Daily Archives: September 2, 2019

2019-09-02: News Headlines

Christine Owens (2019-09-02). Democracy Needs Unions. counterpunch.org You deserve to have a say in matters that affect you. Everyone does. That's democracy. This shouldn't change when you go to work. Democratic rights in the workplace — including the right to form a union, and the power to speak up about workplace issues — go hand in hand with a democratic society. But More

Juan Cole (2019-09-02). American Workers Have Little to Celebrate This Labor Day. truthdig.com In the past two decades, the poor got significantly poorer and the rich got significantly richer. This broad social trend helps to explain our politics.

Staff (2019-09-02). The Only 2020 Democrats Who Actually Want to Empower Workers. truthdig.com In the crowded field, just two candidates have far-reaching proposals to give workers something even more important than a higher minimum wage.

Finn Collom (2019-09-02). This Labor Day, We Need Real Plans to Build Worker Power. counterpunch.org This Labor Day, Democratic presidential candidates will no doubt be touting their support for a $15 per hour minimum wage. None have opposed the idea. A minimum wage increase would put more money in workers' pockets. But so far, only two candidates — Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders — have far-reaching proposals to give More

Chris Hedges (2019-09-02). The Messiahs of Hope Assure Us Everything Will Be OK in the End. But It Won't. commondreams.org "Most of the climate activists and operatives of democracy see themselves, like the wider consumer culture, as being in the business of selling hope," writes Hedges. "Without hope, they argue, people would succumb to despair. People would not resist the looming catastrophe. Of course, the opposite is true." (Image: Mr. Fish/TruthDig) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/hope_false_promise.jpg

Eric Zuesse (2019-09-02). America's Billionaires Congealing Around Warren and Buttigieg. globalresearch.ca The Democratic Presidential candidates who have been the most backed by billionaires have not been doing well in the polling thus far, and this fact greatly disturbs the billionaires. They know that the Democratic nominee will be chosen in the …

César Chelala (2019-09-02). The NRA versus American children. nationofchange.org If any doubts remain about the nefarious influence of the National Rifle Association (NRA) on the political life of the United States, President Donald Trump's decision to discuss gun control measures with that organization should dispel them. The offer to discuss these measures is like asking a criminal for his weapon of choice in order to hand it over. This obsequiousness equals that of many legislators, mainly Republican, who refuse to pass effective legislation on gun control measures out of fear of losing NRA support. Scores of people stand to lose, among them a significant number of children and adolesce…

Staff (2019-09-02). Tennessee Voting Rights Activists Fight New Registration Restrictions. truthout.org | | Young people have the power to greatly impact the 2020 election. In many states, they showed this power in 2018, when youth voter turnout rose 16 percentage points from the previous midterm election, marking the highest level in midterm…

United Nations (2019-09-02). DR Congo President and UN chief meet at a 'historic moment' for democracy in the country. un.org On the third and final day of his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), UN chief António Guterres declared that the country is experiencing a historic moment, which could herald the development of democratic institutions.

Michael T. Hertz (2019-09-02). The fight against climate change can bring us together. nationofchange.org For the last week or so, I have been pondering about what is the most important issue in the 2020 election. My thought has been that if we can agree on the most important issue, and if we can agree on what is needed to resolve it, we may not only resolve that issue but bring America back towards learning once again how to agree on things. | I thought first about Medicare for All. All of the Democratic candidates seemed to agree at their first debate in July that this was a very important issue. But since the crisis of the Arctic and the Amazon fires, Climate Change has become clearly the leading issue. And it…

Howie Hawkins (2019-09-02). Workers need more rights and economic democracy. nationofchange.org As someone who has been a union member since I was a Marine with the American Servicemen's Union until I retired last year as a Teamster as well as a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, I have lived the reality of mistreatment of workers in the United States. | It is good to see labor rising with teacher and other strikes increasing across the country and with the US public showing its highest support for unions in decades. The next president should harness the energy of working people and build political power for a transformation agenda for working people who have not gotten a real raise in decade…

San Francisco Green Film Festival (2019-09-02). 9th Annual San Francisco Green Film Festival. indybay.org The Castro Theatre, Roxie, Exploratorium, Swissnex, Manny's and 518 Valencia Gallery…

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2019-09-02). 2019 Folsom Community Service Day ~ 170th Anniversary of the Gold Rush Town, Negro Bar, CA. indybay.org Together, we are poised for a special 170th Anniversary of Negro Bar, Sacramento County by utilizing both private and public resources to forever preserve and interpret our unique contributions to the forward flow of humanity.

Staff (2019-09-02). Death and Resistance on the U.S.-Mexico Border: A Democracy Now! Special. democracynow.org Democracy Now! travels to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona to follow the humanitarian activist Scott Warren into the Sonoran Desert as he accompanies other No More Deaths volunteers as they leave water and food for migrants making the treacherous journey north. Warren is currently facing up to 10 years in prison for his humanitarian work in the Sonoran Desert, where the bodies and bones of more than 3,000 people — nearly all migrants — have been found since 2001. We also speak to the Tucson-based artist Alvaro Enciso, creator of the project Where Dreams Die. He has built and installed over 900 crosse…

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2019-09-02). Michael Gove's claim that a no-deal Brexit won't affect food supplies is 'categorically untrue'. thecanary.co Michael Gove, the cabinet minister responsible for leading the government's preparations for a no-deal Brexit, appeared on The Andrew Marr Show on 1 September. He was there to discuss the proroguing of parliament and the possible effects of a no-deal. And his comments emphasise why this government needs to be ousted immediately. | In addition to not clearly answering whether the government would abide by legislation passed by both…

Staff (2019-09-01). McConnell Seems Increasingly Nervous Republicans Could Lose Big Next Year. truthout.org | | Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to be worried that Trump isn't going to win in 2020. At least, that's one explanation for his promise to "protect" the Supreme Court from Democrats. | McConnell, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), got all Republican senators to sign on to a highly unusual letter to the Supreme Court.

United Nations (2019-09-01). UN chief pays tribute to the courage of DR Congo citizens facing Ebola and insecurity, and the sacrifice of blue helmets. un.org On the second day of his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres saluted the courage of the country's citizens, as well as the sacrifice of the peacekeepers who have died serving them.

Ed Sykes (2019-09-01). As Swinson goes MIA, Corbyn proves he's Leader of the Opposition in both name and nature. thecanary.co On 31 August, thousands of people took to the streets across Britain to oppose Boris Johnson's parliamentary coup. And while Liberal Democrat attention-seeker Jo Swinson was missing in action, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn stood proudly on the front line of the protests. | Where's Swinson?: | Sw…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-09-01). 'Carnage That Could Have Been Prevented': West Texas Mass Shooting Provokes Fresh Calls for Stricter Gun Laws. commondreams.org Gun control advocates and Democratic politicians swiftly demanded that Congress take action after at least five people were killed and several more were injured in a mass shooting in Texas Saturday. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11653012711.jpg

James Wright (2019-09-01). McDonnell slams the 'dictatorship' after Johnson takes his assault on UK democracy to the next level. thecanary.co Shadow chancellor John McDonnell branded Boris Johnson's government an "elective dictatorship" on 1 September after the administration took its assault on UK democracy to the next level. | The Tory attack on our democracy is getting worse. Gove has just refused to confirm to @AndrewMarr9 that the government will accept legislation passed by Parliament. This is a startling move beyond anything we've ever seen. Johnson government is becoming an elective dictatorship. | — John McDonnel…

Staff (2019-08-31). Why Are Hong Kong Protesters Asking Trump for Help? therealnews.com Journalist Ilaria Maria Sala discusses the arrest and release of demonstration "leaders," the history of Hong Kong's struggle for democracy, American involvement in the protests, and the complexity of the current movement…

Glen Ford (2019-08-31). Is Warren talented enough to betray the people as masterfully as Obama? mronline.org Elizabeth Warren is seen as a counter Bernie Sanders, but she will melt (like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris) if she stops raising Democrats' expectations to bust corporate power. | Source

Anya Parampil (2019-08-31). Hausmann hypocrisy: Guaido coup official raked in dollars from dictators and banking behemoths while promoting 'democracy' for Venezuela. thegrayzone.com Ricardo Hausmann slammed banks for doing business with Venezuela's elected government. But financial disclosure forms filed with Harvard show the…

United Nations (2019-08-31). UN chief and senior officials show solidarity with DR Congo during three-day visit. un.org United Nations chief António Guterres and senior members of the UN, have embarked on a three-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where civilians are facing insecurity and ongoing health crises, including a year-long Ebola epidemic which has claimed more than 2,000 lives.

WSWS (2019-08-31). Home video security systems increasingly linked to US police departments in violation of democratic rights. wsws.org More than 400 police department partnerships have been established by Amazon's Ring home security system across the US over the past year.

Fight Back (2019-08-31). Chicago students say, 'CIA off campus!'. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On the afternoon of August 28, members of Students for a Democratic Society and AnakBayan Chicago, at the University of Illinois at Chicago, passed out flyers on the quad to oppose the partnership that the university has with the CIA. SDS members held a banner reading "CIA off campus," the slogan that has been used in past decades by student activists around the country in similar campaigns. Protesters held signs each detailing a different CIA operation and the number of deaths it caused. | In February 2018, the UIC announced that they had become a CIA Signature School. Only three months later, Gina…

The Canary (2019-08-31). Tory tensions on Brexit erupt again as Hammond intervenes. thecanary.co Tory Brexit tensions ripped into the open as former chancellor Philip Hammond expressed anger at reports Conservative MPs who actively oppose a no-deal EU withdrawal will be barred from standing at the next election.Mr Hammond insisted a no-deal exit would be "undemocratic" as Boris Johnson's Brexit stance faced cross party opposition in the Commons next week.Reports that any bid to extend Brexit beyond October 31 to stop a no-deal exit would be treated as a no confidence issue, with supporting Tory MPs stopped from standing for the party, drew a harsh response from the ex-chancellor. | If true, this would be sta…

The Canary (2019-08-31). Standing ovation for sister of Lyra McKee as she delivers speech at Stormont. thecanary.co The sister of murdered journalist Lyra McKee received a standing ovation as she followed in her footsteps to deliver a powerful talk at Stormont.The author's Ted talk about religious education and its impact on the mental health of young LGBT people was viewed thousands of time around the world following her death at the hands of dissident republicans in April.On Saturday, four and a half months after Ms McKee's murder, her sister Nichola Corner delivered her own talk at the TedXStormont event at Parliament Buildings in Belfast.Lyra McKee was shot dead by the New IRA as she observed rioting in Derry (Family hando…

Pierre Sprey, Chuck Spinney and Winslow T. Wheeler (2019-08-30). Bankrupt and Irrelevant: the Presidential Debates and Four Recent Studies on Pentagon Spending. counterpunch.org In the almost 12 hours of Democratic Party presidential primary debates on June 26-27 and July 30-31, the words "Pentagon budget" or "defense spending" were not uttered, except for a fleeting, unanswered comment from Senator Bernie Sanders. Nor did any of the cable news moderators ask a single question about the more than $1.25 trillion More

People's World Editorial Board (2019-08-30). Communist Party USA: 100 years in struggle for peace, democracy, socialism. peoplesworld.org One hundred years ago this weekend, on Sept. 1, 1919, 128 women and men, meeting in a hall in Chicago, founded the Communist Party of America. In their founding Manifesto, the members declared: "The world is on the verge of a new era. Europe is in revolt. The masses of Asia are stirring uneasily. Capitalism …

Al Neal (2019-08-30). Indigenous sovereignty issues confront Democratic candidates at Frank LaMere Forum. peoplesworld.org SIOUX CITY, Iowa—The road to the White House, as they say, begins in Iowa. As summer slowly turns to fall in the third year of Donald Trump's catastrophic presidency, national news outlets and presidential candidates turn their attention to this agricultural state. Iowa—home to the Dakota-Sioux, Ho-Chunk, Ioway, Missouria, and Otoe Native American Tribes; bordered …

Andrew Levine (2019-08-30). Let's Make the Next Debates Good for Something. counterpunch.org Do we really need three-ring circus "debates" to figure out that the only two candidates in the running for president who should be taken seriously are Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren? Perhaps with Joe Biden still leading the pack; the sooner he is put back out to pasture, the better. Perhaps with Kamala Harris running More

Staff (2019-08-30). Is it Cynical to Believe the System is Corrupt? therealnews.com While a new poll shows most US citizens believe the political and economic system is rigged against them, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren also echo this sentiment. Some conservatives are now pushing back. But what says the evidence? Bill Black analyzes the situation…

United Nations (2019-08-30). Alarming number of Ebola deaths in DRC a 'rallying cry' to scale up treatment. un.org Since the Ebola epidemic struck in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) one year ago, almost 600 of around 850 children who have caught the virus have now died, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on Friday.

Yves Engler (2019-08-30). Time for Direct Action International Solidarity. dissidentvoice.org How do we make people question the lies they have been told? How do we make our voices heard? Direct action democracy is required. In order to show politicians, the media and even many progressives that some of us are hostile to Canadian foreign policy we need to raise our voices and be disruptive in …

Robert Mackey (2019-08-30). How Larry Fink, Joe Biden's Wall Street Ally, Profits From Amazon Cattle Ranching, a Force Behind Deforestation. theintercept.com The giant investment firm BlackRock has contributed to the climate crisis by investing in a Brazilian meatpacker, JBS, linked to Amazon deforestation.

Nanjala Nyabola (2019-08-30). Brexit Gives Its Former Colonies a Whiff of Schadenfreude. thenation.com Brexit Gives Its Former Colonies a Whiff of Schadenfreude…

Joshua Holland (2019-08-30). Democrats Need Litmus Tests on Health Care. thenation.com Democrats Need Litmus Tests on Health Care…

Staff (2019-08-30). Border Patrol Has Killed At Least 97 People Since 2003. Hear Some of Their Victims' Stories. democracynow.org U.S. Border Patrol agents have killed 97 people since 2003, including at least six Mexicans on Mexican soil. Democracy Now! traveled to the borderlands of Arizona earlier this month to cover one of these killings: the death of José Antonio Elena Rodríguez, who was gunned down by a Border Patrol agent in 2012. We met with Richard Boren of the Border Patrol Victims Network in Nogales, Arizona, at exactly the spot where agent Lonnie Swartz pointed his gun through the border wall to shoot and kill José Antonio. At this site, Richard Boren displayed a banner with images of José Antonio and other victims of Border Patr…

susan_p (2019-08-30). Rojava: Human shields defy threats of Turkish invasion. greenleft.org.au Rojava revolutionIssue 1235 Northern Syria Turkish military Democratic Federation of Northern SyriaAugust 30, 2019The people of Rojava in Northern Syria are continuing human shield actions along the Syria-Turkey border, to prevent an invasi…

Staff (2019-08-30). Justice for José Antonio: Family Demands Accountability for Mexican Teen Killed by U.S. Border Agent. democracynow.org Nearly seven years ago, 16-year-old José Antonio Elena Rodríguez was killed in Nogales, Mexico, by U.S. Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz, who fired his gun from the U.S. side of the border. The teenager — who was unarmed — died face-down on the sidewalk just a couple of blocks from his home. Border Patrol has for years been plagued with hundreds of allegations of abuse and unnecessary use of deadly force, including the cross-border killings of at least six people on Mexican soil. Most cases are not investigated, and border agents are rarely criminally charged for using violent force. After nearly fiv…

Staff (2019-08-30). Family of Mexican Teenager Slain by Border Agent Awaits SCOTUS Ruling to Determine If They Can Sue. democracynow.org This fall, the Supreme Court will decide whether the parents of Sergio Hernández Gàºereca, a 15-year-old Mexican teen killed by a Border Patrol agent in 2010, can sue the American agent in a U.S. federal court. It's been nearly 10 years since Border Patrol agent Jesus Mesa Jr. shot across the El Paso-Juárez border and struck Hernández Gàºereca in the head. The central question in the case is whether a Mexican citizen killed on Mexican soil by a U.S. border agent is protected by the U.S. Constitution — allowing for the family members of victims to file civil lawsuits. If the Supreme Court rules in…

Staff (2019-08-30). "All-Out Attack": Trump's Anti-Immigrant Policies Target Children, Cancer Patients & Servicemembers. democracynow.org On Tuesday, the Trump administration reportedly ended its "medical deferred action" program, which allows immigrants with serious health problems to stay in the U.S. for up to two years beyond the terms of their visas to receive critical treatment. Just one day later, it announced that some children born to U.S. servicemembers and government employees stationed overseas will no longer automatically receive citizenship. The policy changes come days after the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to allow the Trump administration to implement its rule banning almost all migrants from seeking asylum in the Unit…

Staff (2019-08-30). Headlines for August 30, 2019. democracynow.org Florida Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Hurricane Dorian, Justice Department: Comey Violated FBI Rules But Will Not Face Charges, Former FARC Rebels to Take Up Arms Again in Colombia, Report: Indian Forces Are Beating and Torturing Kashmiris in Detention, UAE Accused of Bombing Saudi-Backed Forces in Yemen, Prominent Pro-Democracy Activists Arrested Ahead of Saturday's Protest, Scottish Judge Refused to Block Boris Johnson's Plan to Suspend Parliament, Ebola Death Toll Tops 2,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Environmental Groups Threaten to Sue Trump over Methane Rules, NAACP Calls for Alabama Gov. t…

H. Claire Brown (2019-08-29). How Ohio's Chamber of Commerce Killed an Anti-Pollution Bill of Rights. theintercept.com Emails reveal that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce enlisted a key Republican lawmaker in a successful effort to nullify the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.

Aída Chávez (2019-08-29). Senate Democrats' Campaign Arm Is Pressuring Consultants Not to Work With Leading Progressive Candidate in Colorado. theintercept.com Andrew Romanoff said the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee pressured a number of firms not to work with his Senate campaign.

Eds. (2019-08-29). The quiet death of the "white Bernie bro" attack. mronline.org A majority of Sanders supporters are non-white, in contrast to all the other top tier candidates, including Kamala Harris. | Source

Joan Walsh (2019-08-29). Kirsten Gillibrand Leaves the 2020 Race With No Apologies. thenation.com Kirsten Gillibrand Leaves the 2020 Race With No Apologies…

Staff (2019-08-29). Remembering Legendary Peace Activist Frances Crowe, Who Died at 100 After Decades of Resisting War. democracynow.org The legendary peace activist Frances Crowe died this week at the age of 100 in Northampton, Massachusetts. Over the past seven decades, Frances had been arrested countless times while protesting war, nuclear weapons, nuclear power and the construction of new pipelines. She is survived by her two sons, a daughter and an international community of peace activists. We revisit a 2005 interview of Frances Crowe by Amy Goodman and recognize her lifetime of advocacy.

Staff (2019-08-29). Boris Johnson Suspends Parliament Ahead of Brexit in "Shameless and Brazen Attack" on U.K. Democracy. democracynow.org The United Kingdom is in uproar after Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked the queen to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament from mid-September to mid-October, leaving little time for lawmakers to avoid a disastrous no-deal Brexit when the country exits the European Union on October 31. Thousands took to the streets in London and across the country Wednesday to protest the move. We speak with Ash Sarkar, senior editor at Novara Media, who describes Johnson's latest move as unprecedented, calling it "the most shameless and brazen attack on the British democratic process" in decades. "The unspoken rule of the British con…

Staff (2019-08-29). Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Arrives in NYC to Fight "Biggest Crisis Humanity Has Ever Faced" democracynow.org Following weeks of anticipation, Swedish climate justice activist Greta Thunberg arrived on the shores of Lower Manhattan Wednesday afternoon after a 15-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in an emissions-free yacht. She was welcomed on land by hundreds of supporters at the North Cove Marina. As Thunberg's yacht sailed over the horizon and past the Statue of Liberty, youth climate activists chanted "The sea levels are rising, and so are we!" and "We are unstoppable! Another world is possible!" The 16-year-old climate activist is kickstarting a months-long tour of the Americas. For her first action, she will be j…

Staff (2019-08-29). Headlines for August 29, 2019. democracynow.org EPA to Roll Back Methane Regulations in Blow to Limiting Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Trump Moves to Allow Logging in World's Largest Intact Temperate Rainforest, Hurricane Dorian Gains Strength, Threatens Bahamas & Florida, Swedish Youth Climate Justice Activist Greta Thunberg Arrives in NYC After 15-Day Boat Trip, Gillibrand Drops Out of 2020 Race as Just 10 Dems Qualify for Sept. Debate, Thousands Protest "Coup" in U.K. as Boris Johnson Suspends Parliament Ahead of Brexit, New Coalition Government May Be Formed in Italy, Italian Humanitarian Ship Rescues 100 Migrants Off Coast of Libya, Separatists & Government-B…

Mehdi Hasan (2019-08-28). When Ilhan Omar Is Accused of Anti-Semitism, It's News. When a Republican Smears Muslims, There's Silence. theintercept.com Rep. Ilhan Omar participates in a panel discussion during the Muslim Collective for Equitable Democracy Conference and Presidential Forum at the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C., on July 23, 2019. | the Benjamins, baby." | That is, of course, what Rep. Ilhan Omar famously tweeted on February 10, in response to a tweet from my colleague Glenn Greenwald decrying "how much time U.S. political leaders spend defending a foreign nation" — namely, the state of Israel. Then, when a journalist followed up by asking Omar w…

Fidel Castro Ruz (2019-08-28). Fidel Castro's prescient warning on climate change. liberationnews.org Fidel Castro Ruz, historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, warned almost 30 years ago that collective and urgent action was needed to combat the destruction of the Earth's environment.

United Nations (2019-08-28). Corruption undermines democracy and contributes to instability, warns senior UN anti-crime official. un.org Corruption undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development and contributes to governmental instability, Mirella Dummar-Frahi, Civil Society Team Leader at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned at the UN Civil Society Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Fight Back (2019-08-28). Israeli drone attack on Beirut suburb. fightbacknews.org Washington, DC – Israel launched a drone attack in Beirut's southern suburb, Dahiyeh, August 24, targeting the media offices of the national democratic political party Hezbollah. Lebanese politicians denounced the attacks as "acts of war," and Hezbollah stated it will respond. | Hezbollah reports that one of the Israelis drones exploded and the other did not – due to a technical failure. Of the drone that failed to blow up, Hezbollah stated "it was laden with a bomb which was professionally wrapped and isolated," made up of C4 explosives. | In recent days, Israel has launched attacks on Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and ea…

Julie Kohler (2019-08-28). The Republican Party's White Women Problem. thenation.com The Republican Party's White Women Problem…

John Nichols (2019-08-28). How Democrats Can Win Back Rural Wisconsin. thenation.com How Democrats Can Win Back Rural Wisconsin…

Staff (2019-08-28). "We're in a Crisis of Deaths": Migrant Death Toll Tops 900 in Mediterranean as 40 Die Off Libya. democracynow.org At least 40 refugees and migrants are feared dead off of the coast of Libya after a boat carrying dozens of people en route to Europe capsized Tuesday morning in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Libyan coast guard, some 65 migrants and refugees, mostly from Sudan, were rescued with the help of local fishermen. With Tuesday's tragedy, the number of migrants and refugees who have lost their lives this year in the Mediterranean en route to Europe is up to 900. Meanwhile, far-right European leaders like Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini continue to criminalize refugees and migrants, as well as humanitar…

Staff (2019-08-28). How Bolsonaro's Climate Change Denial & Anti-Indigenous Policies Led to Massive Fires in the Amazon. democracynow.org In Brazil, fires continue to rage in the Amazon, and new drone footage shows the smoke and flames gathering strength. A vast plume of smoke has spread across South America and the Atlantic Ocean and is visible from space. The fires are also destroying large swaths of land in Bolivia. The fires are unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. So far this year, there have been nearly 73,000 fires in Brazil, with over half of them in the Amazon region — an 83% increase from the same period last year. Far-right Brazil…

Staff (2019-08-28). Airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria & Iraq Mark Dangerous Escalation in Decades-Long Israeli Aggression. democracynow.org Tensions are mounting across the Middle East following a series of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Lebanese President Michel Aoun likened the recent Israeli attacks to a "declaration of war." Israeli drones bombed targets in Lebanon on both Monday and Tuesday. Meanwhile, some Iraqi lawmakers are calling on the United States to fully withdraw its troops following a series of Israeli air raids conducted by Israel. Israel has only claimed responsibility for an attack on Syria Saturday, which they said targeted an Iranian-operated base that was preparing to launch a drone assault on Israel. We speak wi…

Ryan Grim (2019-08-27). A Top Financier of Trump and McConnell Is a Driving Force Behind Amazon Deforestation. theintercept.com Steve Schwarzman is the CEO of the Blackstone Group, which partially owns a Brazilian firm that is helping transform the Amazon from jungle to farmland.

ACLU (2019-08-27). New Resource Tool Sheds Light on Government's Prepublication Review System. aclu.org Millions of current and former government employees are subjected to this far-reaching censorship system. | This piece was originally published in Just Security. | For more than three years, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University have been litigating a series of Freedom of Information Act requests relating to "prepublication review." Under this far-reaching censorship system, millions of current and former government employees, con…

Staff (2019-08-27). "This Ruling Is Huge": Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay $572 Million for Fueling Opioid Epidemic. democracynow.org In a landmark ruling, an Oklahoma judge has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million for contributing to the state's opioid crisis. It marks the first time a drug company has been held responsible for the opioid crisis, though it fell far short of the $17 billion judgment sought by the state. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 400,000 people died from an overdose involving opioids from 1999 to 2017, including from prescription and illicit opioids. Court documents say more than 6,000 people have died of painkiller overdoses in Oklahoma alone. The Oklahoma ruling sets the stage…

Staff (2019-08-27). "Kochland": How David Koch Helped Build an Empire to Shape U.S. Politics & Thwart Climate Action. democracynow.org Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch — who was worth some $42 billion — and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the "tea party" into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed "right-to-work" efforts, which aim to weaken labor rights and quash union membership. The brothers made their fortune running Koch Indu…

Staff (2019-08-27). Headlines for August 27, 2019. democracynow.org Oklahoma Wins Case Against Johnson & Johnson as Court Finds Pharma Giant Fueled State's Opioid Crisis, Brazil Rejects G7 Amazon Aid Amid Mounting Environmental Disaster, Prosecutors Investigate After Gov't Ignored Warnings About Planned Amazon Fires, Trump Dismisses Wind Power Again at G7 as WH Walks Back Comments on Kim Jong-un, Lebanon Says Air Attacks Over Weekend Amount to "Declaration of War" from Israel, U.N. Says Floods in Sudan a "Humanitarian Emergency" as Death Toll Tops 60 People, Iran Sentences Journalist and Activist Marzieh Amiri to 10 Years & 148 Lashes, 19 States and D.C. Sue to Block Trump's Term…

Ken Freeland (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.

Akela Lacy (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.

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

Staff (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…

unitedEditor (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 …

Aída Chávez (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…

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). "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…

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). 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…

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…

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 …

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."

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

2019-09-02: Social Media Postees

This Labor Day, We Need Real Plans to Build Worker Power
Finn Collom | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-02
This Labor Day, Democratic presidential candidates will no doubt be touting their support for a $15 per hour minimum wage. None have opposed the idea. A minimum wage increase would put more money in workers' pockets. But so far, only two candidates — Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders — have far-reaching proposals to give…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/02/this-labor-day-we-need-real-plans-to-build-worker-power/

The Messiahs of Hope Assure Us Everything Will Be OK in the End. But It Won't
Chris Hedges | commondreams.org | 2019-09-02
"Most of the climate activists and operatives of democracy see themselves, like the wider consumer culture, as being in the business of selling hope," writes Hedges. "Without hope, they argue, people would succumb to despair. People would not resist the looming catastrophe. Of course, the opposite is true." (Image: Mr. Fish/TruthDig) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/hope_false_promise.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2019/09/02/messiahs-hope-assure-us-everything-will-be-ok-end-it-wont?cd-origin=rss

America's Billionaires Congealing Around Warren and Buttigieg
Eric Zuesse | globalresearch.ca | 2019-09-02
The Democratic Presidential candidates who have been the most backed by billionaires have not been doing well in the polling thus far, and this fact greatly disturbs the billionaires. They know that the Democratic nominee will be chosen in the …
globalresearch.ca/america-billionaires-congealing-warren-buttigieg/5687798

The NRA versus American children
César Chelala | nationofchange.org | 2019-09-02
If any doubts remain about the nefarious influence of the National Rifle Association (NRA) on the political life of the United States, President Donald Trump's decision to discuss gun control measures with that organization should dispel them. The offer to discuss these measures is like asking a criminal for his weapon of choice in order to hand it over. This obsequiousness equals that of many legislators, mainly Republican, who refuse to pass effective legislation on gun control measures out of fear of losing NRA support. Scores of people stand to lose, among them a significant number of children and adolesce…
nationofchange.org/2019/09/02/the-nra-versus-american-children/

Democracy Needs Unions
Christine Owens | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-02
You deserve to have a say in matters that affect you. Everyone does. That's democracy. This shouldn't change when you go to work. Democratic rights in the workplace — including the right to form a union, and the power to speak up about workplace issues — go hand in hand with a democratic society. But…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/02/democracy-needs-unions/

The Only 2020 Democrats Who Actually Want to Empower Workers
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-09-02
In the crowded field, just two candidates have far-reaching proposals to give workers something even more important than a higher minimum wage.
truthdig.com/articles/the-only-2020-democrats-who-actually-want-to-empower-workers/

The fight against climate change can bring us together
Michael T. Hertz | nationofchange.org | 2019-09-02
For the last week or so, I have been pondering about what is the most important issue in the 2020 election. My thought has been that if we can agree on the most important issue, and if we can agree on what is needed to resolve it, we may not only resolve that issue but bring America back towards learning once again how to agree on things. | I thought first about Medicare for All. All of the Democratic candidates seemed to agree at their first debate in July that this was a very important issue. But since the crisis of the Arctic and the Amazon fires, Climate Change has become clearly the leading issue. And it…
nationofchange.org/2019/09/02/the-fight-against-climate-change-can-bring-us-together/

Workers need more rights and economic democracy
Howie Hawkins | nationofchange.org | 2019-09-02
As someone who has been a union member since I was a Marine with the American Servicemen's Union until I retired last year as a Teamster as well as a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, I have lived the reality of mistreatment of workers in the United States. | It is good to see labor rising with teacher and other strikes increasing across the country and with the US public showing its highest support for unions in decades. The next president should harness the energy of working people and build political power for a transformation agenda for working people who have not gotten a real raise in decade…
nationofchange.org/2019/09/02/workers-need-more-rights-and-economic-democracy/

DR Congo President and UN chief meet at a 'historic moment' for democracy in the country
United Nations | un.org | 2019-09-02
On the third and final day of his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), UN chief António Guterres declared that the country is experiencing a historic moment, which could herald the development of democratic institutions.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/09/1045402

9th Annual San Francisco Green Film Festival
San Francisco Green Film Festival | indybay.org | 2019-09-02
The Castro Theatre, Roxie, Exploratorium, Swissnex, Manny's and 518 Valencia Gallery…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/02/18825900.php

2019 Folsom Community Service Day ~ 170th Anniversary of the Gold Rush Town, Negro Bar, CA
Khubaka, Michael Harris | indybay.org | 2019-09-02
Together, we are poised for a special 170th Anniversary of Negro Bar, Sacramento County by utilizing both private and public resources to forever preserve and interpret our unique contributions to the forward flow of humanity.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/30/18825857.php

Death and Resistance on the U.S.-Mexico Border: A Democracy Now! Special
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-02
Democracy Now! travels to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona to follow the humanitarian activist Scott Warren into the Sonoran Desert as he accompanies other No More Deaths volunteers as they leave water and food for migrants making the treacherous journey north. Warren is currently facing up to 10 years in prison for his humanitarian work in the Sonoran Desert, where the bodies and bones of more than 3,000 people — nearly all migrants — have been found since 2001. We also speak to the Tucson-based artist Alvaro Enciso, creator of the project Where Dreams Die. He has built and installed over 900 crosse…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/2/death_and_resistance_on_the_us

McConnell Seems Increasingly Nervous Republicans Could Lose Big Next Year
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-09-01
| Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to be worried that Trump isn't going to win in 2020. At least, that's one explanation for his promise to "protect" the Supreme Court from Democrats. | McConnell, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), got all Republican senators to sign on to a highly unusual letter to the Supreme Court.
truthout.org/articles/mcconnell-seems-increasingly-nervous-republicans-could-lose-big-next-year/

UN chief pays tribute to the courage of DR Congo citizens facing Ebola and insecurity, and the sacrifice of blue helmets
United Nations | un.org | 2019-09-01
On the second day of his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres saluted the courage of the country's citizens, as well as the sacrifice of the peacekeepers who have died serving them.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/09/1045372

As Swinson goes MIA, Corbyn proves he's Leader of the Opposition in both name and nature
Ed Sykes | thecanary.co | 2019-09-01
On 31 August, thousands of people took to the streets across Britain to oppose Boris Johnson's parliamentary coup. And while Liberal Democrat attention-seeker Jo Swinson was missing in action, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn stood proudly on the front line of the protests. | Where's Swinson?: | Sw…
thecanary.co/trending/2019/09/01/as-swinson-goes-mia-corbyn-proves-hes-leader-of-the-opposition-in-both-name-and-nature/

McDonnell slams the 'dictatorship' after Johnson takes his assault on UK democracy to the next level
James Wright | thecanary.co | 2019-09-01
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell branded Boris Johnson's government an "elective dictatorship" on 1 September after the administration took its assault on UK democracy to the next level. | The Tory attack on our democracy is getting worse. Gove has just refused to confirm to @AndrewMarr9 that the government will accept legislation passed by Parliament. This is a startling move beyond anything we've ever seen. Johnson government is becoming an elective dictatorship. | — John McDonnel…
thecanary.co/trending/2019/09/01/mcdonnell-slams-the-dictatorship-after-johnson-takes-his-assault-on-uk-democracy-to-the-next-level/

'Carnage That Could Have Been Prevented': West Texas Mass Shooting Provokes Fresh Calls for Stricter Gun Laws
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-01
Gun control advocates and Democratic politicians swiftly demanded that Congress take action after at least five people were killed and several more were injured in a mass shooting in Texas Saturday. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11653012711.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/01/carnage-could-have-been-prevented-west-texas-mass-shooting-provokes-fresh-calls?cd-origin=rss

Is Warren talented enough to betray the people as masterfully as Obama?
Glen Ford | mronline.org | 2019-08-31
Elizabeth Warren is seen as a counter Bernie Sanders, but she will melt (like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris) if she stops raising Democrats' expectations to bust corporate power. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/31/is-warren-talented-enough-to-betray-the-people-as-masterfully-as-obama/

Hausmann hypocrisy: Guaido coup official raked in dollars from dictators and banking behemoths while promoting 'democracy' for Venezuela
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2019-08-31
Ricardo Hausmann slammed banks for doing business with Venezuela's elected government. But financial disclosure forms filed with Harvard show the…
thegrayzone.com/2019/08/31/hausmann-hypocrisy-guaido-dollars-dictators/

Chicago students say, 'CIA off campus!'
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-08-31
Chicago, IL – On the afternoon of August 28, members of Students for a Democratic Society and AnakBayan Chicago, at the University of Illinois at Chicago, passed out flyers on the quad to oppose the partnership that the university has with the CIA. SDS members held a banner reading "CIA off campus," the slogan that has been used in past decades by student activists around the country in similar campaigns. Protesters held signs each detailing a different CIA operation and the number of deaths it caused. | In February 2018, the UIC announced that they had become a CIA Signature School. Only three months later, Gina…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/8/31/chicago-students-say-cia-campus

UN chief and senior officials show solidarity with DR Congo during three-day visit
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-31
United Nations chief António Guterres and senior members of the UN, have embarked on a three-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where civilians are facing insecurity and ongoing health crises, including a year-long Ebola epidemic which has claimed more than 2,000 lives.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045362

Home video security systems increasingly linked to US police departments in violation of democratic rights
wsws.org | 2019-08-31
More than 400 police department partnerships have been established by Amazon's Ring home security system across the US over the past year.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/31/ring-a31.html

Why Are Hong Kong Protesters Asking Trump for Help?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-31
Journalist Ilaria Maria Sala discusses the arrest and release of demonstration "leaders," the history of Hong Kong's struggle for democracy, American involvement in the protests, and the complexity of the current movement…
therealnews.com/stories/why-are-hong-kong-protesters-asking-trump-for-help

Tory tensions on Brexit erupt again as Hammond intervenes
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-08-31
Tory Brexit tensions ripped into the open as former chancellor Philip Hammond expressed anger at reports Conservative MPs who actively oppose a no-deal EU withdrawal will be barred from standing at the next election.Mr Hammond insisted a no-deal exit would be "undemocratic" as Boris Johnson's Brexit stance faced cross party opposition in the Commons next week.Reports that any bid to extend Brexit beyond October 31 to stop a no-deal exit would be treated as a no confidence issue, with supporting Tory MPs stopped from standing for the party, drew a harsh response from the ex-chancellor. | If true, this would be sta…
thecanary.co/breaking-news/2019/08/31/tory-tensions-on-brexit-erupt-again-as-hammond-intervenes/

Standing ovation for sister of Lyra McKee as she delivers speech at Stormont
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-08-31
The sister of murdered journalist Lyra McKee received a standing ovation as she followed in her footsteps to deliver a powerful talk at Stormont.The author's Ted talk about religious education and its impact on the mental health of young LGBT people was viewed thousands of time around the world following her death at the hands of dissident republicans in April.On Saturday, four and a half months after Ms McKee's murder, her sister Nichola Corner delivered her own talk at the TedXStormont event at Parliament Buildings in Belfast.Lyra McKee was shot dead by the New IRA as she observed rioting in Derry (Family hando…
thecanary.co/breaking-news/2019/08/31/standing-ovation-for-sister-of-lyra-mckee-as-she-delivers-speech-at-stormont/

Bankrupt and Irrelevant: the Presidential Debates and Four Recent Studies on Pentagon Spending
Pierre Sprey, Chuck Spinney and Winslow T. Wheeler | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-30
In the almost 12 hours of Democratic Party presidential primary debates on June 26-27 and July 30-31, the words "Pentagon budget" or "defense spending" were not uttered, except for a fleeting, unanswered comment from Senator Bernie Sanders. Nor did any of the cable news moderators ask a single question about the more than $1.25 trillion…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/30/bankrupt-and-irrelevant-the-presidential-debates-and-four-recent-studies-on-pentagon-spending/

Let's Make the Next Debates Good for Something
Andrew Levine | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-30
Do we really need three-ring circus "debates" to figure out that the only two candidates in the running for president who should be taken seriously are Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren? Perhaps with Joe Biden still leading the pack; the sooner he is put back out to pasture, the better. Perhaps with Kamala Harris running…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/30/lets-make-the-next-debates-good-for-something/

Is it Cynical to Believe the System is Corrupt?
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-30
While a new poll shows most US citizens believe the political and economic system is rigged against them, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren also echo this sentiment. Some conservatives are now pushing back. But what says the evidence? Bill Black analyzes the situation…
therealnews.com/stories/is-it-cynical-to-believe-the-system-is-corrupt

Alarming number of Ebola deaths in DRC a 'rallying cry' to scale up treatment
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-30
Since the Ebola epidemic struck in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) one year ago, almost 600 of around 850 children who have caught the virus have now died, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on Friday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045302

Communist Party USA: 100 years in struggle for peace, democracy, socialism
People's World Editorial Board | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-30
One hundred years ago this weekend, on Sept. 1, 1919, 128 women and men, meeting in a hall in Chicago, founded the Communist Party of America. In their founding Manifesto, the members declared: "The world is on the verge of a new era. Europe is in revolt. The masses of Asia are stirring uneasily. Capitalism …
peoplesworld.org/article/communist-party-usa-100-years-in-the-struggle-for-peace-democracy-and-socialism/

Indigenous sovereignty issues confront Democratic candidates at Frank LaMere Forum
Al Neal | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-30
SIOUX CITY, Iowa–The road to the White House, as they say, begins in Iowa. As summer slowly turns to fall in the third year of Donald Trump's catastrophic presidency, national news outlets and presidential candidates turn their attention to this agricultural state. Iowa–home to the Dakota-Sioux, Ho-Chunk, Ioway, Missouria, and Otoe Native American Tribes; bordered …
peoplesworld.org/article/indigenous-sovereignty-issues-confront-democratic-candidates-at-frank-lamere-forum/

Time for Direct Action International Solidarity
Yves Engler | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-30
How do we make people question the lies they have been told? How do we make our voices heard? Direct action democracy is required. In order to show politicians, the media and even many progressives that some of us are hostile to Canadian foreign policy we need to raise our voices and be disruptive in …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/time-for-direct-action-international-solidarity/

How Larry Fink, Joe Biden's Wall Street Ally, Profits From Amazon Cattle Ranching, a Force Behind Deforestation
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-08-30
The giant investment firm BlackRock has contributed to the climate crisis by investing in a Brazilian meatpacker, JBS, linked to Amazon deforestation.
theintercept.com/2019/08/30/amazon-rainforest-fire-blackrock-jbs/

Brexit Gives Its Former Colonies a Whiff of Schadenfreude
Nanjala Nyabola | thenation.com | 2019-08-30
Brexit Gives Its Former Colonies a Whiff of Schadenfreude…
thenation.com/article/brexit-prorogue-colonialism-democracy/

Democrats Need Litmus Tests on Health Care
Joshua Holland | thenation.com | 2019-08-30
Democrats Need Litmus Tests on Health Care…
thenation.com/article/healthcare-reform-democrats-medicare-for-all/

Border Patrol Has Killed At Least 97 People Since 2003. Hear Some of Their Victims' Stories
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-30
U.S. Border Patrol agents have killed 97 people since 2003, including at least six Mexicans on Mexican soil. Democracy Now! traveled to the borderlands of Arizona earlier this month to cover one of these killings: the death of José Antonio Elena Rodríguez, who was gunned down by a Border Patrol agent in 2012. We met with Richard Boren of the Border Patrol Victims Network in Nogales, Arizona, at exactly the spot where agent Lonnie Swartz pointed his gun through the border wall to shoot and kill José Antonio. At this site, Richard Boren displayed a banner with images of José Antonio and other victims of Border Patr…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/30/richard_boren_border_patrol_victims_network

Rojava: Human shields defy threats of Turkish invasion
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-30
Rojava revolutionIssue 1235 Northern Syria Turkish military Democratic Federation of Northern SyriaAugust 30, 2019The people of Rojava in Northern Syria are continuing human shield actions along the Syria-Turkey border, to prevent an invasi…
greenleft.org.au/content/rojava-human-shields-defy-threats-turkish-invasion

"All-Out Attack": Trump's Anti-Immigrant Policies Target Children, Cancer Patients & Servicemembers
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-30
On Tuesday, the Trump administration reportedly ended its "medical deferred action" program, which allows immigrants with serious health problems to stay in the U.S. for up to two years beyond the terms of their visas to receive critical treatment. Just one day later, it announced that some children born to U.S. servicemembers and government employees stationed overseas will no longer automatically receive citizenship. The policy changes come days after the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to allow the Trump administration to implement its rule banning almost all migrants from seeking asylum in the Unit…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/30/lee_gelernt_aclu_immigrant_rights

Headlines for August 30, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-30
Florida Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Hurricane Dorian, Justice Department: Comey Violated FBI Rules But Will Not Face Charges, Former FARC Rebels to Take Up Arms Again in Colombia, Report: Indian Forces Are Beating and Torturing Kashmiris in Detention, UAE Accused of Bombing Saudi-Backed Forces in Yemen, Prominent Pro-Democracy Activists Arrested Ahead of Saturday's Protest, Scottish Judge Refused to Block Boris Johnson's Plan to Suspend Parliament, Ebola Death Toll Tops 2,000 in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Environmental Groups Threaten to Sue Trump over Methane Rules, NAACP Calls for Alabama Gov. t…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/30/headlines

Justice for José Antonio: Family Demands Accountability for Mexican Teen Killed by U.S. Border Agent
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-30
Nearly seven years ago, 16-year-old José Antonio Elena Rodríguez was killed in Nogales, Mexico, by U.S. Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz, who fired his gun from the U.S. side of the border. The teenager — who was unarmed — died face-down on the sidewalk just a couple of blocks from his home. Border Patrol has for years been plagued with hundreds of allegations of abuse and unnecessary use of deadly force, including the cross-border killings of at least six people on Mexican soil. Most cases are not investigated, and border agents are rarely criminally charged for using violent force. After nearly fiv…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/30/jose_antonio_elena_rodriguez_border_patrol

Family of Mexican Teenager Slain by Border Agent Awaits SCOTUS Ruling to Determine If They Can Sue
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-30
This fall, the Supreme Court will decide whether the parents of Sergio Hernández Gàºereca, a 15-year-old Mexican teen killed by a Border Patrol agent in 2010, can sue the American agent in a U.S. federal court. It's been nearly 10 years since Border Patrol agent Jesus Mesa Jr. shot across the El Paso-Juárez border and struck Hernández Gàºereca in the head. The central question in the case is whether a Mexican citizen killed on Mexican soil by a U.S. border agent is protected by the U.S. Constitution — allowing for the family members of victims to file civil lawsuits. If the Supreme Court rules in…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/30/scotus_case_border_patrol_killings_mexico

How Ohio's Chamber of Commerce Killed an Anti-Pollution Bill of Rights
H. Claire Brown | theintercept.com | 2019-08-29
Emails reveal that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce enlisted a key Republican lawmaker in a successful effort to nullify the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
theintercept.com/2019/08/29/lake-erie-bill-of-rights-ohio/

Senate Democrats' Campaign Arm Is Pressuring Consultants Not to Work With Leading Progressive Candidate in Colorado
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-08-29
Andrew Romanoff said the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee pressured a number of firms not to work with his Senate campaign.
theintercept.com/2019/08/29/dscc-colorado-senate-democrats/

The quiet death of the "white Bernie bro" attack
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-29
A majority of Sanders supporters are non-white, in contrast to all the other top tier candidates, including Kamala Harris. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/29/the-quiet-death-of-the-white-bernie-bro-attack/

Kirsten Gillibrand Leaves the 2020 Race With No Apologies
Joan Walsh | thenation.com | 2019-08-29
Kirsten Gillibrand Leaves the 2020 Race With No Apologies…
thenation.com/article/kirsten-gillibrand-leaves-race/

Boris Johnson Suspends Parliament Ahead of Brexit in "Shameless and Brazen Attack" on U.K. Democracy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-29
The United Kingdom is in uproar after Prime Minister Boris Johnson asked the queen to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament from mid-September to mid-October, leaving little time for lawmakers to avoid a disastrous no-deal Brexit when the country exits the European Union on October 31. Thousands took to the streets in London and across the country Wednesday to protest the move. We speak with Ash Sarkar, senior editor at Novara Media, who describes Johnson's latest move as unprecedented, calling it "the most shameless and brazen attack on the British democratic process" in decades. "The unspoken rule of the British con…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/29/ash_sarkar_boris_johnson_prorogation_brexit

Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Arrives in NYC to Fight "Biggest Crisis Humanity Has Ever Faced"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-29
Following weeks of anticipation, Swedish climate justice activist Greta Thunberg arrived on the shores of Lower Manhattan Wednesday afternoon after a 15-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in an emissions-free yacht. She was welcomed on land by hundreds of supporters at the North Cove Marina. As Thunberg's yacht sailed over the horizon and past the Statue of Liberty, youth climate activists chanted "The sea levels are rising, and so are we!" and "We are unstoppable! Another world is possible!" The 16-year-old climate activist is kickstarting a months-long tour of the Americas. For her first action, she will be j…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/29/greta_thunberg_nyc_climate_activists

Remembering Legendary Peace Activist Frances Crowe, Who Died at 100 After Decades of Resisting War
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-29
The legendary peace activist Frances Crowe died this week at the age of 100 in Northampton, Massachusetts. Over the past seven decades, Frances had been arrested countless times while protesting war, nuclear weapons, nuclear power and the construction of new pipelines. She is survived by her two sons, a daughter and an international community of peace activists. We revisit a 2005 interview of Frances Crowe by Amy Goodman and recognize her lifetime of advocacy.
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/29/remembering_legendary_peace_activist_frances_crowe

Headlines for August 29, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-29
EPA to Roll Back Methane Regulations in Blow to Limiting Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Trump Moves to Allow Logging in World's Largest Intact Temperate Rainforest, Hurricane Dorian Gains Strength, Threatens Bahamas & Florida, Swedish Youth Climate Justice Activist Greta Thunberg Arrives in NYC After 15-Day Boat Trip, Gillibrand Drops Out of 2020 Race as Just 10 Dems Qualify for Sept. Debate, Thousands Protest "Coup" in U.K. as Boris Johnson Suspends Parliament Ahead of Brexit, New Coalition Government May Be Formed in Italy, Italian Humanitarian Ship Rescues 100 Migrants Off Coast of Libya, Separatists & Government-B…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/29/headlines

When Ilhan Omar Is Accused of Anti-Semitism, It's News. When a Republican Smears Muslims, There's Silence
Mehdi Hasan | theintercept.com | 2019-08-28
Rep. Ilhan Omar participates in a panel discussion during the Muslim Collective for Equitable Democracy Conference and Presidential Forum at the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C., on July 23, 2019. | the Benjamins, baby." | That is, of course, what Rep. Ilhan Omar famously tweeted on February 10, in response to a tweet from my colleague Glenn Greenwald decrying "how much time U.S. political leaders spend defending a foreign nation" — namely, the state of Israel. Then, when a journalist followed up by asking Omar w…
theintercept.com/2019/08/28/when-ilhan-omar-is-accused-of-anti-semitism-its-news-when-a-republican-smears-muslims-theres-silence/

Corruption undermines democracy and contributes to instability, warns senior UN anti-crime official
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-28
Corruption undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development and contributes to governmental instability, Mirella Dummar-Frahi, Civil Society Team Leader at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned at the UN Civil Society Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1045081

Israeli drone attack on Beirut suburb
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-08-28
Washington, DC – Israel launched a drone attack in Beirut's southern suburb, Dahiyeh, August 24, targeting the media offices of the national democratic political party Hezbollah. Lebanese politicians denounced the attacks as "acts of war," and Hezbollah stated it will respond. | Hezbollah reports that one of the Israelis drones exploded and the other did not – due to a technical failure. Of the drone that failed to blow up, Hezbollah stated "it was laden with a bomb which was professionally wrapped and isolated," made up of C4 explosives. | In recent days, Israel has launched attacks on Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and ea…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/8/28/israeli-drone-attack-beirut-suburb

Fidel Castro's prescient warning on climate change
Fidel Castro Ruz | liberationnews.org | 2019-08-28
Fidel Castro Ruz, historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, warned almost 30 years ago that collective and urgent action was needed to combat the destruction of the Earth's environment.
liberationnews.org/fidel-castros-prescient-warning-on-climate-change/

The Republican Party's White Women Problem
Julie Kohler | thenation.com | 2019-08-28
The Republican Party's White Women Problem…
thenation.com/article/republican-women-candidates-gender-gap/

How Democrats Can Win Back Rural Wisconsin
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2019-08-28
How Democrats Can Win Back Rural Wisconsin…
thenation.com/article/democrats-can-win-wisconsin-2020/

How Bolsonaro's Climate Change Denial & Anti-Indigenous Policies Led to Massive Fires in the Amazon
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-28
In Brazil, fires continue to rage in the Amazon, and new drone footage shows the smoke and flames gathering strength. A vast plume of smoke has spread across South America and the Atlantic Ocean and is visible from space. The fires are also destroying large swaths of land in Bolivia. The fires are unprecedented in recorded history, and environmentalists say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers. So far this year, there have been nearly 73,000 fires in Brazil, with over half of them in the Amazon region — an 83% increase from the same period last year. Far-right Brazil…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/28/brazil_jair_bolsonaro_unprecedented_amazon_fires

"We're in a Crisis of Deaths": Migrant Death Toll Tops 900 in Mediterranean as 40 Die Off Libya
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-28
At least 40 refugees and migrants are feared dead off of the coast of Libya after a boat carrying dozens of people en route to Europe capsized Tuesday morning in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Libyan coast guard, some 65 migrants and refugees, mostly from Sudan, were rescued with the help of local fishermen. With Tuesday's tragedy, the number of migrants and refugees who have lost their lives this year in the Mediterranean en route to Europe is up to 900. Meanwhile, far-right European leaders like Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini continue to criminalize refugees and migrants, as well as humanitar…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/28/migrant_deaths_mediterranean_unhcr_charlie_yaxley

Airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria & Iraq Mark Dangerous Escalation in Decades-Long Israeli Aggression
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-28
Tensions are mounting across the Middle East following a series of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Lebanese President Michel Aoun likened the recent Israeli attacks to a "declaration of war." Israeli drones bombed targets in Lebanon on both Monday and Tuesday. Meanwhile, some Iraqi lawmakers are calling on the United States to fully withdraw its troops following a series of Israeli air raids conducted by Israel. Israel has only claimed responsibility for an attack on Syria Saturday, which they said targeted an Iranian-operated base that was preparing to launch a drone assault on Israel. We speak wi…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/28/israel_airstrikes_lebanon_syria_iraq

New Resource Tool Sheds Light on Government's Prepublication Review System
aclu.org | 2019-08-27
Millions of current and former government employees are subjected to this far-reaching censorship system. | This piece was originally published in Just Security. | For more than three years, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University have been litigating a series of Freedom of Information Act requests relating to "prepublication review." Under this far-reaching censorship system, millions of current and former government employees, con…
aclu.org/blog/free-speech/employee-speech-and-whistleblowers/new-resource-tool-sheds-light-governments

Corporate Media Take the Trump Line on Trade
Dean Baker | fair.org | 2019-08-27
The New York Times ( 8/10/19) takes a Trumpian approach to trade. | The New York Times ( 8/10/19) ran an article this month with a headline saying that the 2020 Democratic presidential contenders faced a major problem: "How to Be Tougher on Trade Than Trump." Serious readers might have struggled with the idea of getting "tough on trade." After all, trade is a tool, like a shovel. How is it possible to get tough on a shovel? | While this hea…
fair.org/home/corporate-media-take-the-trump-line-on-trade/

A Top Financier of Trump and McConnell Is a Driving Force Behind Amazon Deforestation
Ryan Grim | theintercept.com | 2019-08-27
Steve Schwarzman is the CEO of the Blackstone Group, which partially owns a Brazilian firm that is helping transform the Amazon from jungle to farmland.
theintercept.com/2019/08/27/amazon-rainforest-fire-blackstone/

"Kochland": How David Koch Helped Build an Empire to Shape U.S. Politics & Thwart Climate Action
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-27
Billionaire conservative donor David Koch died Friday at the age of 79 from prostate cancer. David Koch — who was worth some $42 billion — and his brother Charles poured massive amounts of money into funding climate change denial through conservative think tanks and politicians. The Koch brothers founded the political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity in 2004, which is credited with turning the "tea party" into a full-fledged political movement. They also backed "right-to-work" efforts, which aim to weaken labor rights and quash union membership. The brothers made their fortune running Koch Indu…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/27/christopher_leonard_kochland_koch_brothers

Headlines for August 27, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-27
Oklahoma Wins Case Against Johnson & Johnson as Court Finds Pharma Giant Fueled State's Opioid Crisis, Brazil Rejects G7 Amazon Aid Amid Mounting Environmental Disaster, Prosecutors Investigate After Gov't Ignored Warnings About Planned Amazon Fires, Trump Dismisses Wind Power Again at G7 as WH Walks Back Comments on Kim Jong-un, Lebanon Says Air Attacks Over Weekend Amount to "Declaration of War" from Israel, U.N. Says Floods in Sudan a "Humanitarian Emergency" as Death Toll Tops 60 People, Iran Sentences Journalist and Activist Marzieh Amiri to 10 Years & 148 Lashes, 19 States and D.C. Sue to Block Trump's Term…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/27/headlines

"This Ruling Is Huge": Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay $572 Million for Fueling Opioid Epidemic
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-27
In a landmark ruling, an Oklahoma judge has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $572 million for contributing to the state's opioid crisis. It marks the first time a drug company has been held responsible for the opioid crisis, though it fell far short of the $17 billion judgment sought by the state. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 400,000 people died from an overdose involving opioids from 1999 to 2017, including from prescription and illicit opioids. Court documents say more than 6,000 people have died of painkiller overdoses in Oklahoma alone. The Oklahoma ruling sets the stage…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/27/oklahoma_johnson_and_johnson_572_million

Before Kamala Harris Soured on Bernie Sanders's Medicare for All Bill, She Grew Her Email List From It
Akela Lacy | theintercept.com | 2019-08-26
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.
theintercept.com/2019/08/26/kamala-harris-medicare-for-all-sanders/

Rogues' Gallery: A Sober Look at the "Progressive" Democratic Presidential Candidates
Ken Freeland | mintpressnews.com | 2019-08-26
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.
mintpressnews.com/rogues-gallery-sober-look-progressive-democratic-presidential-candidates/261498/

"The Situation Was Very Bad": Feminist Activist Kavita Krishnan on What She Saw in Kashmir
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/kavita_krishnan_india_kashmir_special_status

Headlines for August 26, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/headlines

Unreported Deaths, Child Cancer & Radioactive Meat: The Untold Story of Chernobyl
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/kate_brown_chernobyl_manual_for_survival

Mysterious Russian Nuclear Missile Accident Sparks Fears of Cover-Up & "Chernobyl Redux"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-26
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/26/aug_8_russia_nuclear_accident

Qatar pulls its Turkish investments
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-08-25
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 …
uwidata.com/5052-qatar-pulls-its-turkish-investments/

National Democrats Endorse John Hickenlooper, a Proponent of Fracking, in Competitive Colorado Primary
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-08-24
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…
theintercept.com/2019/08/24/dscc-john-hickenlooper-andrew-romanoff-colorado-senate/

Headlines for August 23, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-08-23
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/8/23/headlines

"Our House Is On Fire": Brazil Faces Global Outrage as Massive Fires Spread in Amazon Rainforest
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

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

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

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

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/

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