Daily Archives: September 19, 2019

2019-09-19: News Headlines

Tom Weis (2019-09-19). Another Open Letter to DNC Chair Tom Perez: How Are Democrats Going to Contain the Climate Worldfire If They Won't Even Hold a Climate Debate? commondreams.org How do Democrats envision making the leap from fearfully refusing to sponsor a climate debate to the next President of the United States suddenly being positioned to rally an entire nation to get behind a World War II-scale national climate mobilization? (Photo by mdgovpics/Flickr) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/tomperez.jpeg

FAIR (2019-09-19). FUNDRAISER: Corporate Media Sidetracking Real Election Issues—Again. fair.org Dear FAIR Friends, While corporate media focus on who's up/who's down in the horserace for the Democratic nomination, more substantive concerns—What are the candidates' policy proposals? Are they adequate to the scale of the problems we face? Will our votes be suppressed, or even miscounted?—go unaddressed. With so much at stake, we've got to …

Staff (2019-09-19). Democrats Should Be Talking About How Republicans Have Rigged the Maps. truthout.org | | As Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and the other leading Democratic presidential contenders prepared to debate in Houston last week, Crystal Mason readied for an important hearing of her own less than 200 miles away. | In 2016, Mason unknowingly committed a crime by casting a provisional ballot. In Texas, citizens with felony convictions are disenfranc…

Alan MacLeod (2019-09-19). The media's war with Bernie Sanders highlights the need to factcheck the factcheckers. thecanary.co One of the only growing industries in news media right now is factchecking, which promises to differentiate reality from fiction for us in today's post-truth world of spin and fake news. But factcheckers themselves are not neutral arbiters of truth; like everyone else, they're individuals and organizations with their own interests and biases. And a case in point is how the media appears intent on trying to factcheck into oblivion everything Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders says, sometimes with comical results. |

K. J. Noh, Kevin Zeese, and Margaret Flowers (2019-09-19). Open Letter to Congress: Why the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 Must Be Opposed. dissidentvoice.org Note: Congress is currently considering the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019. If this bill becomes law it will increase conflict between the US and China and increase US meddling in Hong Kong. It will become an excuse for unilateral coercive measures (sanctions) against China and Hong Kong. In the Open Letter …

John Atcheson (2019-09-19). Here We Go Again: Neoliberal Centrists Are Anointing One of Their Own—and It Could Cost Us. commondreams.org Democratic presidential hopefuls former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) speak during the second round of the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by CNN at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan on July 31, 2019. (Photo: Jim Waton/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/joe_biden_kamala_harris_healthcare_0.jpg

J. B. Gerald (2019-09-19). Massive Loss of Life, Genocide Warnings in Three African Countries. globalresearch.ca These genocide warnings concern current threats to the peoples of Cameroon1, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi. Beyond the primary concern for all the people in national groups, a pattern is emerging globally which should remind North Americans …

WSWS (2019-09-19). Election set for November 10 as attempts to form Spanish government collapse. wsws.org King Felipe VI declared that social-democratic Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had failed to secure enough support to be confirmed as premier.

K.J. Noh (2019-09-19). Open Letter to US Congress: Why the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 Must be Opposed. globalresearch.ca Author's Note: The US Congress is currently considering the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019. If this bill becomes law it will increase conflict between the US and China and increase US meddling in Hong Kong. It …

teleSUR (2019-09-19). Tunisia's Ousted President Ben Ali Dies in Saudi Exile. telesurenglish.net Tunisia's ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali died in exile in Saudi Arabia Thursday, days after a free presidential election in his homeland, his family lawyer said. | "Ben Ali just died in Saudi Arabia," the lawyer, Mounir Ben Salha, told Reuters by phone. | Ben Ali fled Tunisia in January 2011 as his compatriots rose up against his oppressive rule in a revolution that inspired other Arab Spring uprisings abroad and led to a democratic transition at home. | On Sunday, Tunisians voted in an election that featured candidates from across the political spectrum, sending two political outsiders through to a…

anybody (2019-09-19). Elizabeth Warren organizing happy hour. indybay.org La Guerrera's Kitchen, Oakland…

Gary Leupp (2019-09-19). Warren's Ethnic Issue Should Not Go Away. counterpunch.org I am an academic. I've taught at Tufts for over thirty years and always had a Harvard institutional affiliation. I understand academic culture and the centrality of affirmative action in administrative consciousness since the 1970s. In heading up numerous search committees for historians at Tufts, I've had to fill out forms at the invitation stage, More

Jeffrey C. Isaac (2019-09-19). The 'Jacobin' Outrage About the Working Family Party's Elizabeth Warren Endorsement Is Foolish and Unjustified. thenation.com The 'Jacobin' Outrage About the Working Family Party's Elizabeth Warren Endorsement Is Foolish and Unjustified…

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-09-19). To Avoid Repeat of 2016 Disenfranchisement, Sanders Urges Gov. Cuomo to Sign Bill That Would Extend NY Voter Registration Deadline. commondreams.org "In 2016, countless voters across the state of New York were disenfranchised by the state's arcane and inexcusable early party affiliation deadline," said Faiz Shakir, campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/voting_advocates_new_york.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-09-19). 'Secretary of Corporate Interests' More Like It, Say Critics of Trump's Anti-Worker Labor Nominee. commondreams.org Progressive groups and Democratic lawmakers expressed serious concerns Thursday about corporate attorney Eugene Scalia—President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Labor Department—as the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee met to consider his nomination. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11695451751.jpg

Staff (2019-09-19). Amnesty Head: Climate Crisis Is a "Death Penalty" for Humanity. Leaders Need Political Will to Act. democracynow.org More than a million students are expected to walk out of class on Friday in a Global Climate Strike, with more than 800 climate strikes scheduled in the United States alone. Strikes are also being organized in another 150 countries around the world. In our New York studio, we speak to Amnesty International's Secretary General Kumi Naidoo, who has urged school districts across the globe to allow students to walk out of school on Friday without facing punishment. In a letter, Naidoo, who is also the former executive director of Greenpeace, writes, "Children should not be punished for speaking out about the great in…

Staff (2019-09-19). Meet the Beauty Queen Who Inspired Gambia's Me Too Movement After Accusing Ex-Dictator of Rape. democracynow.org In Gambia, an ongoing public truth and reconciliation commission is investigating the atrocities of former President Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the West African country of 2 million people for 22 years before his regime ended in 2016. In widely shared public testimony that has been live-streamed to tens of thousands of people, survivors and members of Jammeh's death squad who killed migrants, journalists and civilians during the president's reign are telling their stories for the world to hear. One such survivor is Fatou "Toufah" Jallow, who says the former president raped her in 2015. We speak with Jallow, a Gambia…

Staff (2019-09-19). Headlines for September 19, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. Secretary of State Blames Iran for "Act of War" Against Saudi Oil Facility, WaPo: Whistleblower Reported "Troubling" Promise from Trump to Foreign Leader, Trump Names Robert O'Brien as Fourth National Security Adviser, U.S.-Backed Forces Kill 30 Afghan Civilians; Taliban Truck Bomb Kills 20, Thousands Fall Ill as Indonesian Fires Spread Toxic Haze, Thousands Lose Power as Hurricane Humberto Lashes Bermuda, Youth Activist Greta Thunberg to U.S. Lawmakers: Listen to Climate Scientists, University of California to Divest from Fossil Fuel Companies, Israeli Election Challenger Gantz Rejects Call to Join Netanyah…

Gilad Atzmon (2019-09-19). The Only Jewish Ghetto in the Middle East. dissidentvoice.org The results from Tuesday's Israeli elections have confirmed what many of us have known for a long while. The Jewish state is an ultra nationalist right wing swamp. Israel is more hawkish than more hawkish than ever. There is not a single Jewish Israeli Left wing party. The Democratic Party is led and mentored by a …

Akela Lacy (2019-09-18). Democratic Candidates Fail to Impress Workers Who Are Dissatisfied With Trump. theintercept.com When one heckler yelled, "You're an asshole!" at Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at Philadelphia AFL-CIO's first ever Workers' Presidential Summit on Tuesday, the entire room roared back with chants of the senator's name. | This was the most charged moment in a day of presidential candidates pitching union members including steel workers, drywall technicians, communications workers, school cafeteria employees, and airline food workers. Over the course of four hours, they heard from former Vice President Joe Biden, entrepreneur and tech executive Andrew Yang, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, Sanders, major Democrat…

teleSUR (2019-09-18). Rwandan Hutu Militia Commander Killed in Congo, Army Says. telesurenglish.net The Democratic Republic of Congo's army said on Wednesday that it had killed Sylvestre Mudacumura, the commander of a Rwandan Hutu militia who is wanted by the International Criminal Court. | RELATED: | Rwanda to Take in Refugees Trapped in Libya's Detention Centers | The FDLR has waged periodic war with the Congolese government and rival militias, and Rwanda's government has cited its presence on Congolese soil to justify repeated interventions across the border. | "Sylvestre…

Michael Sainato (2019-09-18). 2020: Democratic Establishment vs. Democratic Socialists. progressive.org Meet three new challengers to the entrenched old guard.

teleSUR (2019-09-18). . telesurenglish.net As United States President Donald Trump boasted Wednesday on the impenetrability of his U.S.-Mexico border wall, a new report by the Transnational Insitute shows that border militarization long pre-dates the Trump administration, in which both Republican and Democrats have forged "profitable" partnership between security firms to form a "powerful border—industrial complex." | RELATED: | US: Pentagon Approves Use of $3.6B For Trump's Border Wall | As the last three decades have witn…

Ed Sykes (2019-09-18). Historian calls out media for failing to question UK's 'ever-growing' links with repressive regime. thecanary.co On 17 September, historian Mark Curtis slammed the media for failing to hold the British government to account over its increasing links with Egypt's repressive elitist regime. Tweeting a screenshot of a recent government announcement, he said: | UK has an "ever growing economic partnership"

stuart_m (2019-09-18). Marx's favourite writer Diderot: A subversive Enlightenment philosopher who opened new ideological fronts. greenleft.org.au books philosophy democracy history Phil ShannonIssue 1239 AustraliaSeptember 18, 2019Diderot And the Art of Thinking Freely

| Andrew S Cur…

Staff (2019-09-18). Israel's Election Outcome Remains Unclear, But the "Ultimate Loser" Will Be Palestinians. democracynow.org Israel is facing political turmoil as Tuesday's election remains too close to call. With 92% of the vote counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and ex-military chief Benny Gantz's Blue and White party appear to be nearly tied. Both leading candidates aiming to be prime minister had run on platforms vowing to take harsh measures targeting Palestinians. Netanyahu promised to annex nearly a third of the occupied West Bank, in violation of international law, if he won re-election. Earlier this year, Gantz bragged about bombing Gaza back to the "Stone Ages." On Tuesday night, Gantz said he had fulfil…

Staff (2019-09-18). "Beaten Down, Worked Up": Steven Greenhouse on the Past, Present and Future of American Labor. democracynow.org As UAW workers stand on picket lines across the country, teachers prepare to strike in Chicago, and thousands of healthcare workers with Kaiser Permanente plan to strike in October, we speak with longtime labor reporter Steven Greenhouse, author of the new book "Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor." Among other issues, Greenhouse discusses how labor and climate activists are teaming up to push for a Green New Deal.

Staff (2019-09-18). UAW Strike Enters Day 3 as 50,000 Workers Demand GM to Share Its Billions in Profits. democracynow.org As members of the United Auto Workers head into their third day of a nationwide strike, General Motors has cut off health insurance for the nearly 50,000 people on picket lines across the country demanding better working conditions and fair pay. The workers say GM continues to deny employees' demands for better conditions and compensation despite leading the company to record profits following bankruptcy and a federal bailout. It's the first company-wide strike against GM in 12 years. UAW had sought to have GM cover striking workers' health insurance through the end of the month. In New York City, we speak with S…

Staff (2019-09-18). Headlines for September 18, 2019. democracynow.org Israeli PM Netanyahu Fails to Win Majority in Deadlocked Election, Climate Researchers Warn of Potential 7 Degree Temperature Rise by 2100, Greta Thunberg Tells U.S. Senators to Work Harder on Climate Crisis, Tropical Depression to Dump 18 Inches of Rain on Parts of Texas Gulf Coast, Trump Admin Seeks to Revoke California's Auto Emissions Standards, "I Have No Obligation to Be Honest to the Media," Testifies Trump's Ex-Campaign Manager, Trump Tells Campaign Rally in New Mexico, "We Love Our Hispanics", U.S. Senate Votes to Sanction China over Violations of Uyghurs' Human Rights , 75 Countries Using Artificial Int…

David Stein (2019-09-17). The Untold Story: Joe Biden Pushed Ronald Reagan to Ramp Up Incarceration — Not the Other Way Around. theintercept.com Biden has argued that the focus on his 1994 crime bill as a driver of mass incarceration is misplaced. He's right — it was his earlier push that was responsible.

RT (2019-09-17). 'We are not your prostitutes!' Tulsi Gabbard slams Trump for 'pimping out' US soldiers to Saudi Arabia. rt.com Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard has doubled down on her attacks on President Donald Trump's 'disgraceful' allegiance to Saudi Arabia, eviscerating his 'betrayal' of her fellow soldiers and the US Constitution. | Singling out Trump's statement that the US was "locked and loaded" but "waiting to hear from the Kingdom … under what terms we would proceed," Gabbard slammed the US president for "offering to place our military assets under the command of a foreign country." | . @realDonaldTrump Despicable. Offering to place our mili…

RT (2019-09-17). 'Not a House party': Ex-Trump aide Lewandowski hearing turns into impeachment circus. rt.com Seeking to impeach President Donald Trump, the House Judiciary Committee summoned his former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski for a hearing that devolved into a trolling and shouting match. Here are some of the craziest moments. | Appearing before the committee on Tuesday, Lewandowski accused the Democrats of "petty and personal politics," described the hearing as "going down a rabbit hole" and vowed to be "as sincere in my answers as this committee is in its questions." The video of his opening statement was approvingly tweeted by Trump. | pic.twitter.com/wrEmfGFRHm

Brenda Ryan (2019-09-17). 70 arrested in NYC demanding 'close the camps!'. workers.org Hundreds of people demanding the closing of detention camps on the U.S.-Mexico border joined in an energetic protest that began at the New York Public Library in Manhattan on Sept. 14. Protesters marched to Microsoft's 5th Avenue store where they sat in the entrance demanding that the company stop doing . . . | Continue reading 70 arrested in NYC demanding 'close the camps!' at Workers.org

Andy Spears (2019-09-17). Tennessee Republicans in Fisticuffs Over School Vouchers. progressive.org Hot chicken, sex, and cocaine are part of the story of how Tennessee became the latest state to succumb to the Betsy DeVos-backed voucher craze. The result could determine how the GOP addresses the issue across the country.

Staff (2019-09-17). "On Fire": In New Book, Naomi Klein Makes the Case for a Green New Deal to Save the Planet. democracynow.org Amid mounting climate disasters across the planet, from the fires ravaging the Amazon to Hurricane Dorian's destructive path through the Bahamas, we speak with renowned journalist, author and activist Naomi Klein. In her new book, "On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal," Klein looks unsparingly at the rise of ecofascism, as Western countries fortify their borders and white supremacy surges around the world in response to the climate crisis. But she also lays out another path forward in which mankind meets the challenge of global warming with radical and systemic transformation. "We do know that if we a…

Staff (2019-09-17). Ecofascism: Naomi Klein Warns the Far Right's Embrace of White Supremacy Is Tied to Climate Crisis. democracynow.org Renowned climate activist and author Naomi Klein addresses the rise of ecofascism, the marrying of environmentalism and white power, which she says manifested in the Christchurch, New Zealand, white supremacist terrorist attack, where the shooter identified himself as an ecofascist. In her latest book, "On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal," Klein writes, "My fear is that, unless something significant changes in how our societies rise to the ecological crisis, we are going to see this kind of white power eco-fascism emerge with much greater frequency, as a ferocious rationalization for refusing to liv…

Staff (2019-09-17). Naomi Klein: Greta Thunberg Is a "Prophetic Voice" in Fight for Climate Justice. democracynow.org Renowned activist, author and professor Naomi Klein discusses the importance of youth voices, including 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, in communicating the urgency of the climate justice movement. Klein's new book, "On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal," addresses the necessity of structural change to combat rising global temperatures and climate injustices. Klein praises Greta for her "moral clarity" as one of many youth voices that "burst through the bureaucratic language with which we shield ourselves from the reality of the stakes, the extraordinary stakes, of our moment in h…

Staff (2019-09-17). Naomi Klein: The Climate Crisis Demands Radical Change. Paper Straws Are a Distraction, Not Solution. democracynow.org Renowned climate activist and author Naomi Klein says responses to the climate crisis have for too long focused on individual consumer choices rather than the collective action needed to save the planet. In a new video for The Intercept, Klein argues, "So many environmental responses have just been minor tweaks to an economy based on endless consumption — take your electric car to the drive-thru for an Impossible Burger and a Coke with a paper straw. Look, of course it's better than the alternative. But it's nowhere close to the depth of change required if we hope to actually pull our planet back from the b…

Staff (2019-09-17). Headlines for September 17, 2019. democracynow.org Iran Rejects Talks with U.S. Following Disputed Drone Attacks in Saudi Arabia, Israelis Head to Polls to Decide Netanyahu's Fate, Afghanistan: Blast Near Presidential Rally Kills Dozens Amid Mounting Violence, Massive Blackout Hits Four Central American Nations, 2 Italian Officials Indicted over Migrant Deaths from 2013 Shipwreck, 2019 Was Northern Hemisphere's Hottest Summer on Record, Autoworkers Continue Strike with Support from Dems, Environmental Activists, Manhattan DA Subpoenas Trump Tax Returns, Acting Intelligence Dir. Refused to Turn Over Whistleblower Complaint That Could Involve Trump, House Dems Inve…

Alison Rose Levy (2019-09-16). The Incredible Belief That Corporate Ownership Does Not Influence Media Content. fair.org As Sen. Bernie Sanders (CJR, 8/26/19) has recently noted, corporate ownership of media interferes with the core societal function of the press: reporting and investigating key issues at the intersection of public need and governance. And nowhere is that more critical than when it comes to climate. Due to their corporate conflicts of interest, trusted news authorities have diverted us from our primary responsibility—assuring a viable habitat for our children and grandchildren. | As a journalist who has worked both inside and…

RT (2019-09-16). #ObamaNetflix: Trump sends phrase trending while calling for inquiry into Barack's deals. rt.com Donald Trump inspired near-covfefe levels of confusion online after posting tweets that cryptically ended with: "Obama Netflix?" – a phrase which provided instant meme fodder. | The question closed a series of tweets from the US president in which he criticized the House Judiciary Committee for scrambling to find another avenue to attack him on following the Mueller investigation, after Democrats pushed for an inquiry into the use of Trump hotels for state and military visits. Perplexingly for some, his tweets closed with a nod to Barack Obama that sounded like a new brand: ….for the privilege of being you…

Emma Fiala (2019-09-16). Tulsi Gabbard Slams Trump: Being "Saudi Arabia's Bitch is Not America First" theantimedia.com "Trump awaits instructions from his Saudi masters. Having our country act as Saudi Arabia's bitch is not 'America First'."

Anya Parampil (2019-09-16). La hipocresía de Hausmann: Ganando dinero de dictaduras mientras promueve 'democracia' en Venezuela. thegrayzone.com Ricardo Hausmann arremetió contra bancos por hacer negocios con el negocio electo de Venezuela. Pero sus declaraciones financieras a Harvard…

Maryam Saleh (2019-09-16). A Top Joe Biden Staffer Is a Supporter of India's Authoritarian Leader Narendra Modi. theintercept.com A new adviser to Joe Biden's presidential campaign, the director of outreach to the Asian-American Pacific Islander community, is a strong backer of extreme right-wing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. | Amit Jani took to Facebook in May to celebrate the authoritarian leader's reelection. | Jani, whose hiring as AAPI national vote director was announced last week, comes to Biden's campaign from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's office. He worked on AAPI outreach on Murphy's 2017 campaign and…

Staff (2019-09-16). "We in the Media Have Not Been Doing Our Job": 250+ News Outlets Pledge to Focus on Climate Crisis. democracynow.org A major new project from The Nation and the Columbia Journalism Review hopes to improve global coverage of the climate crisis, with more than 250 media outlets around the world — including Democracy Now! — signing on to the effort to publish or broadcast stories on climate. Organizers say this is one of the most ambitious efforts ever to organize the world's media around a single topic. The week of coverage, which leads up to next week's U.N. Climate Action Summit, kicked off on Sunday. As part of the effort, CBS News released a new poll of over 2,000 U.S. residents that measured attitudes around clim…

Staff (2019-09-16). "Biological Annihilation": The Danger of Opening Alaska's ANWR to Oil & Gas Drilling. democracynow.org The Trump administration is finalizing plans to open one of the world's last pristine wilderness regions, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to oil and fracked gas drilling. Trump is pushing the drilling at a time when climate change is permanently altering the Arctic and devastating local communities. The plan calls for the creation of landing strips, drill pads, pipeline supports, a seawater treatment plant, 175 miles of roads, and other infrastructure in Alaska's north coast. On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to block the Trump administration from opening up Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Re…

Staff (2019-09-16). Saudi Oil Refinery Attack Raises Fears of "Wider Regional War" Involving U.S. & Iran. democracynow.org President Trump is threatening to take military action after several large Saudi Arabian oil facilities were attacked Saturday by drones and cruise missiles. Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, but numerous reports indicate the attack may have come from Iraq or Iran rather than Yemen. Crude oil prices soared more than 15% after the Aramco-run plants suffered heavy damage. One of the plants struck is the world's biggest petroleum-processing facility. According to one estimate, the attacks decreased Saudi's daily oil output by nearly 6 million barrels. While the United States has been quic…

Staff (2019-09-16). Headlines for September 16, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. Threatens Military Action Against Iran After Oil Attacks in Saudi Arabia, United Auto Workers Strike to Demand Fair Wages, Healthcare & Job Security from GM, Purdue Pharma Files for Bankruptcy, Calls Mount to Impeach Justice Kavanaugh After NYT Report on Sexual Misconduct, Hong Kong Protesters Appeal to U.S., U.K. as Uprising Shows No Sign of Slowing Down, Outsiders Lead Tunisia's Presidential Exit Polls, Algeria Announces Elections Amid Ongoing Protests Against Ruling Elite, U.K. Judge Says Julian Assange a Flight Risk, Must Remain in Prison, Appeals Court Revives Emoluments Case Against Trump, Felicity Huf…

Staff (2019-09-15). Republicans Partied in a Monument to American Wealth Inequality. therealnews.com The little-known back story of the hotel where Republicans gathered in Baltimore last week is how it embodies all the unjust policies that have created record wealth inequality in the US…

Fight Back (2019-09-15). USF students demand no immigration authorities on campus. fightbacknews.org Tampa, Fl – On September 10, students at the University of South Florida (USF) participated in a national day of action that was called by National Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to speak out against the Trump administration's attacks on undocumented immigrants. The event was hosted by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Over 30 students and staff attended. | During President Donald Trump's tenure, his administration has engaged in escalating attacks against undocumented immigrants. Some of these attacks include Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detaining undocumented children in h…

Ryan Devereaux (2019-09-14). How the FBI Increased Its Power After 9/11 and Helped Put Trump in Office. theintercept.com Former FBI agent Mike German recounts the transformation of the FBI from a law enforcement agency into a dangerously powerful domestic intelligence force.

Ryan Grim (2019-09-13). Joe Biden's Stunningly Racist Answer on the Legacy of Slavery Has Been Overlooked. theintercept.com For the Washington Post, former Vice President Joe Biden delivered "the kind of performance his supporters have been waiting for — combative when needed and in the thick of the action throughout" during Thursday's presidential debate. Cable news commenters largely agreed. The New York Times was slightly less kind, subtitling its analysis "St…

Staff (2019-09-13). 3rd Democratic Debate: Education, Inequality, and Racism (2/3). therealnews.com Our panel on the 3rd Democratic presidential debate takes a closer look at how the candidates look at and overlook crucial issues related to inequality and education in the United States…

Staff (2019-09-13). 3rd Democratic Debate: Medicare for All as the Bogeyman? (1/3). therealnews.com The third Democratic Party's presidential debate featured all ten front-runners for the first time. In segment one of our debate discussion, we take a closer look how candidates discussed the healthcare issue. Our panelists are Osita Nwanevu, Helena Olea, and Jacqueline Luqman, with Greg Wilpert as host…

Staff (2019-09-13). 3rd Democratic Debate: Foreign Policy Continues Imperialist Tradition (3/3). therealnews.com While most Democratic candidates are finally shifting the debate on Afghanistan, 18 years after the war began, the discussion on other issues, such as Latin America, continues in the same old imperialist vein as before…

Jud Lounsbury (2019-09-13). Democratic Debate #3: Mr. Rogers, Re-runs, and Real Talk. progressive.org A side-stepped apology from Biden, two gimmick-meisters, and seven remaining candidates who gave solid performances.

Staff (2019-09-13). Joe Biden Faces Criticism over His Healthcare Plan & His Support for Iraq Invasion at Third Debate. democracynow.org The 10 leading Democratic presidential candidates appeared for the first time on the same stage Thursday night at a debate at Texas Southern University in Houston. It was the third debate of the primary season, but it marked the first time former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren took part in the same debate. Biden repeatedly faced criticism for his healthcare plans and for his vote to support the war in Iraq.

Staff (2019-09-13). Should Latinos Trust Biden? Former VP Refuses to Criticize Obama's Deportation of 3 Million People. democracynow.org Debate moderator Jorge Ramos of Univision grilled former Vice President Joe Biden over the Obama administration's deportation record. Biden refused to answer whether he did anything to prevent Obama from deporting a record 3 million people.

Staff (2019-09-13). Medicare for All: Sanders & Warren Defend Plan to Expand Healthcare Coverage to Everyone. democracynow.org At Thursday's debate, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren defended their Medicare for All plan. They faced criticism from several rivals, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, who described it as a "bad idea," and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who claimed the bill shows Sanders and Warren do not "trust the American people."

Staff (2019-09-13). "Racism in America Is Endemic": Democratic Candidates Vow to Confront White Supremacy & Legacy of Slavery. democracynow.org During the third Democratic debate Thursday night, the discussion of race and racism got personal for former HUD Secretary Julián Castro, who brought up last month's El Paso massacre. He said the white gunman who killed 22 people, mostly Latinos, had driven to the border city "to kill people who look like me." Former Texas Congressmember Beto O'Rourke, who is from El Paso, said racism is endemic and foundational of the United States. He mentioned that this year will mark the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved African being brought to America, and promised he would create a slavery reparations commission.

Staff (2019-09-13). Bernie Sanders on Democratic Socialism: We Want to Create an Economy That Works for All of Us. democracynow.org After being questioned about the crisis in Venezuela, Senator Bernie Sanders defended his vision of democratic socialism. "I agree with what goes on in Canada and in Scandinavia: guaranteeing healthcare to all people as a human right. I believe that the United States should not be the only major country on Earth not to provide paid family and medical leave," Sanders said. "I believe that every worker in this country deserves a living wage and that we expand the trade union movement."

Staff (2019-09-13). Elizabeth Warren Calls for Withdrawal of U.S. Troops from Afghanistan. democracynow.org At the third presidential primary debate in Houston, Texas, senator and 2020 candidate Elizabeth Warren called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Warren also spoke about her stance on U.S. trade policy and how "our trade policy in America has been broken for decades."

Staff (2019-09-13). Headlines for September 13, 2019. democracynow.org Ten Candidates Square Off in Third Democratic Presidential Debate, Greenpeace Activists Rappel Off Houston Bridge, Halting Oil Shipments, 2.2 Million Somalis At Risk of Starvation Amid Massive Drought, 7 Million People Displaced by Extreme Weather in First Half of 2019, House Votes to Block Drilling in Alaskan Wildlife Refuge as Trump Admin Readies Lease Sales, New York Schools Won't Penalize Students Who Join Climate Strike, Trump Admin Repeals Rule Protecting Drinking Water of 100+ Million, Trump Admin Allows Michigan Trophy Hunter to Import Body Parts of Endangered Rhino, House Committee Opens Impeachment Proc…

Staff (2019-09-12). Another Flint? Newark, NJ, Faces Public Health Crisis over Lead Contamination in City's Water Supply. democracynow.org Thousands of residents in Newark, New Jersey, remain unable to drink their tap water in an enduring public health nightmare. Lead contamination has plagued the city for years, but lead levels have spiked even higher in 2019. The crisis recently came to a head following revelations that water filters distributed to residents may not have been effective. New Jersey's political leaders are facing mounting criticism for their handling of the water crisis. Advocates say the city downplayed the severity of the problem for years and has been slow on solutions, comparing Newark's water crisis to Flint, Michigan. We speak…

Staff (2019-09-12). Noura Erakat: Netanyahu's Proposed West Bank Annexation Is Logical End to Israel's Apartheid Policy. democracynow.org Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing worldwide condemnation for vowing to annex nearly a third of the occupied West Bank if he wins next week's snap election. The United Nations, the Arab League, the European Union and Russia have all criticized Netanyahu's plan, which he unveiled Tuesday. Netanyahu's pledge comes just a week before Israeli voters return to the polls on Tuesday for new elections after Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government following Israel's April 9 election. Netanyahu's annexation plan would crush hopes of an eventual Palestinian state. We speak with Noura Erakat, Palesti…

Vasuki R (2019-09-11). Pittsburgh Google contract workers start unionization process, bosses prep union-busting campaign. liberationnews.org In these crucial coming weeks, solidarity and militancy will keep the workers united as they fight for democracy and the ability to collectively bargain.

Fight Back (2019-09-10). Kenosha SDS wins demand for gender neutral bathrooms on campus. fightbacknews.org Kenosha, WI – Just in time for the new semester, Students for a Democratic Society at UW Parkside came out victorious in their gender neutral bathrooms campaign from the previous semester. Four bathrooms were converted on campus to support the trans and gender non-conforming community, a demand which some students have been proposing for several years. | Before, there were only two gender neutral bathrooms on campus located on the opposite ends of campus. This was an obstacle for transgender students taking classes in the central area of the university, as the only gender neutral bathrooms were inconveniently far…

unitedEditor (2019-09-09). Safe zone in Syria, Trump and the Taliban, Maduro vs. Guaido. uwidata.com Safe zone in Syria On Sunday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States of attempting to use the creation of a security zone in northeastern Syria, not for Ankara's sake, but in order to protect the Washington-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDS) operating in the area. Turkey sees the SDS and the Kurdish units of …

Eoin Higgins, Common Dreams (2019-09-08). New Season of Amazon's Jack Ryan Focused on Venezuela Denounced as 'Over-the-Top and Ridiculous' US Propaganda. venezuelanalysis.com The upcoming season of Amazon's Jack Ryan could have been scripted by John Bolton.

Aaron Maté (2019-09-06). Embassy insider exposes CNN lies about Julian Assange. thegrayzone.com A "bombshell" CNN report claimed to show how Wikileaks founder Julian Assange published stolen Democratic Party emails in 2016 in…

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…

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…

2019-09-19: Social Media Postees

Democrats Should Be Talking About How Republicans Have Rigged the Maps
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-09-19
| As Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and the other leading Democratic presidential contenders prepared to debate in Houston last week, Crystal Mason readied for an important hearing of her own less than 200 miles away. | In 2016, Mason unknowingly committed a crime by casting a provisional ballot. In Texas, citizens with felony convictions are disenfranc…
truthout.org/articles/democrats-should-be-talking-about-how-republicans-have-rigged-the-maps/

The media's war with Bernie Sanders highlights the need to factcheck the factcheckers
Alan MacLeod | thecanary.co | 2019-09-19
One of the only growing industries in news media right now is factchecking, which promises to differentiate reality from fiction for us in today's post-truth world of spin and fake news. But factcheckers themselves are not neutral arbiters of truth; like everyone else, they're individuals and organizations with their own interests and biases. And a case in point is how the media appears intent on trying to factcheck into oblivion everything Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders says, sometimes with comical results. |
thecanary.co/us/us-analysis/2019/09/19/the-medias-war-with-bernie-sanders-highlights-the-need-to-factcheck-the-factcheckers/

Open Letter to Congress: Why the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 Must Be Opposed
K. J. Noh, Kevin Zeese, and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-19
Note: Congress is currently considering the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019. If this bill becomes law it will increase conflict between the US and China and increase US meddling in Hong Kong. It will become an excuse for unilateral coercive measures (sanctions) against China and Hong Kong. In the Open Letter …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/open-letter-to-congress-why-the-hong-kong-human-rights-and-democracy-act-of-2019-must-be-opposed/

Here We Go Again: Neoliberal Centrists Are Anointing One of Their Own—and It Could Cost Us
John Atcheson | commondreams.org | 2019-09-19
Democratic presidential hopefuls former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) speak during the second round of the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by CNN at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan on July 31, 2019. (Photo: Jim Waton/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/joe_biden_kamala_harris_healthcare_0.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2019/09/19/here-we-go-again-neoliberal-centrists-are-anointing-one-their-own-and-it-could-cost?cd-origin=rss

Tunisia's Ousted President Ben Ali Dies in Saudi Exile
telesurenglish.net | 2019-09-19
Tunisia's ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali died in exile in Saudi Arabia Thursday, days after a free presidential election in his homeland, his family lawyer said. | "Ben Ali just died in Saudi Arabia," the lawyer, Mounir Ben Salha, told Reuters by phone. | Ben Ali fled Tunisia in January 2011 as his compatriots rose up against his oppressive rule in a revolution that inspired other Arab Spring uprisings abroad and led to a democratic transition at home. | On Sunday, Tunisians voted in an election that featured candidates from across the political spectrum, sending two political outsiders through to a…
telesurenglish.net/news/Tunisias-Ousted-President-Ben-Ali-Dies-in-Saudi-Exile-20190919-0006.html

Election set for November 10 as attempts to form Spanish government collapse
wsws.org | 2019-09-19
King Felipe VI declared that social-democratic Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had failed to secure enough support to be confirmed as premier.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/19/spai-s19.html

Another Open Letter to DNC Chair Tom Perez: How Are Democrats Going to Contain the Climate Worldfire If They Won't Even Hold a Climate Debate?
Tom Weis | commondreams.org | 2019-09-19
How do Democrats envision making the leap from fearfully refusing to sponsor a climate debate to the next President of the United States suddenly being positioned to rally an entire nation to get behind a World War II-scale national climate mobilization? (Photo by mdgovpics/Flickr) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/tomperez.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/09/19/another-open-letter-dnc-chair-tom-perez-how-are-democrats-going-contain-climate?cd-origin=rss

Massive Loss of Life, Genocide Warnings in Three African Countries
J. B. Gerald | globalresearch.ca | 2019-09-19
These genocide warnings concern current threats to the peoples of Cameroon1, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi. Beyond the primary concern for all the people in national groups, a pattern is emerging globally which should remind North Americans …
globalresearch.ca/genocide-warnings-three-african-states/5689636

The Only Jewish Ghetto in the Middle East
Gilad Atzmon | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-19
The results from Tuesday's Israeli elections have confirmed what many of us have known for a long while. The Jewish state is an ultra nationalist right wing swamp. Israel is more hawkish than more hawkish than ever. There is not a single Jewish Israeli Left wing party. The Democratic Party is led and mentored by a …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/the-only-jewish-ghetto-in-the-middle-east/

Open Letter to US Congress: Why the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 Must be Opposed
K.J. Noh | globalresearch.ca | 2019-09-19
Author's Note: The US Congress is currently considering the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019. If this bill becomes law it will increase conflict between the US and China and increase US meddling in Hong Kong. It …
globalresearch.ca/open-letter-congress-why-hong-kong-human-rights-democracy-act-2019-must-opposed/5689655

FUNDRAISER: Corporate Media Sidetracking Real Election Issues–Again
fair.org | 2019-09-19
Dear FAIR Friends, While corporate media focus on who's up/who's down in the horserace for the Democratic nomination, more substantive concerns–What are the candidates' policy proposals? Are they adequate to the scale of the problems we face? Will our votes be suppressed, or even miscounted?–go unaddressed. With so much at stake, we've got to …
fair.org/home/fundraiser-corporate-media-sidetracking-real-election-issues-again/

Elizabeth Warren organizing happy hour
anybody | indybay.org | 2019-09-19
La Guerrera's Kitchen, Oakland…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/19/18826442.php

Warren's Ethnic Issue Should Not Go Away
Gary Leupp | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-19
I am an academic. I've taught at Tufts for over thirty years and always had a Harvard institutional affiliation. I understand academic culture and the centrality of affirmative action in administrative consciousness since the 1970s. In heading up numerous search committees for historians at Tufts, I've had to fill out forms at the invitation stage,…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/19/warrens-ethnic-issue-should-not-go-away/

The 'Jacobin' Outrage About the Working Family Party's Elizabeth Warren Endorsement Is Foolish and Unjustified
Jeffrey C. Isaac | thenation.com | 2019-09-19
The 'Jacobin' Outrage About the Working Family Party's Elizabeth Warren Endorsement Is Foolish and Unjustified…
thenation.com/article/warren-wfp-jacobin/

To Avoid Repeat of 2016 Disenfranchisement, Sanders Urges Gov. Cuomo to Sign Bill That Would Extend NY Voter Registration Deadline
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-19
"In 2016, countless voters across the state of New York were disenfranchised by the state's arcane and inexcusable early party affiliation deadline," said Faiz Shakir, campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/voting_advocates_new_york.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/19/avoid-repeat-2016-disenfranchisement-sanders-urges-gov-cuomo-sign-bill-would-extend?cd-origin=rss

'Secretary of Corporate Interests' More Like It, Say Critics of Trump's Anti-Worker Labor Nominee
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-19
Progressive groups and Democratic lawmakers expressed serious concerns Thursday about corporate attorney Eugene Scalia—President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Labor Department—as the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee met to consider his nomination. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11695451751.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/19/secretary-corporate-interests-more-it-say-critics-trumps-anti-worker-labor-nominee?cd-origin=rss

Amnesty Head: Climate Crisis Is a "Death Penalty" for Humanity. Leaders Need Political Will to Act
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-19
More than a million students are expected to walk out of class on Friday in a Global Climate Strike, with more than 800 climate strikes scheduled in the United States alone. Strikes are also being organized in another 150 countries around the world. In our New York studio, we speak to Amnesty International's Secretary General Kumi Naidoo, who has urged school districts across the globe to allow students to walk out of school on Friday without facing punishment. In a letter, Naidoo, who is also the former executive director of Greenpeace, writes, "Children should not be punished for speaking out about the great in…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/19/kumi_naidoo_climate_change_global_strikes

Meet the Beauty Queen Who Inspired Gambia's Me Too Movement After Accusing Ex-Dictator of Rape
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-19
In Gambia, an ongoing public truth and reconciliation commission is investigating the atrocities of former President Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the West African country of 2 million people for 22 years before his regime ended in 2016. In widely shared public testimony that has been live-streamed to tens of thousands of people, survivors and members of Jammeh's death squad who killed migrants, journalists and civilians during the president's reign are telling their stories for the world to hear. One such survivor is Fatou "Toufah" Jallow, who says the former president raped her in 2015. We speak with Jallow, a Gambia…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/19/gambia_truth_reconciliation_commission_atrocities

Democratic Candidates Fail to Impress Workers Who Are Dissatisfied With Trump
Akela Lacy | theintercept.com | 2019-09-18
When one heckler yelled, "You're an asshole!" at Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at Philadelphia AFL-CIO's first ever Workers' Presidential Summit on Tuesday, the entire room roared back with chants of the senator's name. | This was the most charged moment in a day of presidential candidates pitching union members including steel workers, drywall technicians, communications workers, school cafeteria employees, and airline food workers. Over the course of four hours, they heard from former Vice President Joe Biden, entrepreneur and tech executive Andrew Yang, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, Sanders, major Democrat…
theintercept.com/2019/09/18/philadelphia-union-workers-presidential-summit/

Rwandan Hutu Militia Commander Killed in Congo, Army Says
telesurenglish.net | 2019-09-18
The Democratic Republic of Congo's army said on Wednesday that it had killed Sylvestre Mudacumura, the commander of a Rwandan Hutu militia who is wanted by the International Criminal Court. | RELATED: | Rwanda to Take in Refugees Trapped in Libya's Detention Centers | The FDLR has waged periodic war with the Congolese government and rival militias, and Rwanda's government has cited its presence on Congolese soil to justify repeated interventions across the border. | "Sylvestre…
telesurenglish.net/news/Rwandan-Hutu-Militia-Commander-Killed-in-Congo-Army-Says-20190918-0021.html

2020: Democratic Establishment vs. Democratic Socialists
Michael Sainato | progressive.org | 2019-09-18
Meet three new challengers to the entrenched old guard.
progressive.org/dispatches/democratic-socialists-congress-2020-sainato-190918/

telesurenglish.net | 2019-09-18
As United States President Donald Trump boasted Wednesday on the impenetrability of his U.S.-Mexico border wall, a new report by the Transnational Insitute shows that border militarization long pre-dates the Trump administration, in which both Republican and Democrats have forged "profitable" partnership between security firms to form a "powerful border–industrial complex." | RELATED: | US: Pentagon Approves Use of $3.6B For Trump's Border Wall | As the last three decades have witn…
telesurenglish.net/news/A-Border-Industrial-Complex-Behind-Anti-Migrant-Policy-Report-20190918-0024.html

Marx's favourite writer Diderot: A subversive Enlightenment philosopher who opened new ideological fronts
stuart_m | greenleft.org.au | 2019-09-18
books philosophy democracy history Phil ShannonIssue 1239 AustraliaSeptember 18, 2019Diderot And the Art of Thinking Freely | | Andrew S Cur…
greenleft.org.au/content/marxs-favourite-writer-diderot-subversive-enlightenment-philosopher-who-opened-new

Israel's Election Outcome Remains Unclear, But the "Ultimate Loser" Will Be Palestinians
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-18
Israel is facing political turmoil as Tuesday's election remains too close to call. With 92% of the vote counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and ex-military chief Benny Gantz's Blue and White party appear to be nearly tied. Both leading candidates aiming to be prime minister had run on platforms vowing to take harsh measures targeting Palestinians. Netanyahu promised to annex nearly a third of the occupied West Bank, in violation of international law, if he won re-election. Earlier this year, Gantz bragged about bombing Gaza back to the "Stone Ages." On Tuesday night, Gantz said he had fulfil…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/18/israeli_election_results_netanyahu_gantz

UAW Strike Enters Day 3 as 50,000 Workers Demand GM to Share Its Billions in Profits
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-18
As members of the United Auto Workers head into their third day of a nationwide strike, General Motors has cut off health insurance for the nearly 50,000 people on picket lines across the country demanding better working conditions and fair pay. The workers say GM continues to deny employees' demands for better conditions and compensation despite leading the company to record profits following bankruptcy and a federal bailout. It's the first company-wide strike against GM in 12 years. UAW had sought to have GM cover striking workers' health insurance through the end of the month. In New York City, we speak with S…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/18/uaw_nationwide_strikes_gm

"Beaten Down, Worked Up": Steven Greenhouse on the Past, Present and Future of American Labor
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-18
As UAW workers stand on picket lines across the country, teachers prepare to strike in Chicago, and thousands of healthcare workers with Kaiser Permanente plan to strike in October, we speak with longtime labor reporter Steven Greenhouse, author of the new book "Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor." Among other issues, Greenhouse discusses how labor and climate activists are teaming up to push for a Green New Deal.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/18/steven_greenhouse_past_future_american_labor

'We are not your prostitutes!' Tulsi Gabbard slams Trump for 'pimping out' US soldiers to Saudi Arabia
rt.com | 2019-09-17
Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard has doubled down on her attacks on President Donald Trump's 'disgraceful' allegiance to Saudi Arabia, eviscerating his 'betrayal' of her fellow soldiers and the US Constitution. | Singling out Trump's statement that the US was "locked and loaded" but "waiting to hear from the Kingdom … under what terms we would proceed," Gabbard slammed the US president for "offering to place our military assets under the command of a foreign country." | . @realDonaldTrump Despicable. Offering to place our mili…
rt.com/usa/468961-tulsi-trump-military-prostitutes-saudis/

The Untold Story: Joe Biden Pushed Ronald Reagan to Ramp Up Incarceration — Not the Other Way Around
David Stein | theintercept.com | 2019-09-17
Biden has argued that the focus on his 1994 crime bill as a driver of mass incarceration is misplaced. He's right — it was his earlier push that was responsible.
theintercept.com/2019/09/17/the-untold-story-joe-biden-pushed-ronald-reagan-to-ramp-up-incarceration-not-the-other-way-around/

Tennessee Republicans in Fisticuffs Over School Vouchers
Andy Spears | progressive.org | 2019-09-17
Hot chicken, sex, and cocaine are part of the story of how Tennessee became the latest state to succumb to the Betsy DeVos-backed voucher craze. The result could determine how the GOP addresses the issue across the country.
progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/tennessee-republican-school-voucher-fight-spears-190917/

'Not a House party': Ex-Trump aide Lewandowski hearing turns into impeachment circus
rt.com | 2019-09-17
Seeking to impeach President Donald Trump, the House Judiciary Committee summoned his former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski for a hearing that devolved into a trolling and shouting match. Here are some of the craziest moments. | Appearing before the committee on Tuesday, Lewandowski accused the Democrats of "petty and personal politics," described the hearing as "going down a rabbit hole" and vowed to be "as sincere in my answers as this committee is in its questions." The video of his opening statement was approvingly tweeted by Trump. | pic.twitter.com/wrEmfGFRHm
rt.com/usa/469037-lewandowski-house-hearing-trump/

70 arrested in NYC demanding 'close the camps!'
Brenda Ryan | workers.org | 2019-09-17
Hundreds of people demanding the closing of detention camps on the U.S.-Mexico border joined in an energetic protest that began at the New York Public Library in Manhattan on Sept. 14. Protesters marched to Microsoft's 5th Avenue store where they sat in the entrance demanding that the company stop doing . . . | Continue reading 70 arrested in NYC demanding 'close the camps!' at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/09/17/70-arrested-in-nyc-demanding-close-the-camps/

Ecofascism: Naomi Klein Warns the Far Right's Embrace of White Supremacy Is Tied to Climate Crisis
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-17
Renowned climate activist and author Naomi Klein addresses the rise of ecofascism, the marrying of environmentalism and white power, which she says manifested in the Christchurch, New Zealand, white supremacist terrorist attack, where the shooter identified himself as an ecofascist. In her latest book, "On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal," Klein writes, "My fear is that, unless something significant changes in how our societies rise to the ecological crisis, we are going to see this kind of white power eco-fascism emerge with much greater frequency, as a ferocious rationalization for refusing to liv…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/17/naomi_klein_eco_fascism

Naomi Klein: Greta Thunberg Is a "Prophetic Voice" in Fight for Climate Justice
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-17
Renowned activist, author and professor Naomi Klein discusses the importance of youth voices, including 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, in communicating the urgency of the climate justice movement. Klein's new book, "On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal," addresses the necessity of structural change to combat rising global temperatures and climate injustices. Klein praises Greta for her "moral clarity" as one of many youth voices that "burst through the bureaucratic language with which we shield ourselves from the reality of the stakes, the extraordinary stakes, of our moment in h…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/17/naomi_klein_greta_thunberg_youth_activists

Naomi Klein: The Climate Crisis Demands Radical Change. Paper Straws Are a Distraction, Not Solution
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-17
Renowned climate activist and author Naomi Klein says responses to the climate crisis have for too long focused on individual consumer choices rather than the collective action needed to save the planet. In a new video for The Intercept, Klein argues, "So many environmental responses have just been minor tweaks to an economy based on endless consumption — take your electric car to the drive-thru for an Impossible Burger and a Coke with a paper straw. Look, of course it's better than the alternative. But it's nowhere close to the depth of change required if we hope to actually pull our planet back from the b…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/17/naomi_klein_the_intercept_trump_straw

"On Fire": In New Book, Naomi Klein Makes the Case for a Green New Deal to Save the Planet
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-17
Amid mounting climate disasters across the planet, from the fires ravaging the Amazon to Hurricane Dorian's destructive path through the Bahamas, we speak with renowned journalist, author and activist Naomi Klein. In her new book, "On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal," Klein looks unsparingly at the rise of ecofascism, as Western countries fortify their borders and white supremacy surges around the world in response to the climate crisis. But she also lays out another path forward in which mankind meets the challenge of global warming with radical and systemic transformation. "We do know that if we a…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/17/naomi_klein_on_fire_green_new

Tulsi Gabbard Slams Trump: Being "Saudi Arabia's Bitch is Not America First"
Emma Fiala | theantimedia.com | 2019-09-16
"Trump awaits instructions from his Saudi masters. Having our country act as Saudi Arabia's bitch is not 'America First'."

Tulsi Gabbard Slams Trump: Being “Saudi Arabia’s Bitch is Not America First”

The Incredible Belief That Corporate Ownership Does Not Influence Media Content
Alison Rose Levy | fair.org | 2019-09-16
As Sen. Bernie Sanders (CJR, 8/26/19) has recently noted, corporate ownership of media interferes with the core societal function of the press: reporting and investigating key issues at the intersection of public need and governance. And nowhere is that more critical than when it comes to climate. Due to their corporate conflicts of interest, trusted news authorities have diverted us from our primary responsibility–assuring a viable habitat for our children and grandchildren. | As a journalist who has worked both inside and…
fair.org/home/the-incredible-belief-that-corporate-ownership-does-not-influence-media-content/

La hipocresía de Hausmann: Ganando dinero de dictaduras mientras promueve 'democracia' en Venezuela
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2019-09-16
Ricardo Hausmann arremetió contra bancos por hacer negocios con el negocio electo de Venezuela. Pero sus declaraciones financieras a Harvard…
thegrayzone.com/2019/09/16/ricardo-hausmann-dinero-dictaduras-venezuela/

A Top Joe Biden Staffer Is a Supporter of India's Authoritarian Leader Narendra Modi
Maryam Saleh | theintercept.com | 2019-09-16
A new adviser to Joe Biden's presidential campaign, the director of outreach to the Asian-American Pacific Islander community, is a strong backer of extreme right-wing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. | Amit Jani took to Facebook in May to celebrate the authoritarian leader's reelection. | Jani, whose hiring as AAPI national vote director was announced last week, comes to Biden's campaign from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's office. He worked on AAPI outreach on Murphy's 2017 campaign and…
theintercept.com/2019/09/16/joe-biden-campaign-narendra-modi/

#ObamaNetflix: Trump sends phrase trending while calling for inquiry into Barack's deals
rt.com | 2019-09-16
Donald Trump inspired near-covfefe levels of confusion online after posting tweets that cryptically ended with: "Obama Netflix?" – a phrase which provided instant meme fodder. | The question closed a series of tweets from the US president in which he criticized the House Judiciary Committee for scrambling to find another avenue to attack him on following the Mueller investigation, after Democrats pushed for an inquiry into the use of Trump hotels for state and military visits. Perplexingly for some, his tweets closed with a nod to Barack Obama that sounded like a new brand: | ….for the privilege of being you…
rt.com/usa/468942-trump-obama-netflix-tweets/

"We in the Media Have Not Been Doing Our Job": 250+ News Outlets Pledge to Focus on Climate Crisis
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-16
A major new project from The Nation and the Columbia Journalism Review hopes to improve global coverage of the climate crisis, with more than 250 media outlets around the world — including Democracy Now! — signing on to the effort to publish or broadcast stories on climate. Organizers say this is one of the most ambitious efforts ever to organize the world's media around a single topic. The week of coverage, which leads up to next week's U.N. Climate Action Summit, kicked off on Sunday. As part of the effort, CBS News released a new poll of over 2,000 U.S. residents that measured attitudes around clim…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/16/covering_climate_now_media_project

Saudi Oil Refinery Attack Raises Fears of "Wider Regional War" Involving U.S. & Iran
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-16
President Trump is threatening to take military action after several large Saudi Arabian oil facilities were attacked Saturday by drones and cruise missiles. Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, but numerous reports indicate the attack may have come from Iraq or Iran rather than Yemen. Crude oil prices soared more than 15% after the Aramco-run plants suffered heavy damage. One of the plants struck is the world's biggest petroleum-processing facility. According to one estimate, the attacks decreased Saudi's daily oil output by nearly 6 million barrels. While the United States has been quic…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/16/saudi_arabia_oil_supply_attacks

"Biological Annihilation": The Danger of Opening Alaska's ANWR to Oil & Gas Drilling
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-16
The Trump administration is finalizing plans to open one of the world's last pristine wilderness regions, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, to oil and fracked gas drilling. Trump is pushing the drilling at a time when climate change is permanently altering the Arctic and devastating local communities. The plan calls for the creation of landing strips, drill pads, pipeline supports, a seawater treatment plant, 175 miles of roads, and other infrastructure in Alaska's north coast. On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to block the Trump administration from opening up Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Re…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/16/arctic_national_wildlife_refuge_oil_drilling

Republicans Partied in a Monument to American Wealth Inequality
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-15
The little-known back story of the hotel where Republicans gathered in Baltimore last week is how it embodies all the unjust policies that have created record wealth inequality in the US…
therealnews.com/stories/republicans-partied-in-a-monument-to-american-wealth-inequality

USF students demand no immigration authorities on campus
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-09-15
Tampa, Fl – On September 10, students at the University of South Florida (USF) participated in a national day of action that was called by National Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to speak out against the Trump administration's attacks on undocumented immigrants. The event was hosted by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Over 30 students and staff attended. | During President Donald Trump's tenure, his administration has engaged in escalating attacks against undocumented immigrants. Some of these attacks include Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detaining undocumented children in h…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/9/14/usf-students-demand-no-immigration-authorities-campus

How the FBI Increased Its Power After 9/11 and Helped Put Trump in Office
Ryan Devereaux | theintercept.com | 2019-09-14
Former FBI agent Mike German recounts the transformation of the FBI from a law enforcement agency into a dangerously powerful domestic intelligence force.
theintercept.com/2019/09/14/fbi-mike-german-book/

Democratic Debate #3: Mr. Rogers, Re-runs, and Real Talk
Jud Lounsbury | progressive.org | 2019-09-13
A side-stepped apology from Biden, two gimmick-meisters, and seven remaining candidates who gave solid performances.
progressive.org/dispatches/democratic-debate-reruns-and-real-talk-lounsbury190913/

Joe Biden's Stunningly Racist Answer on the Legacy of Slavery Has Been Overlooked
Ryan Grim | theintercept.com | 2019-09-13
For the Washington Post, former Vice President Joe Biden delivered "the kind of performance his supporters have been waiting for — combative when needed and in the thick of the action throughout" during Thursday's presidential debate. Cable news commenters largely agreed. The New York Times was slightly less kind, subtitling its analysis "St…
theintercept.com/2019/09/13/joe-biden-democratic-debate-slavery/

3rd Democratic Debate: Medicare for All as the Bogeyman? (1/3)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-13
The third Democratic Party's presidential debate featured all ten front-runners for the first time. In segment one of our debate discussion, we take a closer look how candidates discussed the healthcare issue. Our panelists are Osita Nwanevu, Helena Olea, and Jacqueline Luqman, with Greg Wilpert as host…
therealnews.com/stories/3rd-democratic-debate-medicare-for-all-as-the-bogeyman-1-3

3rd Democratic Debate: Foreign Policy Continues Imperialist Tradition (3/3)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-13
While most Democratic candidates are finally shifting the debate on Afghanistan, 18 years after the war began, the discussion on other issues, such as Latin America, continues in the same old imperialist vein as before…
therealnews.com/stories/3rd-democratic-debate-foreign-policy-continues-imperialist-tradition-3-3

3rd Democratic Debate: Education, Inequality, and Racism (2/3)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-13
Our panel on the 3rd Democratic presidential debate takes a closer look at how the candidates look at and overlook crucial issues related to inequality and education in the United States…
therealnews.com/stories/3rd-democratic-debate-education-inequality-and-racism-2-3

Medicare for All: Sanders & Warren Defend Plan to Expand Healthcare Coverage to Everyone
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-13
At Thursday's debate, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren defended their Medicare for All plan. They faced criticism from several rivals, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, who described it as a "bad idea," and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who claimed the bill shows Sanders and Warren do not "trust the American people."
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/13/democratic_debate_2020_candidates_medicare_for

Bernie Sanders on Democratic Socialism: We Want to Create an Economy That Works for All of Us
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-13
After being questioned about the crisis in Venezuela, Senator Bernie Sanders defended his vision of democratic socialism. "I agree with what goes on in Canada and in Scandinavia: guaranteeing healthcare to all people as a human right. I believe that the United States should not be the only major country on Earth not to provide paid family and medical leave," Sanders said. "I believe that every worker in this country deserves a living wage and that we expand the trade union movement."
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/13/bernie_sanders_democratic_socialism_defense_democratic

Should Latinos Trust Biden? Former VP Refuses to Criticize Obama's Deportation of 3 Million People
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-13
Debate moderator Jorge Ramos of Univision grilled former Vice President Joe Biden over the Obama administration's deportation record. Biden refused to answer whether he did anything to prevent Obama from deporting a record 3 million people.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/13/democratic_debate_joe_biden_obama_immigration

Joe Biden Faces Criticism over His Healthcare Plan & His Support for Iraq Invasion at Third Debate
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-13
The 10 leading Democratic presidential candidates appeared for the first time on the same stage Thursday night at a debate at Texas Southern University in Houston. It was the third debate of the primary season, but it marked the first time former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Elizabeth Warren took part in the same debate. Biden repeatedly faced criticism for his healthcare plans and for his vote to support the war in Iraq.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/13/bernie_sanders_joe_biden_war_healthcare

"Racism in America Is Endemic": Democratic Candidates Vow to Confront White Supremacy & Legacy of Slavery
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-13
During the third Democratic debate Thursday night, the discussion of race and racism got personal for former HUD Secretary Julián Castro, who brought up last month's El Paso massacre. He said the white gunman who killed 22 people, mostly Latinos, had driven to the border city "to kill people who look like me." Former Texas Congressmember Beto O'Rourke, who is from El Paso, said racism is endemic and foundational of the United States. He mentioned that this year will mark the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved African being brought to America, and promised he would create a slavery reparations commission.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/13/democratic_debate_white_supremacy_racism

Elizabeth Warren Calls for Withdrawal of U.S. Troops from Afghanistan
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-13
At the third presidential primary debate in Houston, Texas, senator and 2020 candidate Elizabeth Warren called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Warren also spoke about her stance on U.S. trade policy and how "our trade policy in America has been broken for decades."
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/13/elizabeth_warren_trade_afghanistan

Noura Erakat: Netanyahu's Proposed West Bank Annexation Is Logical End to Israel's Apartheid Policy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-12
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing worldwide condemnation for vowing to annex nearly a third of the occupied West Bank if he wins next week's snap election. The United Nations, the Arab League, the European Union and Russia have all criticized Netanyahu's plan, which he unveiled Tuesday. Netanyahu's pledge comes just a week before Israeli voters return to the polls on Tuesday for new elections after Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government following Israel's April 9 election. Netanyahu's annexation plan would crush hopes of an eventual Palestinian state. We speak with Noura Erakat, Palesti…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/12/benjamin_netanyahu_israel_west_bank_annexation

Another Flint? Newark, NJ, Faces Public Health Crisis over Lead Contamination in City's Water Supply
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-12
Thousands of residents in Newark, New Jersey, remain unable to drink their tap water in an enduring public health nightmare. Lead contamination has plagued the city for years, but lead levels have spiked even higher in 2019. The crisis recently came to a head following revelations that water filters distributed to residents may not have been effective. New Jersey's political leaders are facing mounting criticism for their handling of the water crisis. Advocates say the city downplayed the severity of the problem for years and has been slow on solutions, comparing Newark's water crisis to Flint, Michigan. We speak…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/12/newark_new_jersey_water_contamination_crisis

Pittsburgh Google contract workers start unionization process, bosses prep union-busting campaign
Vasuki R | liberationnews.org | 2019-09-11
In these crucial coming weeks, solidarity and militancy will keep the workers united as they fight for democracy and the ability to collectively bargain.
liberationnews.org/pittsburgh-google-contract-workers-start-unionization-process-bosses-prep-union-busting-campaign/

Kenosha SDS wins demand for gender neutral bathrooms on campus
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-09-10
Kenosha, WI – Just in time for the new semester, Students for a Democratic Society at UW Parkside came out victorious in their gender neutral bathrooms campaign from the previous semester. Four bathrooms were converted on campus to support the trans and gender non-conforming community, a demand which some students have been proposing for several years. | Before, there were only two gender neutral bathrooms on campus located on the opposite ends of campus. This was an obstacle for transgender students taking classes in the central area of the university, as the only gender neutral bathrooms were inconveniently far…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/9/10/kenosha-sds-wins-demand-gender-neutral-bathrooms-campus

Safe zone in Syria, Trump and the Taliban, Maduro vs. Guaido
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-09-09
Safe zone in Syria On Sunday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States of attempting to use the creation of a security zone in northeastern Syria, not for Ankara's sake, but in order to protect the Washington-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDS) operating in the area. Turkey sees the SDS and the Kurdish units of …
uwidata.com/5269-safe-zone-in-syria-trump-and-the-taliban-maduro-vs-guaido/

New Season of Amazon's Jack Ryan Focused on Venezuela Denounced as 'Over-the-Top and Ridiculous' US Propaganda
Eoin Higgins, Common Dreams | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-09-08
The upcoming season of Amazon's Jack Ryan could have been scripted by John Bolton.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14650

Embassy insider exposes CNN lies about Julian Assange
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-09-06
A "bombshell" CNN report claimed to show how Wikileaks founder Julian Assange published stolen Democratic Party emails in 2016 in…
thegrayzone.com/2019/09/06/embassy-insider-exposes-cnn-lies-about-julian-assange/

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

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