Martha Grevatt (2019-12-28). After millions strike Nov. 21, Colombian people stay in the streets. workers.org A powerful strike rocked Colombia on Nov. 21, with millions participating across the country of 50 million people. The National Strike Committee initially called only a one-day strike to oppose anti-worker legislation. Dec. 21, \"Medellin resists singing\" concert supports weeks of strikes and protests. But masses of people have stayed . . . | Continue reading After millions strike Nov. 21, Colombian people stay in the streets at Workers.org

Staff (2019-12-28). Death Toll Rises in Massive Truck Bombing in Somalia. truthdig.com MOGADISHU, Somalia—A truck bomb exploded at a busy security checkpoint in Somalia\'s capital Saturday morning, killing at least 78 people including many students, authorities said. It was the worst attack in Mogadishu since the devastating 2017 bombing that killed hundreds. | The explosion ripped through rush hour as Somalia returned to work after its weekend. At least 125 people were wounded, Aamin Ambulance service director Abdiqadir Abdulrahman said, and hundreds of Mogadishu residents donated blood in response to desperate appeals. | President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed condemned the attack as a \"heinous…

Janine Jackson (2019-12-28). \'No Jury Ever Announces a Not Guilty Verdict Before the Trial\' – CounterSpin interview with Marjorie Cohn on Trump's impeachment. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed legal scholar Marjorie Cohn about the impeachment of Donald Trump for the December 20, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Janine Jackson (2019-12-28). \'We Need to Do Everything We Can on All Fronts\' – CounterSpin interview with Dorothee Benz on impeachment protests. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed organizer Dorothee Benz about impeachment protests for the December 20, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Workers World New York bureau (2019-12-28). Rally defends special education in Puerto Rico and U.S. workers.org Austerity imposed on Puerto Rico ¥s educational system by the unelected colonialist fiscal board was the target of a street rally in New York City on Dec. 14. The rally was called by the New York chapter of the Timón Committee, which works to raise awareness of special education rights — . . . | Continue reading Rally defends special education in Puerto Rico and U.S. at Workers.org

Staff (2019-12-28). Edward Gallagher, Pardoned by Trump, Called \'Evil\' by Navy SEALs. truthdig.com Leaked videos of interviews with SEALs paint a picture of their former platoon leader as \"perfectly OK with killing anybody that was moving.\"

John Bellamy Foster (2019-12-28). A culture of reconciliation with nature. mronline.org Christopher Caudwell, who died at age 29 fighting with the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War, wrote: \"Either the devil has come amongst us having great power, or there is a causal explanation for a disease common to economics, science, and art.\" That disease, he recognized, was the self-alienation of humanity under capitalism | Source

Staff (2019-12-28). Thousands of Koalas Feared Dead in Australia Wildfires. truthdig.com PERTH, Australia—Thousands of koalas are feared to have died in a wildfire-ravaged area north of Sydney, further diminishing Australia\'s iconic marsupial, while the fire danger increased in the country\'s east on Saturday as temperatures soared. | The mid-northern coast of New South Wales was home to up to 28,000 koalas, but wildfires have significantly reduced their population in recent months. Koalas are native to Australia and are one of the country\'s most beloved animals, but they\'ve been under threat due to a loss of habitat. | \"Up to 30% of their habitat has been destroyed,\" Australia\'s environment min…

teleSUR (2019-12-28). India: Hundreds of Women Camp Against the Citizenship Law. telesurenglish.net Hundreds of women Friday night remained protesting in a camp built in the Shaheen Bagh neighborhood in New Delhi where Muslim immigrants have been gathering for 13 consecutive days to protest against a legal amendment that denies them citizenship. | RELATED: | India Approves Funds for Population Survey Amid Protests Over Citizenship Law | \"This is the first time in my life that I participate in a protest,\" said 48-year-old woman Romanian Khan, who remains in the…

WSWS (2019-12-28). Julian Assange \"slowly dying\" and \"often sedated\" in Belmarsh prison. wsws.org Assange\'s phone call highlights the danger that he could die in jail, effectively at the hands of the British, US and Australian governments.

Wyatt Reed (2019-12-28). Evo Morales\' potential successor speaks out after far-right Bolivia coup: Interview with union leader Andrónico Rodríguez. thegrayzone.com Andrónico Rodríguez could be the next president of Bolivia. The 30-year-old labor organizer speaks about the far-right US-backed coup, repression…

Stacy Bannerman (2019-12-28). In 2020, Live Your Prayer. commondreams.org Stacy Bannerman, foreground, second from right, a peace activist married to a National Guard soldier who fought in Iraq, has written about unusual relationship between warrior and anti-war activist in Washington, DC, on Saturday, May 13, 2006. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The The Washington Post via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/stacy-bannerman-955px.jpg …

teleSUR (2019-12-28). Pabon: Fear and Persecution Can Hurt the Pillars of Democracy. telesurenglish.net The Prefect of Pichincha, Paola Pabon expressed, in an exclusive interview with Telesur, her concern about how hatred and political persecution in Ecuador have wounded the most important motivation of democracy: the confrontation of ideas and thoughts, and freedom to think. | RELATED: | Ecuador: Judge Releases Leftist Activists Accused of Rebellion | Pabon affirmed that her case proves the harassment that many of the leaders of the Revolución Ciudadana have suffered this last tw…

WSWS (2019-12-28). Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed accepts Nobel Peace Prize. wsws.org In accepting the prize, Ahmed joins a rogues\' gallery of imperialists, militarists, petty bourgeois nationalists, ethnic cleansers, and war criminals.

PCHR (2019-12-28). PCHR: \"86th GMR: IOF Shot and Injured 39 Palestinian Civilians, Including 11 Children and a Woman\" imemc.org The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR): Thirty-nine Palestinian civilians, including 11 children and a woman, were shot and injured by Israeli occupation forces\' (IOF) fire against peaceful protestors at the 86th Great March of Return (GMR) in eastern Gaza Strip, this Friday, 27 December 2019. Despite of general calmness …

Viva Evo (2019-12-28). Bolivia a military coup. Coup leader Fernando Camacho boasting. indybay.org It was a military coup. Coup leader Fernando Camacho boasting about how his father coordinated with military so they wouldn\'t be mobilised against the anti-Evo protests before the coup.

R. Robertson (2019-12-28). Iranian Americans in Palo Alto Join Day Honoring Iran\'s Deceased Demonstrators. indybay.org On December 26, Iranian government security forces deployed en masse to keep people off the streets across Iran. Despite this, protesters gathered in small groups, at cemeteries but also on the streets in many cities in the Islamic Republic. In Palo Alto, California, protesters in solidarity with Iranian demonstrators gathered in a downtown plaza.

Dave Id (2019-12-28). Housing Justice Village Arrestees Respond to Jailing by City of Oakland. indybay.org In a political show of force, the city of Oakland directed a small army of police to mass arrest and jail 22 housing rights demonstrators on November 24, for nothing more than setting up tents in front of city hall to protest the city\'s never ending war against the homeless. Most arrestees spent at least 24 hours in Santa Rita, and some remained jailed for over two days, on what would otherwise be a citable infraction. On December 2, arrestees held a press conference to address the city\'s attack and why they protested in the first place.

R. Robertson (2019-12-28). \"Get Up, Stand Up for Your Rights\" at Demo: Justice for Killed Protesters in Iran. indybay.org 13 second video. | Photos and full text at | www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/26/18829250.php…

Staff (2019-12-28). Israeli Troops Attack Non-Violent \'March of Return\' Protests in Gaza. imemc.org Israeli forces attacked Palestinians taking part in the weekly \'March of Return\' protests near the fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel, leaving a number of protesters injured. This will be the last official protest until March, according to organizers in Gaza, who are temporarily suspending the weekly protests. Palestinian …

teleSUR (2019-12-28). Chile: 6 Military Police Detained for Sexual Abuse in Protests. telesurenglish.net The 10th Guarantees Court of Santiago Friday issued preventive detention for six Military police accused of torturing and sexually abusing a young man during the curfew that President Sebastian Piñera ordered during the first days of the social outbreak in Chile. | RELATED: | Chile: Piñera Signs Decree Calling Constitutional Referendum | The six members o…

F. William Engdahl (2019-12-28). Climate and the Money Trail. globalresearch.ca The very mega-billionaires behind the globalization of the world economy who have wreaked so much damage to our environment are the leading backers of the \"grassroots\" climate movement. Is it pangs of guilty conscience, or could it be a deeper agenda of the financialization of the very air we breathe and more?

IMEMC News & Agencies (2019-12-28). A Year In Review: Will 2020 Be A Game Changer In Palestine? imemc.org by Ramzy Baroud This has been a defining year for Palestine and Israel. Despite the usual political stagnation of the Palestinian leadership, two factors contributed to making 2019 particularly eventful and, looking ahead, consequential as well: The unprecedented political power struggle in Israel, and the total US retreat from its …

teleSUR (2019-12-28). Mexico: Zapatista Meeting of Women Who Fight Starts in Chiapas. telesurenglish.net Around 3,200 women from all over the world are gathered in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico, to participate in the \"Second International Meeting of Women who Fight,\" which has been convened by the Indigenous political group Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN). | RELATED: | Mexico: EZLN Announces Creation of New Rebel Municipalities | Women from countries such as Argentina, Germany, Peru, Spain, and the United States are gathered at \"The Footprints of Commander Ramona\" ven…

Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya (2019-12-28). Preparing the Chessboard for the \"Clash of Civilizations\": Divide, Conquer and Rule the \"New Middle East\" globalresearch.ca The ripple effects of the US-NATO Invasion of Libya. Redefining and Destabilsing the Arab World…

Makia Freeman (2019-12-28). ISIS Is a US-Israeli Creation. Top Ten \"Indications\" globalresearch.ca Relevant article first posted on GR in April 2016. | ISIS is a US-Israeli creation, a fact as clear as the sky is blue. It\'s a truth as black and white as the colors on their flag. For many alternative news …

Washington\'s Blog (2019-12-28). The Caliphate Project, Made in America. Declassified U.S. Government Documents Confirm the US Supported the Creation of ISIS. globalresearch.ca Global Research Editor\'s Note: | First published in May 2015, this article reveals not only that the ISIS is a creation of US intelligence, it also confirms that the Caliphate Project was designed in Washington. | See Screenshots Below from the title …

Prof Souad N. Al-Azzawi (2019-12-28). Depleted Uranium and Radioactive Contamination in Iraq: An Overview. globalresearch.ca The amount of devastation caused by the Depleted Uranium (DU) weaponry used against Iraq during the consecutive US led wars is historically unprecedented in modern warfare. Information revealed about the \'Gulf War Syndrome\' enabled Iraqi researchers to understand the nature of these weapons.

Dr. Jacques R. Pauwels (2019-12-28). Why America Needs War. globalresearch.ca GR Editor\'s Note: This incisive article was written on April 30, 2003 in the immediate wake of the war on Iraq, by renowned historian and political scientist Dr. Jacques Pauwels, Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization …

Israel Shahak (2019-12-28). \"Greater Israel\": The Zionist Plan for the Middle East. globalresearch.ca When viewed in the current context, the war on Iraq, the 2006 war on Lebanon, the 2011 war on Libya, the ongoing wars on Syria and Iraq, the war on Yemen, must be understood in relation to the Zionist Plan for the Middle East…

news.un (2019-12-28). Secretary-General condemns \'horrendous\' Somalia car bomb attack. news.un.org Perpetrators behind the deadly terrorist attack in Somalia on Saturday must be brought to justice, the UN Secretary-General has said.

Staff (2019-12-28). Binational Effort Seeks to Give Asylum Seekers Agency in the Aid Process. truthout.org \"It\'s not dignified to have to wait on somebody to feed you,\" says Gaby Zavala, looking up from a barrage of texts to answer questions. Her desk, in a small office overlooking the camp of asylum seekers along the Rio Grande just past the Gateway International Bridge, is stacked with folders of receipts and paperwork brought to her by camp residents she employs as volunteers. | As of mid-December, the Resource Center for Asylum Seekers in Mexico, co-founded by Brownsville resident Zavala and her c…

Staff (2019-12-28). Court Upholds Ruling Protecting Marine Area Against Oil and Fishing Interests. truthout.org Defenders of ocean habitats celebrated Friday after a federal court upheld a lower court ruling defending the right of the U.S. executive branch to set aside marine areas as national monuments. | Citing the authority found under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish marine national monuments, the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia sided against a lawsuit brought by large fishing industry interests that challenged President Barack Obama\'s designation of the Northeast Cany…

Staff (2019-12-28). Stop the Spread of Liquefied Natural Gas — Before It\'s Too Late. truthout.org Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a potential disaster in the making. That\'s the conclusion of a new report by Physicians for Social Responsibility, which surveyed an abundance of research on LNG\'s threats to public health. | LNG is natural gas that is filtered and supercooled to -260 ∞ F, tu…

Staff (2019-12-28). Voter Suppression Exposes the Paradox of Black Citizenship in a Racist Society. truthout.org Black citizenship has always been up for debate in the United States. The conditions in which Black people live — or survive — are a testament to this. Whether rich or poor, Black people live under the constant threat of state violence. There is no escape from it, and any Black person can fall victim to it. For many, citizenship can feel like a saving grace, despite continually being subject to constant threats. But the category of citizenship itself is a contradiction when we t…

Staff (2019-12-28). Is California Saving Higher Education? truthout.org San Jose, California — Jaelyn Deas and her four best friends shared everything, including late-night study sessions in the library at San Jose State University and a never-ending preoccupation with how they\'d pay for their tuition there. | The one thing they didn\'t do together? Graduate. | While she was juggling a major in international business, a minor in Japanese and a job to help keep up with her expenses, Deas fell behind, and her friends put on their caps and gowns and walked across the stage in May without her. | It w…

Staff (2019-12-28). WaPo\'s Afghan Papers Propagate Colonial Narrative of Noble Intentions Gone Awry. truthout.org In an earlier article (FAIR.org, 12/18/19) regarding the Washington Post\'s Afghanistan Papers ( 12/9/19), I discussed how…

WSWS (2019-12-28). The 1619 Project and the falsification of history: An analysis of the New York Times\' reply to five historians. wsws.org New York Times Magazine editor Jake Silverstein, reviving discredited racialist distortions of the American Revolution and Civil War, refuses to correct historical errors in the 1619 Project.

Peter Dreier (2019-12-28). These Are A Few Of My Favorite Jews. commondreams.org Eugene Debs delivers an anti-war speech in Canton, Ohio on June 16, 1918. In 1920, when only 3 percent of Americans voted for Debs, the Socialist Party candidate for president, Jews gave him 38 percent of their votes. (Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/eugene-debs-1918-955px.jpg …

Dave Id (2019-12-28). Energetic Solidarity with the Moms 4 Housing the Day After Christmas. indybay.org Hundreds showed up for court support at the Hayward Hall of Justice and for home defense at the Moms4Housing home on December 26. Speaking in West Oakland after the court hearing were Misty Cross and Dominique Walker of Moms for Housing, Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., and Carroll Fife.

Lynda Carson (2019-12-28). Tenant screening companies wage war on tenants with blacklists. indybay.org Tenant screening companies and landlords depend on Experian, Equinox, and TransUnion to get the information they depend on to be able to blacklist tenants all across the nation, resulting in tenants becoming homeless and living in tent cities!

WSWS (2019-12-28). The election of Boris Johnson and the failure of Corbynism. wsws.org The Socialist Equality Party (UK) is holding public meetings on the Labour Party\'s general election debacle and the way forward for the working class based on the fight to build a new, genuinely socialist party.

WSWS (2019-12-28). Trump issues hypocritical threat over Syrian offensive. wsws.org Syrian government troops backed by Russian air power have advanced on the last redoubt of Al Qaeda-linked militias in Idlib province.

WSWS (2019-12-28). New WikiLeaks documents expose doctoring of chemical weapons report to justify 2018 US attack on Syria. wsws.org Just as extraordinary as the leaks themselves is the complete blackout observed by the mainstream media in the United States and Europe.

Christopher Brauchli (2019-12-28). Trump and Mormon Tutors. commondreams.org A City Creek Center sign outside the World Trade Center Utah, where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints nonprofit investment arm, Ensign Peak Advisors offices are located on December 17, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. An inside whistleblower has alleged the Mormon Church used 1.4 billion of a $100 billion tax-free investment fund to pay cost overruns on the for-profit church-owned high-end shopping center. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ensign-peak-advisors-955px.jpg …

WSWS (2019-12-28). Billionaires\' wealth surged in 2019. wsws.org The wealth of the world\'s 500 richest people rose 25 percent in 2019, reaching a combined net worth of $5.9 trillion.

Linda McQuaig (2019-12-28). How $15 Billion in Bonuses Leaves Canada\'s Bankers Gloomy. commondreams.org The Toronto Dominion Bank (TD) held it's annual general meeting on March 26, 2015 at the John Bassett Theatre in the Metro Convention Centre. The meeting was run by President and CEOI Bharat Masrani. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/tdbank-955px.jpg …

Jordan Davidson (2019-12-28). Oil companies were not held accountable for 10.8 million gallons of oil spilled in Gulf of Mexico. nationofchange.org Scientists predict that future storms, which will increase in intensity due to the climate crisis, will exacerbate environmental damage.

Common Dreams staff (2019-12-28). Thousands of Koalas Feared Dead in Australia Wildfires. commondreams.org Record wildfires continue: \"I think this is the single loudest alarm bell I've ever heard on global heating.\" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/burned-koala-anwen-955px.jpg …

The Palestinian News & Info Agency (2019-12-28). Palestinian officials: Israeli plan on land registration proves the ICC is on the right track. imemc.org RAMALLAH, Saturday, December 28, 2019 (WAFA) — Palestinian officials said today that an Israeli plan made public by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett to enable settlers to register Palestinian lands in occupied West Bank areas classified as \"C\" in the land registry of the Israeli Ministry of Justice proves that the …

Vijay Prashad (2019-12-27). The People of India Are Taking It to the Streets to Challenge Modi\'s Bigoted and Dishonest Government. counterpunch.org Every day and in every part of India, hundreds of thousands of people—mainly young people—gather on the streets to express their anger at the government. Their protests, like those of the protests in Chile, emerged out of one particular grievance but then have cascaded outward. They are angry at the government\'s attempt to define citizenship More

Karl Grossman (2019-12-27). Space Warriors: Democrats Give Trump His Space Force for Xmas. counterpunch.org President Trump last week signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2020 that establishes a U.S. Space Force as the sixth branch of the U.S. armed forces—despite the Outer Space Treaty designating space as a global commons to be used for peaceful purposes. Reported Space News: \"Trump signed the NDAA flanked by top defense More

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-27). Six social leaders assassinated in past week in Colombia. peoplesdispatch.org The humanitarian tragedy in Colombia continues. In the past five days, too many families and communities have been shaken by the loss of loved ones who were targeted because of their commitment to fighting for peace and justice in the country. | Despite constant demands from movements to the government to take measures to protect the lives of social leaders, assassinations continue to occur with impunity. | Reinaldo Carrillo Vera: | Early on Christmas morning, while Reinaldo Carrillo Vera was celebrating with his family, three armed men came to his home on motorcycles and shot at him. He was immediately t…

Dave Id (2019-12-27). Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Orders Mass Arrest of Housing Justice Village Protesters. indybay.org An inspirational day of solidarity with unhoused Oaklanders turned into a traumatic night after mayor Libby Schaaf directed a small army of police and DPW workers to smash a housing rights protest held on the doorstep of City Hall. For daring to challenge the Oakland\'s never ending war against the homeless — the city\'s encampment demolitions and evictions, the towing of residential vehicles, and a lack of earnestness and urgency in addressing the housing crisis — twenty-two people were arrested and sent to Santa Rita jail, some for over two days.

Dave Id (2019-12-27). Housing Justice Village Arrestees Respond to Jailing by City of Oakland. indybay.org In a political show of force, the city of Oakland directed a small army of police to mass arrest and jail 22 housing rights demonstrators on November 24, for nothing more than setting up tents in front of city hall to protest the city\'s never ending war against the homeless. Most arrestees spent at least 24 hours in Santa Rita, and some remained jailed for over two days, on what would otherwise be a citable infraction. On December 2, arrestees held a press conference to address the city\'s attack and why they protested in the first place.

R. Robertson (2019-12-27). \"Get Up, Stand Up for Your Rights\" at Demo: Justice for Killed Protesters in Iran. indybay.org 13 second video. | Photos and full text at | www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/26/18829250.php…

R. Robertson (2019-12-27). Iranian Americans in Palo Alto Join Day Honoring Iran\'s Deceased Demonstrators. indybay.org On December 26, Iranian government security forces deployed en masse to keep people off the streets across Iran. Despite this, protesters gathered in small groups, at cemeteries but also on the streets in many cities in the Islamic Republic. In Palo Alto, California, protesters in solidarity with Iranian demonstrators gathered in a downtown plaza.

Ramzy Baroud (2019-12-27). On the Road to Gaza: The Freedom Flotilla Will Sail Again. counterpunch.org What is Gaza to us but an Israeli missile, a rudimentary rocket, a demolished home, an injured child being whisked away by his peers under a hail of bullets? On a daily basis, Gaza is conveyed to us as a bloody image or a dramatic video, none of which can truly capture the everyday reality More

Ramzy Baroud (2019-12-27). From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel\'s Colonization in the West Bank. counterpunch.org Three years ago, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2334. With fourteen members voting in favor and one abstention, the Resolution was the equivalent of a political earthquake. Indeed, it was the first time in many years that Israel was roundly condemned by the international body for its illegal settlement policies in the Occupied More

Text: RR Photos: Jack Owicki, Pro Bono Photo (2019-12-27). In Mountain View, Seasonal and Humorous Signs at Eve of Impeachment Demo on Four Corners. indybay.org Demonstrators leaned in toward passing traffic to show off their creative signs on Impeachment Eve at a major intersection in the heart of Silicon Valley.

WSWS (2019-12-27). Killing of two Indonesian journalists points to criminality in palm oil industry. wsws.org According to police, the two men were allegedly murdered by hired killers paid by a plantation owner.

teleSUR (2019-12-27). Lula To Fight Neoliberalism to Restore Democracy in Brazil. telesurenglish.net The former president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said Thursday that he has the will to fight to restore democracy in his country and to fight against the current situation of people under the government of Jair Bolsonaro. | RELATED: | Brazil\'s Senate Advances Bill That May Send Lula Back to Prison | In an exclusive interview for teleSUR, the Workers Party leader reiterated that the South American nation has \"all the conditions to recover a democratic debate … and co…

WSWS (2019-12-27). Brazilian Workers Party joins Bolsonaro in imposing austerity, repressing strikes. wsws.org Relying on police brutality, Brazilian state governments, led by the PT, are imposing pension \"reforms\" that all but prevent workers from retiring.

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-27). Israel Bombs Gaza For Xmas, Israel Threatens To Attack All Helping Iran & Saudis Bomb Yemen Market. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/26/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

2019 Dr. Maulana Karenga Message (2019-12-27). Kwanzaa our \"California Grown\" Global Celebration, \"Matunda ya Kwanza\" indybay.org Imani (Faith) reminds us of the indispensable foundation of confident, righteous and rewarding belief, calling on us \"to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our leaders, our teachers and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.\" In remembrance of Khalid Al Mansour…

Lynda Carson (2019-12-27). Tenant screening companies wage war on tenants with blacklists. indybay.org Tenant screening companies and landlords depend on Experian, Equinox, and TransUnion to get the information they depend on to be able to blacklist tenants all across the nation, resulting in tenants becoming homeless and living in tent cities!

Ilana Novick (2019-12-27). \'Bombshell\' Glosses Over the Horrors of Fox News. truthdig.com \"You will be muzzled,\" the lawyer for Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) warns her at the end of \"Bombshell,\" as the former Fox News anchor signs a $20 million settlement of a sexual harassment suit against her former boss, ex-Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes. The lawyer could have been speaking about the movie. | Carlson sued Ailes in 2016, which led other women, including fellow anchor Megyn Kelly, to reveal that he assaulted them too. \"Bombshell\" unfolds over late 2015, in the…

WSWS (2019-12-27). Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker—All the gimmicks to rake in the revenue. wsws.org December 2019 saw the end of the \"Skywalker Saga\" with the latest entry in the Star Wars franchise of films.

repost (2019-12-27). Criminal War Monger Pelosi & Demos Appropriate Millions For War On Venezuela. indybay.org Criminal war monger Demo leader Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats joined Trump in supporting tens of millions of dollars to overthrow the Venezuelan government.

Gaither Stewart (2019-12-27). Kurt Vonnegut: Anarchist and Social Critic. counterpunch.org After my early enthusiasm about the writer Kurt Vonnegut, I became skeptical. Was he a phony? After I met him, his lifestyle in his sumptuous Manhattan East Side town house bothered me and seemed to belie his satires of that same life. Even the adoration for him in Europe at the time sharpened my suspicions More

Andreea Sterea (2019-12-27). The Looming U.S. Water Crisis. counterpunch.org According to the World Economic Forum, the global water crisis is the fourth major threat of our civilization. In fact, studies warn that two-thirds of the global population could be living in water-stressed countries by 2025 — just a few short years away. When we think about water scarcity, many Americans may immediately call to More

teleSUR (2019-12-27). Venezuela\'s Economy Will Grow in 2020 Despite US Blockade. telesurenglish.net In an interview with the international news agency Xinhua, the Venezuelan economist, Jesus Faria said that economic recovery is the number one issue on the country\'s agenda for 2020. | RELATED: | Venezuelan Oil Production Sets Historical Record in November | The also former Minister of Foreign Trade and International Investment of Venezuela (2016-2017) stated that \"there is a perceived activation of trade and some productive activities as well as a stabilization of the oil activi…

Eds. (2019-12-27). \'No one is coming to save us, except us\' — Sydney demands action on the environment. mronline.org In the face of climate crisis megafires and an air quality health crisis, 40,000 people rallied and marched in Sydney to demand action on Wednesday night. The city is choking, and New South Wales is on fire. In Randwick on Tuesday, the air pollution was 11 times higher than \"hazardous\". | Source

Judith Deutsch (2019-12-27). The Military and Climate Change/Justice. counterpunch.org The world situation is much worse than generally acknowledged. This last December, the coinciding meetings of NATO and of the climate change Congress of Parties (COP25) were barely reported, much less analyzed, even though the delegates held the fate of humanity in their hands. To some degree, their unelected delegates are not accountable to the More

news.un (2019-12-27). The 2010 — 2020 UN News Decade in Review, part three. news.un.org The final part of our look back over the past decade takes in the launch of the 2030 Agenda, the UN\'s blueprint for a better future for all; the humanitarian response to the Rohingya refugee crisis; the successful end to the mandate of the UN Liberia Mission; and fresh momentum in the fight against the climate crisis, despite disappointment over the COP25 climate conference in Madrid.

Speak Out Now (2019-12-27). Climate Disruption, Migration, and the Rise of Walls. indybay.org South Berkeley Senior Center | 2939 Ellis St. | Berkeley (near Ashby BART)…

Shalini Singh (2019-12-27). Big City, Small Farmers, and a Dying River. counterpunch.org \"Insaan ab na jhagde se marega na ragade se marega tho bhook aur pyas se.\" \"Humankind will now die not of conflict or stress But of hunger and thirst.\" So, it\'s not just science ringing alarm bells about climate change then. India\'s literary epics had it nailed down ages ago, asserts 75-year-old Delhi farmer Shiv More

Eds. (2019-12-27). Bolivia\'s free territory of Chapare has ousted the coup regime and is bracing for a bloody re-invasion. mronline.org Spending time with the union members of Chapare, who run society in a collective fashion, offers special insights into the resistance to the coup. They succeeded in expelling the police, but now fear a bloodbath in retaliation. | Source

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-27). Turkey announces troop deployment in Libya. peoplesdispatch.org The move is being seen as part of Turkey\'s attempts to consolidate its position as a regional hegemon. The actual deployment of troops will take place once the Turkish parliament ratifies the decision…

WSWS (2019-12-27). Erdogan vows to send Turkish troops into Libya. wsws.org The Turkish deployment in Libya will escalate increasing tensions involving Washington, Moscow and NATO.

Andrew Levine (2019-12-27). Sanders After Corbyn: The Jewish Question. counterpunch.org The hordes of Democratic Party pundits, anti-Trump Republicans, and former national security state functionaries who supply CNN and MSNBC with endless streams of jibber-jabber, along with their counterparts at The New York Times and Washington Post, are pulling out all the stops — trying to convince Democrats that only a \"moderate\" can defeat Donald Trump. They speak for the dead center, and they are dead wrong. More

Ariel Gold (2019-12-27). The Fascinating History and Political Lives of Jews in Iran. counterpunch.org On December 14, 2019, a white male entered the Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills, vandalizing the sanctuary. He unrolled Torah scrolls, strewed them across the floor, and tore prayer books. Four days later, police arrested 24-year-old Anton Nathaniel Redding of Millersville, Pennsylvania, and charged him with vandalism of religious property, commercial burglary, and committing a More

Kenneth Surin (2019-12-27). The UK Election: a Postmortem. counterpunch.org The various statistical analyses of the UK general election result have been coming in, and they allow some interesting and perhaps important observations to be made. The perception that it was Leave voters switching from Labour to Tory en masse who cost Labour the election has to be qualified by the fact that Labour lost More

Jack Rasmus (2019-12-27). On Those Questionable US Wage Stats…Again. counterpunch.org In recent months, various independent business and research sources have been raising questions about the accuracy of US official job and wage statistics. Several more sources have joined the discussion, questioning the oft-cited official—and widespread mainstream press reported—3.1% annual rise in US wages the past year. As many have indicated, the 3.1% grossly over-estimates recent More

Sarang Narasimhaiah (2019-12-27). Los Angeles Roars for \"Azadi!\" Reflections on an Indian Solidarity Action in Southern California. counterpunch.org For two full hours yesterday afternoon, Los Angeles\' Grand Park reverberated with the simultaneously furious and joyous roars of \"Azadi!\" (\"Freedom!\") and \"Inquilab Zindabad!\" (\"Love Live the Revolution!\"). Indians, South Asians, and Americans from various backgrounds came together to demonstrate their opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and More

Pete Dolack (2019-12-27). COP25: Never Have so Many Governments Done So Little for So Many. counterpunch.org It\'s said that it is better to laugh than cry. But what do we do when a situation has become so beyond parody that laughter is impossible? As Australia burns, the world is about to finish its second hottest year ever, the seas rise, polar melting is worse than previously modeled and the sixth mass More

Louis Proyect (2019-12-27). What\'s Wrong With Malthus. counterpunch.org In the recently published \"Limits: Why Malthus Was Wrong and Why Environmentalists Should Care,\" Giorgos Kallis tackles weighty and expansive topics in merely 156 pages. One cannot help but wonder if his brevity (the soul of wit, after all) was in keeping with the book\'s theme—how humanity can live an abundant life within material limits. More

Colin Todhunter (2019-12-27). Fast Food Nations and Global Nutrition. counterpunch.org Daniel Maingi works with small farmers in Kenya and belongs to the organisation Growth Partners for Africa. He remembers a time when his family would grow and eat a diversity of crops, such as mung beans, green grams, pigeon peas and a variety of fruits now considered \'wild\'. Following the Structural Adjustment Programmes of the More

Brian Cloughley (2019-12-27). Boris Johnson, the Moral Runaway. counterpunch.org In CounterPunch in July 2016 I noted that the then British foreign minister, Boris Johnson, \"is a twofaced, devious, posturing piece of slime who can\'t be trusted to tell the time of day\" who began his career as a journalist and was sacked by The Times newspaper for fabricating a quotation to back up a story. Then in 2004 he told an outrageous lie concerning his More

William Manson (2019-12-27). Greedy Old Plutocrats. counterpunch.org In his book Totem and Taboo, Sigmund Freud indulged in a speculative scenario for the origins of society. Everyone, young and old alike, once lived together in a \"primal horde\"— ruled by an aging, domineering father-figure, who selfishly monopolized the women for his own satisfaction. But one day (so to speak), the deprived \"sons\" defiantly More

Lori Teresa Yearwood (2019-12-27). The Right to a Good NIght\'s Sleep. counterpunch.org I barely slept during the full two years I was homeless. One night, at around 3 a.m., after hours of searching for a spot, I curled up on a portion of soft, thick grass. An hour later, automatic sprinklers drenched me. I sloshed to the edges of a wilderness park in Salt Lake City, where More

Matthew Stevenson (2019-12-27). Across the Balkans: Srebrenica. counterpunch.org An account of a journey from Croatia to Kosovo, by way of Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia, and with a detour into Montenegro. This is part VI of a series. While I was in Sarajevo—hiding from the snow in Austrian cafés and reading Tim Butcher\'s book about Gavrilo Princip—I spent a lot of time planning how I More

Robert Fantina (2019-12-27). The MEK in Albania. counterpunch.org The following is an interview I conducted via email with Osli Jazexhi, an Albanian-based, Canadian-Albanian historian who specializes in the history of Islam, nationalism and religious reformation in Southeastern Europe. His interest covers nationalism, radicalism, religious and ethnic identities in the Balkans. The interview was conducted between December 17 and 19. How popular is MEK More

WSWS (2019-12-27). Bloomberg, Steyer spend $200 million on Democratic nomination fight. wsws.org The two billionaires combined have outspent the rest of the Democrat field three times over.

teleSUR (2019-12-27). \'I\'m still scared\' – Asia remembers tsunami that killed 230,000. telesurenglish.net Communities across Asia commemorated the more than 230,000 victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami on Thursday, the 15th anniversary of one of the world\'s most deadly disasters. | On the morning after Christmas Day in 2004, a 9.1 magnitude quake off northern Sumatra island triggered a tsunami with waves as high as 17.4 meters (57 feet) that swept over vulnerable coastal areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and nine other countries. | \"It still haunts me … I can remember it all the time,\" said Suwannee Maliwan, 28, who lost both parents and five other relatives when the tsunami hit the Thai province of…

Erik Molvar (2019-12-27). Washington Legislature Report a Strong First Step in Ending Domestic Terrorism. counterpunch.org Last week, the Republican Party of Washington unveiled a detailed investigation finding that state legislator Matt Shea (R-Spokane) \"participated in an act of domestic terrorism against the United States\" in aiding and abetting the Bundy militants in their takeover of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016. In response, Republican House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox called More

Jeffrey St. Clair (2019-12-27). The Last Line of Defense: 20 Activist Groups That Are Making a Big Difference. counterpunch.org Here\'s our end of the year list of good groups, the real resistance, fighting on the frontlines against ICE, the coal companies, the police, the CIA, the warmongers, the pipeline gougers, the bankers, the slumlords, big pharma and the child separators. They all deserve your support and, if you can spare it, your money. More

Katie Horvath (2019-12-27). Social Ecology: Radicalizing the Climate Movement. zcomm.org The struggle for climate justice cannot limit its focus to environmental issues. It is the hierarchical system as a whole that is threatening our planet and our lives…

Andreea Sterea (2019-12-27). The Looming U.S. Water Crisis. zcomm.org The climate is changing. Can our politics change, too?>

yenisafak (2019-12-27). Norwegian, 71, told to leave India after joining citizenship law protest. yenisafak.com At least 25 people have been killed in protests across the country since the law, seen by critics as discriminatory towards Muslims, was adopted on Dec. 11.A German exchange student was told to leave the country this week after taking part in two rallies against the law.\"The Norwegian lady has participated in a protest in violation of her visa condition,\" said Anoop Krishna, the Foreigners\' Regional Registration Officer at Kochi airport.\"She has been asked to leave the country as early as possible. The tourist visa on which she visited the country does not allow participation in any protests.\"The tourist, Janne-M…