(2019-08-26). Bullock, Harris, and de Blasio join Native presidential forum via Skype. peoplesworld.org 
SIOUX CITY, Iowa—Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana closed out the first day of the historic Frank LaMere Presidential Candidate forum via Skype Monday, August 19. After a brief introduction, Bullock apologized for not being present at the event, explaining to the audience he was needed in Montana for a family commemorative event. Bullock's 11-year-old nephew, …
(2019-08-26). Rogues' Gallery: A Sober Look at the "Progressive" Democratic Presidential Candidates. mintpressnews.com 
Unless someone new enters the race or one of the existing candidates is stricken on the road to Damascus, there will be no genuinely progressive foreign policy offered by either of the two major political parties in the 2020 presidential election.
(2019-08-26). Tulsi Gabbard's Anti-War Foreign Policy. globalresearch.ca Her public statements, website positions, and body language suggest she's a genuine anti-war presidential aspirant. | Wanting US wars of aggression ended against nations threatening no one makes her worthy of everyone's support. | At the same time, it's important to note …
(2019-08-26). Are Sanders and Warren Throwing a Lifeline to the Military-Industrial Complex? commondreams.org Progressive candidates should instead be sending the entire world an unequivocal message that the United States is finally ready to turn the page to a new era of peaceful, cooperative and lawful diplomacy. (Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1163768855.jpg …
(2019-08-26). Before Kamala Harris Soured on Bernie Sanders's Medicare for All Bill, She Grew Her Email List From It. theintercept.com Kamala Harris distanced herself from Bernie Sanders's Medicare for All bill at an event with large-dollar donors two weeks after her campaign ran those ads.
(2019-08-26). Sanders, Warren Surge to Tie Biden Atop Dem 2020 Primary: Poll. telesurenglish.net Progressive presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have surged in the polls to tie with Joe Biden atop the Democratic 2020 primary, according to a survey by Monmouth University released Monday. | RELATED: | US 2020 Presidential Elections: Buttigieg has 24 Billionaire Donors, Harris 18, Biden 13, Sanders 0 | The poll finds a virtual three-way tie among…
(2019-08-26). Free College Is a Good Start, But Low-Income Students Need Additional Support. truthout.org | | Presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are thought to represent the left-leaning wing of the Democratic Party and even to embrace some socialist ideals. | Their ambitious proposals to eliminate undergraduate tuition and fees at public two-year and four-year colleges, as well as at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), though, signal that the real constituency they are courting is the American middle class.
(2019-08-26). The Media's Response to Bernie Sanders' "Climate Plan" globalresearch.ca U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, a U.S. Presidential candidate in the Democratic Party primaries, presented on August 22nd the most-detailed climate-plan that has ever been presented by any U.S. Presidential candidate — 14,000 words, or the equivalent of a normal …
(2019-08-26). Bernie Sanders Devotes San Francisco Rally To His Free Education Platform Plank. indybay.org Students talk of their financial hardships and struggles to fund higher education…
(2019-08-26). Israel's Ban on Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar Backfires. globalresearch.ca During Congress's August recess, a group of 41 Democratic and 31 Republican congressmembers traveled to Israel on a delegation sponsored by American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). AIPAC subsidizes congressional trips to Israel in order to further the "special relationship" …
(2019-08-26). Progressives Shouldn't Be Interested in John Hickenlooper for Senate. commondreams.org While governor, Hickenlooper famously ushered in the fracking revolution in Colorado, earning the nickname "Frackenlooper" while fossil fuel production in the state soared. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1167270997.jpg …
(2019-08-26). Democrats join Trump in fundraising from the moneyed elite. wsws.org Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg are raking in the bulk of the high-dollar contributions being collected at fundraisers in the Hamptons and Cape Cod this month.
(2019-08-26). MAGA Republican Joe Walsh: Get Rid of Trump, Vote for Me. globalresearch.ca Most of us agree. Donald Trump is a disaster. He's an unmoored mental case consumed with attacking enemies real and perceived. Trump's not Hitler or a white supremacist. He's a malignant narcissist. | Joe Walsh, a former Illinois Republican representative, …
(2019-08-26). What Political Scientists Get Wrong About 2016. thenation.com What Political Scientists Get Wrong About 2016…
(2019-08-26). Unreported Deaths, Child Cancer & Radioactive Meat: The Untold Story of Chernobyl. democracynow.org 
Following a mysterious nuclear accident in Russia that left seven dead, we look back at the 1986 nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. It sent a cloud of radioactive fallout into Russia, Belarus and over a large portion of Europe, but the death toll from Chernobyl remains unknown. Chernobyl is considered the worst nuclear accident in history, but Kate Brown, an MIT professor of science, technology and society, says much of what we understand about the disaster is inaccurate. Her new book, "Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future," chronicles the devastating and underreported impact of radiation on tens of t…
(2019-08-26). "The Situation Was Very Bad": Feminist Activist Kavita Krishnan on What She Saw in Kashmir. democracynow.org 
In Kashmir, residents have entered their fourth week of a severe lockdown after India revoked the special status of the Indian-controlled part of the Muslim-majority territory. On August 5, India imposed a curfew and cut off all communications to the region. More than 4,000 people, including many political leaders, have been detained, while local residents report facing increasing shortages of food and medicine. Over the weekend, India blocked a delegation of Indian opposition politicians from visiting Kashmir, including Rahul Gandhi, the former president of the Indian National Congress. India's actions have led…
(2019-08-26). Mysterious Russian Nuclear Missile Accident Sparks Fears of Cover-Up & "Chernobyl Redux" democracynow.org 
Questions are swirling over a mysterious nuclear accident in northern Russia on August 8. Seven people, including five nuclear scientists, died in an explosion, which caused a radiation spike in the surrounding area — and possibly as far as Scandinavia. U.S. experts suspect the explosion was caused during a test of a nuclear-powered cruise missile. Russia initially denied a radiation leak, but earlier today its state weather agency confirmed radioactive isotopes have been found in test samples in the city of Severodvinsk near the military test range. Norway's nuclear test ban monitor now believes two explos…
(2019-08-26). Headlines for August 26, 2019. democracynow.org World Leaders Pledge Amazon Help as Trump Sends Mixed Signals About China at G7 Summit, Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif Makes Surprise Appearance at G7 to Hold Talks with European Officials, Protesters Call Out G7 Leaders over Corporate Ties, Climate Inaction and Inequality, Wildfires Continue to Consume Amazon as Public Outrage Grows, Police Deploy Water Cannons, Fire a Live Warning Shot at Hong Kong Protesters, Attacks in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq Add to Mounting Tensions in Middle East, EU Countries Say They Will Relocate Migrants Stranded on Ship After 2-Week Standoff, 200,000 Rohingya Refugees March for "Genocid…
(2019-08-26). For Always Making It Clear 'Which Side He Is On,' Bernie Sanders Nabs First National Union Endorsement. commondreams.org "Bernie understands the need for workers to have a democratic, independent union movement that is unafraid to challenge corporate America's stranglehold on our economy." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_afl_cio_0.jpg …
(2019-08-26). Democratic Establishment Backing of Hickenlooper's Colorado Senate Run a 'Recipe for Disaster,' Warn Progressives. commondreams.org "He would join the Senate as a conservative Democrat who has already pledged to block most progressive priorities." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/hickenlooper_0.jpg …
(2019-08-26). With Open Internet Under Assault, 2020 Democrats Urged to Sign Pledge to Reject Telecom Cash and Restore Net Neutrality. commondreams.org "If net neutrality is not restored, the public will lose the ability to access sites, run small businesses, and tell the stories too often ignored by the mainstream media." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/net_neutrality_8.jpg …
(2019-08-26). New 2020 National Poll Shows Sanders and Warren Tied for First Place as Biden Drops 13 Points. commondreams.org Monmouth's survey comes as the two progressive senators continue to draw large and enthusiastic crowds across the nation | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sanders_warren.jpg …
(2019-08-26). Right-wing media is creating the 'antifa shooter' narrative out of thin air. nationofchange.org Right-wing media and political figures have set their sites on "antifa," the decentralized movement against fascism, alleging everything from terrorism to criminal conspiracy and playing on the current political tribalism motivating the Republican base. Just last month, Sen. Ted Cruz introduced a resolution to label the movement as "domestic terrorists" — something Donald Trump then supported via tweet, setting up a false dichotomy that has since been used to make broad attacks against activists and journalists. | For the record, antifascist activists have never killed anyone. They are usually on a missi…
(2019-08-26). Bernie Sander's climate plan is more radical than his opponents' — and more likely to succeed. mronline.org 
IF YOU TRIED to design a program with the aim of offending the top brass of the world's most powerful corporations and the politicians whose careers they bankroll, you'd get something like what Bernie Sanders unveiled today in his $16.3 trillion Green New Deal platform. | Source
(2019-08-25). Why is the Far-Right Rising Globally? (1/2). therealnews.com 
Walden Bello, author of "Counterrevolution: The Global Rise of the Far-Right," argues that the far-right is in ascendancy at the moment not only in reaction to the failures of neoliberalism, but also because of the failures of liberal democracy…
(2019-08-25). In some state: Joe Biden doesn't know where he is (VIDEO). rt.com 
The presidential campaign trail hasn't been kind to Joe Biden with the Democrat frontrunner frequently bumbling himself into controversies great and small. His latest gaffe saw him forget what state he's in. | The 76-year-old is spending most of his weekend meeting voters in Keene, New Hampshire. When asked by reporters about his impressions of the New England town, Biden offered a eulogy about a different state. | "What's not to like about Vermont in terms of the beauty of it?" he said. "And what a neat town. I mean this is sort of a scenic, beautiful town… everybody has been really friendly. I like Keene a…
(2019-08-25). Qatar pulls its Turkish investments. uwidata.com Erdoƒüan Toprak, the chief adviser to the chairman of the People's Republican Party (CHP) and the parliamentary deputy from the province of Istanbul, prepared a report on the issue of Qatari investments, which, in recent years, have been increasingly discussed throughout Turkey. According to the Turkish Ministry of Economy, from 2002 to March 2017, Qatar …
(2019-08-25). Lies of the Victors. dissidentvoice.org Julian Barnes' Man Booker Prize winning novel, The Sense of an Ending, reads as a meditation on the reliability of memory. Or even as a bill of indictments against the self-serving selectivity of memory. The book beautifully, if kaleidoscopically, reveals how an older man misremembers events of his youth, how his memories cast him in …
(2019-08-24). Gabbard campaign joins voices raising concerns over Democrat debate-qualifying criteria. rt.com 
Tulsi Gabbard's presidential campaign has called on the DNC to ensure fairness by updating its approved debate-qualifying polls, raising concerns about a lack of transparency and the consistency of the required criteria. | In order to qualify for the next round of Democratic presidential debates in September, the Democratic National Committee's rules require all candidates to have 130,000 unique donors and to have reached 2 percent in four approved polls. Representative Gabbard (D-Hawaii) has surpassed 2 percent in 26 national and state polls — including two polls by the biggest newspapers in the early pr…
(2019-08-24). Biden asks town hall 'what if Obama had been assassinated?' & internet cringes. rt.com 
Democratic primary frontrunner Joe Biden has raised a nation of eyebrows when he asked an audience to imagine the fallout from Barack Obama's assassination, comparing the ex-president to Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. | "Imagine what would have happened if, God forbid, Barack Obama had been assassinated after becoming the de facto nominee?" Biden asked a town hall in Hanover, New Hampshire on Friday that was supposed to be focused on healthcare. "What would have happened in America?" | Joe Biden asked voters to imagine what would happen if President Obama was assassinated during the primary – then oddly…
(2019-08-24). Media Availability: Prabir Purkayastha on How Big Data's Threat to Elections and Democracy Is Quickly Becoming a Global Problem. mronline.org 
The cost of the 2016 U.S. elections was $6.5 billion if we combine the presidential and congressional elections. The Indian Parliamentary election of 2019 outspent the 2016 U.S. 2016 election, costing about $8.6 billion. | Source
(2019-08-24). National Democrats Endorse John Hickenlooper, a Proponent of Fracking, in Competitive Colorado Primary. theintercept.com In Colorado, nearly a dozen Democrats are vying for the opportunity to take on Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in 2020 — a race widely seen as the party's most promising pick-up in the Senate. One of the leading contenders, former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, is running on a platform that includes Medicare for All and an aggressive plan to combat the climate crisis — and his campaign has already topped $1 million in fundraising. | But the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has thrown its weight behind former Gov. John Hickenlooper, a pro-fracking moderate. After months of rejecting calls…
(2019-08-24). Henry A. Giroux and the culture of neoliberal fascism. mronline.org 
HENRY A. GIROUX's book The Terror of the Unforeseen analyzes the conditions that have enabled and led to Donald Trump's rule and the consequences of that rule, that have ushered in an authoritarian version of capitalism. Giroux provides a realistic analysis that holds out the hope that, through collective efforts, change is possible and democracy […] | Source
(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…
(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 …
(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
(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
(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…
(2019-08-23). With security improving in DR Congo's Kasai, thousands of refugees head home from Angola. un.org As security has improved in the restive Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), some 8,500 refugees have left the Lóvua settlement in Angola's north-east Lunda Norte province in the past week, hoping to cross the border and return home, according to the UN refugee agency.
(2019-08-23). Bernie Sanders Welcomes the Hatred of Billionaires. thenation.com Bernie Sanders Welcomes the Hatred of Billionaires…
(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…
(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.
(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.
(2019-08-23). "Our House Is On Fire": Brazil Faces Global Outrage as Massive Fires Spread in Amazon Rainforest. 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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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.
(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, …
(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…
(2019-08-22). Dear Democrats, the Mainstream Media Are Not Your Friends. thenation.com Dear Democrats, the Mainstream Media Are Not Your Friends…
(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.
(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.
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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 (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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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.
(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.
(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 …
(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."
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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.
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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…
(2019-08-16). Headlines for August 16, 2019. democracynow.org Israel Bars Reps. Omar & Tlaib from Official Trip to West Bank Due to Their Support for BDS, 11 Die in Kashmir as Pakistani & Indian Troops Exchange Fire, U.S. Puts Pressure on Crew of Iranian Oil Tanker Seized in July, North Korea Test-Fires Two Missiles as It Rejects New Talks with S. Korea, NOAA: July Was Officially the Hottest Month on Record, Australia Accused of Watering Down Pacific Island Climate Agreement, Study: Surge in Methane Gas Emissions Is Linked to Fracking Boom, 270 Die, 1 Million Displaced in India from Heavy Monsoon Rains, Federal Court: Trump Admin Can't Deny Soap & Toothpaste to Migrant Chil…
(2019-08-15). Aloha from Dr. Martin Luther King and Tulsi Gabbard. mintpressnews.com 
"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.
(2019-08-13). Unequal Justice: John Roberts' Dark Legacy of Voter Suppression. progressive.org 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.
(2019-08-12). How Climate Activists Can Benefit from Solidarity with Kentucky Coal Miners. progressive.org As fossil-fuel workers lose their jobs today, the urgency of what climate activists call the "just transition" becomes all the more apparent.
(2019-08-01). Kamala Harris Team Accused of "Inventing Conspiracies" About Tulsi Gabbard. theantimedia.com The Kamala Harris' campaign jumped to tie Gabbard and her campaign to a nebulously defined and unclear Russian conspiracy.