-16
Environmental campaigners on Saturday welcomed news that President Donald Trump withdrew his nomination of " pro-polluter" and " unapologetic racist" William Perry Pendley for director of the Bureau of Land Management, with groups saying he sho…
truthout.org/articles/trump-pulls-nomination-of-unapologetic-racist-to-oversee-nations-public-lands/

Condemnations of Chicago "Looting" Prioritize Property Over Black Lives
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-16
The city of Chicago, like many large urban centers that serve as home to significant numbers of Black people, is often misunderstood and pummeled with the markers of being "violent" and "dangerous." Despite the city's desire to publicize its tourism and other neoliberal amenities to attract global financial capital, people visiting the city are generally warned against going to its South or West sides, where the vast majority of Black people live. | These narratives about Chicago's "dangerousness" t…
truthout.org/articles/condemnations-of-chicago-looting-prioritize-property-over-black-lives/

Luis Abinader Takes Office in the Dominican Republic
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-16
Luis Abinader has been sworn in as President of the Dominican Republic for the 2020 – 2024 period, in a ceremony which took place on Sunday morning. | RELATED: | The Empire's Caribbean Democracy and Corruption Showcase | Taking the oath before the Senate President, Eduardo Estrella, he received the presidential sash, followed by the swearing in of the new Vice President, Raquel Peña. | Abinader's central speech began with a minute of silence for those who are hospitalized or at home w…
telesurenglish.net/news/luis-abinader-inaugurated-as-president-of-dominican-republic-20200816-0004.html

China's local COVID-19 cases fall as Xinjiang cluster recedes
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
China's new locally transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus fell to a one-month low as a cluster in the western region of Xinjiang receded, data released by the country's health authority showed on Sunday.The number of locally transmitted cases in China dropped to four on Aug. 15, all of which were in Xinjiang, the National Health Commission said in a statement. That compares with eight cases nationwide a day earlier and is the lowest since July 16.No new locally transmitted cases were recorded on Aug. 15 in the city of Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province after provincial authorities there reported fresh i…
yenisafak.com/en/world/chinas-local-covid-19-cases-fall-as-xinjiang-cluster-recedes-3536954

China's local COVID-19 cases fall as Xinjiang cluster recedes
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
China's new locally transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus fell to a one-month low as a cluster in the western region of Xinjiang receded, data released by the country's health authority showed on Sunday.The number of locally transmitted cases in China dropped to four on Aug. 15, all of which were in Xinjiang, the National Health Commission said in a statement. That compares with eight cases nationwide a day earlier and is the lowest since July 16.No new locally transmitted cases were recorded on Aug. 15 in the city of Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province after provincial authorities there reported fresh i…
yenisafak.com/en/world/chinas-local-covid-19-cases-fall-as-xinjiang-cluster-recedes-3536955

Virus claims 6 lives in Libya, 2 in Sudan
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
Health authorities in Libya and Sudan on Sunday confirmed additional fatalities due to the coronavirus pandemic.In a statement, Libya's National Center for Disease Control said six people had died from COVID-19 and 411 others tested positive.The country's tally now rose to 7,738 confirmed cases, including 145 deaths, and 894 recoveries.In Sudan, the Health Ministry recorded two deaths along with 103 infections and 10 recoveries.The country's total infections now stand at 12,314, including 798 deaths, and 6,350 recoveries.The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed nearly 769,000 lives in at least 188 countries and regions…
yenisafak.com/en/life/virus-claims-6-lives-in-libya-2-in-sudan-3536952

Iran says to export arms once UN embargo lifted
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
"Iran will export and sell weapons" once the UN-mandated embargo is lifted, Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami told reporters on the sidelines of the National Defense Industry Day in Tehran.He said Iran will "use all its capacities to meet its arms requirements" by exporting weapons after the 13-year embargo expires in October.On Saturday, the UN Security Council turned down a US draft to extend an arms embargo on Iran.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had urged the UNSC members to vote for the move, said the Council's "failure to act decisively" was "inexcusable".US officials accuse Iran of supplying weapons…
yenisafak.com/en/world/iran-says-to-export-arms-once-un-embargo-lifted-3536958

One killed in bomb blast in Iraq's Kirkuk
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
One person was killed and two others were injured in a bomb explosion in Iraq's northern Kirkuk province on Sunday, according to an Iraqi police officer.The blast took place in al-Riyadh, a town west of Kirkuk city, the officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.There was no claim of responsibility for the blast, but the officer suggested that the Daesh/ISIS terror group was behind the attack.Since the start of the year, suspected Daesh/ISIS terrorists have stepped up attacks, particularly in the area between Kirkuk, Saladin (north), and Diyala (east), known as the…
yenisafak.com/en/world/one-killed-in-bomb-blast-in-iraqs-kirkuk-3536950

Putin tells Belarusian leader Lukashenko Russia ready to help militarily if necessary
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in a phone call on Sunday that Moscow stood ready to provide help in accordance with a collective military pact if necessary, the Kremlin said in a statement.The Kremlin said in the same statement that external pressure was being applied to Belarus. It did not say by who.Belarus has been rocked by a week of street protests after protesters accused Lukashenko of rigging a presidential election last Sunday.
yenisafak.com/en/world/putin-tells-belarusian-leader-lukashenko-russia-ready-to-help-militarily-if-necessary-3536953

Screen addiction causes children to lose ability to draw
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-16
The normalization of technology has rendered some children incapable of drawing a simple picture, and the number keeps rising daily, according to a Turkish child development specialist.The new school year in Turkey will begin with remote classes Aug. 31. Aysenur Bekaroglu believes screen addiction in children is much more pronounced when learning is primarily dictated by a device."But this is the best of a bad lot," she said. "Rather than children being left uneducated, online education is the best option."Bekaroglu said schools are not only a center for education but a place to socialize, where children have pee…
yenisafak.com/en/technology/screen-addiction-causes-children-to-lose-ability-to-draw-3536951

In Denial: Australia, Human Rights and Climate Change
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-16
When the complaint was lodged in May 2019, there was a sense of the audacious about it. Eight Torres Strait Islanders had taken the trouble to petition the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Committee, citing climate change and Australian violations as their main concern. Australia, they claimed, had violated their fundamental rights under the International Covenant …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/in-denial-australia-human-rights-and-climate-change/

The Basic Case for a Wealth Tax
Bob Lord, Lee Price | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
People participate in a "March on Billionaires" event on July 17, 2020 in New York City. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/basic-case-wealth-tax.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/16/basic-case-wealth-tax?cd-origin=rss

'Stop Lukashenko': Hundreds of Thousands Protest Against Belarusian Leader for Eighth Straight Day
Common Dreams staff | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
Demonstrators are demanding new elections amid outcry over authorities' violent crackdown on dissent. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/minsk-protest-day-8.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/16/stop-lukashenko-hundreds-thousands-protest-against-belarusian-leader-eighth-straight?cd-origin=rss

Coronavirus: Have We Already Missed the Opportunity to Build a Better World?
Martin Parker | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
A wind farm in Rochale in the UK. (Photo: Robin Mulligan/CC BY 2.0) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/covid-opportunity-change.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/16/coronavirus-have-we-already-missed-opportunity-build-better-world?cd-origin=rss

Solidarity Forever: Essential Workers, Public Goods, and How We Are in This Together
Cynthia Kaufman | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
"As we build our way out of the COVID-19 crisis, we need to amplify the narratives that are emerging about who the real heroes are in our society," the author writes. (Photo: Giles Clarke/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/essential-expendable.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/16/solidarity-forever-essential-workers-public-goods-and-how-we-are-together?cd-origin=rss

Military Recruiters Don't Belong in High Schools
Sidney Miralao | commondreams.org | 2020-08-16
There's a group of outsiders in schools we should be wary of: the U.S. military. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/recruiters-schools.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/16/military-recruiters-dont-belong-high-schools?cd-origin=rss

An escape route for Brazil
Boaventura de Sousa Santos | zcomm.org | 2020-08-16
The only possible escape route for Brazil is to make sure that, in 2022 at the latest, the hellish nightmare of Bolsonarismo is democratically brought to its end…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/an-escape-route-for-brazil/

How the Israel-UAE Deal puts the Bogus Peace Industry Back in Business
Jonathan Cook | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-16
If there is one conclusion to draw from the agreement this week between Israel and the United Arab Emirates — with Israel temporarily "suspending" its threat to illegally annex parts of the West Bank, in return for "full normalisation" with the Gulf state — it is this: The peace industry is back in business. But this …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/how-the-israel-uae-deal-puts-the-bogus-peace-industry-back-in-business/

Popular Viral Video Firm Sues Facebook over Russian Propaganda Label
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-08-15
The company behind In The Now, Soapbox and Waste-Ed is taking on media giant Facebook, who it claims is falsely labeling it as Russian state-controlled propaganda.
mintpressnews.com/popular-viral-video-firm-sues-facebook-over-russian-propaganda-label/270442/

Sanders Warns of Trump Effort to 'Destroy the Post Office to Sabotage This Election'
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-08-15
The warning from the Vermont senator follows a USPS announcement that it's halting its collection of mailboxes in multiple states—which voting rights advocates rebuked as evidence of "massive voter suppression." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/election-sabotage-mailboxes.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/08/15/sanders-warns-trump-effort-destroy-post-office-sabotage-election?cd-origin=rss

The show trial of Julian Assange: A cruel and pseudolegal farce
wsws.org | 2020-08-15
Yesterday's hearing in London made clear, if any further proof was needed, that the prosecution of Assange is a shameful and degrading show trial, intended to railroad an innocent man to prison or death.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/15/pers-a15.html

How the U.S. helped push Lebanon to the brink of collapse, and now threatens more sanctions
Ben Norton | mronline.org | 2020-08-15
While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the U.S. government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to push regime change and crush Lebanese resistance with sanctions and aggressive hybrid warfare.
mronline.org/2020/08/15/how-the-u-s-helped-push-lebanon-to-the-brink-of-collapse-and-now-threatens-more-sanctions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-the-u-s-helped-push-lebanon-to-the-brink-of-collapse-and-now-threatens-more-sanctions

COVID-19 Coronavirus "Fake" Pandemic: Timeline and Analysis
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-15
On January 30, a far-reaching decision was taken by the WHO without the support of expert opinion at a time when the coronavirus outbreak was limited to Mainland China. 150 confirmed cases outside China, when the decision was taken, 6 in the US, 3 in Canada, 2 in the UK, etc. In early March, 430 cases in the US.
globalresearch.ca/ncov-2019-coronavirus-time-line/5705776

Michel Chossudovsky: Biographical Summary
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-15
There are a number of deliberate "errors" and omissions in Michel Chossudovsky's wikipedia entry. Defamatory statements. | The same applies to the wikipedia entry for Global Research which has been merged with Chossudovsky's entry. The objective is to smear GR. …
globalresearch.ca/michel-chossudovsky-biographical-summary/5580999

[World Report] Lebanon faces humanitarian emergency after blast
Sharmila Devi | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
The explosion in Beirut is further straining the health system and food supplies, as well as risking the country's COVID-19 response. Sharmila Devi reports.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31750-5/fulltext?rss=yes

[Editorial] Humanitarian crises in a global pandemic
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-08-15
On Aug 19, the world will mark a UN World Humanitarian Day very different from any other. But while COVID-19 captures the world's focus, other humanitarian crises also need attention, as evidenced most recently by the tragic aftermath of the explosion in Beirut.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31749-9/fulltext?rss=yes

Refinery Shutdown, Santa Barbara Co. Staff Report Jeopardize ExxonMobil Offshore Drilling
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2020-08-15
However, opponents of offshore drilling say two unrelated developments that took place yesterday could undermine these plans. A coalition of conservation, environmental justice and indigenous groups is calling on the oil company to abandon this project and decommission its offshore rigs.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/14/18835915.php

Maduro Hails Russian COVID-19 Vaccine as Comms Minister Tests Positive
Manuela Solé | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-08-15
The South American nation has a 70 percent COVID-19 recovery rate.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14969

Eight years on from the Marikana massacre and protesters remind us 'the lives of African mineworkers matter'
Peadar O'Cearnaigh | thecanary.co | 2020-08-15
On 16 August 2012, police opened fire on striking miners at the Marikana platinum mine in South Africa. Miners had been striking for a living wage. After police opened fire, 34 people died, 78 were injured and 250 were arrested. A further ten people died in incidents related to this strike.
thecanary.co/global/2020/08/15/eight-years-on-from-the-marikana-massacre-and-protesters-remind-us-the-lives-of-african-mineworkers-matter/

The Plight of Refugees and Migrant Workers under Covid
Graham Peebles | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-08-15
In a world where nationalism and social division is increasing, bigotry growing, are the words refugee, asylum seeker, migrant worker, derogatory labels triggering prejudice and intolerance? Such terms create an image of 'the other', separate and different, strengthening tribalism, feeding suspicion, our common humanity denied. Under the shadow of Covid-19 those living on the margins …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/08/the-plight-of-refugees-and-migrant-workers-under-covid/

Journalists in Malaysia persecuted for exposing treatment of migrant workers
wsws.org | 2020-08-15
The government's investigation into seven Al Jazeera journalists, including a police raid of their offices, is part of a broader crackdown on press freedom.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/08/15/mala-a15.html

ICE Guards 'Systematically' Sexually Assault Detainees
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-15
Guards in an immigrant detention center in El Paso sexually assaulted and harassed inmates in a "pattern and practice" of abuse, according to a complaint filed by a Texas advocacy group urging the local district attorney and federal prosecutors to conduct a criminal investigation. | The allegations, detailed in a filing first obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, maintain that guards systematically assaulted at least three people in a facility overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — often in areas of the detention center not visible to security cameras.
popularresistance.org/ice-guards-systematically-sexually-assault-detainees/

Uphold Palestinian Struggle In All Its Forms
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-08-15
Fifty years ago, Palestinian intellectual Ghassan Kanafani put forward a clear position about the boycott of Israel. Kanafani was, at the time, not only an esteemed novelist and short story writer. He was also one of the leading spokespeople of the Palestinian armed revolution, representing the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. | "Our boycott of Israel is not based on an emotional position, but rather, it comes from the nature of our confrontation against this enemy. Boycott is in itself a statement," Kanafani wrote. | His remarks came in response to a debate between Israeli and Palestinian students…
popularresistance.org/uphold-palestinian-struggle-in-all-its-forms/

UAE, Israel deal against democracy in Arab world: Experts
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-15
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel made a deal earlier this week to forestall Tel Aviv's controversial plans to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank and start a new era of normalization.Although the deal was supported by the West and regional countries namely, Egypt, Oman and Bahrain, the agreement sparked uproar in Palestine and on Arab streets.The Emirates became the third Arab country to recognize Israel after Jordan and Egypt, in a move touted as doing the Palestinians a favor.Palestinian groups, however, denounced the agreement, saying it does nothing to serve the Palestinian cause and ignore…
yenisafak.com/en/news/uae-israel-deal-against-democracy-in-arab-world-experts-3536895

Needed: Indicators for Measuring Injustice and Societal Decay
Ralph Nader | commondreams.org | 2020-08-15
A demonstrator holding a "People Over Profit" sign at a protest in Brooklyn on June 5, 2020. (Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/new-indicators.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/15/needed-indicators-measuring-injustice-and-societal-decay?cd-origin=rss

The Politics of War: What is Israel's Endgame in Lebanon and Syria?
Ramzy Baroud | zcomm.org | 2020-08-15
The future of Lebanon is, once more, in the hands of war generals.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-politics-of-war-what-is-israels-endgame-in-lebanon-and-syria/

Activists in Denmark demand a consent based law against rape
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-08-15
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Copenhagen on August 14, Friday, to demand that the government draft a consent law to ensure proper legal protection for rape victims. The gathering was organised by around 24 groups including Everyday Sexim Project, Women's Council, Denmark's Social Democratic Youth (DSU), Socialist Youth Front (SUF), Red Green Youth etc. The participants in the march wore masks and gloves adhering to COVID-19 safety protocol. | According to Arbejderen.dk (The Worker), the demonstrators demanded that the government should immediately announce and submit proposals for a new consent-based rape la…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/08/15/activists-in-denmark-demand-a-consent-based-law-against-rape/

Profiteering off the pandemic
Robert Reich | nationofchange.org | 2020-08-15
…
nationofchange.org/2020/08/15/profiteering-off-the-pandemic/