"Worth This Investment": Memos Reveal the Scope and Racial Animus of GOP Gerrymandering Ambitions
David Daley | theintercept.com | 2019-09-27
In court and in public, many top Republicans have denied gerrymandering gives them any advantage at all. They've captured state legislatures and won an edge in Congress, some have suggested, due to superior candidates, better campaigns, and natural geographic sorting that clusters Democrats in urban areas and spreads Republicans more efficiently across the suburbs and rural America. | "The problem is not district lines; the proble…
theintercept.com/2019/09/27/gerrymandering-gop-hofeller-memos/
Watch: The voter suppression that stole Georgia's governor race in 2018
Brave New Films | nationofchange.org | 2019-09-27
In the new short film "Suppressed: The Fight to Vote," Brave New Films exposes rampant voter suppression that affected the outcome of the 2018 midterm election in Georgia and the threat it poses to our elections all across the nation in 2020. The issues Georgians faced included polling place closures, voter purges, missing absentee ballots, …
nationofchange.org/2019/09/27/watch-the-voter-suppression-that-stole-georgias-governor-race-in-2018/
To Joe Biden, Trump's Potential Successor Mike Pence "Is a Decent Guy"
Norman Solomon | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-27
When Joe Biden told an audience that Mike Pence "is a decent guy," Pence had already been vice president for more than two years. After the comment drew fierce criticism, Biden responded that he'd said it "in a foreign policy context" — an odd effort at damage control, given that Pence has publicly backed every one of…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/27/to-joe-biden-trumps-potential-successor-mike-pence-is-a-decent-guy/
To Joe Biden, Trump's potential successor Mike Pence "is a decent guy"
Norman Solomon | nationofchange.org | 2019-09-27
When Joe Biden told an audience that Mike Pence "is a decent guy," Pence had already been vice president for more than two years. After the comment drew fierce criticism, Biden responded that he'd said it "in a foreign policy context" — an odd effort at damage control, given that Pence has publicly backed every one of …
nationofchange.org/2019/09/27/to-joe-biden-trumps-potential-successor-mike-pence-is-a-decent-guy/
To Joe Biden, Trump's Potential Successor Mike Pence "Is a Decent Guy"
Norman Solomon | indybay.org | 2019-09-27
AstroTurf campaign yearns for bipartisanship…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/26/18826772.php
The Democratic Party Remains a Party of War, Not Peace
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-27
Green Party candidate Madelyn Hoffman says that even the progressive Democratic presidential candidates remain unwilling to challenge the Pentagon.
therealnews.com/stories/the-democratic-party-remains-a-party-of-war-not-peace
The Case for Impeachment Goes Far Beyond Ukraine
Peter Certo | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-27
"Has Trump finally gone too far?" There's a headline you've seen a thousand times. At last, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says he has. A whistleblower says Trump withheld foreign aid to Ukraine to pressure the country's new president into investigating Joe Biden's son Hunter's past business there. Trump doesn't even really deny it. Pelosi has long…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/27/the-case-for-impeachment-goes-far-beyond-ukraine/
Impeach Nazi Trump Now
Never Forgive, Never Forget | indybay.org | 2019-09-27
There is now lots of commenting on the Democrats' true motives for impeaching Nazi Trump. Obviously, they are trying to save Biden's weak campaign for president. The fact that Nazi Ukraine was set up illegally as such by Democrat Obama is also true. It is also true that Nazi Trump must go, right now, since January 21, 2017 in fact, the day after his inauguration due to his conflicts of interest and much…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/26/18826713.php
The Right-Wing Media Twisted My 2015 Reporting on the Bidens and Ukraine
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-09-27
| Democrats are coalescing behind an effort to impeach President Trump over his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he pressed the Ukrainian leader to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Meanwhile, Republicans have latched onto the Biden-Ukraine story as a means of smearing the former vice president as corrupt, in an attempt to damage one of Trump's political rivals. For more on the story, we speak with James Risen, senior national security correspondent for The Int…
truthout.org/video/the-right-wing-media-twisted-my-2015-reporting-on-the-bidens-and-ukraine/
Message to the Climate Strike Marchers in Detroit
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-27
Merge the strikes! Merge the tiers! | We are all for the Green New Deal! | Make Detroit the Arsenal for a Green Economy! | Frank Hammer | This is a historic day, especially for those of us here in Detroit. We are at the center of not one but two strikes: | The nation-wide strike by 46,000 UAW members to determine fate of GM, Ford and Chrysler autoworkers which will have ripple effects for the entire working class and gm communities, right here in Detroit and Warren, in the US and globally. The other strike, today's youth-led global climate strike, is a huge step in our fight to shape the fate of our planet, the…
therealnews.com/columns/message-to-the-climate-strike-marchers-in-detroit
Naomi Klein v The Times Roy Scranton: Mobilization to Fight Climate Change or Surrender?
Al Ronzoni | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-27
I have a good friend, a professor of English Literature, who I often go out with to see plays, band performances and movies. Lately, we've also been having a running text message and email debate about various political issues. In an earlier exchange, he described himself as, "not philosophically opposed to the Republicans" but since…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/27/naomi-klein-v-the-times-roy-scranton-mobilization-to-fight-climate-change-or-surrender/
Whistleblower Probe Tests GOP's Alliance with Trump
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-09-27
WASHINGTON–One Republican hadn't read the whistleblower's complaint. Another called President Donald Trump's conversation with the Ukraine leader "thin gruel" for any impeachment effort. A third said the whole thing was "blown way out of proportion." | And yet, as more details emerged about what the president said and the efforts to shield it from view, Republicans were straining Thursday under the uncertainty of being swept up in the most serious test yet of their alliance with the Trump White House. | The quickly moving events caught Republicans off stride. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sta…
truthdig.com/articles/whistleblower-probe-tests-gops-alliance-with-trump/
Trump bans Raul Castro and his children from coming to U.S
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-09-27
WASHINGTON–In yet another manifestation of his hatred for Cuba in general and its leaders in particular, right-wing GOP President Donald Trump barred former Cuban President Raul Castro, and his four adult children, from traveling to the U.S. Castro is now First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba. The move may be largely for Trump's …
peoplesworld.org/article/trump-bans-raul-castro-and-his-children-from-coming-to-u-s/
The Impeachment: Will This Be Trump's Unraveling?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-27
Ryan Cooper, National Correspondent for The Week, joins us to look at today's testimony, the president's petulance, and what all this means for the presidential campaign.
therealnews.com/stories/impeachment-trump-unraveling
Laid off Wrightbus workers 'face struggle to house families'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-09-27
Wrightbus workers face a struggle to house their families, one former employee has said. | Ryan Price, a supervisor aged 29, is married and his two children share a bedroom in a rental property. | He was bidding to buy a house and had saved a deposit but will find it difficult to access state benefits because of his savings. | The musician picked up his guitar and sang a song by Irish performer and social conscience Christy Moore about the impact of factory closures on ordinary men. | Mr Price said: "A lot of people are down and out, it is not just us, it affects other companies too. | "Morale still seems good bu…
thecanary.co/breaking-news/2019/09/27/laid-off-wrightbus-workers-face-struggle-to-house-families/
The Impeachment Story Proves It Again: Trump Is No Strategic Genius
Ryan Cooper | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
Trump's flailing, incompetent White House emerges quite naturally from basic aspects of Trump's personality—his vanity, his ignorance, his sloppiness, his cowardice, and above all his all-consuming narcissism. (Photo: Illustrated | SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images, JimLarkin/iStock, DickDuerrstein/iStock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-09-27_at_2.52.04_pm.png …
commondreams.org/views/2019/09/27/impeachment-story-proves-it-again-trump-no-strategic-genius?cd-origin=rss
Mass Killings In Afghanistan Are Acts of White Supremacy
Charles Davis | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-27
An American white nationalist killed over 30 people recently. The victims, all brown, had full lives; children, loved ones, and years, full of plans, ahead of them. But then they were incinerated. Worst of all, they were murdered while Afghan. The deaths were noted in the press, and one Democrat running for president even acknowledged…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/27/mass-killings-in-afghanistan-are-acts-of-white-supremacy/
The Way to Authoritarianism is Paved with Lies
Jurg Muller-Muralt | indybay.org | 2019-09-27
Lying is part of the human condition. But democracy is in peril when politicians make lying into a "business principle." Lying is a second nature for Trump. Trump lies strategically and doesn't have a bad conscience. For Trump, the borders between true and false have largely disappeared. Liars and bullshitters undermine trust in language and calculable communication.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/26/18826747.php
Towards a More Mature Democracy
John Kendall Hawkins | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-27
You could be forgiven (but what's the fun in that), if you were to think. Looking at Jacques-Louis David's neoclassical painting The Death of Socrates, you could believe you're seeing Socrates giving the bird to democracy and demanding that Crito give him the goddamned chalice full of hemlock, and get out of the way. There…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/27/towards-a-more-mature-democracy/
Slow Down. The Case for a Deliberate and Focused Impeachment Inquiry
Jeffrey C. Isaac | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) joins fellow House Democrats to mark 200 days since they passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act with a news conference at the U.S. Capitol September 27, 2019 in Washington, DC. Following the release of a whistle-blower complaint about abuse of power, the House Democratic leadership announced this week that it is launching a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/dont_rush_impeachment.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2019/09/27/slow-down-case-deliberate-and-focused-impeachment-inquiry?cd-origin=rss
Human Rights Briefing: Updates on Egypt, Zimbabwe, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia
United Nations | un.org | 2019-09-27
Here's a roundup of human rights news this Friday: UN's Bachelet urges restraint over arrests of Egypt protestors; expert calls for 'democratic shift' in Zimbabwe; Human Rights Council agrees fact-finding mission to Venezuela; independent experts urge freedom for Saudi women's rights defender, after 500 days in prison.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/09/1047872
At UN, Modi outlines development successes, says India gave world 'Buddha, not war'
United Nations | un.org | 2019-09-27
In his address to the UN General Assembly's general debate on Friday, the Prime Minister of India outlined how the world's largest democracy has embodied the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in its work towards "peace, development and progress in the world".
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/09/1047902
Trump's Ukraine Scandal Shows Why Whistleblowers Are So Vital to Democracy
Trevor Timm | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden is just one in a long line of whistleblowers who risked life and liberty to tell the American people—and the world—about the corrupt and illegal practices of the U.S. government. (Photo: Laura Poitras) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/edward-snowden_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2019/09/27/trumps-ukraine-scandal-shows-why-whistleblowers-are-so-vital-democracy?cd-origin=rss
The Real Purpose of the Impeachment Investigation against Trump. Political Power Play
Dr. Paul Craig Roberts | globalresearch.ca | 2019-09-27
The Democrats know that there is no impeachable offense. What they intend to do is to use the investigation to look into every aspect of Trump's life and try to make dirt out of things unrelated to his talk with …
globalresearch.ca/democrats-reveal-real-purpose-impeachment-investigation/5690312
The Left Needs to Seize Impeachment From Centrist Elites
Jeet Heer | thenation.com | 2019-09-27
The Left Needs to Seize Impeachment From Centrist Elites…
thenation.com/article/trump-impeachment-democrats/
Democrats host historic LGBTQ presidential forum
Michelle Zacarias | peoplesworld.org | 2019-09-27
Last Friday Democratic candidates took the stage at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to attend the first LGBTQ presidential forum. The gathering was historic in that it was the first time that Presidential nominees got together to discuss the prevailing issues affecting LGBTQ communities across the country. The event was co-hosted by GLAAD, One …
peoplesworld.org/article/democrats-host-historic-lgbtq-presidential-forum/
Bankers "Confirm Warren's Whole Worldview" by Saying They'll Donate to Trump to Defeat Anti-Wall Street Senator in 2020
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
For the second time in three weeks, Sen. Elizabeth Warren embraced Wall Street executives' fear of her potential presidency, after CNBC reported that several anonymous bankers threatened to back President Donald Trump in the 2020 election if Warren becomes to Democratic nominee. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/warren_9.jpeg …
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/27/bankers-confirm-warrens-whole-worldview-saying-theyll-donate-trump-defeat-anti-wall?cd-origin=rss
Progressives Decry Senate's Approval of Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia as 'Absolute Betrayal to the American Worker'
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
Senate Republicans are under fire from progressive advocacy groups, trade unions, and congressional Democrats for voting Thursday to confirm corporate attorney Eugene Scalia, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Labor. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11695451751_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/27/progressives-decry-senates-approval-labor-secretary-eugene-scalia-absolute-betrayal?cd-origin=rss
200+ Global Groups Denounce UN-WEF Agreement That Entrenches Interests Driving Planet's "Social and Environmental Crises"
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
"It moves the world dangerously towards a privatized and undemocratic global governance." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/un-wef-agreement-denounced-corporate-capture.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/27/200-global-groups-denounce-un-wef-agreement-entrenches-interests-driving-planets?cd-origin=rss
Roaming Charges: Rough Trade Transcript
Jeffrey St. Clair | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-27
I think we can all agree that refusing to send military aid to Ukraine would have been a wise decision by Trump. But trading the slaughter of civilians in eastern Ukraine for political dirt on HRC and the Bidens pretty much exposes his America First foreign policy as little more than diplomatic narcissism, which, of course, we've known all along but it's useful to have it confirmed in his own "Rough Trade Transcript"….
counterpunch.org/2019/09/27/roaming-charges-rough-trade-transcript/
James Risen: I Wrote About the Bidens and Ukraine in 2015. The Right-Wing Media Twisted My Reporting
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-27
Democrats are coalescing behind an effort to impeach President Trump over his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he pressed the Ukrainian leader to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Meanwhile, Republicans have latched onto the Biden-Ukraine story as a means of smearing the former vice president as corrupt, in an attempt to damage one of Trump's political rivals. For more on the story, we speak with James Risen, senior national security correspondent for The Intercept, who first wrote about the Bidens and Ukraine in 2015, when he was a reporter for The New York Times. He says the "r…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/27/ukraine_president_biden_investigation
James Risen: Whistleblower Complaint Shows "Trump Is a Habitual Criminal" Abusing His Office
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-27
Democrats are ramping up efforts to impeach President Trump for pressing the president of Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Nearly 90% of House Democrats now support impeachment. On Thursday, a declassified version of a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower was released, detailing his concerns about Trump's July phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky. In the complaint, the unnamed whistleblower — who has been identified as a CIA official — accused the president of "using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 202…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/27/trump_impeachment_inquiry_james_risen
Over 2,000 Arrested in Egypt in Growing Protests Against Sisi, Trump's "Favorite Dictator"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-27
Demonstrations continued in Egypt Friday, with thousands taking to the streets to demand the resignation of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi over accusations of corruption. Nearly 2,000 people have been arrested over the past week amid protests in Cairo and other cities. The demonstrations were triggered by social media posts by a former army contractor accusing Sisi and other officials of misusing public money. Anti-government protests are rare in Egypt as they've been effectively banned since Sisi came to power following the 2013 overthrow of former President Mohamed Morsi and launched a widespread crackdown on d…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/27/egypt_protests_sharif_abdel_kouddous
In photo op at GM picket line, Sanders promotes nationalism, covers for Democrats and UAW
wsws.org | 2019-09-26
Bernie Sanders put in a brief media appearance on the picket line at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant Wednesday morning.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/26/sand-s26.html
Schiff's 're-telling' of Trump phone call with Ukraine head gets mocked as 'unhinged Orange-Man-Bad fan fiction'
rt.com | 2019-09-26
With impeachment efforts against President Donald Trump resting on the content of a single phone call, who could blame Congressman Adam Schiff for embellishing the truth a little, all to sell his "Orange Man Bad" narrative. | Though Trump released a transcript of the call in question on Wednesday, the Democrat-controlled House Intelligence Committee pressed ahead with questioning Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire on Thursday, about his handling of the whistleblower complaint that first thrus…
rt.com/usa/469703-schiff-trump-opening-statement/
Teachers, Service Employees become first unions to back Trump impeachment probe
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-09-26
WASHINGTON–The Teachers (AFT) and the Service Employees have become the first unions to break organized labor's long silence on starting an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. They're for it. "All Americans–no matter where we are from or what color we are–can agree that our democracy is too important for any individual to be above …
peoplesworld.org/article/teachers-service-employees-become-first-unions-to-back-trump-impeachment-probe/
Congress hears testimony from intel chief on "smoking gun" phone call
John Wojcik | peoplesworld.org | 2019-09-26
The impeachment process now underway in the country continued with dramatic testimony today in the House Intelligence Committee that underlined what the pro-democracy forces in America are up against. Today's hearing confirms that saving democracy in this country will require taking on a Trump-built network that uses government across all of its branches to advance …
peoplesworld.org/article/congress-hears-testimony-from-intel-chief-on-smoking-gun-phone-call/
How Trump Pushed Ukraine's President to Probe Conspiracy Theories About Democrats
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-09-26
Donald Trump pressed Ukraine's new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to help legitimize conspiracy theories about his Democratic rivals during a private telephone conversation in July, and again at a public meeting at the United Nations on Wednesday. | White House notes on the July call, released before the two presidents met in New York, showed that Trump urged his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate false claims about the theft of emails from the Democratic National Committee's servers in 2016, as well as former Vice Presi…
theintercept.com/2019/09/26/donald-trump-wants-ukraines-president-probe-conspiracy-theories-democrats/
Laws that Punish for Hypothetical Harm Must be Abolished
Denis Rancourt | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-26
Given the state of laws in Canada, it has become necessary to state the obvious: An individual legitimately can be punished solely for proven actual harm that is also proven to have been caused by the individual. In a free and democratic society, laws that punish an individual for harm that is hypothesized to have …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/laws-that-punish-for-hypothetical-harm-must-be-abolished/
DR Congo President outlines vision for a 'more representative' UN Security Council
United Nations | un.org | 2019-09-26
With Africa at the centre of many global challenges, it is time for the continent to have a seat in the UN Security Council, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) told world leaders on Thursday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/09/1047722
Democrats, Please Don't Mess This Up. Impeach Trump for All His Crimes, Not Just for Ukraine
Mehdi Hasan | theintercept.com | 2019-09-26
Impeaching Trump only for Ukraine would give him a clean bill of health on everything else, like his obstruction of the Mueller investigation.
theintercept.com/2019/09/26/impeachment-trump-ukraine-democrats/
House Intelligence Committee releases whistleblower report on Trump-Zelensky call
rt.com | 2019-09-26
The whistleblower complaint that led to the impeachment inquiry against US President Donald Trump has been released. In it, the leaker admits he did not actually hear the phone call at the center of the scandal. | Released by the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday, the complaint details the circumstances surrounding Trump's July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Democrats argue that Trump attempted to pressure Zelensky into reopening a corruption inve…
rt.com/usa/469679-trump-zelensky-whistleblower-complaint-released/
The Republican Party Is Going Down With Trump
Joan Walsh | thenation.com | 2019-09-26
The Republican Party Is Going Down With Trump…
thenation.com/article/trump-republicans-ukraine-impeachment/
Edward Snowden Condemns Trump's Mistreatment of Whistleblower Who Exposed Ukraine Scandal
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
Responding to news of a whistleblower's complaint at the center of an impeachment inquiry filed against President Trump this week, famed whistleblower Edward Snowden speaks about his own decision to leak classified documents in 2013. The House Intelligence Committee has released the declassified whistleblower complaint, which details a July phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president. The White House is trying "to make the conversation not about the allegations," Snowden told Democracy Now! "They want to talk about the whistleblower rather than the government's own wrongdoing."
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_on_writing_his_memoir
"Financial Censorship Is Still Censorship": Edward Snowden Slams Justice Dept. Lawsuit Against Him
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
As a whistleblower complaint filed against President Trump rocks Washington and threatens Trump's presidency, one of the world's most famous whistleblowers, Edward Snowden, joins us from Moscow, Russia. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Snowden alleging that his newly released memoir, "Permanent Record," violates the nondisclosure agreements he signed with the federal government when he was a National Security Agency employee. The Justice Department also argued that they are entitled to all of Snowden's book profits. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan González speak with Sno…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_memoir_permanent_record
Permanent Record: Why NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Risked His Life to Expose Surveillance State
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
Six years ago, Edward Snowden leaked a trove of secret documents about how the United States had built a massive surveillance apparatus to spy on Americans and people across the globe. Snowden was then charged in the U.S. for violating the Espionage Act and other laws. As he attempted to flee to Latin America, Snowden became stranded in Russia after the U.S. revoked his passport. He has lived in Moscow ever since. Snowden just published his memoir, "Permanent Record," in which he writes about what led him to risk his life to expose the U.S. government's system of mass surveillance. From Moscow, he speaks to Democ…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_trump_whistleblower_impeachment
Tulsi says impeachment would be 'terribly divisive' as Trump's Republican challengers back the move
rt.com | 2019-09-25
Swimming against the current in her own Democratic Party, 2020 candidate Tulsi Gabbard said she does not support impeachment proceedings against President Trump, amid louder calls within the party to remove him from office. | Moments before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry into the president on Tuesday evening, Gabbard warned the move would only deepen existing divides in the country. | "I think impeachment would be terribly divisive for our already very divided country," she told CNN's Brooke Baldwin, adding, "It's important Donald Trump is voted out of office by the American people…
rt.com/usa/469548-tulsi-trump-challengers-impeachment/
'If impeachment trump card doesn't work, it will guarantee Trump re-election,' civil rights lawyer tells RT
rt.com | 2019-09-25
With the announcement of an official impeachment inquiry, Democrats have put all their eggs in one basket, risking losing the next election if they fail to enlist enough support, civil rights attorney Robert Patillo told RT. | Read more | | Tulsi says impeachment would be 'terribly divisive' as Trump's Republican challengers back the move | Accusing US President Donald Trump of pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to "take actions which would benefit him politically" — that is, to investigate 2020 candidate Joe Biden's son Hunt…
rt.com/usa/469549-impeachement-pelosi-trump-elections/
I Wrote About the Bidens and Ukraine Years Ago. Then the Right-Wing Spin Machine Turned the Story Upside Down
James Risen | theintercept.com | 2019-09-25
Many observers now seem to think this suddenly hot story came out of nowhere this year, but that is not true.
theintercept.com/2019/09/25/i-wrote-about-the-bidens-and-ukraine-years-ago-then-the-right-wing-spin-machine-turned-the-story-upside-down/
'Nothing call': Trump lashes out at Dems & media after Zelensky chat memo released
rt.com | 2019-09-25
President Donald Trump has slammed his Democratic rivals for launching an impeachment probe based on a "nothing call" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry on Tuesday, on the back of allegations that Trump threatened to withhold military aid to Ukraine, in a bid to pressure Zelensky into investigating Joe Biden's son Hunter's business dealings in the country. The Department of Justice released a transcript of the call on Wednesday, which detaile…
rt.com/usa/469604-trump-transcript-press-response/
US Justice Dept releases much-anticipated summary of Trump's call with Ukrainian president
rt.com | 2019-09-25
US President Donald Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to look into whether ex-Vice President Joe Biden blocked an investigation into his son's company, according to a summary of the call between the two leaders. | The memo was released Wednesday morning. | | "There's a lot of talk about Biden's son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great," Trump told Zelensky in a summary of the call transcript provided by the Justice Department on Wednesday. | | Democratic frontrunner Biden allegedl…
rt.com/usa/469593-trump-call-zelensky-release/
It's Time to Impeach Members of Congress for Not Impeaching Trump
Jud Lounsbury | progressive.org | 2019-09-25
The question is no longer whether it's a good idea. It's about whether the members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, will follow their oath of office to defend the Constitution.
progressive.org/dispatches/impeach-congress-for-not-impeaching-trump-lounsbury-190925/
As Democrats begin Trump impeachment, key 'Russiagate' case may be imploding
rt.com | 2019-09-25
President Donald Trump's security adviser Michael Flynn was the first casualty of 'Russiagate' impeachment push, but the case against him seems weaker than ever, after a federal judge voided the conviction of his business partner. | Flynn, a retired general and former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, was forced to resign in February 2017, after less than two weeks of serving as national security adviser. He was snared in an FBI perjury trap as part of surveillance of the Trump campaign — which was predicated on claims it was "colluding" with Russia during the 2016 presidential election. | Though t…
rt.com/usa/469544-flynn-russiagate-rafiekian-impeachment/
Trump impeachment proceedings based on 'nothing' phone call, but fallout will hurt America long-term
rt.com | 2019-09-25
The transcript of President Donald Trump's phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart shows no pressure or threats to withhold aid. So why are Democrats and media still reading it that way, and invoking it as impeachment grounds? | For over two years, the Democrats pinned their hopes on Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was investigating the claims of "Russian collusion" and obstruction of justice in relation to it — only to come up empty-handed back in May. | Undeterred, the party pushed impeachment anyway, arguing that the report somehow showed obstruction of justice somewhere between the lines, and pr…
rt.com/usa/469626-trump-impeachement-transctript-democrats/
Genocide Warnings for Three African States
J.B. Gerald | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-25
These genocide warnings concern current threats to the peoples of Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi. Beyond the primary concern for all the people in national groups, a pattern is emerging globally which should remind North Americans of past genocides against native American peoples: the masses of people forced from their homelands, the refugee …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/genocide-warnings-for-three-african-states/
The 2020 Campaign Event Where 'Everyday Iowans' Asked the Questions
Spencer Green | thenation.com | 2019-09-25
The 2020 Campaign Event Where 'Everyday Iowans' Asked the Questions…
thenation.com/article/iowa-democrats-election-2020/
Trump Lashes Out at Iran, China & Venezuela in Nationalist Address to U.N. General Assembly
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-25
On Tuesday, President Trump made his third address to the United Nations General Assembly amid simmering tensions in the Middle East over recent attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, which the United States blames on Iran. Tehran denies the allegations. Trump also lashed out at China and Venezuela. We speak with Vijay Prashad, director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and chief editor of LeftWord Books. His latest article for Salon is headlined "World leaders gather at the UN in the face of war, climate catastrophe & global worker exploitation."
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/25/trump_un_general_assembly_speech_vijay
Billy Bragg: What the U.K. Supreme Court's Historic Ruling Against Boris Johnson Means for Brexit
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-25
The U.K. Parliament has reconvened after the country's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had unlawfully suspended Parliament in order to push through Brexit with or without a deal. Johnson made the unprecedented move late last month, asking the queen to prorogue Parliament in order to limit debate on leaving the European Union, which the U.K. is scheduled to do by October 31. Calls for Johnson's resignation are mounting since the news broke, with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn calling for a general election and demanding Johnson apologize to the queen and to the country. For mo…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/25/brexit_british_parliament_billy_bragg
"We've Reached Critical Mass": Rep. Al Green on Pelosi Vow to Impeach Trump for "Dastardly Deeds"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-25
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump following allegations from an intelligence community whistleblower that Trump sought help from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call to investigate Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden and his son Hunter. On Tuesday, the Republican-controlled Senate unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the Trump administration to release the whistleblower complaint to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. We get response and look at next steps with Congressmember Al Gree…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/25/formal_impeachment_inquiry_trump
'Billionaires should not exist': Is Bernie Sanders' wealth tax too extreme for America?
rt.com | 2019-09-24
Democrat 2020 contender Bernie Sanders has unveiled an ambitious wealth tax proposal, promising to slash the fortunes of America's uber-rich. Is his plan an existential threat to the wealthy or mere election bluster? | The Vermont senator unveiled his plan on Tuesday, declaring on Twitter afterwards that "billionaires should not exist." If implemented, his 'Tax on Extreme Wealth' would see a progressive tax applied to couples with a net worth of $32 million, or singles with a worth of at least $16 million. These groups would give the government a one-percent cut of their fortune annually, while those with asse…
rt.com/usa/469533-sanders-wealth-tax-billionaires/
Nate Silver and the Pitfalls of the Corporate Pundit Class
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-24
Political statistician and editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight Nate Silver found himself in hot water recently when he seemed to refer to the diverse supporters of Bernie Sanders' campaign as "residue." Jacqueline Luqman talks to Anoa Changa about why that language, and the bias of the corporate pundit class, is an issue.
therealnews.com/stories/nate-silver-and-the-pitfalls-of-the-corporate-pundit-class
Whistleblowers Save our Democracy, Says Daniel Ellsberg
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-24
Trump has been exposed by leakers and might face consequences, and Edward Snowden has published a book. Daniel Ellsberg reflects on the bravery of exposing the truth.
therealnews.com/stories/dly092319_ellsberg_whistleblower
Trump authorizes release of 'complete' transcript of call with Ukraine's Zelensky, Dems still not happy
rt.com | 2019-09-24
US President Donald Trump said a full transcript of his recent call with the Ukrainian president is to be released, but Democrats continue with calls for impeachment and plan to interview the whistleblower on the incident. | Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he had authorized the release of the "complete, fully declassified and unredacted transcript" of his conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky. In a separate tweet, he said it was a "very friendly and totally appropriate call" and he applied "no pressure" on the Ukrainian leader. | Democrats had been up in arms after a whistleblower complained that Trump had allege…
rt.com/usa/469532-trump-zelensky-biden-transcript/
The Bidens, Trump, Kiev and impeachment
Victor Grossman | mronline.org | 2019-09-24
The impeachment drive is quickly gathering steam, and who can have any sympathy for that man in the Oval Office? But I wonder if some enthusiasts may not be digging deeply enough. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/09/24/the-bidens-trump-kiev-and-impeachment/
Trump Seeks to Kneecap Consumer Protection Agency Advocated for by Elizabeth Warren
Steven Schwinn | progressive.org | 2019-09-24
We've grown accustomed to Donald Trump's relentless political attacks. but, in the end, his constitutional attacks on the administrative state could cause the most damage.
progressive.org/dispatches/trump-attacks-consumer-agencys-independence-schwinn-190924/
Reuters can't find U.S. critics to question Amazon's anti-Venezuela propaganda
Joe Emersberger | mronline.org | 2019-09-24
A line from the trailer for Jack Ryan, an Amazon TV drama whose second season streams on November 1, is: A nuclear Venezuela…. You will not hear about it on the news, 'cause we'll already be dead. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/09/24/reuters-cant-find-u-s-critics-to-question-amazons-anti-venezuela-propaganda/
Support FAIR: Corporate Media Sidetracking Real Election Issues–Again — copy
Deborah | fair.org | 2019-09-24
Dear FAIR Friends, While corporate media focus on who's up/who's down in the horserace for the Democratic nomination, more substantive concerns–What are the candidates' policy proposals? Are they adequate to the scale of the problems we face? Will our votes be suppressed, or even miscounted?–go unaddressed. With so much at stake, we've got to …
fair.org/zmail/support-fair-corporate-media-sidetracking-real-election-issues-again-copy/
Pelosi announces IMPEACHMENT inquiry over Ukraine call, Trump says it will help him win elections
rt.com | 2019-09-24
President Donald Trump has called a looming impeachment inquiry against him a "positive," saying it will help him "win the election." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the investigation shortly afterwards. | Speaking to reporters at the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump said that impeachment would be "a positive for me," adding "we will win the election." | Democrats in Congress have threatened to impeach Trump countless times already — sometimes for non-offenses like "being such good friends with Putin," or making up…
rt.com/usa/469537-trump-pelosi-impeach-election/
Meet Brazil's Indigenous Leader Attacked by Bolsonaro at U.N. over Efforts to Preserve the Amazon
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-24
A number of indigenous leaders from Brazil traveled to New York to protest Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's push to open the Amazon rainforest for agribusiness, logging and mining. Democracy Now!'s Nermeen Shaikh spoke to Chief Raoni Metuktire of the Kayapó tribe on Monday outside the U.N. Climate Action Summit about the situation in the Amazon, including the recent outbreak of devastating fires. After the interview, Chief Raoni attempted to enter the U.N. summit, but despite support from dozens of activists, he was barred from entering. He is a nominee for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/24/un_climate_summit_indigenous_leader_barred
BREXIT: Europe in Miniature
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-09-24
The most important question for the European Union today is whether BREXIT signals the beginning of the end for the entire bloc, or will ultimately serve to discourage other countries from attempting to cut ties. BREXIT: a denial of democracy No one was more surprised by the result of the 2016 Referendum on BREXIT than …
uwidata.com/5431-brexit-europe-in-miniature/
Ta-Nehisi Coates on His Debut Novel "The Water Dancer," Slavery & Reparations
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-24
Celebrated writer Ta-Nehisi Coates's first novel, "The Water Dancer," was released today. Centering on a man named Hiram Walker, who was born into slavery in 19th century Virginia, the novel is a "crowd-pleasing exercise in breakneck and often occult storytelling," a review in The New York Times stated. Over the past decade Ta-Nehisi Coates has become one of the nation's most celebrated writers. In 2014, he wrote a piece titled "The Case for Reparations," which rejuvenated the push for the government to pay reparations to the descendants of slaves. His 2015 book, "Between the World and Me," a National Book Award…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/24/ta_nehisi_coates_the_water_dancer
How Dare You! Greta Thunberg Slams World's Focus on Economic "Fairy Tales" While Ecosystems Collapse
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-24
Scores of world leaders gathered in New York on Monday for the U.N. Climate Action Summit, but the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters announced few new measures to address the climate crisis. President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence briefly attended the summit but left after just 14 minutes. At the beginning of the summit, 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg delivered an impassioned address to world leaders, explicitly naming their inaction on the climate crisis. "People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing," Greta said. "We are in the beginning of a mass ext…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/24/un_climate_action_summit_greta_thunberg
In Landmark UN Complaint, 16 Children Accuse Nations of Failing to Protect Them from Climate Change
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-24
Youth climate activists from around the world also attended the U.N. Climate Action Summit Monday, where they spoke at UNICEF about a landmark new climate complaint they filed with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Hailing from countries including Argentina, Brazil, Germany, the Marshall Islands and Tunisia, the young representatives spoke about why they feel compelled to act on the climate crisis. Among the youth climate activists were Alexandria Villaseñor of New York and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/24/children_vs_climatecrisis
What Media Like Best About Elizabeth Warren: She's Not Bernie Sanders
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2019-09-23
by Julie Hollar | When the Washington Post's Paul Waldman ( 9/18/19) recently attempted to explain Elizabeth Warren's rise in the Democratic primary polls, he attributed it in part to media: Reporters on the campaign trail have said for some time that she is the one who generates the most enthusiastic response among voters o…
fair.org/home/what-media-like-best-about-elizabeth-warren-shes-not-bernie-sanders/
History will judge Mugabe's legacy
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-09-23
Alan BroughtonIssue 1239 Zimbabwe Movement for Democratic Change MDC ZANU-PFSeptember 23, 2019Zimbabwe's independence leader and former president Robert Mugabe is remembered for his leadership of the succ…
greenleft.org.au/content/history-will-judge-mugabe-legacy
Millions Took Part in the Youth-Led Global Climate Strike Friday. Here's Why People Marched
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-23
As many as a quarter-million people marched on the streets of New York City Friday for a youth-led climate strike inspired by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Globally, as many as 4 million people took to the streets in hundreds of countries. Democracy Now! was in the streets of New York on Friday speaking with climate strikers from the United States and around the world.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/23/climate_march_interviews_youth_protesters
19-Year-Old Indigenous Climate Activist Artemisa Xakriabá: "We Fight for Mother Earth"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-23
Friday's climate strike in New York City concluded with remarks from indigenous leaders, activists and organizers. Artemisa Xakriabá, a 19-year-old indigenous climate activist of the Xakriabá people, spoke about the increasing intensity of environmental destruction across Brazil and the interconnectedness of the fight for climate justice. "We fight for our Mother Earth because the fight for Mother Earth is the mother of all other fights," Xakriabá said. "We are fighting for your lives. We are fighting for our lives. We are fighting for our sacred territory. But we are being persecuted, threatened, murdered, only…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/23/brazil_indigenous_climate_activist_artemisa_xakriaba
Bill McKibben: Youth Who Led Global Climate Strike Are Bringing a New "Spirit" to Climate Fight
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-23
Following Friday's youth-led climate strike — the largest-ever global protest focused on climate — we speak with Bill McKibben, longtime journalist and co-founder of 350.org. McKibben's latest piece for The New Yorker is titled "Money Is the Oxygen on Which the Fire of Global Warming Burns," and his cover piece for Time magazine is headlined "Hello from the Year 2050. We Avoided the Worst of Climate Change — But Everything Is Different." McKibben's 1989 book, "The End of Nature," was the first book for a general audience about climate change.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/23/bill_mckibben_climate_crisis_global_demonstrations
"Our House Is on Fire": Greta Thunberg Addresses Hundreds of Thousands at NYC Climate Strike
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-23
Sixteen-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg spoke at Friday's climate strike in New York, where an estimated 300,000 people took to the streets. Thunberg inspired the global spread of weekly climate strikes when she started skipping school to protest outside of the Swedish parliament last year. "We will not just stand aside and watch," Thunberg told a crowd of thousands in her speech at Manhattan's Battery Park. "We are united behind the science, and we will do everything in our power to stop this crisis from getting worse."
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/23/new_york_city_climate_strike_greta
"This Is Our Time. This Is Our Future." Voices from the Historic Youth Climate Strike in NYC
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-23
As many as 4 million people around the world took to the streets Friday in the largest day of action focused on the climate crisis. Students across the globe led climate strikes in hundreds of countries, inspired by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The demonstration kicked off in Foley Square, where tens of thousands of people gathered before the march. Varshini Prakash, co-founder and executive director of the Sunrise Movement, and climate activist Vic Barrett were among the handful of activists who addressed the climate strikers in Foley Square.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/23/global_climate_strike_foley_square_speeches
Philippines: Resist and end Duterte's fascist regime
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-09-22
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Sept. 20 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines. | Almost five decades ago, Ferdinand Marcos placed the entire country under martial law which launched his brutal dictatorial rule. For 14 years, the Filipino people resisted valiantly and fought on all arenas of struggle. Serving as the strongest bulwark of anti-fascist resistance, the Party and the New People's Army waged underground and armed struggle, inspiring and militating the Filipino people to unite and struggle for democracy. Culminating long years of anti-fascist resistance, the Filipino…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/9/22/philippines-resist-and-end-duterte-s-fascist-regime
On the Road to Damascus: International Conference in Syria on Sanctions and Its Blowback
Roger D. Harris | mintpressnews.com | 2019-09-21
Syrians say it's even harder now to make ends meet than it was during the height of their country's war because of intensified U.S and European sanctions.
mintpressnews.com/international-conference-in-syria-on-sanctions-and-its-blowback/261986/
This Afghan Teen Was Set to Join First-Ever U.N. Youth Climate Summit, But U.S. Denied His Visa
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-20
Climate youth activist Nasratullah Elham of Afghanistan was invited to participate in the first-ever U.N. Youth Climate Summit, but the United States rejected his visa. He breaks the sound barrier to join us from Phuket, Thailand, where he is a 12th grade student, and says his activism is based on the crisis's impact on his home country. "The poor people there are very badly affected in a situation [where] they do not really have much carbon emissions," he says.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/20/afghan_teen_denied_visa_global_climate
Kelsey Juliana v. U.S.: Meet the Young Woman Suing the Federal Government over the Climate Crisis
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-20
Among those joining today's Global Climate Strike will be Kelsey Juliana, lead plaintiff in Juliana v. United States, the landmark youth climate lawsuit against the U.S. government. She joins us for a roundtable discussion, along with Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Strike organizer, founder and executive director of OneMillionOfUs.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/20/youth_climate_lawsuit_juliana_v_united
Support FAIR: Corporate Media Sidetracking Real Election Issues–Again
fair.org | 2019-09-19
Dear FAIR Friends, While corporate media focus on who's up/who's down in the horserace for the Democratic nomination, more substantive concerns–What are the candidates' policy proposals? Are they adequate to the scale of the problems we face? Will our votes be suppressed, or even miscounted?–go unaddressed. With so much at stake, we've got to …
fair.org/home/fundraiser-corporate-media-sidetracking-real-election-issues-again/
2020: Democratic Establishment vs. Democratic Socialists
Michael Sainato | progressive.org | 2019-09-18
Meet three new challengers to the entrenched old guard.
progressive.org/dispatches/democratic-socialists-congress-2020-sainato-190918/
Tennessee Republicans in Fisticuffs Over School Vouchers
Andy Spears | progressive.org | 2019-09-17
Hot chicken, sex, and cocaine are part of the story of how Tennessee became the latest state to succumb to the Betsy DeVos-backed voucher craze. The result could determine how the GOP addresses the issue across the country.
progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/tennessee-republican-school-voucher-fight-spears-190917/
Democratic Debate #3: Mr. Rogers, Re-runs, and Real Talk
Jud Lounsbury | progressive.org | 2019-09-13
A side-stepped apology from Biden, two gimmick-meisters, and seven remaining candidates who gave solid performances.
progressive.org/dispatches/democratic-debate-reruns-and-real-talk-lounsbury190913/
Pittsburgh Google contract workers start unionization process, bosses prep union-busting campaign
Vasuki R | liberationnews.org | 2019-09-11
In these crucial coming weeks, solidarity and militancy will keep the workers united as they fight for democracy and the ability to collectively bargain.
liberationnews.org/pittsburgh-google-contract-workers-start-unionization-process-bosses-prep-union-busting-campaign/
New Season of Amazon's Jack Ryan Focused on Venezuela Denounced as 'Over-the-Top and Ridiculous' US Propaganda
Eoin Higgins, Common Dreams | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-09-08
The upcoming season of Amazon's Jack Ryan could have been scripted by John Bolton.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14650