Spying on Julian Assange: UC Global, CNN and Russian Couriers
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-18
History\'s scope for the absurd and tragic is infinite. Like Sisyphus engaged in permanent labours pushing a boulder up a slope, the effort of making sense of such scope is likewise, absurdly infinite. To see images of an exhausted and world-weary Julian Assange attempting to dodge the all-eye surveillance operation that he would complain about …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/spying-on-julian-assange-uc-global-cnn-and-russian-couriers/

History Is Happening: WikiLeaks, the Global Fourth Estate
Ann Garrison | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-18
Nozomi Hayase dedicated WikiLeaks, the Global Fourth Estate: History Is Happening to \"the youth who grew up on the Internet,\" then added, \"The future of civilization depends on great acts of courage inspired by the heart.\" Hayase is a psychologist, essayist, and activist, and her book is a chronological collection of her essays about WikiLeaks,…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/18/history-is-happening-wikileaks-the-global-fourth-estate/

Rally demands \"Justice for Isak Aden\"
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-07-18
Eagan, MN – Some 200 community members gathered here July 16 to demand justice for Isak Aden, a Somali man who was killed by police in this Saint Paul suburb on July 2. Aden was a 23-year-old college student who was killed by police after a four-hour standoff with 90 officers from nine different agencies. Five police officers from the cities of Eagan and Bloomington were named responsible for his death. | Marching behind a 30-foot banner, about 100 protesters took to the streets around the municipal center, which includes the Eagan Police Department and the Eagan City Hall. Then, the crowd poured into the center…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/7/18/rally-demands-justice-isak-aden

Diplomacy Instead of a Disaster in Iran
Paul Kawika Martin | peaceaction.org | 2019-07-18
Washington, D.C. — July 18, 2019 — In response to reports of the U.S. shooting down an Iranian drone, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: \"Because of the Trump administration\'s policy of maximum provocation towards Iran, America stands on the precipice of another blunderous …
peaceaction.org/2019/07/18/diplomacy-instead-of-a-disaster-in-iran/

Trump Outreach: Pandering to Christian Zionism, \"Preparing the Nation for An Inevitable War\"?
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
In Washington on the weekend after the Fourth of July, Israel was praised and Iran was condemned in the strongest terms, with a bit of a call to arms thrown in to prepare the nation for an inevitable war. It …
globalresearch.ca/pandering-christian-zionism-trump-outreach-display-washington/5683942

Julian Assange: US Coopts Patriotic Opposition in Ecuador, Former President Correa goes against Wikileaks Founder
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
Former President Rafael Correa\'s claim that Julian Assange abused his political asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to influence the US\' 2016 elections and his publicly proclaimed admiration for Hillary amount to nothing less than the completion of America\'s …
globalresearch.ca/us-just-completed-its-quest-co-opt-patriotic-opposition-ecuador/5683931

Trump: America\'s \"Racist-in-Chief\"
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
Racism defines Trump\'s private and public life. He falsely said \"I am not a racist.\" | \"I\'m the least racist person you\" will ever meet is belied by his unacceptable Trump Organization practices, his hostile actions against unwanted aliens of the …
globalresearch.ca/trump-americas-racist-in-chief/5683929

An Interview with Daniel Kovalik
Alex Anfruns | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-18
In his last book on Venezuela, Daniel Kovalik, a lawyer and a long standing friend of Latin American people in countries such as Colombia and Central America, is tearing away the veil of war propaganda: \"The humanitarian part of the intervention is now barely a fig leaf for the real and usual intention — the …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/interview-with-daniel-kovalik/

Trump Ignorant of China\'s Resolve
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
Trump is an artful dealmaker in his own mind, his mastery more myth than reality. | Former Trump Organization executive Barbara Res earlier said he wasn\'t a great dealmaker. | \"In terms of taking the responsibility for the buck, he just would | …
globalresearch.ca/trump-ignorant-chinas-resolve/5683854

The Dark Side of the Moon Mission
James Jeffrey | progressive.org | 2019-07-18
\"For that kind of money,\" Vonnegut cracked on the CBS Evening News, \"the least [NASA] can do is discover God.\" Civil rights activists, anti-Vietnam War protesters and even top scientists were skeptical of the Apollo moon mission at the time.
progressive.org/dispatches/dark-side-of-moon-mission-jeffrey-190718/

Yemen: UN Envoy \'guilty\' of optimistic hope that war is \'nearing the end\'
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-18
With Yemen once again at a \"crucial moment\" the UN Special Envoy trying to facilitate peace there told Security Council members on Thursday that despite the dangers of being over optimistic, he could not help thinking the country could finally be \"nearing the end of its war.\"
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1042771

Travels in the South
Michele Willens | thenation.com | 2019-07-18
Travels in the South…
thenation.com/article/national-memorial-peace-justice-montgomery-alabama/

Africans Solving African Problems; Bringing Peace to Sudan
Thomas Mountain | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-18
The recent peace deal being implemented in Sudan was brokered by African leaders without any interference or even input by non African players ie the UN or western countries. As a matter of fact the deal was made in Asmara, Eritrea where the head of the Sudanese military that had overthrown the long time despot…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/18/africans-solving-african-problems-bringing-peace-to-sudan/

Will Any Disgusted Republicans Challenge Trump in the Primaries?
Ralph Nader | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-18
In 1956, then Senator John F. Kennedy authored a best-selling book titled Profiles in Courage, in which he told the stories of Senators in American history who, on principle, bucked the tides of power. Today, some Republican writer or conservative syndicated columnist — George Will or Max Boot — should write a book called Profiles in Cowardliness. It …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/will-any-disgusted-republicans-challenge-trump-in-the-primaries/

Noam Chomsky: Trump Is Trying to Exploit Tension With Iran for 2020
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-07-18
| \"Any concern about Iranian weapons of mass destruction could be alleviated by the single means of heeding Iran\'s call to establish a weapons-of-mass-destruction-free zone in the Middle East,\" says legendary public intellectual Noam Chomsky, but that isn\'t stopping the Trump administration from concocting stories about Iran threatening to \"conquer the world\" in order to escalate tensions and thereby strengthen Trump\'s hand going into the 2020 election. | In this exclusive transcript of a conversa…
truthout.org/articles/noam-chomsky-trump-is-trying-to-exploit-tension-with-iran-for-2020/

\"It Is Not Just War. It Is Life\": Acclaimed Doc \"For Sama\" Offers Rare Glimpse into War-Torn Syria
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-18
We look at the award-winning documentary feature titled \"For Sama,\" a devastating account of war-torn Syria told through the eyes of director Waad al-Kateab. She filmed hundreds of hours of footage in her native Aleppo to create a stunning depiction of life during wartime. Amid airstrikes and attacks on hospitals, Waad falls in love with one of the last remaining doctors in Aleppo, gets married and has a baby girl, Sama, to whom the film is dedicated. When protests against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad first began in 2011, Waad al-Kateab was a young economics student who began filming on a cellphone. Fo…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/18/for_sama_award_winning_documentary_syria

Stronger partnerships with post-conflict countries needed to ensure \'path towards durable peace\': UN chief
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-18
As UN missions are drawn down and eventually closed, stronger partnerships are needed to ensure that countries recovering from conflict can transition successfully to a phase of durable peace and development, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1042791

How Corporate Media Are Fueling a New Iran Nuclear Crisis
Gareth Porter | commondreams.org | 2019-07-18
Screen shot of a recent Fox Business report about U.S.-Iran relations. (Photo: Fox Business via YouTube) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-07-18_at_12.25.31_pm.png …
commondreams.org/views/2019/07/18/how-corporate-media-are-fueling-new-iran-nuclear-crisis?cd-origin=rss

Carnage must stop in northwest Syria demands Lowcock, as attacks intensify
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-18
After 80 days of intensifying attacks, many on health facilities, \"the carnage must stop\" in northwest Syria, said the UN relief chief on Thursday, noting that more than 70 civilians had been killed this month alone across the last rebel-held enclave of the country.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1042811

Government \'still not doing enough\' over cladding after Grenfell tragedy
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-07-18
The Government is \"still not doing enough\" to remove dangerous cladding from buildings more than two years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, a report has said.The Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee report accuses the Government of being \"far too slow\" in its response to the blaze, which killed 72 people in June 2017.The report further warns that the £200 million set aside for remediation of private sector residential buildings with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding will not be enough.(PA Graphics)The spread of the fire at Grenfell has been linked to the use of ACM in its…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/07/18/government-still-not-doing-enough-over-cladding-after-grenfell-tragedy/

Monsoon rains turn millions of children\'s lives \'upside down\' across South Asia
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-18
Heavy rainfall, severe flooding and landslides across Nepal, India and Bangladesh have killed at least 93 children, and put the lives of millions more at risk, according to the United Nations Children\'s Fund (UNICEF), which is \"responding urgently\".
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1042751

Mercosur No Longer Seeks Chavez\'s \'Great Homeland\': Bolsonaro
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-18
At the end of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) Summit in Santa Fe, Argentina, the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro affirmed Wednesday that this trade bloc does not aim anymore to build a \"Great Homeland,\" which was common goal proposed by the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as a way to unite all Latin American countries in order to overcome the h…
telesurenglish.net/news/Bolsonaro-Cites-Trumps-Discourse-Says-Mercosur-No-Longer-Seeks-Chavezs-Great-Homeland-20190718-0001.html

Landless Worker Hit by a Truck in Sao Paulo, Brazil
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-18
The Landless Workers Movement, or MST, condemned Thursday the killing of one of their members, hit by a truck in Sao Paulo in the morning, arguing the crime was the result of a strategy attempting to spread fear among social movements. | RELATED: | Brazil Court to Rule on Eviction Case of Landless Workers Camp | A man in a truck entered at full spee…
telesurenglish.net/news/Landless-Worker-Hit-by-a-Truck-in-Sao-Paulo-Brazil-20190718-0015.html

How Iranian MEK Went from US Terror List to Halls of Congress
Ali Harb | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
As soon as Maryam Rajavi, her face beaming across a giant screen, finished speaking, the sky above hundreds of her supporters in the United States filled with red, white and green confetti — the colours of the Iranian flag….
globalresearch.ca/how-iranian-mek-went-from-us-terror-list-halls-congress/5683959

Brother of Manchester bomber to deny murdering 22 victims of arena terror attack
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-07-18
The brother of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi has indicated he will deny helping him to murder 22 people in the 2017 terror attack.Hashem Abedi, 22, stood in the dock at Westminster Magistrates\' Court as the names of each fatality were read aloud. | His counsel, Zafar Ali QC, said the defendant denied the charges against him. No formal pleas were entered during the 15-minute hearing.Abedi, who was raised in Manchester, travelled to Libya before his older brother detonated his suicide vest as pop fans left an Ariana Grande concert.Prosecutor Kathryn Selby told the court that Abedi had been charged with 22 co…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/07/18/brother-of-manchester-bomber-to-deny-murdering-22-victims-of-arena-terror-attack/

Don\'t Open the Door
Elliot Sperber | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-18
Don\'t Open the Door When the knock came at the door for A second I thought about a man: Davino Watson A US citizen Locked up for forty-one months by ICE Over 3 years Of his life lost. For what? A clerical error Or clerical terror And then about Bello, the Bakersfield poet Targeted by…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/18/dont-open-the-door/

Cuba and a New Generation of Leaders Respond to U.S. Anti-People War
W. T. Whitney | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-18
For almost 60 years Cuba has successfully defended its socialist revolution against a steady onslaught of U.S. aggressive actions, serious enough at times to warrant extraordinary measures. Cuba, for example, established alliances with the Soviet bloc of nations in the early 1960s, readjusted its economy and politics following the Soviet collapse, and sharpened its intelligence capabilities in response to terrorist attacks continuing into the 1990s.
counterpunch.org/2019/07/18/cuba-and-a-new-generation-of-leaders-respond-to-u-s-anti-people-war/

Uruguay: Left-Wing Broad Front Ratifies Its Presidential Ticket
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-18
Uruguay\'s left-wing coalition Broad Front endorsed Thursday its presidential ticket Daniel Martinez – Graciela Villar as the formula that will represent it in the country\'s national elections on Oct. 27. | RELATED: | Uruguay Walks Out of OAS Meeting Rejecting Guaido Reps | \"With the Broad Front, all progressives are aiming for an increasingly fair country, we are going for a better nation, we are going to walk firmly in the 21st century, we are going for a change that adds up,\" Martine…
telesurenglish.net/news/Uruguay-Broad-Front-Ratifies-Its-Presidential-Ticket-20190718-0019.html

Venezuela: Trump Diverts Central America Aid to Guaido as EU Threatens More Sanctions
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-07-18
Guaido\'s team is receiving over $40 million to fund salaries, travel, training, propaganda and technical assistance.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14592

WHY IS THE TURKISH PRESS SILENT ON THE CRISIS IN LIBYA?
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-18
Faruk Bildirici, one of the distinguished representatives of Turkish journalism, with whom I worked for 27 years at Hàºrriyet news, has consistently represented the interests of his readers over the past few years. After he was fired several months ago, Bildirici created his own website to continue his work. Last week Bildirici published a curious …
uwidata.com/4343-why-is-the-turkish-press-silent-on-the-crisis-in-libya/

Bernie Sanders, Anti-Imperialism and Venezuela
Timothy M. Gill | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-18
Drawing by Nathaniel St. Clair | Throughout the last century, socialists have faced an uphill battle within the United States. Unlike other similarly high-income countries, the U.S. has largely remained a bastion of deeply individualist attitudes and unregulated capitalist policies. | Yet, over the span of the past decade, socialism has transformed from a demonized ideology to a publicly discussed economic model that many Americans are now seriously considering. Indeed, the Pew Research Center just last month published data showing that 42 percent of the country has a positive view of socialism, including 65 perc…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/18/bernie-sanders-anti-imperialism-and-venezuela/

Seeking truth about Venezuela\'s food production
John Catalinotto | workers.org | 2019-07-18
An organization in the United States has scheduled a 10-day trip to Venezuela in late August that could help people find answers to important questions: Are there shortages of food? What is responsible for such shortages? What is the role of U.S. sanctions? How are the Venezuelans responding to the . . . | Continue reading Seeking truth about Venezuela\'s food production at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/07/18/seeking-truth-about-venezuelas-food-production/

Mexico Rejects the Presence of Venezuelan Opposition at the OAS
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-18
Mexico, along with nine countries in the region, challenged on Thursday the presence of representatives of the Venezuelan opposition in the General Assembly of the Organization of American States ( OAS ), which is being held in Medellin, Colombia. | RELATED: | Why the Canadian Government Is Confronting Venezuela | After the accreditation of said delegation, headed by the deputy of the Venezuelan right Julio Borges, Mexico requested that the following be included in the minutes and doc…
telesurenglish.net/news/Mexico-Rejects-the-Presence-of-Venezuelan-Opposition-at-the-OAS-20190718-0014.html

Trump\'s drilling leases on public lands could release 4.7b metric tons of carbon–more than all 28 EU countries emit in a year
Julia Conley | nationofchange.org | 2019-07-18
A national conservation group revealed Wednesday that President Donald Trump\'s drilling leases on public lands could lead to the release of more carbon emissions than the European Union contributes in an entire year. The Wilderness Society estimates that U.S. companies will release at least 854 million and as much as 4.7 billion metric tons of carbon if …
nationofchange.org/2019/07/18/trumps-drilling-leases-on-public-lands-could-release-4-7b-metric-tons-of-carbon-more-than-all-28-eu-countries-emit-in-a-year/

Why Are Billionaires Like Jeff Bezos so Obsessed With Space?
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-07-18
The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing is this year, and it\'s worth recalling the memo that then-Vice President Lyndon Johnson wrote to President John F. Kennedy: \"If we do not make the strong effort now, the time will soon be reached when the margin of control over space and over men\'s minds through space accomplishments will have swung so far on the Russian side that we will not be able to catch up, let alone assume leadership.\" | That sense of urgency has shifted over the decades f…
truthdig.com/articles/why-are-billionaires-like-jeff-bezos-so-obsessed-with-space/

Merger Mania: the Military-Industrial Complex on Steroids
William Hartung | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-18
When, in his farewell address in 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of the dangers of the \"unwarranted influence\" wielded by the \"military-industrial complex,\" he could never have dreamed of an arms-making corporation of the size and political clout of Lockheed Martin. In a good year, it now receives up to $50 billion in government…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/18/merger-mania-the-military-industrial-complex-on-steroids/

Boeing Assumes US$5b in After-Tax Charges for Plane Crashes
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-18
The Boeing airplane manufacturing company will be assuming a US$4.9 billion dollar after-tax charge for the pair of deadly crashes suffered by passengers riding the 737 MAX plane since February. | RELATED: | From Boeing to Lockheed Martin | The charge will result in a US$5.6 billion reduction in revenue and pre-tax earnings in the second quarter, Boeing officials said in a statement. | Known as the world\'s largest airplane manufacturer, the Chicago-based company is set to release financial results July 24.
telesurenglish.net/news/Boeing-Assumes-US5b-in-After-Tax-Charges-for-Plane-Crashes-20190718-0018.html

Video: Waiting for New Idlib Offensive. US Continues to Provide Syria Rebels with Weapons and Military Supplies
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
The situation in northwestern Hama and along the entire contact line around the Idlib de-escalation zone has remained stable but tense during the past week. The Syrian Arab Army, the Tiger Forces and their allies have repeatedly engaged in local …
globalresearch.ca/video-waiting-for-new-idlib-offensive-us-continues-to-provide-syria-rebels-with-weapons-and-military-supplies/5683916

African Free Trade Area Launched in Niger
Abayomi Azikiwe | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
On July 4 the 12th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) was held in Niamey, Niger to officially proclaim a project that is inherent within the notions of sovereignty and unity on the continent. | This African Continental Free …
globalresearch.ca/african-free-trade-area-launched-niger/5683962

Trump\'s send-them-back doctrine
John Feffer | nationofchange.org | 2019-07-18
During the height of Stalin\'s purges, the great Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich kept a packed suitcase near the door of his apartment. The Black Marias, the vehicle of choice for the secret police, would traditionally arrive in the middle of the night to ferry \"undesirables\" to interrogation cells. Shostakovich wanted to be ready at any …
nationofchange.org/2019/07/18/trumps-send-them-back-doctrine/

Thursday\'s Daily Brief: Mandela Day, war waning in Yemen? Deadly monsoon rains, zero hunger hopes fade, fifth anniversary of MH17 crash
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-18
In today\'s Daily Brief: World celebrates Nelson Mandela; Security Council hears end of Yemen war may be in sight; South Asia children turned \'upside down\' by monsoon rains; world \'off track\' to meet zero hunger target; Italy urged to stop \'criminalising\' migrant rescues…
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1042801

Media Lies About Iran Deal, Headlines Repeat Unfound State Department Claims
Dave DeCamp | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
Iran announced last week they will be enriching uranium to 5% which is over the 3.67% limit set by the Joint Comprehension Plan of Action signed in 2015 under the Obama administration. | Iran has every right to go over that …
globalresearch.ca/msm-lies-about-iran-deal-repeats-unfound-state-department-claims/5683840

Trophy Hunting in Southern Africa. Elephant Poaching
Ross Harvey | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
A recent slew of articles have hit international media in the wake of Botswana\'s decision to lift its moratorium on trophy hunting. | Typically, the argument is that Botswana now has too many elephants, which have exceeded the country\'s carrying capacity. | …
globalresearch.ca/hunting-clickbait/5683947

New Zealand\'s Role at the Biggest US Bombing Base in the Middle East
Darius Shahtahmasebi | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
A recent issue of Air Force News revealed that a senior NZDF officer served a six-month posting at the Qatar base, placing New Zealanders at the heart of the main targeting and bombing centre in that region, writes Darius Shahtahmasebi….
globalresearch.ca/trouble-nzs-role-biggest-us-bombing-base-middle-east/5683907

Top 10 Facts About Cell Phones and Wi-Fi
Environmental Health Trust | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
1. All Cell Phones And Wireless Devices Emit Radiation. | Every wireless device is actually a two-way microwave radio that sends and receives a type of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation called radio frequency radiation RF — EMF. This machine-made radiation is millions | …
globalresearch.ca/top-10-facts-about-cell-phones-and-wi-fi/5683939

Some Like It Hot
William Bowles | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
I am nothing if not an optimist, a trait that most on the Left seem to share. A belief in the future, that there is one that includes us. That things, eventually, get better, if we fight for it. | \'Unrealistic\', …
globalresearch.ca/some-like-it-hot/5683926

Five Years Ago: Was Malaysia Flight MH17 Shot Down by a Ukrainian Fighter Plane?
Mike Whitney | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
This article was originally published in 2014. | July 17th is the commemoration of the downing of MH17, July 17, 2014 | \"From start to finish, the Ukraine crisis has been instigated by US imperialism. Every action Washington has taken has been …
globalresearch.ca/five-years-ago-was-malaysia-flight-17-shot-down-by-a-ukrainian-fighter-plane/5682406

Korea-Japan Trade Plus War: Where Are You Going Mr. Shinzo Abe?
Prof. Joseph H. Chung | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
Right after the G20 Conference (28-28 June 2019) in Osaka, Japan, Shinzo Abe, prime minister of Japan declared the beginning of trade war against South Korea. It was indeed an irony that Abe was the host of the Conference …
globalresearch.ca/korea-japan-trade-plus-war-where-you-going-mr-shinzo-abe/5683898

Western Intellectuals Freak Over \'Frankenstein\' China
Pepe Escobar | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
Western economists and intellectuals obsessed with demonization of China are never shy of shortcuts glaringly exposing their ignorance. | The latest outburst posits that \"we\" — as in Western intellectuals — \"are the modern version of Mary Shelley\'s Frankenstein,\" who electro-shocked …
globalresearch.ca/western-intellectuals-freak-over-frankenstein-china/5683895

Donald Trump, \"the Democrat Squad\" and Failed Impeachment
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-18
Twitter has become policy. It is platform, direction and determination. It has served one particular person well, a hazy mechanism to fog up the lenses of law makers. When President Donald Trump needs an air-wave filling distraction, a bilious splurge …
globalresearch.ca/donald-trump-democrat-squad-failed-impeachment/5683921

Maureen Dowd Asked Rahm Emanuel to Weigh In on an Immigration Debate. His Record Is Abysmal
Ryan Grim | theintercept.com | 2019-07-17
When it comes to immigration, both the politics and the policy, perhaps no Democrat has been more destructive over the past 25 years than Rahm Emanuel.
theintercept.com/2019/07/17/rahm-emanuel-immigration/

Britain is following Trump and escalating the threat of war with Iran
Lindsey German | mronline.org | 2019-07-17
The British Navy\'s seizing of an Iranian oil tanker shows Britain following Trump, trading in diplomacy for the threat of military confrontation, argues Lindsey German | Source…
mronline.org/2019/07/17/britain-is-following-trump-and-escalating-the-threat-of-war-with-iran/

Iran\'s Not the Aggressor, the US Is
Khury Petersen-Smith | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
It\'s easy to be confused about what\'s happening between the U.S. and Iran. On July 10, President Trump again accused Iran of violating the Obama-era nuclear deal, in a tweet that he concluded by promising to increase U.S. sanctions \"substantially.\" Similarly, headlines — such as a recent New York Times article that originally proclaimed,…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/irans-not-the-aggressor-the-us-is/

States collaborating with the far-Right
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-07-17
It is not the collapse of Conservatism causing the rise of the far-right in America, Europe and Britain, it is the opposite. It is, however, important to understand that this is exactly how fascism comes to power. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/07/17/states-collaborating-with-the-far-right/

In the US and Brazil, Two Trends Underline the Creeping Fascism of Both Governments
Peter Bolton | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
The word fascism is undoubtedly overused in today\'s political lexicon. It is used by figures from across the political spectrum as a shorthand for anything that one\'s opponent does that is deemed sinister or disagreeable. This phenomenon has obscured the real meaning of the word, creating confusion and misunderstanding within the general public. One of…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/in-the-us-and-brazil-two-trends-underline-the-creeping-fascism-of-both-governments/

Ye Cannot Swerve Me: Moby-Dick and Climate Change
Manuel García, Jr. | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
Will climate change drive humanity to extinction? If so, how much time have we got?, and how will it happen? These questions are on the minds of many people today. In this essay, I will follow paleontologists deep into the geological past to see if it can offer any analogs to the evolving climatic conditions of today, and in that way give us a window into our future.
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/ye-cannot-swerve-me-moby-dick-and-climate-change/

I Had an Abortion and Now I\'m Not Ashamed
Rebecca Gordon | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
I have never said this publicly before, but in December 1974 I had an abortion. I was 22 years old, living in a cold, dark house in Portland, Oregon, spending my days huddled in front of a wood stove trying to finish my undergraduate senior thesis. I did not want to have a baby. I…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/i-had-an-abortion-and-now-im-not-ashamed/

Billionaires and American Politics
Lawrence Wittner | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
Is the United States becoming a plutocracy? With the manifestly unqualified but immensely rich Donald Trump serving as the nation\'s first billionaire president, it\'s not hard to draw that conclusion. And there are numerous other signs, as well, that great wealth has become a central factor in American politics. Although big money has always played…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/billionaires-and-american-politics/

Cheap Shots at the Trump Economy
Dean Baker | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
I am not anxious to defend Donald Trump\'s economic performance, but a complaint by Steven Rattner in his New York Times column caught my attention. The column features a graph showing that the ratio of the median wage for blacks has fallen relative to the median wage for white workers since 2016. This bothered me,…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/cheap-shots-at-the-trump-economy/

Kip Sullivan and Dr. Matthew Hahn on How Value Based Programs Are Undermining Medicare and Single Payer
Russell Mokhiber | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
There is a growing sentiment, bubbling from the ground up, that before we get to Medicare for All, we need to first fix Medicare. Richard Bazarian, an eye surgeon in Portland, Maine, is supportive of the idea.
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/kip-sullivan-and-dr-matthew-hahn-on-how-value-based-programs-are-undermining-medicare-and-single-payer/

A Fearless and Free Press is Essential to Our Democracy
George Ochenski | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
\"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.\" –Thomas Jefferson Make no mistake about it, the individual sitting in the highest office of our nation is trying to destroy the foundational institution upon which our democracy was founded — a fearless and free press. And why…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/a-fearless-and-free-press-is-essential-to-our-democracy/

Sexual Predators in the Power Elite
John W. Whitehead | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
\"As political and economic freedom diminishes, sexual freedom tends compensating to increase. And the dictator (unless he needs cannon fodder and families with which to colonize empty or conquered territories) will do well to encourage that freedom.\" –Aldous Huxley, Brave New World Power corrupts. Anyone who believes differently hasn\'t been paying attention. Politics, religion, sports,…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/sexual-predators-in-the-power-elite/

Teach the Children Well: the Unrealized Vision In Teaching and Learning in the Residential Schools
Michael Welton | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
Through the entire era of the residential school in Canada, from the 1880s until the 1980s, parents, public school inspectors and departmental officials made serious complaints about the \"poor education\" the Native children were receiving. John Milloy (A national crime: the Canadian government and the residential school system, 1879 to 1986 [1999]) observes poignantly:…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/teach-the-children-well-the-unrealized-vision-in-teaching-and-learning-in-the-residential-schools/

\"Go Back Where You Came From:\" an Episode From Canada
Michael Kidder | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
\"… go back where you came from…\" Not something one expects to hear from a head of state addressing his own citizens. When these taunts come from a man, a second generation American, whose entire pedigree as Captain America rests on having one natural born US citizen as an ancestor; it might be laughable, if…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/go-back-where-you-cam-from-an-episode-from-canada/

Council dump charges likely to lead to fly-tipping, environmental campaigners warn
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-07-17
Charging householders to dump their rubbish legally could trigger a rise in the illegal practice of fly-tipping, environmental campaigners have warned. | The Government has announced a review of current rules at waste recycling centres after some councils began rolling out fees. | The charges include £3.30 per car tyre at Cornwall Council, £2 for a bag of loose material at North Tyneside Council, and £20 per boiler at Buckinghamshire County Council. | But Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, said it was better to encourage people to dispose of their w…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2019/07/17/council-dump-charges-likely-to-lead-to-fly-tipping-environmental-campaigners-warn/

Congresswomen condemn White House racism
Monica Moorehead | workers.org | 2019-07-17
As we go to press, the House of Representatives passed a resolution saying that Trump\'s tweets were racist. All Democrats and four Republicans voted for the resolution. More to come. The white supremacist and misogynist Trump has opened up another vicious, racist verbal war. This time it is against four . . . | Continue reading Congresswomen condemn White House racism at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/07/17/congresswomen-condemn-white-house-racism/

Trump Is Tanking the American Manufacturing Industry
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-07-17
It\'s official. Trump has put US manufacturing, which is about 14% of the US gross national product, into recession, according to AFP Recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of decline. | The recession in manufacturing has many reasons, including a cyclical slowdown in the Chinese economy. But on top of them call came Trump\'s trade war with China, which tipped the balance. | The US is in the eleventh year of a particularly slow and tepid economic expansion after the Great Bush Crash of 2008-2009. Despite al…
truthdig.com/articles/trump-is-tanking-the-american-manufacturing-industry/

Amazon workers strike for safe working conditions
Chris Garaffa | liberationnews.org | 2019-07-17
The advanced technologies that Amazon makes billions of dollars selling to oppressive agencies could be used for good.
liberationnews.org/amazon-workers-strike-for-safe-working-conditions/

Billionaires and American Politics
Lawrence Wittner | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-17
Is the United States becoming a plutocracy? With the manifestly unqualified but immensely rich Donald Trump serving as the nation\'s first billionaire president, it\'s not hard to draw that conclusion. And there are numerous other signs, as well, that great wealth has become a central factor in American politics. Although big money has always played an …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/billionaires-and-american-politics/

Massive photo databases secretly gathered in US and Europe to develop facial recognition
wsws.org | 2019-07-17
Large digital face and \"selfie\" photo databases have been used by state agencies, software engineers and researchers involved in perfecting AI algorithms and image pattern analyses.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/07/17/face-j17.html

Sudan Transition to Civilian Rule Endangered as Foreign Interests Prevail
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-17
With the foiling of a coup attempt, the Sudanese military is consolidating its rule, despite a nearly signed transition agreement. Part of the problem is that Gulf states want to see the military in charge, especially since Sudanese soldiers are fighting in Yemen, says Prof. Khalid Ahmad…
therealnews.com/stories/sudan-transition-to-civilian-rule-endangered-as-foreign-interests-prevail

Wall Street Journal warns job threats might not prevent rebellion by autoworkers
wsws.org | 2019-07-17
The mouthpiece of the banks said younger workers who have never experienced mass layoffs are the \"big wild card\" in this year\'s contract fight.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/07/17/auto-j17.html

CNN peddles intelligence agencies\' lies against Assange
wsws.org | 2019-07-17
A recent CNN article recycles the discredited claim that WikiLeaks was involved in a Russian conspiracy to deprive Hillary Clinton of the US presidency.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/07/17/cnns-j17.html

Beanpole (Dylda): Disturbing scenes of postwar Soviet life
wsws.org | 2019-07-17
Russian director Kantemir Balagov\'s film treats the damaged lives of two young women who have just returned to Leningrad (today St. Petersburg) from the front after the end of the Second World War.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/07/17/dyld-j17.html

Protesters Target Palantir for Profiting from ICE Contracts
Ruth Robertson | indybay.org | 2019-07-17
July 12 was a national day of action to call for the protection of immigrants from ICE raids. In Palo Alto, demonstrators marched on Palantir Technologies\' headquarters, saying the data mining company is helping the Trump administration separate families. Palantir sells software that assists the government in tracking and finding people to arrest and deport. | Please credit the photographer: Jack Owicki, Pro Bono Photo.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/07/16/18824774.php

Twitter CEO maxes out donations to Tulsi Gabbard… conspiracy machine kicks into overdrive
rt.com | 2019-07-17
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has donated thousands of dollars to anti-war Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard — and Twitter users and mainstream media journalists are (rather ironically) up in arms about it. | …
rt.com/usa/464340-jack-dorsey-tulsi-gabbard-donations/

Everybody Must Get Stoned
Howard Lisnoff | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-16
I recently wrote on these pages about the Vietnam Peace Commemoration Committee. Reading an article that the committee references on the Pentagon\'s past commemoration of the war, I was not surprised to find pure and unabashed vitriol hurled at the peace movement of the 1960s and early 1970s. Yogi Berra might have observed that…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/16/everybody-must-get-stoned/

A Firm Grasp of the Obvious: Kim Darroch and the Weakness of Britain
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-16
The resignation of Sir Kim Darroch as British ambassador to Washington, because of his leaked messages to London criticising President Trump, is highly revealing about the real state of British knowledge of what is going on in the US. Supporters of the former ambassador portray him as a skilled and experienced foreign office official who…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/16/a-firm-grasp-of-the-obvious-kim-darroch-and-the-weakness-of-britain/

Science group opposes planned immigration raids, mistreatment of immigrants
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-07-16
Statement by Ken Kimmell, President, Union of Concerned Scientists | Source…
mronline.org/2019/07/16/science-group-opposes-planned-immigration-raids-mistreatment-of-immigrants/

Julián Castro Is Running for President & Supporting Striking Amazon & McDonald\'s Workers
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-16
Amid labor strikes against poor working conditions and low wages for Amazon and McDonald\'s workers, we speak with 2020 presidential candidate Julián Castro about workers\' rights, fair pay and where he stands on foreign policy, from China to Israel.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/16/julian_castro_immigration

Cruelty Prompts Trump\'s Deal of the Century in the Middle East
Prof. Stuart Rees | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
If there\'s one thing real estate moguls understand it\'s the value of land. Which begs the question why Donald Trump\'s plan to broker peace in the Middle East is so spectacularly ignorant of reality. Stuart Rees weighs in. | The …
globalresearch.ca/cruelty-prompts-trumps-deal-century-middle-east/5683734

UNHCR Warns of Rights Violations over US Asylum Policies
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-16
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Office (UNHCR) warned Tuesday that the new asylum application policies by which the United States seeks to stop migrant flow go against international obligations because they highly violate basic rights and freedoms. | RELATED: | Over 39,000 Honduran Migrants Deported From Mexico | \"We understand the U.S. asylum sys…
telesurenglish.net/news/UNHCR-Warns-of-Rights-Violations-over-US-Asylum-Policies-20190716-0010.html

How Iran\'s Soviet Era Air Defense System Shot Down America\'s Global Hawk UAV over Strait of Hormuz
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
On the night of June 19-20, Iran shot down a US Global Hawk reconnaissance UAV over the Strait of Hormuz. | President Trump responded by calling for retaliatory air strikes against Iran. | In response to the President and Commander in Chief\'s …
globalresearch.ca/how-irans-soviet-era-air-defense-system-shot-down-americas-global-hawk-uav-over-strait-of-hormuz/5683697

Trump, Netanyahu, Pence and Bolton: The Four Horsemen of the Nuclear Apocalypse
Hans Stehling | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
These are the demented Gang of Four who are determined to destroy 74 years of international cooperation for peace by waging a completely unwarranted war against Iran in a bid for global supremacy, and oil, that will provoke nuclear war …
globalresearch.ca/trump-netanyahu-pence-bolton-4-horsemen-nuclear-apocalypse/5683687

The Social Movement Photography of David Bacon: Kids Working in the Banana Trees; Parents on Strike
David Bacon | progressive.org | 2019-07-16
In 1997, I went to the Philippines to document child labor on the banana plantations producing for the Dole Corporation. The next year activists carried the information to Seattle to confront the global meeting of the World Trade Organization.
progressive.org/dispatches/the-social-movement-photography-of-david-bacon-phillipines-190716/

Nukes For Peace?
Nicky Reid | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-16
Surrounded by trigger happy Tonkinesque gunboats and drowning in debt, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made the risky decision to play the last card left in their deck; to defy the P5+1 Deal in order to save the P5+1 Deal. It\'s a hell of a gambit but it already has those pussies in the…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/16/nukes-for-peace/

What\'s Really Going on in Hong Kong?
Reese Erlich | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
For more than three months, people in Hong Kong massed in the streets to protest a proposed extradition law. Critics say it would allow China to extradite dissenting students, journalists, and business people to the mainland, where they could face …
globalresearch.ca/whats-really-going-hong-kong/5683737

South African Singer, Anti-Apartheid Activist Johnny Clegg Dies
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-16
South African singer Johnny Clegg, one of the very few white artists who confronted the apartheid regime in the 1970s and 1980s has died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 66, his manager informedTuesday. | RELATED: | Anarchist Activist Killed for Fighting US \'Concentration Camps\' | \"Clegg has made an indelible mark on the music industry and the hearts of the people,\" said the South African government in a tribute paid to the singer on Twitter, adding that his music had the power to unite…
telesurenglish.net/news/South-African-Anti-Apartheid-Activist-Johnny-Clegg-Dies-20190716-0027.html

SPLC sues Florida officials over law requiring police to act as ICE agents
splcenter.org | 2019-07-16
The SPLC and its partners sued top Florida officials today over a new state law that requires local police to act as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
splcenter.org/news/2019/07/16/splc-sues-florida-officials-over-law-requiring-police-act-ice-agents

Trump Murdered the Iran Deal—And Europe Isn\'t Too Happy About It
Vijay Prashad | commondreams.org | 2019-07-16
When Donald Trump campaigned for the U.S. presidency in 2016, he would frequently attack the JCPOA as Obama\'s folly. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_26.jpeg …
commondreams.org/views/2019/07/16/trump-murdered-iran-deal-and-europe-isnt-too-happy-about-it?cd-origin=rss

Oaklanders condemn Trump immigration policies, demand respect and humane treatment
Marilyn Bechtel | peoplesworld.org | 2019-07-16
OAKLAND, Calif.–The biggest result so far from the immigration raids touted by President Trump may well be the flood of actions throughout the country, including the San Francisco Bay Area, demanding that immigrants\' rights be fully respected and that they be treated humanely. Among dozens of Bay Area actions was one that filled the plaza …
peoplesworld.org/article/oaklanders-condemn-trump-immigration-policies-demand-respect-and-humane-treatment/

We Must Be More Active in Defense of Migrants: Rigoberta Menchu
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-16
Guatemalan Indigenous leader and 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu expressed Tuesday that one must be energetic to defend human rights and considered that the raids in the United States are an offense to the migrants of the world. | RELATED: | Trump Bars Asylum Seekers at US Southern Border | \"What happens in the U.S. can be replicated in other parts of the world and this is not good news, because it is confining young people and mothers, it is humiliating people, so who we are to t…
telesurenglish.net/news/Rigoberta-Menchu-Defends-Migrants-US-Mexico–20190716-0021.html

House opposes Trump\'s Iran war threat, repeals Bush \'war on terror\' authorization
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-07-16
WASHINGTON–By mostly party-line tallies, the Democratic-run U.S. House opposed President Donald Trump\'s presumed march towards war against Iran. Lawmakers also voted to repeal two prior war-making measures, approved in 2001 and 2002, originally OK\'d for Republican President George W. Bush\'s so-called \"war on terror\" and his invasion of Iraq. The House vote against Trump\'s Iran …
peoplesworld.org/article/house-opposes-trumps-iran-war-threat-repeals-bush-war-on-terror-authorization/

As US Modernizes Its Nuclear Arsenal, Costs and Risks Soar
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-07-16
On July 16, 1945, the U.S. detonated the first-ever nuclear device in the New Mexico desert. Less than a month later, it dropped two more atomic bombs, destroying Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing and injuring more than 200,000 civilians. | Today, 74 years later, President Donald Trump has elbowed his way to the precipice of war threatening fire, fury and obliteration against one state that has nuclear weapons (North Korea) and one that doesn\'t (Iran). In June, shortly after Trump reportedly called off a military strike against Iran with just 1…
truthout.org/articles/as-us-modernizes-its-nuclear-arsenal-costs-and-risks-soar/

Is Russia the Right Mediator In the Conflict Between Iran and the US?
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-16
With a first ever visit by a Japanese prime minister to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, many Iranian commentators were quick to declare that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the best hope for successful mediation between the US and Iran, since Tokyo has warm relations with both sides. Some have argued that pacifist Japan has …
uwidata.com/4311-is-russia-the-right-mediator-in-the-conflict-between-iran-and-the-us/

Iran\'s Supreme Leader Threatens to Respond to UK\'s \'Piracy\'
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-16
Iran\'s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic would respond to Great Britain\'s \'piracy\' over the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker off the coast of Gibraltar. | RELATED: | Unlike US, UK Foreign Secretary Wants To Save Iran Nuclear Deal | The religious leader called on Great Britain to immediately release the Iranian oil tanker and end their hostilities towards the Islamic Republic. | \"Evil Britain commits piracy and steals our ship … an…
telesurenglish.net/news/Irans-Supreme-Leader-Threatens-to-Respond-to-UKs-Piracy-20190716-0004.html

What Right Has Britain to Seize an Iranian Tanker Off Spain?
Gary Leupp | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-16
\"We have reason to believe that the Grace 1 was carrying its shipment of crude oil to the Banyas Refinery in Syria. That refinery is the property of an entity that is subject to European Union sanctions against Syria.\" — Fabian Picardo, chief minister of Gibraltar…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/16/what-right-has-britain-to-seize-an-iranian-tanker-off-spain/

FBI Surveillance of Iranians After the 1988 Downing of Flight 655
Paul Gottinger | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
This month marks 31 years since the U.S. Navy ship, the USS Vincennes, shot down Iran Air flight 655, killing 290 Iranian civilians, including 66 children. The downing of the airliner on July 3, 1988 remains one of the …
globalresearch.ca/fbi-surveillance-iranians-after-downing-flight-655/5683749

The UK Must Release the Iranian Tanker; The UAE\'s Mission to Tehran
Elijah J. Magnier | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
Before Emmanuel Bonne, the special envoy of the French President Emmanuel Macron to Iran, visited President Hassan Rouhani, he promised to deal with the \" Grace I\" crisis between Iran and the UK. Iran considered the UK …
globalresearch.ca/uk-must-release-iranian-tanker-uaes-mission-tehran/5683746

How Israeli-Designed Drones Became Russia\'s Eyes in the Sky for Defending Bashar al-Assad
Patrick Hilsman | theintercept.com | 2019-07-16
Last summer, Israel shot down yet another military drone near the line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria. The confrontation would have been business as usual, if not for a twist: Images of the destroyed drone showed Cyrillic tail markings and other identifiable components of a Forpost belonging to Russia. The findings presented an awkward geopolitical moment: Syria and Russia are allies, and Syria and Israel are bitter enemies — but the Russ…
theintercept.com/2019/07/16/syria-war-israel-russia-drones/