RT (2019-08-10). Kid Rock attacks Taylor Swift, sparks Twitter culture war. rt.com After firing off a tweet suggesting pop idol Taylor Swift would perform sexual favors on Hollywood in exchange for a movie role, faux-redneck rocker Kid Rock is facing a barrage of criticism online.

Margot Patterson (2019-08-09). U.S. Imperialism, Iran and the Context for War. counterpunch.org The Trump administration\'s efforts to collapse Iran\'s economy can\'t be divorced from the history of U.S. imperialism. If Americans remember the 1979 student takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the 444 days in which 52 U.S. diplomats and embassy staff were held hostage, Iranians remember the 1953 CIA coup that brought down the More

Staff (2019-08-09). Supersizing Climate Change: U.N. Says Meat Production Destroys Land & Diminishes Key Water Sources. democracynow.org The United Nations\' top panel of climate scientists warns that humans are consuming land and water resources at an unprecedented rate, with the destructive effects of the climate crisis increasingly threatening the planet\'s biodiversity and the food security of hundreds of millions of people. In its latest climate change and land special report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that without dramatic action, extreme weather and rising temperatures will turn even more fertile land into desert, shrinking the global food supply, even as the world\'s population rises to more than 7.5 billion people.

Staff (2019-08-09). ICE Raids on Undocumented Immigrants Create Fear and Enable Exploitation. therealnews.com The recent ICE raids that detained 680 food workers in Mississippi not only strike fear and terror in the hearts of immigrants, but are a calculated move to enable greater exploitation of immigrants because it increases their insecurity and makes organizing more difficult…

Mark Gruenberg (2019-08-09). Barber: \"Words\" of white supremacy \"lead to acts of physical violence\" peoplesworld.org EL PASO, Texas—Five religious leaders who journeyed to El Paso to investigate — and discuss — awful conditions migrants face, just before the white supremacist terrorist massacred 22 people in that Texas border city, unveiled an open pastoral letter to the entire nation linking racist words and policies to the murders, and demanding a massive …

Staff (2019-08-09). New IPCC Report Warns of Vicious Cycle Between Soil Degradation and Climate Change. therealnews.com Greenpeace\'s Diana Ruiz discusses the new IPCC Climate report, \"Climate Change and Land,\" which issues a dire warning about how climate change and destructive land use reinforce each other, leading to serious threats for human survival…

Marilyn Bechtel (2019-08-09). On anniversary of Hiroshima, demands for end to nuclear weapons. peoplesworld.org LIVERMORE, Calif. — Determined to oppose the Trump administration\'s drive to develop new nuclear weapons and to strengthen the fight to eliminate nuclear weapons worldwide, some 200 demonstrators gathered here on Aug. 6 to rally against what they term \"Designing Armageddon\" at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Over three dozen peace, justice and faith-based organizations …

The Canary (2019-08-09). Nagasaki mayor hits out at nuclear powers on 74th anniversary of bombing. thecanary.co The mayor of Nagasaki has criticised nuclear states including the US and Russia as the city marked the 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing which ended the Second World War.Tomihisa Taue said nuclear powers are undermining the survivors\' efforts towards building a nuclear-free world.The mayor lamented that the idea of \"useful\" nuclear weapons appears to be gaining traction.People attend a mass at the Urakami Cathedral in Nagasaki to mark the 74th anniversary of the world\'s second atomic bomb attack (Kyodo/AP)He said both the US and Russia are returning to the development and deployment of nuclear weapons, as th…

Louis Proyect (2019-08-09). How Real is the \"Eco-Fascist\" Threat? counterpunch.org In a manifesto that was posted to 8Chan just before he carried out his murderous attack on Walmart shoppers in El Paso, Patrick Crusius expressed \"Green\" values that are widespread on the left: The American lifestyle affords our citizens an incredible quality of life. However, our lifestyle is destroying the environment of our country. The More

Daniel Beaumont (2019-08-09). Hate, Murder and Perversity: El Paso 2019, Mississippi 1964. counterpunch.org Hate, Lacan observed, is—like love—a career without limit.[1] The massacre on Saturday August 3 in an El Paso Walmart ended with the arrest of 21 year-old Patrick Crusius, a white supremacist from Dallas. Crusius was likely the source of what the media began to call a \"manifesto\" posted on the website 8chan, a site linked More

David Price (2019-08-09). Militarized Observers: Institutional Daydreams of Ethics End Runs to Weaponize Culture. counterpunch.org A significant limitation facing scholars studying US military uses of anthropology and other social sciences is that while the existence and activities of various military programs are known, and some related documents are available, there is much about these programs that remains unknown to outsiders. Yet, even with these gaps in knowledge, it is possible More

Ron Jacobs (2019-08-09). The Global Lockdown. counterpunch.org When a visitor to the United States enters the airport they plan to leave from they expect to show their passport and declare their baggage. However, it used to be that most passengers expected these interactions to be conducted by customs officials only in their own country. This is often no longer the case. Instead, More

John Kendall Hawkins (2019-08-09). The Sixties: De-tripping, Yeah. counterpunch.org I had intentions of watching Quentin Tarantino\'s new film, Once Upon A Time … in Hollywood, and then writing a review, keened up, like most of his aficionados, with the anticipation it might be his last film, and eager to see how QT handled the Sixties, with limited retrospection, given that he was only six More

Michael Simmons (2019-08-09). Paul Krassner: Nun Smooching In America. counterpunch.org When I was 12-years old in 1967, my father Matty Simmons published Cheetah — a slick magazine designed for what the press called \"hippies.\" It was a fine publication — top-shelf scribes like Tom Nolan, Robert Christgau and Ellen Willis contributed, editor Jules Siegel ran his legendary \"Goodbye Surfing, Hello God\" profile that announced to More

Alvaro Huerta (2019-08-09). The Mexican as Endangered Species. counterpunch.org Mexicans have official become members of an endangered or hunted species in the U.S. (I\'m not referring to our enormous demographics, as we\'ll continue to multiply in el norte—where individuals of Mexican origin represent over 40 million citizens/residents—despite the racist fantasies of Donald J. Trump and his immoral ilk. Throughout the early 1800s to the More

Rob Urie (2019-08-09). Democrats and the Politics of Change. counterpunch.org With the political season underway, the question of an effective politics is the subtext of the debates and speeches intended to motivate constituencies and movements. This should read as odd: in the U.S., it is the act of getting elected that defines effective politics. But as neoliberalism has crept into every aspect of modern life, elections have become an anti-politics, a way of working against the democratic will. More

Richard Moser (2019-08-09). Climate Crisis Means the Ruling Class has Failed. Can the Working Class Inherit the Earth? counterpunch.org The climate crisis is proof positive that the ruling class is an utter failure — but it will not fall on its own. Can the working class rise to the challenge? It sure will help if we understand that our class interests are not merely the economic needs of working people — no matter how important More

Paul Street (2019-08-09). Nothing Less Than a Revolution Can Save Us. counterpunch.org Is there no limit to the lethal and authoritarian absurdity of America, land of mass gun massacres like Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Orlando, Las Vegas, Parkland, and now El Paso and Dayton among other pockmarked sites? Here is a society that claims to be the beacon to the world of civilized decency and democracy More

Gregory Shupak (2019-08-09). The NYT\'s Pro-War Arguments Against War With Iran. fair.org by Gregory Shupak Once you\'re debating who ought to start a war, you\'ve abandoned the anti-war argument (New York Times, 6/20/19). | The New York Times has published five editorials since the beginning of May that are ostensibly critical of a possible military war between the United States and Iran. As anti-war arguments, however, they are woefully lacking—vilifying Iran without subjecting the US to comparable scrutiny, and hiding US aggression towards Iran. | The editorials regurgitate the same anti-Iran demonology pro-war voi…

Chris Gelardi (2019-08-09). The Tragic Story of Jimmy Aldaoud, Deported From the Streets of Detroit to His Death in Iraq. theintercept.com Aldaoud was targeted as part of an ongoing ICE crackdown on Iraqi communities. His family and supporters say the agency bears responsibility for his death.

Staff (2019-08-09). Mass ICE Raids in Mississippi After Workers Fought for Better Conditions Leave Kids Without Parents. democracynow.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents swept through seven poultry processing plants in Mississippi this week and arrested 680 people. It was the largest single-state raid in U.S. history.The mass arrests also came on the first day of the school year, and some children walked home from school only to find their doors locked and their family members missing. Wednesday\'s raids targeted chicken processing plants operated by Koch Foods, one of the largest poultry producers in the U.S. Last year, the company paid out $3.75 million to settle an Equal Employment Opportunities Commission class-action suit charging th…

Sonali Kolhatkar (2019-08-09). This Is How We Defend Immigrants From Trump. truthdig.com There is seemingly no limit to the cruelty President Trump inflicts on immigrants. Just days after a horrific mass shooting claimed the lives of 22 people in the immigrant-rich border town of El Paso, Texas, the Trump administration carried out the largest workplace raids in the nation\'s history. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents rounded up nearly 700 people in cities…

Jeff Amy, Rogelio V. Solis (2019-08-09). Poultry towns devastated as workers and students disappear after ICE raids. peoplesworld.org MORTON, Miss. (AP)—Effects of the largest immigration raid in at least a decade are likely to ripple for years through six Mississippi small towns that host poultry plants. A store owner who caters to Latino poultry plant workers fears he will have to close. A school superintendent is trying to rebuild trust with the Spanish-speaking …

Staff (2019-08-09). How Israel\'s Erasure of Palestinian History Perpetuates Occupation. therealnews.com Prof. Ilan Pappe discusses why Israel\'s agency in charge of nuclear security hid documents about the Nakba, the catastrophe in which Palestinians were driven from their land in 1948, explaining that it was an effort to eliminate the Palestinian narrative…

Mark Gruenberg (2019-08-09). Unions, workers, EPI back Warren bill to crack down on \'private equity\' funds. peoplesworld.org BOYNTON BEACH, Fla.—So-called \"private equity\" investment funds, one of the worst manifestations of anti-worker corrupt corporate capitalism, left Madelyn Garcia and her co-workers without jobs. And she came to Washington in August to help launch legislation to curb their robberies. Garcia, you see, spent 30 years at a Toys \"R\" Us store in Boynton Beach, …

Jo Allen-Eure (2019-08-09). \'I Am My Own Mother\' shows finding birth families an awkward business. peoplesworld.org What child would not want to know their DNA origins? In the experience of adopted children, most of them do want to know, Where do I come from? That was the case with Dionne Audain, playing the part of Esther, the lead character in I Am My Own Mother, written and directed by Andrew Zox, …

RT (2019-08-09). \'Arm to the teeth & pretend to be Canadian\': McAfee\'s savage tactical advice for next US Civil War. rt.com Scandalously famous tech millionaire John McAfee has offered some cheeky advice for both blue and red states in case a civil war erupts in the US: hoard guns, pretend to be Canadian, and sell useless states to Mexico and Cuba.

Staff (2019-08-09). Headlines for August 9, 2019. democracynow.org Mitch McConnell Says Senate Will Take Up Gun Bills, But Not Until September, President and First Lady Pose with Infant Orphaned in El Paso Massacre, Man with Guns and Body Armor Sparks Panic at Missouri Walmart, Home of Interracial Couple in Ohio Torched in Apparent Hate Crime, Over 100 Immigrant Hunger Strikers Tear-Gassed Inside ICE Jail, ICE Releases Some of the 680 Immigrants Swept Up in Massive Mississippi Raid, Mentally Ill Michigan Man with Diabetes Dies After Deportation to Iraq, ICE Agents, Lacking Warrant, Denied Entry to Brooklyn Homeless Shelter, Hundreds of Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Protesters Occupy A…

Charles McKelvey (2019-08-09). Reframing the Issues and Taking Direction of the Nation. counterpunch.org In El Paso, Texas, twenty-two persons were killed in a Walmart store, allegedly by a white supremacist gunman who had posted online a manifesto that railed against immigrants and an \"Hispanic invasion of Texas.\" The attack has been described by Richard Parker, in an editorial in The New York Times, as the worst massacre of More

Staff (2019-08-09). This Week\'s ICE Raids Show Trump\'s Tacit Support for El Paso Shooter. truthout.org | | The Trump administration cares about optics. It always has. So we can assume it was no accident that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were conducting one of the largest immigration raids in U.S. history this Wednesday, even as Trump traveled to El Paso to supposedly honor and comfort the victims of the explicitly racist and anti-immigrant mass shooting perpetrated by a gunman whose manifesto echoed Trump\'s own words decrying the bogeyman of an \"invasion\" of Latinx immigrants. | T…

Thomas Knapp (2019-08-09). Tweeting Publicly Available Information isn\'t \"Shameful and Dangerous\" counterpunch.org On August 5, US Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX) posted an infographic to Twitter naming and shaming his city\'s most generous supporters of President Donald Trump\'s re-election campaign: \"Sad to see so many San Antonians as 2019 maximum donors to Donald Trump …. Their contributions are fueling a campaign of hate that labels Hispanic immigrants as More

Sonali Kolhatkar (2019-08-09). This Is How We Defend Immigrants From Trump. commondreams.org Handcuffed workers at the Koch Foods Inc. plant in Morton, Miss. await transportation to a processing center following an Aug. 7 raid by U.S. immigration officials. (Photo: Rogelio V. Solis / AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/icesonali-690×500.jpeg …

WSWS (2019-08-09). The Mississippi raid: Trump\'s attack on immigrants and his Democratic enablers. wsws.org Hundreds of children have been traumatized by having their parents ripped away from them and, in many cases, shipped to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement prison 150 miles away.

CGTN (2019-08-09). A Lack of Migrant Labor is Forcing Farmers in the US to Stop Growing Crops. dissidentvoice.org The immigration policies of the U.S. government are once again igniting opposition. This time from members of the agriculture industry who say that blocking immigrants from entering the country is doing more harm than good. U.S. farmers who depend on migrants as \"guest workers\" for their harvest are facing considerable financial losses. It\'s the result …

Consortiumnews (2019-08-09). New Fears for Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca Legendary journalist John Pilger has been to see Assange in Belmarsh Prison in London and his report is not encouraging. | Journalist John Pilger visited imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday and has raised an alarm about Assange\'s \"deteriorated\" health….

WSWS (2019-08-09). John Pilger warns: \"Do not forget Assange. Or you will lose him\" wsws.org The well-known journalist outlined the WikiLeaks founder\'s deteriorating health, and the draconian conditions in which he is being held in a British prison.

Norman Solomon (2019-08-09). Nancy Pelosi\'s bad attitude toward progressives. nationofchange.org Here\'s a thought experiment: Imagine that a letter from the billionaire real-estate broker George M. Marcus was hand-delivered to the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asking to meet with her. What are the chances that Pelosi would find time on her calendar? Hint: Marcus gave $4.5 million to Pelosi\'s House Majority PAC during the …

Robert Scheer (2019-08-09). Is Trump Building a White Ethnostate? truthdig.com On Saturday, a 21-year-old white man entered a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, with an automatic rifle and opened fire. By the time he was finished, 20 people were killed and dozens of others were gravely wounded. Two more would die as a result of the injuries they suffered during the carnage. | The suspect left behind a manifesto citing the shooter at a Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque in March as the inspiration for his massacre. Similarly, the document made repeated reference to the \"great replacement,\" a theory among white nationalists that immigration threatens the demographic future of their race. As \"Proud Boy…

teleSUR (2019-08-09). Guatemala Cannot Be \'Safe Third Country\', US Congresswoman Says. telesurenglish.net U.S. Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-CA) said Thursday that Guatemala does not have the capacity nor the conditions to become a \"Safe Third Country\" (STC) because it is not able to accommodate asylum seekers that the United States would send to stay there while they process their immigration requests. | RELATED: | Guatemala Farmers Strike Against US Migration Deal | \"I believe that I have been very clear in my opinion about this … Guatemala is not prepared to receive thousands of people,\"

Staff (2019-08-09). Mississippi ICE Raids Targeted Workers Who Fought for Better Conditions. truthout.org | | Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents swept through seven poultry processing plants in Mississippi this week and arrested 680 people. It was the largest single-state raid in U.S. history. The mass arrests also came on the first day of the school year, and some children walked home from school only to find their doors locked and their family members missing. Wednesday\'s raids targeted chicken processing plants operated by Koch Foods, one of the largest poultry producers in the U.S. Last ye…

teleSUR (2019-08-09). European \'Fridays for Future\' Movement Takes to Swiss Streets. telesurenglish.net Thousands of environmental activists from 38 European countries brought their \"Fridays for Future\" movement to the Swiss city of Lausanne, calling for swift action from politicians and businesses to reduce emissions linked to global warming. | RELATED: | Endangered Condors Face Fragile Existence in Andes | \"We are all united coming from different countries, and despite the fact it\'s holidays we are ready to sacrifice our time to have politics change, to raise awareness about what\'s happeni…

United Nations (2019-08-09). Friday\'s Daily Brief: Indigenous Peoples\' Day, Yemen food aid, IDs for Rohingya, protect fleeing Malians, Nagasaki Peace Ceremony. un.org Our main stories: \'Promote\' indigenous peoples\' languages urges Guterres; WFP resumes Yemen food aid; 500,000 Rohingya ID cards issued; Malians fleeing violence need protection; Nagasaki Peace Ceremony message…

WSWS (2019-08-09). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Ryanair pilots in Britain have given an 80 percent strike mandate while south African bank workers plan to protest massive job losses and Kenyan workers struck the multi-billion-shilling Thwake Dam construction project.

Staff (2019-08-09). The Right Wing Is Trying to Make It a Crime to Oppose Fascism. truthout.org | | Conservatives in the U.S. have long sought to reframe grassroots political activism as dangerously radical, but efforts to criminalize protests have rapidly intensified since Donald Trump\'s election. Most recently, Senators Ted Cruz and Bill Cassidy introduced a resolution that names \"Antifa\" as a \"domestic terrorist organization.\" | \"This was a move designed to punish dissent against both racist groups and policies of the government,\" David Rose, a member of Portland\'s Rose City Antifa, told Truthou…

Nermeen Shaikh (2019-08-09). Emergency doctor to Trump: You are wrong, mental illness is not to blame for gun violence epidemic. nationofchange.org President Trump went to Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, Wednesday, where he was met by hundreds of protesters condemning his presence after the mass shootings over the weekend, which killed at least 32 people. Prior to his visits, Trump hinted at the need to strengthen background checks for gun purchases, and doubled down on …

teleSUR (2019-08-09). France Fires Back at Trump Over Iran Comments. telesurenglish.net France\'s Foreign Ministry has fired back at U.S. President Donald Trump over his recent comments about Paris\' relationship with Iran, which the American leader criticized in a Twitter rant. | RELATED: | France: Police Repress Yellow Vest Protest in Nantes | In a written statement on Friday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that his country does not need Trump\'s opinion on Iran. | \"France speaks for itself on Iran as a sovereign power,\" Le Drian stated. \"France is deeply committed…

Ramzy Baroud (2019-08-09). The War on Innocence: Palestinian Children in Israeli Military Court. counterpunch.org On July 29, 4-year-old Muhammad Rabi\' Elayyan was reportedly summoned for interrogation by the Israeli police in occupied Jerusalem. The news, originally reported by the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), was later denied by the Israeli police, likely to lessen the impact of the PR disaster that followed. The Israelis are not denying the story in More

Stephen Lendman (2019-08-09). Trump\'s EPA Sued for Not Banning Brain-Damaging Pesticide. globalresearch.ca Chlorpyrifos producer Dow Chemical falsely claims the pesticide \"protects.\" It\'s been poisoning the earth and people for nearly half a century. | The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) \"for a healthy planet and safer world\" said Dow is the main beneficiary …

Stephen Lendman (2019-08-09). US vs. China: A Clash of Civilizations? globalresearch.ca In promoting destructive \"Western values,\" hardline academic Samuel Huntington once said the following: | \"The West must exploit differences and conflicts among Confucian and Islamic states to support in other civilizations groups sympathetic to Western values and interests — to strengthen …

Stephen Lendman (2019-08-09). US and Turkey Collude to Steal Northern Syrian Territory. globalresearch.ca Troops of both countries illegally occupy northern Syrian territory bordering Turkey, including its oil rich area. | On the phony pretext of protecting Turkey\'s security, President Erdogan is intermittently battling Kurdish YPG fighters cross-border in Syria — despite their posing no …

Jonathan Power (2019-08-08). Iran on the Precipice. counterpunch.org There\'s never been a full-scale war between two nuclear-armed states. If Iran one day did cross the nuclear threshold the same deterrence will apply. No one rational would want to provoke their own incineration. Columbia University professor, Kenneth Waltz, the distinguished theorist on the conduct of war, wrote in Foreign Affairs that with Israel possessing More

unitedEditor (2019-08-08). \"Global Hawk\" drone: evidence of Iran\'s advanced defensive capability. uwidata.com The recent downing of an American \"Global Hawk\" drone by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards is evidence of Iran\'s advanced defensive capability. Iran has proven that it can answer a direct military threat, even from a global power like the US. The same can be said for the UK, whose international immunity provided by world authorities …

Habib Ahmadzadeh (2019-08-08). Iranian War Veteran Gives Advice to Trump. dissidentvoice.org Dear President Trump, In a recent Tweet, you claimed that \"Iranians never won a war, but never lost a negotiation.\" As a world citizen and a veteran of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, I have firsthand experience with the bitterness of war, and I have a few suggestions and responses for you. First, I would advise you against …

Eds. (2019-08-08). The Squad vs. Trump and Pelosi. mronline.org In the past couple weeks, President Trump has gone on a racist, red-baiting rampage against four congresswomen elected in 2018. The four women of color—Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley—are now collectively known in the media as the \"squad.\" | Source

Adrienne Pine (2019-08-08). To Flee or Not to Flee? In Honduras, A Child Braves Tear Gas to Sell Vinegar Bags. mintpressnews.com Public education and job opportunities have been stolen from Honduran youth by a U.S.-backed narco-state bent on privatizing the whole of society. Youth face the choice of suffering violence and repression at home or risking the dangerous journey to the United States.

Staff (2019-08-08). Death by Police is Now the 6th Leading Cause of Death Among Young Men. therealnews.com It was once believed that police killings were the 14th leading cause of death among young people. However, a new Rutgers University study by Frank Edwards, which used federal statistics and journalistic investigation found that the death rate is far higher now. We discuss the research with Frank Edwards…

Staff (2019-08-08). U.N. Climate Report Warns About Impact on Food Supply. truthdig.com Global warming is already degrading land, but changes in the way people eat, grow food and manage forests could prevent a more dire future.

Staff (2019-08-08). House Democrats Hoarding Cash to Ward Off Progressive Upstarts. truthdig.com WASHINGTON—Somewhere out there, the next Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lurks. So wary House Democrats are amassing campaign war chests to scare off progressive upstarts from challenging them in primaries — or trounce them if they try. | A look at 41 incumbent House Democrats who face potential 2020 party primary opponents shows 16 have already stockpiled over $1 million in campaign funds. The figures from Federal Election Commission reports for the first six months of this year show that 20 raised over $500,000 during that period alone. | Th…

RT (2019-08-08). \'Human rights crisis\': Amnesty issues US travel warning, pushes for gun control after mass shootings. rt.com Amnesty International has dived headlong into the US gun control debate, urging travelers to be cautious amid a \"human rights crisis\" they blame on \"ubiquity of firearms\" and government reluctance to confiscate them.

Lucas Koerner (2019-08-08). NPR shreds ethics handbook to normalize regime change in Venezuela. mronline.org The Reagan administration in 1982 coerced National Public Radio (NPR) to cover more favorably the U.S. terrorist war then being waged against Nicaragua. | Source

Nyla Ali Khan (2019-08-08). A Wretched Day for Democracy: Revocation of the Special Status of Kashmir. counterpunch.org The India that Jammu and Kashmir acceded to in 1947 had chosen democracy, secularism, and socialism as its goals. Although the Praja Parishad, predecessor of the RSS, was determined to foist a solution of the entire Kashmir issue along communal lines even prior to 1953, and its leaders had been vocal about their views, it was heartwarming that India had chosen democracy and secularism as its goals. More

Daniel Warner (2019-08-08). UNRWA Accusations: (Im)Perfect Timing. counterpunch.org A damaging internal report has cast a dark shadow over the ethical behavior of top officials of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). As disclosed by Al Jazeera and AFP, the report cites \"credible and corroborated reports\" that members of an \"inner circle\" at the top of UNRWA, including Swiss Commissioner-General Pierre Krà§henbàºhl, have engaged in \"sexual misconduct, nepotism, retaliation, discrimination and other abuses of authority for personal gain, to suppress legitimate dissent, and to otherwise achieve their personal objectives.\" The report was sent to UN Sec…

Ellen Brown (2019-08-08). Neoliberalism Has Met Its Match in China. truthdig.com When the Federal Reserve cut interest rates last week, commentators were asking why. According to official data, the economy was rebounding, unemployment was below 4% and gross domestic product growth was above 3%. If anything, by the Fed\'s own reasoning, it should have been raising rates. | Market pundits explained that we\'re in a trade war and a currency war. Other central banks were cutting their rates, and the Fed had to follow suit in order to prevent the dollar from becoming overvalued relative to other c…

Sweta Choudhury (2019-08-08). Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan move closer to war after Kashmir annexation. peoplesworld.org Kashmir is back on a knife edge with the Indian government\'s outrageous unilateral decision to scrap article 370 of the Indian Constitution that has given Indian-administered Kashmir its special status since May 14, 1954. This catastrophic and unconstitutional decision taken under right-wing Prime Minister Narendra Modi\'s leadership will have far-reaching consequences and spark civil unrest …

The Canary (2019-08-08). Campaigners welcome \'forward-looking\' NHS review on medical cannabis. thecanary.co Concerns about both the potential harm to mental health and effectiveness of medical cannabis \"is a major hurdle to prescribing\", according to an NHS England review.It said more clinical trials need to be carried out and a \"UK-wide paediatric specialist clinical network\" should be created to help doctors by providing expert advice on complex cases.The \"forward-looking and positive review\" was welcomed by the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society (MCCC), whose executive director is Hannah Deacon. | Her eight-year-old son Alfie Dingley, who suffers from severe epilepsy, was the first of just two patients in the UK to…

Sanket Jain (2019-08-08). Buffaloed by the Climate in Kolhapur. counterpunch.org How and why does a full acre of jowar disappear from your fields at short notice? \"It was the first time in two years that I left my village for a week during the season. In that time, they devoured all of it,\" says Ananda Salvi. \'They\' is a herd of gaur (bos gaurus, also More

RT (2019-08-08). El Paso shooter\'s mother warned police about her son weeks before massacre. rt.com The Dallas-based mother of the El Paso mass shooter who killed 22 people, claims she called the police weeks prior to the shooting to share her concerns about his ownership of an assault rifle.

Joshua B Pribanic and Talia Wiener (2019-08-08). Pennsylvania is discharging radioactive fracking waste into rivers as landfill leachate, impacting the Chesapeake Bay & Ohio River watersheds. nationofchange.org Edited by Melissa Troutman Joey Bacon, 13, stands ready under the Lance Corporal Abram Howard Memorial bridge in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with his fishing pole cast into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Joey spends a lot of time around the River swimming, fishing, and cannon-balling from the bridges that crisscross the water. He hasn\'t …

Anthony Mangos (2019-08-08). \'They Called Us Enemy\': Star Trek\'s George Takei pens graphic novel memoir. peoplesworld.org What does it mean to be an American? Who gets to decide? When the world is against you, what can one person do? These are the questions that emanate from George Takei\'s new graphic novel account of life as a child in two Japanese internment camps during World War II. Takei, well-known for his inspiring …

John R. Platt (2019-08-08). Earth\'s hottest month lights a fire for progress. nationofchange.org Well folks, we did it. July 2019 was the hottest month in recorded human history, with record-breaking temperatures in many parts of Europe, wildfires raging over tens of thousands of square miles of Arctic Alaska and Russia, and a staggering ice melt in Greenland that dumped 197 billion gallons of water into the ocean — 12.5 billion …

Staff (2019-08-08). Emergency Doctor to Trump: You Are Wrong, Mental Illness Is Not to Blame for Gun Violence Epidemic. democracynow.org President Trump went to Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, Wednesday, where he was met by hundreds of protesters condemning his presence after the mass shootings over the weekend, which killed at least 32 people. Prior to his visits, Trump hinted at the need to strengthen background checks for gun purchases, and doubled down on what some healthcare professionals say is dangerous rhetoric linking illness to mass shootings. Numerous other political figures have pointed to mental illness as a contributing factor in mass shootings. From Montreal, we speak with Dr. Megan Ranney, an associate professor of emergency medi…

Dean Baker (2019-08-08). NAFTA v. New NAFTA: Making a Bad Deal Worse. counterpunch.org Marketplace radio did a piece last week that was essentially just giving the argument of the supporters of the new NAFTA. I will give a few thoughts on the other side. First, the fact that NAFTA played a substantial role in reducing the power of unions and lowering wages of workers without college degrees doesn\'t More

Staff (2019-08-08). New Israeli Military Strategies for Annexation and Undermining Palestinian Identity. therealnews.com Shir Hever discusses two new Israeli military strategies, presented by Israeli chief of staff Aviv Kochavi, who calls for a more deadly invasion of Gaza, and former general Yossi Kuperwasser\'s plan of \"changing the Palestinian narrative\" in order to annex Palestinian land…

Special to People\'s World (2019-08-08). Immigrant workers terrorized in Mississippi raids while Trump was in El Paso. peoplesworld.org While President Trump was forcing himself on El Paso, a city that wanted no part of him yesterday, he sent his immigration officials to several Mississippi food processing plants where they terrorized thousands of workers. The raids were some of the biggest ever conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. A U.S. Immigration and …

Staff (2019-08-08). Kashmir Under Siege: India Moves to Annex Territory, Heightening Tensions with Nuclear Rival Pakistan. democracynow.org Tensions are escalating over the disputed region of Kashmir following India\'s revocation earlier this week of its special status, which granted the area some autonomy. Kashmir remains on lockdown, with internet and other communications blocked and leaders placed under house arrest. The Modi government has also deployed tens of thousands of additional troops in Kashmir. Pakistan announced Wednesday it would expel India\'s ambassador and stop its newly appointed envoy from assuming his position in New Delhi. It also announced it was cutting off all bilateral trade with India. We speak with three guests: Sanjay Kak,…

Staff (2019-08-08). Headlines for August 8, 2019. democracynow.org U.N. Scientists Warn Rapid Global Warming Threatens Food Supply, 680 Mississippi Poultry Workers Arrested in Massive Immigration Raid, ICE Raids Targeted Company Whose Workers Won Discrimination Lawsuit, Trump Visits Dayton and El Paso, Sites of Weekend Mass Shootings, El Paso Protesters Link Trump\'s Racist Rhetoric to Gunman\'s Manifesto, Trump Supporter with Loaded Pistol, Knife Arrested Outside El Paso Immigrant Center, Trump Suggests Antifa Shares Equal Blame for Deadly Violence, Democratic Presidential Candidates Say Trump Enables White Supremacists, SPLC: State Department Employee Secretly Worked as White Na…

splcenter (2019-08-08). SPLC statement on Mississippi immigration raids. splcenter.org Southern Poverty Law Center Attorney Julia Solórzano, with the SPLC\'s Immigrant Justice Project, issued the following statement on today's workplace raids in Mississippi:…

WSWS (2019-08-08). ICE rounds up nearly 700 immigrants in sweep through Mississippi poultry plants. wsws.org The Trump administration has given its real response to the fascist massacre in El Paso, Texas by carrying out the largest immigration raid since Trump entered the White House.

teleSUR (2019-08-08). Italy: Salvini Says Governing Coalition Splits, Wants Elections. telesurenglish.net The leader of Italy\'s ruling North League party, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, declared the governing coalition to be unworkable Thursday after months of internal bickering, announcing that the only way forward is to hold fresh elections. | RELATED: | Italy Senate Passes Salvini\'s Security Decree Against Migrants | In a statement, Salvini told Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who belongs to neither coalition party, that the North League alliance with 5-Star (M5S) had colla…

Staff (2019-08-08). Trump\'s America: Gun Violence and the War on Immigrants. truthdig.com The country was rocked by two mass killings this past weekend. The first was in El Paso, Texas. The slaughter of 22 people in El Paso\'s Cielo Vista Walmart was an act of a white supremacist. A manifesto he allegedly posted online shortly before the massacre echoed President Donald Trump\'s anti-immigrant and anti-Latino rhetoric. \"This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas,\" the alleged shooter wrote. | Late that night in Dayton, Ohio, throngs of people were enjoying the Oregon entertainment district when another white man in his 20s opened fire, killing nine people in about 30 seconds before poli…

Norman Solomon (2019-08-08). The Danger of Nancy Pelosi\'s Bad Attitude Toward Progressives. commondreams.org From left, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., gather in the Capitol before a rally with House Democrats on their first 200 days of the 116th Congress on Thursday, July 25, 2019. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pelosi_hoyer_omar_2020_democrats.jpg …

teleSUR (2019-08-08). 7 Colombian Soldiers Sentenced For Extrajudicial Killing. telesurenglish.net Seven members of Colombia\'s armed forces were sentenced Thursday, to 34 years in prison for carrying out an extrajudicial killing. The sentence overturned a ruling last year that absolved the troops of responsibility. The killing was part of the \'false positives\' scandal, whereby civilians were murdered and then dressed in guerilla uniforms so that soldiers could claim rewards. | RELATED: | One Sector Blocks Peace in Colombia: Ex-FARC Guerrilla Leader | In 2006, seven soldiers k…

Chelli Stanley (2019-08-08). Visions of Peace: Dreams of a New Way. counterpunch.org After Medgar, Malcolm, and then Martin were killed, people realized there were forces in America that would keep Black people from achieving true freedom \"by any means necessary.\" When the Black Panther Party started to feed children at no cost, opened free health clinics, engaged in free public education, and tried to prevent the police More

The Canary (2019-08-08). Protesters condemn Trump as he visits cities rocked by gun massacres. thecanary.co Donald Trump has paid visits to two cities reeling from mass shootings that left 31 dead and dozens wounded, but his divisive words preceded him and prompted large protests and biting political attacks. | The president and first lady Melania Trump flew to El Paso, Texas, late on Wednesday after visiting the hospital in Dayton, Ohio, where many of the victims of Sunday\'s attack in that city were treated. | For most of the day, the Republican president was kept out of view of the reporters travelling with him, but the White House said the couple met hospital staff and first responders and spent time with wounded su…

Mahmoud Barakat (2019-08-08). Gaza Journalists Target of Israeli Snipers. globalresearch.ca Palestinian journalists covering the weekly protests against the decades-long Israeli occupation are complaining of being the target of Israeli snipers stationed along the border of the blockaded territory. | Since the protests began in March of last year, two journalists have …

Ali A. Taj (2019-08-08). Obama, Biden, Mattis and Clapper Expressed Skepticism on Syria, so Why Is Gabbard Singled Out? mintpressnews.com Why must Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard be smeared and attacked for questioning the mainstream narrative on Syria when even Barack Obama has done the same?

Reese Erlich (2019-08-08). Foreign Correspondent: The U.S. Trade War with China is Not Going So Well. progressive.org For the past year, the U.S. has escalated economic warfare with grudging acceptance by high-level Democrats and Republicans.

Stephen Lendman (2019-08-08). Escalating US War on China by Other Means. Undermining Stability in Asia-Pacific Region. globalresearch.ca The US is hostile toward all nations it doesn\'t control, waging war on them by naked aggression and other means, including against China. | Pressuring and bullying the country to bend to its interests failed, what Trump and hardliners surrounding him …

Stephen Lendman (2019-08-08). \"Economic Terror\": Trump Regime Aims to Starve Venezuelans into Submission. globalresearch.ca Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodriguez | Under both extremist right wings of the US war party, the incremental Nazification of America may become full-blown in our lifetimes if not strongly challenged by the world community. | The Trump regime exceeds the worst …

Stephen Lendman (2019-08-08). \"Economic Terror\": Trump Regime Aims to Starve Venezuelans into Submission. globalresearch.ca Under both extremist right wings of the US war party, the incremental Nazification of America may become full-blown in our lifetimes if not strongly challenged by the world community. | The Trump regime exceeds the worst of its predecessors. Based on …

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-08). Venezuelan Gov\'t Suspends Dialogue as EU Criticizes US Embargo. venezuelanalysis.com The European Union objected to the \"extraterritorial application of unilateral measures.\"

Philip Giraldi (2019-08-08). Quincy Who? Another New Washington Think Tank Tests the Waters. globalresearch.ca Think tanks sprout like weeds in Washington. The latest is the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, which is engaged in a pre-launch launch and is attracting some media coverage all across the political spectrum. The Institute is named after …

Arabi Souri (2019-08-08). Why SAA Resumed the Military Operation against Al Qaeda to Clean Idlib. globalresearch.ca The latest 13th round of talks in Astana between the Syrian state with Russia and Iran as its guarantors on one side, and Al-Qaeda and the Turkish regime as it guarantor on the other side, would have slowly but steadily …

South Front (2019-08-08). Video: Quitting Cold Turkey. globalresearch.ca Until literally a couple of years ago, courtesy of its enviable position in Asia Minor positioned in direct proximity of USSR (during the Cold War), Iran (after the Islamic Revolution), Iraq, and of course Syria in most recent years, Turkey …

teleSUR (2019-08-08). Oil Rises More Than 2%, Expectations of More OPEC Cuts. telesurenglish.net Oil jumped more than 2 percent on Thursday on expectations that falling prices could lead to production cuts, coupled with a steadying of the yuan currency after a week of turmoil spurred by an escalation in U.S.-China trade tensions. | RELATED: | US Renews Chevron License in Venezuela Despite Trump Sanctions | Prices rebounded after tumbling nearly 5 percent to their lowest since January on Wednesday after data showed an unexpected build in U.S. crude stockpiles after nearly t…

Edward Hunt (2019-08-08). In Afghanistan, U.S. Faces Formidable Foes—Its Own Allies. progressive.org As the war approaches the end of its second decade, U.S. officials show no signs that they are willing to address the fundamental power dynamics that have fueled the war for so long. Meanwhile, innocent people die.

United Nations (2019-08-08). Steps taken to end Saudi \'guardianship\' system for women, \'encouraging\' start. un.org Allowing Saudi women to apply for passports and travel without their guardians\' permission is \"an encouraging move\" towards the \"complete abolition of the \'guardianship\' system,\" independent United Nations rights experts said on Thursday, but more action is needed to fully dismantle these restrictions.

Huzaifa Shahbaz (2019-08-08). Mobilizing Muslim Resistance to the War in Yemen. counterpunch.org Right now, the people of Yemen are suffering through the world\'s worst humanitarian disaster. The Saudi-led coalition, backed by the United States, continues to bomb Yemen and launch unlawful airstrikes that have hit homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques. This violence has left millions at risk of starvation and death due to repeated outbreaks of diseases More

Staff (2019-08-08). Judge Won\'t Reconsider $1,000-Per-Day Fines for Chelsea Manning. truthout.org | | A federal judge denied Chelsea Manning\'s motion to reconsider fines imposed against her for refusing to testify before the grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. He also undermined due process and refused to hold a hearing. | \"Manning has the ability to comply with the court\'s financial sanctions or will have the ability after her release from confinement,\" Judge Anthony Trenga ruled. \"Therefore, the imposed fines of $500 per day after 30 days and $1,000 per day after 60 days is not so excessive as to re…

Staff (2019-08-08). Biden Is Doubling Down on Iraq War Lies. truthout.org | | For the second consecutive Democratic debate, Joe Biden has failed to come to terms about his critical role in supporting the illegal, unnecessary, and predictably disastrous U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. | There is nothing new about this. Biden has a long history of inaccurate claims regarding that oil-rich country. For example, in the lead-up to the critical Senate vote authorizing the invasion, Biden used his role…