2019-12-02: News Headlines

Staff (2019-12-02). House Impeachment Report Coming Ahead of Landmark Hearing. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — The House impeachment report on President Donald Trump will be unveiled Monday behind closed doors for key lawmakers as Democrats push ahead with the inquiry despite the White House's declaration it will not participate in the first Judiciary Committee hearing. | The Democratic majority on the House Intelligence Committee says the report, compiled after weeks of testimony, will speak for itself in laying out what Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., called the evidence of "wrongdoing and misconduct" by the Republican president over hi…

Eds. (2019-12-02). Pete Buttigieg says marijuana arrests signify "systemic racism." His South Bend Police fit the bill. mronline.org PETE BUTTIGIEG wasn't much of a pot smoker in college. But coming home from a party one evening, he bumped into a friend of a friend smoking a joint. Buttigieg later recalled that he acted out of curiosity. | Source

Rachel M. Cohen (2019-12-02). Nancy Pelosi Pushes the House to Pass USMCA, but Neglects a Bill With Broad Support to Strengthen Unions. theintercept.com The PRO Act, which has 215 co-sponsors, would be the most comprehensive rewrite of U.S. labor law in decades. Pelosi hasn't brought it to the floor.

Donald Donato (2019-12-02). Green public housing: Sanders-AOC proposal targets social and ecological needs. peoplesworld.org The United States is facing an unprecedented housing crisis. Nearly two-thirds of renters nationwide cannot afford to buy a home. Home prices are rising at twice the rate of wage growth. According to a study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, homeownership rates among young adults are lower than in 1988, …

Rob Urie (2019-12-02). Ukraine, the New Cold War and the Politics of Impeachment. counterpunch.org In October 2019, with the impeachment of Donald Trump already underway, wealthy 'centrist' Democratic Party donors began to fret over the Democrat's prospects in the 2020 election. Since then Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick, both Wall Street Democrats with deep pockets, have entered the race. Meanwhile, the Senate impeachment schedule will keep Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in Washington— and away from the campaign trail, well into the early state primaries. More

Margaret Kimberley (2019-12-02). Say No to Bloomberg. globalresearch.ca Bloomberg says he wants to stop Donald Trump but he's really running to stop Bernie Sanders. | "Bloomberg targeted black people for political gain with whites and he created great suffering in the process." | In 2002 Michael Bloomberg was sworn …

Norman Solomon (2019-12-02). For Corporate Media, It's 'Anybody But Sanders or Warren'. indybay.org Journalism that can't stand progressive populism…

Staff (2019-12-02). Chris Hedges: Electoralism Won't Save Us. truthdig.com In the latest episode of "The Empire Files" with Abby Martin, Truthdig columnist Chris Hedges explores a range of topics including the degradation of America's institutions and the slow-motion collapse of the rule of law. While acknowledging that the Trump administration has made innumerable policy decisions to undermine our democracy, he specifically cites the president's circumvention of Congress to allow Saudi Arabia to build nuclear reactors. Hedges contends that the sickness of our political system is ultimately bipartisan and may prove terminal. "We're in a very, very serious moment in American history," he…

Staff (2019-12-02). Top Democratic Consultants Have Worked for Anti-Medicare for All Campaign. truthout.org As health insurance, pharmaceutical and hospital companies fight to prevent more politicians from backing Medicare for All, the industry's front group has turned to top Democratic consulting firms and pro-business nonprofits for help, according to its 2018 tax return. The array of consultants includes presidential candidate Joe Biden's pollster. | The Partnership for America's Health Care Future (PAHCF), a nonprofi…

teleSUR (2019-12-02). Morales Vows To Do What's Best for Bolivia, Not Afraid of Jail. telesurenglish.net The democratically elected President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, said Sunday that he would value the option of being imprisoned in Bolivia, if that action helps the Bolivian people, who suffer from a climate of anxiety and instability after the coup d'etat driven by the right of the South American country. | RELATED: | The Pro-Evo Upheaval in Bolivia: How is it Affecting the Canadian Political Scene? | "For the Bolivian people, for the political instrument, for t…

Staff (2019-12-02). Despite Cries of Unfairness, Trump Refuses Impeachment Hearing Invite. truthout.org White House counsel Pat Cipollone informed the House Judiciary Committee late Sunday that President Donald Trump and his lawyers will not participate in the panel's first impeachment hearing this week, a move Democratic lawmakers highlighted as further evidence that the president's repeated complaints about lack of due process have been completely empty. | "Not one proce…

WSWS (2019-12-02). Pro-Beijing parties suffer heavy defeat in Hong Kong district elections. wsws.org The victory of the so-called pro-democracy camp also revealed widespread alienation from the major pan-democrat parties, which continue to hold political sway, however, in the absence of a socialist alternative.

teleSUR (2019-12-02). White House Won't Participate In Next Trump Impeachment Hearing. telesurenglish.net The White House told Democratic lawmakers Sunday that President Donald Trump and his lawyers would not participate in an impeachment hearing in Congress this week, citing a lack of "fundamental justice." | RELATED: | Trump Accuses Impeachment Witness Of Lying, Defends Giuliani | Trump's aides responded defiantly to the first of two crucial deadlines he faces in Congress this week as Democrats prepare to shift the focus of their fact-finding probe to the consideration of possible ch…

Robert Reich (2019-12-02). Who is worse: Donald Trump or Mitch McConnell? nationofchange.org The two of them have degraded and corrupted American democracy. We need them both out.

Thomas Knapp (2019-12-02). Non-Intervention: an Imperfect Solution to a Terrible Problem. counterpunch.org On November 27, US president Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. The bill, passed by veto-proof majorities in Congress amid large protests in the "special administrative region," allows the president to impose sanctions on officials who violate human rights there, and requires various US government departments to annually review Hong More

CP Editor (2019-12-02). Tariq Ali on U.K. Elections, Corbyn's "Radical Social-Democratic Program" & Rise of Extreme Right. counterpunch.org

WSWS (2019-12-02). US Attorney General William Barr's brief for presidential dictatorship. wsws.org Even by the degraded standards of American political discourse at present, Barr's speech was exceptional for its essentially anti-democratic and fascistic content.

teleSUR (2019-12-02). US Threatens to Continue Intervening in Latin American Protests. telesurenglish.net United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed Monday that Washington would "support" aligned governments trying to prevent protests in the region from turning into "riots." | RELATED: | 'We Lied, Cheated and Stole': Pompeo Comes Clean About CIA | "We'll work with legitimate (governments) to prevent protests from morphing into riots and violence that don't reflect the democratic will of the people," Pompeo told an audience at the University of Louisville, in Kentucky. | The Trump…

William Astore (2019-12-02). American Exceptionalism Is Killing Planet Earth. commondreams.org "For a select few, war pays dividends in ways that peace doesn't," writes Astore. "In a nutshell, or perhaps an artillery shell, war is anti-democratic, anti-progressive, anti-intellectual, and anti-human." (Photo: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-57339467.2e16d0ba.fill-1120×600.jpg

WSWS (2019-12-02). Obama spearheads campaign against Sanders' nomination as Democratic presidential candidate. wsws.org The Democratic Party establishment wants to ensure that issues of social inequality are not a focal point in the elections, even in the toothless form represented by Sanders and Warren.

National AIDS Memorial (2019-12-02). Worlds AIDS Day Observance in Golden Gate Park. indybay.org National AIDS Memorial | Golden Gate Park, Nancy Pelosi Dr & Bowling Green Dr, San Francisco 94102…

Sam Pizzigati (2019-12-02). What Would It Cost to Buy the 2020 Election? counterpunch.org Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York's mayors since 1942, hosted billionaire Michael Bloomberg for three terms. The first of these terms began after Bloomberg, then the Republican candidate for mayor, spent an incredible $74 million to get himself elected in 2001. He spent, in effect, $99 for every vote he received. Four years More

Matthew Harris (2019-12-02). Amazon Fires Are Causing Glaciers in the Andes to Melt Even Faster. globalresearch.ca If you have turned on a TV or read the news during the past few months, you have probably heard of the widespread fires that wrought havoc on the Amazon rainforest this year. Fires occur in the rainforest every year, …

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-02). Nicaragua Marked Next For US "Liberation", Trump Blames "Vicious World" For Khashoggi Murder & More. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/1/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Staff (2019-12-02). Tariq Ali on U.K. Elections, Corbyn's "Radical Social-Democratic Program" & Rise of Extreme Right. democracynow.org The British general election is just 10 days away and will have huge implications for the future of the country as well as Brexit. When voters cast their ballots later this month, they will choose between two dramatically different candidates: right-wing Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson and left-wing Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn recently unveiled an ambitious election manifesto promising to transform the country and resuscitate its public sector. The plan proposed a $100-billion tax increase on the wealthy to fund investment in infrastructure as well as increased spending on education and heal…

Staff (2019-12-02). Youth-Led Protests Topple Iraqi PM as Demonstrations Calling for Overhaul of Government Continue. democracynow.org Anti-government protests are continuing in Iraq one day after the Iraqi parliament voted to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. On Saturday, protesters set off fireworks in Baghdad's Tahrir Square when Abdul Mahdi announced he would submit his resignation, though he will remain in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed. The resignation came two days after Iraqi security forces killed at least 44 people in the southern cities of Nasiriya and Najaf after the Iranian consulate was burned down on Wednesday night. Following the bloody crackdown, Iraq's Shi'ite spiritual leader Gra…

Staff (2019-12-02). A World in Revolt Against Neoliberalism & Corruption: Tariq Ali on the Roots of Today's Uprisings. democracynow.org The historian and activist Tariq Ali talks about the uprisings that are happening around the world, from Chile and Colombia to Iraq and Lebanon. "It's extremely significant because what it reveals is a new generation completely alienated from the political structures of their societies," Ali says.

Staff (2019-12-02). Headlines for December 2, 2019. democracynow.org COP25 Opens in Madrid Amid Dire Warnings About Climate Change, House Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing in Impeachment Inquiry, 3 Women Accuse Ambassador Sondland of Sexual Misconduct, Iraqi Prime Minister Resigns Amid Anti-Government Protests, Malta Prime Minister Resigns amid Probe of Journalist's Murder, Three More Egyptian Journalists Arrested, Attack on London Bridge Kills 2 Cambridge Graduates, Trump Visits Afghanistan in Surprise Thanksgiving Trip, Supreme Court to Hear First Major Gun Case in Nearly a Decade, Twitter Suspends Account of Ilhan Omar's Challenger, Sestak and Bullock Drop Out of 2020 Preside…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-12-02). Pelosi Frustrates Progressives by Stalling Pro-Labor Bill While Pushing Trump's Trade Deal. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_pelosi.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-12-02). From Crying 'Witch Hunt' to a Guilty Plea, Calls for Trump Ally Duncan Hunter to Resign Immediately. commondreams.org Government watchdogs on Monday called for Rep. Duncan Hunter's immediate resignation after it was reported that the California Republican would change his "not guilty" plea to "guilty" in the case of his alleged campaign finance violations. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/shady-hunter_0.jpg

Jeffrey St. Clair, Alexander Cockburn (2019-12-02). What Seattle Has Wrought. counterpunch.org A year after the WTO protests rocked Seattle, Alexander Cockburn and I assessed the damage to global capitalism and its emissaries in the Democratic Party — JSC Exactly this time a year ago a truly prescient person monitoring bus,car and plane traffic into the city of Seattle could have predicted that Al Gore's presidential bid faced More

RT (2019-12-02). On the catwalk: Primal desire for food and a friend sends Indian tiger on record 1,300km trek. rt.com A young Indian tiger has traveled 1,300km (over 807 miles) in just 150 days, seeking new game-rich territory… and romance. The big cat's impressive journey has become the longest tiger walk ever recorded in India. | The tiger, from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, had a radio collar attached in March, as part of a long-term study into the migration and dispersal of the large cats. It left the reserve in June to undertake what turned out to be an epic journey. | After months of walking, the tiger eventually reached another reserve — Dnyanganga Wildlife Sanctuary — last weekend. | R Govekar, Field Direc…

RT (2019-12-02). US to help 'legitimate Latin American govts' to PREVENT protests from 'morphing into riots' — Pompeo. rt.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the US will help "legitimate governments" in Latin America in order to prevent protests from "morphing into riots." | Pompeo made the comments while delivering remarks at the University of Louisville on Monday. | He declared that US policy in Latin America is based on "moral and strategic clarity," meaning Washington "cannot tolerate" regimes it deems unsatisfactory in the region. | Pompeo said that protests in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador reflect the "character of legitimate democratic governments and democratic expression" and that governments in the re…

RT (2019-12-02). 'Troubling and wrong': Trump blacklists Bloomberg News from covering campaign over bias for billionaire Democrat boss. rt.com President Donald Trump's re-election campaign has barred Bloomberg News from covering rallies and events, citing the outlet's overt bias for their boss, a billionaire seeking the Democrat presidential nomination. | "We are accustomed to unfair reporting practices but most news organizations don't announce their biases so publicly," Trump 2020 manager Brad Parscale said Monday, describing as "troubling and wrong" the outlet's decision to "formalize preferential reporting policies." | The campaign will decide whether to deal with individual reporters and will answer inquiries on a case-by-case basis, Parscale ad…

Robert Reich (2019-12-02). Who Is Worse: Donald Trump or Mitch McConnell? commondreams.org The two of them have degraded and corrupted American democracy. We need them both out. (Photo: Screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-12-02_at_9.34.05_am.png

teleSUR (2019-12-01). Israel Plans New Ilegal Settlement In Hebron Occupied West Bank. telesurenglish.net Israel's defense minister announced Sunday he has approved plans to build a new illegal settlement in the heart of the city of Hebron, which has been strongly criticized by Palestinian officials. | RELATED: | World: International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People | According to local media, Minister Naftali Bennett ordered the departments responsible for the occupied West Bank "to notify the municipality of Hebron about the construction of a new Jewish q…

Ted Glick (2019-12-01). How We Win via NVDA Campaigning. dissidentvoice.org Long-time peace, justice, democracy and lgbtq activist and trainer George Lakey has written a book, How We Win: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning, about the strategic centrality to movement-building of the approach of nonviolent direct action campaigning. Built upon his decades of organizing experience going back to the '60s civil rights movement, there …

Matt Bruenig (2019-12-01). The Usual Incoherence on Student Benefits Is Back. peoplespolicyproject.org Of all the welfare state topics, student benefits manages to consistently attract the most incoherent and weird arguments, and the recent spate of arguments on this front are no exception. In the last week, a student benefit dustup has been instigated by Pete Buttigieg ostensibly being against free public college for millionaires and billionaires while Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are ostensibly for it. | This has set off the usual round of commentary about how Buttigieg is arguing for means-testing while Warren and Sanders are arguing f…

Fight Back (2019-11-30). DPRK tests new weapon system and strengthens defenses. fightbacknews.org Washington DC — The Democratic People's Republic of Korea tested a new rocket launching system on November 29. | According to a report from the Korean Central News Agency, "Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, inspected the test-fire of the super-large multiple launch rocket system conducted by the Academy of Defense Science." | In a related development, Kim Kye Gwan, advisor to the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK, commented on past meetin…

RT (2019-11-30). US cryptocurrency expert arrested for 'aiding adversary & sanctions violation' over North Korea trip. rt.com The FBI has arrested an American citizen accused of illicitly traveling to Pyongyang to give a talk on cryptocurrencies, claiming that the tech expert knowingly undermined Washington's efforts to isolate North Korea economically. | Virgil Griffith was taken into custody in Los Angeles over the trip to Pyongyang, where the Department of Justice says he gave "a presentation and technical advice on using cryptocurrency and blockchain technology." | "Mr Griffith allegedly traveled to North Korea without permission from the federal government, and with knowledge [that] what he was doing was against the law," the De…

Paul Street (2019-11-29). Why the UkraineGate Hearings Didn't Move the Dial. counterpunch.org CNN and MSDNC's talking heads seemed surprised and disappointed that the recent televised impeachment hearings do not appear to have moved any but a small number of Republicans into supporting the impeachment and removal of the demented fascist oligarch Donald Trump. Liberals roll their eyes while discussing surveys showing that Republican voters are unmoved by More

Vicente Navarro (2019-11-29). What is Happening in Spain? counterpunch.org The transition from dictatorship to democracy in Spain (1978) was carried out under conditions very favorable to the profoundly conservative forces that controlled the Spanish state and the majority of the media. The democratic forces (lead by the clandestine left wing parties) were institutionally weak. It is true that popular resistance against the dictatorship had been strong primarily among the working class, the base of these parties. Spain had the largest number of political strikes in Europe during the transition period (1975-1979), which played an important role in forcing the end of the extremely repress…

United Nations (2019-11-29). Violence in DR Congo Ebola hotspot leaves people 'caught in crossfire'. news.un.org Attacks on communities in an Ebola outbreak hotspot in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have sparked a humanitarian crisis and threatened aid distribution, the UN said on Friday, amid reports of serious civil unrest.

Staff (2019-11-29). David Byrne on His Broadway Show "American Utopia," Talking Heads, Reasons to Be Cheerful & More. democracynow.org An hour with David Byrne, the celebrated musician, artist, writer, cycling enthusiast, filmmaker and now Broadway star. He has a new hit Broadway show called "American Utopia." The show grew out of Byrne's recent world tour, which the British music publication NME said "may just be the best live show of all time." Byrne talks about the production, his time in the groundbreaking band Talking Heads, his website Reasons to Be Cheerful, Greta Thunberg and more.

United Nations (2019-11-28). Armed groups kill Ebola health workers in eastern DR Congo. news.un.org Deadly night-time attacks by armed groups have once again claimed the lives of frontline healthworkers helping to confront the deadly Ebola virus in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

Carlos E. Rojas Rodriguez (2019-11-28). Biden Claimed He Wanted to Earn Every Vote. thenation.com Biden Claimed He Wanted to Earn Every Vote…

pip.hinman (2019-11-28). Trump's impeachment and the US 'national interest'. greenleft.org.au democracy Barry SheppardIssue 1247 United States Donald Trump impeachment Letter from the USNovember 28, 2019The Democratic impeachment inquiry began when a "whistleblower" revealed that US P…

Staff (2019-11-28). Arundhati Roy: It's Hard to Communicate the Scale and the Shape of This Shadow Taking India Over. democracynow.org Human rights groups are condemning the Indian government for carrying out widespread torture, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and other crimes in Kashmir after the region's special status was revoked in August. We speak to the acclaimed Indian author Arundhati Roy about the crackdown in Kashmir, rising authoritarianism in India and other issues.

Staff (2019-11-28). Our History Is the Future: Lakota Historian Nick Estes on Thanksgiving & Indigenous Resistance. democracynow.org Lakota historian Nick Estes talks about Thanksgiving and his book "Our History Is the Future." He is a co-founder of the indigenous resistance group The Red Nation and a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe.

RT (2019-11-28). Trump backs Hong Kong protesters, signs 'human rights' bill… 'out of respect for President Xi'? rt.com President Donald Trump has approved legislation backing Hong Kong's 'pro-democracy' protest movement, disregarding Beijing's repeated warnings for Washington to mind its own business and stop meddling in China's internal affairs. | Dubbed the 'Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act,' the bill blazed through both houses of Congress earlier this month with virtually unanimous consent from lawmakers. In addition to threatening sanctions over human rights violations, the law requires the State Department to "certify" once a year whether Hong Kong enjoys sufficient "autonomy," though exactly how officials will qu…

RT (2019-11-28). America's presidential candidates hide the knives to deliver Thanksgiving messages. rt.com They say politics is a subject best avoided at the dinner table, and America's presidential hopefuls have taken this advice on board: abandoning the usual attacks to deliver the blandest Thanksgiving messages possible. | First into the dining room was President Trump – America's rowdy, unpredictable uncle. Though Trump seemingly out of nowhere tweeted a meme of his head photoshopped onto Sylvester Stallone's ripped 1980s body on Wednesday, and lit on Democrats during the traditional turkey pardoning, his Than…

Julie Hollar (2019-11-27). We're Still Waiting for 'Early and Often' Climate Debate Questions. fair.org As the Democratic Party prepared for its first presidential primary debates in June, climate activists pushed the DNC to schedule a single-issue debate on the climate crisis, given the urgency of the problem and the lack of attention given to it in previous debates. DNC chair Tom Perez refused, saying he had "the utmost confidence" that climate disruption would be discussed in the debates "early and often" (FAIR.org, 6/18/19). | Now that seven nights of debates have passed, and multiple…

United Nations (2019-11-27). Measles claims more than twice as many lives than Ebola in DR Congo. news.un.org Since the beginning of 2019, measles has taken more than 5,000 lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a top UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) official said on Wednesday, pointing out that over 90 per cent of the deaths were children under-five.

Alan Macleod (2019-11-27). Michael Bloomberg's Presidential Run Raises Serious Questions About Democracy. theantimedia.com Bloomberg has a long history of support for conservative positions, including endorsing George W. Bush's War on Terror.

Sam Adler-Bell (2019-11-27). Democrats Want to End U.S. Support for the Yemen War — but They Might Continue Funding It Anyway. theintercept.com Progressives want to use the defense budget to stop support for Saudi Arabia's war, but are enough Democrats willing to take a stand?

pip.hinman (2019-11-27). Inconvenient truths about the Greens. greenleft.org.au democracy politics Hall GreenlandIssue 1247 Australia The Greens NSW The Australian GreensNovember 27, 2019While there are serious fl…

Staff (2019-11-27). 20 Years After The Battle of Seattle: Vandana Shiva & Lori Wallach on Historic 1999 WTO Protests. democracynow.org Twenty years ago this week, tens of thousands of activists gathered in Seattle to shut down a ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization. Grassroots organizers successfully blocked world leaders, government trade ministers and corporate executives from meeting to sign a global trade deal that many called deeply undemocratic, harmful to workers' rights, the environment and Indigenous people globally. On November 30, 1999, activists formed a human chain around the Seattle convention center and shut down the city's downtown. Police responded by firing tear gas and rubber bullets into the mostly peaceful cro…

Staff (2019-11-27). "Don't Hate the Media, Be the Media": Reflections on 20 Years of Indymedia, a Radical Media Movement. democracynow.org This week marks the 20th anniversary of the historic protests in Seattle that shut down a meeting of the World Trade Organization, but it also marks the time when the first Independent Media Center came to life. Amid the clouds of tear gas, hundreds of volunteer reporters documented what unfolded. That week indymedia.org received 1.5 million visitors — more than CNN — and produced a daily video report and newspaper. It was the first node in a global citizen journalist movement. | We speak with those who know the story best. Jill Friedberg is co-founder of the Seattle Independent Media Center and co-pr…

Staff (2019-11-27). Headlines for November 27, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Knew of Whistleblower Complaint When He Released Ukraine Aid, Colombian Protesters Call for Second General Strike, Chilean President Seeks to Deploy Military to Streets Amid Protests, IACHR Says Commission Should Investigate Human Rights Abuse in Bolivia, Pompeo Calls on Egypt to Respect Press Freedom, After Raid of Mada Masr, Videos Emerge of Iran's Bloody Crackdown Against Protesters, Jeremy Corbyn Condemns Anti-Semitism, After Criticism from Top Rabbi, Chemical Plant Explodes in Texas; Wildfires Rage near Santa Barbara, CA, New York City Council Votes to Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes…

RT (2019-11-27). Americans are 'sick and tired' of impeachment and 'grandstanding & chicanery' of both parties — Ron Paul. rt.com The Democrats are desperately trying to remove President Donald Trump from office or at least win back the presidency in 2020. Yet, all their efforts are seemingly having the opposite effect, former congressman Ron Paul told RT. | Under the present circumstances, the impeachment would be a "total negative for the Democrats" as it would be "squelched in the Senate," even if the Democrat-majority House approves it, Paul said on Tuesday. | More importantly, the whole process is apparently losing steam because people are "sick and tired" of the latest of many attempts to impeach Trump. | There is less enthusiasm f…

Alan Macleod (2019-11-27). Michael Bloomberg's President Run Raises Questions About Democracy and a Free Press. mintpressnews.com The New Yorker's presidential bid highlights the contradictions between both extreme wealth and a for-profit, corporate advertiser-driven media landscape and democracy and freedom of expression.

United Nations (2019-11-26). UN working to prevent attacks on civilians in eastern DR Congo. news.un.org Peacekeepers from the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were conducting extensive patrols in the east of the country on Tuesday, one day after demonstrators set fire to buildings to protest lack of civilian protection in the face of attacks by armed groups.

David Armiak (2019-11-26). Wisconsin's Democratic Governor Signs Anti-Protest Bill into Law. progressive.org Peaceful protestors can now be charged with a felony if they trespass on property owned, leased, or operated by companies engaged in the distribution of oil or petroleum.

Michael Felsen (2019-11-26). Immigrant Worker Deportations Hurt Us All. progressive.org Aggressive immigration law enforcement obstructs the protection of all workers, documented and undocumented alike. In November, Democratic lawmakers reintroduced legislation meant to protect them.

Kate Oh (2019-11-26). It's Past Time Congress Reined in the President's Emergency Powers. aclu.org The full Senate could soon consider legislation that would rein in the | president's emergency powers and bolster the principle of separation of | powers that underpins American democracy. This legislation, the ARTICLE | ONE Act as amended by a Senate committee, contains sensible reforms of the | National Emergencies Act of 1976 (NEA), the flawed and outdated law that | governs the emergency declaration process. | Under | the current national emergencies declaration process, Congress must muster a | veto-proof two-thirds supermaj…

Roger Bybee (2019-11-26). Riding Out for Medicare for All with a Back Full of Arrows. progressive.org The barrage of false narratives being fired from influential Democrats, including Barack Obama, is obscuring Medicare for All's unique programmatic strength and broad political support in rhetorical smoke.

Ryan Grim (2019-11-26). Pete Buttigieg Says Marijuana Arrests Signify "Systemic Racism." His South Bend Police Fit the Bill. theintercept.com A black South Bend resident was 4.3 times more likely to be arrested for possessing marijuana since 2012 than a white resident. Nationally, it was 3: 1.

Staff (2019-11-26). Iraqi Scholar Sinan Antoon: Anti-Government Protests Have Led to "Reclaiming of Iraqi Identity" democracynow.org In Iraq, more than 340 people have died since anti-government protests began in early October. More than 15,000 Iraqis have been injured. Tires were set on fire Monday and main roads and bridges were blocked in the cities of Basra and Nassiriya. Over the weekend, security forces opened fire on civilians in Baghdad and other cities. Demonstrators are protesting corruption and lack of jobs and basic services, including clean water and electricity. In Baghdad, many university students are taking part in the demonstrations. To talk more about the protests in Iraq we are joined by the Iraqi poet, novelist, translator,…

Staff (2019-11-26). "An Attack on the Human Rights Movement": Israel Deports Human Rights Watch Monitor. democracynow.org The Israeli government deported the director of Human Rights Watch's Israel and Palestine office, Omar Shakir, on Monday. The organization said the move places Israel in an "ugly club" of authoritarian regimes. Israel has accused Shakir of supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a nonviolent global campaign aiming to pressure Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. A 2017 Israeli law bans foreigners from Israel if they publicly support the BDS movement. Omar Shakir joins us from Stockholm to discuss his recent deportation and his plans to address the European Parliament regarding Israel's sy…

Staff (2019-11-26). "Her Gallantry Remains": Oprah Winfrey Remembers Acclaimed Writer Toni Morrison. democracynow.org Last Thursday, literary luminaries and social leaders from around the country gathered at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan to honor Toni Morrison, one of the nation's most influential writers. She died in August at the age of 88 from complications of pneumonia. In 1993, Morrison became the first African-American woman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. She also won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for her classic work "Beloved." Much of Morrison's writing focused on the black female experience in America, and her writing style honored the rhythms of black oral tradition. In 2012, President Obama…

Staff (2019-11-26). Headlines for November 26, 2019. democracynow.org Judge Rules Trump Can't Stop Officials from Testifying in Impeachment Inquiry, Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Disclosure of Trump's Financial Records, U.S. Troops Resume Combat Mission Against ISIS, U.N.: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Surged to Record-High Levels in 2018, 56 Killed in Landslides in Kenya, Leaked Documents Reveal China's "Brainwashing" of Uyghur Muslims, Duque Calls for "National Dialogue" as Protests Continue to Rock Colombia, Global Protests Mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Argentine Catholic Priests Sentenced to Prison for Raping Students, Water Protectors Block…

RT (2019-11-26). 'Vultures' already subpoenaed by Schiff: Trump trolls media & Democrats at traditional turkey pardoning ceremony. rt.com While "pardoning" a turkey ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, US President Donald Trump got in a few jabs at the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry and the media. | Two turkeys, named Bread and Butter, were presented to the president on Tuesday at the White House Rose Garden, and Butter received the traditional presidential pardon. With the ceremony itself being tongue-in-cheek, Trump used it to needle the impeachment inquiry, led by House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff (D-California). | Bread and Butter "have already received subpoenas to appear in Adam Schiff's basement on Thursday," he said. "It see…

RT (2019-11-26). 'Pete Buttigieg is a lying MF' trends on Twitter after column on past 'racism' goes viral. rt.com While he may be enjoying a surge in the Iowa polls, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is trending on Twitter for an entirely different reason, after a column entitled 'Pete Buttigieg Is A Lying MF' went viral. | In the column for the Root, senior writer Michael Harriot scathingly addresses a recently resurfaced video of Buttigieg claiming that black kids in low-income neighborhoods fail at school in high numbers because there "isn't someone who they know personally who testifies to the value of education." Buttigieg made the comment in 2011, while he was running for mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

Dorothee Benz (2019-11-26). Talking Turkey About Impeachment Hearings – NYT coverage teaches us how not to discuss the end of democracy. fair.org Congratulations, you made it through the public hearings of the impeachment inquiry, one eye on the livestream and one eye on your work email, and somehow you met your deadlines even as you followed along blow by blow. So what are you going to say about it around the Thanksgiving dinner table? | There were certainly some moments designed to stoke feelings of patriotism as we head into the heavily mythologized, uniquely American holiday this week. Alexander Vindman (New York Times, 11/19/19): "The uniform I…

Joshua Cho (2019-11-26). Media Wonder: Why Can't Venezuela Be More Like Bolivia? fair.org Western corporate media outlets have often cried foul when foreign elections don't go the way the US empire wants them to, and find roundabout ways to label the violent attempts by vocal right-wing minorities to use military forces to overthrow leftist governments as "protests" rather than coups (FAIR.org, 5/16/18, 5/1/19). But it's still rare to see them blatantly call for a right-wing coup without a hint of…

Leland Nally (2019-11-25). Obama is Wrong to Push Democratic Party Centrism. progressive.org Obama's recent comments highlight an important division in the Democratic Party, one that's prompted the recent emergence of two new candidates: Deval Patrick, the former governor of Massachusetts and personal friend of Obama, and Michael Bloomberg.

Fight Back (2019-11-25). USF students rally for more Black enrollment before meeting with administration. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On November 20, students at the University of South Florida (USF) gathered in front of Cooper Hall to demand that administration increases Black enrollment on campus. Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized and led the demonstration. | This event occurred in anticipation of an upcoming December 4 meeting with administration. SDS will be meeting with the Vice President of Student Success Paul Dosa, VP of Diversity and Inclusion Haywood Brown, Assistant VP of Admissions Glen Besterfield, and Dean of Students Danielle McDonald. The meeting will determine the future of how USF will add…

Alex Kane (2019-11-25). Washington's Right-Wing Consensus on Israel Faces a Reckoning in Three New York Congressional Races. theintercept.com Eliot Engel and Jerry Nadler, among the most pro-Israel Democrats, are facing primaries from the left. Nita Lowey, another pro-Israel hawk, is retiring.

Akela Lacy (2019-11-25). New York Democrats Just Passed a Measure That Could Take the Working Families Party Off the Ballot. theintercept.com At a meeting on Monday, a commission created to implement New York's public campaign finance system voted to pass a proposal that would make it significantly more difficult for alternative political parties to operate in the state. The proposal would change party qualification rules and, combined with an earlier measure to end fusion voting, is seen as part of a larger set of attacks by state Democrats, led by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on Cuomo's nemesi…

Staff (2019-11-25). Police Raid Egypt's Last Independent News Outlet Mada Masr Amid "Increasingly Hostile" Media Climate. democracynow.org Egyptian security forces raided the office of Mada Masr, the country's last independent media outlet, and arrested three of its journalists this weekend. The raid began Sunday afternoon, when nine plainclothes security officers entered the Mada Masr office in Cairo, seizing phones and laptops and holding the staff in the building for more than three hours. They then arrested editor-in-chief Lina Attalah, managing editor Mohamed Hamama and reporter Rana Mamdouh. It came just a day after security forces arrested senior editor Shady Zalat at his home. All four journalists were released from detention Sunday night. T…

Staff (2019-11-25). Pope Francis Calls Nuclear Weapons Immoral as Catholic Activists Face Jail For U.S. Nuke Base Action. democracynow.org Over the weekend, Pope Francis visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the United States dropped the first atomic bombs in 1945, killing more than 200,000 people. Pope Francis said, "A world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary." The leader of the Cathoilc Church met with survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and declared the possession of nuclear weapons to be immoral. The Pope's visit comes as a group of seven Catholic peace activists are awaiting sentencing for breaking into the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Georgia on April 4, 2018. The activists, known as the Kings Bay Plowshares 7,…

Staff (2019-11-25). The President is a Domestic Enemy of the Constitution: Ellsberg Slams Trump For Pardoning War Crimes. democracynow.org U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper demanded the resignation of Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, one week after President Trump overruled military leaders and cleared three U.S. servicemembers accused or convicted of war crimes. The men included Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher, who has been accused of multiple war crimes, including shooting two Iraqi civilians and fatally stabbing a captive teenager in the neck. Gallagher was convicted of posing with the teenage corpse but was acquitted of premeditated murder. Trump criticized the Navy on Thursday for moving toward holding a review hearing to decide if Gallagher should be…

Staff (2019-11-25). Headlines for November 25, 2019. democracynow.org Navy Secretary Ousted amid Dispute over Accused War Criminal Eddie Gallagher, Released State Dept. Emails Implicate Pompeo in Giuliani Ukraine Plot, Bloomberg Jumps into 2020 Race by Buying Millions in Campaign Ads, Sen. Graham Blocked Armenian Genocide Resolution at White House Request, Ruth Bader Ginsburg Released from Hospital in Good Health, Hong Kong: Pro-Democracy Candidates Win Nearly 90% Seats in Local Elections, Security Forces Raid Offices of Egypt's Last Independent Media Outlet, Iraqi Security Forces Kill 13 Protesters amid Anti-Government Demonstrations, Israel Deporting Head of Human Rights Watch's…

Ryan Devereaux (2019-11-24). "We Are Still Here": Native Activists in Arizona Resist Trump's Border Wall. theintercept.com Nellie Jo David was holding forth in the shadow of the border wall. Tucked under her arm was a sign listing the dozens of federal laws that were waived during the building of the structure. With a megaphone gripped tight in her left hand, the 36-year-old read them off one by one. A crowd of protesters listened in. The sun, pouring through the steel slats of the towering 30-foot-tall partition, cast long shadows in the Arizona desert. David explained how the wall's expansion would drain the lands of precious water and its floodlights would blot out the stars. | "We need to stop this desecration," she said, before…

Ryan Devereaux (2019-11-23). Humanitarian Volunteer Scott Warren Reflects on the Borderlands and Two Years of Government Persecution. theintercept.com A jury found Scott Warren not guilty in the government's second attempt to lock him up for providing humanitarian aid on the border in Arizona.

Ryan Grim (2019-11-23). In Three Touchstone Speeches, Elizabeth Warren Grounds Her Campaign in a History of American Protest and Movement Building. theintercept.com Linking with women-led labor struggles is her way of answering those who want to push her away from economic policy and into a "women's issues" box.

Ryan Cristián (2019-11-23). Iran False Flag Prep, US Government's Staggering Bolivia Hypocrisy, Netanyahu Indicted & Patriot Act. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (11/22/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Activist Post (2019-11-22). Congress Quietly Unites To Extend "Temporary" Patriot Act Under Cover Of The Impeachment Distraction. thelastamericanvagabond.com The only time Republicans and Democrats can agree is when they are discussing the expansion of the permanent war and surveillance state. The Last American Vagabond takes a closer look at the many layers of deception about how legislation gets pushed through which contains buried provisions that further erode the U.S. Constitution and liberty. This is …

Staff (2019-11-22). "In Defense of Julian Assange": Why WikiLeaks Founder's Case Threatens Press Freedom. democracynow.org This week Swedish prosecutors dropped an investigation into sexual assault allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, stemming from 2010. Assange, who has always denied the allegations, took refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for over seven years to avoid extradition to Sweden on the charges. British authorities dragged him out of the Ecuadorian embassy in April and he has since been jailed in London's Belmarsh prison on charges related to skipping of bail in 2012, when he first entered the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over the now-dropped sexual assault charges. The United States…

Staff (2019-11-22). Hundreds of Thousands Join National Strike in Colombia in Rebuke to Right-Wing President Iván Duque. democracynow.org In Colombia, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets Thursday in the largest national strike the country has seen in years. Labor unions, students, teachers, Indigenous and Afro-Colombian activists joined in peaceful marches across urban and rural Colombia as anger mounts against right-wing President Iván Duque and his cabinet. The protests were triggered by Duque's proposed labor reforms and cuts to the pension system, as well as a recent military airstrike against a camp of alleged dissident rebel drug traffickers, which killed eight children. Police responded to the movements with repressive tactic…

Staff (2019-11-22). U.N. Rapporteur: Julian Assange Has Faced Psychological Torture; He Should Not Be Extradited to U.S. democracynow.org This week Swedish prosecutors dropped an investigation into sexual assault allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, stemming from 2010. Assange, who has always denied the allegations, took refuge inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for over seven years to avoid extradition to Sweden on the charges. British authorities dragged him out of the Ecuadorian embassy in April and he has since been jailed in London's Belmarsh prison on charges related to skipping of bail in 2012, when he first entered the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden over the now-dropped sexual assault charges. The United States…

Staff (2019-11-22). Headlines for November 22, 2019. democracynow.org Ex-White House Adviser Warns Impeachment Probe of GOP's "Fictional Narrative" on Ukraine, Senate Republicans May Limit Trump's Impeachment Trial to Two Weeks, Mass Protests in Colombia Oppose Right-Wing Government, Bolivian Soldiers Tear Gas Funeral Procession for Slain Protesters, Iran Continues Internet Blackout After Violently Repressing Protests, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Indicted on Corruption Charges, Protesters Confront Joe Biden Over Obama-Era Deportations, Over 100 Lawmakers Call on President Trump to Fire Stephen Miller, Seven Arrested at UC Berkeley Protest of Ann Coulter Speech, Syracu…

Stephen Zunes (2019-11-21). Trump's Recognition of Israeli Settlements Is Rooted in Bipartisan Support. progressive.org Three previous U.S. administrations all ignored the gross power asymmetry between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Ruth Conniff (2019-11-21). Klobuchar, Booker, Harris Turn Up the Temp in Democratic Debate Number Five. progressive.org In the most watchable of the five Democratic candidate debates so far, three candidates who have been running toward the back of the pack put in the best performances.

Staff (2019-11-21). Joe Biden's and Pete Buttigieg's Records on Race Come Under Scrutiny at 5th Democratic Debate. democracynow.org Presidential candidate Joe Biden claimed on the Democratic debate stage Wednesday that he has broad support from black voters and the only black woman elected to the Senate, seemingly forgetting that 2020 candidate Kamala Harris is a California senator. Biden's comment came amid multiple blunders during the debate, hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post in Atlanta. For more on the 2020 candidates' discussion of race in their campaigns, we speak with Rashad Robinson, executive director of Color of Change, and Ryan Grim, D.C. bureau chief for The Intercept.

Staff (2019-11-21). Bernie Sanders Criticizes U.S. Relationships with Saudi Arabia and Israel at Democratic Debate. democracynow.org Ten Democratic candidates took the stage in Atlanta, Georgia, Wednesday for the party's fifth presidential debate, co-hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post. Toward the end of the evening, Senator Bernie Sanders criticized former Vice President Joe Biden's support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq and laid out his foreign policy vision, including strong criticism of traditional U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and Israel. "It is no longer good enough for us to be pro-Israel — I am pro-Israel — but we must treat the Palestinians with the dignity they deserve," he said. We speak with Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at th…

Staff (2019-11-21). 2020 Candidates' Focus on Inequality Shows "Shift in the Conversation" Within Democratic Party. democracynow.org Ten Democratic candidates took the stage Wednesday for the party's fifth presidential debate, held in Atlanta, Georgia, and co-hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post. One of the most memorable moments of the night was a disagreement between Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker over Warren's proposed tax on the wealthiest Americans. Her proposed wealth tax would kick in on assets of $50 million and higher. Both candidates agreed that inequality is a major issue in the U.S., but Booker said wealth taxes in other countries have not been effective and that there are better ways to raise revenue. The issue of ec…

Ryan Cristián (2019-11-20). Israel Carries Out 'Wide-Scale Strikes' In Syria, US Gov Withholds Food/Meds From Iran & Patriot Act. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (11/20/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Terri Gerstein (2019-11-18). Don't Suppress Votes of New Citizens. progressive.org A new kind of voter suppression is being perpetrated by the federal government and flying largely under the radar: a multi-faceted effort to prevent legal immigrants from becoming citizens in time to vote.

Ryan Cristián (2019-11-18). US Says Israeli Settlements Are Legal, 23 Killed In Bolivia As Violent Coup Ignored & Venezuela Flop. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (11/18/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …