Daily Archives: August 6, 2019

2019-08-06: News Headlines

Tony Pecinovsky (2019-08-06). 2020 elections and organizational questions dominate Democratic Socialists of America convention. peoplesworld.org ATLANTA—Over 1,000 members of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the fastest growing and largest socialist organization in the United States, convened their 2019 National Convention here over the weekend. Their goal: To forge a path forward for 2020 and beyond. DSA has seen dramatic growth since Bernie Sanders' 2016 campaign to win the Democratic Party's …

Staff (2019-08-06). Democrats "Are Not Speaking to the Needs of Immigrants and Communities of Color" therealnews.com Immigrant communities and people of color in the US are highly suspicious of the Democratic Party. However, there is a group of young democratic politicians from members of these communities who are giving hope…

Staff (2019-08-06). "We Can't Wait for McConnell": Advocates Call for Bold Action to Curb Gun Violence Epidemic. democracynow.org The death toll in Saturday's anti-immigrant shooting rampage at a Walmart in El Paso has risen to 22, after two more injured victims died Monday. Just before the shooting, the gunman published a manifesto claiming his actions were being done in response to what he described as a "Hispanic invasion of Texas." Most of the dead in El Paso were Latino, including eight Mexican nationals. Thirteen hours after the massacre in El Paso, a gunman in Dayton, Ohio, killed nine people, including his own sister, after opening fire outside a bar. We speak with Kris Brown, president of Brady, formerly the Brady Campaign to Preve…

Staff (2019-08-06). "Fascism Will Not Go Away by Itself": George Ciccariello-Maher on Confronting White Supremacy. democracynow.org Just before the mass shooting at a crowded El Paso Walmart this weekend, the gunman wrote in a lengthy manifesto saying that the massacre was in response to what he described as a "Hispanic invasion of Texas." He also prompted a white supremacist conspiracy theory known as "great replacement" that has been cited by other mass shooters. From Mexico City, we speak with George Ciccariello-Maher, visiting scholar at NYU's Hemispheric Institute. In December 2017, Ciccariello-Maher resigned from Drexel University after a year of harassment and death threats from right-wing white supremacists. The threats stemmed from a…

Staff (2019-08-06). Parents of Parkland Victim Planned to Unveil a Mural in El Paso. Then Another Mass Shooting Happened. democracynow.org During this weekend's deadly gun violence in El Paso, Texas, Manuel and Patricia Oliver were in the vicinity because they were planning on commemorating what would have been the 19th birthday of their son, Joaquin Oliver. Joaquin was one of the 17 people gunned down during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine's Day last year. Manuel and Patricia had traveled to Ciudad Juárez, across the U.S. border into Mexico, to visit an immigrant shelter in honor of their deceased son, saying no child should ever be separated from their parents by either gunfire or immigration ag…

Staff (2019-08-06). Hong Kong Democracy Protestors Launch General Strike. therealnews.com Thousands took part in protests that shut down roads, public transportation and cancelled hundreds of flights…

Staff (2019-08-06). Puerto Rico in Political Crisis: Senate Sues over Appointment of New Governor Pierluisi. democracynow.org The political crisis in Puerto Rico continues as its Senate has sued against the appointment of Pedro Pierluisi as the new governor following Ricardo Rosselló's resignation last week. Pierluisi was sworn in despite not having been confirmed by the Puerto Rican Senate. But he argues that he is in the line of succession for governor after being nominated as secretary of state by Rosselló last week. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz also sued after his swearing-in. We speak with Democracy Now! co-host Juan González for his analysis of the current political climate.

Staff (2019-08-06). Linda Sarsour Explains How "Fire Pantaleo!" Spontaneously Erupted at the Dem Debate. therealnews.com While activists say they will work to stop Trump, as organizers they must continue the fight for justice & keep Democratic candidates honest…

Ted Rall (2019-08-06). Here is Exactly Why Congress Won't Act on Gun Violence, Climate Change, Impeaching Trump or Anything Else. counterpunch.org I'm from Dayton so I'm thinking about this today: Why hasn't Congress done anything to address our national epidemic of mass shootings, namely reviving the assault weapons ban? People—Democrats and not a few Republicans—ask me that all the time. I bet all left-leaning pundits get that question. The answer is simple. But it's not something most people want to More

Staff (2019-08-06). 'John Bolton Tried to Assasinate Me'. truthdig.com In a new interview with The Grayzone Project's Max Blumenthal, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sits down to discuss Washington's plots against him, crippling U.S. sanctions on food distribution and allegations of corruption within his administration. He also reflects on what he considers a campaign within corporate media to malign his democratically elected government. Watch the full video of their conversation above.

Philip Giraldi (2019-08-06). 2020 Presidential Elections: Feeding the Israel Lobby. globalresearch.ca If you have been wondering when the twenty Democratic aspirants for the presidency will begin a serious discussion of American foreign policy in the Middle East, where Washington has been bogged down in both current and impending wars, you are …

Nia Harris (2019-08-06). More Money, Fewer Jobs: The Stubborn Truth About Employment and the Defense Industry. globalresearch.ca A Marilyn has once again seduced a president. This time, though, it's not a movie star; it's Marillyn Hewson, the head of Lockheed Martin, the nation's top defense contractor and the largest weapons producer in the world. In …

Staff (2019-08-06). Headlines for August 6, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Condemns White Supremacy After El Paso Massacre Despite His Own Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric, Trump Supporter Who Sent Pipe Bombs to CNN and Democrats Sentenced to 20 Years, Tensions Mount over Kashmir as Pakistan Reacts to Revocation of Special Status, Puerto Rican Senate, San Juan Mayor Sue over Pierluisi's Appointment as Governor, China Weakens Currency, Halts U.S. Crop Imports as Trade War Ratchets Up, U.S. Imposes Economic Embargo Against Venezuela, Drone Attack Kills 42 People in Libya, R. Kelly Charged with Prostitution and Solicitation of a Minor, Galveston Police Apologize for Shocking Photo Showing Mou…

Paul Edwards (2019-08-06). Tainted Meat Market. counterpunch.org The Democratic Livestock Sales signal the start of our Presidential election root canal with its pimps and whores money scramble, evoking the pathos of a 4H sale of prize hogs and heifers. 4-H stock is pure blue ribbon, though, which can't be said of this sad herd of pampered bipeds, bawling and bellowing through their More

Staff (2019-08-06). Elections Are Treated as Political Consumerism and Democracy Is Suffering. truthout.org | | The displacement of meaningful civic engagement by political consumerism and lurid media spectacle is suffocating U.S. democracy. In the record $6.5 billion 2016 election cycle, a total that excludes untraceable dark money, the consumerist conquest of civic life became nearly complete, with empty partisan noise reverberating 24/7 through global media echo chambers in inverse proportion to the shriveling substance of daily civic l…

Staff (2019-08-06). Republican Retirements in Texas Could Finally Mean Change to Gun Laws. truthout.org | | Seven House Republicans have announced plans to retire in the last two weeks. Four are from Texas and their departures may be enough to turn the once Republican stronghold from red to purplish — and drastically change the long-stalled gun debate in America. | What was once a reliably Republican state has been steadily trending away from the Grand Old Party in recent years. Republicans lost more than a dozen state legislative seats in Texas in the 2018 midterms when former congressman an…

teleSUR (2019-08-06). Republican Supporters Use AOC Cutout for Groping Practice. telesurenglish.net United States Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) slammed supporters of Republican Senator Mitch McConnell who were seen kissing, groping, and chocking a cardboard cutout of her. | RELATED: | AOC: Criticizing Israel Isn't Anti-Semitism, It's About Rights | "Hey Senate Majority Leader—these young men look like they work for you," AOC wrote on Twitter after a photo of a group of young men wearing "Team Mitch" t-shirt with her cutout went viral on social media. | The c…

Katrina vanden Heuvel (2019-08-06). The Battle for the Senate Demands Democrats' Fierce Focus. thenation.com The Battle for the Senate Demands Democrats' Fierce Focus…

Alisa Solomon (2019-08-06). The Play Challenging Us to See the Rot at the Heart of Our Democracy. thenation.com The Play Challenging Us to See the Rot at the Heart of Our Democracy…

Michael Harris (2019-08-06). Inaugural International Teff Super Grain Day. indybay.org Everyone is invited to celebrate International Teff Super Grain Day with us or at an Ethiopian Restaurant in your community.

WSWS (2019-08-06). Tens of thousands of workers strike throughout Hong Kong. wsws.org The ruling class throughout the world is deeply fearful of the spread of social discontent as the working class moves into open struggle for its democratic and social rights.

WSWS (2019-08-06). Puerto Rican authorities scramble to provide democratic cover for installation of Wall Street's governor. wsws.org The attempt to install Pedro Pierluisi, lawyer for the US financial Junta, as Puerto Rico's new governor has further deepened the political crisis and mass social opposition.

WSWS (2019-08-06). Spanish petty-bourgeois groups call on Podemos to install social-democratic government. wsws.org Their call to back the PSOE from outside government is a cynical ploy to avoid taking responsibility for the right-wing policies of the PSOE regime they are supporting.

WSWS (2019-08-06). US House retirements signal deepening crisis for Republican Party. wsws.org Kenny Marchant of Texas is the twelfth on the "casualty list" of Republicans leaving office this term and the fourth from Texas to announce his retirement in recent weeks.

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-08-06). 'Another Nail in the Coffin' of Democracy and Journalism as US Newspaper Giants Gannett and GateHouse Announce $1.4 Billion Merger. commondreams.org "Hundreds of communities and ultimately our democracy will pay the price for this deal. Less journalism and less deep-dive investigative reporting will only lead to less informed citizens." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/news_journalism_democracy.jpg

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-08-06). No Billionaires for Bernie: Alone Among Democratic Frontrunners, Sanders Gets No Cash From Wealthiest Americans. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_12_0.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-08-06). Citing Racist Massacres and 'Inexcusable' Prevalence of Guns, Foreign Countries Issue Travel Safety Warnings for United States. commondreams.org While President Donald Trump and the Republican Party have spent the past several years claiming that immigrants and travelers from other countries pose a threat to Americans, the two shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend forced two countries to warn their own citizens of the dangers that lurk within U.S. borders. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11596797351.jpg

Jarod Facundo (2019-08-06). What Medicare for All Would Have Meant a Decade Ago. commondreams.org Imagine if, from birth, a new generation could experience guaranteed care, with quality not determined by wealth or income, but instead delivered as the human right it should be. (Photo: Sen. Bernie Sanders/Twitter) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/medicare_for_all_0.png

Ryan Cooper (2019-08-06). The White Nationalist Plot to Destroy America. commondreams.org What's more, ethnic minorities have just as much claim to being constitutive members of the United States community as white people, if not more so. (Photo: Illustrated | Spencer Platt/Getty Images, Benjamin_Lion/iStock, -slav-/iStock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-06_at_1.10.07_pm.png

Eds. (2019-08-05). Bernie Sanders dominates as analyses of fundraising data show Vermont senator with widespread support across nation. mronline.org The data "contradicts both the mainstream narrative and some national polling data that suggest that only a centrist Democrat could succeed in this political environment." | Source

Martin Hart-Landsberg (2019-08-05). What the New Deal can teach us about winning a Green New Deal: Part I. mronline.org The New Deal has recently become a touchstone for many progressive efforts, illustrated by Bernie Sanders' recent embrace of its aims and accomplishments and the popularity of calls for a Green New Deal. | Source

Staff (2019-08-05). After Dayton Shooting, Gun Violence Reporter Says Misogyny "Clear Link" Between Many Mass Shootings. democracynow.org Over the span of 13 hours, the country was shaken by two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, where a total of 29 people were killed. Shortly before the attack, the El Paso gunman posted an anti-immigrant manifesto on the far-right message board 8chan, while there is still no clear motive for the Dayton shooting. Senator Bernie Sanders and other Democratic leaders are calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold a special session of the Senate to vote on two gun safety bills recently passed in the House. This all comes as the National Rifle Association is imploding. We speak with Alex…

Jon Schwarz (2019-08-05). We Desperately Need Marianne Williamson's Message. It's Ominous That We're Only Getting It From Marianne Williamson. theintercept.com It's alarming that only someone given to wild flights of irrationality believes that America can hear the truth about itself and respond rationally.

Mark Gruenberg (2019-08-05). El Paso overtakes Democrats' pro-worker stands at AFSCME forum. peoplesworld.org LAS VEGAS —The mass murder of 20 people in El Paso, with another 26 wounded, all by a Trumpite with a semi-automatic rifle and wearing a "MAGA" hat, overshadowed Democratic presidential hopefuls' pro-worker stands at a special AFSCME forum in Las Vegas on August 3. "For far too many people, a fair shot doesn't exist …

Tony Pecinovsky (2019-08-05). Socialist elected officials speak to the press at DSA convention. peoplesworld.org ATLANTA—"It is incumbent upon us to reclaim the narrative, to reclaim what socialism means and what it looks like," Gabriel Acevero, a member of the Maryland Legislature, told People's World in an extended interview. Acevero, 28, a member of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), represents the 39th Legislative District in Montgomery County, Maryland. He was …

RT (2019-08-05). Democrats use mass shootings in attempt to gain 2020 advantage… what else is new? rt.com With America reeling from two new mass shootings, Democratic candidates for president have taken the opportunity to pin the blame for all of the country's woes and ills squarely on Donald Trump.

Aída Chávez (2019-08-05). Texas Democratic Senate Candidate M.J. Hegar in 2017 on Gun Control: "You'll Have to Take Mine First" theintercept.com While critics wondered if Beto O'Rourke was too progressive for Texas, Hegar remained ambiguous on most policy, including gun violence, in her 2018 House campaign.

Rachel M. Cohen (2019-08-05). Amid Conservative Assault on Organized Labor, Democratic Lawmakers Are Advancing Laws to Expand Workers' Rights. theintercept.com Nevada and Delaware passed laws this summer giving public-sector workers the right to collectively bargain. Colorado is expected to follow suit next year.

RT (2019-08-05). Dayton shooter was apparently a self-professed 'leftist,' Warren & Sanders fan. rt.com Judging by his supposed activity on Twitter, the Dayton shooter appears to have held views opposite to those of the El Paso gunman from hours earlier. A now-suspended account, allegedly his own, implies he was a die-hard leftist.

Max Blumenthal (2019-08-05). How Joe Biden's Privatization Plans Helped Doom Latin America and Fuel the Migration Crisis. globalresearch.ca On the campaign trail, Joe Biden has boasted of his role in transforming Colombia and Central America through ambitious economic and security programs. Colombians and Hondurans tell The Grayzone about the damage his plans did to their societies. | *** | While …

Bill Lueders (2019-08-05). Take Away My Employer-Based Health Insurance. Please. progressive.org Centrist Democrats like Joe Biden still aim to gin up mass fear over the prospect of leaving behind predatory insurers and the dizzying array of deductibles, co-pays, exclusions, humiliations, and rationing of care that characterizes our current syst…

Staff (2019-08-05). Mass Shootings, Militarism and Policing Are Chapters in the Same Manifesto. truthout.org | | This weekend, after two mass shooters killed and injured dozens of people in Texas and Ohio, Rep. Steve Cohen tweeted, "You want to shoot an assault weapon? Go to Afghanistan or Iraq. Enlist!" | Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, apparently did not take issue with the El Paso shooter's desire to slaughter people of color — he merely wanted to redirect his bullets toward people of color outside of the United States. His tweet was a chilling reminder of how the United…

Tom H. Hastings (2019-08-05). Election annulment please. nationofchange.org Russia hacked and attacked our 2016 presidential election and installed Donald Trump. This requires annulment. Trump didn't even come close on the actual popular vote, losing to Clinton by some three million votes, and yet seized the White House by the arcane and anti-democratic electoral college, but only due to Russian illegal interference. This makes …

unitedEditor (2019-08-05). US mass shootings, Democratic debates, America vs China. uwidata.com Mass shootings in the US Three mass shootings took place in the US in three different states — Texas, Ohio and Illinois. 29 people were killed in the attacks, while almost 50 were injured. On Saturday afternoon in El Paso, Texas, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius opened fire at a supermarket. In the wake of the tragedies, …

Staff (2019-08-05). Headlines for August 5, 2019. democracynow.org White Supremacist Kills 20 People After Hate-Fueled Gun Rampage in El Paso, Gunman with Misogynistic Past Kills 9 People in Dayton, OH Shooting Spree, General Strike Grips Hong Kong as Protesters Refuse to Back Down, India Revokes Kashmir's Special Status as Tensions Mount in Disputed Region, Iran Seizes Tanker as Tensions Between Iran and U.S. Remain High, Russian Police Arrest 800+ Protesters as Crackdown on Dissent Continues, Sudan's Military Rulers and Opposition Leaders Sign Transition Agreement, 3 Mexican Journalists Killed in Under a Week, Pierluisi Sworn In as Puerto Rico's New Governor as San Juan Mayor…

True Publica (2019-08-05). Democracy Threat? Trump Demands 'Realignment of British Politics'. The Americanization of Britain. globalresearch.ca I said that this moment would come. It has almost arrived. I warned that Britain is to become a European outpost of America (READ: The global alliance taking over Britain) and if ever proof was needed, it is the …

Nia Harris, Cassandra Stimpson, Ben Freeman (2019-08-05). Want to Tackle Unemployment? Reduce Military Spending. thenation.com Nia Harris, Cassandra Stimpson, Ben Freeman Want to Tackle Unemployment? Reduce Military Spending.

John Nichols (2019-08-05). White Nationalism Is a Republican Crisis. thenation.com White Nationalism Is a Republican Crisis…

Staff (2019-08-05). Ex-FBI Agent Speaks Out: Federal Authorities Have Downplayed White Supremacist Violence for Too Long. democracynow.org According to The New York Times, white extremist shooters have now killed at least 63 people in the United States over the past 18 months. Late last month, FBI Director Christopher Wray told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that crime driven by racism and white supremacy was on the rise compared to the past nine months. But former FBI agents say there is reluctance within the agency to tackle white nationalist violence in part due to President Trump's rhetoric. We speak with Mike German, fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law. From 1988 to 2004, German served as an FBI agent…

Staff (2019-08-05). El Paso Shooting Probed as Domestic Terrorism After Anti-Immigrant Gunman Kills 22 People. democracynow.org Over the span of 13 hours, the United States was shaken by two mass shootings. Saturday morning, a heavily armed gunman opened fire inside a crowded Walmart in El Paso, Texas, killing 22 people, including a number of Mexican nationals. Federal authorities are treating the El Paso attack as an act of domestic terrorism. The suspected gunman has been identified as a 21-year-old white man named Patrick Crusius, who lived 600 miles away in a suburb of Dallas. Shortly before the attack in El Paso, the gunman posted an anti-immigrant manifesto on the far-right message board 8chan. Some of the language in the manifesto…

Mumia Abu-Jamal (2019-08-04). Biden His Time. workers.org This column by political prisoner and journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal was posted on Prison Radio.com on July 24. The candidacy of Joseph R. Biden Jr. for President of the United States has caused multiple reactions across the land. Biden, who enters his 77th year of life, draws warm feelings from Blacks . . . | Continue reading Biden His Time at Workers.org

unitedEditor (2019-08-04). Trump's Five Strengths and Five Weaknesses. uwidata.com In 2020, the US will hold presidential elections. Voters will decide if Donald Trump will be re-elected for a second term as president or whether one of his democratic contenders will get an opportunity to occupy the White House. Trump has several strengths and weaknesses which will likely factor in to his chances in the …

Eds. (2019-08-03). MSNBC's anti-Sanders bias makes it forget how to do math. mronline.org When MSNBC legal analyst Mimi Rocah (7/21/19) said that Bernie Sanders "made [her] skin crawl," though she "can't even identify for you what exactly it is," she was just expressing more overtly the anti-Sanders bias that pervades the network. | Source

splcenter (2019-08-03). Weekend Read: The SPLC fights an internal threat to our democracy. splcenter.org In his recent testimony before Congress, Special Counsel Robert Mueller pointedly warned the nation about Russia's ongoing attempts to meddle in our nation's elections.

Staff (2019-08-02). Ex-Health Insurance Exec: Industry Is Using Decades-Old Scare Tactics to Fight Medicare for All. democracynow.org The Democratic presidential candidates remain deeply divided on how to expand healthcare to the tens of millions of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have both pushed for abolishing private health insurance and establishing a Medicare for All system. Their rivals have pushed a number of different, more incremental approaches. During the first night of the latest debates, Sanders pointed out that the country has taken sweeping action before to expand health coverage to millions of Americans, referring to the 50th anniversary of the creation of Medicare and Me…

Janine Jackson (2019-08-02). 'Democracy Has Become a Joke on the Island' – CounterSpin interview with Ed Morales on Puerto Rican protest. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed Ed Morales about the Puerto Rican protest movement for the July 26, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Staff (2019-08-02). Can a Majoritarian Movement Be Built to Stop Trump's Racist Momentum? therealnews.com Ajay Chaudhary & Maurice Mitchell analyze the racist right wing surge & how to fight for a real democracy built on racial, social and economic justice…

Staff (2019-08-02). 2nd Dem Debate Pt 2: To Impeach, or Not to Impeach? That Is the Question. (4/4). therealnews.com While Democrats struggle with the question of impeachment, the healthcare debate is getting mired in minutiae and some voters are calling for a working class party. With Kimberly Moffitt, Jacqueline Luqman, and Marc Steiner as host…

Staff (2019-08-02). Climate System "Getting Unhinged" as Massive Heat Wave Causes Record Melting of Greenland Ice Sheet. democracynow.org The massive heat dome that shattered all-time temperature records across much of Europe last week has settled in over Greenland, driving temperatures across the vast region to as much as 30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. In July, Greenland's ice sheet lost 197 billion tons of ice, the equivalent of around 80 million Olympic swimming pools. This comes as the World Meteorological Organization said Thursday that July was the warmest month in recorded human history. It followed the hottest June on record, as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels climbed to a record high of 415 parts per million earlier this year. We sp…

Julie Hollar (2019-08-02). CNN's Industry Spin Shows Need for Independent Debates. fair.org CNN painfully demonstrated this week why we need independently run presidential debates. With its ESPN-like introductions to the candidates, and its insistence on questions that pit candidates against each other, CNN took an approach to the debates more befitting a football game than an exercise in democracy. | The CNN hosts moderated as if they weren't even listening to what candidates were saying, inflexibly cutting them off after the inevitably too-short 30-to-60-second time limit—in order to offer another, often seemingly randomly selected, candida…

Akela Lacy (2019-08-02). Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Chief of Staff and Communications Director Will Depart Her Office. theintercept.com Two of Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez's top staffers are leaving her office. | Saikat Chakrabarti, her chief of staff, and Corbin Trent, her director of communications — who, through their work with Justice Democrats, have been alongside Ocasio-Cortez since her primary run — will leave the lawmaker's office. Chakrabarti will go to New Consensus, a nonprofit focused on climate issues and promoting the Green New Deal. Trent will direct communications on Ocasio-Cortez's 2020 campaign, the same role he played during her first congressional run. | "Saikat has decided to leave the office of Rep. Ocasio-Corte…

Staff (2019-08-02). "You're Gonna Kill Me": Bodycam Video Shows Dallas Officers Mocking Man as He Died Pinned to Ground. democracynow.org In August 2016, 32-year-old Tony Timpa called 911 to ask for help. Timpa had schizophrenia and depression, and was off his medication for schizophrenia. Timpa told the Dallas dispatcher that he was scared. The police responded, and within 20 minutes Timpa was dead. For the past three years, the city of Dallas has fought efforts to release police bodycam footage showing what happened, but the video was finally released this week after a prolonged legal battle. The shocking video contains disturbing footage, with officers arriving on the scene where Timpa was already handcuffed by a private security guard. In the v…

Ali A. Taj (2019-08-02). Tulsi Gabbard Challenges Foreign-Policy Assumptions and Moves the Overton Window. mintpressnews.com Tulsi Gabbard has moved the Overton window on what is acceptable discussion when it comes to U.S. foreign policy. She has punctured the rose-tinted narrative being constructed around establishment favorites like Senator Kamala Harris.

United Nations (2019-08-02). Security Council gravely concerned by Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, demands immediate end to violence hampering response. un.org The UN Security Council on Friday expressed grave concern about the current Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and stressed the urgency of broad cooperation in the response, as "the disease could spread rapidly, including to neighbouring countries, possibly having serious humanitarian consequences and impacting regional stability."

Peter Greene (2019-08-02). Four Truths About For-Profit Charter Schools. progressive.org 2020 Democratic candidates taking a stand against for-profit charters is like bravely standing up in opposition to yeti attacks.

Staff (2019-08-02). Headlines for August 2, 2019. democracynow.org Pentagon to Receive $1.48 Trillion Under Two-Year Budget Deal, Russia Declares Nuclear Arms Treaty "Formally Dead" as U.S. Withdraws, Trump Threatens to Impose Steeper Tariffs on Chinese Goods, Puerto Rico Faces Succession Crisis as Disgraced Governor Resigns, Video Shows Dallas Police Mocking Man Who Died in Their Custody, Dozens Killed as Two Attacks Rattle Yemen's Port City of Aden, Four Killed as Sudanese Soldiers Fire on Peaceful Pro-Democracy Activists, Third Case of Ebola in Congolese City Sparks Fears in Neighboring Rwanda, U.S. Prepares to Withdraw Thousands of Troops Amid Peace Talks with Taliban, July…

Staff (2019-08-01). Dolores Huerta & Cornel West Respond to Democratic Debate as Biden & Harris Face Harsh Scrutiny. democracynow.org Ten presidential hopefuls took the stage Wednesday evening for the second night of a Democratic debate in Detroit. During the night, former Vice President Joe Biden defended his record after facing numerous attacks on his record on criminal justice, the Iraq War, immigration and women's rights. Senator Kamala Harris also faced criticism over her record as California attorney general. We speak to the legendary labor leader Dolores Huerta, who is co-chair of Kamala Harris's campaign, and Harvard professor Cornel West, who has endorsed Bernie Sanders.

Staff (2019-08-01). "You Owe Them an Apology": Tulsi Gabbard Slams Kamala Harris on Her Record as California AG. democracynow.org During Wednesday's debate, Hawaii Congressmember Tulsi Gabbard confronted California Senator Kamala Harris about her record as California attorney general. Gabbard accused Harris of blocking evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row—until the courts forced her to do so. Harris defended her record, saying she significantly reformed the criminal justice system. We speak to Dolores Huerta and Cornel West.

Staff (2019-08-01). Cornel West: Corporate Media's Superficial Coverage Helped Create "Fascist Frankenstein Trump" democracynow.org On Tuesday night, Senator Bernie Sanders openly criticized CNN's handling of the debates. He told CNN's Jake Tapper, "Your question is a Republican talking point. And by the way, the healthcare industry will be advertising tonight on this program." We speak with Cornel West and Dolores Huerta about the media coverage and the structure of the debate.

Staff (2019-08-01). "It Wasn't a Golden Age": Cornel West Says Democrats Have to Reckon with Mixed Obama Legacy. democracynow.org Harvard professor Cornel West joins us from Detroit, where he attended both nights of the Democratic debate. He talks about the troubling legacy of the Obama administration and why he is supporting Bernie Sanders again for president.

Staff (2019-08-01). Dolores Huerta Accuses Biden of "Speaking Just Like a Republican" on Immigration. democracynow.org Immigration rights activists abruptly interrupted Joe Biden during last night's debate, chanting "3 million deportations!"—referring to the Obama administration's deportation of at least 3 million undocumented people. During the debate, Julián Castro repeatedly challenged Biden's record on immigration. "It looks like one of us has learned the lessons of the past and one of us hasn't," Castro said. We speak to Dolores Huerta and Cornel West.

Staff (2019-08-01). 2nd Democratic Debate Pt. 1: Reparations, Race, and the New Green Economy (3/3). therealnews.com Reparations are no longer a backburner issue, and candidates are being forced to address climate change and the new green economy. With guests Kimberly Moffit and Jeet Heer, hosted by Marc Steiner…

Staff (2019-08-01). 2nd Dem Debate Pt 2: Presidential Candidates Attack Trump as a Racist (1/4). therealnews.com Trump was called out as a white nationalist in the second night of Democratic presidential debates; demonstrators demanded Eric Garner's killer be fired, and justice for immigrants. With Kimberly Moffitt, Dharna Noor, and Marc Steiner as host…

Staff (2019-08-01). "You're Dipping into the Kool-Aid": Booker Accuses Biden of Helping Drive Mass Incarceration. democracynow.org In one of the most heated exchanges of the debate, Senator Cory Booker criticized Joe Biden's role in backing several key crime bills during his time in the Senate. Biden fought back, attacking Booker's record as mayor of Newark, New Jersey.

Staff (2019-08-01). 2nd Dem Debate Pt 2: Takes on Police Reform, Shows Divide on Criminal Justice (2/4). therealnews.com Julian Castro demands police accountability for first time in a presidential debate while candidates attack each other over their mass incarceration policies. With Kimberly Moffitt, Jacqueline Luqman, and Marc Steiner as host…

Eoin Higgins (2019-08-01). Kamala Harris Team Accused of "Inventing Conspiracies" About Tulsi Gabbard. theantimedia.com The Kamala Harris' campaign jumped to tie Gabbard and her campaign to a nebulously defined and unclear Russian conspiracy.

Caitlin Johnstone (2019-08-01). Propagandists Are Freaking Out Over Tulsi Gabbard's Destruction of Kamala Harris. theantimedia.com Tulsi Gabbard took on Kamala Harris over her record on criminal justice reform, the death penalty, and the war on drugs.

Melissa Ryan (2019-08-01). The Triumph of Their Will. progressive.org White nationalists are building political power from within the Republican Party.

Staff (2019-08-01). Headlines for August 1, 2019. democracynow.org Presidential Hopefuls Take Aim at Joe Biden During Second Night of Debates, Protesters Confront Joe Biden over Immigration Record, Protesters Confront NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio over Eric Garner's Death, NY Medical Examiner: Layleen Polanco Died of Epilepsy in Solitary Cell, U.N. Warns 21st Century's Worst Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding in Syria, Trump Administration Sanctions Iran's Foreign Minister, Sudan Schools Closed After Soldiers Massacre Students, Greenland Ice Melts at Rapid Pace as Temperatures Climb 30 Degrees Above Normal, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Promotes Climate Justice Proposal, 66 Seek Medical Care…

Robert Mackey (2019-08-01). Protesters Target Joe Biden on Deportation and Bill De Blasio on Eric Garner During Democratic Debate. theintercept.com Direct action by protesters disrupted and energized the Democratic debate in Detroit, forcing Bill de Blasio and Joe Biden to defend their records.

Ross Barkan (2019-08-01). A Progressive Prosecutor Sets Her Sights on Upstate New York. thenation.com Shani Curry Mitchell is challenging her Republican ex-boss in Monroe County's next district attorney race.

Alex Emmons (2019-08-01). Candidates, Your Views on the Middle East? You Have 30 Seconds. theintercept.com If you blinked, you might have missed it. | Across the five hours of Democratic primary debates split between two nights this week, the presidential hopefuls discussed the future of U.S. foreign policy for no more than 25 minutes. | Other policy areas had it worse. There were no questions either night on Puerto Rico, for example, or LGBT issues, or reproductive rights. But the scant attention to foreign policy was striking precisely because it's the area in which a president has the most power to change things on their own. If the next president wants to rejoin the Paris climate agreement or renegotiate the Iran…

Rick Sterling (2019-07-31). Tulsi Gabbard vs Google Goliath. dissidentvoice.org Introduction The Tulsi Gabbard presidential campaign has filed a major law suit against Google. This article outlines the main points of the law suit and evidence the the social media giant Google has quietly acquired enormous influence on public perceptions and has been actively censoring alternative viewpoints. Tulsi Now vs Google Tulsi Now, Inc vs …

Staff (2019-07-31). Warren Backs "No First Use" Nuclear Policy as Buttigieg Calls for Withdrawal from Afghanistan. democracynow.org While most of Tuesday's debate focused on domestic issues, Democratic candidates were briefly asked about nuclear weapons policy and the war in Afghanistan. Senator Elizabeth Warren defended her "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons, despite criticism from Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Meanwhile, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sparred on whether the U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan after 18 years of war.

Staff (2019-07-31). Sanders & Warren Fight "Republican Talking Point" That Medicare for All Is About Reducing Coverage. democracynow.org Ten Democratic presidential candidates took to the stage in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday night for the first of a two-night debate hosted by CNN. The debate began with an extended discussion on healthcare, where progressive candidates Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren defended their platforms of Medicare for All against more moderate candidates who argued this stance is political suicide. We speak with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, former Michigan gubernatorial candidate.

Staff (2019-07-31). "We Don't Want Another President Obama": Activist Urges Democrats to Reframe Immigration Debate. democracynow.org Democratic candidates also sparred on immigration policy, from decriminalizing border crossing to providing healthcare to undocumented immigrants. We hear excerpts of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, as well as Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Plus we speak to Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.

Staff (2019-07-31). 2nd Democratic Debate, Pt 1: Battle Over Medicare for All and Fixing Immigration (2/3). therealnews.com The debate allowed candidates to show how support for Medicare for All and humanity at the U.S. border are key issues in 2020. With guests Kimberly Moffit and Jeet Heer, hosted by Marc Steiner…

Robert Mackey (2019-07-31). Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders Dominate Democratic Debate Set Up to Ambush Them. theintercept.com Updated: CNN's Democratic presidential primary debate was framed like an ambush against Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders — who then ended up dominating it.

United Nations (2019-07-31). UN working 'intensively' to stop Ebola in eastern DR Congo, following second case in major border town. un.org Senior UN officials tasked with controlling the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have responded to Tuesday's confirmation of a second case of Ebola in Goma, a major trading town in the vast country's restive east, near the border with neighbouring Rwanda, which resulted in the death of the patient.

Staff (2019-07-31). Headlines for July 31, 2019. democracynow.org Sens. Sanders and Warren Tout Progressive Vision for 2020 as 2nd Democratic Debate Kicks Off, Detroit Activists Call on 2020 Dems to Tackle Pollution, Implement Green New Deal, North Korea Launches 2nd Ballistic Missile Test in Under a Week, 130 Hunger-Striking Prisoners in Egypt Decry Inhumane Treatment, Senators Question DOD Nominee John Hyten over Sexual Assault Accusations, Virginia Delegate Protests Trump Speech: "You Can't Send Us Back!", House Report Says Trump Adviser Ran Campaign Speech by UAE, Saudi Officials, California Bill Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose 5 Years of Tax Returns, 2 Chicago…

Hatewatch Staff (2019-07-31). Militias Capitalizing on GOP Rhetoric Heading Into Election Season. splcenter.org A militia network's enthusiasm to lend paramilitary support to Oregon's Republican senators last month could be a bellwether for the 2020 campaign season.

Staff (2019-07-31). Warren Denounces White Supremacy as Domestic Terrorism; Marianne Williamson Calls for Reparations. democracynow.org Democratic candidates also spoke on race and white supremacy, with Senator Elizabeth Warren arguing that the United States needs "to call out white supremacy for what it is: domestic terrorism." Marianne Williamson of California brought up the Flint water crisis and highlighted environmental racism saying, "We have communities, particularly communities of color and disadvantaged communities, all over this country who are suffering from environmental injustice." We speak with Mehdi Hasan, columnist for The Intercept and host of its "Deconstructed" podcast. He's also host of "UpFront" at Al Jazeera English.

Lee Fang (2019-07-30). Kamala Harris Receives Donations From Big Pharma Executives Despite Claim She Rejects Them. theintercept.com Campaign finance records show Harris has received thousands of dollars from executives at drug companies and distributors this year; most were not returned.

Todd Smith (2019-07-30). Survivor 2020, and some Ghosts from Recent Elections Past. dissidentvoice.org Gore Vidal once remarked that the United States has only one political party with two right wings. At the risk of betraying my own political bias: I couldn't agree more! Still, maybe 2020 will be different? The ultra-marathon-up to the next election has already begun in the Summer of 2019 with the Democratic Party debates. …

United Nations (2019-07-30). UNICEF must triple budget to combat Ebola outbreak in DR Congo; complex crisis impacting unprecedented number of children. un.org With an unprecedented number of children affected by the Ebola virus outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday said it would need to triple its budget to tackle the complex crisis, which included intensifying the overall public health response and launching measles vaccinations.

Bryan Ellis (2019-07-29). Protesters in Bradenton defend the rights of immigrants and refugees. liberationnews.org On Sunday, seventeen people gathered at the Manatee County Courthouse in downtown Bradenton to demand an end to US concentration camps for refugees and mass deportations of immigrants.

Aaron Maté (2019-07-29). Progressive Democrats vote against BDS, Palestinian rights. thegrayzone.com House Democrats, including key progressives, have passed a measure condemning the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS). Why are Reps….

Max Blumenthal (2019-07-28). How Joe Biden's privatization plans helped doom Latin America and fuel the migration crisis. thegrayzone.com On the campaign trail, Joe Biden has boasted of his role in transforming Colombia and Central America through ambitious economic…

Katie Halper (2019-07-26). MSNBC's Anti-Sanders Bias Makes It Forget How to Do Math. fair.org When MSNBC legal analyst Mimi Rocah ( 7/21/19) said that Bernie Sanders "made [her] skin crawl," though she "can't even identify for you what exactly it is," she was just expressing more overtly the anti-Sanders bias that pervades the network. MSNBC's Mimi Rocah ( 7/21/19) explaining how Bernie Sanders makes her "skin crawl." | The hostility is so entrenched, in fact, it seems to have corrupted MSNBC's mathematical reasoni…

Fidel Castro (2019-07-26). Fidel Castro on July 26. liberationnews.org Compañero Fidel's letter to leaders of delegations visiting Cuba on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Garrisons…

2019-08-06: Social Media Postees

What Medicare for All Would Have Meant a Decade Ago
Jarod Facundo | commondreams.org | 2019-08-06
Imagine if, from birth, a new generation could experience guaranteed care, with quality not determined by wealth or income, but instead delivered as the human right it should be. (Photo: Sen. Bernie Sanders/Twitter) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/medicare_for_all_0.png
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/06/what-medicare-all-would-have-meant-decade-ago?cd-origin=rss

2020 elections and organizational questions dominate Democratic Socialists of America convention
Tony Pecinovsky | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-06
ATLANTA–Over 1,000 members of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the fastest growing and largest socialist organization in the United States, convened their 2019 National Convention here over the weekend. Their goal: To forge a path forward for 2020 and beyond. DSA has seen dramatic growth since Bernie Sanders' 2016 campaign to win the Democratic Party's …
peoplesworld.org/article/2020-elections-strategy-and-organizational-questions-dominate-democratic-socialists-of-america-convention/

Here is Exactly Why Congress Won't Act on Gun Violence, Climate Change, Impeaching Trump or Anything Else
Ted Rall | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-06
I'm from Dayton so I'm thinking about this today: Why hasn't Congress done anything to address our national epidemic of mass shootings, namely reviving the assault weapons ban? People–Democrats and not a few Republicans–ask me that all the time. I bet all left-leaning pundits get that question. The answer is simple. But it's not something most people want to…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/06/here-is-exactly-why-congress-wont-act-on-gun-violence-climate-change-impeaching-trump-or-anything-else/

'John Bolton Tried to Assasinate Me'
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-08-06
In a new interview with The Grayzone Project's Max Blumenthal, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sits down to discuss Washington's plots against him, crippling U.S. sanctions on food distribution and allegations of corruption within his administration. He also reflects on what he considers a campaign within corporate media to malign his democratically elected government. Watch the full video of their conversation above.
truthdig.com/videos/john-bolton-tried-to-assasinate-me/

2020 Presidential Elections: Feeding the Israel Lobby
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-06
If you have been wondering when the twenty Democratic aspirants for the presidency will begin a serious discussion of American foreign policy in the Middle East, where Washington has been bogged down in both current and impending wars, you are …
globalresearch.ca/feeding-israel-lobby/5685706

More Money, Fewer Jobs: The Stubborn Truth About Employment and the Defense Industry
Nia Harris | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-06
A Marilyn has once again seduced a president. This time, though, it's not a movie star; it's Marillyn Hewson, the head of Lockheed Martin, the nation's top defense contractor and the largest weapons producer in the world. In …
globalresearch.ca/more-money-fewer-jobs-stubborn-truth-about-employment-defense-industry/5685712

The White Nationalist Plot to Destroy America
Ryan Cooper | commondreams.org | 2019-08-06
What's more, ethnic minorities have just as much claim to being constitutive members of the United States community as white people, if not more so. (Photo: Illustrated | Spencer Platt/Getty Images, Benjamin_Lion/iStock, -slav-/iStock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-06_at_1.10.07_pm.png
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/06/white-nationalist-plot-destroy-america?cd-origin=rss

Puerto Rico in Political Crisis: Senate Sues over Appointment of New Governor Pierluisi
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-06
The political crisis in Puerto Rico continues as its Senate has sued against the appointment of Pedro Pierluisi as the new governor following Ricardo Rosselló's resignation last week. Pierluisi was sworn in despite not having been confirmed by the Puerto Rican Senate. But he argues that he is in the line of succession for governor after being nominated as secretary of state by Rosselló last week. San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz also sued after his swearing-in. We speak with Democracy Now! co-host Juan González for his analysis of the current political climate.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/6/juan_gonzalez_puerto_rico_pedro_pierluisi

Elections Are Treated as Political Consumerism and Democracy Is Suffering
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-06
| The displacement of meaningful civic engagement by political consumerism and lurid media spectacle is suffocating U.S. democracy. In the record $6.5 billion 2016 election cycle, a total that excludes untraceable dark money, the consumerist conquest of civic life became nearly complete, with empty partisan noise reverberating 24/7 through global media echo chambers in inverse proportion to the shriveling substance of daily civic l…
truthout.org/articles/elections-are-treated-as-political-consumerism-and-democracy-is-suffering/

Hong Kong Democracy Protestors Launch General Strike
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-06
Thousands took part in protests that shut down roads, public transportation and cancelled hundreds of flights…
therealnews.com/stories/hong-kong-democracy-protestors-launch-general-strike

Tainted Meat Market
Paul Edwards | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-06
The Democratic Livestock Sales signal the start of our Presidential election root canal with its pimps and whores money scramble, evoking the pathos of a 4H sale of prize hogs and heifers. 4-H stock is pure blue ribbon, though, which can't be said of this sad herd of pampered bipeds, bawling and bellowing through their…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/06/tainted-meat-market/

Linda Sarsour Explains How "Fire Pantaleo!" Spontaneously Erupted at the Dem Debate
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-06
While activists say they will work to stop Trump, as organizers they must continue the fight for justice & keep Democratic candidates honest…
therealnews.com/stories/linda-sarsour-explains-how-fire-pantaleo-spontaneously-erupted-at-the-dem-debate

"We Can't Wait for McConnell": Advocates Call for Bold Action to Curb Gun Violence Epidemic
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-06
The death toll in Saturday's anti-immigrant shooting rampage at a Walmart in El Paso has risen to 22, after two more injured victims died Monday. Just before the shooting, the gunman published a manifesto claiming his actions were being done in response to what he described as a "Hispanic invasion of Texas." Most of the dead in El Paso were Latino, including eight Mexican nationals. Thirteen hours after the massacre in El Paso, a gunman in Dayton, Ohio, killed nine people, including his own sister, after opening fire outside a bar. We speak with Kris Brown, president of Brady, formerly the Brady Campaign to Preve…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/6/mass_shootings_epidemic_gun_control_proposals

Democrats "Are Not Speaking to the Needs of Immigrants and Communities of Color"
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-06
Immigrant communities and people of color in the US are highly suspicious of the Democratic Party. However, there is a group of young democratic politicians from members of these communities who are giving hope…
therealnews.com/stories/democrats-are-not-speaking-to-the-needs-of-immigrants-and-communities-of-color

"Fascism Will Not Go Away by Itself": George Ciccariello-Maher on Confronting White Supremacy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-06
Just before the mass shooting at a crowded El Paso Walmart this weekend, the gunman wrote in a lengthy manifesto saying that the massacre was in response to what he described as a "Hispanic invasion of Texas." He also prompted a white supremacist conspiracy theory known as "great replacement" that has been cited by other mass shooters. From Mexico City, we speak with George Ciccariello-Maher, visiting scholar at NYU's Hemispheric Institute. In December 2017, Ciccariello-Maher resigned from Drexel University after a year of harassment and death threats from right-wing white supremacists. The threats stemmed from a…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/6/george_ciccariello_maher_white_supremacy

Parents of Parkland Victim Planned to Unveil a Mural in El Paso. Then Another Mass Shooting Happened
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-06
During this weekend's deadly gun violence in El Paso, Texas, Manuel and Patricia Oliver were in the vicinity because they were planning on commemorating what would have been the 19th birthday of their son, Joaquin Oliver. Joaquin was one of the 17 people gunned down during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine's Day last year. Manuel and Patricia had traveled to Ciudad Juárez, across the U.S. border into Mexico, to visit an immigrant shelter in honor of their deceased son, saying no child should ever be separated from their parents by either gunfire or immigration ag…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/6/joaquin_oliver_parents_parkland_el_paso

Republican Supporters Use AOC Cutout for Groping Practice
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-06
United States Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) slammed supporters of Republican Senator Mitch McConnell who were seen kissing, groping, and chocking a cardboard cutout of her. | RELATED: | AOC: Criticizing Israel Isn't Anti-Semitism, It's About Rights | "Hey Senate Majority Leader–these young men look like they work for you," AOC wrote on Twitter after a photo of a group of young men wearing "Team Mitch" t-shirt with her cutout went viral on social media. | The c…
telesurenglish.net/news/united-states-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cutout-republican-senator-mitch-mcconnell-20190806-0011.html

Republican Retirements in Texas Could Finally Mean Change to Gun Laws
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-06
| Seven House Republicans have announced plans to retire in the last two weeks. Four are from Texas and their departures may be enough to turn the once Republican stronghold from red to purplish — and drastically change the long-stalled gun debate in America. | What was once a reliably Republican state has been steadily trending away from the Grand Old Party in recent years. Republicans lost more than a dozen state legislative seats in Texas in the 2018 midterms when former congressman an…
truthout.org/articles/republican-retirements-in-texas-could-finally-mean-change-to-gun-laws/

The Battle for the Senate Demands Democrats' Fierce Focus
Katrina vanden Heuvel | thenation.com | 2019-08-06
The Battle for the Senate Demands Democrats' Fierce Focus…
thenation.com/article/the-battle-for-the-senate-demands-democrats-fierce-focus/

The Play Challenging Us to See the Rot at the Heart of Our Democracy
Alisa Solomon | thenation.com | 2019-08-06
The Play Challenging Us to See the Rot at the Heart of Our Democracy…
thenation.com/article/what-the-constitution-means-to-me-review/

Inaugural International Teff Super Grain Day
Michael Harris | indybay.org | 2019-08-06
Everyone is invited to celebrate International Teff Super Grain Day with us or at an Ethiopian Restaurant in your community.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/06/18825237.php

Spanish petty-bourgeois groups call on Podemos to install social-democratic government
wsws.org | 2019-08-06
Their call to back the PSOE from outside government is a cynical ploy to avoid taking responsibility for the right-wing policies of the PSOE regime they are supporting.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/06/pode-a06.html

Tens of thousands of workers strike throughout Hong Kong
wsws.org | 2019-08-06
The ruling class throughout the world is deeply fearful of the spread of social discontent as the working class moves into open struggle for its democratic and social rights.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/06/hong-a06.html

Puerto Rican authorities scramble to provide democratic cover for installation of Wall Street's governor
wsws.org | 2019-08-06
The attempt to install Pedro Pierluisi, lawyer for the US financial Junta, as Puerto Rico's new governor has further deepened the political crisis and mass social opposition.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/06/rico-a06.html

US House retirements signal deepening crisis for Republican Party
wsws.org | 2019-08-06
Kenny Marchant of Texas is the twelfth on the "casualty list" of Republicans leaving office this term and the fourth from Texas to announce his retirement in recent weeks.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/06/repu-a06.html

No Billionaires for Bernie: Alone Among Democratic Frontrunners, Sanders Gets No Cash From Wealthiest Americans
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-06
commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_12_0.jpg

'Another Nail in the Coffin' of Democracy and Journalism as US Newspaper Giants Gannett and GateHouse Announce $1.4 Billion Merger
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-06
"Hundreds of communities and ultimately our democracy will pay the price for this deal. Less journalism and less deep-dive investigative reporting will only lead to less informed citizens." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/news_journalism_democracy.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/06/another-nail-coffin-democracy-and-journalism-us-newspaper-giants-gannett-and?cd-origin=rss

Citing Racist Massacres and 'Inexcusable' Prevalence of Guns, Foreign Countries Issue Travel Safety Warnings for United States
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-06
While President Donald Trump and the Republican Party have spent the past several years claiming that immigrants and travelers from other countries pose a threat to Americans, the two shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend forced two countries to warn their own citizens of the dangers that lurk within U.S. borders. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11596797351.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/06/citing-racist-massacres-and-inexcusable-prevalence-guns-foreign-countries-issue?cd-origin=rss

We Desperately Need Marianne Williamson's Message. It's Ominous That We're Only Getting It From Marianne Williamson
Jon Schwarz | theintercept.com | 2019-08-05
It's alarming that only someone given to wild flights of irrationality believes that America can hear the truth about itself and respond rationally.
theintercept.com/2019/08/05/marianne-williamson-2020-presidential-campaign/

After Dayton Shooting, Gun Violence Reporter Says Misogyny "Clear Link" Between Many Mass Shootings
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-05
Over the span of 13 hours, the country was shaken by two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, where a total of 29 people were killed. Shortly before the attack, the El Paso gunman posted an anti-immigrant manifesto on the far-right message board 8chan, while there is still no clear motive for the Dayton shooting. Senator Bernie Sanders and other Democratic leaders are calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold a special session of the Senate to vote on two gun safety bills recently passed in the House. This all comes as the National Rifle Association is imploding. We speak with Alex…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/5/el_paso_dayton_gun_violence_america

Bernie Sanders dominates as analyses of fundraising data show Vermont senator with widespread support across nation
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-05
The data "contradicts both the mainstream narrative and some national polling data that suggest that only a centrist Democrat could succeed in this political environment." | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/05/bernie-sanders-dominates-as-analyses-of-fundraising-data-show-vermont-senator-with-widespread-support-across-nation/

What the New Deal can teach us about winning a Green New Deal: Part I
Martin Hart-Landsberg | mronline.org | 2019-08-05
The New Deal has recently become a touchstone for many progressive efforts, illustrated by Bernie Sanders' recent embrace of its aims and accomplishments and the popularity of calls for a Green New Deal. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/05/what-the-new-deal-can-teach-us-about-winning-a-green-new-deal-part-i/

How Joe Biden's Privatization Plans Helped Doom Latin America and Fuel the Migration Crisis
Max Blumenthal | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-05
On the campaign trail, Joe Biden has boasted of his role in transforming Colombia and Central America through ambitious economic and security programs. Colombians and Hondurans tell The Grayzone about the damage his plans did to their societies. | *** | While …
globalresearch.ca/how-joe-bidens-privatization-plans-helped-doom-latin-america-fuel-migration-crisis/5685639

Socialist elected officials speak to the press at DSA convention
Tony Pecinovsky | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-05
ATLANTA–"It is incumbent upon us to reclaim the narrative, to reclaim what socialism means and what it looks like," Gabriel Acevero, a member of the Maryland Legislature, told People's World in an extended interview. Acevero, 28, a member of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), represents the 39th Legislative District in Montgomery County, Maryland. He was …
peoplesworld.org/article/socialist-elected-officials-speak-to-the-press-at-dsa-convention/

Democracy Threat? Trump Demands 'Realignment of British Politics'. The Americanization of Britain
True Publica | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-05
I said that this moment would come. It has almost arrived. I warned that Britain is to become a European outpost of America (READ: The global alliance taking over Britain) and if ever proof was needed, it is the …
globalresearch.ca/democracy-threat-trump-demands-realignment-of-british-politics-the-americanization-of-britain/5685635

US mass shootings, Democratic debates, America vs China
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-08-05
Mass shootings in the US Three mass shootings took place in the US in three different states — Texas, Ohio and Illinois. 29 people were killed in the attacks, while almost 50 were injured. On Saturday afternoon in El Paso, Texas, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius opened fire at a supermarket. In the wake of the tragedies, …
uwidata.com/4757-us-mass-shootings-democratic-debates-america-vs-china/

Mass Shootings, Militarism and Policing Are Chapters in the Same Manifesto
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-05
| This weekend, after two mass shooters killed and injured dozens of people in Texas and Ohio,?Rep. Steve Cohen?tweeted, "You want to shoot an assault weapon? Go to Afghanistan or Iraq. Enlist!" | Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, apparently did not take issue with the El Paso shooter's desire to slaughter people of color — he merely wanted to redirect his bullets toward people of color outside of the United States. His tweet was a chilling reminder of?how the United…
truthout.org/articles/mass-shootings-militarism-and-policing-are-chapters-in-the-same-manifesto/

Amid Conservative Assault on Organized Labor, Democratic Lawmakers Are Advancing Laws to Expand Workers' Rights
Rachel M. Cohen | theintercept.com | 2019-08-05
Nevada and Delaware passed laws this summer giving public-sector workers the right to collectively bargain. Colorado is expected to follow suit next year.
theintercept.com/2019/08/05/unions-collective-bargaining-laws/

Texas Democratic Senate Candidate M.J. Hegar in 2017 on Gun Control: "You'll Have to Take Mine First"
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-08-05
While critics wondered if Beto O'Rourke was too progressive for Texas, Hegar remained ambiguous on most policy, including gun violence, in her 2018 House campaign.
theintercept.com/2019/08/05/gun-control-policy-texas-senate/

Democrats use mass shootings in attempt to gain 2020 advantage… what else is new?
rt.com | 2019-08-05
With America reeling from two new mass shootings, Democratic candidates for president have taken the opportunity to pin the blame for all of the country's woes and ills squarely on Donald Trump. | …
rt.com/usa/465837-democrats-shootings-political-agenda/

Take Away My Employer-Based Health Insurance. Please
Bill Lueders | progressive.org | 2019-08-05
Centrist Democrats like Joe Biden still aim to gin up mass fear over the prospect of leaving behind predatory insurers and the dizzying array of deductibles, co-pays, exclusions, humiliations, and rationing of care that characterizes our current syst…
progressive.org/dispatches/take-away-my-employer-based-health-insurance-please-lueders-190805/

El Paso overtakes Democrats' pro-worker stands at AFSCME forum
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-05
LAS VEGAS –The mass murder of 20 people in El Paso, with another 26 wounded, all by a Trumpite with a semi-automatic rifle and wearing a "MAGA" hat, overshadowed Democratic presidential hopefuls' pro-worker stands at a special AFSCME forum in Las Vegas on August 3. "For far too many people, a fair shot doesn't exist …
peoplesworld.org/article/el-paso-overtakes-democrats-pro-worker-stands-at-afscme-forum/

Election annulment please
Tom H. Hastings | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-05
Russia hacked and attacked our 2016 presidential election and installed Donald Trump. This requires annulment. Trump didn't even come close on the actual popular vote, losing to Clinton by some three million votes, and yet seized the White House by the arcane and anti-democratic electoral college, but only due to Russian illegal interference. This makes …
nationofchange.org/2019/08/05/election-annulment-please/

Dayton shooter was apparently a self-professed 'leftist,' Warren & Sanders fan
rt.com | 2019-08-05
Judging by his supposed activity on Twitter, the Dayton shooter appears to have held views opposite to those of the El Paso gunman from hours earlier. A now-suspended account, allegedly his own, implies he was a die-hard leftist. | …
rt.com/usa/465790-dayton-shooter-leftist-antifa/

Want to Tackle Unemployment? Reduce Military Spending
Nia Harris, Cassandra Stimpson, Ben Freeman | thenation.com | 2019-08-05
Nia Harris, Cassandra Stimpson, Ben Freeman Want to Tackle Unemployment? Reduce Military Spending.
thenation.com/article/defense-industry-spending-bad-job-creator/

White Nationalism Is a Republican Crisis
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2019-08-05
White Nationalism Is a Republican Crisis…
thenation.com/article/white-nationalism-donald-trump-el-paso-domestic-terrorism/

El Paso Shooting Probed as Domestic Terrorism After Anti-Immigrant Gunman Kills 22 People
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-05
Over the span of 13 hours, the United States was shaken by two mass shootings. Saturday morning, a heavily armed gunman opened fire inside a crowded Walmart in El Paso, Texas, killing 22 people, including a number of Mexican nationals. Federal authorities are treating the El Paso attack as an act of domestic terrorism. The suspected gunman has been identified as a 21-year-old white man named Patrick Crusius, who lived 600 miles away in a suburb of Dallas. Shortly before the attack in El Paso, the gunman posted an anti-immigrant manifesto on the far-right message board 8chan. Some of the language in the manifesto…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/5/el_paso_mass_shooting_white_supremacy

Ex-FBI Agent Speaks Out: Federal Authorities Have Downplayed White Supremacist Violence for Too Long
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-05
According to The New York Times, white extremist shooters have now killed at least 63 people in the United States over the past 18 months. Late last month, FBI Director Christopher Wray told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that crime driven by racism and white supremacy was on the rise compared to the past nine months. But former FBI agents say there is reluctance within the agency to tackle white nationalist violence in part due to President Trump's rhetoric. We speak with Mike German, fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law. From 1988 to 2004, German served as an FBI agent…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/5/white_nationalist_terrorism

Trump's Five Strengths and Five Weaknesses
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-08-04
In 2020, the US will hold presidential elections. Voters will decide if Donald Trump will be re-elected for a second term as president or whether one of his democratic contenders will get an opportunity to occupy the White House. Trump has several strengths and weaknesses which will likely factor in to his chances in the …
uwidata.com/4693-trumps-five-strengths-and-five-weaknesses/

Biden His Time
Mumia Abu-Jamal | workers.org | 2019-08-04
This column by political prisoner and journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal was posted on Prison Radio.com on July 24. The candidacy of Joseph R. Biden Jr. for President of the United States has caused multiple reactions across the land. Biden, who enters his 77th year of life, draws warm feelings from Blacks . . . | Continue reading Biden His Time at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/08/04/biden-his-time/

MSNBC's anti-Sanders bias makes it forget how to do math
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-03
When MSNBC legal analyst Mimi Rocah (7/21/19) said that Bernie Sanders "made [her] skin crawl," though she "can't even identify for you what exactly it is," she was just expressing more overtly the anti-Sanders bias that pervades the network. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/03/msnbcs-anti-sanders-bias-makes-it-forget-how-to-do-math/

Weekend Read: The SPLC fights an internal threat to our democracy
splcenter.org | 2019-08-03
In his recent testimony before Congress, Special Counsel Robert Mueller pointedly warned the nation about Russia's ongoing attempts to meddle in our nation's elections.
splcenter.org/news/2019/08/03/weekend-read-splc-fights-internal-threat-our-democracy

Ex-Health Insurance Exec: Industry Is Using Decades-Old Scare Tactics to Fight Medicare for All
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-02
The Democratic presidential candidates remain deeply divided on how to expand healthcare to the tens of millions of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have both pushed for abolishing private health insurance and establishing a Medicare for All system. Their rivals have pushed a number of different, more incremental approaches. During the first night of the latest debates, Sanders pointed out that the country has taken sweeping action before to expand health coverage to millions of Americans, referring to the 50th anniversary of the creation of Medicare and Me…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/2/u_s_healthcare_medicare_medicaid_history

Tulsi Gabbard Challenges Foreign-Policy Assumptions and Moves the Overton Window
Ali A. Taj | mintpressnews.com | 2019-08-02
Tulsi Gabbard has moved the Overton window on what is acceptable discussion when it comes to U.S. foreign policy. She has punctured the rose-tinted narrative being constructed around establishment favorites like Senator Kamala Harris.
mintpressnews.com/tulsi-gabbard-foreign-policy-assumptions-overton-window/261103/

Security Council gravely concerned by Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, demands immediate end to violence hampering response
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-02
The UN Security Council on Friday expressed grave concern about the current Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and stressed the urgency of broad cooperation in the response, as "the disease could spread rapidly, including to neighbouring countries, possibly having serious humanitarian consequences and impacting regional stability."
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1043651

Can a Majoritarian Movement Be Built to Stop Trump's Racist Momentum?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-02
Ajay Chaudhary & Maurice Mitchell analyze the racist right wing surge & how to fight for a real democracy built on racial, social and economic justice…
therealnews.com/stories/can-a-majoritarian-movement-be-built-to-stop-trumps-racist-momentum

Four Truths About For-Profit Charter Schools
Peter Greene | progressive.org | 2019-08-02
2020 Democratic candidates taking a stand against for-profit charters is like bravely standing up in opposition to yeti attacks.
progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/four-truths-about-for-profit-charter-schools-Greene-190802/

'Democracy Has Become a Joke on the Island' – CounterSpin interview with Ed Morales on Puerto Rican protest
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2019-08-02
Janine Jackson interviewed Ed Morales about the Puerto Rican protest movement for the July 26, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/democracy-has-become-a-joke-on-the-island/

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Chief of Staff and Communications Director Will Depart Her Office
Akela Lacy | theintercept.com | 2019-08-02
Two of Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez's top staffers are leaving her office. | Saikat Chakrabarti, her chief of staff, and Corbin Trent, her director of communications — who, through their work with Justice Democrats, have been alongside Ocasio-Cortez since her primary run — will leave the lawmaker's office. Chakrabarti will go to New Consensus, a nonprofit focused on climate issues and promoting the Green New Deal. Trent will direct communications on Ocasio-Cortez's 2020 campaign, the same role he played during her first congressional run. | "Saikat has decided to leave the office of Rep. Ocasio-Corte…
theintercept.com/2019/08/02/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-saikat-chakrabarti-corbin-trent/

2nd Dem Debate Pt 2: To Impeach, or Not to Impeach? That Is the Question. (4/4)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-02
While Democrats struggle with the question of impeachment, the healthcare debate is getting mired in minutiae and some voters are calling for a working class party. With Kimberly Moffitt, Jacqueline Luqman, and Marc Steiner as host…
therealnews.com/stories/2nd-dem-debate-pt-2-to-impeach-or-not-to-impeach-that-is-the-question-4-4

"You're Gonna Kill Me": Bodycam Video Shows Dallas Officers Mocking Man as He Died Pinned to Ground
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-02
In August 2016, 32-year-old Tony Timpa called 911 to ask for help. Timpa had schizophrenia and depression, and was off his medication for schizophrenia. Timpa told the Dallas dispatcher that he was scared. The police responded, and within 20 minutes Timpa was dead. For the past three years, the city of Dallas has fought efforts to release police bodycam footage showing what happened, but the video was finally released this week after a prolonged legal battle. The shocking video contains disturbing footage, with officers arriving on the scene where Timpa was already handcuffed by a private security guard. In the v…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/2/tony_timpa_family_lawsuit_bodycam_footage

Climate System "Getting Unhinged" as Massive Heat Wave Causes Record Melting of Greenland Ice Sheet
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-02
The massive heat dome that shattered all-time temperature records across much of Europe last week has settled in over Greenland, driving temperatures across the vast region to as much as 30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. In July, Greenland's ice sheet lost 197 billion tons of ice, the equivalent of around 80 million Olympic swimming pools. This comes as the World Meteorological Organization said Thursday that July was the warmest month in recorded human history. It followed the hottest June on record, as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels climbed to a record high of 415 parts per million earlier this year. We sp…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/2/greenland_melting_climate_crisis_jason_box

CNN's Industry Spin Shows Need for Independent Debates
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2019-08-02
CNN painfully demonstrated this week why we need independently run presidential debates. With its ESPN-like introductions to the candidates, and its insistence on questions that pit candidates against each other, CNN took an approach to the debates more befitting a football game than an exercise in democracy. | The CNN hosts moderated as if they weren't even listening to what candidates were saying, inflexibly cutting them off after the inevitably too-short 30-to-60-second time limit–in order to offer another, often seemingly randomly selected, candida…
fair.org/home/cnns-industry-spin-shows-need-for-independent-debates/

Dolores Huerta & Cornel West Respond to Democratic Debate as Biden & Harris Face Harsh Scrutiny
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-01
Ten presidential hopefuls took the stage Wednesday evening for the second night of a Democratic debate in Detroit. During the night, former Vice President Joe Biden defended his record after facing numerous attacks on his record on criminal justice, the Iraq War, immigration and women's rights. Senator Kamala Harris also faced criticism over her record as California attorney general. We speak to the legendary labor leader Dolores Huerta, who is co-chair of Kamala Harris's campaign, and Harvard professor Cornel West, who has endorsed Bernie Sanders.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/1/seg_1

"It Wasn't a Golden Age": Cornel West Says Democrats Have to Reckon with Mixed Obama Legacy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-01
Harvard professor Cornel West joins us from Detroit, where he attended both nights of the Democratic debate. He talks about the troubling legacy of the Obama administration and why he is supporting Bernie Sanders again for president.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/1/it_wasnt_a_golden_age_cornel

Cornel West: Corporate Media's Superficial Coverage Helped Create "Fascist Frankenstein Trump"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-01
On Tuesday night, Senator Bernie Sanders openly criticized CNN's handling of the debates. He told CNN's Jake Tapper, "Your question is a Republican talking point. And by the way, the healthcare industry will be advertising tonight on this program." We speak with Cornel West and Dolores Huerta about the media coverage and the structure of the debate.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/1/cornel_west_corporate_medias_superficial_coverage

Propagandists Are Freaking Out Over Tulsi Gabbard's Destruction of Kamala Harris
Caitlin Johnstone | theantimedia.com | 2019-08-01
Tulsi Gabbard took on Kamala Harris over her record on criminal justice reform, the death penalty, and the war on drugs.

Propagandists Are Freaking Out Over Tulsi Gabbard’s Destruction of Kamala Harris

"You Owe Them an Apology": Tulsi Gabbard Slams Kamala Harris on Her Record as California AG
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-01
During Wednesday's debate, Hawaii Congressmember Tulsi Gabbard confronted California Senator Kamala Harris about her record as California attorney general. Gabbard accused Harris of blocking evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row–until the courts forced her to do so. Harris defended her record, saying she significantly reformed the criminal justice system. We speak to Dolores Huerta and Cornel West.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/1/seg_2

Kamala Harris Team Accused of "Inventing Conspiracies" About Tulsi Gabbard
Eoin Higgins | theantimedia.com | 2019-08-01
The Kamala Harris' campaign jumped to tie Gabbard and her campaign to a nebulously defined and unclear Russian conspiracy.

Kamala Harris Team Accused of "Inventing Conspiracies" About Tulsi Gabbard

The Triumph of Their Will
Melissa Ryan | progressive.org | 2019-08-01
White nationalists are building political power from within the Republican Party.
progressive.org/magazine/the-triumph-of-their-will-ryan-190801/

Protesters Target Joe Biden on Deportation and Bill De Blasio on Eric Garner During Democratic Debate
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-08-01
Direct action by protesters disrupted and energized the Democratic debate in Detroit, forcing Bill de Blasio and Joe Biden to defend their records.
theintercept.com/2019/08/01/protesters-target-joe-biden-deportation-bill-de-blasio-eric-garner-democratic-debate/

2nd Dem Debate Pt 2: Presidential Candidates Attack Trump as a Racist (1/4)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-01
Trump was called out as a white nationalist in the second night of Democratic presidential debates; demonstrators demanded Eric Garner's killer be fired, and justice for immigrants. With Kimberly Moffitt, Dharna Noor, and Marc Steiner as host…
therealnews.com/stories/2nd-dem-debate-pt-2-presidential-candidates-attack-trump-as-a-racist-1-4

2nd Democratic Debate Pt. 1: Reparations, Race, and the New Green Economy (3/3)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-01
Reparations are no longer a backburner issue, and candidates are being forced to address climate change and the new green economy. With guests Kimberly Moffit and Jeet Heer, hosted by Marc Steiner…
therealnews.com/stories/2nd-democratic-debate-pt-1-reparations-race-and-the-new-green-economy-3-3

Dolores Huerta Accuses Biden of "Speaking Just Like a Republican" on Immigration
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-01
Immigration rights activists abruptly interrupted Joe Biden during last night's debate, chanting "3 million deportations!"–referring to the Obama administration's deportation of at least 3 million undocumented people. During the debate, Julián Castro repeatedly challenged Biden's record on immigration. "It looks like one of us has learned the lessons of the past and one of us hasn't," Castro said. We speak to Dolores Huerta and Cornel West.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/1/dolores_huerta_accuses_biden_of_speaking

"You're Dipping into the Kool-Aid": Booker Accuses Biden of Helping Drive Mass Incarceration
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-01
In one of the most heated exchanges of the debate, Senator Cory Booker criticized Joe Biden's role in backing several key crime bills during his time in the Senate. Biden fought back, attacking Booker's record as mayor of Newark, New Jersey.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/1/youre_dipping_into_the_kool_aid

2nd Dem Debate Pt 2: Takes on Police Reform, Shows Divide on Criminal Justice (2/4)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-01
Julian Castro demands police accountability for first time in a presidential debate while candidates attack each other over their mass incarceration policies. With Kimberly Moffitt, Jacqueline Luqman, and Marc Steiner as host…
therealnews.com/stories/2nd-dem-debate-pt-2-takes-on-police-reform-shows-divide-on-criminal-justice-2-4

A Progressive Prosecutor Sets Her Sights on Upstate New York
Ross Barkan | thenation.com | 2019-08-01
Shani Curry Mitchell is challenging her Republican ex-boss in Monroe County's next district attorney race.
thenation.com/article/shani-curry-mitchell-monroe-prosecutor/

Candidates, Your Views on the Middle East? You Have 30 Seconds
Alex Emmons | theintercept.com | 2019-08-01
If you blinked, you might have missed it. | Across the five hours of Democratic primary debates split between two nights this week, the presidential hopefuls discussed the future of U.S. foreign policy for no more than 25 minutes. | Other policy areas had it worse. There were no questions either night on Puerto Rico, for example, or LGBT issues, or reproductive rights. But the scant attention to foreign policy was striking precisely because it's the area in which a president has the most power to change things on their own. If the next president wants to rejoin the Paris climate agreement or renegotiate the Iran…
theintercept.com/2019/08/01/candidates-your-views-on-the-middle-east-you-have-30-seconds/

Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders Dominate Democratic Debate Set Up to Ambush Them
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-07-31
Updated: CNN's Democratic presidential primary debate was framed like an ambush against Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders — who then ended up dominating it.
theintercept.com/2019/07/30/elizabeth-warren-bernie-sanders-dominate-democratic-debate/

Sanders & Warren Fight "Republican Talking Point" That Medicare for All Is About Reducing Coverage
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-31
Ten Democratic presidential candidates took to the stage in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday night for the first of a two-night debate hosted by CNN. The debate began with an extended discussion on healthcare, where progressive candidates Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren defended their platforms of Medicare for All against more moderate candidates who argued this stance is political suicide. We speak with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, former Michigan gubernatorial candidate.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/31/cnn_debate_healthcare_abdul_el_sayed

"We Don't Want Another President Obama": Activist Urges Democrats to Reframe Immigration Debate
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-31
Democratic candidates also sparred on immigration policy, from decriminalizing border crossing to providing healthcare to undocumented immigrants. We hear excerpts of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, as well as Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Plus we speak to Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/31/cnn_democratic_debate_immigration_erika_andiola

Tulsi Gabbard vs Google Goliath
Rick Sterling | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-31
Introduction The Tulsi Gabbard presidential campaign has filed a major law suit against Google. This article outlines the main points of the law suit and evidence the the social media giant Google has quietly acquired enormous influence on public perceptions and has been actively censoring alternative viewpoints. Tulsi Now vs Google Tulsi Now, Inc vs …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/tulsi-gabbard-vs-google-goliath/

Warren Backs "No First Use" Nuclear Policy as Buttigieg Calls for Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-31
While most of Tuesday's debate focused on domestic issues, Democratic candidates were briefly asked about nuclear weapons policy and the war in Afghanistan. Senator Elizabeth Warren defended her "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons, despite criticism from Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Meanwhile, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sparred on whether the U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan after 18 years of war.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/31/cnn_debate_foreign_policy_mehdi_hasan

UN working 'intensively' to stop Ebola in eastern DR Congo, following second case in major border town
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-31
Senior UN officials tasked with controlling the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have responded to Tuesday's confirmation of a second case of Ebola in Goma, a major trading town in the vast country's restive east, near the border with neighbouring Rwanda, which resulted in the death of the patient.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1043501

Headlines for July 31, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-31
Sens. Sanders and Warren Tout Progressive Vision for 2020 as 2nd Democratic Debate Kicks Off, Detroit Activists Call on 2020 Dems to Tackle Pollution, Implement Green New Deal, North Korea Launches 2nd Ballistic Missile Test in Under a Week, 130 Hunger-Striking Prisoners in Egypt Decry Inhumane Treatment, Senators Question DOD Nominee John Hyten over Sexual Assault Accusations, Virginia Delegate Protests Trump Speech: "You Can't Send Us Back!", House Report Says Trump Adviser Ran Campaign Speech by UAE, Saudi Officials, California Bill Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose 5 Years of Tax Returns, 2 Chicago…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/31/headlines

2nd Democratic Debate, Pt 1: Battle Over Medicare for All and Fixing Immigration (2/3)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-31
The debate allowed candidates to show how support for Medicare for All and humanity at the U.S. border are key issues in 2020. With guests Kimberly Moffit and Jeet Heer, hosted by Marc Steiner…
therealnews.com/stories/2nd-democratic-debate-pt-2-battle-over-medicare-for-all-and-fixing-immigration-2-3

Militias Capitalizing on GOP Rhetoric Heading Into Election Season
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2019-07-31
A militia network's enthusiasm to lend paramilitary support to Oregon's Republican senators last month could be a bellwether for the 2020 campaign season.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/07/31/militias-capitalizing-gop-rhetoric-heading-election-season

Warren Denounces White Supremacy as Domestic Terrorism; Marianne Williamson Calls for Reparations
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-31
Democratic candidates also spoke on race and white supremacy, with Senator Elizabeth Warren arguing that the United States needs "to call out white supremacy for what it is: domestic terrorism." Marianne Williamson of California brought up the Flint water crisis and highlighted environmental racism saying, "We have communities, particularly communities of color and disadvantaged communities, all over this country who are suffering from environmental injustice." We speak with Mehdi Hasan, columnist for The Intercept and host of its "Deconstructed" podcast. He's also host of "UpFront" at Al Jazeera English.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/31/cnn_democratic_presidential_debate_reparations_racism

Kamala Harris Receives Donations From Big Pharma Executives Despite Claim She Rejects Them
Lee Fang | theintercept.com | 2019-07-30
Campaign finance records show Harris has received thousands of dollars from executives at drug companies and distributors this year; most were not returned.
theintercept.com/2019/07/30/kamala-harris-big-pharma-donations/

UNICEF must triple budget to combat Ebola outbreak in DR Congo; complex crisis impacting unprecedented number of children
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-30
With an unprecedented number of children affected by the Ebola virus outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday said it would need to triple its budget to tackle the complex crisis, which included intensifying the overall public health response and launching measles vaccinations.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1043491

Survivor 2020, and some Ghosts from Recent Elections Past
Todd Smith | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-30
Gore Vidal once remarked that the United States has only one political party with two right wings. At the risk of betraying my own political bias: I couldn't agree more! Still, maybe 2020 will be different? The ultra-marathon-up to the next election has already begun in the Summer of 2019 with the Democratic Party debates. …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/survivor-2020-and-some-ghosts-from-recent-elections-past/

Protesters in Bradenton defend the rights of immigrants and refugees
Bryan Ellis | liberationnews.org | 2019-07-29
On Sunday, seventeen people gathered at the Manatee County Courthouse in downtown Bradenton to demand an end to US concentration camps for refugees and mass deportations of immigrants.
liberationnews.org/protesters-in-bradenton-defend-the-rights-of-immigrants-and-refugees/

Progressive Democrats vote against BDS, Palestinian rights
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-07-29
House Democrats, including key progressives, have passed a measure condemning the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS). Why are Reps….
thegrayzone.com/2019/07/29/progressive-democrats-vote-against-bds-palestinian-rights/

How Joe Biden's privatization plans helped doom Latin America and fuel the migration crisis
Max Blumenthal | thegrayzone.com | 2019-07-28
On the campaign trail, Joe Biden has boasted of his role in transforming Colombia and Central America through ambitious economic…
thegrayzone.com/2019/07/28/biden-privatization-plan-colombia-honduras-migration/

MSNBC's Anti-Sanders Bias Makes It Forget How to Do Math
Katie Halper | fair.org | 2019-07-26
When MSNBC legal analyst Mimi Rocah ( 7/21/19) said that Bernie Sanders "made [her] skin crawl," though she "can't even identify for you what exactly it is," she was just expressing more overtly the anti-Sanders bias that pervades the network. MSNBC's Mimi Rocah ( 7/21/19) explaining how Bernie Sanders makes her "skin crawl." | The hostility is so entrenched, in fact, it seems to have corrupted MSNBC's mathematical reasoni…
fair.org/home/msnbcs-anti-sanders-bias-makes-it-forget-how-to-do-math/

The 'Total Anarchy' of Wet Cops
Josmar Trujillo | fair.org | 2019-07-26
by Josmar Trujillo "Total Anarchy": The headline has changed, but the tweet remains (Twitter, 7/22/19). | The family of Eric Garner, the Staten Island father infamously choked to death by a New York City cop in 2014 (Extra!, 1–2/15), was told last week by the Justice Department that charges would not be brought against that officer. Family members and activists responded with fury, mostly aimed at Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose refusal to fire the officer, Daniel Pantaleo, allo…
fair.org/home/the-total-anarchy-of-wet-cops/

Fidel Castro on July 26
Fidel Castro | liberationnews.org | 2019-07-26
Compañero Fidel's letter to leaders of delegations visiting Cuba on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Garrisons…
liberationnews.org/fidel-castro-on-july-26-html/