China detaining millions of Uyghurs? Serious problems with claims by US-backed NGO and far-right researcher \'led by God\' against Beijing
Ajit Singh | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-21
Claims that China has detained millions of Uyghur Muslims are based largely on two studies. A closer look at these…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/21/china-detaining-millions-uyghurs-problems-claims-us-ngo-researcher/

China detaining millions of Uyghurs? Serious problems with claims by US-backed NGO and far-right researcher \'led by God\' against Beijing
Ajit Singh | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-21
Claims that China has detained millions of Uyghur Muslims are based largely on two studies. A closer look at these…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/21/china-detaining-millions-uyghurs-problems-claims-us-ngo-researcher/

Blood Memory Rising, Book Review of Standing with Standing Rock
Brenda Norrell | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
\'Standing with Standing Rock,\' is an encyclopedia of resistance, which chronicles the Water Protector movement from the first run to Washington, and on to the camps, and the surveillance by TigerSwan, to the ultimate international divestment campaign. In its 29 chapters are poetry, essays and discussions of Indigenous rights and Treaties.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829041.php

Assange gives evidence in Spanish case against security contractor
wsws.org | 2019-12-21
David Morales, a former Spanish military officer, is accused of spying on Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy and was charged in October with privacy violation, bribery and money laundering.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/21/ucgl-d21.html

Medical Opinion, Torture, and Julian Assange
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-21
On November 27 this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, delivered an address to the German Bundestag outlining his approach to understanding the mental health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These comprised two parts, the initial stage covering his diplomatic asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy, the second dealing with his formal detention in …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/medical-opinion-torture-and-julian-assange/

Muhammad Ali an activist to help MIAs/POWs in Vietnam
Lynda Carson | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
Cathy A. Lundy was only around 4 years old when she was aboard the Yacht Sequoia as a guest of former disgraced President Richard Nixon (a.k.a. Tricky Dick). Unfortunately, her father was reported killed in action in Laos during the Vietnam War during 1970. The cruise certificate hangs on the wall of my apartment. Photo by Paulo Kesete…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/19/18829036.php

Gender Parity and Indigenous Presence Passed for Constituent
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-21
In a 180-degree turn that changes the landscape of the constituent process, the Chilean Chamber of Deputies approved gender parity, seats for indigenous peoples and posts for independent candidates. | RELATED: | Anti-Government Protests Reach 2nd Month in Chile | The vote occurred which occurred Thursday night was radically different from the one taken just one day before, where those issues were blocked by right-wing lawmakers | However, in the second attempt, this time introduced as a co…
telesurenglish.net/news/chile-gender-parity-and-indigenous-presence-passed-in-constituent-20191220-0013.html

Hawaiian protestors stay firm at Mauna Kea
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-21
The indigenous inhabitants of the island state have opposed the telescope over what they consider to be a consistent desecration of the mountain, which already has 13 telescopes on the summit.
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/21/hawaiian-protestors-stay-firm-at-mauna-kea-2/

Climate Strike: SF Bay Area Youth Strike in Oakland
Youth V Apocalypse, PlantingJustice, Mycelium | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
Plaza outside Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829043.php

Trump impeached: What next? — a WW commentary
John Catalinotto | workers.org | 2019-12-21
Dec. 20 — The U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach the president on two counts late on the evening of Dec. 18. All Republicans and one Democratic House member voted against impeachment. As of today, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has not yet released the orders of impeachment . . . | Continue reading Trump impeached: What next? — a WW commentary at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/45036/

Oaklanders Hold Powerful \"Impeach And Remove\" Demonstration
Leon Kunstenaar | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
Photos: Leon Kunstenaar. Pro Bono Photo | Hundreds of rallies throughout the country in support of House vote to impeach Trump…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/18/18828997.php

Millions of Dollars Poured Into Ads Fueling Trump Impeachment Fight
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-21
Political candidates and groups shelled out millions on impeachment-related TV ads before the House impeached President Donald Trump Wednesday, according to a new report from the Wesleyan Media Project. | The analysis, produced in partnership with OpenSecrets, reveals tha…
truthout.org/articles/millions-of-dollars-poured-into-ads-fueling-trump-impeachment-fight/

Democratic debate: Candidates denounce Trump, ignore party votes for Trump\'s program
wsws.org | 2019-12-21
The seven candidates said nothing about the fact that the impeachment of Trump was bracketed by congressional votes in which the Democratic Party endorsed Trump\'s key legislative priorities.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/21/dems-d21.html

Trump signs Pentagon budget imposing new sanctions on Syria
wsws.org | 2019-12-21
The record $738 billion National Defense Appropriations Act was passed with the overwhelming support of House and Senate Democrats.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/21/ndaa-d21.html

ICC To Investigate Israeli Government War Crimes & UN Again Contradicts US Claims Of Iran \"Proof\"
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-21
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 (12/20/19). 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 …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/icc-to-investigate-israeli-government-war-crimes-un-again-contradicts-us-claims-of-iran-proof/

\"America the Shrunken\"
Larry Romanoff | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-21
In May of 2014, Frank Bruni wrote an article for the NYT titled \'America the Shrunken\', in which he detailed what he called \"the downward arc of a diminished enterprise\" that was the USA, quoting friends who claimed their children …
globalresearch.ca/america-shrunken/5698017

The \'Whistleblower\' and the Politicization of Intelligence
Scott Ritter | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-21
The whistleblower complaint has opened a window into the politicization of the intelligence community, and the corresponding weaponization of the national security establishment, argues Scott Ritter. | *** | The whistleblower. A figure of great controversy, whose actions, manifested in an 11-page …
globalresearch.ca/whistleblower-politicization-intelligence/5696154

The \'Whistleblower\' and the Politicization of Intelligence
Scott Ritter | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-21
The whistleblower complaint has opened a window into the politicization of the intelligence community, and the corresponding weaponization of the national security establishment, argues Scott Ritter. | *** | The whistleblower. A figure of great controversy, whose actions, manifested in an 11-page …
globalresearch.ca/whistleblower-politicization-intelligence/5696154

Amazon Logistics set to surpass delivery volume of FedEx, UPS by 2022
wsws.org | 2019-12-21
The advanced techniques of workplace exploitation along with low wages and breakneck conditions that have made Amazon notorious are being set as the standard for the entire logistics industry.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/21/amzn-d21.html

Buffy Sainte Marie Truthtelling Indigenous Genocide
Brenda Norrell | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
Buffy Sainte Marie described the genocide, slavery, murder and rape of Indigenous Peoples, that the kings and queens, military, churches and banks are responsible for, speaking with AIM West\'s Tony Gonzales, during the 50th Anniversary of the Occupation of Alcatraz.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829040.php

2020 Citizens\' Climate Lobby Northern CA Regional Conference, Day 2
Citizens\' Climate Lobby | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
Oakland Technical High School, 4351 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829046.php

Everything You Wanted to Know about Climate Change, but Were Afraid to Ask
Citizens\' Climate Lobby San Mateo | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
Half Moon Bay Library, 620 Correas Street, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829042.php

2020 Citizens\' Climate Lobby Northern California Regional Conference
Citizens\' Climate Lobby | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
Oakland Technical High School, 4351 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829045.php

A magnificent account of Stalin\'s opponents in the USSR
wsws.org | 2019-12-21
Stalin\'s rise was neither foreordained nor a natural outgrowth of the October Revolution. The Great Russian chauvinist and bureaucrat secured power in ferocious conflict with the proletariat, peasantry and cadre of the revolutionary socialist movement.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/21/rogo-d21.html

Hungary\'s government continues its assault on democratic rights
wsws.org | 2019-12-21
Last week, the Hungarian parliament, dominated by the right-wing Fidesz party, passed bills that represent a further step towards dictatorial forms of rule.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/21/hung-d21.html

Trump Labor Board Escalates War on Workers\' Rights
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-21
Between 2017 and 2018, workers in two hotels in Stamford, Connecticut voted to join UNITE HERE Local 217. Though they won both elections by a landslide — the Hilton vote count was 110 to 5 while the Sheraton was 69 to 32 — the elections were highly contested by the employers. The bosses did everything they could in the month-long election process to dissuade workers from voting yes, from threats and intimidation to bribes, lies, and promises. Each day was another opportunity for management and their \"union…
truthout.org/articles/trump-labor-board-escalates-war-on-workers-rights/

Australia: Lauded military veteran subject of second police investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan
wsws.org | 2019-12-21
The special forces were used for some of the most brutal aspects of the war, particularly hunting down and capturing or killing alleged Taliban resistance fighters.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/21/smit-d21.html

Trump Adviser Says Republicans Will Ramp Up Voter Suppression in 2020
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-21
Reporting on Friday shows a top adviser for President Donald Trump\'s re-election campaign caught on tape in November bragging of the Republican Party\'s history of voter suppression — and promising to go on the offensive in 2020. | The revelation came from the Associated Press in a report Friday on comments by Trump re-election adviser Justin Clark at an event in Madison, Wisconsin. | \"Traditionally it\'s always been Republicans s…
truthout.org/articles/trump-adviser-says-republicans-will-ramp-up-voter-suppression-in-2020/

No, McConnell — Biased Jurors and No Witnesses Do Not Make for a \"Fair Trial\"
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-21
In my decades as a criminal defense attorney, I have never seen a trial where the jurors admit they aren\'t impartial, coordinate the trial process with the defendant and then, as promised, find the defendant not guilty. And yet, that is exactly what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell aims to do. | Negating any semblance of conducting a fair trial, McConnell has brazenly declared his intention to violate the senators\' oath of impartiality and deny the right to call witnesses to testify at the…
truthout.org/articles/no-mcconnell-biased-jurors-and-no-witnesses-do-not-make-for-a-fair-trial/

People Power in Romania Stopped a Mining Project. Now the Corporation Is Suing
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-21
Recently, a colorful group gathered outside a World Bank building in downtown Washington, D.C. to defend a community 5,000 miles away in Romania. Most had never met each other but when each pointed to her or his hand-drawn sign it was smiles and nods all round. And before you knew it, they were chanting slogans together as if they had done this before, including one in the Romanian language: \"Uniti Salvam Rosia Montana!\" | Several Romanian citizens were joined at the demonstration by activis…
truthout.org/articles/people-power-in-romania-stopped-a-mining-project-now-the-corporation-is-suing/

Doctors Prescribe More of a Drug If They Receive Money From Company Tied to It
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-21
The financial interactions include payments for delivering promotional talks, consulting and receiving sponsored meals and travel. | The 50 drugs in our analysis include many popular and expensive ones. Thirty-eight of the drugs have yearly costs exceeding $1,000 per patient, and many topped the list that are most costly for the Medicare Part D drug program. | Take Linzess, a drug to treat irritable bowel syndrome and severe constipation. From 2014 to 2018, the drug\'s makers, Allergan and I…
truthout.org/articles/doctors-prescribe-more-of-a-drug-if-they-receive-money-from-company-tied-to-it/

We Must Address the Roots of Inequality to Keep It From Killing Us
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-21
New data from the U.S. Census Bureau confirms that the gap between the richest and poorest households in the U.S. is the largest it has been in over 50 years, and that economic power is more concentrated than ever before. Democrats and Republicans may have different interpretations of these facts, but in public health, decades of research are coming to a consensus: Inequality kills. | Over the past five years, I have worke…
truthout.org/articles/we-must-address-the-roots-of-inequality-to-keep-it-from-killing-us/

What Will It Take to Rid Our Store Shelves of BPA and Other Dangerous Chemicals?
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-21
This is part 4 of a 4-part investigation of the science surrounding the chemical BPA and the U.S. regulatory push to discredit independent evidence of harm while favoring pro-industry science despite significant shortcomings. | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — A percussion of metal-on-metal echoes through the lab as empty food cans drop one by one off a conveyor belt and into rounded poc…
truthout.org/articles/what-will-it-take-to-rid-our-store-shelves-of-bpa-and-other-dangerous-chemicals/

McConnell Pushes Through 12 More Lifetime Trump Judges
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-21
This article originally appeared on Common Dreams. | The right-wing takeover of the U.S. courts continued apace Thursday as the Republican-controlled Senate, with the help of some Democrats, quietly confirmed a dozen more of President Donald Trump\'s lifetime judicial nominees hours before leaving for Christmas recess. | The confirmations received little media attention amid Trump\'s im…
truthdig.com/articles/mcconnell-pushes-through-12-more-lifetime-trump-judges/

Congress Passes Somalia Debt Relief
Kate Zeller | indybay.org | 2019-12-21
As part of the Federal government\'s year-end spending package or \"minibus,\" Congress passed the first phase of debt relief for Somalia.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/18/18829017.php

Bullion beats sanctions: Muslim states may switch to gold & barter trade
rt.com | 2019-12-21
Iran, Malaysia, Turkey and Qatar are looking into using gold and barter for trade to shield themselves from any future punitive economic measures, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has announced. | The idea was voiced as the leaders of many Islamic nations gathered for a four-day Islamic summit in Kuala Lumpur, which was boycotted by Saudi Arabia. In his address, the Malaysian prime minister said that while some of the states present at the meeting, such as Iran and Qatar, are facing economic restrictions due to \"unilateral decisions\" of some nations, others should remember that they can face the same…
rt.com/business/476548-muslim-states-gold-trade/

Pakistani court sentences professor to death for blasphemy
rt.com | 2019-12-21
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced a university professsor to death for insulting the Prophet Muhammed. The trial has already seen his defense lawyer shot dead, under the Muslim world\'s harshest blasphemy regime. | Thirty-three-year-old Junaid Hafeez was arrested in 2013 and charged with making derogatory remarks about the Islamic Prophet Muhammed on social media. Under the country\'s harsh blasphemy law, he was sentenced on Saturday to death by hanging. | His lawyers claim he was framed by Islamic extremists for his liberal views, and said they plan to appeal the verdict. \"There can\'t be a fair…
rt.com/news/476575-palistan-blasphemy-death-sentence/

What we know so far about Russia-Ukraine gas transit deal
rt.com | 2019-12-21
After multiple rounds of talks, Russia and Ukraine have finally hammered out an extension to the current gas agreement that is set to expire at the end of the year. | While the agreement \"in principle\" was reached earlier this week, the sides revealed the key points on Saturday. Here are the details of the breakthrough deal. | Terms of agreement: | The new contract will ensure gas supplies to Europe for the next five years, and the deal might be further prolonged for another ten years. The deal stipulates the transit of 65 billion cubic meters of gas next year, and 40 billion cubic meters per year for…
rt.com/business/476554-russia-ukraine-gas-deal-details/

Trump signs off on sanctions targeting Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
rt.com | 2019-12-21
President Donald Trump has approved US sanctions against companies developing a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, which Washington claims endangers national security. | The sanctions, part of a larger defense spending bill Trump signed on Friday, aim to halt the construction of the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea. | The new law will revoke US visas and freeze American properties owned by anyone who continues to work on the pipeline. | US lawmakers have argued that the project would make their European allies too dependent on Russian energy and give Moscow more leverage on the…
rt.com/newsline/476546-nord-stream-2-sanctions-trump/

Faran Balanced: Hanging out with wrong \'crowd\'? Bad Santa US will give you SANCTIONS for Christmas
rt.com | 2019-12-21
It\'s Christmastime and everybody is shopping for presents, but not the US, which has already given out its very special gift — sanctions — to those who it happens to dislike for the \'crime\' of pursing an independent policy. | Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Germany– the list of countries who have been punished or threatened to be punished by the US for their \"misbehavior\" is longer than Santa\'s naughty list. But what have all these done to earn a lump of coal from the US? They have been doing business with China or Russia behind Washington\'s back, or dare to have their own policy.
rt.com/news/476538-sanctions-us-christmas-gift/

Civilians left behind as bias & double standards of West ruin 2 UNSC resolutions on humanitarian aid for Syria — Moscow
rt.com | 2019-12-21
As the mainstream media pounds Moscow for \"vetoing aid for Syria,\" Russia\'s UN mission says there was no winner in the latest UN battle during which its own draft resolution was defeated by \"bias and double standards.\" | The Russian mission to the UN has offered their take on two rival resolutions on Syria which the Security Council rejected during a contentious Friday vote. | Read more | | Russia & China veto UN Security Council resolution on Syria truce that would\'ve protected terrorists from \'COMPLETE ANNIHILATION\' | One, drafted by Belgium, Ger…
rt.com/news/476545-russia-un-syria-aid/

\'They\'ll soon demand we stop breathing\': Moscow slams Nord Stream 2 sanctions, says US hinders economic growth
rt.com | 2019-12-21
The US, a country with a mammoth national debt, is trying to prevent others from growing their economies, the Russian Foreign Ministry said following actions taking aim at the Russo-German Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. | Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova lashed out at the US\' crippling sanctions regarding the pipeline this Friday. | \"A state with a $22-trillion national debt prohibits creditworthy countries to develop the real sector of their economies!\" she wrote in a Facebook post, adding…
rt.com/news/476550-zakharova-nordstream-us-sanctions/

\'Hope you understand as a Native Indian\': Indian MP shreds Warren for criticizing canceled meeting with US reps over Kashmir
rt.com | 2019-12-21
An Indian MP has taken US Senator Elizabeth Warren to task after she raised concerns about a canceled meeting between New Delhi and a fellow progressive lawmaker, poking fun at her self-declared Native American bona fides. | After Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar scrapped a scheduled meeting with US lawmakers — including Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) — during the 2+2 summit in Washington on Friday, Warren fired off a tweet calling \"efforts to silence\" the congresswoman \"deeply troubling.\" The tweet prompted a swift mocking response from BJP lawmaker Rajeev Chandrasekhar, arguing t…
rt.com/news/476543-warren-kashmir-meeting-indian/

\'Sanctions just a hiccup\': Nord Stream 2 will be completed, & US knows it but cannot bear the thought — former US diplomat
rt.com | 2019-12-21
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is going to be completed despite the latest US sanctions, former US diplomat Jim Jatras told RT, adding that the last-ditch attempt to derail its launch is a gesture of despair by Washington. | The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, signed by US President Donald Trump into law on Friday, envisions harsh sanctions for the foreign contractors involved in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. | The bill gives the companies 30 days to wind down operations before they are put on a blacklist, their visas revoked and assets frozen. Allseas, a Swiss-Dutch company that has bee…
rt.com/news/476542-nordstream-jatras-sanctions-us/

Big bully at work: Firm laying Nord Stream 2 pipeline halts all \'activities\' faced with \'crushing sanctions\' by US
rt.com | 2019-12-21
Allseas, a Swiss-Dutch company laying the Nord Stream 2 pipeline off the Danish coast, has announced it is suspending its work and will pull out of the project after being faced with an avalanche of sanctions by the US. | The company, which operates two vessels installing deep-sea pipes for Nord Stream 2 on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, released its statement just before US President Donald Trump signed the mammoth 2020 National Defense Authorization Act into law on Friday night. The bill targets companies involved in the construction of the pipeline, giving them 30 days to wind down all operations unless they…
rt.com/business/476541-nordstream-sanctions-bill-pipeline/

Moscow anti-doping lab\'s data accessed from outside Russia, former director gave files of unknown origin to WADA — probe
rt.com | 2019-12-21
Moscow anti-doping lab\'s files were remotely altered by its former director, Grigory Rodchenkov, and his unidentified associates from US and German IP addresses, Russian investigators confirmed. | Ex-boss of Moscow lab fled to US in November 2015 becoming a star witness and main source of information for World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in its case against Moscow. | Earlier in December, WADA introduced harsh sanctions against Russia over the alleged manipulations with the data handed over to it by Russian doping watchdog, RUSADA, as part of its reinstatement process. | But the laboratory information management…
rt.com/news/476561-russia-rodchenkov-database-manipulated/

\'Interference in domestic affairs\': Germany fumes at US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 pipeline
rt.com | 2019-12-21
Berlin has rejected a package of sweeping US sanctions meant to halt the construction of the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, denouncing it as interference in its domestic affairs. | Germany \"has noticed with regret that the sanctions initiated by the US Congress against Nord Stream2 and Turkstream [pipelines] came into force after being signed by the US president,\" deputy government spokesperson Ulrike Demmer tweeted on Saturday. | The federal government rejects such extraterritorial…
rt.com/news/476549-germany-responds-nordstream-sanctions/

EU companies legally doing business mustn\'t be targeted by any sanctions – European Commission on US move against Nord Stream 2
rt.com | 2019-12-21
EU states are against any sanctions targeting its companies legally doing business, the EU Commission said, after the US rolled out a package of penalties against firms participating in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. | \"At the moment, the [European] Commission is studying the potential impact of these measures on European companies,\" a spokesperson for the EU body was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. | Brussels opposes sanctions that affect European firms doing business according to the law, the official stressed. The statement comes just a day after US sanctions — meant to hamper construct…
rt.com/news/476557-eu-rejects-nordstream-sanctions/

\'A snap-shot laser beam!\' Alex Ovechkin scores stunning wrist shot as Caps beat Devils 6-3 (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2019-12-21
Russian hockey superstar Alex Ovechkin celebrated his 900th game played in tandem with Nicklas Backstrom with a stunning strike as the Washington Capitals blew past the New Jersey Devils on Friday night. | Backstrom had a big night, netting twice and assisting with two more as he registered the 900th point of his career. But, not to be upstaged, Ovechkin found time to produce a moment of magic of his own. | \"Ovi\" broke down the right and, after receiving the puck via a smart layoff from Backstrom, fired unerringly through the legs of his teammate and high into the top corner of the net. | Through the legs, ups…
rt.com/sport/476576-alex-ovechkin-wonder-goal-caps-devils-nhl/

Turkish parliament approves military cooperation with Libya — report
rt.com | 2019-12-21
Turkish lawmakers have ratified a defense and security memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Libya, state media has reported. The MoU on defense and security was hammered on November 27 between the senior government officials from two countries along with another deal on the delimitation of the maritime jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean. The agreement outlines cooperation in defense and security, including establishing defense offices in each other\'s countries. The agreement also provides for training, the transfer of military hardware, and allows for joint exercises and intelligence. Ankara had signale…
rt.com/newsline/476562-turkey-libya-military-cooperation/

India\'s Government is Going to War Against Its Own People
Vijay Prashad | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
On December 13, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights released a powerful statement that criticized India\'s new citizenship law. This \"fundamentally discriminatory\" Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019 would expedite citizenship for persecuted religious minorities from India\'s neighboring countries. But in the list of those minorities, it names only Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians. It does not name Muslims.
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/indias-government-is-going-to-war-against-its-own-people/

India\'s Government Is Going to War Against Its Own People
Vijay Prashad | commondreams.org | 2019-12-20
The BJP government was particularly ruthless against protests atJamia Millia Islamia university in New Delhi. (Photo: Indian Express) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/india_0.jpeg …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/20/indias-government-going-war-against-its-own-people?cd-origin=rss

Medical observers blocked from attending Assange hearing
wsws.org | 2019-12-20
Dr. David Morgan and Dr. Marco Chiesa are among the more than 100 doctors from around the world who have issued three open letters to the UK and Australian governments protesting Assange\'s brutal persecution.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/20/doct-d20.html

Women Politicals: Still Defiant
Linda Ford | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-20
As Australian activist John Pilger recounts his visit to the world\'s most abused US/UK political prisoner, Julian Assange, he gives us the brutal details of how the friends and families of political prisoners also face punishment, gauntlets, humiliation. And he tells of the terrible conditions and terrible treatment meted out to Assange, and the weakened, …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/women-politicals-still-defiant/

Judge says Assange extradition hearing will take \"three to four weeks\" as political opposition mounts
wsws.org | 2019-12-20
Assange appeared physically unwell, but followed the proceedings carefully via videolink from Belmarsh maximum security prison.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/20/assa-d20.html

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan Is That Regime Change Does Not Work
Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
The trove of U.S. \"Lessons Learned\" documents on Afghanistan published by the Washington Post portrays, in excruciating detail, the anatomy of a failed policy, scandalously hidden from the public for 18 years. The \"Lessons Learned\" papers, however, are based on the premise that the U.S. and its allies will keep intervening militarily in other countries,…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/the-real-lesson-of-afghanistan-is-that-regime-change-does-not-work/

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan? Regime Change Does Not Work
Medea Benjamin | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-20
The debacle in Afghanistan is only one case in a fundamentally flawed U.S. policy with worldwide consequences. New quasi-governments installed by U.S. \"regime change\" in country after country have proven more corrupt, less legitimate and less able to control their nation\'s territory than the ones the U.S. has destroyed.
mintpressnews.com/real-lesson-afghanistan-war-regime-change-does-not-work/263642/

The Real Lesson of Afghanistan Is that Regime Change Does Not Work
Medea Benjamin | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-20
The trove of U.S. \"Lessons Learned\" documents on Afghanistan published by the Washington Post portrays, in excruciating detail, the anatomy of a failed policy, scandalously hidden from the public for 18 years. The \"Lessons Learned\" papers, however, are based on …
globalresearch.ca/real-lesson-afghanistan-regime-change-does-not-work/5698301

Capitalism and the Limits of Greening
Carl Boggs | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
The idea of a Green New Deal, including the one proposed by a group of Democrats led by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is hardly novel on the world scene, though potentially consequential for American politics. European Green parties, for example, introduced far-reaching policies in support of an ecological (sustainable) model of development as early as 1980. A few other European leftist parties later arrived at their own \"greening\" initiatives to mitigate climate disruption. The much-smaller U.S. Greens followed suit. Even the authoritarian Chinese government has introduced its own program to curb green…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/capitalism-and-the-limits-of-greening/

War is Good for Business and Organized Crime: Afghanistan\'s Multibillion Dollar Opium Trade. Rising Heroin Addiction in the US
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-20
Despite president Trump\'s announced US troop withdrawal, the Afghan opium trade continues to flourish. It is protected by US-NATO occupation forces on behalf of a nexus of powerful financial and criminal interests.
globalresearch.ca/war-is-good-for-business-and-organized-crime-afghanistans-multibillion-dollar-opium-trade-rising-heroin-addiction-in-the-us/5664319

Blood Memory Rising, Book Review of Standing with Standing Rock
Brenda Norrell | indybay.org | 2019-12-20
\'Standing with Standing Rock,\' is an encyclopedia of resistance, which chronicles the Water Protector movement from the first run to Washington, and on to the camps, and the surveillance by TigerSwan, to the ultimate international divestment campaign. In its 29 chapters are poetry, essays and discussions of Indigenous rights and Treaties.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/20/18829041.php

Activists Demand a Migrant Justice Platform as Democratic Candidates Discuss Immigration in Debate
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-20
Protesters for immigrant rights demonstrated outside the Democratic debate Thursday in Los Angeles, displaying a banner that read \"Migrant Justice on Day One\" and demanding a moratorium on deportations and immigrant worker protections. We look at how the candidates responded, with Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services. \"I\'m really happy that immigration came up this time around,\" she notes. \"In the past few debates, the issue didn\'t even come up.\"
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/20/democratic_debate_immigration_erika_andiola_raices

Chronicle of a Coup Foretold
Brian Mier | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
Will the US left work to normalize the impending coup attempt in Mexico the way it did for Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil and Nicaragua? Last July I gave a speech in the Left Forum in Brooklyn. When it was over, A young activist stood up and announced, in perfect English, that they were an anarchist from…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/chronicle-of-a-coup-foretold-2/

11 Pro Impeachment Activists Arrested at McConnell\'s Office
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-20
By The People is a grassroots group that has been pushing for impeachment for a long time. Instead of taking a pause to celebrate victory, they showed up at Senator McConnell\'s office to demand that the Senate take the charges against Trump seriously. Watch Marc Steiner interview By The People volunteer Adiel Pollydore about the…
therealnews.com/stories/11-pro-impeachment-activists-arrested-at-mcconnells-office

Activist Marty Gottesfeld Silenced for Writing About Prison Corruption While Serving Time
Barrett Brown | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
As I\'ve recently learned from his wife, activist and prison journalist Marty Gottesfeld — recently sentenced to ten years for a denial of service attack on the website of the Boston hospital that was holding a young girl against her will and that of her family while denying her treatment for the painful condition they…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/why-was-activist-marty-gottesfeld-silenced-for-writing-about-prison-corruption-while-serving-10-years/

Muhammad Ali an activist to help MIAs/POWs in Vietnam
Lynda Carson | indybay.org | 2019-12-20
Cathy A. Lundy was only around 4 years old when she was aboard the Yacht Sequoia as a guest of former disgraced President Richard Nixon (a.k.a. Tricky Dick). Unfortunately, her father was reported killed in action in Laos during the Vietnam War during 1970. The cruise certificate hangs on the wall of my apartment. Photo by Paulo Kesete…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/19/18829036.php

Hawaii governor issues ultimatum to Mauna Kea protesters
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-20
Indigenous Hawaiian activists have been blockading the entrance to the Mauna Kea summit for the past five months in order to stop the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The proposed construction of the TMT observatory at the site considered sacred by Native Hawaiians, has been heavily opposed by the Indigenous population and environmentalists alike. | On December 19, Hawaiian governor David Ige issued an ultimatum to the protesters participating in the blockade, demanding that they leave the…
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/20/hawaii-governor-issues-ultimatum-to-mauna-kea-protesters/

The Real Reasons Tulsi Gabbard Did Not Vote to Impeach Donald Trump
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-20
Gabbard\'s decision had much more to do with a desire to censure Trump over his real crimes: carrying out wars without congressional approval, illegally \"occupying and pillaging\" Syria, \" and continuing to support Saudi Arabia\'s \"genocidal war\" in Yemen.
mintpressnews.com/war-pillaging-and-peace-why-tulsi-gabbard-did-not-vote-to-impeach-trump/263657/

Stand for peace and harmony says Guterres, following meeting with Pope Francis
news.un.org | 2019-12-20
In the midst of \"turbulent and trying times\", all the world\'s people must stand together in peace and harmony, the UN Secretary-General said on Friday. António Guterres was speaking following an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, who he thanked for his strong support for the global Organization.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1054091

UN Envoy: Israel Has Pushed Forward Plans to Build 22,000 New Housing Units in Settlements
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-20
The United Nations Middle East envoy reported, on Wednesday, that Israel had pushed forward plans to construct over 22,000 housing units in settlements, in the occupied West Bank, since a UN resolution reaffirmed their illegality three years ago. Nickolay Mladenov, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, …
imemc.org/article/un-envoy-israel-has-pushed-forward-plans-to-build-22000-new-housing-units-in-settlements/

Leaked Information on Trump\'s No-Peace/Deal of the Century
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-20
Information on what may be in Trump\'s no-peace/peace plan was leaked before — its accuracy unknown unless and until a plan is released. | It hardly matters. It was dead before arrival. Trump\'s one-sided support for Israel is more extreme than …
globalresearch.ca/leaked-information-trump-no-peace-deal-century/5698306

Two tactics in the fight against Trump and the right
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-12-20
On December 18 the U.S. House of Representatives voted by a 230-197 margin to impeach President Donald Trump. The day before, thousands of people turned out at hundreds of protests across the country to support the impeachment effort. | Trump was impeached by a party-line vote on two counts: first, for abuse of power after he withheld military aid from the Ukraine in an effort to get the government there to investigate Joe Biden\'s son for corruption; and second, for obstruction of justice because of his campaign to cover up his actions. | What was not voted on were Trump\'s many other crimes against the people, in…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/12/20/two-tactics-fight-against-trump-and-right

Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa
wsws.org | 2019-12-20
Doctors in Zimbabwe are continuing their walkout in the face of intensifying repression while 1,200 German Amazon workers protested low pay by staging a walkout.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/20/wkrs-d20.html

UN independent experts \'deeply disturbed\' by alleged mistreatment of detained Iranian protesters
news.un.org | 2019-12-20
Sixteen independent UN human rights experts called on Friday for the release of arbitrarily detained protesters in Iran who have allegedly been abused while in custody.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1054111

It\'s Not Enough to Topple a Dictator
Justin Lynch | thenation.com | 2019-12-20
It\'s Not Enough to Topple a Dictator…
thenation.com/article/sudan-dictator-protest-democracy/

Massive protests against controversial judicial reforms rock Poland
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-20
On Wednesday, December 18, massive mobilizations took place in over 160 locations in Poland under the banner of \"Today judges — tomorrow you\", to protest the new judicial reforms proposed by the incumbent right-wing government led by the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS). Thousands of people, many carrying Polish flags, gathered in front of Poland\'s parliament in Warsaw. Marches were also organized in Wroclaw, Torun, Poznan, Szczecin, Katowice, Bialystok and other cities. The call for the protest was given by the Committee for the Defence of Democracy (KOD), the judiciary association \"Iustitia Polska\"
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/20/massive-protests-against-controversial-judicial-reforms-rock-poland/

Iraq frees 2,700 protesters as deadlock over prime minister\'s post continues
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-20
In the absence of a consensus, the deadline for proposing a name for the next prime minister has been postponed to December 22. More than 496 people have been killed and more than 25,000 injured since the protests in Iraq began on October 1…
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/20/iraq-frees-2700-protesters-as-deadlock-over-prime-ministers-post-continues/

Hawaiian protestors stay firm at Mauna Kea
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-20
Barely hours after announcing that the law enforcement personnel at the Mauna Kea protest site shall be withdrawn, on December 19, Hawaii\'s governor David Ige has given an ultimatum to protesters to disperse. Protesters have decried the ultimatum, stating that the announcement that the police will stand down was not done in the earnest but was an attempt to clear the protests. These protests are against the construction of a large astronomical observatory project that was proposed at the summit of Mauna Kea. The indigenous inhabitants of the island state have opposed the telescope over what they consider to be a…
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/20/hawaiian-protestors-stay-firm-at-mauna-kea/

Video: Syrian Army\'s Large Scale Ground Operation in Greater Idlib
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-20
The Syrian Army has finalized military preparations and is awaiting orders to launch a large-scale ground operation in Greater Idlib, according to reports by Syrian media. The operation will allegedly be aimed at liberating the militant-held part of the M5 …
globalresearch.ca/video-syrian-army-last-chance-idlib-advance-2019/5698300

Impeachment: The road to nowhere leads to . . . nowhere
Richard Becker | liberationnews.org | 2019-12-20
Capping months of mind-numbingly repetitive \"debates,\" the Democrats in the House of Representatives voted on Dec. 17 to impeach President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
liberationnews.org/impeachment-the-road-to-nowhere-leads-to-nowhere/

More Fascist Nonsense from a Disgraced President
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
In the demented mind of the disgraced fascist oligarch Donald \"Perfect Call\" Trump, \"the Radical Left Democrats have been trying to impeach me from Day 1.\" This is nonsense on at least three levels. First, the reigning forces in the dismal, demobilizing, neoliberal and dollar-drenched Democratic Party are anything but radical or Left. They are…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/more-fascist-nonsense-from-a-disgraced-president/

The Radical Underuse of Impeachment
David Swanson | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
Al Capone wasn\'t prosecuted for tax evasion because it\'s cool or smart or strategic to prosecute murderers for lesser crimes, but because proving murder in court was going to be more difficult. That\'s not analogous to a Congressional impeachment, but the opposite of how Congress operates. Congress sits on indisputable evidence of the greatest crimes…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/the-radical-underuse-of-impeachment/

Marjorie Cohn, Dorothee Benz on Impeachment
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2019-12-20
Media…
fair.org/home/marjorie-cohn-dorothee-benz-on-impeachment/

The Afghanistan Fiasco and the Decline and Fall of the American Military
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-20
A devastating investigative report was published in the Washington Post on December 9th. Dubbed the \"Afghanistan Papers\" in a nod to the Vietnam War\'s famous \"Pentagon Papers,\" the report relied on thousands of documents to similarly expose how …
globalresearch.ca/afghanistan-fiasco-decline-fall-american-military/5698318

Trump Not Officially Impeached So Far?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-20
Will or won\'t House Speaker Pelosi select Dem impeachment managers (prosecutors) and transmit articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate for trial? | Knowing the GOP controlled body will reject House charges against Trump and acquit him, will Pelosi and …
globalresearch.ca/trump-not-officially-impeached-so-far/5698309

Baltasar Garzon to Be Evo Morales\' Lawyer to Invalidate Warrant
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-20
Bolivia\'s President in exile Evo Morales Thursday announced that Spanish jurist Baltasar Garzon will represent him in the efforts to invalidate the arrest warrant issued by the coup-born government. | RELATED: | Coup Leaders in Bolivia Issue Arrest Warrant for Evo Morales | \"We formed an international team with Baltasar Garzon… We will act legally against t…
telesurenglish.net/news/Baltasar-Garzon-to-Be-Evo-Morales-Lawyer-to-Invalidate-Warrant-20191220-0001.html

The Politics of Trump\'s Impeachment
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-20
Several features stand out in the impeachment quest against President Donald J. Trump. There is constitutional discourse as mythology and fetish. There is outrage that the executive office could have been used to actually investigate political opponents through foreign …
globalresearch.ca/politics-trump-impeachment/5698332

The Hill Can\'t Stop Spreading Misinformation About Trump\'s Impeachment
Parker Molloy | commondreams.org | 2019-12-20
As has been the case throughout his presidency, The Hill tends to take everything Trump and his allies say at face value, sharing their statements repeatedly without indicating whether they\'re actually true. (Photo: Ceci Freed / Media Matters | Gage Skidmore via Creative Commons) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-12-20_at_11.41.42_am.png …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/20/hill-cant-stop-spreading-misinformation-about-trumps-impeachment?cd-origin=rss

As Democratic Field Gets Whiter, DNC Should \"Press Pause\" & Fix Process Shutting Out People of Color
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-20
Within a day of President Trump\'s impeachment, the Democratic presidential candidates held their final debate of the year at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. On the stage were Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, along with Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Vice President Joe Biden, billionaire Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang. Amna Nawaz, the first Pakistani American and first Muslim American to moderate a presidential primary debate, questioned Yang about being the only nonwhite candidate on the stage. We get response from Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers\'…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/20/democratic_debate_lack_of_diversity

One day after impeachment: Democrats back Trump trade, budget bills
wsws.org | 2019-12-20
One day after the US House of Representatives adopted two articles of impeachment against President Trump, the House passed Trump\'s top policy priority for 2019, the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, by a massive bipartisan margin.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/20/trad-d20.html

Debate: Is Impeachment the Best Way to Get Rid of Trump
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-20
Jacobin Magazine hosted articles on either side, Real News now hosts their debate. Does Impeachment make any sense? Yes or No?
therealnews.com/stories/debate-is-impeachment-the-best-way-to-get-rid-of-trump

The Fix is In
Richard Ward | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
The impeachment and trial of Donald Trump is aimed as much at Bernie Sanders (and, to a lesser extent, Liz Warren, though she\'s rapidly falling in line with the establishment) as it is at the President, if indeed it is aimed at him at all. As is often said, the Democratic Party establishment would rather…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/the-fix-is-in/

Oaklanders Hold Powerful \"Impeach And Remove\" Demonstration
Leon Kunstenaar | indybay.org | 2019-12-20
Photos: Leon Kunstenaar. Pro Bono Photo | Hundreds of rallies throughout the country in support of House vote to impeach Trump…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/18/18828997.php

Trump Is Impeached, and Everything Is On the Line
Sasha Abramsky | thenation.com | 2019-12-20
Trump Is Impeached, and Everything Is On the Line…
thenation.com/article/trump-impeachment-aca-census/

DNC Should Change Its Process to Stop Shutting Out Candidates of Color
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-20
Within a day of President Trump\'s impeachment, the Democratic presidential candidates held their final debate of the year at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. On the stage were Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, along with Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Vice President Joe Biden, billionaire Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang. Amna Nawaz, the first Pakistani American and first Muslim American to moderate a presidential primary debate, questioned Yang about being the only no…
truthout.org/video/dnc-should-change-its-process-to-stop-shutting-out-candidates-of-color/

Trial and Error: Pelosi\'s Foolish Impeachment Ploy
Thomas Knapp | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
To the extent that the third presidential impeachment in US history is a \"victory\" — the public jury is still out on that question and likely to remain so for some time — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) seems determined to snatch defeat from its jaws. In a press conference following the House\'s vote to…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/trial-and-error-pelosis-foolish-impeachment-ploy/

Israel Bombs Gaza, 2020 NDAA\'s Israel Focus, Iran Excuse Now In Afghanistan & West Bank Take Over
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-20
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 (12/19/19). 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 …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/israel-bombs-gaza-2020-ndaas-israel-focus-iran-excuse-now-in-afghanistan-west-bank-take-over/

International Criminal Court to Launch Full Investigation Into Israeli War Crimes
Middle East Eye | theantimedia.com | 2019-12-20
\"In brief, I am satisfied that war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.\"
theantimedia.com/international-criminal-court-to-launch-full-investigation-into-israeli-war-crimes/

Trump\'s Judaism Order Has Nothing to Do With Fighting Anti-Semitism
Sarah Gertler | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
The Trump administration says it\'s anti-Semitic to criticize Israel. That\'s the gist of a recent executive order that would treat campus calls to boycott Israel over its treatment of Palestinians as anti-Semitic discrimination on the basis of \"national origin.\" Days after the order, the synagogue I most often attend here in Washington, D.C. became another…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/trumps-judaism-order-has-nothing-to-do-with-fighting-anti-semitism/

If You See Something, Say Something
Missy Comley Beattie | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-20
I crossed a wooden footbridge, holding my younger grandson in my left arm. My right hand held the hand of my older grandson. Suddenly the bridge shifted. Planks broke, jutting up, down, creating gaps. Balance gone, I fell against the few planks that remained intact, managing to keep the baby close to my side, yet…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/20/if-you-see-something-say-something/