(2019-07-13). Why Does WaPo See Black as an 'Identity'—but Not Multi-Millionaire? fair.org 
by Julie Hollar The Washington Post's "identity politics" writer put out a piece this week ( 7/9/19) devoted to what Robert Johnson, the ultra-rich founder of Black Entertainment Television, thinks about the Democratic primary race. The piece leads off: Few demographic groups are more faithful to the Democratic Part…
(2019-07-13). Boycott Businesses that Support the Santa Cruz Recall. indybay.org 'Undemocratic', 'Xenophobic' and 'Racist' are a few of the terms that have have been used to describe the recall effort launched in Santa Cruz against Progressive City Councilmembers Chris Krohn and Drew Glover. A group calling themselves 'Santa Cruz United' has initiated a petition drive to get the recall on the ballot. The membership of Santa Cruz United draws primarily from two preexisting groups: public safety group Take Back Santa Cruz, and Santa Cruz Together, the anti-rent control group formed during the 2018 election. Multiple businesses are publicly supporting Santa Cruz United and the recall effort, inc…
(2019-07-13). Socialism 2019 in 'Red Chicago'. greenleft.org.au 
Chicago has a proud working-class history and this year elected six socialists to its City Council. At a time when social moments are on the rise and interest in socialist ideas in the United States is at all time high, the "Windy City" was the perfect venue for the annual Socialism conference on July 4-7. | Socialism 2019 was profoundly shaped by two particular and interrelated developments. | First, the dramatic growth of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) following Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential primaries campaign, the polarisation generated by US Pres…
(2019-07-13). States Tackle Student Debt and For-Profit Colleges Rise. indybay.org Washington, DC – As Democratic presidential candidates debate student debt, States attempt to tackle what they see as a debt problem impacting their economies.
(2019-07-12). Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost Was a Member of Secret Facebook Group. theintercept.com 
When news broke that thousands of current and former Border Patrol agents were members of a secret Facebook group filled with racist, vulgar, and sexist content, Carla Provost, chief of the agency, was quick to respond. "These posts are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honor and integrity I see — and expect — from our agents day in and day out," Provost said in a statement. "Any employees found to have violated our standards of conduct will be held accountable." | For Provost, a veteran of the Border Patrol who was named head of the agency in August 2018, the group's existence and content…
(2019-07-12). The Electoral Circus as the End of Its Initial Phase Looms. counterpunch.org 
Democratic hopefuls will be back at it over two nights in Detroit later this month; more or less the same twenty candidates as in June, presumably again at ten a pop. The composition of the two groups will be determined later and, as before, left to chance. These debates — actually, joint public appearances — More
(2019-07-12). Know Your Rights: How Immigrant Rights Activists Are Preparing for Looming ICE Deportation Raids. democracynow.org 
Immigrant communities across the country and their allies are preparing for nationwide raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement planned to begin Sunday that will target undocumented members of immigrant families in at least nine major cities. The cities where raids will take place are said to be Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco. New Orleans had been on the list, but the city announced this weekend that ICE was temporarily postponing the raids due to Tropical Storm Barry. We speak with a roundtable of immigrants' rights activists: Adelina Nicholls, th…
(2019-07-12). The Glaring Holes in Michelle Bachelet's Venezuela Human Rights Report. mintpressnews.com 
UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Michelle Bachelet's report on Venezuela echoes the US government's talking points, which are designed to terminate the two-decade-old Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela. The report fails to acknowledge Venezuela's manifest accomplishments or even recognize victims of US-backed right-wing violence in Venezuela. The US economic war against Venezuela, US threats of a "military option," and opposition violence are treated in the Bachelet report as figments of the imagination, "alleged internal and external threats." | Mean…
(2019-07-12). Will Democratic Superdelegates Block a Progressive in 2020? truthdig.com What follows is a conversation between journalist Norman Solomon and Greg Wilpert of The Real News Network. Read a transcript of their conversation below or watch the video at the bottom of…
(2019-07-12). Sydney Ember's secret sources. nationofchange.org New York Times reporter Sydney Ember has a problem with Bernie Sanders—which may be why the paper has her cover him. Ember is supposed to write reported articles, not op-eds, but she consistently paints a negative picture of Sanders' temperament, history, policies and/or political prospects in the over two dozen pieces she's done on him. This …
(2019-07-12). Ousted Honduran President Zelaya: The 2009 U.S.-Backed Coup Helped Cause Today's Migrant Crisis. democracynow.org 
Since the 2009 U.S.-backed military coup in Honduras, extreme poverty and violence has skyrocketed in the country, forcing tens of thousands of Hondurans to flee to the U.S. with the hope of receiving political asylum. We speak with ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya in the capital of Tegucigalpa about the 10th anniversary of the coup in Honduras, U.S. intervention in Central America and its link to today's migration crisis.
(2019-07-12). "Strategic Extremism": How Republicans and Establishment Democrats Use Identity Politics to Divide and Rule. counterpunch.org 
As we know, both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are bought, sold, and paid for by big business. For that reason, both have a history of avoiding the issues that are common to Americans of all political persuasions. Addressing such issues would undermine the profits of big business. They include free healthcare, living More
(2019-07-12). 'This Is Designed to Shape the Electorate to Retain Political Power' – CounterSpin interview with Steven Rosenfeld on gerrymandering. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Steven Rosenfeld on the Supreme Court's gerrymandering decision for the July 5, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2019-07-12). Bernie Sanders Backs Abolishing the Electoral College. truthdig.com The Vermont senator says, "It is hard to defend a system in which we have a president who lost the popular vote by three million votes."
(2019-07-12). Women of color winning elections: Changing the system and challenging Democrats. peoplesworld.org 
PHILADELPHIA—The public dispute between Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is being portrayed by the mainstream media as a challenge to unity in the Democratic Party. Yet, as history continues to be made with an unprecedented number of women of color running for and winning public office, it may …
(2019-07-12). House Says Trump Can't Go to War With Iran Unless Congress Approves. theintercept.com Democrats in the House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment that would sharply restrict President Donald Trump's ability to attack Iran without congressional authorization, attaching the language to an annual must-pass defense bill. | The measure, which was sponsored by California Democrat Ro Khanna and Florida Republican Matthew Gaetz, would prohibit the Pentagon from spending money on any military action against Iran unless Congress has declared war or passed a resolution authorizing the administration to use force. The bill contains an exception for emergency situations in which U.S. armed forces a…
(2019-07-12). Pennsylvania Lawmakers Stand in the Way of Philadelphia Criminal Legal Reform. truthout.org The next time someone asks you why even popular criminal justice reforms remain so elusive, tell them the story of Pennsylvania's House Bill 1614. Introduced by Republican legislators and quietly signed into law late last month by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, the measure is designed specifically to limit the discretion of a single district attorney…
(2019-07-12). Facebook fined around $5bn over privacy violations. thecanary.co The US Federal Trade Commission has voted to approve a fine of about 5 billion dollars for Facebook over privacy violations, the Wall Street Journal has reported. | Facebook declined to comment on the story which said the 3-2 vote broke along party lines, with Republicans in support and Democrats in opposition to the fine. | The FTC report has been moved to the Justice Department for review, per the report. It is not clear how long it will take to finalise. | The fine would be the largest the FTC has levied on a technology company. | But it will not make much of a dent for Facebook, which had nearly 56 billion do…
(2019-07-12). How to Pay for Major Progressive Programs: Add New Money to the System. truthout.org The Democratic Party has clearly swung to the progressive left, with candidates in the first round of presidential debates coming up with one program after another to help the poor, the disadvantaged and the struggling middle class. Proposals ranged from a Universal Basic Income to Medicare for All to a Green New Deal to student debt forgiveness and free college tuition. The problem, as Stuart Varney observed on FOX Business, was that no one had a viable way to pay for it all without raising taxes or taking from other programs,…
(2019-07-12). Pyongyang on the Potomac. nationofchange.org When Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un shook hands on June 30 at the line dividing the two Koreas, the pictures that appeared on front pages all over the world depicted two very different leaders. Trump is a tall, 73-year-old white man who leads the world's most powerful democracy. Kim is a short, plump, 35-year-old …
(2019-07-12). Race Becomes New Flashpoint With Pelosi, Ocasio-Cortez. truthdig.com WASHINGTON—The debate between Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other House Democrats over migrant children in detention at the border was wrenching enough. Then it became about race. | First, the freshman's chief of staff compared more centrist Democrats to 1940s segregationists. Then Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., accused Speaker Nancy Pelosi of "singling out" her and fellow newcomers, all women of color. | By Thursday, the rhetoric escalated, overshadowing the agenda and pushing House Democrats way off message with the most divisive upheaval since they took control of the chamber this year. Longtime lawmakers were st…
(2019-07-12). Biden Calls ACA a Breakthrough for Mental Health Parity. That's Not Quite True. truthout.org In a sit-down interview with CNN, 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden touted the Obama administration's passage of the Affordable Care Act, asserting that this law evened out the playing field when it came to insurance coverage of mental and physical health. | "We made parity between mental health and physical health," Biden told CNN's Chris Cuomo. "It was a fundamental breakthrough in how we thought about how things should work." | This gets at a health care issue that — as a federal appeals court weighs Obamacare's constitutionality — is now particul…
(2019-07-12). 'Visit the Camps Yet?' Campaign Urges Pelosi to See for Herself the Horrific Conditions at Trump Detention Centers. commondreams.org "Speaker Pelosi, visit the camps! And bring the conservative Democrats with you—so you can all see why Trump's child abuse at the border needs to be reined in now." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pelosi_camps.jpg …
(2019-07-12). House Democrats back facial recognition technology in Washington hearing. wsws.org The plans by the federal police organizations to press forward with facial recognition and biometric identification regardless of any public concerns were made explicit by the panel of those testifying at the hearing.
(2019-07-12). Biden mocked for saying he respects 'no borders and cannot be contained by any walls' (VIDEO). rt.com 
Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden made some peculiar pronouncements about borders and walls in a speech on Thursday that was roundly mocked afterwards online.
(2019-07-12). Republicans & Democrats agree: No war on Iran (without Congress at least). rt.com 
The House of Representatives has adopted the 2020 military spending bill, but with an amendment that blocks war on Iran without congressional approval — backed by President Donald Trump's outspoken critics and supporters alike.
(2019-07-12). Roaming Charges: Pâté Politics in the Time of Trump and Pelosi. counterpunch.org 
As a senator from Delaware, Joe Biden's entire political career has been underwritten by the DuPont Family & its enterprise, once the world's largest chemical company. For the political, martial & environmental implications of this toxic relationship, I strongly recommend Gerard Colby's book Behind the Nylon Curtain: the DuPont Dynasty. More
(2019-07-12). Will Dem Party Superdelegates Prevent a Progressive Nominee in 2020? therealnews.com 
As the Democratic Party race for president heats up, the role of superdelegates in the 2020 party convention could be an issue, even though their participation is more limited than in the past. Norman Solomon discusses the situation…
(2019-07-12). Progressives Push Back After Congressional Black Caucus Attacks Justice Democrats Over Primary Challenges. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ayanna_pressley_workers_0.jpg …
(2019-07-12). Defeating the Trump Administration's Racist, Republican-Rescuing Census Corruption. counterpunch.org 
President Donald Trump, thanks to a congenital inability to stop running his mouth, may ultimately undermine his administration's effort to corrupt the integrity of the upcoming 2020 Census. His latest blurting out that the reason for his wanting to add a controversial question about citizenship status to the Census form is for "redistricting" could be More
(2019-07-12). Skull of Death: Mass Media, Inauthentic Opposition, and Eco-Existential Reality in a Pre-Fascist Age of Appeasement. counterpunch.org 
Drawing by Nathaniel St. Clair | Alongside and consistent with other privilege- and power-serving missions, so-called mainstream corporate media's role is to keep the populace focused as best it can on relatively trivial matters and diverted from the most urgent topics of our time. | Kamala Harris Wants to Kill Your Health Insurance | Two Sundays ago, in a fit of masochistic media research, I watched some cable news talking heads do their weekly news roundups. CNN had a panel of know-it-all neoliberals who reflected on the Democratic Party's first two presidential debates. Everyone agreed that Kamala Harris had…
(2019-07-11). "Unconscionable & Unacceptable": Rep. Barragán Decries Detention of Migrant Children in Prison Cells. democracynow.org 
Yazmin Juárez, the Guatemalan mother whose child died from a lung infection after being held in an ICE detention center, testified before members of a congressional panel Wednesday. She shared the story of her daughter, 19-month-old Mariee, who died last year shortly after being released from the South Texas Family Detention Center in Dilley, Texas. Juárez filed a $60 million lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Patrol and the Department of Health and Human Services. The House subcommittee convened to examine the treatment of refugees in U.S.
(2019-07-11). Cops' racism exposes driving while Latinx in Pennsylvania. workers.org 
On May 10, 2018, Rebecca Castro's car was stopped by a Pennsylvania State trooper who first inquired about her immigration status instead of asking for her license and registration. Castro is a U.S. citizen. The trooper then asked about the status of her two passengers; one was her fiancé Carlos . . . | Continue reading Cops' racism exposes driving while Latinx in Pennsylvania at Workers.org
(2019-07-11). The U.S. Women's Soccer World Cup Win Was a Victory for Title IX & the Fight for Equal Pay. democracynow.org 
Thousands gathered in Manhattan Wednesday to celebrate the U.S. women's national soccer team's fourth World Cup championship at a ticker tape parade that stretched up Broadway and past Wall Street. Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Rose Lavelle and their teammates rode floats through New York City's Canyon of Heroes, ending their celebrations at a ceremony at City Hall. Supporters chanted "U.S.A.!" and "Equal pay!" The U.S women's World Cup victory came just months after members of the 2015 women's team sued the U.S. Soccer Federation over gender discrimination. Their high-profile fight for pay equity is focusing the s…
(2019-07-11). Give Elizabeth Warren a Break — Even Ariel Sharon Said the Israeli Occupation Had to End. theintercept.com Right-wing Israelis, and their supporters in the United States, have spent the last 48 hours venting their fury at Sen. Elizabeth Warren, since the Massachusetts Democrat told a young Jewish activist that she would press Israel to end its military rule over millions of disenfranchised Palestinians in territories it seized by force in 1967. | To be more precise, Warren's critics, led by the Republican Jewish Coalition, have expressed outrage that she said, "yes — so, I'm there," when asked, as she campaigned for the presidency in New Hampshire…
(2019-07-11). As 2020 Primary Nears, Candidates Struggle with Positions on Charter Schools. progressive.org After years of avoidance, Democrats are being forced to take a stand charter schools—and most are straddling both sides.
(2019-07-11). Amy McGrath Is Challenging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. She's Everything Wrong With the Democratic Party. theintercept.com Amy McGrath is everything wrong with the Democratic Party. She launched her high-profile campaign Tuesday with a multimillion-dollar burst of fundraising, with Democrats across the country eager to see her upend Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. By Wednesday, she was apologizing for a bizarre flip-flop-flip on a question — Brett Kavanaugh's fitness for the Supreme Court — that seemed like a layup. In between, she told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that she was running on the mind-bending rationale that McConnell needs to go because he has been obstructing the agenda of Donald Trump. | Perhaps the strang…
(2019-07-11). Mass measles vaccination campaign begins in Ebola-hit DR Congo province. un.org Health workers have started a massive measles vaccination campaign in north-east Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a region that's in the grip of the second deadliest Ebola virus outbreak on record.
(2019-07-11). How U.S. Tech Giants Are Helping to Build China's Surveillance State. theintercept.com A nonprofit led by Google and IBM executives is working with Semptian, whose technology is monitoring the internet activity of 200 million people in China.
(2019-07-11). Left-wing Israeli activist suffers knife attack due to pro-Palestine views. thecanary.co A left-wing Israeli activist has been injured in a knife attack. Jonathan Pollak, a longtime pro-Palestine and Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions ( BDS) activist, was attacked by two people who called him a "leftist asshole". A right-wing Israeli group had previously targeted him for his support of Palestinian rights. | The attack: | In an interview, Polla…
(2019-07-11). Joe Biden Didn't Just Vote for the 2003 Iraq Invasion—He Helped Lead the March to War. globalresearch.ca As the Trump administration's saber-rattling toward Iran threatens another disastrous war in the Middle East, foreign policy has gained newfound focus in the 2020 presidential race. And former Vice President Joe Biden's 2002 vote in favor of the Iraq …
(2019-07-11). Why the Fight Over the 2016 Democratic Primaries Hasn't Gone Away. thenation.com Why the Fight Over the 2016 Democratic Primaries Hasn't Gone Away…
(2019-07-11). The Republicans Who Made Trump Possible Cannot Remove the Badge of Shame. thenation.com The Republicans Who Made Trump Possible Cannot Remove the Badge of Shame…
(2019-07-11). House Judiciary Committee approves subpoenas for 12 witnesses in Trump probe. rt.com 
The Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee has approved subpoenas for 12 witnesses in the ongoing probe into whether President Trump obstructed special counsel Robert Mueller's 'Russian collusion' investigation.
(2019-07-10). How the Climate Crisis Is Pushing Central Americans Out of Their Homes Toward the U.S. democracynow.org 
As the U.S. continues to crack down on migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, we look at one of the underreported driving factors leading people to flee their home countries: the climate crisis. John Carlos Frey, author of "Sand and Blood: America's Stealth War on the Mexico Border," spent time with Central American climate refugees traveling in a caravan toward the United States. He says, "If this drought continues, we're looking at all-out famine from Central America. …That's one of the major reasons why they're coming. … The government doesn't even acknowledge the fact that there is a climate c…
(2019-07-10). The Inhumane Treatment of Migrants Is Not New. It's a Key Part of a Decades-Old Bipartisan Policy. democracynow.org 
More than a week after lawmakers flocked to the U.S.-Mexico border to observe the horrible treatment of refugee children and families in immigration jails, reports of unsafe and unsanitary conditions for asylum seekers are continuing. In Clint, Texas, the Border Patrol station that garnered international attention for jailing hundreds of migrant children without access to sufficient food, water, beds or medical care now has a spreading outbreak of scabies, shingles and chickenpox, according to border agents. In Yuma, Arizona, NBC reports that jailed migrant children have been subjected to mistreatment and sexual…
(2019-07-10). John Carlos Frey: America's Deadly Stealth War on the Mexico Border Is Approaching Genocide. democracynow.org 
John Carlos Frey's new book, "Sand and Blood: America's Stealth War on the Mexico Border," chronicles how the U.S.-Mexico border became a war zone through decades of deadly bipartisan immigration policy. But it also examines the border through the personal history of his family. Born in Tijuana, Mexico, Frey moved to the U.S. with his family when he was a toddler in 1965. He grew up in southern San Diego, California, where he witnessed the effects of American immigration policy on the borderlands every day. His father was an American citizen. His mother was a Mexican immigrant. Frey's book is dedicated "To my mot…
(2019-07-10). Headlines for July 10, 2019. democracynow.org Children Recount Mistreatment, Sexual Abuse at Yuma, AZ Migrant Jail, Scabies, Shingles & Chickenpox Spreading Among Children at Clint, TX Migrant Jail, Jewish Activists Arrested After Protesting Migrant Detention on Capitol Hill, Judge Rejects DOJ Move to Replace Legal Team Charged with Census Citizenship Battle, Court Says Trump Cannot Block Critics on Twitter, U.K. Ambassador Resigns After Leaked Cables Scandal, Afghan Peace Talks Close as Deadly Attacks Continue, Appeals Court Hears Arguments on Constitutionality of Affordable Care Act, Megan Rapinoe to Trump: "Your Message Is Excluding People", Calls Grow fo…
(2019-07-10). New Jersey Political Boss Warns "Certain Elements of the Working Class" Are Turned Off by Embrace of Immigrants. theintercept.com George Norcross, a Cory Booker ally, said "the Democratic Party has not been attractive to certain elements of the working class," echoing Trump's rhetoric.
(2019-07-10). As Border Crisis Deepens, Nancy Pelosi Asks for Prayer to Heal Democratic Rifts. theintercept.com House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continued her criticism of the progressives in her party at a private House Democratic caucus meeting on Wednesday. "Every time I'm attacked, I raise more money," Pelosi said, looking directly at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and drawing huge applause from the caucus. | Pelosi claimed that party infighting was putting the House majority at risk by jeopardizing seats flipped from red to blue in 2018. Ocasio-Cortez has been openly critical on Twitter of Blue Dogs and New Democrats, who represent conservatives in the caucus. "Think twice about it," Pelosi advised about staffers who tweet,…
(2019-07-10). How to Pay for It All: An Option the Candidates Missed. dissidentvoice.org The Democratic Party has clearly swung to the progressive left, with candidates in the first round of presidential debates coming up with one program after another to help the poor, the disadvantaged and the struggling middle class. Proposals ranged from a Universal Basic Income to Medicare for All to a Green New Deal to student …
(2019-07-09). The Book of Palestine: National Liberation vs Endless Negotiations. mintpressnews.com 
What will it take for the Palestinian government to abandon the American option and, instead, to develop a rounded strategy that is founded on national unity, democratic representation and international solidarity? asks Ramzy Baroud.
(2019-07-09). "This Is Not a Surprise": U.S. Sanctions and Saber Rattling Led to Iran's Renewed Uranium Enrichment. democracynow.org 
In ongoing fallout from the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear accord, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Monday that Iran has begun enriching uranium above the level agreed to by the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran has threatened to continue to increase their production of enriched uranium if European signatories of the nuclear deal do not help ease the impact of the U.S. sanctions. We speak with Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the new think tank, the Quincy Institute, and author of "Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy."
(2019-07-09). Despite Death Threats, Glenn Greenwald Speaks Out About Exposing Large Corruption Scandal in Brazil. democracynow.org 
A political crisis in Brazil is growing in the wake of The Intercept's investigation into a judge who likely aided federal prosecutors in their corruption case against former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Bolsonaro administration announced Monday that Brazilian Justice Minister Sérgio Moro has been granted a leave of absence from July 15-19 to "deal with personal matters." Leaked cellphone messages among Brazilian law enforcement officials and other data obtained by The Intercept point to an ongoing collaboration between then-Judge Sérgio Moro and the prosecutors investigating a sweeping corr…
(2019-07-09). Tuesday's Daily Brief: #GlobalGoals progress, essential meds, updates from Cox's Bazar, Sudan and DR Congo. un.org This Tuesday's UN top stories are: high-level discussions on the progress made towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals; falling behind on universal education dream; the UN list of essential medicines updated; life-threatening floods in Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh; and human rights in Sudan and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
(2019-07-08). As prosecutors vow retrial of Scott Warren, community vows to continue aiding migrants. liberationnews.org 
The further persecution of Warren is not having the cooling effect on border-activism that U.S. authorities intended it to have.
(2019-07-08). U.S. Women's Soccer Team Wins World Cup, Condemning Pay Discrimination and President Trump. democracynow.org 
The U.S. national women's soccer team made history by winning its record fourth World Cup after defeating the Netherlands 2 to 0 on Sunday in Lyon, France. The U.S. women's World Cup victory came just months after members of the 2015 women's team sued the U.S. Soccer Federation over gender discrimination. Following the victory, audience members began to chant "equal pay" in solidarity with the team's demands for an equal salary to their male counterparts. Prize money for this year's Women's World Cup is just $30 million compared to $400 million for the 2018 men's World Cup. Co-captain Megan Rapinoe was awarded th…
(2019-07-08). Charges Dropped Against Pregnant Shooting Victim Amid Outcry over the Criminalization of Pregnancy. democracynow.org 
Following immense public pressure, prosecutors in Alabama have dropped manslaughter changers against Marshae Jones, a 28-year-old African-American woman whose pregnancy ended after she was shot in the stomach by a coworker. Local police accused Jones of starting the fight that led to the shooting in the parking lot of a Dollar General store outside of Birmingham. A grand jury then indicted Jones on manslaughter but dismissed any charges against the shooter. The case drew national outcry from women's rights advocates concerned about the criminalization of pregnant women and the legal implications of so-called feta…
(2019-07-08). Headlines for July 8, 2019. democracynow.org Trump & DOJ Reverse Stance, Will Keep Pushing for Citizenship Question in 2020 Census, Trump Admin Threatens It's Ready to Start Deporting Up to 1 Million People, ICE and FBI Have Used Facial Recognition Technology to Mine DMV Databases, Trump: Migrants "Very Happy" with Situation in U.S. Migrant Jails, Iran Breaches Nuclear Deal Limits, Condemns U.K.'s Seizure of Oil Tanker, Sudanese Military Leaders and Opposition Agree to 3-Year Power-Sharing Deal, Greek Snap Elections Hand Victory to Conservative Party, U.S. Women's Team Wins Soccer World Cup, Shining a Spotlight on Gender Pay Disparity, State of Emergency De…
(2019-07-08). David Harvey: The Limits of Social Democracy and of the Welfare State (2/2). therealnews.com 
The main alternative to neoliberalism is the proposed renewal of social democracy, such as in the form of Bernie Sanders' proposals. But to move forward we need to discuss the limits of a welfare state that ultimately does not change class relations, says David Harvey…
(2019-07-05). An Hour with Noam Chomsky on Fascism, Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change, Julian Assange & More. democracynow.org 
In April, hundreds of people packed into the Old South Church in Boston to hear the world-renowned dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky speak. In this hour-long special, we air an excerpt of Chomsky's speech and his on-stage interview with Amy Goodman.
(2019-07-04). "What to the Slave Is 4th of July?": James Earl Jones Reads Frederick Douglass's Historic Speech. democracynow.org 
In a Fourth of July holiday special, we hear the words of Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery around 1818, Douglass became a key leader of the abolitionist movement. On July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, he gave one of his most famous speeches, "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro." He was addressing the Rochester Ladies Antislavery Society. This is actor James Earl Jones reading the speech during a performance of historian Howard Zinn's acclaimed book, "Voices of a People's History of the United States." He was introduced by Zinn.
(2019-07-04). Danny Glover & Ta-Nehisi Coates Make the Case for Reparations at Historic Congressional Hearing. democracynow.org 
On June 19, a subcommittee of the House Judiciary held a historic hearing on reparations for slavery—the first of its kind in over a decade. The hearing coincided with Juneteenth, a day that commemorates June 19, 1865, when slaves in Galveston, Texas, finally learned that the Emancipation Proclamation had abolished slavery. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the transatlantic slave trade. Lawmakers are considering a bill titled the "Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act." It was introduced by Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston, after former Congressm…
(2019-07-04). Ta-Nehisi Coates: "Joe Biden Shouldn't Be President" democracynow.org 
Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden is under fire for fondly reminiscing about his "civil" relationship with segregationist senators in the 1970s and 1980s. Speaking at a fundraiser at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City on Tuesday night, Biden expressed nostalgia for his relationship with the late Democratic pro- segregation Senators James Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia. Biden reportedly said, "I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland. … He never called me 'boy'; he called me 'son.'" Biden went on to say, "A guy like Herman Talmadge, one of the meanest guys I ever knew, you go do…
(2019-07-04). Ta-Nehisi Coates: Reparations Are Not Just About Slavery But Also Centuries of Theft & Racial Terror. democracynow.org 
We speak with renowned writer Ta-Nehisi Coates on the lasting legacy of American slavery, how the national dialogue about reparations has progressed in the past five years and his testimony in favor of reparations at a historic hearing last month, in which he took direct aim at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Coates says, "It is absolutely impossible to imagine America without enslavement."
(2019-07-04). Reading Reuters between the Lines: Why the US Puppet President of Venezuela Is Toast. mintpressnews.com A critical reading between the lines of a Reuters article confirms that Washington has failed to cobble together a united opposition in Venezuela that is popular enough to win in the polls, likely signaling the end for Juan Guaido.
(2019-07-03). Scott Warren of No More Deaths Faces Retrial for Providing Humanitarian Aid to Migrants in Arizona. democracynow.org 
Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday they will retry humanitarian aid volunteer and immigration rights activist Scott Warren on two charges related to aiding migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. This comes just a few weeks after a jury refused to convict Warren for providing water, food, clean clothes and beds to two undocumented migrants crossing the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona. Eight jurors found Warren not guilty; four said he was. Federal prosecutors will make their case against Warren again in an 8-day jury trial in November. They have dropped a conspiracy charge against him. If convicted on the tw…
(2019-07-03). Buttigieg Goes for Big Bucks as NYT Oversells His Small-Donor Support. fair.org by Jim Naureckas On June 25, the day before the first Democratic presidential debates, Pete Buttigieg's average in polls of the race stood at 7.0 percent. Today, after the attention and considerable positive media reaction that he got after the debates, he's surged—to 5.2 percent. | Despite the fact that more people seeing him seems to have resulted in less people liking him, the media narrative about Buttigieg is that his is a campaign on the move—based almost entirely on his fun…
(2019-07-03). Thousands of Voices Are Telling the Supreme Court: Don't Roll Back LGBTQ Rights. aclu.org Businesses, women CEOs, civil rights organizations, Republicans tell the Supreme Court to protect LGBTQ employees like Aimee Stephens and Don Zarda. | President Trump has told the Supreme Court it should be legal to fire someone just because they're LGBTQ. The President may be a bully, but he's just one voice. Today, more than 2,000 voices from across the country joined together to tell the Supreme Court: Don't roll back our rights. | The message came in the form of friend-of-the-court briefs—nearly 50 in all—filed in a…
(2019-07-02). Warning to Progressive Dems: You're Leaving Corporate Media's Comfort Zone. fair.org by Julie Hollar After the first round of Democratic primary debates, the line from corporate media and their overwhelmingly centrist sources was clear: The Democrats are moving dangerously to the left, at their own peril. | Washington Post reporter Michael Scherer ( 6/30/19), under the headline "Democratic Candidates Veer Left, Leaving Behind Successful Midterm Strategy," pushed the media conventional wisd…
(2019-07-02). NBC News Whitewashes Colombia's Right-Wing President. fair.org 
Colombian President Iván Duque gave a talk on June 21 at the "Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity" on his book Orange Economy: An Infinite Opportunity. Duque wasn't alone—Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, singer John Legend and former NBA star Dwyane Wade also made appearances at the French Riviera event. | Claire Atkinson, the senior media editor at NBC News ( 6/27/19), i…
(2019-07-01). Billionaires, mercenaries and middle class gangs build secret border wall in NM town. liberationnews.org 
We Build the Wall is a private billionaire-backed rightwing extremist organization.
(2019-06-28). Who Won the Democratic Food Fight? progressive.org From $1,000 monthly payments to socialism to love, presidential candidates lay out their strategies for beating Trump in 2020.
(2019-06-28). The Other Americans: Hondurans Look Back at the Political Coup that Undermined Their Democracy. progressive.org "I want my daughter to have a better life, I want her to walk."
(2019-06-27). SPLC: Supreme Court decision not to stop politicians from rigging voting maps hurts our democracy. splcenter.org The Supreme Court decided today that federal courts have no role in regulating state legislatures' gross abuses of power when drawing political lines.
