Daily Archives: August 23, 2019

2019-08-23: News Headlines

Juan Cole (2019-08-23). Bernie Sanders' Manhattan Project: The Game-Changing Green New Deal. commondreams.org It will only succeed if the public rallies to it, urgently seeking to limit the damage to their children's and grandchildren's lives done by carbon dioxide, methane, and the rest. (Photo: Screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bernie-sanders-manhattan-project.jpeg

Paul Street (2019-08-23). Notes on Inauthenticity in a Creeping Fascist Nuthouse. counterpunch.org The reigning corporate Democrats would rather lose to the right, even to a proto-fascistic white nationalist and eco-exterminist right, than lose to the left, even to a mildly progressive social democratic and environmentalist left within their own party. How else explain their insistence on promoting the ridiculous, right-wing arch-corporatist, imperialist, and dementia-plagued right-wing gaffe machine Joke Biden in the long march to the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries? More

Mark Gruenberg (2019-08-23). Sanders and SEIU's Mary Kay Henry announce plans to revive unions. peoplesworld.org Almost simultaneously yesterday Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Mary Kay Henry, the president of the Service Employees unveiled strong pro-labor programs they say will revive the nation's unions and lift up the country's workers. Saying its time for every worker to have the right to organize, no matter what they do, where they live …

Al Neal (2019-08-23). Castro showcases specific indigenous policies at Native forum, but Delaney stumbles. peoplesworld.org SIOUX CITY, Iowa— With a bit of Texan swagger and an ear-to-ear smile, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro made his way across the stage at the Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum here on Tuesday, August 20, and was greeted with applause. Castro began his opening statement by saying "gracias" to all …

RT (2019-08-23). David Koch, billionaire conservative & one of the world's richest people, dies at 79. rt.com US billionaire businessman and key Republican Party donor David Koch has died at the age of 79. | Koch stepped down from the family business, Koch Industries, last year amid health problems. His death has been confirmed by his older brother Charles. | "It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my brother David," says Charles Koch in statement.— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) August 23, 2019 | David was listed by Forbes…

Rachel M. Cohen (2019-08-23). How Democrats Plan to Win Wisconsin in 2020. theintercept.com Democrats, labor unions, and progressive groups are investing heavily in new organizing techniques in Wisconsin, where electoral victory is considered crucial to the party's path to the White House. They are hoping to boost voter turnout in a state that the national party took for granted in 2016. | The efforts, spearheaded by Wisconsin leaders and liberal donors across the country, include massive new investments in field organizing, a targeted focus on communities of color, and capitalizing on the Democratic Party convention that will be held in Milwaukee next July. | "I think the whole country recognizes that…

Emily Karreman (2019-08-23). What is democracy, and where is it going? peoplesworld.org This question has been hanging over American political discussion for the past three years. Certainly, it's always been a contentious topic in this country, but the 2016 campaign season and election really brought it to the forefront of our collective political consciousness. The dictionary defines democracy as "a government in which the supreme power is …

Vijay Prashad (2019-08-23). Hybrid wars are destroying Democracies. mronline.org In Brazil recently, I gave an interview to Brasil de Fato, which was born in 2003 as the weekly magazine of the World Social Forum. It is now one of the most important windows into Brazil's political world. The newsletter this week carries the text of most of the interview. | Source

Marlee Kokotovic (2019-08-23). Bernie Sanders' Green New Deal plan. nationofchange.org Yesterday, Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his version of a Green New Deal proposal which seems to be the most aggressive plan compared to his rivals'. His 10-year plan would create 20 million jobs and would transition the U.S. economy to 100 percent renewable energy. The climate crisis is the greatest challenge facing humanity. It's also …

Derek Royden (2019-08-23). Media bias and movement building: Bernie Sanders' revolutionary 2020 campaign. nationofchange.org "Bernie Sanders makes my skin crawl. And I can't even identify for you what exactly it is." Former assistant U.S. attorney Mimi Rocah on MSNBC in July While the 2020 Democratic primaries have showcased a number of progressive candidates (alongside quite a few centrists pretending to be progressive), the coverage being given in the U.S. mainstream media …

Sonali Kolhatkar (2019-08-23). Let's Stop Trying to Predict Who Can Beat Trump. commondreams.org Here's a novel idea: Voters in the primaries should pick a candidate they truly like, whose policies they are excited about, whose ideas they feel will best help the nation. (Photo: Matt Rourke / AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_2.jpeg

teleSUR (2019-08-23). US: Billionaire Tycoon, Tea Party Donor David Koch Dies at 79. telesurenglish.net Billionaire industrialist David Koch, behind conglomerate Koch Industries who, as one of the world's richest people became a major financier of conservative causes and the Republican party, has died at age 79, his brother said Friday morning. | RELATED: | Richest 10% in US Will Own 100% of the Wealth by 2052: Study | Charles Koch, Koch Industries Inc.'s chairman, disclosed the death in a statement, saying the cause of his younger brother's death was prostate cancer. | Koch amassed his va…

Staff (2019-08-23). Trump Primary Challengers Would Face Big Money Problem. truthout.org | | Conservative radio host and former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) is the latest in a long line of Republicans to reportedly consider a primary challenge to President Donald Trump in 2020. | But if the former Illinois congressman decides to launch his own presidential campaign, he is likely to encounter the same challenge that other…

Michael Harris (2019-08-23). Expanding California Pan African Trade Informational Hearing. indybay.org California State Capitol | Room 126 | Sacramento…

WSWS (2019-08-23). Democrats enforce crackdown on vehicular homelessness in Los Angeles. wsws.org Nearly 10,000 people are forced by high rents and stagnant wages to live in their vehicles on the streets of the second largest city in the United States.

Global Research News (2019-08-23). US Navy "Ready" to "Restore Democracy" in Venezuela through Military Means? globalresearch.ca "I'm not going to detail what we're planning and what we're doing, but we're ready to implement policy decisions, and we're ready to act … | The United States Navy is the most powerful navy in the world. … | If there …

Staff (2019-08-23). Sen. Merkley Condemns Trump's Decision to Indefinitely Jail Migrant Kids. truthout.org | | The Trump administration is moving to indefinitely detain migrant children and their families, reversing decades of U.S. policy. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to issue a new rule today to withdraw from a 1997 federal court settlement known as the Flores agreement, which put a 20-day limit on migrant family detentions. We speak with Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who made headlines last year when he was barred from entering an o…

Staff (2019-08-23). Bolsonaro Wants to Occupy the Amazon to Obstruct Multiracial Conservation Plans. truthout.org | | Leaked documents show that Jair Bolsonaro's government intends to use the Brazilian president's hate speech to isolate minorities living in the Amazon region. The PowerPoint slides, which democraciaAbierta has seen, also reveal plans to implement predatory projects that could have a devastating environmental impact. | The Bolsonaro government has as one of its priorities to strategically occupy the Amazon region to prevent the implementation of multilateral conservation projects for…

Leon Kunstenaar (2019-08-23). Progressive Democrats Meet to Plan Environmental Pressure. indybay.org Progressives demand resolutions for Presidential Debate focused on environmental issues and for the | establishment of Climate Crisis Council…

Charlie Jane Anders (2019-08-23). Writers With Drinks featuring Yangsze Choo and Evan Ramzipoor! indybay.org The Make Out Room, 3225 22nd St.

John Nichols (2019-08-23). Bernie Sanders Welcomes the Hatred of Billionaires. thenation.com Bernie Sanders Welcomes the Hatred of Billionaires…

Linda Sarsour (2019-08-23). Why Democratic Presidential Candidates Need to Listen to American Muslims. thenation.com Why Democratic Presidential Candidates Need to Listen to American Muslims…

Staff (2019-08-23). Sen. Merkley Condemns Trump's War Against Migrant Families as U.S. Moves to Indefinitely Jail Kids. democracynow.org The Trump administration is moving to indefinitely detain migrant children and their families, reversing decades of U.S. policy. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to issue a new rule today to withdraw from a 1997 federal court settlement known as the Flores agreement, which put a 20-day limit on migrant family detentions. We speak with Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who made headlines last year when he was barred from entering an old Walmart where the government was detaining about 1,500 immigrant children in Brownsville, Texas.

Staff (2019-08-23). Sen. Merkley on the Dangers of a New Nuclear Arms Race & Why He Backs the Green New Deal. democracynow.org Fallout from the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the landmark 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is mounting. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to prepare for what he called a "symmetrical response" after the U.S. tested what it said was a nonnuclear cruise missile earlier this week. The U.S. launch was the first test of its kind since the Trump administration withdrew from the INF. We speak to Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon about U.S. nuclear policy, as well as the Green New Deal, President Trump's wish to buy Greenland and more.

Staff (2019-08-23). How Jair Bolsonaro Emboldened Brazilian Agribusiness to Torch the Amazon & Attack Indigenous People. democracynow.org The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly destroying the world's largest rainforest and paving the way for a climate catastrophe. The fires have spread a vast plume of smoke across South America and the Atlantic Ocean that's visible from space. They're unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. Indigenous people in Brazil have accused far-right President Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the destruction. Bols…

Robert Scheer (2019-08-23). The Latest Victim in the Crucifixion of Julian Assange. truthdig.com The case of Ola Bini, a Swedish data privacy activist and associate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, has been shrouded in mystery since his arrest in Quito, Ecuador, on April 11. He was detained on the same day Assange was forcibly removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in the United Kingdom, inevitably raising questions about whether Bini was being held because of his connection with Assange and whether the United States was involved in the case in some form. | Bini, who initially…

Staff (2019-08-23). Headlines for August 23, 2019. democracynow.org U.N. Calls for Protection of the Amazon as Rainforest Burns at Record Pace, Indigenous Communities Say Brazil's President Is Encouraging Destruction of Forests, Bernie Sanders Unveils Ambitious Green New Deal to Avert Climate Catastrophe, Democratic Leaders Reject Resolution Calling for Candidate Climate Debate, French Authorities to Crack Down on Protest as 13,000 Police Mobilize for G7 Summit, Syrian Forces Encircle Last Major Rebel-Held Stronghold in Hama Province, U.N.: Burmese Troops Had "Genocidal Intent" in Targeting Rohingya for Sexual Violence, Indonesia Deploys Troops to Quell Independence Protests in W…

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-08-23). After Handing Rich $1.5 Trillion Tax Cut, Trump Reportedly Considering Slashing Medicare and Social Security as 'Second-Term Project'. commondreams.org "Mr. Trump, you are not going to have a second term," tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders in response to the president's reported plan | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_medicare_social_security.jpg

Ralph Nader (2019-08-23). They Don't Make Republicans Like the Great Paul Findley Anymore! counterpunch.org In his 22 years in Congress (1960 — 1982), Paul Findley achieved a sterling record for fundamental positions, proposals and breakthroughs that revealed a great man, pure and simple. He never stopped learning and applying his knowledge to advance the right course of action, regardless of political party, ideology or pressure from various groups. Findley, More

Ryan Cooper (2019-08-23). The Terrifying Legacy of David Koch. commondreams.org The Kochs were also key players in the successful effort to beat back a cap-and-trade bill in 2010, the closest the U.S. government has ever come to any kind of emissions policy. (Illustrated | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-23_at_1.25.56_pm.png

Jon Queally, staff writer (2019-08-23). Sanders Campaign Co-Chair Nina Turner Calls for All Democratic Candidates to Unite Against DNC Over #ClimateDebate. commondreams.org "If all the Democratic presidential candidates say to the DNC, 'Let's have a debate or a forum about climate change'—what are they gonna do, kick out every single one of them?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-22_at_11.14.52_pm.png

Kate Aronoff (2019-08-22). Bernie Sanders's Climate Plan Is More Radical Than His Opponents' — And More Likely to Succeed. theintercept.com The $16.3 trillion plan would not only transition American society away from fossil fuels but renegotiate decades-old nostrums about the government's role in the economy.

Staff (2019-08-22). DNC Rejects Call for a Climate Debate. therealnews.com Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials reversed the previous ban on candidates participating in non-sanctioned climate forums, but Carmen Bouquin of the Sunrise Movement says that's not enough…

Staff (2019-08-22). Italy's Right-Wing Government Collapses — Will the Next One Be Better? therealnews.com Matteo Salvini of the right-wing League party tried to maneuver for new elections, but failed. Now coalition talks are happening to see if the anti-corruption 5-Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party can form a government. Luciana Castellini assess the situation…

Staff (2019-08-22). Italy's Right-Wing Government Collapses — Will the Next One Be Better? therealnews.com Matteo Salvini of the right-wing League party tried to maneuver for new elections, but failed. Now coalition talks are happening to see if the anti-corruption 5-Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party can form a government. Luciana Castellina assess the situation…

Ilana Novick (2019-08-22). Noam Chomsky: Democrats Are Failing the Test of Our Time. truthdig.com The linguist and activist calls Donald Trump's climate policy "a death knell for the species," and says there's no effective opposition.

Staff (2019-08-22). Bernie Sanders Backs Rescinding Medals for Wounded Knee Massacre. truthout.org | | This week 10 Democratic candidates and one independent in the 2020 presidential race, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, addressed indigenous communities at the first-ever Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa. During the two-day event, candidates individually answered questions from a panel of tribal leaders and Native American youth and elders on issues including treaty rights, voter suppression, and murdered and missing indigenous women. | TRA…

commondreams (2019-08-22). 350 Action Responds to Bernie Sanders "Green New Deal" 2020 Climate Plan. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2019-08-22). Bernie Sanders' Green New Deal Proposal is a Blueprint for the Regenerative Economy We Must Strive For. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Staff (2019-08-22). Sanders Unveils Plan Detailing 10-Year Mobilization to Avert Climate Catastrophe. truthout.org | | Calling the global climate crisis both the greatest threat facing the United States and the greatest opportunity for transformative change, Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday unveiled a comprehensive Green New Deal proposal that would transition the U.S. economy to 100 percent renewable energy and create 20 million well-paying union jobs over a decade. | "This is a pivotal moment in the history of America — and really,…

Staff (2019-08-22). Bernie Sanders Unveils 'Game-Changing' New Climate Plan. truthdig.com Calling the global climate crisis both the greatest threat facing the United States and the greatest opportunity for transformative change, Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday unveiled a comprehensive Green New Deal proposal that would transition the U.S. economy to 100 percent renewable energy and create 20 million well-paying union jobs over a decade. | "This is a pivotal moment in the history of America—and really, in the history of humanity," Sanders, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, said in a statement. | "When we are in the White House,"

Ralph Nader (2019-08-22). They Don't Make Republicans Like the Great Paul Findley Anymore! dissidentvoice.org In his 22 years in Congress (1960-1982), Paul Findley achieved a sterling record for fundamental positions, proposals and breakthroughs that revealed a great man, pure and simple. He never stopped learning and applying his knowledge to advance the right course of action, regardless of political party, ideology or pressure from various groups. Findley, a courteous, …

WSWS (2019-08-22). Trump orders indefinite jailing of detained immigrant families, attacks birthright citizenship. wsws.org Democrats have largely backed Trump's attacks on immigrants, with the New York Times describing his concentration camps as "family detention centers."

commondreams (2019-08-22). Sanders, Gillibrand Tied for Lead in New Greenpeace Climate 2020 Ranking. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jim Goodman (2019-08-22). Farmers Need a Bill of Rights. commondreams.org Kudos to Senator Warren for endorsing the Farmers Bill of Rights, and to Senator Sanders for seriously mentioning the farm crisis. (Photo: TumblingRun/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/farmers_0.jpeg

teleSUR (2019-08-22). Trump Looks at Ending Birthright Citizenship for Migrants. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he is "seriously" looking at ending the right to citizenship for U.S.-born children of noncitizens and people who immigrated to the United States illegally. | RELATED: | Trump Imposes Rule to Detain Migrant Families Indefinitely | "We're looking at that very seriously, birthright citizenship, where you have a…

WSWS (2019-08-22). How to fight for democratic rights in Hong Kong. wsws.org Hong Kong workers and youth need to reach out to their class brothers and sisters in China who confront the same class enemy—the Stalinist regime in Beijing that defends the interests of the corporate elite and the super-rich.

Eds. (2019-08-22). What did Engels say about revolution? mronline.org Engels was a revolutionary democrat and a revolutionary realist, argues Dragan Plavšić | Source

WSWS (2019-08-22). Greece's New Democracy government intensifies Syriza's anti-refugee policy. wsws.org As it plans stepped-up police-state repression, ND bases itself directly on policies of the previous pseudo-left Syriza ("Coalition of the Radical Left") government.

Eric Alterman (2019-08-22). Dear Democrats, the Mainstream Media Are Not Your Friends. thenation.com Dear Democrats, the Mainstream Media Are Not Your Friends…

John Nichols (2019-08-22). Jay Inslee Is Not the Candidate Who Should Be Leaving This Race. thenation.com Jay Inslee Is Not the Candidate Who Should Be Leaving This Race…

Staff (2019-08-22). Warren Apologizes to Native Americans; Sanders Backs Rescinding Medals for Wounded Knee Massacre. democracynow.org This week 10 Democratic candidates and one independent in the 2020 presidential race, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, addressed indigenous communities at the first-ever Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa. During the two-day event, candidates individually answered questions from a panel of tribal leaders and Native American youth and elders on issues including treaty rights, voter suppression, and murdered and missing indigenous women.

Staff (2019-08-22). 2020 Candidates Address Historical Trauma, Missing Indigenous Women & More at Native American Forum. democracynow.org Following this week's historic Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa, we speak with Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today and moderator of the Native American voter forum; Christine Nobiss, director of Seeding Sovereignty's SHIFT project; and Mark Charles, independent candidate for president, Native American activist and writer. They respond to the candidates' proposals to tackle issues affecting the Native American community, including the chronic murder and disappearance of Native American girls and women, land sovereignty, and generational trauma caused by colonialism.

Staff (2019-08-22). Headlines for August 22, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Administration Proposes Jailing Migrant Families Indefinitely, Federal Budget Deficit to Top $1 Trillion in 2020, Satellite Data Show Brazilian Amazon Burning at Record Pace, Brazilian President Bolsonaro Blames Environmentalists for Amazon Fires, Wildfires Rage in Alaska, Canary Islands, Siberia and Greenland, Gov. Jay Inslee, Champion of Climate Fight, Drops 2020 Presidential Bid, Activists Disrupt Event Honoring House Speaker Pelosi to Demand Trump's Impeachment, Abdalla Hamdok Sworn In as Sudan's Prime Minister, Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Mark Anniversary of Subway Attack, Mexico's Zapatistas Exp…

Amy Goodman (2019-08-22). Meet Alvaro Enciso, the artist placing crosses in Sonoran desert to memorialize migrant deaths. nationofchange.org More than 3,000 human remains have been found in the Sonoran Desert, most of them of migrants fleeing their home countries to embark on an uncertain and perilous journey to the United States. On a recent visit to the Arizona borderlands, Democracy Now! accompanied Tucson-based artist Alvaro Enciso into the desert at the site where …

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-08-22). Protests Break Out After DNC Committee Votes Against Holding 2020 #ClimateDebate. commondreams.org Sparking immediate protests at the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting in San Francisco Thursday, the organization's Resolutions Committee voted down a resolution that called for a climate-focused debate among 2020 presidential primary candidates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sunrise_1.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-08-22). Electoral College Abolitionists Say Court Ruling Shows Why Current System 'Terrible Way of Picking the President'. commondreams.org In hopes of reforming the Electoral College to bring the U.S. closer to a "one person, one vote" system, a pro-democracy group celebrated a federal court decision on Thursday in which three judges ruled that the nation's 538 electors can vote for whomever they choose, rather than automatically giving their votes to the winner of their state's popular vote. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-6230497561.jpg

Ryan Cooper (2019-08-22). Bernie Sanders' Plan to Rebuild Labor Unions Would Be a Huge Win for Working Americans. commondreams.org If actually implemented, this would upend American political economy. (Photo: Illustrated | OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images, whyframestudio/iStock, Happy_vector/iStock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-22_at_12.13.06_pm.png

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-08-22). Sanders and Warren Celebrated for Returning Donations From Employees at Hedge Funds Linked to Puerto Rico. commondreams.org "No candidate should take contributions from hedge funds and vulture funds driving austerity in Puerto Rico." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/warrensanders_0.png

RT (2019-08-21). MSM hurls FAKE 'anti-Semitism' charge against Trump, rather than question his REAL loyalty to Israel. rt.com The media has willfully misinterpreted Donald Trump's words to portray the most pro-Israel US president in history as an anti-Semite. It makes more sense to chide him for sacrificing US interests to please Benjamin Netanyahu. | Here is the full Trump quote from Tuesday, in which he rejected Democrat Bernie Sanders' idea that Israel should stop accepting American aid, after its reluctance to let in congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who have publicly endorsed the BDS campaign. | "The concept of even talking about this — even three years ago — of cutting off aid to Israel because of two people…

Alan MacLeod (2019-08-21). 'Pragmatic': How Corporate Media Praise Dems Who Abandon Progressive Values. fair.org Pragmatic (adjective): solving problems in a sensible way that suits the conditions that really exist now, rather than obeying fixed theories, ideas or rules. | — The battle for the Democratic presidential nomination is dominating the news cycle, and two of the three clear frontrunners in polls, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, d…

RT (2019-08-21). Trump might one day NUKE Denmark, 'prophetic' Ted Cruz predicted in 2016. rt.com No one could have predicted in 2016 that US President Donald Trump would be throwing a geopolitical hissy fit over Denmark's refusal to consider his offer to buy Greenland. No one, that is, except… Republican ex-rival Ted Cruz? | "I don't know anyone who would be comfortable with someone who behaves this way having his finger on the [nuclear] button. We're liable to wake up one morning and Donald, if he were president, would've nuked Denmark," Cruz told a crowd during a New Hampshire campaign event in February 2016. | With Trump cancelling a visit to Denmark in a fit of pique after PM Mette Fredriksen ref…

Staff (2019-08-21). The 1619 Project: A Nation Born in Contradiction, a Democracy Defined by Black Struggle. therealnews.com Nikole Hannah-Jones, who spearheaded the New York Times' 1619 Project joins The Real News Network to look at the lies that founded the U.S. and how Black America has given life to American ideals…

Staff (2019-08-21). Rep Ayanna Pressley on Israel's Ban: "Bigoted, Short-Sighted and Cruel" therealnews.com These are the words tweeted by Rep. Ayanna Pressley in response to the Israeli decision to ban the entry of Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib. The story has a striking resemblance to South Africa and Rhodesia blocking the entry of African American Democratic Representative Charles C. Diggs Junior in January 1972…

RT (2019-08-21). Trump calls Jews who vote Democrat 'uninformed or disloyal'. rt.com Jews who vote Democrat are lacking in either knowledge or loyalty, US President Donald Trump has declared, slamming the party for criticizing Israel's decision to bar two Democratic congresswomen from entering the country. | "Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone when they are defending these two people over the state of Israel?" the president wondered aloud to reporters on Monday. | I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty. | "I can't even believe we're having this conversation!" Trump continued, seemingly lef…

Naomi Klein (2019-08-21). Why the Democratic National Committee Must Change the Rules and Hold a Climate Debate. theintercept.com A girl holds a sign that reads "pull the emergency brake" at a ceremony to commemorate the Okjà∂kull glacier in Iceland, on Aug. 18, 2019. | recorded in human history. You are meeting on the same week that smoke from a record number of wildfires in the Amazon rainforest turned day into night in the Brazilian megapolis of Sà£o Paulo. And you are meeting just days after Iceland's prime minister led her country in its first Eds. (2019-08-21). Here's the evidence Corporate Media say is missing of WaPo bias against Sanders. mronline.org Bernie Sanders has taken to calling out corporate media for their anti-progressive bias, and their feathers have gotten quite ruffled. | Source

Emily Apple (2019-08-21). In one tweet, Jeremy Corbyn shows exactly why he's the leader the world needs. thecanary.co As The Canary reported, a coup is currently underway in Turkey against democratically elected mayors in three predominately Kurdish cities. But while there's been a deafening silence from the Conservative Party over the actions of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan, Jeremy Corbyn has spoken out: | The arrest of political leaders and act…

teleSUR (2019-08-21). Italy: Center-Left Democratic Party Pushes for New Coalition. telesurenglish.net Following the breakdown of the ruling Italian populist coalition, the country's main party, the Democratic Party (PD) said it was ready to hold negotiations with a long-time political rival, the Five-Star party. | RELATED: | Italy: Officials Finally Allow 'Open Arms' Migrants to Land | The PD's proposal came Wednesday as part of an attempt to avoid any early elections that could bring the League, led by the Minister of Interior, Matteo Salvini, to power. If such a scenario were…

ACLU (2019-08-21). An Arizona Law Requires Surveillance of People Who Are Presumed Innocent. aclu.org The government cannot take shortcuts around constitutional rights. | A pillar of our democracy is the presumption of innocence: before a person has been convicted of a crime, they are considered completely innocent under the law. Yet across the country, people who have not been convicted are punished—both explicitly and implicitly—based on the mistaken assumption that they are dangerous, purely on the basis of an accusation. We do not live in a society where you can be incarcerated or monitored simply because you have been accused of a crime. Doing so violates constitutional rights, fuels mass incarce…

Ilaria Maria Sala (2019-08-21). Why There's No End in Sight to the Hong Kong Protests. thenation.com Why There's No End in Sight to the Hong Kong Protests…

Staff (2019-08-21). Meet Alvaro Enciso, the Artist Placing Crosses in Sonoran Desert to Memorialize Migrant Deaths. democracynow.org More than 3,000 human remains have been found in the Sonoran Desert, most of them of migrants fleeing their home countries to embark on an uncertain and perilous journey to the United States. On a recent visit to the Arizona borderlands, Democracy Now! accompanied Tucson-based artist Alvaro Enciso into the desert at the site where he placed four unique markers to honor four immigrants killed in a car accident years ago as they fled from Border Patrol. In the past five years, Enciso, who is originally from Colombia, has built and installed over 900 crosses across the treacherous Sonoran Desert in Arizona as part o…

Staff (2019-08-21). Over 500 Lawsuits Already Filed Days After Child Victims Act in New York Goes into Effect. democracynow.org This is Part 2 of our conversation with two New York state legislators, Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, who helped pass the Child Victims Act in New York. The state law, which went into effect last week, extends the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse and includes a "lookback period," giving survivors of any age a year to take legal action even if their cases had expired under the old statute of limitations. Over 500 lawsuits have already been filed. Both Biaggi and Niou are sexual abuse survivors, and they have spoken about the importance of the Child Victims Act in personal…

Staff (2019-08-21). Headlines for August 21, 2019. democracynow.org Amazon Wildfires Spark Fears of Environmental Disaster as Sà£o Paulo Goes Dark from Smoke, Trump Expected to End Flores Agreement, Slashing Protections for Child Migrants, CBP Will Not Vaccinate Jailed Migrants as Doctors Say At Least 3 Detained Children Died from Flu, Lawsuits Allege "Torture" in Migrant Jails and Child Abuse in Foster Care, Italy in Turmoil as Prime Minister Resigns, Migrants Disembark from Rescue Ship in Italy After Being Stranded at Sea for 3 Weeks, Trump Cancels Denmark Visit over Refusal to Discuss Selling Greenland, Trump Attacks Tlaib & Omar, Says Jews Are "Disloyal" If They Vote De…

susan_p (2019-08-21). Turkey: HDP calls for mobilisations against AKP attacks — 'We will not be silenced, we will not be stopped…'. greenleft.org.au Kurdish struggle Susan PriceIssue 1234 Turkey Turkish arrests Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)Human rights organisations, solidarity groups and the European Union have condemne…

Emily Apple (2019-08-21). A Lib Dem MP just showed how detached from reality the party truly is. thecanary.co New Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has chosen her "shadow cabinet". Although cabinet might be stretching it. After all, the cabinet is made up of about 20 people and the Lib Dems only have 14 MPs. | But this sm…

Staff (2019-08-20). Bernie Sanders Takes Aim at the Pathology of the For-Profit Criminal Justice System. therealnews.com An analysis of Sen Sanders' new criminal justice reform plan and a brief history of neoliberal democrats 'playing' at progressive politics while enacting regressive policies…

RT (2019-08-20). Russia, Racism… Recession? Trump says Democrats hope for economic bust to hurt him in 2020. rt.com US President Donald Trump is accusing Democrats and the media of trying to bring about a recession in order to hurt his 2020 re-election. His critics reply that they're only stating the facts… just like they did with Russiagate? | "The word recession is inappropriate… We're very far from a recession," Trump said on Tuesday, adding that his critics would "love to see" an economic downturn. Earlier, he tweeted a video clip of Fox Business host Lou Dobbs blaming "radical Democrats" for the recession talk. | pic.twitter.com/WyGbgUGEhJ— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTr…

Brad Bennett (2019-08-20). Maryland teacher incorporates hard lessons about slavery into public school curriculum. splcenter.org At a workshop for teachers about educating children on American slavery, one instructor grew angry and insisted that Thomas Jefferson — who fathered biracial children with an enslaved woman on one of his plantations — was an advocate for racial equality.

Common Dreams (2019-08-20). Joe Biden's Wife Says Vote for Husband Even If You Like Other Candidates More. theantimedia.com "Jill Biden may have settled for her husband, but I'm not sure why anyone else should."

Robert Mackey (2019-08-20). Trump Accuses Most American Jews of "Disloyalty" to Israel, Deploying Anti-Semitic Trope. theintercept.com President Donald Trump revealed again on Tuesday that he subscribes to the anti-Semitic belief that American Jews harbor a secret dual loyalty to Israel.

unitedEditor (2019-08-20). Hong Kong: Flashpoint of Class Struggle in China. uwidata.com What began as isolated protests against a standard criminal-extradition law has somehow erupted into a violent fury throughout Hong Kong. The Chinese city's American-and-British-flag-waving protesters are, on the one hand, calling for "freedom, human rights, and democracy" while, on the other, assaulting police and even random bystanders alike. Western media have already been on the …

John Nichols (2019-08-20). Elizabeth Warren Has a Plan to Finish What FDR Started. thenation.com Elizabeth Warren Has a Plan to Finish What FDR Started…

Staff (2019-08-20). Emerald Garner, Eric Garner's Daughter, Says Firing Pantaleo "Should Have Happened a Long Time Ago" democracynow.org Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who killed Eric Garner in 2014 by using an illegal chokehold, was fired Monday and stripped of his pension benefits. The decision came more than five years after Pantaleo held Garner, an unarmed African-American man, in a chokehold until he dropped to the ground. Before dying, he gasped "I can't breathe" 11 times. Despite outcry from the family and community members, Pantaleo had remained on the police force on desk duty since the killing. Last month, on the fifth anniversary of Garner's death, the Justice Department declined to charge Pantaleo with a crime despite calls by the…

Staff (2019-08-20). Deadly Bombings Devastate Afghanistan as U.S.-Taliban Peace Talks Continue Without Afghan Government. democracynow.org In Afghanistan, a series of bomb attacks devastated restaurants and other public spaces Monday in the eastern city of Jalalabad, injuring at least 66 people. The explosions took place on Afghanistan's 100th Independence Day, following Saturday's bloody suicide bombing at a wedding in Kabul that killed 63 people, wounding around 200 others. ISIS claimed the attack, which was the deadliest this year in Afghanistan. The bombings came as the U.S. and Taliban are reportedly close to a peace deal after months of talks between the two parties. Top issues in the negotiations include a U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanist…

Staff (2019-08-20). Portland Rejects Proud Boys & Other Ultra-Right Groups as Trump Tries to Criminalize Antifa. democracynow.org A crowd of white nationalists took to the streets of Portland, Oregon, over the weekend for what they dubbed the "End Domestic Terrorism" rally. But they were outnumbered by a massive response from counterprotesters, who gathered across the city as police escorted members of the Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer and other right-wing groups across one of the city's main bridges. Police arrested 13 people throughout the day and seized weapons but largely avoided "the worst-case scenario" Portland's Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city was prepared for. Portland Police put more than 700 officers on patrol, with more than one co…

Staff (2019-08-20). Headlines for August 20, 2019. democracynow.org NYPD Fires Daniel Pantaleo 5 Years After He Killed Eric Garner, Planned Parenthood Rejects Federal Funds over Trump "Gag Rule" on Abortion Referrals, Fears of Renewed Arms Race as U.S. Tests Ground Missile and Questions Remain over Russian Blast, Sudan: Omar al-Bashir Heads to Court Days After Signing of Transitional Deal, Salvadoran Rape Survivor Cleared After Prior Conviction for Killing Stillborn, Twitter & Facebook Remove China-Linked Accounts over Hong Kong Protest Misinformation, Elizabeth Warren Apologizes to Indigenous Groups at Iowa Native American Forum, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Asks Federal Court to H…

Ed Sykes (2019-08-20). Jo Swinson probably wishes she hadn't posted that latest lie about Jeremy Corbyn. thecanary.co On 20 August, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson lied about Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn ( again). But people were quick to call her out. And now, she probably wishes she hadn't bothered. | "Fake news": | Swinson tweeted: | Jeremy Corbyn didn't fight to remain in 2016, and he won't fight for remain now. He wants to deliver a Labour Brexit, becau…

Ryan Grim (2019-08-19). Democrats Have an Open Senate Seat in New Mexico. Will They Elect a Progressive, or the Former Head of the DCCC? theintercept.com With Sen. Tom Udall retiring, the Democratic Party establishment is unified behind Ben Ray Luján. The Working Families Party endorsed Maggie Oliver.

Staff (2019-08-19). Activist on the Front Lines Discusses the Historic Protests in Hong Kong. therealnews.com We had to blur her image but she talks about police brutality, the struggle for a transparent democracy, the Chinese army at the border, and hope for the future…

Ryan Gallagher (2019-08-19). Twitter Helped Chinese Government Promote Disinformation on Repression of Uighurs. theintercept.com Twitter helped to promote Chinese government propaganda and disinformation about the country's controversial internment camps in the Xinjiang region, a review of the company's advertising records reveals. | The social media company today announced a policy change that would bar such promotion following an inquiry from The Intercept and an earlier controversy over similar propaganda related to demonstrations in Hong Kong. | In Xinjiang, a western province in China, the United Nations has estimated that 1 milli…

Staff (2019-08-19). "Humanitarian Aid Is Never a Crime": No More Deaths Volunteers Drop Water in Desert to Aid Migrants. democracynow.org Volunteers with the humanitarian aid group No More Deaths have been venturing into the harsh Sonoran Desert for years to leave life-saving supplies for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Longtime volunteer Scott Warren was charged with three felonies for the alleged crime of providing food, water and shelter to migrants. After a hung jury in June, he is now facing retrial on two felony counts and faces a possible 10 years in prison. As he awaits his next trial as well as deals with misdemeanor charges in another case of aiding migrants, Democracy Now! followed him into the Sonoran Desert for his first trip…

Staff (2019-08-19). Activist Scott Warren, Facing Federal Charges for Aiding Migrants, Says He Won't Be Deterred. democracynow.org We broadcast live from Tucson, Arizona, where the government recently put humanitarian activist Scott Warren on trial amid the ongoing policing of the U.S.-Mexico border, separation of families, and cruel and inhumane conditions at immigrant jails across the country. Warren, a longtime volunteer with the humanitarian aid group No More Deaths, was charged with three felony counts for his alleged crime of providing food, water and shelter to migrants in Ajo, Arizona. The immigrants had arrived at the doorstep of a humanitarian shelter after a perilous journey across the Sonoran Desert. At the same time, he and othe…

Staff (2019-08-19). "They Are Irreplaceable, and They Mattered": Group Identifies Human Remains Along the Border. democracynow.org In a special broadcast from the Arizona-Sonora border, we look at how the bodies and bones of more than 3,000 people have been found in the Sonoran Desert since 2001, and speak with Robin Reineke, the co-founder of the Tucson-based organization Colibrí Center for Human Rights. Colibrí Center is dedicated to identifying the remains of people passing through the desert and, since its founding, has identified at least 100 migrants through meticulous forensic work and DNA data collection of people's remains and family members who are alive. In 2018, it launched the Bring Them Back Campaign to call for dignity and dem…

Staff (2019-08-19). Headlines for August 19, 2019. democracynow.org Bombs Go Off on Afghan Independence Day, Following Wedding Attack That Killed 63, Largest Hong Kong Protest in Weeks Defies Threats, Intimidation by China, Kashmiris Protest Lockdown 2 Weeks After India Scraps Special Status, Gibraltar Releases Iranian Oil Tanker After U.S. Fails to Keep It Under Seizure, Israeli Soldiers Kill 3 People in Gaza, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to Address Israeli Travel Ban, Far-Right and Anti-Fascist Protesters Take to Portland Streets, Authorities Arrest Men in 3 States After They Threaten Mass Shootings, Prison Guard Who Drove Truck into Jewish Activists Has Resigned, NYPD Judge: P…

Vic Ryan (2019-08-18). Google Is Deepening Its Involvement With Egypt's Repressive Government. theintercept.com Google is set to re-staff its Cairo office, which more or less went dormant in 2014, following the military coup that brought Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to power.

Ryan Grim (2019-08-18). Amy McGrath's Senate Campaign Manager Helped Get Her Potential Primary Opponent Fired. theintercept.com WLEX, a Kentucky TV station, fired host Matt Jones, who has been pondering a primary challenge to Amy McGrath, at the urging of her campaign manager.

Fight Back (2019-08-17). The Hong Kong protests are an attack on socialism. fightbacknews.org There's a tendency among progressives in the United States to support big crowds of people protesting in other countries. No doubt, the corporate media assists in this process by labelling certain movements 'pro-democracy' or 'freedom fighters.' | But not all protests or marches are progressive, even if they attract large crowds. The Tea Party movement in the U.S., for instance, brought out hundreds of thousands of angry small business owners and shrill middle-class professionals. They were far from spontaneous demonstrations, however; big business orchestrated this giant spectacle to advance its own class intere…

Staff (2019-08-16). What Is Israel Trying to Hide? Reps. Tlaib & Omar Blocked from Taking Official Trip to West Bank. democracynow.org Israel sparked outrage Thursday when it banned two freshman Democratic congresswomen of color — Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota — from entering the country. Following outcry from Democratic leaders and Palestinians, Israel granted permission for Tlaib to enter the country on "humanitarian" grounds to visit her family in the West Bank — though Tlaib said Friday she will not visit her family under such conditions. Israel originally denied entrance to Tlaib and Omar after President Donald Trump tweeted, "It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tl…

Staff (2019-08-16). The Great Land Robbery: How Federal Policies Dispossessed Black Americans of Millions of Acres. democracynow.org Over the 20th century, black people in the U.S. were dispossessed of 12 million acres of land. Half of that loss — 6 million acres — occurred over just two decades, from 1950 to 1969, a period largely associated with the civil rights struggle. This mass land dispossession, which affected 98% of black agricultural land owners, is part of the pattern of institutional racism and discrimination that has contributed to the racial wealth gap in the United States. Many of the driving forces behind this land theft were legal and originated in federal policies, as documented by Vann Newkirk, staff writer at Th…

2019-08-23: Social Media Postees

Sanders and SEIU's Mary Kay Henry announce plans to revive unions
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-23
Almost simultaneously yesterday Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Mary Kay Henry, the president of the Service Employees unveiled strong pro-labor programs they say will revive the nation's unions and lift up the country's workers. Saying its time for every worker to have the right to organize, no matter what they do, where they live …
peoplesworld.org/article/sanders-and-seius-mary-kay-henry-announce-plans-to-revive-unions/

Bernie Sanders' Green New Deal plan
Marlee Kokotovic | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-23
Yesterday, Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his version of a Green New Deal proposal which seems to be the most aggressive plan compared to his rivals'. His 10-year plan would create 20 million jobs and would transition the U.S. economy to 100 percent renewable energy. The climate crisis is the greatest challenge facing humanity. It's also …
nationofchange.org/2019/08/23/bernie-sanders-green-new-deal-plan/

Bernie Sanders' Manhattan Project: The Game-Changing Green New Deal
Juan Cole | commondreams.org | 2019-08-23
It will only succeed if the public rallies to it, urgently seeking to limit the damage to their children's and grandchildren's lives done by carbon dioxide, methane, and the rest. (Photo: Screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bernie-sanders-manhattan-project.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/23/bernie-sanders-manhattan-project-game-changing-green-new-deal?cd-origin=rss

Media bias and movement building: Bernie Sanders' revolutionary 2020 campaign
Derek Royden | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-23
"Bernie Sanders makes my skin crawl. And I can't even identify for you what exactly it is." Former assistant U.S. attorney Mimi Rocah on MSNBC in July While the 2020 Democratic primaries have showcased a number of progressive candidates (alongside quite a few centrists pretending to be progressive), the coverage being given in the U.S. mainstream media …
nationofchange.org/2019/08/23/media-bias-and-movement-building-bernie-sanders-revolutionary-2020-campaign/

Notes on Inauthenticity in a Creeping Fascist Nuthouse
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-23
The reigning corporate Democrats would rather lose to the right, even to a proto-fascistic white nationalist and eco-exterminist right, than lose to the left, even to a mildly progressive social democratic and environmentalist left within their own party. How else explain their insistence on promoting the ridiculous, right-wing arch-corporatist, imperialist, and dementia-plagued right-wing gaffe machine Joke Biden in the long march to the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries?
counterpunch.org/2019/08/23/notes-on-inauthenticity-in-a-creeping-fascist-nuthouse/

Hybrid wars are destroying Democracies
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2019-08-23
In Brazil recently, I gave an interview to Brasil de Fato, which was born in 2003 as the weekly magazine of the World Social Forum. It is now one of the most important windows into Brazil's political world. The newsletter this week carries the text of most of the interview. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/23/hybrid-wars-are-destroying-democracies/

They Don't Make Republicans Like the Great Paul Findley Anymore!
Ralph Nader | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-23
In his 22 years in Congress (1960 — 1982), Paul Findley achieved a sterling record for fundamental positions, proposals and breakthroughs that revealed a great man, pure and simple. He never stopped learning and applying his knowledge to advance the right course of action, regardless of political party, ideology or pressure from various groups. Findley,…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/23/they-dont-make-republicans-like-the-great-paul-findley-anymore/

The Terrifying Legacy of David Koch
Ryan Cooper | commondreams.org | 2019-08-23
The Kochs were also key players in the successful effort to beat back a cap-and-trade bill in 2010, the closest the U.S. government has ever come to any kind of emissions policy. (Illustrated | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-23_at_1.25.56_pm.png
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/23/terrifying-legacy-david-koch?cd-origin=rss

Castro showcases specific indigenous policies at Native forum, but Delaney stumbles
Al Neal | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-23
SIOUX CITY, Iowa– With a bit of Texan swagger and an ear-to-ear smile, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro made his way across the stage at the Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum here on Tuesday, August 20, and was greeted with applause. Castro began his opening statement by saying "gracias" to all …
peoplesworld.org/article/castro-showcases-specific-indigenous-policies-at-native-forum-but-delaney-stumbles/

Let's Stop Trying to Predict Who Can Beat Trump
Sonali Kolhatkar | commondreams.org | 2019-08-23
Here's a novel idea: Voters in the primaries should pick a candidate they truly like, whose policies they are excited about, whose ideas they feel will best help the nation. (Photo: Matt Rourke / AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_2.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/23/lets-stop-trying-predict-who-can-beat-trump?cd-origin=rss

US: Billionaire Tycoon, Tea Party Donor David Koch Dies at 79
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-23
Billionaire industrialist David Koch, behind conglomerate Koch Industries who, as one of the world's richest people became a major financier of conservative causes and the Republican party, has died at age 79, his brother said Friday morning. | RELATED: | Richest 10% in US Will Own 100% of the Wealth by 2052: Study | Charles Koch, Koch Industries Inc.'s chairman, disclosed the death in a statement, saying the cause of his younger brother's death was prostate cancer. | Koch amassed his va…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Billionaire-Tycoon-Tea-Party-Donor-David-Koch-Dies-at-79-20190823-0012.html

Trump Primary Challengers Would Face Big Money Problem
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-23
| Conservative radio host and former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) is the latest in a long line of Republicans to reportedly consider a primary challenge to President Donald Trump in 2020. | But if the former Illinois congressman decides to launch his own presidential campaign, he is likely to encounter the same challenge that other…
truthout.org/articles/trump-primary-challengers-would-face-big-money-problem/

David Koch, billionaire conservative & one of the world's richest people, dies at 79
rt.com | 2019-08-23
US billionaire businessman and key Republican Party donor David Koch has died at the age of 79. | Koch stepped down from the family business, Koch Industries, last year amid health problems. His death has been confirmed by his older brother Charles. | "It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my brother David," says Charles Koch in statement.– Steve Herman (@W7VOA) August 23, 2019 | David was listed by Forbes…
rt.com/news/467142-david-koch-richest-dies/

Expanding California Pan African Trade Informational Hearing
Michael Harris | indybay.org | 2019-08-23
California State Capitol | Room 126 | Sacramento…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/23/18825627.php

Bolsonaro Wants to Occupy the Amazon to Obstruct Multiracial Conservation Plans
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-23
| Leaked documents show that Jair Bolsonaro's government intends to use the Brazilian president's hate speech to isolate minorities living in the Amazon region. The PowerPoint slides, which democraciaAbierta has seen, also reveal plans to implement predatory projects that could have a devastating environmental impact. | The Bolsonaro government has as one of its priorities to strategically occupy the Amazon region to prevent the implementation of multilateral conservation projects for…
truthout.org/articles/bolsonaro-wants-to-occupy-the-amazon-to-obstruct-multiracial-conservation-plans/

Progressive Democrats Meet to Plan Environmental Pressure
Leon Kunstenaar | indybay.org | 2019-08-23
Progressives demand resolutions for Presidential Debate focused on environmental issues and for the | establishment of Climate Crisis Council…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/22/18825601.php

What is democracy, and where is it going?
Emily Karreman | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-23
This question has been hanging over American political discussion for the past three years. Certainly, it's always been a contentious topic in this country, but the 2016 campaign season and election really brought it to the forefront of our collective political consciousness. The dictionary defines democracy as "a government in which the supreme power is …
peoplesworld.org/article/what-is-democracy-and-where-is-it-going/

How Democrats Plan to Win Wisconsin in 2020
Rachel M. Cohen | theintercept.com | 2019-08-23
Democrats, labor unions, and progressive groups are investing heavily in new organizing techniques in Wisconsin, where electoral victory is considered crucial to the party's path to the White House. They are hoping to boost voter turnout in a state that the national party took for granted in 2016. | The efforts, spearheaded by Wisconsin leaders and liberal donors across the country, include massive new investments in field organizing, a targeted focus on communities of color, and capitalizing on the Democratic Party convention that will be held in Milwaukee next July. | "I think the whole country recognizes that…
theintercept.com/2019/08/23/democrats-wisconsin-2020/

Democrats enforce crackdown on vehicular homelessness in Los Angeles
wsws.org | 2019-08-23
Nearly 10,000 people are forced by high rents and stagnant wages to live in their vehicles on the streets of the second largest city in the United States.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/23/home-a23.html

Sen. Merkley Condemns Trump's Decision to Indefinitely Jail Migrant Kids
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-23
| The Trump administration is moving to indefinitely detain migrant children and their families, reversing decades of U.S. policy. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to issue a new rule today to withdraw from a 1997 federal court settlement known as the Flores agreement, which put a 20-day limit on migrant family detentions. We speak with Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who made headlines last year when he was barred from entering an o…
truthout.org/video/sen-merkley-condemns-trumps-decision-to-indefinitely-jail-migrant-kids/

US Navy "Ready" to "Restore Democracy" in Venezuela through Military Means?
Global Research News | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-23
"I'm not going to detail what we're planning and what we're doing, but we're ready to implement policy decisions, and we're ready to act … | The United States Navy is the most powerful navy in the world. … | If there …
globalresearch.ca/us-navy-ready-to-restore-democracy-in-venezuela-through-military-means/5686890

Writers With Drinks featuring Yangsze Choo and Evan Ramzipoor!
Charlie Jane Anders | indybay.org | 2019-08-23
The Make Out Room, 3225 22nd St.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/23/18825640.php

Bernie Sanders Welcomes the Hatred of Billionaires
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2019-08-23
Bernie Sanders Welcomes the Hatred of Billionaires…
thenation.com/article/bernie-sanders-interview-iowa/

Why Democratic Presidential Candidates Need to Listen to American Muslims
Linda Sarsour | thenation.com | 2019-08-23
Why Democratic Presidential Candidates Need to Listen to American Muslims…
thenation.com/article/muslim-american-voters-democratic-presidential-candidates/

Sen. Merkley Condemns Trump's War Against Migrant Families as U.S. Moves to Indefinitely Jail Kids
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-23
The Trump administration is moving to indefinitely detain migrant children and their families, reversing decades of U.S. policy. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to issue a new rule today to withdraw from a 1997 federal court settlement known as the Flores agreement, which put a 20-day limit on migrant family detentions. We speak with Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, who made headlines last year when he was barred from entering an old Walmart where the government was detaining about 1,500 immigrant children in Brownsville, Texas.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/23/jeff_merkley_trump_administration_child_separation

Sen. Merkley on the Dangers of a New Nuclear Arms Race & Why He Backs the Green New Deal
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-23
Fallout from the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the landmark 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is mounting. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to prepare for what he called a "symmetrical response" after the U.S. tested what it said was a nonnuclear cruise missile earlier this week. The U.S. launch was the first test of its kind since the Trump administration withdrew from the INF. We speak to Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon about U.S. nuclear policy, as well as the Green New Deal, President Trump's wish to buy Greenland and…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/23/amazon_fires_brazil_andrew_miller

How Jair Bolsonaro Emboldened Brazilian Agribusiness to Torch the Amazon & Attack Indigenous People
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-23
The United Nations is calling for the protection of the Amazon amid fears that thousands of fires raging across Brazil and some parts of Bolivia are rapidly destroying the world's largest rainforest and paving the way for a climate catastrophe. The fires have spread a vast plume of smoke across South America and the Atlantic Ocean that's visible from space. They're unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. Indigenous people in Brazil have accused far-right President Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the destruction. Bols…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/23/jeff_merkley_us_nuclear_policy_green

After Handing Rich $1.5 Trillion Tax Cut, Trump Reportedly Considering Slashing Medicare and Social Security as 'Second-Term Project'
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-23
"Mr. Trump, you are not going to have a second term," tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders in response to the president's reported plan | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_medicare_social_security.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/23/after-handing-rich-15-trillion-tax-cut-trump-reportedly-considering-slashing?cd-origin=rss

Sanders Campaign Co-Chair Nina Turner Calls for All Democratic Candidates to Unite Against DNC Over #ClimateDebate
Jon Queally, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-23
"If all the Democratic presidential candidates say to the DNC, 'Let's have a debate or a forum about climate change'—what are they gonna do, kick out every single one of them?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-22_at_11.14.52_pm.png
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/23/sanders-campaign-co-chair-nina-turner-calls-all-democratic-candidates-unite-against?cd-origin=rss

Bernie Sanders Backs Rescinding Medals for Wounded Knee Massacre
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-22
| This week 10 Democratic candidates and one independent in the 2020 presidential race, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, addressed indigenous communities at the first-ever Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa. During the two-day event, candidates individually answered questions from a panel of tribal leaders and Native American youth and elders on issues including treaty rights, voter suppression, and murdered and missing indigenous women. | TRA…
truthout.org/video/bernie-sanders-backs-rescinding-medals-for-wounded-knee-massacre/

Bernie Sanders' Plan to Rebuild Labor Unions Would Be a Huge Win for Working Americans
Ryan Cooper | commondreams.org | 2019-08-22
If actually implemented, this would upend American political economy. (Photo: Illustrated | OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images, whyframestudio/iStock, Happy_vector/iStock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-22_at_12.13.06_pm.png
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/22/bernie-sanders-plan-rebuild-labor-unions-would-be-huge-win-working-americans?cd-origin=rss

Bernie Sanders' Green New Deal Proposal is a Blueprint for the Regenerative Economy We Must Strive For
commondreams.org | 2019-08-22
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commondreams.org/newswire/2019/08/22/bernie-sanders-green-new-deal-proposal-blueprint-regenerative-economy-we-must?cd-origin=rss

Bernie Sanders's Climate Plan Is More Radical Than His Opponents' — And More Likely to Succeed
Kate Aronoff | theintercept.com | 2019-08-22
The $16.3 trillion plan would not only transition American society away from fossil fuels but renegotiate decades-old nostrums about the government's role in the economy.
theintercept.com/2019/08/22/bernie-sanders-climate-policy/

350 Action Responds to Bernie Sanders "Green New Deal" 2020 Climate Plan
commondreams.org | 2019-08-22
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/08/22/350-action-responds-bernie-sanders-green-new-deal-2020-climate-plan?cd-origin=rss

Sanders Unveils Plan Detailing 10-Year Mobilization to Avert Climate Catastrophe
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-08-22
| Calling the global climate crisis both the greatest threat facing the United States and the greatest opportunity for transformative change, Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday unveiled a comprehensive Green New Deal proposal that would transition the U.S. economy to 100 percent renewable energy and create 20 million well-paying union jobs over a decade. | "This is a pivotal moment in the history of America — and really,…
truthout.org/articles/sanders-unveils-plan-detailing-10-year-mobilization-to-avert-climate-catastrophe/

Bernie Sanders Unveils 'Game-Changing' New Climate Plan
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-08-22
Calling the global climate crisis both the greatest threat facing the United States and the greatest opportunity for transformative change, Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday unveiled a comprehensive Green New Deal proposal that would transition the U.S. economy to 100 percent renewable energy and create 20 million well-paying union jobs over a decade. | "This is a pivotal moment in the history of America–and really, in the history of humanity," Sanders, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, said in a statement. | "When we are in the White House,"
truthdig.com/articles/bernie-sanders-unveils-game-changing-new-climate-plan/

Noam Chomsky: Democrats Are Failing the Test of Our Time
Ilana Novick | truthdig.com | 2019-08-22
The linguist and activist calls Donald Trump's climate policy "a death knell for the species," and says there's no effective opposition.
truthdig.com/articles/noam-chomsky-democrats-are-failing-the-test-of-our-time/

They Don't Make Republicans Like the Great Paul Findley Anymore!
Ralph Nader | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-22
In his 22 years in Congress (1960-1982), Paul Findley achieved a sterling record for fundamental positions, proposals and breakthroughs that revealed a great man, pure and simple. He never stopped learning and applying his knowledge to advance the right course of action, regardless of political party, ideology or pressure from various groups. Findley, a courteous, …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/they-dont-make-republicans-like-the-great-paul-findley-anymore/

Trump orders indefinite jailing of detained immigrant families, attacks birthright citizenship
wsws.org | 2019-08-22
Democrats have largely backed Trump's attacks on immigrants, with the New York Times describing his concentration camps as "family detention centers."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/22/immi-a22.html

Sanders, Gillibrand Tied for Lead in New Greenpeace Climate 2020 Ranking
commondreams.org | 2019-08-22
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/08/22/sanders-gillibrand-tied-lead-new-greenpeace-climate-2020-ranking?cd-origin=rss

Farmers Need a Bill of Rights
Jim Goodman | commondreams.org | 2019-08-22
Kudos to Senator Warren for endorsing the Farmers Bill of Rights, and to Senator Sanders for seriously mentioning the farm crisis. (Photo: TumblingRun/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/farmers_0.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/08/22/farmers-need-bill-rights?cd-origin=rss

How to fight for democratic rights in Hong Kong
wsws.org | 2019-08-22
Hong Kong workers and youth need to reach out to their class brothers and sisters in China who confront the same class enemy–the Stalinist regime in Beijing that defends the interests of the corporate elite and the super-rich.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/22/pers-a22.html

Italy's Right-Wing Government Collapses — Will the Next One Be Better?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-22
Matteo Salvini of the right-wing League party tried to maneuver for new elections, but failed. Now coalition talks are happening to see if the anti-corruption 5-Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party can form a government. Luciana Castellini assess the situation…
therealnews.com/stories/italys-right-wing-government-collapses-will-the-next-one-be-better

What did Engels say about revolution?
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-22
Engels was a revolutionary democrat and a revolutionary realist, argues Dragan Plav≈°iƒá | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/22/what-did-engels-say-about-revolution/

Italy's Right-Wing Government Collapses — Will the Next One Be Better?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-22
Matteo Salvini of the right-wing League party tried to maneuver for new elections, but failed. Now coalition talks are happening to see if the anti-corruption 5-Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party can form a government. Luciana Castellina assess the situation…
therealnews.com/stories/italys-right-wing-government-collapses-will-the-next-one-be-better

DNC Rejects Call for a Climate Debate
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-22
Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials reversed the previous ban on candidates participating in non-sanctioned climate forums, but Carmen Bouquin of the Sunrise Movement says that's not enough…
therealnews.com/stories/dnc-rejects-call-for-a-climate-debate

Greece's New Democracy government intensifies Syriza's anti-refugee policy
wsws.org | 2019-08-22
As it plans stepped-up police-state repression, ND bases itself directly on policies of the previous pseudo-left Syriza ("Coalition of the Radical Left") government.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/22/gree-a22.html

Dear Democrats, the Mainstream Media Are Not Your Friends
Eric Alterman | thenation.com | 2019-08-22
Dear Democrats, the Mainstream Media Are Not Your Friends…
thenation.com/article/democrats-media-debates/

Jay Inslee Is Not the Candidate Who Should Be Leaving This Race
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2019-08-22
Jay Inslee Is Not the Candidate Who Should Be Leaving This Race…
thenation.com/article/jay-inslee-is-not-the-candidate-who-should-be-leaving-this-race/

Warren Apologizes to Native Americans; Sanders Backs Rescinding Medals for Wounded Knee Massacre
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-22
This week 10 Democratic candidates and one independent in the 2020 presidential race, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, addressed indigenous communities at the first-ever Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa. During the two-day event, candidates individually answered questions from a panel of tribal leaders and Native American youth and elders on issues including treaty rights, voter suppression, and murdered and missing indigenous women.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/22/frank_lamere_native_american_presidential_forum

2020 Candidates Address Historical Trauma, Missing Indigenous Women & More at Native American Forum
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-22
Following this week's historic Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa, we speak with Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today and moderator of the Native American voter forum; Christine Nobiss, director of Seeding Sovereignty's SHIFT project; and Mark Charles, independent candidate for president, Native American activist and writer. They respond to the candidates' proposals to tackle issues affecting the Native American community, including the chronic murder and disappearance of Native American girls and women, land sovereignty, and generational trauma caused by colonialism.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/22/mark_trahant_christine_nobiss_mark_charles

Meet Alvaro Enciso, the artist placing crosses in Sonoran desert to memorialize migrant deaths
Amy Goodman | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-22
More than 3,000 human remains have been found in the Sonoran Desert, most of them of migrants fleeing their home countries to embark on an uncertain and perilous journey to the United States. On a recent visit to the Arizona borderlands, Democracy Now! accompanied Tucson-based artist Alvaro Enciso into the desert at the site where …
nationofchange.org/2019/08/22/meet-alvaro-enciso-the-artist-placing-crosses-in-sonoran-desert-to-memorialize-migrant-deaths/

Sanders and Warren Celebrated for Returning Donations From Employees at Hedge Funds Linked to Puerto Rico
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-22
"No candidate should take contributions from hedge funds and vulture funds driving austerity in Puerto Rico." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/warrensanders_0.png
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/22/sanders-and-warren-celebrated-returning-donations-employees-hedge-funds-linked?cd-origin=rss

Protests Break Out After DNC Committee Votes Against Holding 2020 #ClimateDebate
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-22
Sparking immediate protests at the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting in San Francisco Thursday, the organization's Resolutions Committee voted down a resolution that called for a climate-focused debate among 2020 presidential primary candidates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sunrise_1.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/22/protests-break-out-after-dnc-committee-votes-against-holding-2020-climatedebate?cd-origin=rss

Electoral College Abolitionists Say Court Ruling Shows Why Current System 'Terrible Way of Picking the President'
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-22
In hopes of reforming the Electoral College to bring the U.S. closer to a "one person, one vote" system, a pro-democracy group celebrated a federal court decision on Thursday in which three judges ruled that the nation's 538 electors can vote for whomever they choose, rather than automatically giving their votes to the winner of their state's popular vote. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-6230497561.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/22/electoral-college-abolitionists-say-court-ruling-shows-why-current-system-terrible?cd-origin=rss

MSM hurls FAKE 'anti-Semitism' charge against Trump, rather than question his REAL loyalty to Israel
rt.com | 2019-08-21
The media has willfully misinterpreted Donald Trump's words to portray the most pro-Israel US president in history as an anti-Semite. It makes more sense to chide him for sacrificing US interests to please Benjamin Netanyahu. | Here is the full Trump quote from Tuesday, in which he rejected Democrat Bernie Sanders' idea that Israel should stop accepting American aid, after its reluctance to let in congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who have publicly endorsed the BDS campaign. | "The concept of even talking about this — even three years ago — of cutting off aid to Israel because of two people…
rt.com/usa/466980-trump-antisemitism-jews-netanyahu/

Here's the evidence Corporate Media say is missing of WaPo bias against Sanders
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-21
Bernie Sanders has taken to calling out corporate media for their anti-progressive bias, and their feathers have gotten quite ruffled. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/21/heres-the-evidence-corporate-media-say-is-missing-of-wapo-bias-against-sanders/

'Pragmatic': How Corporate Media Praise Dems Who Abandon Progressive Values
Alan MacLeod | fair.org | 2019-08-21
Pragmatic (adjective): solving problems in a sensible way that suits the conditions that really exist now, rather than obeying fixed theories, ideas or rules. | — The battle for the Democratic presidential nomination is dominating the news cycle, and two of the three clear frontrunners in polls, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, d…
fair.org/home/pragmatic-how-corporate-media-praise-dems-who-abandon-progressive-values/

Rep Ayanna Pressley on Israel's Ban: "Bigoted, Short-Sighted and Cruel"
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-21
These are the words tweeted by Rep. Ayanna Pressley in response to the Israeli decision to ban the entry of Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib. The story has a striking resemblance to South Africa and Rhodesia blocking the entry of African American Democratic Representative Charles C. Diggs Junior in January 1972…
therealnews.com/stories/rep-ayanna-pressley-on-israels-ban-bigoted-short-sighted-and-cruel

Trump might one day NUKE Denmark, 'prophetic' Ted Cruz predicted in 2016
rt.com | 2019-08-21
No one could have predicted in 2016 that US President Donald Trump would be throwing a geopolitical hissy fit over Denmark's refusal to consider his offer to buy Greenland. No one, that is, except… Republican ex-rival Ted Cruz? | "I don't know anyone who would be comfortable with someone who behaves this way having his finger on the [nuclear] button. We're liable to wake up one morning and Donald, if he were president, would've nuked Denmark," Cruz told a crowd during a New Hampshire campaign event in February 2016. | With Trump cancelling a visit to Denmark in a fit of pique after PM Mette Fredriksen ref…
rt.com/usa/467014-cruz-predicts-future-denmark-trump/

The 1619 Project: A Nation Born in Contradiction, a Democracy Defined by Black Struggle
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-21
Nikole Hannah-Jones, who spearheaded the New York Times' 1619 Project joins The Real News Network to look at the lies that founded the U.S. and how Black America has given life to American ideals…
therealnews.com/stories/the-1619-project-a-nation-born-in-contradiction-a-democracy-defined-by-black-struggle

In one tweet, Jeremy Corbyn shows exactly why he's the leader the world needs
Emily Apple | thecanary.co | 2019-08-21
As The Canary reported, a coup is currently underway in Turkey against democratically elected mayors in three predominately Kurdish cities. But while there's been a deafening silence from the Conservative Party over the actions of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan, Jeremy Corbyn has spoken out: | The arrest of political leaders and act…
thecanary.co/trending/2019/08/21/in-one-tweet-jeremy-corbyn-shows-exactly-why-hes-the-leader-the-world-needs/

Trump calls Jews who vote Democrat 'uninformed or disloyal'
rt.com | 2019-08-21
Jews who vote Democrat are lacking in either knowledge or loyalty, US President Donald Trump has declared, slamming the party for criticizing Israel's decision to bar two Democratic congresswomen from entering the country. | "Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone when they are defending these two people over the state of Israel?" the president wondered aloud to reporters on Monday. | I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty. | "I can't even believe we're having this conversation!" Trump continued, seemingly lef…
rt.com/usa/466942-trump-slams-jewish-democrats-israel/

Italy: Center-Left Democratic Party Pushes for New Coalition
telesurenglish.net | 2019-08-21
Following the breakdown of the ruling Italian populist coalition, the country's main party, the Democratic Party (PD) said it was ready to hold negotiations with a long-time political rival, the Five-Star party. | RELATED: | Italy: Officials Finally Allow 'Open Arms' Migrants to Land | The PD's proposal came Wednesday as part of an attempt to avoid any early elections that could bring the League, led by the Minister of Interior, Matteo Salvini, to power. If such a scenario were…
telesurenglish.net/news/Italy-Center-Left-Democratic-Party-Pushes-for-New-Coalition-20190821-0027.html

A Lib Dem MP just showed how detached from reality the party truly is
Emily Apple | thecanary.co | 2019-08-21
New Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has chosen her "shadow cabinet". Although cabinet might be stretching it. After all, the cabinet is made up of about 20 people and the Lib Dems only have 14 MPs. | But this sm…
thecanary.co/trending/2019/08/21/a-lib-dem-mp-just-showed-how-detached-from-reality-the-party-truly-is/

An Arizona Law Requires Surveillance of People Who Are Presumed Innocent
aclu.org | 2019-08-21
The government cannot take shortcuts around constitutional rights. | A pillar of our democracy is the presumption of innocence: before a person has been convicted of a crime, they are considered completely innocent under the law. Yet across the country, people who have not been convicted are punished–both explicitly and implicitly–based on the mistaken assumption that they are dangerous, purely on the basis of an accusation. We do not live in a society where you can be incarcerated or monitored simply because you have been accused of a crime. Doing so violates constitutional rights, fuels mass incarce…
aclu.org/blog/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/arizona-law-requires-surveillance-people-who-are

Why There's No End in Sight to the Hong Kong Protests
Ilaria Maria Sala | thenation.com | 2019-08-21
Why There's No End in Sight to the Hong Kong Protests…
thenation.com/article/hong-kong-protests-china-police-brutality-democracy/

Over 500 Lawsuits Already Filed Days After Child Victims Act in New York Goes into Effect
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-21
This is Part 2 of our conversation with two New York state legislators, Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, who helped pass the Child Victims Act in New York. The state law, which went into effect last week, extends the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse and includes a "lookback period," giving survivors of any age a year to take legal action even if their cases had expired under the old statute of limitations. Over 500 lawsuits have already been filed. Both Biaggi and Niou are sexual abuse survivors, and they have spoken about the importance of the Child Victims Act in personal…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/21/child_victims_act_biaggi_niou

Meet Alvaro Enciso, the Artist Placing Crosses in Sonoran Desert to Memorialize Migrant Deaths
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-21
More than 3,000 human remains have been found in the Sonoran Desert, most of them of migrants fleeing their home countries to embark on an uncertain and perilous journey to the United States. On a recent visit to the Arizona borderlands, Democracy Now! accompanied Tucson-based artist Alvaro Enciso into the desert at the site where he placed four unique markers to honor four immigrants killed in a car accident years ago as they fled from Border Patrol. In the past five years, Enciso, who is originally from Colombia, has built and installed over 900 crosses across the treacherous Sonoran Desert in Arizona as part o…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/21/alvaro_enciso_unique_crosses_sonoran_desert

Turkey: HDP calls for mobilisations against AKP attacks — 'We will not be silenced, we will not be stopped…'
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-21
Kurdish struggle Susan PriceIssue 1234 Turkey Turkish arrests Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)Human rights organisations, solidarity groups and the European Union have condemne…
greenleft.org.au/content/turkey-hdp-mobilise-against-akp-attacks-we-will-not-be-silenced

Bernie Sanders Takes Aim at the Pathology of the For-Profit Criminal Justice System
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-20
An analysis of Sen Sanders' new criminal justice reform plan and a brief history of neoliberal democrats 'playing' at progressive politics while enacting regressive policies…
therealnews.com/stories/bernie-sanders-takes-aim-at-the-pathology-of-the-for-profit-criminal-justice-system

Maryland teacher incorporates hard lessons about slavery into public school curriculum
Brad Bennett | splcenter.org | 2019-08-20
At a workshop for teachers about educating children on American slavery, one instructor grew angry and insisted that Thomas Jefferson — who fathered biracial children with an enslaved woman on one of his plantations — was an advocate for racial equality.
splcenter.org/news/2019/08/20/maryland-teacher-incorporates-hard-lessons-about-slavery-public-school-curriculum

Joe Biden's Wife Says Vote for Husband Even If You Like Other Candidates More
Common Dreams | theantimedia.com | 2019-08-20
"Jill Biden may have settled for her husband, but I'm not sure why anyone else should."

Joe Biden's Wife Says Vote for Husband Even If You Like Other Candidates More

Hong Kong: Flashpoint of Class Struggle in China
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-08-20
What began as isolated protests against a standard criminal-extradition law has somehow erupted into a violent fury throughout Hong Kong. The Chinese city's American-and-British-flag-waving protesters are, on the one hand, calling for "freedom, human rights, and democracy" while, on the other, assaulting police and even random bystanders alike. Western media have already been on the …
uwidata.com/4966-hong-kong-flashpoint-of-class-struggle-in-china/

Russia, Racism… Recession? Trump says Democrats hope for economic bust to hurt him in 2020
rt.com | 2019-08-20
US President Donald Trump is accusing Democrats and the media of trying to bring about a recession in order to hurt his 2020 re-election. His critics reply that they're only stating the facts… just like they did with Russiagate? | "The word recession is inappropriate… We're very far from a recession," Trump said on Tuesday, adding that his critics would "love to see" an economic downturn. Earlier, he tweeted a video clip of Fox Business host Lou Dobbs blaming "radical Democrats" for the recession talk. | pic.twitter.com/WyGbgUGEhJ– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTr…
rt.com/usa/466931-trump-recession-media-democrats/

Trump Accuses Most American Jews of "Disloyalty" to Israel, Deploying Anti-Semitic Trope
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-08-20
President Donald Trump revealed again on Tuesday that he subscribes to the anti-Semitic belief that American Jews harbor a secret dual loyalty to Israel.
theintercept.com/2019/08/20/trump-jews-disloyalty-democratic-anti-semitism/

Elizabeth Warren Has a Plan to Finish What FDR Started
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2019-08-20
Elizabeth Warren Has a Plan to Finish What FDR Started…
thenation.com/article/elizabeth-warren-election-2020/

Jo Swinson probably wishes she hadn't posted that latest lie about Jeremy Corbyn
Ed Sykes | thecanary.co | 2019-08-20
On 20 August, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson lied about Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn ( again). But people were quick to call her out. And now, she probably wishes she hadn't bothered. | "Fake news": | Swinson tweeted: | Jeremy Corbyn didn't fight to remain in 2016, and he won't fight for remain now. He wants to deliver a Labour Brexit, becau…
thecanary.co/trending/2019/08/20/jo-swinson-probably-wishes-she-hadnt-posted-that-latest-lie-about-jeremy-corbyn/

Portland Rejects Proud Boys & Other Ultra-Right Groups as Trump Tries to Criminalize Antifa
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-20
A crowd of white nationalists took to the streets of Portland, Oregon, over the weekend for what they dubbed the "End Domestic Terrorism" rally. But they were outnumbered by a massive response from counterprotesters, who gathered across the city as police escorted members of the Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer and other right-wing groups across one of the city's main bridges. Police arrested 13 people throughout the day and seized weapons but largely avoided "the worst-case scenario" Portland's Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city was prepared for. Portland Police put more than 700 officers on patrol, with more than one co…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/20/portland_far_right_rally_antifa_counterprotest

Emerald Garner, Eric Garner's Daughter, Says Firing Pantaleo "Should Have Happened a Long Time Ago"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-20
Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who killed Eric Garner in 2014 by using an illegal chokehold, was fired Monday and stripped of his pension benefits. The decision came more than five years after Pantaleo held Garner, an unarmed African-American man, in a chokehold until he dropped to the ground. Before dying, he gasped "I can't breathe" 11 times. Despite outcry from the family and community members, Pantaleo had remained on the police force on desk duty since the killing. Last month, on the fifth anniversary of Garner's death, the Justice Department declined to charge Pantaleo with a crime despite calls by the…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/20/emerald_garner_daniel_pantaleo_nypd_firing

Deadly Bombings Devastate Afghanistan as U.S.-Taliban Peace Talks Continue Without Afghan Government
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-20
In Afghanistan, a series of bomb attacks devastated restaurants and other public spaces Monday in the eastern city of Jalalabad, injuring at least 66 people. The explosions took place on Afghanistan's 100th Independence Day, following Saturday's bloody suicide bombing at a wedding in Kabul that killed 63 people, wounding around 200 others. ISIS claimed the attack, which was the deadliest this year in Afghanistan. The bombings came as the U.S. and Taliban are reportedly close to a peace deal after months of talks between the two parties. Top issues in the negotiations include a U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanist…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/20/afghanistan_peace_talks_us_taliban

Twitter Helped Chinese Government Promote Disinformation on Repression of Uighurs
Ryan Gallagher | theintercept.com | 2019-08-19
Twitter helped to promote Chinese government propaganda and disinformation about the country's controversial internment camps in the Xinjiang region, a review of the company's advertising records reveals. | The social media company today announced a policy change that would bar such promotion following an inquiry from The Intercept and an earlier controversy over similar propaganda related to demonstrations in Hong Kong. | In Xinjiang, a western province in China, the United Nations has estimated that 1 milli…
theintercept.com/2019/08/19/twitter-ads-china-uighurs/

Democrats Have an Open Senate Seat in New Mexico. Will They Elect a Progressive, or the Former Head of the DCCC?
Ryan Grim | theintercept.com | 2019-08-19
With Sen. Tom Udall retiring, the Democratic Party establishment is unified behind Ben Ray Luján. The Working Families Party endorsed Maggie Oliver.
theintercept.com/2019/08/19/democrat-primary-senator-new-mexico/

Activist on the Front Lines Discusses the Historic Protests in Hong Kong
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-19
We had to blur her image but she talks about police brutality, the struggle for a transparent democracy, the Chinese army at the border, and hope for the future…
therealnews.com/stories/activist-on-the-front-lines-discusses-the-historic-protests-in-hong-kong

"Humanitarian Aid Is Never a Crime": No More Deaths Volunteers Drop Water in Desert to Aid Migrants
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-19
Volunteers with the humanitarian aid group No More Deaths have been venturing into the harsh Sonoran Desert for years to leave life-saving supplies for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Longtime volunteer Scott Warren was charged with three felonies for the alleged crime of providing food, water and shelter to migrants. After a hung jury in June, he is now facing retrial on two felony counts and faces a possible 10 years in prison. As he awaits his next trial as well as deals with misdemeanor charges in another case of aiding migrants, Democracy Now! followed him into the Sonoran Desert for his first trip…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/19/humanitarian_aid_is_never_a_crime

Activist Scott Warren, Facing Federal Charges for Aiding Migrants, Says He Won't Be Deterred
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-19
We broadcast live from Tucson, Arizona, where the government recently put humanitarian activist Scott Warren on trial amid the ongoing policing of the U.S.-Mexico border, separation of families, and cruel and inhumane conditions at immigrant jails across the country. Warren, a longtime volunteer with the humanitarian aid group No More Deaths, was charged with three felony counts for his alleged crime of providing food, water and shelter to migrants in Ajo, Arizona. The immigrants had arrived at the doorstep of a humanitarian shelter after a perilous journey across the Sonoran Desert. At the same time, he and othe…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/19/no_more_deaths_scott_warren

"They Are Irreplaceable, and They Mattered": Group Identifies Human Remains Along the Border
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-19
In a special broadcast from the Arizona-Sonora border, we look at how the bodies and bones of more than 3,000 people have been found in the Sonoran Desert since 2001, and speak with Robin Reineke, the co-founder of the Tucson-based organization Colibrí Center for Human Rights. Colibrí Center is dedicated to identifying the remains of people passing through the desert and, since its founding, has identified at least 100 migrants through meticulous forensic work and DNA data collection of people's remains and family members who are alive. In 2018, it launched the Bring Them Back Campaign to call for dignity and dem…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/19/robin_reineke_colibri_center_human_rights

Amy McGrath's Senate Campaign Manager Helped Get Her Potential Primary Opponent Fired
Ryan Grim | theintercept.com | 2019-08-18
WLEX, a Kentucky TV station, fired host Matt Jones, who has been pondering a primary challenge to Amy McGrath, at the urging of her campaign manager.
theintercept.com/2019/08/18/amy-mcgrath-matt-jones-kentucky-senate-race/

Google Is Deepening Its Involvement With Egypt's Repressive Government
Vic Ryan | theintercept.com | 2019-08-18
Google is set to re-staff its Cairo office, which more or less went dormant in 2014, following the military coup that brought Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to power.
theintercept.com/2019/08/18/google-egypt-office-sisi/

The Hong Kong protests are an attack on socialism
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-08-17
There's a tendency among progressives in the United States to support big crowds of people protesting in other countries. No doubt, the corporate media assists in this process by labelling certain movements 'pro-democracy' or 'freedom fighters.' | But not all protests or marches are progressive, even if they attract large crowds. The Tea Party movement in the U.S., for instance, brought out hundreds of thousands of angry small business owners and shrill middle-class professionals. They were far from spontaneous demonstrations, however; big business orchestrated this giant spectacle to advance its own class intere…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/8/17/hong-kong-protests-are-attack-socialism

What Is Israel Trying to Hide? Reps. Tlaib & Omar Blocked from Taking Official Trip to West Bank
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-16
Israel sparked outrage Thursday when it banned two freshman Democratic congresswomen of color — Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota — from entering the country. Following outcry from Democratic leaders and Palestinians, Israel granted permission for Tlaib to enter the country on "humanitarian" grounds to visit her family in the West Bank — though Tlaib said Friday she will not visit her family under such conditions. Israel originally denied entrance to Tlaib and Omar after President Donald Trump tweeted, "It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tl…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/16/ilhan_omar_rashida_tlaib_israel_trump

The Great Land Robbery: How Federal Policies Dispossessed Black Americans of Millions of Acres
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-16
Over the 20th century, black people in the U.S. were dispossessed of 12 million acres of land. Half of that loss — 6 million acres — occurred over just two decades, from 1950 to 1969, a period largely associated with the civil rights struggle. This mass land dispossession, which affected 98% of black agricultural land owners, is part of the pattern of institutional racism and discrimination that has contributed to the racial wealth gap in the United States. Many of the driving forces behind this land theft were legal and originated in federal policies, as documented by Vann Newkirk, staff writer at Th…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/16/vann_newkirk_great_land_robbery

Top scientist denounces smears of Tulsi Gabbard on Syria
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-08-15
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been smeared as an Assad apologist for her efforts to end the US-backed proxy war and…
thegrayzone.com/2019/08/15/top-scientist-denounces-smears-of-tulsi-gabbard-on-syria/

Aloha from Dr. Martin Luther King and Tulsi Gabbard
Paul Rockwell | mintpressnews.com | 2019-08-15
"Aloha," says Gabbard, "is a powerful force that motivates us to take action for the well-being of others and our country." In King's famous words, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but bends toward justice." Gabbard seeks to bend the arc of history away from war toward peace.
mintpressnews.com/aloha-from-dr-martin-luther-king-and-tulsi-gabbard/261363/

Here's the Evidence Corporate Media Say Is Missing of WaPo Bias Against Sanders
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2019-08-15
Bernie Sanders has taken to calling out corporate media for their anti-progressive bias, and their feathers have gotten quite ruffled. | In a campaign event Monday in New Hampshire, Sanders told the crowd: We have pointed out over and over again that Amazon made $10 billion in profits last year. You know how much they paid in taxes? You got it, zero! Any wonder why the Washington Post is not one of my great supporters, I wonder why? New York Times not much better. | The next day, he returned to the same point: And then I wonder why the Washington Post, which…
fair.org/home/heres-the-evidence-corporate-media-say-is-missing-of-wapo-bias-against-sanders/

"Give Us Your Rich": Immigration Reporter Says Trump Admin Is Changing "Wholesale" Who Gets into U.S
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-14
"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Those are the words of Emma Lazarus inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. But this week, acting Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli attempted to rewrite the poem to make a case for limiting immigration to the United States. He told NPR's Rachel Martin on Tuesday that the Statue of Liberty's message is "Give me your tired and your poor, who can stand on their own two feet and who will…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/14/ken_cuccinelli_immigration_emma_lazarus

"River of Fire": In New Memoir, Sister Helen Prejean Reflects on Decades of Fighting Executions
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-14
The Trump administration is moving ahead with plans to resume the death penalty after a more than 15-year moratorium. This week Attorney General William Barr proposed fast-tracking executions in mass murder cases, and last month ordered the execution of five death row prisoners beginning in December. The federal government has executed just three people since 1963 — the last being in 2003. The death penalty is widely condemned by national governments, international bodies and human rights groups across the world. Experts say capital punishment does not help deter homicides and that errors and racism in the…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/14/sister_helen_prejean_federal_death_penalty

"A Narco State Supported by the United States": How Crime & Corruption in Honduras Fuel Migration
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-14
We speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Sonia Nazario, who has closely detailed why migrants from Central America are fleeing their homes in an attempt to seek asylum in the United States. Earlier this year, Nazario spent a month in Honduras documenting how corruption and gang violence are forcing many people to flee. Her piece, "Pay or Die," ran in The New York Times, where she is a contributing opinion writer.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/14/sonia_nazario_honduras_crime_corruption_migration

Unequal Justice: John Roberts' Dark Legacy of Voter Suppression
Bill Blum | progressive.org | 2019-08-13
Plaintiffs are litigating voting rights cases in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, and several other states. Some will succeed, some will fail, but all will be more uncertain and expensive thanks to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
progressive.org/dispatches/unequal-justice-john-roberts-dark-legacy-of-voter-suppression-blum-190812/

How Climate Activists Can Benefit from Solidarity with Kentucky Coal Miners
Ryan Driskell Tate | progressive.org | 2019-08-12
As fossil-fuel workers lose their jobs today, the urgency of what climate activists call the "just transition" becomes all the more apparent.
progressive.org/dispatches/climate-activists-benefit-from-solidarity-with-coal-miners-tate-190812/