Michelle Renee Matisons (2019-11-20). Freedom, Valor, Love: On Snowden\'s Permanent Record. counterpunch.org \"The computer guy [sic]…can know everything…\" —Edward Snowden, Permanent Record We all know someone who has suffered explicit privacy violations through data breaches, has been censored, or has valiantly fought for press, Internet, and telecommunications freedoms at a time of deep political polarities and culture war divisions. Edward Snowden\'s life reveals it\'s not just \"the More

Timothy M. Gill (2019-11-20). Towards a Democratic Socialist Foreign Policy. counterpunch.org Over the past few years, democratic socialists have rightfully spent a considerable amount of time honing their arguments on domestic policies, such as healthcare, education, and criminal justice reform. Bernie Sanders\' Our Revolution and Bhaskar Sunkara\'s recently released The Socialist Manifesto are two good examples of this focus on the domestic. On the foreign policy More

RT (2019-11-20). The law is thrown out of the window in Assange\'s case, Roger Waters tells RT (VIDEO). rt.com Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has condemned Swedish prosecutors who yesterday dropped a rape investigation into WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, saying the whole thing was \"a complete bogus set-up\" from the beginning. | Rogers told RT that the statement from Swedish prosecutors claiming that the evidence against Assange had \"weakened\" since 2010 was a \"mealy-mouthed bunch of bullsh*t\" and that there was \"no evidence to support the idea that [Assange] injured anybody.\" | It\'s partly because of this whole \"set-up\" that Assange is still suffering in London\'s Belmarsh Prison with no real process of law…

RT (2019-11-20). \'Death sentence for telling the truth\': Fashion icon Joe Corré urges immediate action to prevent Assange\'s extradition to US. rt.com Julian Assange is being persecuted for speaking the truth, and the UK public must mobilize to shield him from the \'death sentence\' awaiting him in the United States, activist and Agent Provocateur co-founder Joe Corré told RT. | The politically-active entrepreneur, and son of another fashion icon Vivienne Westwood, has been an outspoken advocate for Assange. The imprisoned Wikileaks chief is currently battling his extradition to the United States, where he faces 175 years in prison for obtaining and publishing secret documents. Recounting a recent visit he made to Belmarsh prison, Corré told Going Under…

Maj. Danny Sjursen (2019-11-20). The Folly of the Iraq War Has Never Been Clearer. truthdig.com New Iranian intelligence leaks have laid bare just how pointless the invasion truly was. As a former soldier, it\'s almost too much to bear.

RT (2019-11-20). Houthis release S. Korean, Saudi vessels captured in Yemen. rt.com Yemen\'s Houthi movement released three vessels and 16 people it had seized, South Korea\'s Foreign Ministry and a Houthi military source in Yemen said on Wednesday. | The seizure on Sunday was the latest incident at sea around Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of Arab states against the Houthis, who control the capital and most population centers and have been accused of attacking shipping, Reuters said. | Of the vessels freed on Tuesday, two were South Korean and one was Saudi Arabia-flagged, the South Korean ministry said. The Saudi-led coalition said on Wednesday the incident was over and the…

Deirdre Griswold (2019-11-20). Koreans say no to Trump. workers.org The Democratic People\'s Republic of Korea has rejected the latest proposal by the Trump administration for a summit meeting. On Nov. 18, the DPRK Foreign Ministry said in a statement: \"Three rounds of DPRK-U.S. summit meetings and talks were held since June last year, but no particular improvement has been . . . | Continue reading Koreans say no to Trump at Workers.org

RT (2019-11-20). Arab League to hold urgent meeting over US support for Israeli settlements. rt.com The Arab League said it will hold an urgent meeting Monday on the US announcement that it no longer considers Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal. | Hossam Zaki, the pan-Arab body\'s deputy secretary general, said several members had backed a Palestinian Authority call for a ministerial meeting. | The PA\'s permanent representative to the Arab League has condemned Washington\'s change of position — announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — as \"illegal.\" | Pompeo said on Monday that, after legal consultations, the US had concluded the establishment of settlements was \"not, per se…

RT (2019-11-20). US\' attempts to undermine economic growth of Russia & China are just part of unfair competition — Putin. rt.com Washington is making a serious mistake as it aims to deter the development of Russia and China, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an investment forum in Moscow. | \"Balanced international economic relations is not their [US] main goal, but their main strategic goal is curbing the development of China and Russia,\" the Russian leader told the \'Russia Calling\' forum, adding that such an approach is a \"deep\" mistake that can backfire on the US and undermine its position. | Another reason for Washington\'s restrictions against its trade war rival, Beijing, is that the Chinese economy has proven to be more effe…

RT (2019-11-20). 'Conor's an idiot, we don't listen to idiots': Khabib reacts to McGregor's Moscow callout. rt.com UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov says that the latest tirade of insults from bitter Irish rival Conor McGregor does not bother him a single bit, as he simply has no time to \"pay attention to idiots.\" | The seemingly never-ending war of words between Nurmagomedov and McGregor continues, with both fighters delivering insults whenever they are asked on the matter. Khabib\'s latest public appearance was no exception – even though it was hosted in a Moscow region school for kids aged from 6 to 12. | \"Conor said he wants a rematch in Moscow. Do you want that fight?\" asked one of the youngsters. | \"Honestly I don\'t th…

Eric A. Gordon (2019-11-20). \'Fifteen Men in a Smoke-Filled Room\': How Warren G. Harding became president. peoplesworld.org BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.—\"Yes, ladies and gentlemen,\" the radio announcer opened his news report, \"another day, another scandal! It seems like nothing can prevent further improprieties from staining President Harding and his administration prior to this year\'s midterm elections. The blazing spotlight of impropriety has now focused its glare on Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty…. Congressmen …

Peter Maass (2019-11-20). Stockholm Syndrome: The Nobel Prize Organization Is Now Fully Engaged in the Business of Genocide Denial. theintercept.com The Swedish Academy, which chose Peter Handke for the Nobel literature prize, issued a letter casting his Bosnia war books as reasonable.

The Canary (2019-11-20). Malta arrests businessman \'over murder of investigative reporter\'. thecanary.co Maltese authorities have arrested a prominent businessman who appears to be a \"person of interest\" in the assassination of a leading investigative reporter.Yorgen Fenech was on a yacht that was intercepted sailing northwards away from Malta by the military early on Wednesday and forced back to port.In remarks to reporters, prime minister Joseph Muscat did not directly tie the arrest to the murder of 53-year-old Daphne Caruana Galizia in a car bombing in October 2017, but he said it appeared to result from comments he made a day earlier about the possibility of a pardon for an alleged middleman who had offered to…

RT (2019-11-20). Alliance life after \'brain death\': NATO focuses on outer space, compares army spending with Russia. rt.com Though most members can barely afford to cough up their required military spending, and with European leaders questioning the venerable alliance, why is NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg talking about expanding into space? | Jens Stoltenberg is an unlikely Darth Vader. Beginning his political career with left-wing protests against the Vietnam war, Stoltenberg would go on to join the machine he once railed against, overseeing an expansion of Norway\'s military while Prime Minister from 2005 to 2013, and then leading the world\'s largest military alliance from 2014 onwards. | But his ambitions are galactic,…

Mark Gruenberg (2019-11-20). Trumka on \'New NAFTA\': \'Close is not good enough\'. peoplesworld.org

RT (2019-11-20). Resourceful Russian cops stop truck to stage Hollywood-style rescue of people from burning building (VIDEO). rt.com An epic rescue operation was caught on video in the Moscow Region, as witty traffic cops stopped a truck so that the people who were cut off by a house fire could escape the blaze using its roof. | Two officers were on a routine patrol mission when they saw thick black smoke coming from the windows of the two-story building nearby. They swiftly called in the fire brigade as their instructions required, but the situation was dire and required immediate action. | The policemen jumped out of their patrol car and rushed towards the burning building, where they saw two men on the second floor, crying for help. A ju…

Morning Star (2019-11-20). Twitter flooded with thousands of fake accounts supporting Bolivia coup. peoplesworld.org Tens of thousands of fake Twitter accounts were created to support the military coup against Bolivia\'s elected president Evo Morales, a new study suggests. Spanish party Podemos\'s head of social networks Julian Macias Tovar says that over 68,000 false accounts were set up to try to legitimize the army\'s overthrow of Morales following his re-election …

Vijay Prashad (2019-11-20). The coup in Bolivia has everything to do with the screen you\'re using to read this. mronline.org The nationalization efforts of Evo Morales ensured that the State controlled 51 percent of all private energy firms that operated in Bolivia, which allowed the State\'s coffers to fill rapidly. It was this money that was invested to go after poverty, hunger, and illiteracy. | Source

John Catalinotto (2019-11-20). Bolivian leaders denounce U.S. role in coup. workers.org Nov. 18 ‚àí Despite massacres in the major cities of El Alto, La Paz and Cochabamba that killed 24 people in the last five days, the resistance to the pro-imperialist coup regime has grown and spread to other areas and major cities in Bolivia, including Santa Cruz, which is a . . . | Continue reading Bolivian leaders denounce U.S. role in coup at Workers.org

Sara Flounders (2019-11-20). New York City protest: Let Gaza live! workers.org A couple of hundred activists held an emergency rally in New York\'s Times Square on Nov. 15 to protest recent Israeli massacres in Gaza of 34 Palestinians, including eight children. The rally included continual chants, mic check, brief speeches and a militant march down Broadway to Herald Square. Participating groups . . . | Continue reading New York City protest: Let Gaza live! at Workers.org

RT (2019-11-20). Impeachment hearing gets more bizarre with Sondland confirming \'Zelensky loves Trump\'s ass\' , but vague on quid pro quo. rt.com House Democrats tried repeatedly to goad their diplomatic witness into \"admitting\" the elusive quid pro quo of aid withheld pending a probe, but the best they could get was confirmation he told Trump \"Zelensky loves your ass.\" | US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland played the \'can\'t recall exactly\' card as Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff and Democratic Counsel Daniel Goldman pushed him to confirm President Donald Trump had made the release of foreign aid to Ukraine contingent upon President Volodymyr Zelensky\'s launch of a corruption investigation. Sondland did say he believed that there was a quid…

Staff (2019-11-20). GOP-Requested Witness Rejects Trump \'Conspiracy Theories\'. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — Sought by Republicans to testify, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine spoke up instead for Democrat Joe Biden in Tuesday\'s impeachment hearings, rejecting \"conspiracy theories\" embraced by President Donald Trump and some of his allies. | Kurt Volker said he has known Biden as an honorable man for more than two decades, rebuffing debunked corruption allegations that Trump is said to have wanted the Ukrainians to investigate in exchange for military aid to hold off Russian aggression. | \"The allegations against Vice President Biden are self-serving and non-credible,\" Volker declared. | R…

RT (2019-11-20). So much for the #Resistance! While all eyes were on impeachment hearing, House re-authorized PATRIOT Act. rt.com House Democrats have slipped an unqualified renewal of the draconian PATRIOT Act into an emergency funding bill — voting near-unanimously for sweeping surveillance carte blanche that was the basis for the notorious NSA program. | A three-month reauthorization of the notorious PATRIOT Act was shoehorned into a last-minute continuing resolution (CR) funding the US government, bundling measures needed to avert yet another government shutdown with a continuation of the wildly-intrusive surveillance powers passed after the 9/11 terror attacks. Democrats voted almost unanimously for it, granting the far-reachi…

Paul Street (2019-11-20). Trump\'s Removal Can\'t Wait for Impeachment. truthdig.com The most powerful position in the world\'s most powerful nation is occupied by a demented fascist oligarch. | He demonizes and scapegoats minorities and immigrants. He provides dog-whistle cover for white supremacists. He sparks racist hate crimes with his vicious nativist words. He speaks with disdain about inner-city…

C.J. Atkins (2019-11-20). Trump\'s million-dollar donor Sondland testifies: \"We followed the president\'s orders.\" peoplesworld.org I was only following orders. It\'s the classic defense offered by someone further down the chain of command who gets caught up in the nefarious deeds of their superiors. And it\'s exactly the mea culpa offered by Gordon Sondland, Trump\'s Ambassador to the European Union, when he testified at the House Intelligence Committee\'s public impeachment …

Kate Yoder (2019-11-20). More than Venice: Climate change imperils ancient treasures worldwide. peoplesworld.org Saltwater rushed into St. Mark\'s Basilica in Venice last week, submerging marble tombs, intricate mosaics, and centuries-old columns. A man was spotted swimming across St. Mark\'s Square, normally bustling with tourists, as the highest tide in 50 years swept through. The \"Floating City\" of bridges, vaporetti, and gondolas is hardly a stranger to high tides. Venetians are …

Matt Wuerker (2019-11-20). Where There\'s Smoke… thenation.com Fossil fuel\'s climate change lies.

RT (2019-11-20). Rare \'unicorn\' meteor shower set to be sparked by mysterious comet. rt.com Two leading meteor scientists are forecasting that a rare outburst from the alpha Monocertoid meteor will treat stargazers to a flurry of shooting stars this week. Here\'s what you need to know about the looming light show. | Hundreds of meteors are set to light up the night sky for a brief spell, when the spectacular show kicks off at 04: 50 Universal Time on Friday. The meteors will rain out of Monoceros, the Unicorn constellation, near Orion the Hunter, and they will be caused by debris from the tail of a mysterious unknown comet burning up in Earth\'s atmosphere. | | © American Meteor Society | As well…

RT (2019-11-20). \'Utter rubbish!\' Putin says \'Russian threat\' is fake, invented by those trying to cash in on it. rt.com Europe knows that Russia isn\'t going to attack them and won\'t be paying Washington for protection anymore, Vladimir Putin said, urging the US to rethink its relations with NATO allies on the continent. | The US previously told the European nations that they were defending them from the Soviet Union and that they had to pay for it, Putin said from the stage of the \"Russia Calling\" investment forum in Moscow. But the USSR collapsed almost three decades ago and the US approach \"doesn\'t work\" today. | Despite all the problems \"with Ukraine, the speculations about Crimea and Donbass, everybody clearly understands t…

RT (2019-11-20). Putin\'s plan: Wait for US\' most-advanced shale oil know-how and SNATCH IT! (Spoiler: it was a joke). rt.com Acquiring top-notch US technology to extract shale oil might be challenging, but not for the world\'s best-known KGB intelligence veteran who (jokingly) told a Russian investment forum how (not) to do it. | Vladimir Putin provided his vision on extracting shale oil — a type of crude found in underground deposits — at the \'Russia Calling\' investment forum, which at first sounded like veiled nostalgia for his much-talked about KGB career in the 1980s. | \"Let us wait for the Americans to spend money on new extraction technologies,\" he said, adding that the moment will come to snatch it all. \"Let\'s see if…

RT (2019-11-20). 'No evidence of meddling': Boris Johnson defends decision not to publish Russian influence report before election. rt.com UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he has never seen \"any\" evidence of Russian interference in British democracy and defended his decision not to publish a parliamentary report into the subject before the December 12 election. | Asked Wednesday about his decision to wait until after the election to publish the controversial report, Johnson said he saw no reason to change the timeline for publication. | There\'s absolutely no evidence that I\'ve ever seen of any Russian interference in UK democratic processes. | Johnson\'s decision to shelve the 50-page report compiled by the Intelligence and Security Committee…

RT (2019-11-20). Meet Anastasia Shpilevaya — the Russian ice dancer aiming for a breakthrough season (PHOTOS). rt.com One of the most beautiful figure skating disciplines, ice dancing has always charmed fans with its elegance and style, with Russian athletes long being trend-setters and leaders. | This is the world junior star Anastasia Shpilevaya that is now aiming to break into, after teaming up with Grigory Smirnov as they bid to shine at elite level. | READ MORE: \'It\'s not a psychological issue, this is facing reality\': Brian Orser on Medvedeva\'s losses to quad-jumping skaters (VIDEO) | Being the sole figure s…

RT (2019-11-20). \'Not fair\': Novak Djokovic blasts Canada for handing USA walkover at Davis Cup. rt.com Serbian tennis ace and 16-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic has criticized the Canadian men\'s tennis team for handing the USA a doubles walkover in the Davis Cup group stage. | The Canadian squad took claimed two wins against their American rivals, guaranteeing their participation in the playoffs. | READ MORE: Rafa to the rescue: Nadal leads Spain to victory over Russia in Davis Cup | But they then pulled out of their doubles match — which would have not affected their group standings — g…

WSWS (2019-11-20). Collapse of Swedish \"sexual misconduct\" frame-up exposes political conspiracy against Assange. wsws.org The discrediting of the Swedish investigation, which played a linchpin role in the US-led pursuit of Assange, exposes the lawless character of the entire operation against the WikiLeaks founder.

Andrew Moss (2019-11-20). Raising the Stakes in the Struggle Over Immigration Detention. counterpunch.org As the struggle for immigrant rights continues to be fought across America, new battlegrounds may come into view, then fade from public attention. For many months, our border drew intense scrutiny, as family separations shocked and horrified millions. Recently, the fate of DACA and 700,000 Dreamers moved back briefly into headlines, as the Supreme Court More

Ben Norton (2019-11-20). Elizabeth Warren endorses Trump\'s economic war on Venezuela, then soft-pedals far-right Bolivia coup. thegrayzone.com In a nauseating interview on Pod Save America, Elizabeth Warren endorsed suffocating US sanctions on Venezuela, backing Trump\'s strategy to…

Staff (2019-11-20). The Spirit of the Indigenous Occupation of Alcatraz Lives On, 50 Years Later. truthout.org For most people, Alcatraz Island is nothing more than a San Francisco tourist destination — home to the infamous penitentiary and Al Capone\'s jail cell. But for Kris Longoria, who prefers to be known by her artist name, UrbanRezLife, Alcatraz Island is home. | From 1969 to 1971, when UrbanRezLife was eight years old, she and her family were among a group of nearly a hundred indigenous activists who occupied the island, protesting treaty violations and boldly demanding sovereignty. Eventu…

teleSUR (2019-11-20). North Korea Wont Attend Trump Summit Over US\' \'Hostile Policy\'. telesurenglish.net A senior North Korean official said on Wednesday that the United States must drop its \"hostile policy\" towards Pyongyang in order to restart stalled denuclearisation talks, South Korea\'s Yonhap news agency reported. | RELATED: | North Korea Not Interested in December Peace Talks with US | Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told reporters after meeting Russian officials in Moscow it would be \"impossible\" to hold another summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. Preside…

United Nations (2019-11-20). Israeli settlements remain \'flagrant violation\' of international law, UN envoy tells Security Council. un.org Regardless of any national policy declarations, Israeli settlement activities are \"a flagrant violation under international law\", the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process spelled out to the Security Council on Wednesday.

Beatriz Mart√≠nez Saavedra (2019-11-20). Protests in the Global South: Ecuador and Chile Facing an Uncertain Economic Order. commondreams.org 13 October 2019, Ecuador, Quito: Demonstrators cheer on the government's decision to withdraw the controversial increase in fuel prices. This was agreed by the government and the leadership of the indigenous peoples after lengthy negotiations. (Photo by Juan Diego Montenegro/picture alliance via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ecuador.jpg …

Thomas S. Harrington (2019-11-20). Let\'s Give Three Cheers for Those \"Western Ears\" counterpunch.org Yesterday, I happened to catch a radio report by NPR\'s Julie McCarthy on the latest round of protests in Hong Kong. While listening, I could not help but see the similarities between what is going on in that corner of Asia and what has been going on in the streets of Catalonia during the last month…. but More

Xten Tentachion (2019-11-20). Protest at SF Chinese Consulate for Hong Kong Rights. indybay.org Chinese Consulate San Francisco | 1450 Laguna St, San Francisco, California 94115…

Richard Greeman (2019-11-20). One Year of the Yellow Vests in France. globalresearch.ca Converge With Planned Labour Strikes | This past weekend the Yellow Vests (Gilets Jaunes) celebrated their first birthday, with convivial barbeques on traffic circles (roundabouts) all over France followed by direct actions like liberating tollbooths. Although number of protestors has declined …

Staff (2019-11-20). In Iran, Over 100 Feared Dead in Protest Crackdown. truthout.org In Iran, Amnesty International reports over 100 protesters have been killed in 21 cities by security forces during ongoing nationwide demonstrations sparked by a sudden hike in fuel prices last week. The death count may be much higher, the report warns, with some suggesting as many as 200 have been killed. According to Iranian state media, over 1,000 people have been arrested. On Thursday, Iran announced a rise in the cost of gas ranging from 50% to 300%. Soon after protests broke out on Sunday, Iran imposed an almost com…

teleSUR (2019-11-20). Chile: Thousands Take to Streets to Mark One Month of Protests. telesurenglish.net Thousands of people returned to the streets Monday to mark the first month of the most serious civil unrest of Chilean democracy and show their distrust of both the social agenda announced by the government and the parliamentary agreement on a new constitution. | RELATED: | Chile: Human Rights Violations May Lead to Piñera\'s Impeachment | What began on Oct. 14 as a call by Chilean university students to sneak into the Santiago subway to protest against the increase in the ticket…

Stephen Zunes (2019-11-20). House of Representatives Finally Recognizes Armenian Genocide. progressive.org It is shocking that it has taken this long for even one house of the U.S. Congress to recognize this historic tragedy. Somehow it is always a \"bad time\" to upset the government of Turkey.

Stephen Lendman (2019-11-20). House and Senate Unanimously Support Destabilizing China. globalresearch.ca Non-intervention by nations in the internal affairs of others is fundamental international law. | In Nicaragua v. United States (1986), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled against Washington for breaching international law and violating Nicaraguan sovereignty by supporting Contra death …

teleSUR (2019-11-20). Israeli Warplanes Carry Out Airstrikes Over Syria\'s Damascus. telesurenglish.net \"At exactly 1: 20 a.m. today, Israeli warplanes from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights and the Lebanese Marjayoun targeted the perimetre of the city of Damascus with a number of rockets,\" a Syrian military source was quoted as saying by the Syrian state news agency SANA. Marjayoun is a city in the south of Lebanon.

South Front (2019-11-20). Video: Kurdish Radicals Try to Burn Russian-Turkish Patrol. globalresearch.ca Kurdish provocateurs have tried to burn a Typhoon MRAP vehicle of the Russian Military Police and a Kirpi MRAP vehicle of the Turkish Army in northern Syria. The incident happened during a joint Russian-Turkish patrol, which was conducted in the …

RT (2019-11-20). Chemical Watchdog Manipulated Douma Attack Report — Whistleblower. dissidentvoice.org The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has signed an open letter urging his own watchdog to give two whistleblowers a platform at its next conference. They claim the #OPCW suppressed evidence when conducting a probe into an alleged #chemicalattack on the Syrian city of #Douma in April 2018.

Staff (2019-11-20). GOP-Requested Witness Rejects Trump \'Conspiracy Theories\'. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — Sought by Republicans to testify, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine spoke up instead for Democrat Joe Biden in Tuesday\'s impeachment hearings, rejecting \"conspiracy theories\" embraced by President Donald Trump and some of his allies. | Kurt Volker said he has known Biden as an honorable man for more than two decades, rebuffing debunked corruption allegations that Trump is said to have wanted the Ukrainians to investigate in exchange for military aid to hold off Russian aggression. | \"The allegations against Vice President Biden are self-serving and non-credible,\" Volker declared. | R…

Susan Price (2019-11-20). Police storm universities in Hong Kong. greenleft.org.au protest Wlam*Issue 1246 Hong Kong 2019 Hong Kong pro-democracy movementNovember 20, 2019Hong Kong riot police stormed the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), one of the prestigious universities in Hong Kong, on November 12, despite making several promises…

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2019-11-19). Occupied Palestine: From BDS To ODS. dissidentvoice.org We spent the last week in Occupied Palestinian Territory, commonly referred to as Israel, where we traveled around the country to visit communities in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Bethlehem, the West Bank, the Nagab, and more. We call Israel Occupied Palestine because it is not just the West Bank and Gaza that are occupied, but all of …

RT (2019-11-19). \'Shameful\' US withholds food & medicine from Iranians while claiming to support them, FM Zarif says. rt.com Washington\'s self-professed solidarity with Iranians protesting against rising fuel costs cannot be taken seriously since US sanctions have caused so much suffering in the Islamic Republic, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said. | \"The regime that imposes coercive economic actions and bars delivery of food and drugs to the elderly and patients, can never claim that it\'s supporting the Iranian nation,\" Zarif noted on Tuesday, according to Iran\'s semi-official IRNA news agency. | He added that European nations that fail to challenge Washington\'s regime change posturing against Tehran will be \"responsible for their d…

RT (2019-11-19). Moscow condemns US plans to end sanctions waiver over Iran\'s Fordow nuclear site. rt.com The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday resolutely condemned the statement of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the previous day that the US is terminating the sanctions waiver related to Iran\'s Fordow nuclear plant. \"There is no legitimate reason for Iran to resume enrichment at this previously clandestine site,\" Pompeo said. | Washington\'s intentions are a blatant violation of international obligations, the Russian ministry said. Taking into account the US statements, a substantial reaction from the Commission on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will be required, according to the statement. | Mosc…

RT (2019-11-19). Yemen's Houthi rebels seize one Saudi, two S. Korean vessels. rt.com Yemen\'s Houthi rebels seized a Saudi-flagged tug and two South Korean vessels at the weekend, the insurgents and officials in Seoul said on Tuesday. The incident follows a lull in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as one Riyadh official said the kingdom had established an \"open channel\" with the rebels in a bid to end the four-year conflict, AFP reported. | The Houthis acknowledged they had seized three ships, including a Saudi one, in the Red Sea a few miles off Uqban island, west of the rebel-held capital Sanaa. The three ships were seized after they entered \"territorial waters without prior notice,\" the rebels…

Max Blumenthal (2019-11-19). Bolivia coup led by Christian fascist paramilitary leader and millionaire—with foreign support. mronline.org Bolivian coup leader Luis Fernando Camacho is a far-right multi-millionaire who arose from fascist movements in the Santa Cruz region, where the US has encouraged separatism. He has courted support from Colombia, Brazil, and the Venezuelan opposition. | Source

Patrick Cockburn (2019-11-19). Erdogan\'s Ethnic Cleansing of the Kurds is Still Happening. counterpunch.org Mass expulsion or the physical extermination of an entire ethnic or religious community — ethnic cleansing — is usually treated by the media in one of two different ways: either it receives maximum publicity as a horror story about which the world should care and do something about, or it is ignored and never reaches More

RT (2019-11-19). Pentagon & war-hawks agree: US troops should stay in Syria – 'because ISIS'. rt.com The withdrawal of American troops from Syria has set the stage for a return of Islamic State, claims a new Pentagon report. The report aligns the Pentagon with war-hungry lawmakers who opposed the withdrawal from the outset. | In a report released on Tuesday, the Defense Department\'s Inspector General warns that without a US presence in northeastern Syria, the terror group will \"likely be able to rebuild and carry out more sophisticated operations.\" | The withdrawal from Syria &#150…

Ramzy Baroud (2019-11-19). How Western Media Bias Allows Israel to Getaway with Murder in Gaza. counterpunch.org An Israeli attack on Gaza was imminent, and not because of any provocations by Palestinian groups in the besieged, impoverished Gaza Strip. The Israeli military escalation was foreseeable because it factors neatly in Israel\'s contentious political scene. The war was not a question of \"if\", but \"when\". The answer came on November 12, when the Israeli military launched a major strike against Gaza, killing an Islamic Jihad Commander, Bahaa Abu al-Ata, along with his wife Asma. More

Staff (2019-11-19). Amnesty Says at Least 106 Killed in Iran Protests. truthdig.com DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Days of protests in Iran over rising fuel prices and a subsequent government crackdown have killed at least 106 people across the Islamic Republic, Amnesty International said Tuesday, citing \"credible reports.\" | Iran\'s government, which has not made nationwide numbers available for the toll of the unrest that began Friday, did not immediately respond to the report. A request for comment to its mission at the United Nations was not immediately acknowledged. | The Amnesty report comes after a U.N. agency earlier said it feared the unrest may have killed \"a significant number of…

RT (2019-11-19). 'P*ssy African!' Paulo Costa steps up ugly war of words with UFC middleweight champ Adesanya. rt.com UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa has reignited his war of words with world champion Israel Adesanya by calling the Nigerian-born New Zealander a \"p*ssy African.\" | Adesanya won his UFC middleweight world title in October with an outstanding second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker. The fight took place in Melbourne, Australia and broke the company\'s previous attendance record with 57,127. | As soon as Adesanya produced the knockout, he got up on the side of the Octagon fence and gestured towards Costa, who was in the crowd, eager to get onto the canvas to exchange words with his 185 pound rival. | It wa…

Tom Anderson (2019-11-19). Resistance against Turkish-Russian patrols grows in northeast Syria as more protesters are injured. thecanary.co The people of northeast Syria [aka Rojava] are fiercely resisting against the patrols by Turkish and Russian occupation forces.They\'re facing the guns and armoured vehicles of two of the world\'s strongest militaries. Here in the UK we can stand in solidarity by demanding the UK stops its arms exports to Turkey.Fierce resistance: This video from Monday 18 November shows women and men throwing molotov cocktails at…

RT (2019-11-19). Israeli warplanes strike Damascus, air defenses destroy \'most\' of hostile missiles (VIDEO). rt.com Syrian air defenses have repelled an Israeli raid, intercepting several \"hostile missiles\" over southern Damascus, and destroying majority of them before the projectiles hit the ground, state news agency SANA reported. | Also on rt.com | | Several blasts heard near Syria\'s Damascus airport — state media | Citing a Syrian military source, SANA reported on Tuesday night that Syrian missile defenses came under \"a heavy attack\" by Israeli warplanes that targeted the Damascus area from the Israeli-controlled part of the occupied Golan Heights a…

Sam Pizzigati (2019-11-19). Inequality and the iron law of decaying public services. peoplesworld.org Fires are raging everywhere in California these days, and firefighters are having enormous trouble keeping up. Chronically understaffed local fire departments simply don\'t have the resources to handle Act #1 of what climate change has in store for us. California\'s wealthy aren\'t particularly worrying about that lack of resources — because they have more than enough …

RT (2019-11-19). Russian bear-wrestling murder convict Maxim \'Mad Max\' Novoselov confirmed for fight return. rt.com He was recently seen wrestling a bear in Siberia but Russian MMA fighter Maxim \'Mad Max\' Novoselov will return to action against human opposition in Moscow at the end of November, it has been confirmed. | Novoselov, 46, will face fellow sambo specialist Alexey Goncharov on the undercard of an event organized by Russia\'s RenTV, and which will be headlined by a boxing contest between Alexander Emelianenko — brother of MMA legend Fedor — and powerlifter Mikhail Koklyaev. | The full details of Novoselov\'s bout are still under wraps, although it will be his first serious action since he defeated Aleksanda…

RT (2019-11-19). Monopoly? What monopoly? Big Tech defends itself from antitrust allegations with denial & doublespeak. rt.com Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple are pushing back against the US government\'s antitrust investigations, downplaying their dominance of the tech sector, playing dumb, and staying quiet where they can\'t obfuscate. | The Big Tech behemoths responded to written questions sent by the House Judiciary Committee – one of several antitrust probes targeting the four companies – with concerted efforts to tone down their monopolistic image – no easy feat for two trillion-dollar companies and two more that are approaching that figure. Answers were shared with reporters on Tuesday, according to Reuters. | Also on rt.com…

Walden Bello (2019-11-19). Is China an \"Imperial Power\" in the Image of the West? counterpunch.org Owing to geography and geopolitics, my country the Philippines finds itself in the middle of an escalating conflict between the United States and China. Like the trench lines that stretched from the North Sea through France to Switzerland during the First World War, the front lines of this conflict stretch across both land and sea More

Richard Greeman (2019-11-19). French Yellow Vests Celebrate First Birthday, Converge With Planned Labor Strikes. counterpunch.org This weekend the Yellow Vests celebrated their first birthday, with convivial barbeques on traffic circles (roundabouts) all over France followed by direct actions like liberating tollbooths. Although number of protestors has declined to about 10% of the estimated 400,000 who rose up a year ago on Nov. 17, 2018 — thanks to a year of More

Dave Lindorff (2019-11-19). Student Protesters are Walking a Tightrope in Hong Kong. counterpunch.org It\'s hard to know what to think about the student protests in Hong Kong. | On the one hand, they are incredibly inspiring. The courage, determination, brilliant organizing in the face of corporate blocking of the social media platforms that have been so critical early on to coordinating actions and rallying support, and the links that these masses of students have been able to build with the broader Hong Kong community, have been amazing to witness. So too is the massive support that the city\'s residents — even its staid usually conservative business-minded bankers and shop owners — have given and con…

Dean Baker (2019-11-19). Impeachment is a Kitchen Table Issue. counterpunch.org As the Democrats have pushed ahead with impeachment proceedings, there have been criticisms from both the right and left that impeachment is a needless distraction from the pocketbook issues that people really care about. The argument is that people will see the Democrats as playing political games rather than focusing on health care, jobs, wages, More

RT (2019-11-19). Ukraine interfering in US elections is not a \'Russian narrative\' but a US media one. rt.com Mainstream US media outlets and impeachment witness Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman have called stories of Ukrainian influence in the 2016 US election a conspiracy theory pushed by Russian president. Evidence shows otherwise. | Testifying before the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, Vindman — a National Security Council staffer — argued that any Ukrainian meddling in the 2016 election is \"a Russian narrative promoted by [President Vladimir] Putin,\" rejected by the entire US intelligence community. | Not only is narrative of Ukranian interference in 2016 election false, and rejected by all intell…

RT (2019-11-19). Armata is coming: Russian military to get pilot batch of \'revolutionary\' T-14 tanks. rt.com The Russian armored corps are about to step into the future, with the first trial batch of the fearsome T-14 Armata tanks to be supplied to the military in late 2019 or early 2020, the head of Rostec defense conglomerate said.

RT (2019-11-19). The Guardian\'s journalists are Kremlin and Qatari agents: Russian oligarch trolls newspaper after \'ex-KGB\' smear job. rt.com After a sensational headline in The Guardian dished the dirt on UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson\'s meeting with an \"ex-KGB agent\" in Italy, the Russian businessman involved has hit back, with some trolling accusations of his own. | \"Boris Johnson met an ex-KGB agent during a highly controversial trip to attend a party two days after attending a high-level Nato summit that focused on Russia,\" The Guardian reported on Sunday. No details of the meeting are rev…

Staff (2019-11-19). Police Surround Last Holdouts at Hong Kong Campus Protest. truthdig.com Even as the latest violence winds down, a fundamental divide suggests the protests in the former British colony are far from over.

RT (2019-11-19). UN decries \'extreme violence\' by Hong Kong protesters amid fears of further escalation. rt.com The UN Human Rights Office said it was gravely concerned by increased violence on the part of some \'very angry\' protesters in Hong Kong, urging accountability for both the wrongdoers and police using excessive force in response. | \"The resort to extreme violence, including against the police force, by some engaged in the protests… cannot be condoned,\" spokesman Rupert Colville told a journalist in Geneva. | The statement came after the anti-government protesters, holed up in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, used Molotov cocktails, arrows and bricks to repel the attempts by police to remove them from the…

Eds. (2019-11-19). De Facto Government issues decree granting impunity to Bolivian Police and Armed Forces. mronline.org After the coup d\'état forged against former president Evo Morales, the self-proclaimed interim president Jeanine Añez returned the favour to the Armed Forces with a decree that allows them to repress regardless of whether that action violates the law. She also made available the entire state apparatus in case it is \"required\". | Source

RT (2019-11-19). \'We should thank & cherish CIA,\' says star of \'Jack Ryan\' — just maybe not for torture, coups & mind control. rt.com Americans should be thankful for the services the CIA provides, \'Jack Ryan\' actor John Krasinski says. After all, without the agency, who would prop up foreign dictators, stage coups and \'play\' with mind-control drugs? | In three decades between the publication of \'The Hunt for Red October\' in 1984 and his death in 2013, Tom Clancy pumped out more than 20 books, giving lots of material for spy agency fanboys. | At long last though, there\'s someone out there who gets even more tumescent at the thought of clandestine criminality than Clancy himself. Actor John Krasinski — star of \'The Office\' and now \'Tom C…

Robert Mackey (2019-11-19). Republicans Urge Americans to Follow Them Through the Fox News Looking Glass on Ukraine. theintercept.com To defend Donald Trump, Republicans in the House are trying to discredit Sergii Leshchenko, who helped expose Paul Manafort\'s corruption in Ukraine.

RT (2019-11-19). \'We have our own problems\': Ukrainian president says country is \'sick\' of US impeachment drama. rt.com As impeachment mania grips the US, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed a question from CNN about whether he would open an investigation into the Biden family, saying people in Ukraine are \"so tired\" of the scandal. | Zelensky, who has found himself at the center of the seemingly never-ending political saga, was visibly annoyed when asked by a CNN reporter if he would launch an investigation over claims that former US Vice President Joe Biden had pressured a Ukrainian prosecutor to drop a corruption probe into the Burisma natural gas company where his son Hunter sat on the board. | \"I think everybo…

Jane Green (2019-11-19). Iran erupts in protest; over 100 killed in security crackdown. peoplesworld.org The recent order by Iranian \"Supreme Leader\" Ali Khamenei directing the security forces \"to implement their tasks\" sent out a stark and ominous signal to the people of Iran. Protests erupted in cities across Iran on Friday following the government\'s announcement of a hike in the cost of gasoline by at least 50%, signaling further …

RT (2019-11-19). UN torture envoy demands \'full accountability & compensation\' after Sweden drops rape probe against Assange. rt.com The UN\'s Special Rapporteur on torture has called for a \"full investigation\" into the role Sweden played in driving WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange into asylum and eventual custody, after the rape case against him was dropped. | Swedish prosecutors announced on Tuesday that they would drop a dubious rape inquiry against Assange, as oral testimony against the publisher had \"weakened,\" and corroborating evidence was not strong enough to pursue a case. A Swedish arrest warrant was issued against assange in 2010, and a British court upheld a decision to extradite him in 2012. Threatened with what many saw as a po…

Kim Petersen (2019-11-19). Saving Julian Assange is Saving Ourselves. dissidentvoice.org The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner issued a statement based on special-rapporteur-on-torture Nils Melzer\'s fact-finding mission into the incarceration of WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange. The facts were a scathing indictment of those nations behind the targeting of Assange. \'The evidence is overwhelming and clear,\' the expert said. \'Mr. Assange …

Thanassis Cambanis (2019-11-19). A Deadly Game of Chicken in Iraq and Lebanon. thenation.com Popular revolts in the Middle East are pitting people against regimes.

commondreams (2019-11-19). 350 Action Endorses Ed Markey, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05) for Congress. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Fight Back (2019-11-19). Texas students say, \"Defend DACA\" fightbacknews.org Arlington, TX — The University of Texas at Arlington\'s Progressive Student Union (PSU) held a rally for DACA recipients, November 14. The group, led by PSU President Mark Napieralski, delivered a list of ten demands to the administration, marching across the campus chanting, \"No protection, no peace,\" \"Stand up, fight back,\" \"Black and brown immigrants matter,\" and \"Defend DACA.\" | PSU delivered their demands to President Karbhari\'s office, though he was available to receive them personally. Regardless, the office received the demands and promised to deliver them to Karbhari. | PSU\'s demands included more r…

teleSUR (2019-11-19). 94 Refugees, Migrants Rescued Off Libya\'s Coast. telesurenglish.net The Ocean Viking charity vessel, operated jointly by SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders, carried out a mission Tuesday rescuing 94 refugees and migrants off the coast of Libya. | RELATED: | Migrants Released Amid Fighting in Libya Seek Refuge With UN | \"We were copied on an email sent to the Libyan coastguard by AlarmPhone this morning. As a result, we altered our course towards the potential boat in distress and arrived in the area 90 minutes later,\" Search and Rescue…

Mark Curtis (2019-11-19). Conflict of Interest: Julian Assange\'s Judge and Her Husband\'s Links to the British Military Establishment Exposed by WikiLeaks. globalresearch.ca It can also be revealed that Lady Arbuthnot has received gifts and hospitality in relation to her husband, including from a military and cybersecurity company exposed by WikiLeaks. These activities indicate that the chief magistrate\'s activities cannot be considered as …

teleSUR (2019-11-19). Sweden Drops Decade-Long Case Against Julian Assange. telesurenglish.net A Swedish prosecutor dropped an investigation into an allegation of rape against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, ending the near decade-old case that had sent the anti-secrecy campaigner into hiding in London\'s Ecuadorian embassy to avoid extradition. | RELATED: | UK Judge Denies Request to Delay Assange\'s Extradition Trial | Although the prosecutor\'s…

WSWS (2019-11-19). Sweden drops investigation into bogus sexual misconduct allegations against Julian Assange. wsws.org The action confirms that the incessant media claims of \"rape\" and \"sexual assault\" by the WikiLeaks founder are a politically motivated fraud.

WSWS (2019-11-19). Julian Assange appears in court via video link: Legal rights denied by judge. wsws.org The British ruling class has no intention of providing even the appearance of a fair trial of Assange, after which they intend to railroad him to his persecutors in the United States.

WSWS (2019-11-19). United States has the highest child detention rate in the world. wsws.org A UN report released Monday finds that the United States leads the world in depriving children of liberty, particularly through immigration detention.

Kevin Zeese (2019-11-19). Occupied Palestine: From BDS to ODS. The Project of a One Democratic State (ODS). globalresearch.ca We spent the last week in Occupied Palestinian Territory, commonly referred to as Israel, where we traveled around the country to visit communities in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Bethlehem, the West Bank, the Nagab, and more. | We call Israel Occupied Palestine because …

Common Dreams staff (2019-11-19). Rep. Ilhan Omar Asks Judge to \'Show Compassion\' for Hateful Man Who Threatened to Put Bullet in Her Head. commondreams.org In response to a man accused of threatening her life pleading guilty to the crime in a U.S. District Court a day prior, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on Tuesday released publicly a letter she wrote to the federal judge presiding over the case asking that he \"show compassion\" in his sentencing. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/omar_apology_1.jpg …

DSA San Francisco (2019-11-19). Dreamforce Rally – No Salesforce Tech for Concentration Camps. indybay.org Howard St between 3rd & 4th St – Just outside Dreamforce Entrance…

The Grayzone (2019-11-19). Top Bolivian coup plotters trained by US military\'s SOA. indybay.org Commanders of Bolivia\'s military and police helped plot the coup and guaranteed its success. They were previously educated for insurrection in the US government\'s notorious School of the Americas and FBI training programs.

Staff (2019-11-19). Activists Occupy Pelosi\'s Office, Launch Global Hunger Strike for Climate Action. truthout.org The global grassroots movement Extinction Rebellion is targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a hunger strike and demanding that the Democratic leader embrace bold climate action as have progressive lawmakers around the country. | The group told Pelosi a week ago that members would begin a hunger strike Monday unless the California Democrat agreed to a one-hour, on-camera meeting to discuss Extinction Rebellion\'s demands for concrete climate action. | On Twitter, the group announced that…

United Nations (2019-11-19). Reconciliation helps \'repair fractures\', enable lasting peace, Security Council hears. un.org The UN Security Council this Tuesday has been debating what one activist labeled \"the toughest and arguably most important part of the peace-building cycle\": reconciliation.

Moon Of Alabama (2019-11-19). There Are Riots In Iran And The Usual Suspect Are On It. thelastamericanvagabond.com There are a few riots in Iran and Amnesty International is on it: Amnesty International @amnesty — 15: 50 UTC ∑ Nov 19, 2019At least 106 protesters in 21 cities have been killed in #Iran, according to reports we have received. Verified video footage, eyewitness testimony & information gathered from activists outside Iran reveal a harrowing pattern …

Nauman Sadiq (2019-11-19). Release of Western Hostages and Prospects of Peace in Afghanistan. globalresearch.ca Three Taliban commanders have been released today, on Tuesday, by the Afghan government as part of a prisoner swap involving two Western hostages. Reportedly, the militant leaders, including senior Taliban leader Anas Haqqani, had landed in Qatar, which hosts the …