Daily Archives: July 15, 2019

2019-07-15: News Headlines

Staff (2019-07-15). Progressive Democrats Answer Trump's Racist Screed. truthdig.com After President Donald Trump on Sunday directed a series of racist tweets at Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, the group of freshman congresswomen known as the "the Squad" rebuked the president for his bigoted remarks and vowed to continue fighting his cruel attacks on immigrants and other vulnerable communities. | "This is what racism looks like," tweeted Pressley, a Massachusetts congresswoman, after Trump said the freshman Democrats should "go back" to the countries "from which they came." | Trump's attack was met with a flood of outrage. By Monday morning, the has…

Staff (2019-07-15). "Fossil Fuel Stooges" Pence & Trump Deny Climate Crisis as Deadly Rains Slam Louisiana & South Asia. democracynow.org Ongoing heavy rain has killed at least 67 people in Nepal, 25 in India and 14 in Bangladesh as flooding from monsoons has displaced 1 million people in South Asia. This year's flooding in the region has been worse than ever before and is likely fueled by rising global temperatures, which have led to more extreme weather. Scientists warn that the risk of deadly floods is not over. In the United States, New Orleans residents managed to avoid the worst of Tropical Storm Barry, but 11 million people continued to be on flash flood warning as the storm slowly made its way through Louisiana over the weekend. President T…

Staff (2019-07-15). Cruelty Is the Point: Communities Fight Back as Threat of ICE Raids Terrorize Immigrant Families. democracynow.org This weekend, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents launched a handful of raids across the country as part of President Trump's push to detain and deport thousands of undocumented migrants in 10 major cities. Agents in Chicago reportedly arrested a mother and her children only to quickly release them. Arrests were also attempted in New York City, in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and Harlem, where immigrants reportedly refused to open their doors to ICE agents because they did not have warrants. Authorities say more raids are planned this week, prompting fear but also generating mass protests on the ground. We speak…

John Feffer (2019-07-15). Pyongyang on the Potomac. counterpunch.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 More

Maryam Saleh (2019-07-15). How Some Florida Prosecutors Are Pushing Back Against GOP Voter Suppression Efforts. theintercept.com The GOP legislature is trying to take the vote away from people with past legal woes — and some prosecutors are looking for ways around a new restriction.

Roger Harris (2019-07-15). UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Bachelet's Gift to the US: Justifying Regime Change in Venezuela. counterpunch.org 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 More

Staff (2019-07-15). "We Are in Fear": Undocumented Immigrant in Sanctuary Responds to Raids from Colorado Church. democracynow.org As immigrant communities face ongoing raids across the country, we speak with Rosa Sabido, one of dozens of undocumented immigrants living in churches across the United States. She entered sanctuary in May 2017 in the fellowship hall at United Methodist Church in Mancos, Colorado, after being told that her latest request of stay of deportation had been denied by ICE. She first came to the U.S. on a visitor visa in 1987 to see her mother and stepfather, who are both naturalized U.S. citizens. "We are in fear. We are on guard," says Sabido. "We are on constant panic, and we don't know what's going to happen in our…

Ilana Novick (2019-07-15). The Sanders Campaign Is Fighting Back Against Biased Media Coverage. truthdig.com Sen. Bernie Sanders is doing well in the polls, but as his presidential campaign staff explains to Politico, you'd never know that from his media coverage and comments from reporters. Yet in a July 12 New York Times analysis of multiple public opinion polls askin…

Staff (2019-07-15). Pressley, AOC, Tlaib and Omar Hit Back at Trump's Bigotry. truthout.org After President Donald Trump on Sunday directed a series of racist tweets at Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, the group of freshman congresswomen known as the "the Squad" rebuked the president for his bigoted remarks and vowed to continue fighting his cruel attacks on immigrants and other vulnerable communities. | "This is what racism looks like," tweeted Pressley, a Massachusetts congresswoman, after Trump said the freshman Democrats should "go back" to the countries "from which they came." | Trump's attack was met with a flood of outrage. By Monday morning, the…

Philip A Farruggio (2019-07-15). How to Serve Man? "The Narcotic Effect of Thinking We are a Democracy" globalresearch.ca Inspired by the 1962 Twilight Zone episode How to Serve Man this writer uses that to make some cogent points about our corporate and political system. We have (too) large corporations that do as little as possible to make we …

The Canary (2019-07-15). Trump's tweets against progressive congresswomen branded racist. thecanary.co US president Donald Trump has shrugged off sharp criticism over tweets branded as racist in which he said four Black, progressive congresswomen should "go back and help fix" their "broken and crime infested" countries. | All are US citizens, and only one is foreign-born. | While Democrats have condemned Trump's remarks, Republicans have remained largely silent. ….and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come b…

teleSUR (2019-07-15). Trump Says 'The Squad' Hates the US, Asks Them to Leave Again. telesurenglish.net The United States President Donald Trump Monday defended his attacks against four Democratic congresswomen, saying he was not concerned if people thought his tweets toward them were racist and accused the U.S. lawmakers of hating America. | RELATED: | Nancy Pelosi 'Salty' as Progressive Congresswomen Vote Against Right-wing Border Bill | "As far as…

Dan Bacher (2019-07-15). Governor Newsom orders firing of top oil regulator after fracking increases by 103%. indybay.org The announcement of Ken Harris' firing came several hours after two watchdog groups, Consumer Watchdog and the FracTracker Allliance, released a report revealing that eight DOGGR officials own stock in corporations they are responsible for regulating. | It also came after the many scores of articles I wrote and radio interviews I did documenting the expansion of oil and gas drilling and fracking and numerous conflicts of interests by oil and gas regulators in California under Governor Jerry Brown and now Gavin Newsom.

WSWS (2019-07-15). Strikes get "silent treatment" at NEA convention, as candidates take center stage. wsws.org The National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, met to promote the Democrats in 2020.

WSWS (2019-07-15). Democrats back mass deportations. wsws.org Regardless of immigration status, all workers must understand that they are the ultimate target of the anti-democratic methods used against immigrants.

WSWS (2019-07-15). Thousands march in Chicago to demand end to US immigrant detention camps, raids and deportations. wsws.org The event was aimed at containing the enormous social opposition to the extreme-right policies of the Trump administration and the Republicans, within the confines of the Democratic Party,…

RT (2019-07-15). Trump calls on 'Radical Left Congresswomen' to apologize to US & Israel in fresh Twitter attack. rt.com US President Donald Trump escalated his war of words with a group of progressive Democrat congresswomen in an early-morning tweet Monday, in which he called for them to apologize to the US, Israel and to his office.

WSWS (2019-07-15). House Democrats ratify $733 billion for US military. wsws.org The bill was passed with more than a dozen amendments, all of which will eventually be removed, to ensure the support of Democratic "progressives."

RT (2019-07-15). Netroots Nation: What does America's largest progressive conference mean for the 2020 race? rt.com With the Democratic party torn between the activist left and the establishment center, some of its leading figures competed to out-woke each other at Netroots Nation 2019. But will this bring victory in 2020 — or rule it out? |

Curt Wechsler (2019-07-15). Immigrant Raids Part of a Larger Fascist Program. indybay.org Sports Basement | 1590 Bryant Street, San Francisco…

Staff (2019-07-15). Would Jay Inslee Take on the Military to Fight Climate Change? therealnews.com At Netroots Nation 2019, we asked Democratic Presidential Candidate Jay Inslee focused on climate change, if he'd take on the largest institutional emitter of fossil fuels: the Pentagon…

Text: R.R. Photos: Teri Vershel (2019-07-15). Mountain View Vigil Protests Immigration Camps. indybay.org On June 30, 2018 in Mountain View 2,000 people demonstrated to send a clear message to Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress: Families Belong Together! They demanded an end to cruel and unjustified treatment of immigrant children and their families. A year later, on July 12, 2019, members of Together We Will once again called upon the people to gather on the streets, for the situation has not improved. Quite the opposite, it has only become more dire. | Photos by Teri Vershel, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer.

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-07-15). #RacistPresident Trends as Pressley, AOC, Tlaib, and Omar Hit Back at Trump's Bigoted Attack. commondreams.org "We are what democracy looks like. And we're not going anywhere. Except back to D.C. to fight for the families you marginalize and vilify everyday." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aoc_tlaib_pressley.jpg

David Altheide (2019-07-15). The Fear Party. counterpunch.org Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair | The politics of fear led by President Trump attacking undocumented immigrants and religious minorities is pushing our political parties apart. Political divisions in the United States are increased when our two major political parties do not agree on what are the important issues. | Historically, Democratic and Republican parties essentially agreed on…

John Nichols (2019-07-15). When Trump Is Tweeting Racist Attacks on Progressive Democratic Women, It's Time to Impeach. thenation.com When Trump Is Tweeting Racist Attacks on Progressive Democratic Women, It's Time to Impeach…

RT (2019-07-15). 'If you're not happy, you can leave': Trump stands by his tweets slamming Dem Squad. rt.com US President Donald Trump ramped up his Twitter feud with four Democratic congresswomen who he says 'hate America,' accusing one of them of supporting Al-Qaeda and saying they are welcome to leave the country if they so wish.

Kate Zeller (2019-07-15). 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.

Staff (2019-07-15). How Quickly Would Julian Castro Transition the US to 100% Renewables? therealnews.com At Netroots Nation 2019, we ask Democratic Presidential candidate Julian Castro about his plan to transition off of fossil fuels and take on the oil and gas industry…

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-07-15). Sanders Accuses Biden of Parroting Pharma and Insurance Industry Script With Attacks on Medicare for All. commondreams.org "At a time when Donald Trump and the health insurance industry are lying every day about Medicare for All, I would hope that my fellow Democrats would not resort to misinformation about my legislation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_joe_biden_medicare_for_all.jpg

WSWS (2019-07-15). Pete Buttigieg: The made-to-order political "outsider" wsws.org The sudden elevation of Buttigieg is an effort to shift the Democratic presidential campaign to the right, particularly on issues related to national security.

Eugene E Ruyle (2019-07-15). General Elections in India: Modi's (Neo)-Fascism vs. Social Democrats and the Left. indybay.org NPML, 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (just North of Alcatraz Ave.)…

Staff (2019-07-15). Would Jay Inslee Take on the Military to Fight Climate Change? therealnews.com At Netroots Nation 2019, we asked Democratic presidential candidate Jay Inslee, focused on climate change, if he'd take on the largest institutional emitter of fossil fuels: the Pentagon…

RT (2019-07-15). Kaepernick anthem-kneeling controversy was the work of 'Russian Bots' — Kamala Harris. rt.com What can't those dastardly Russian bots do? Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris has blamed the media commotion surrounding former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's kneeling during the national anthem on the Kremlin's minions. |

Robert Mackey (2019-07-14). Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden Condemn Israeli Occupation, as Young American Jews Urge Democrats to Press Israel. theintercept.com Young American Jews got two more presidential candidates, Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden, to denounce Israel's military rule over millions of Palestinians.

Jamil Dakwar, Sonia Gill (2019-07-14). Pompeo's New "Human Rights" Commission is Up To No Good. commondreams.org Secretary Pompeo speaks of longstanding international human rights norms as if he's demonstrated a single iota of respect for them, and as if those norms are incongruent with defending human dignity and democratic values. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pomp_0.jpeg

Fight Back (2019-07-14). Activists in Oshkosh, WI call for closure of Trump's concentration camps. fightbacknews.org Oshkosh, WI – On the evening of July 12, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Students for a Democratic Society (UWO SDS) hosted a Lights for Liberty rally, demanding an end to the Trump administration's detention policy and the closure of the concentration camps, where tens of thousands of immigrants are being held in clear breach of international law. The call to action drew roughly 30 people from Oshkosh and the surrounding Fox Valley area. | The event started with a silent candlelight vigil to help bring awareness to the disastrous conditions in the camps. The action featured 12 different people speaking…

teleSUR (2019-07-14). 'Go Fix Your Countries': Trump to US Congresswomen. telesurenglish.net "Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how," United States President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday addressing a group of Democratic congresswomen. | RELATED: | Tlaib Slams Israeli Racism, Applauds Intersectional Solidarity | "So interesting to see 'Progressive' Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, viciou…

Staff (2019-07-14). Pence Blames Democrats for Migrant Detention Horrors. truthdig.com During a visit to the border, the vice president says overcrowding in camps used to imprison migrants is the fault of Democrats in Congress.

Staff (2019-07-14). Leave the U.S., Trump Tells Democratic Congresswomen of Color. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Sunday assailed a group of Democratic congresswomen of color as foreign-born troublemakers who should go back to the "broken and crime infested places from which they came," ignoring the fact that the women are American citizens and all but one was born in the U.S. | Trump's tweets drew sharp rebukes from Democrats, who derided his remarks as racist. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the president wants to "make America white again." And Republican Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, a Trump critic who recently took steps to leave his party, called the remarks "racist and dis…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-07-14). September Candidates Climate Forum to Go On Despite Dropping Sponsor. commondreams.org "The voters deserve to know where all of the Democratic candidates stand on this issue, and how exactly they would address the climate crisis if elected." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mayor_pete_buttigieg_0.jpg

RT (2019-07-14). Russian trolls are coming! Obama staffer issues warning amid dispute within Democrtic party. rt.com With sniping and infighting rocking the Democratic Party, former White House staffer Ben Rhodes has warned the left to be on the lookout for those ever-present "Russian trolls," drawing ridicule. |

RT (2019-07-14). Go back to your crime infested countries and Pelosi will pay for it — Trump to progressive Dems. rt.com In a three-tweet tirade, President Donald Trump told progressive congresswomen to go back to their "totally broken and crime infested" countries of origin and sneered at the infighting rocking the Democratic Party. |

Glen Ford (2019-07-13). Sanders vs the Endless Austerity Regime. mronline.org Bernie Sanders must very quickly get serious about building a grassroots movement-type politics on the ground that disrupts the corporate-managed pace, coverage and content of the primary season. | Source

Julie Hollar (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…

Clair Brown, Simon Sällström (2019-07-13). What America Needs to Understand About Capitalism. commondreams.org Either Warren or Sanders would be a better bet for reform than Biden. (Photo: Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE/Rex) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/warren_sanders.jpeg

John Nichols (2019-07-13). Trump Wants to Use 'Citizenship Data' to Gerrymander Democracy. thenation.com Trump Wants to Use 'Citizenship Data' to Gerrymander Democracy…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-07-13). With ICE Raids Expected to Begin Sunday, Message From AOC, Bernie Sanders, and Others is Clear: 'Know Your Rights'. commondreams.org Sanders is using his large mailing list to "target a message to supporters that may be impacted by the upcoming enforcement raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ice_raid_0.jpg

susan_p (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 movements are on the rise and interest in socialist ideas in the United States is at an 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…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-07-13). Despite Congress Providing $4.6 Billion in Additional Funding for Border, Pence Says Conditions Still the Fault of Democrats. commondreams.org "You gotta love it when Pence immediately puts complete blame for the horrors he saw on the Dems even after they threw money at monsters." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pence_1.png

T.J. Coles (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

Janine Jackson (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…

Staff (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…

Roger D. Harris (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…

Andrew Levine (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

Chauncey K. Robinson (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 …

Staff (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.

Ryan Devereaux (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…

splcenter (2019-07-12). Weekend Read: Jim Crow's fingerprints are on Florida's new voting law. splcenter.org Voting is not a privilege but a right that is essential for a healthy, well-functioning democracy.

The Canary (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…

Alex Emmons (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…

Staff (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…

RT (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.

Jeffrey St. Clair (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

RT (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.

Paul Street (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…

Dave Lindorff (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

Betsey Piette (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

Staff (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.

Staff (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…

Robert Mackey (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…

Ryan Grim (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…

United Nations (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.

Jake Jacobs (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.

Ryan Gallagher (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.

John Nichols (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…

Joshua Holland (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

Aída Chávez (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.

Staff (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…

Aída Chávez (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,…

Ramzy Baroud (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.

Staff (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."

Staff (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…

United Nations (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.

Violet Jane Evans (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.

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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.

Staff (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.

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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."

Roger D. Harris (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.

Jim Naureckas (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…

ACLU (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…

Julie Hollar (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…

Harrison Malkin (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…

2019-07-15: Social Media Postees

Pressley, AOC, Tlaib and Omar Hit Back at Trump's Bigotry
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-07-15
After President Donald Trump on Sunday directed a series of racist tweets at Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, the group of freshman congresswomen known as the "the Squad" rebuked the president for his bigoted remarks and vowed to continue fighting his cruel attacks on immigrants and other vulnerable communities. | "This is what racism looks like," tweeted Pressley, a Massachusetts congresswoman, after Trump said the freshman Democrats should "go back" to the countries "from which they came." | Trump's attack was met with a flood of outrage. By Monday morning, the…
truthout.org/articles/pressley-aoc-tlaib-and-omar-hit-back-at-trumps-bigotry/

UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Bachelet's Gift to the US: Justifying Regime Change in Venezuela
Roger Harris | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-15
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…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/15/un-high-commissioner-on-human-rights-bachelets-gift-to-the-us-justifying-regime-change-in-venezuela/

Progressive Democrats Answer Trump's Racist Screed
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-07-15
After President Donald Trump on Sunday directed a series of racist tweets at Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley, the group of freshman congresswomen known as the "the Squad" rebuked the president for his bigoted remarks and vowed to continue fighting his cruel attacks on immigrants and other vulnerable communities. | "This is what racism looks like," tweeted Pressley, a Massachusetts congresswoman, after Trump said the freshman Democrats should "go back" to the countries "from which they came." | Trump's attack was met with a flood of outrage. By Monday morning, the has…
truthdig.com/articles/progressive-democrats-answer-trumps-racist-screed/

The Sanders Campaign Is Fighting Back Against Biased Media Coverage
Ilana Novick | truthdig.com | 2019-07-15
Sen. Bernie Sanders is doing well in the polls, but as his presidential campaign staff explains to Politico, you'd never know that from his media coverage and comments from reporters. Yet in a July 12 New York Times analysis of multiple public opinion polls askin…
truthdig.com/articles/the-sanders-campaign-is-fighting-back-against-biased-media-coverage/

How Some Florida Prosecutors Are Pushing Back Against GOP Voter Suppression Efforts
Maryam Saleh | theintercept.com | 2019-07-15
The GOP legislature is trying to take the vote away from people with past legal woes — and some prosecutors are looking for ways around a new restriction.
theintercept.com/2019/07/15/florida-voting-rights-amendment-4/

"Fossil Fuel Stooges" Pence & Trump Deny Climate Crisis as Deadly Rains Slam Louisiana & South Asia
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-15
Ongoing heavy rain has killed at least 67 people in Nepal, 25 in India and 14 in Bangladesh as flooding from monsoons has displaced 1 million people in South Asia. This year's flooding in the region has been worse than ever before and is likely fueled by rising global temperatures, which have led to more extreme weather. Scientists warn that the risk of deadly floods is not over. In the United States, New Orleans residents managed to avoid the worst of Tropical Storm Barry, but 11 million people continued to be on flash flood warning as the storm slowly made its way through Louisiana over the weekend. President T…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/15/nepal_india_bangladesh_flooding_climate_crisis

How to Serve Man? "The Narcotic Effect of Thinking We are a Democracy"
Philip A Farruggio | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-15
Inspired by the 1962 Twilight Zone episode How to Serve Man this writer uses that to make some cogent points about our corporate and political system. We have (too) large corporations that do as little as possible to make we …
globalresearch.ca/how-serve-man/5683537

Trump's tweets against progressive congresswomen branded racist
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-07-15
US president Donald Trump has shrugged off sharp criticism over tweets branded as racist in which he said four Black, progressive congresswomen should "go back and help fix" their "broken and crime infested" countries. | All are US citizens, and only one is foreign-born. | While Democrats have condemned Trump's remarks, Republicans have remained largely silent. | ….and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come b…
thecanary.co/us/us-news-us/2019/07/15/trumps-tweets-against-progressive-congresswomen-branded-racist/

"We Are in Fear": Undocumented Immigrant in Sanctuary Responds to Raids from Colorado Church
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-15
As immigrant communities face ongoing raids across the country, we speak with Rosa Sabido, one of dozens of undocumented immigrants living in churches across the United States. She entered sanctuary in May 2017 in the fellowship hall at United Methodist Church in Mancos, Colorado, after being told that her latest request of stay of deportation had been denied by ICE. She first came to the U.S. on a visitor visa in 1987 to see her mother and stepfather, who are both naturalized U.S. citizens. "We are in fear. We are on guard," says Sabido. "We are on constant panic, and we don't know what's going to happen in our…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/15/rosa_sabido_immigrants_in_sanctuary_seg2

Cruelty Is the Point: Communities Fight Back as Threat of ICE Raids Terrorize Immigrant Families
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-15
This weekend, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents launched a handful of raids across the country as part of President Trump's push to detain and deport thousands of undocumented migrants in 10 major cities. Agents in Chicago reportedly arrested a mother and her children only to quickly release them. Arrests were also attempted in New York City, in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and Harlem, where immigrants reportedly refused to open their doors to ICE agents because they did not have warrants. Authorities say more raids are planned this week, prompting fear but also generating mass protests on the ground. We speak…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/15/immigration_detention_ice_raids_elora_mukherjee

Trump Says 'The Squad' Hates the US, Asks Them to Leave Again
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-15
The United States President Donald Trump Monday defended his attacks against four Democratic congresswomen, saying he was not concerned if people thought his tweets toward them were racist and accused the U.S. lawmakers of hating America. | RELATED: | Nancy Pelosi 'Salty' as Progressive Congresswomen Vote Against Right-wing Border Bill | "As far as…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-trump-ilhan-omar-aoc-rashida-tlaib-ayanna-pressely-racism-20190715-0016.html

Pyongyang on the Potomac
John Feffer | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-15
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…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/15/pyongyang-on-the-potomac/

The Fear Party
David Altheide | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-15
Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair | The politics of fear led by President Trump attacking undocumented immigrants and religious minorities is pushing our political parties apart. Political divisions in the United States are increased when our two major political parties do not agree on what are the important issues. | Historically, Democratic and Republican parties essentially agreed on…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/15/the-fear-party/

Would Jay Inslee Take on the Military to Fight Climate Change?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-15
At Netroots Nation 2019, we asked Democratic presidential candidate Jay Inslee, focused on climate change, if he'd take on the largest institutional emitter of fossil fuels: the Pentagon…
therealnews.com/stories/would-jay-inslee-take-on-the-military-to-fight-climate-change

How Quickly Would Julian Castro Transition the US to 100% Renewables?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-15
At Netroots Nation 2019, we ask Democratic Presidential candidate Julian Castro about his plan to transition off of fossil fuels and take on the oil and gas industry…
therealnews.com/stories/how-quickly-would-julian-castro-transition-the-us-to-100-renewables

When Trump Is Tweeting Racist Attacks on Progressive Democratic Women, It's Time to Impeach
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2019-07-15
When Trump Is Tweeting Racist Attacks on Progressive Democratic Women, It's Time to Impeach…
thenation.com/article/trump-racism-tweets-aoc/

Netroots Nation: What does America's largest progressive conference mean for the 2020 race?
rt.com | 2019-07-15
With the Democratic party torn between the activist left and the establishment center, some of its leading figures competed to out-woke each other at Netroots Nation 2019. But will this bring victory in 2020 — or rule it out? | …
rt.com/usa/464245-netroots-democrats-warren-2020/

Kaepernick anthem-kneeling controversy was the work of 'Russian Bots' — Kamala Harris
rt.com | 2019-07-15
What can't those dastardly Russian bots do? Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris has blamed the media commotion surrounding former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's kneeling during the national anthem on the Kremlin's minions. | …
rt.com/usa/464243-kamala-harris-russian-bots/

General Elections in India: Modi's (Neo)-Fascism vs. Social Democrats and the Left
Eugene E Ruyle | indybay.org | 2019-07-15
NPML, 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (just North of Alcatraz Ave.)…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/07/13/18824678.php

Thousands march in Chicago to demand end to US immigrant detention camps, raids and deportations
wsws.org | 2019-07-15
The event was aimed at containing the enormous social opposition to the extreme-right policies of the Trump administration and the Republicans, within the confines of the Democratic Party,…
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/07/15/chic-j15.html

House Democrats ratify $733 billion for US military
wsws.org | 2019-07-15
The bill was passed with more than a dozen amendments, all of which will eventually be removed, to ensure the support of Democratic "progressives."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/07/15/ndaa-j15.html

Mountain View Vigil Protests Immigration Camps
Text: R.R. Photos: Teri Vershel | indybay.org | 2019-07-15
On June 30, 2018 in Mountain View 2,000 people demonstrated to send a clear message to Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress: Families Belong Together! They demanded an end to cruel and unjustified treatment of immigrant children and their families. A year later, on July 12, 2019, members of Together We Will once again called upon the people to gather on the streets, for the situation has not improved. Quite the opposite, it has only become more dire. | Photos by Teri Vershel, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/07/14/18824689.php

'If you're not happy, you can leave': Trump stands by his tweets slamming Dem Squad
rt.com | 2019-07-15
US President Donald Trump ramped up his Twitter feud with four Democratic congresswomen who he says 'hate America,' accusing one of them of supporting Al-Qaeda and saying they are welcome to leave the country if they so wish. | …
rt.com/usa/464242-trump-omar-aoc-hate-leave/

States Tackle Student Debt and For-Profit Colleges Rise
Kate Zeller | indybay.org | 2019-07-15
Washington, DC – As Democratic presidential candidates debate student debt, States attempt to tackle what they see as a debt problem impacting their economies.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/07/12/18824643.php

#RacistPresident Trends as Pressley, AOC, Tlaib, and Omar Hit Back at Trump's Bigoted Attack
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-07-15
"We are what democracy looks like. And we're not going anywhere. Except back to D.C. to fight for the families you marginalize and vilify everyday." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aoc_tlaib_pressley.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/07/15/racistpresident-trends-pressley-aoc-tlaib-and-omar-hit-back-trumps-bigoted-attack?cd-origin=rss

Strikes get "silent treatment" at NEA convention, as candidates take center stage
wsws.org | 2019-07-15
The National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union, met to promote the Democrats in 2020.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/07/15/neaa-j15.html

Sanders Accuses Biden of Parroting Pharma and Insurance Industry Script With Attacks on Medicare for All
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-07-15
"At a time when Donald Trump and the health insurance industry are lying every day about Medicare for All, I would hope that my fellow Democrats would not resort to misinformation about my legislation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_joe_biden_medicare_for_all.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/07/15/sanders-accuses-biden-parroting-pharma-and-insurance-industry-script-attacks?cd-origin=rss

Immigrant Raids Part of a Larger Fascist Program
Curt Wechsler | indybay.org | 2019-07-15
Sports Basement | 1590 Bryant Street, San Francisco…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/07/14/18824740.php

Pete Buttigieg: The made-to-order political "outsider"
wsws.org | 2019-07-15
The sudden elevation of Buttigieg is an effort to shift the Democratic presidential campaign to the right, particularly on issues related to national security.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/07/15/butt-j15.html

Democrats back mass deportations
wsws.org | 2019-07-15
Regardless of immigration status, all workers must understand that they are the ultimate target of the anti-democratic methods used against immigrants.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/07/15/pers-j15.html

Trump calls on 'Radical Left Congresswomen' to apologize to US & Israel in fresh Twitter attack
rt.com | 2019-07-15
US President Donald Trump escalated his war of words with a group of progressive Democrat congresswomen in an early-morning tweet Monday, in which he called for them to apologize to the US, Israel and to his office. | …
rt.com/usa/464196-trump-radical-left-foul-language/

Would Jay Inslee Take on the Military to Fight Climate Change?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-15
At Netroots Nation 2019, we asked Democratic Presidential Candidate Jay Inslee focused on climate change, if he'd take on the largest institutional emitter of fossil fuels: the Pentagon…
therealnews.com/stories/would-jay-inslee-take-on-the-military-to-fight-climate-change

Governor Newsom orders firing of top oil regulator after fracking increases by 103%
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2019-07-15
The announcement of Ken Harris' firing came several hours after two watchdog groups, Consumer Watchdog and the FracTracker Allliance, released a report revealing that eight DOGGR officials own stock in corporations they are responsible for regulating. | It also came after the many scores of articles I wrote and radio interviews I did documenting the expansion of oil and gas drilling and fracking and numerous conflicts of interests by oil and gas regulators in California under Governor Jerry Brown and now Gavin Newsom.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/07/13/18824655.php

Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden Condemn Israeli Occupation, as Young American Jews Urge Democrats to Press Israel
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-07-14
Young American Jews got two more presidential candidates, Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden, to denounce Israel's military rule over millions of Palestinians.
theintercept.com/2019/07/13/pete-buttigieg-joe-biden-condemn-israeli-occupation-young-american-jews-urge-democrats-press-israel/

Pence Blames Democrats for Migrant Detention Horrors
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-07-14
During a visit to the border, the vice president says overcrowding in camps used to imprison migrants is the fault of Democrats in Congress.
truthdig.com/articles/pence-blames-democrats-for-migrant-detention-horrors/

'Go Fix Your Countries': Trump to US Congresswomen
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-14
"Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how," United States President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday addressing a group of Democratic congresswomen. | RELATED: | Tlaib Slams Israeli Racism, Applauds Intersectional Solidarity | "So interesting to see 'Progressive' Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, viciou…
telesurenglish.net/news/Why-Dont-You-Go-Fix-Your-Countries-Trump-to-Congresswomen-20190714-0009.html

Leave the U.S., Trump Tells Democratic Congresswomen of Color
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-07-14
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Sunday assailed a group of Democratic congresswomen of color as foreign-born troublemakers who should go back to the "broken and crime infested places from which they came," ignoring the fact that the women are American citizens and all but one was born in the U.S. | Trump's tweets drew sharp rebukes from Democrats, who derided his remarks as racist. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the president wants to "make America white again." And Republican Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, a Trump critic who recently took steps to leave his party, called the remarks "racist and dis…
truthdig.com/articles/trump-tells-progressive-democrat-women-they-should-leave-the-u-s/

Activists in Oshkosh, WI call for closure of Trump's concentration camps
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-07-14
Oshkosh, WI – On the evening of July 12, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Students for a Democratic Society (UWO SDS) hosted a Lights for Liberty rally, demanding an end to the Trump administration's detention policy and the closure of the concentration camps, where tens of thousands of immigrants are being held in clear breach of international law. The call to action drew roughly 30 people from Oshkosh and the surrounding Fox Valley area. | The event started with a silent candlelight vigil to help bring awareness to the disastrous conditions in the camps. The action featured 12 different people speaking…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/7/14/activists-oshkosh-wi-call-closure-trumps-concentration-camps

Pompeo's New "Human Rights" Commission is Up To No Good
Jamil Dakwar, Sonia Gill | commondreams.org | 2019-07-14
Secretary Pompeo speaks of longstanding international human rights norms as if he's demonstrated a single iota of respect for them, and as if those norms are incongruent with defending human dignity and democratic values. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pomp_0.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/07/14/pompeos-new-human-rights-commission-no-good?cd-origin=rss

Russian trolls are coming! Obama staffer issues warning amid dispute within Democrtic party
rt.com | 2019-07-14
With sniping and infighting rocking the Democratic Party, former White House staffer Ben Rhodes has warned the left to be on the lookout for those ever-present "Russian trolls," drawing ridicule. | …
rt.com/usa/464162-russian-trolls-democrats-fighting/

Go back to your crime infested countries and Pelosi will pay for it — Trump to progressive Dems
rt.com | 2019-07-14
In a three-tweet tirade, President Donald Trump told progressive congresswomen to go back to their "totally broken and crime infested" countries of origin and sneered at the infighting rocking the Democratic Party. | …
rt.com/usa/464156-trump-pelosi-aoc-omar-tweet/

September Candidates Climate Forum to Go On Despite Dropping Sponsor
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-07-14
"The voters deserve to know where all of the Democratic candidates stand on this issue, and how exactly they would address the climate crisis if elected." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mayor_pete_buttigieg_0.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/07/14/september-candidates-climate-forum-go-despite-dropping-sponsor?cd-origin=rss

Sanders vs the Endless Austerity Regime
Glen Ford | mronline.org | 2019-07-13
Bernie Sanders must very quickly get serious about building a grassroots movement-type politics on the ground that disrupts the corporate-managed pace, coverage and content of the primary season. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/07/13/sanders-vs-the-endless-austerity-regime/

What America Needs to Understand About Capitalism
Clair Brown, Simon Sällström | commondreams.org | 2019-07-13
Either Warren or Sanders would be a better bet for reform than Biden. (Photo: Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE/Rex) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/warren_sanders.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/07/13/what-america-needs-understand-about-capitalism?cd-origin=rss

Why Does WaPo See Black as an 'Identity'–but Not Multi-Millionaire?
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2019-07-13
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…
fair.org/home/why-does-wapo-see-black-as-an-identity-but-not-multi-millionaire/

Despite Congress Providing $4.6 Billion in Additional Funding for Border, Pence Says Conditions Still the Fault of Democrats
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-07-13
"You gotta love it when Pence immediately puts complete blame for the horrors he saw on the Dems even after they threw money at monsters." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pence_1.png
commondreams.org/news/2019/07/13/despite-congress-providing-46-billion-additional-funding-border-pence-says?cd-origin=rss

Socialism 2019 in 'Red Chicago'
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-07-13
Chicago has a proud working-class history and this year elected six socialists to its City Council. At a time when social movements are on the rise and interest in socialist ideas in the United States is at an 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…
greenleft.org.au/content/socialism-2019-red-chicago

With ICE Raids Expected to Begin Sunday, Message From AOC, Bernie Sanders, and Others is Clear: 'Know Your Rights'
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-07-13
Sanders is using his large mailing list to "target a message to supporters that may be impacted by the upcoming enforcement raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ice_raid_0.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/07/13/ice-raids-expected-begin-sunday-message-aoc-bernie-sanders-and-others-clear-know?cd-origin=rss

Trump Wants to Use 'Citizenship Data' to Gerrymander Democracy
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2019-07-13
Trump Wants to Use 'Citizenship Data' to Gerrymander Democracy…
thenation.com/article/trump-census-citizenship-data-gerrymander-democracy/

Skull of Death: Mass Media, Inauthentic Opposition, and Eco-Existential Reality in a Pre-Fascist Age of Appeasement
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-12
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…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/12/skull-of-death-mass-media-inauthentic-opposition-and-eco-existential-reality-in-a-pre-fascist-age-of-appeasement-2/

The Glaring Holes in Michelle Bachelet's Venezuela Human Rights Report
Roger D. Harris | mintpressnews.com | 2019-07-12
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…
mintpressnews.com/glaring-holes-michelle-bachelet-venezuela-human-rights-report/260552/

Defeating the Trump Administration's Racist, Republican-Rescuing Census Corruption
Dave Lindorff | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-12
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…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/12/defeating-the-trump-administrations-racist-republican-rescuing-census-corruption/

'This Is Designed to Shape the Electorate to Retain Political Power' – CounterSpin interview with Steven Rosenfeld on gerrymandering
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2019-07-12
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…
fair.org/home/this-is-designed-to-shape-the-electorate-to-retain-political-power/

Defeating the Trump Administration's Racist, Republican-Rescuing Census Corruption
Dave Lindorff | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-12
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…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/12/defeating-the-trump-administrations-racist-republican-rescuing-census-corruption/

Women of color winning elections: Changing the system and challenging Democrats
Chauncey K. Robinson | peoplesworld.org | 2019-07-12
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 …
peoplesworld.org/article/women-of-color-winning-elections-changing-the-system-and-challenging-democrats/

Know Your Rights: How Immigrant Rights Activists Are Preparing for Looming ICE Deportation Raids
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-12
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/12/trump_ice_raids_know_your_rights

Facebook fined around $5bn over privacy violations
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-07-12
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…
thecanary.co/us/us-news-us/2019/07/12/facebook-fined-around-5bn-over-privacy-violations/

"Strategic Extremism": How Republicans and Establishment Democrats Use Identity Politics to Divide and Rule
T.J. Coles | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-12
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…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/12/strategic-extremism-how-republicans-and-establishment-democrats-use-identity-politics-to-divide-and-rule/

Weekend Read: Jim Crow's fingerprints are on Florida's new voting law
splcenter.org | 2019-07-12
Voting is not a privilege but a right that is essential for a healthy, well-functioning democracy.
splcenter.org/news/2019/07/12/weekend-read-jim-crows-fingerprints-are-floridas-new-voting-law

The Electoral Circus as the End of Its Initial Phase Looms
Andrew Levine | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-12
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 –…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/12/the-electoral-circus-as-the-end-of-its-initial-phase-looms/

Ousted Honduran President Zelaya: The 2009 U.S.-Backed Coup Helped Cause Today's Migrant Crisis
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-12
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.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/12/manuel_zelaya_honduras_coup_immigration_crisis

House Says Trump Can't Go to War With Iran Unless Congress Approves
Alex Emmons | theintercept.com | 2019-07-12
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…
theintercept.com/2019/07/12/trump-iran-vote-congress/

Planetary emergency: Climate crisis and nuclear danger threaten humanity's existence
John Bachtell | peoplesworld.org | 2019-07-12
This is part 2 of the full main report, "Unity to save people and planet: For full equality, democracy, peace, and green socialism," to the 31st National Convention of the Communist Party USA held in Chicago, June 21-23. Other installments available here. The abbreviated oral presentation is available here. John Bachtell served as CPUSA national …
peoplesworld.org/article/planetary-emergency-climate-crisis-and-nuclear-danger-threaten-humanitys-existence/

Weekend Read: Jim Crow's fingerprints are on Florida's new voting law
splcenter.org | 2019-07-12
Voting is not a privilege but a right that is essential for a healthy, well-functioning democracy.
splcenter.org/news/2019/07/12/weekend-read-jim-crows-fingerprints-are-floridas-new-voting-law

Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost Was a Member of Secret Facebook Group
Ryan Devereaux | theintercept.com | 2019-07-12
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…
theintercept.com/2019/07/12/border-patrol-chief-carla-provost-was-a-member-of-secret-facebook-group/

Roaming Charges: Pâté Politics in the Time of Trump and Pelosi
Jeffrey St. Clair | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-12
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.
counterpunch.org/2019/07/12/roaming-charges-pate-politics-in-the-time-of-trump-and-pelosi/

Republicans & Democrats agree: No war on Iran (without Congress at least)
rt.com | 2019-07-12
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. | …
rt.com/usa/464050-congress-amendment-iran-war/

Biden mocked for saying he respects 'no borders and cannot be contained by any walls' (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2019-07-12
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. | …
rt.com/usa/464005-biden-respect-no-borders/

Will Dem Party Superdelegates Prevent a Progressive Nominee in 2020?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-12
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…
therealnews.com/stories/will-dem-party-superdelegates-prevent-a-progressive-nominee-in-2020

Give Elizabeth Warren a Break — Even Ariel Sharon Said the Israeli Occupation Had to End
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-07-11
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…
theintercept.com/2019/07/10/republicans-scold-elizabeth-warren-echoing-ariel-sharon-israeli-occupation/

The U.S. Women's Soccer World Cup Win Was a Victory for Title IX & the Fight for Equal Pay
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-11
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/11/uswnt_world_cup_win_title_ix

Mass measles vaccination campaign begins in Ebola-hit DR Congo province
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-11
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.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1042221

"Unconscionable & Unacceptable": Rep. Barragán Decries Detention of Migrant Children in Prison Cells
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-11
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.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/11/nanette_barragan_immigration_jails_dismantling_dhs

Amy McGrath Is Challenging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. She's Everything Wrong With the Democratic Party
Ryan Grim | theintercept.com | 2019-07-11
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…
theintercept.com/2019/07/11/amy-mcgrath-mitch-mcconnell-democratic-party/

As 2020 Primary Nears, Candidates Struggle with Positions on Charter Schools
Jake Jacobs | progressive.org | 2019-07-11
After years of avoidance, Democrats are being forced to take a stand charter schools–and most are straddling both sides.
progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/2020-candidates-struggle-charter-schools-jacobs-190711/

How U.S. Tech Giants Are Helping to Build China's Surveillance State
Ryan Gallagher | theintercept.com | 2019-07-11
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.
theintercept.com/2019/07/11/china-surveillance-google-ibm-semptian/

Cops' racism exposes driving while Latinx in Pennsylvania
Betsey Piette | workers.org | 2019-07-11
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
workers.org/2019/07/11/cops-racism-exposes-driving-while-latinx-in-pennsylvania/

Why the Fight Over the 2016 Democratic Primaries Hasn't Gone Away
Joshua Holland | thenation.com | 2019-07-11
Why the Fight Over the 2016 Democratic Primaries Hasn't Gone Away…
thenation.com/article/democrats-primaries-2016-identity/

The Republicans Who Made Trump Possible Cannot Remove the Badge of Shame
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2019-07-11
The Republicans Who Made Trump Possible Cannot Remove the Badge of Shame…
thenation.com/article/paul-ryan-donald-trump-republicans-tim-alberta-american-carnage/

New Jersey Political Boss Warns "Certain Elements of the Working Class" Are Turned Off by Embrace of Immigrants
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-07-10
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.
theintercept.com/2019/07/10/george-norcross-cory-booker-anti-immigration/

The Inhumane Treatment of Migrants Is Not New. It's a Key Part of a Decades-Old Bipartisan Policy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-10
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/10/john_carlos_frey_immigration_detention_conditions

As Border Crisis Deepens, Nancy Pelosi Asks for Prayer to Heal Democratic Rifts
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-07-10
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,…
theintercept.com/2019/07/10/nancy-pelosi-aoc-democratic-party/

John Carlos Frey: America's Deadly Stealth War on the Mexico Border Is Approaching Genocide
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-10
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/10/john_carlos_frey_sand_and_blood

How the Climate Crisis Is Pushing Central Americans Out of Their Homes Toward the U.S
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-10
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/10/john_carlos_frey_immigration_us_mexico

The Book of Palestine: National Liberation vs Endless Negotiations
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2019-07-09
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.
mintpressnews.com/book-palestine-national-liberation-vs-endless-negotiations/260227/

The Book of Palestine: National Liberation vs Endless Negotiations
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2019-07-09
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.
mintpressnews.com/book-palestine-national-liberation-vs-endless-negotiations/260227/

Tuesday's Daily Brief: #GlobalGoals progress, essential meds, updates from Cox's Bazar, Sudan and DR Congo
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-09
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.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1042101

"This Is Not a Surprise": U.S. Sanctions and Saber Rattling Led to Iran's Renewed Uranium Enrichment
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-09
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."
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/9/trump_admin_iran_tensions_trita_parsi

Despite Death Threats, Glenn Greenwald Speaks Out About Exposing Large Corruption Scandal in Brazil
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-09
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/9/glenn_greenwald_sergio_moro_corruption_investigation

As prosecutors vow retrial of Scott Warren, community vows to continue aiding migrants
Violet Jane Evans | liberationnews.org | 2019-07-08
The further persecution of Warren is not having the cooling effect on border-activism that U.S. authorities intended it to have.
liberationnews.org/jury-refuses-to-convict-scott-warren-for-aiding-migrants-federal-prosecutors-announce-retrial/

U.S. Women's Soccer Team Wins World Cup, Condemning Pay Discrimination and President Trump
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-08
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/8/seg_1

Charges Dropped Against Pregnant Shooting Victim Amid Outcry over the Criminalization of Pregnancy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-08
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/8/seg_3

An Hour with Noam Chomsky on Fascism, Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change, Julian Assange & More
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-05
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.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/5/an_hour_with_noam_chomsky_on

Reading Reuters between the Lines: Why the US Puppet President of Venezuela Is Toast
Roger D. Harris | mintpressnews.com | 2019-07-04
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.
mintpressnews.com/reuters-why-us-puppet-juan-guaido-venezuela-toast/260210/

Reading Reuters between the Lines: Why the US Puppet President of Venezuela Is Toast
Roger D. Harris | mintpressnews.com | 2019-07-04
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.
mintpressnews.com/reuters-why-us-puppet-juan-guaido-venezuela-toast/260210/

Danny Glover & Ta-Nehisi Coates Make the Case for Reparations at Historic Congressional Hearing
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-04
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/4/ta_nehisi_coates_danny_glover_make

"What to the Slave Is 4th of July?": James Earl Jones Reads Frederick Douglass's Historic Speech
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-04
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.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/4/what_to_the_american_slave_is

Ta-Nehisi Coates: "Joe Biden Shouldn't Be President"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-04
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/4/ta_nehisi_coates_joe_biden_shouldn

Ta-Nehisi Coates: Reparations Are Not Just About Slavery But Also Centuries of Theft & Racial Terror
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-04
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."
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/4/ta_nehisi_coates_reparations_are_not

Buttigieg Goes for Big Bucks as NYT Oversells His Small-Donor Support
Jim Naureckas | fair.org | 2019-07-03
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…
fair.org/home/buttigieg-goes-for-big-bucks-as-nyt-oversells-his-small-donor-support/