Daily Archives: September 20, 2019

2019-09-20: News Headlines

RT (2019-09-20). Bill de Blasio calls off doomed presidential bid that 'nobody wanted' — here's what he 'contributed' to 2020 campaign. rt.com New York's Mayor Bill de Blasio has abandoned hopes for the Oval Office and called it quits on his 2020 presidential campaign, which consistently failed to crack one percent in the polls and was plagued by a torrent of gaffes. | "I feel like I've contributed all I can to this primary election and it's clearly not my time," de Blasio told the hosts of Morning Joe on Friday. "So I'm going to end my presidential campaign." | The Democratic candidate's shelf life had been nearing expiration for some time, having failed to qualify for the third round of presidential debates and showing anemic, rock-bottom performan…

Staff (2019-09-20). Bernie Sanders Vows to Prosecute Fossil Fuel CEOs. truthdig.com At a climate-change town hall, the 2020 hopeful says those who "lied to the American people" in a "bold-faced way" must be held accountable.

Conor Lynch (2019-09-20). Corporate America's Latest Bill of Goods. truthdig.com One of the major themes in U.S. politics over the past decade or so has been the enormous influence that corporate America has over our political and economic life. Since the financial crisis erupted 10 years ago, populism has taken hold of the public imagination, and popular anger seems to have reached new heights as inequality has risen and corporations have grown more powerful. | The 2016 presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders succeeded in translating this anger into a political movement, and although the Vermont senator didn't win the nomination, he drove the conversation and appeared to push the Democratic…

Staff (2019-09-20). Bernie Sanders' Union Platform Calls for Class Struggle. therealnews.com Union strikes are growing, as is voter support for unions. In this context, what does Sen. Bernie Sanders' union platform mean?

Jimmysllama (2019-09-20). Through the Eyes of Jesselyn Radack: A Look at the Vital Role of Whistleblowers and Their Attorneys. mintpressnews.com "By protecting whistleblowers, sources, and online activists, we facilitate robust investigative journalism, hold government to account, protect the freedoms of speech, privacy and the press, and foster the most critical component of democratic society: an informed citizenry." — Whistleblower and Source Protection Program…

Robert Reich (2019-09-20). The GOP Has a Secret Plan to Preserve Its Grip on Power. truthdig.com As America grows progressively more liberal and diverse, Republicans have concluded they can only govern by way of minority rule.

Louis Yako (2019-09-20). Working in America: Paychecks for Silence. counterpunch.org Let us begin with just a few recent and disturbing statistics about working in America. First, most Americans (nearly 78%) live paycheck to paycheck, which makes them vulnerable to abuse and bullying by employers. Second, a 2018 Harris Poll found that "seven in ten employers (70 percent) use social networking sites to research job candidates More

Hiroyuki Hamada (2019-09-20). In Defense of Cory Morningstar's Manufacturing for Consent Series. dissidentvoice.org Good investigative journalism doesn't only reveal hidden mechanisms of our time; it also exposes those who refuse to confront the mechanisms. Remember when the late Bruce Dixon courageously and cogently called Bernie Sanders "a sheep dog candidate"? Remember when Eva Bertlett, Vanessa Beeley and others truly stood with Syrian people in opposing the western intervention? …

Ryan Grim (2019-09-20). Documents Shed New Light on Critical Moment in Pete Buttigieg's South Bend Political Career. theintercept.com An investigation by the Young Turks sheds new light on a moment Buttigieg has highlighted as defining his relationship with South Bend's black community.

teleSUR (2019-09-20). Germany Accepts Climate Protection Deal Amid Worldwide Protests. telesurenglish.net The German government reached a consensus Friday on a new climate protection package, which includes a domestic carbon price and the possibility of more stringent measures in future, a source close to the talks said. | RELATED: | Australia 'Sets Standard' as Thousands Join #ClimateStrike | According to the reports, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and her Social Democrat partners agreed a carbon price for energy used in buildings and transport in line with the existing…

KNKMF (2019-09-20). Open letter to congress: Why the Hong Kong human rights and democracy act of 2019 must be opposed. nationofchange.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 U.S. and China and increase U.S. meddling in Hong Kong. It will become an excuse for unilateral coercive measures (sanctions) against China and Hong Kong. In the Open Letter …

Dana Brown (2019-09-20). Pelosi Plan Not Good Enough: Lower Drug Prices Now Through a Pharmaceutical Public Option. commondreams.org House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., attend a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center with House and Senate Democrats on a report which they say shows that prescription drug prices have risen under President Trump on May 10, 2018. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pelosi_drug_pricing.jpg

Derek Royden (2019-09-20). "Here's the deal": Joe Biden's very bad month. nationofchange.org The seeming media consensus going into the third Democratic debate held by ABC news in Houston on September 12th, was that the front runner, former Vice President Joe Biden, needed to do better than he did in the first two, where, to be charitable, he often seemed unprepared and used outdated expressions like, "here's the deal" over and …

anybody (2019-09-20). Elizabeth Warren organizing happy hour. indybay.org La Guerrera's Kitchen, Oakland…

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2019-09-20). Legacy of our Gold Mining Town of Negro Bar, California. indybay.org Honorable William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr., "African Founding Father of California owned over 35,521 acres of land in the Sacramento Valley including the Gold Mining Town of Negro Bar, California…

Roger D. Harris (2019-09-20). On the Road to Damascus. dissidentvoice.org "Welcome to your second country" was the greeting our Syrian hosts gave us when we arrived for the International Trade Union Forum for "solidarity with the workers and people of Syria against the economic blockade, imperialist interventions, and terrorism." Throughout my short one-week stay, Syrians, on seeing I was a foreigner, would muster their best …

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-09-20). Sanders Hits Back at Rich Biden Donor: 'The Democratic Party I Represent Is the Party of the Working Class, Not Billionaires'. commondreams.org "We are going to make the changes that we need in this country when the working people of America stand up to the corporate elite, not take their money." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_19.jpg

Staff (2019-09-20). This Afghan Teen Was Set to Join First-Ever U.N. Youth Climate Summit, But U.S. Denied His Visa. democracynow.org Climate youth activist Nasratullah Elham of Afghanistan was invited to participate in the first-ever U.N. Youth Climate Summit, but the United States rejected his visa. He breaks the sound barrier to join us from Phuket, Thailand, where he is a 12th grade student, and says his activism is based on the crisis's impact on his home country. "The poor people there are very badly affected in a situation [where] they do not really have much carbon emissions," he says.

Staff (2019-09-20). Kelsey Juliana v. U.S.: Meet the Young Woman Suing the Federal Government over the Climate Crisis. democracynow.org Among those joining today's Global Climate Strike will be Kelsey Juliana, lead plaintiff in Juliana v. United States, the landmark youth climate lawsuit against the U.S. government. She joins us for a roundtable discussion, along with Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Strike organizer, founder and executive director of OneMillionOfUs.

Staff (2019-09-20). "Young People Have Had Enough": Global Climate Strike Youth Activists on Why They Are Marching Today. democracynow.org Today is the Global Climate Strike, inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. As people took to the streets in Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia, we host a roundtable discussion with youth activists organizing marches in the United States — in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis — ahead of next week's U.N. Climate Action Summit. We are joined by Xiye Bastida, a 17-year-old climate justice activist originally from Mexico who is an organizer with Fridays for Future New York and a student at Beacon High School in New York; Katie Eder, a 19-year-old climate justice activist wh…

Staff (2019-09-20). Headlines for September 20, 2019. democracynow.org Students Across the World Walk Out of Classes in Global Climate Strike, Two Die in Texas as Storm Dumps 40 Inches of Rain on Houston Area, Red Cross: 2 Million Need Humanitarian Aid Every Week Due to Climate Crisis, Bird Population in U.S. & Canada Dropped by Nearly 3 Billion Since 1970, Benny Gantz Declares Victory, Rejects Overture from Netanyahu, Trudeau Apologizes Again as New Blackface Photos Emerge, Funeral Held in Afghanistan After U.S. Drone Strike Killed 30 Civilians, Mostly Farmers, Kashmiris Sue Modi in U.S. Court as Trump Prepares to Appear with Indian PM at Texas Rally, Report: Whistleblower Complain…

Editor (2019-09-20). The crime against Afghanistan. workers.org It's the longest U.S. war ever. And no one in the ruling U.S. imperialist establishment can explain why it continues. Before Trump recently claimed he was for withdrawing at least some of the thousands of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, similar promises were made by previous U.S. presidents, Democrats and Republicans. . . . | Continue reading The crime against Afghanistan at Workers.org

FAIR (2019-09-19). Support FAIR: 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 …

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 …

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…

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…

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). 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). 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 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 Democratic do…

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

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). 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). 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…

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…

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

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.

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). 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). 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). "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). 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). 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…

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). 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). "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). 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…

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…

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). 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). 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). 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."

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.

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…

2019-09-20: Social Media Postees

Bernie Sanders Vows to Prosecute Fossil Fuel CEOs
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-09-20
At a climate-change town hall, the 2020 hopeful says those who "lied to the American people" in a "bold-faced way" must be held accountable.
truthdig.com/articles/bernie-sanders-vows-to-prosecute-fossil-fuels-ceos/

Corporate America's Latest Bill of Goods
Conor Lynch | truthdig.com | 2019-09-20
One of the major themes in U.S. politics over the past decade or so has been the enormous influence that corporate America has over our political and economic life. Since the financial crisis erupted 10 years ago, populism has taken hold of the public imagination, and popular anger seems to have reached new heights as inequality has risen and corporations have grown more powerful. | The 2016 presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders succeeded in translating this anger into a political movement, and although the Vermont senator didn't win the nomination, he drove the conversation and appeared to push the Democratic…
truthdig.com/articles/corporate-americas-latest-bill-of-goods/

Bernie Sanders' Union Platform Calls for Class Struggle
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-09-20
Union strikes are growing, as is voter support for unions. In this context, what does Sen. Bernie Sanders' union platform mean?
therealnews.com/stories/bernie-sanders-union-platform-calls-for-class-struggle

In Defense of Cory Morningstar's Manufacturing for Consent Series
Hiroyuki Hamada | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-20
Good investigative journalism doesn't only reveal hidden mechanisms of our time; it also exposes those who refuse to confront the mechanisms. Remember when the late Bruce Dixon courageously and cogently called Bernie Sanders "a sheep dog candidate"? Remember when Eva Bertlett, Vanessa Beeley and others truly stood with Syrian people in opposing the western intervention? …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/in-defense-of-cory-morningstars-manufacturing-for-consent-series/

Bill de Blasio calls off doomed presidential bid that 'nobody wanted' — here's what he 'contributed' to 2020 campaign
rt.com | 2019-09-20
New York's Mayor Bill de Blasio has abandoned hopes for the Oval Office and called it quits on his 2020 presidential campaign, which consistently failed to crack one percent in the polls and was plagued by a torrent of gaffes. | "I feel like I've contributed all I can to this primary election and it's clearly not my time," de Blasio told the hosts of Morning Joe on Friday. "So I'm going to end my presidential campaign." | The Democratic candidate's shelf life had been nearing expiration for some time, having failed to qualify for the third round of presidential debates and showing anemic, rock-bottom performan…
rt.com/usa/469256-deblasio-ends-campaign-achievements/

Documents Shed New Light on Critical Moment in Pete Buttigieg's South Bend Political Career
Ryan Grim | theintercept.com | 2019-09-20
An investigation by the Young Turks sheds new light on a moment Buttigieg has highlighted as defining his relationship with South Bend's black community.
theintercept.com/2019/09/20/pete-buttigieg-south-bend-police/

Pelosi Plan Not Good Enough: Lower Drug Prices Now Through a Pharmaceutical Public Option
Dana Brown | commondreams.org | 2019-09-20
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., attend a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center with House and Senate Democrats on a report which they say shows that prescription drug prices have risen under President Trump on May 10, 2018. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pelosi_drug_pricing.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2019/09/20/pelosi-plan-not-good-enough-lower-drug-prices-now-through-pharmaceutical-public?cd-origin=rss

Through the Eyes of Jesselyn Radack: A Look at the Vital Role of Whistleblowers and Their Attorneys
Jimmysllama | mintpressnews.com | 2019-09-20
"By protecting whistleblowers, sources, and online activists, we facilitate robust investigative journalism, hold government to account, protect the freedoms of speech, privacy and the press, and foster the most critical component of democratic society: an informed citizenry." — Whistleblower and Source Protection Program…
mintpressnews.com/jesselyn-radack-whistleblowers-attorneys/261941/

Germany Accepts Climate Protection Deal Amid Worldwide Protests
telesurenglish.net | 2019-09-20
The German government reached a consensus Friday on a new climate protection package, which includes a domestic carbon price and the possibility of more stringent measures in future, a source close to the talks said. | RELATED: | Australia 'Sets Standard' as Thousands Join #ClimateStrike | According to the reports, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and her Social Democrat partners agreed a carbon price for energy used in buildings and transport in line with the existing…
telesurenglish.net/news/Germany-Accepts-Climate-Protection-Deal-Amid-Worldwide-Protests-20190920-0002.html

Open letter to congress: Why the Hong Kong human rights and democracy act of 2019 must be opposed
KNKMF | nationofchange.org | 2019-09-20
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 U.S. and China and increase U.S. meddling in Hong Kong. It will become an excuse for unilateral coercive measures (sanctions) against China and Hong Kong. In the Open Letter …
nationofchange.org/2019/09/20/open-letter-to-congress-why-the-hong-kong-human-rights-and-democracy-act-of-2019-must-be-opposed/

"Here's the deal": Joe Biden's very bad month
Derek Royden | nationofchange.org | 2019-09-20
The seeming media consensus going into the third Democratic debate held by ABC news in Houston on September 12th, was that the front runner, former Vice President Joe Biden, needed to do better than he did in the first two, where, to be charitable, he often seemed unprepared and used outdated expressions like, "here's the deal" over and …
nationofchange.org/2019/09/20/heres-the-deal-joe-bidens-very-bad-month/

The crime against Afghanistan
Editor | workers.org | 2019-09-20
It's the longest U.S. war ever. And no one in the ruling U.S. imperialist establishment can explain why it continues. Before Trump recently claimed he was for withdrawing at least some of the thousands of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, similar promises were made by previous U.S. presidents, Democrats and Republicans. . . . | Continue reading The crime against Afghanistan at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/09/20/the-crime-against-afghanistan/

Elizabeth Warren organizing happy hour
anybody | indybay.org | 2019-09-20
La Guerrera's Kitchen, Oakland…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/19/18826442.php

The GOP Has a Secret Plan to Preserve Its Grip on Power
Robert Reich | truthdig.com | 2019-09-20
As America grows progressively more liberal and diverse, Republicans have concluded they can only govern by way of minority rule.
truthdig.com/articles/the-gop-has-a-secret-plan-to-preserve-its-grip-on-power/

Legacy of our Gold Mining Town of Negro Bar, California
Khubaka, Michael Harris | indybay.org | 2019-09-20
Honorable William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr., "African Founding Father of California owned over 35,521 acres of land in the Sacramento Valley including the Gold Mining Town of Negro Bar, California…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/09/19/18826463.php

Working in America: Paychecks for Silence
Louis Yako | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-20
Let us begin with just a few recent and disturbing statistics about working in America. First, most Americans (nearly 78%) live paycheck to paycheck, which makes them vulnerable to abuse and bullying by employers. Second, a 2018 Harris Poll found that…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/20/working-in-america-paychecks-for-silence/

On the Road to Damascus
Roger D. Harris | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-20
"Welcome to your second country" was the greeting our Syrian hosts gave us when we arrived for the International Trade Union Forum for "solidarity with the workers and people of Syria against the economic blockade, imperialist interventions, and terrorism." Throughout my short one-week stay, Syrians, on seeing I was a foreigner, would muster their best …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/on-the-road-to-damascus/

Sanders Hits Back at Rich Biden Donor: 'The Democratic Party I Represent Is the Party of the Working Class, Not Billionaires'
Jake Johnson, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-20
"We are going to make the changes that we need in this country when the working people of America stand up to the corporate elite, not take their money." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_19.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/20/sanders-hits-back-rich-biden-donor-democratic-party-i-represent-party-working-class?cd-origin=rss

This Afghan Teen Was Set to Join First-Ever U.N. Youth Climate Summit, But U.S. Denied His Visa
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-20
Climate youth activist Nasratullah Elham of Afghanistan was invited to participate in the first-ever U.N. Youth Climate Summit, but the United States rejected his visa. He breaks the sound barrier to join us from Phuket, Thailand, where he is a 12th grade student, and says his activism is based on the crisis's impact on his home country. "The poor people there are very badly affected in a situation [where] they do not really have much carbon emissions," he says.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/20/afghan_teen_denied_visa_global_climate

"Young People Have Had Enough": Global Climate Strike Youth Activists on Why They Are Marching Today
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-20
Today is the Global Climate Strike, inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. As people took to the streets in Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia, we host a roundtable discussion with youth activists organizing marches in the United States — in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis — ahead of next week's U.N. Climate Action Summit. We are joined by Xiye Bastida, a 17-year-old climate justice activist originally from Mexico who is an organizer with Fridays for Future New York and a student at Beacon High School in New York; Katie Eder, a 19-year-old climate justice activist wh…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/20/global_climate_strike_new_york_minnesota

Kelsey Juliana v. U.S.: Meet the Young Woman Suing the Federal Government over the Climate Crisis
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-20
Among those joining today's Global Climate Strike will be Kelsey Juliana, lead plaintiff in Juliana v. United States, the landmark youth climate lawsuit against the U.S. government. She joins us for a roundtable discussion, along with Jerome Foster II, White House Climate Strike organizer, founder and executive director of OneMillionOfUs.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/20/youth_climate_lawsuit_juliana_v_united

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/

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

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/

Support FAIR: 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/

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/

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 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 Democratic do…
theintercept.com/2019/09/18/philadelphia-union-workers-presidential-summit/

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/

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

"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

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

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

'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/

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/

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

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: 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

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/

"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

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

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/

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

"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

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

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

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/

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