'Obvious malicious intent': Tulsi Gabbard hits Clinton with defamation suit over 'Russian asset' smear
rt.com | 2020-01-22
Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard is suing two-time White House runner-up Hillary Clinton over her claim that Gabbard was a "Russian asset," alleging that the lie hurt not just her campaign but the entire election. | Clinton "lied about her perceived rival Tulsi Gabbard… publicly, unambiguously, and with obvious malicious intent" when she claimed Gabbard was "the favorite of the Russians," the campaign alleges in the suit, filed on Wednesday in the federal Southern Di…
rt.com/usa/478916-tulsi-russian-asset-clinton-lawsuit/

'Obvious malicious intent': Tulsi Gabbard hits Clinton with defamation suit over 'Russian asset' smear
rt.com | 2020-01-22
Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard is suing two-time White House runner-up Hillary Clinton over her claim that Gabbard was a "Russian asset," alleging that the lie hurt not just her campaign but the entire election. | Clinton "lied about her perceived rival Tulsi Gabbard… publicly, unambiguously, and with obvious malicious intent" when she claimed Gabbard was "the favorite of the Russians," the campaign alleges in the suit, filed on Wednesday in the federal Southern Di…
rt.com/usa/478916-tulsi-russian-asset-clinton-lawsuit/

Tulsi Gabbard Files Defamation Suit Against Hillary Clinton
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-22
NEW YORK

The Obama Legacy: Reform Versus Revolution
John O'Kane | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-22
Those factions of the Democratic party which worked so hard in 2016 to sabotage Bernie Sanders' chances for the nomination have been nervous for some time about the persistent popularity of the progressive agenda. We've been witnessing the blowback from this assault. The arrival of the "squad" in 2018 and Warren's addition to the slate of candidates for the upcoming election are striking symptoms, unthinkable without the Sanders' "revolution."
counterpunch.org/2020/01/22/the-obama-legacy-reform-versus-revolution/

#TelltheTruthJoe Trends as Sanders Video Shows Biden Record on Social Security
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-22
After Joe Biden's campaign Tuesday night released an online video accusing the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders of unleashing a "barrage of negative attacks" and "not telling the truth" about the former vice president's record on Social Security, the hashtag #TelltheTruthJoe began trending on social media and Sanders himself shot back by saying…
truthout.org/articles/tellthetruthjoe-trends-as-sanders-video-shows-biden-record-on-social-security/

House impeachment managers make case for removal of the president
John Wojcik | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-22
Undaunted by GOP attempts to stage a sham trial the Democratic House impeachment managers used time Tuesday that Republicans had hoped would embroil them in procedural arguments to instead lay out a clear narrative of why Trump should be removed from office. They made a convincing argument that Trump is continuing today the abuses of …
peoplesworld.org/article/house-impeachment-managers-lay-out-the-case-for-removal-of-the-president/

"The Senate Voted for a Cover-Up": GOP Senators Tilt Impeachment Trial in Trump's Favor
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-22
After the first marathon day leading up to President Trump's impeachment trial, we speak with Vince Warren and Baher Azmy, executive director and legal director, respectively, of the Center for Constitutional Rights. In a 13-hour session, the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate approved rules for the impeachment trial that Vince Warren says are tantamount to a "cover-up." Under the rules, each side will be given 24 hours over a three-day period for opening arguments. Senators also agreed to automatically admit evidence from the House inquiry into the trial record. Republicans rejected 11 amendments from Democrats t…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/22/impeachment_trial_donald_trump_senate

"Andrew Johnson Was a Lot Like Trump": Echoes of 1868 in Trump's Impeachment Trial
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-22
After a nearly 13-hour marathon session, the U.S. Senate approved by a party-line vote the rules for the impeachment trial of President Trump. This marks just the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history. The Senate trial comes a month after the House impeached Trump for pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. Under the rules, each side will be given 24 hours over a three-day period for opening arguments. Senators also agreed to automatically admit evidence from the House inquiry into the trial record. Republicans rejected 11 amendments from Democrats to subpoena witnesses and…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/22/impeachment_donald_trump_andrew_johnson

Trump Impeachment Trial Now on Fast Track With Rules Set
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-22
WASHINGTON

Senate approves Trump impeachment trial rules after grueling 12-hour session
rt.com | 2020-01-22
Senate Republicans have pushed through ground rules for President Trump's impeachment trial, ending more than 12 hours of contentious debate with their Democratic rivals over guidelines for the proceedings. | Approved by a party-line vote of 53 to 47, the rules give House prosecutors and Trump's legal team 24 hours each to argue their cases for and against impeachment. The opening statements are scheduled to begin on Wednesday afternoon. | After each side makes their case, senators will have 16 hours to submit questions in writing. The Senate will then consider subpoenaing witnesses or relevant documents. | Al…
rt.com/usa/478859-trump-impeachment-rules-senate-trial/

Seventeen Charter Schools Siphon $155 Million from Buffalo Public School System
Shawgi Tell | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-01-22
To the shock of many, the Buffalo News, Buffalo's main newspaper, recently published an article exposing serious problems with charter schools. Like Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle, the Buffalo News usually goes out of its way to provide biased reporting on charter schools, almost always presenting them in the most favorable light possible, while consistently ignoring …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/01/seventeen-charter-schools-siphon-155-million-from-buffalo-public-school-system/

Egypt and the Destruction of Civil Liberties in America
Jacob G. Hornberger | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-22
There are lots of things wrong with the conviction and incarceration of 54-year-old Mustafa Kassem, who died last week in Egypt. Kassen was an American citizen who drove a taxi in New York City. He had two children. In 2013, the Egyptian military ousted the democratically elected president of the country, which reestablished its omnipotent…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/22/egypt-and-the-destruction-of-civil-liberties-in-america/

Brazil's Bolsonaro government charges journalist Glenn Greenwald with "cybercrimes"
wsws.org | 2020-01-22
The trumped-up charges against Greenwald by Bolsonaro's fascistic government are of a piece with the global assault on free speech and democratic rights and the jailing of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/22/gree-j22.html

Scottish National Party clashes with Johnson government over second independence referendum
wsws.org | 2020-01-22
The invocations of democracy by both sides seek to conceal a row between rival bourgeois factions whose interests, aims and nationalist agendas are hostile to the working class on both sides of the border.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/22/scot-j22.html

Evo Morales Celebrates 14th Anniversary of Cultural Revolution
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-22
The democratically elected president of Bolivia Evo Morales celebrated on Wednesday the 14th anniversary of the "Democratic and Cultural Revolution, and the Plurinational State Day," as social movements prepare several mobilizations in Bolivian territory to request the restoration of democracy. | RELATED: | Bolivia: MAS Presidential Candidate Becomes Target of Lawfare | "We are the unstoppable force of a people that has decided never to go back. We have shown that another Bolivia…
telesurenglish.net/news/Evo-Morales-Celebrates-14th-Anniversary-of-Cultural-Revolution-20200122-0005.html

Senate adopts rules for quick impeachment trial of President Trump
wsws.org | 2020-01-22
The statements on the Senate floor by both the lawyers for Trump and the House impeachment managers made clear the right-wing, antidemocratic politics of both warring factions.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/22/impe-j22.html

Shots fired at SPD constituency office in Halle, Germany
wsws.org | 2020-01-22
On the morning of January 15, five bullet holes were discovered in the window of Social Democratic Party (SPD) member of parliament Karamba Diaby's constituency office in Halle.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/22/germ-j22.html

Long-Bailey gives her campaign a big boost with bold 'democratising' pledge
Ed Sykes | thecanary.co | 2020-01-22
Rebecca Long-Bailey has launched a bold 'democratising' pledge which could give her Labour leadership campaign a big boost."I support open selections": In a Daily Mirror interview, Long-Bailey

Democratic Party establishment wages war on Sanders
wsws.org | 2020-01-22
The public and vicious campaign by Democratic Party leaders against Sanders only underscores the political bankruptcy of his perspective of reforming this organization.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/22/pers-j22.html

Egypt and the Destruction of Civil Liberties in America
Jacob G. Hornberger | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-22
There are lots of things wrong with the conviction and incarceration of 54-year-old Mustafa Kassem, who died last week in Egypt. Kassen was an American citizen who drove a taxi in New York City. He had two children. In 2013, the Egyptian military ousted the democratically elected president of the country, which reestablished its omnipotent…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/22/egypt-and-the-destruction-of-civil-liberties-in-america/

SEP to hold public meeting in Canada to demand freedom for Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2020-01-22
The Socialist Equality Party (Canada) is holding a public meeting in Montreal on Sunday, February 2 to fight for the freedom of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, oppose war, and defend democratic rights.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/22/cnas-j22.html

US Style Democracy: Chronology of Bolivia's 'Slow Motion' Coup
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-22
On Sunday, November 10, 2019, Bolivia's Armed Forces Commander Williams Kaliman "recommended" President Evo Morales to present his resignation. | RELATED: | Bolivia: MAS Presidential Candidate Becomes Target of Lawfare | This was one of the last crucial moments in a coup d'etat that began long ago with the backing of the United States government and with the active participation of the Organization of American States (OAS). On that day, the Bolivian extreme right opened the door…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Style-Democracy-Chronology-of-Bolivias-Slow-Motion-Coup-20200122-0003.html

Criminalizing Reporting: Glenn Greenwald Faces Cybercrime Complaint After Exposing Scandal in Brazil
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-22
In Brazil, federal prosecutors have filed a criminal complaint against journalist and Intercept co-founder Glenn Greenwald in connection to a major investigation he spearheaded that exposed misconduct among federal prosecutors and a former judge. Called "The Secret Brazil Archive," the series of pieces published in The Intercept and The Intercept Brasil used a trove of documents to offer new and damning insight into the sweeping anti-corruption campaign that brought down former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and paved the way for the election of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. The investigation used pre…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/22/glenn_greenwald_cybercrimes_charges_brazil

A Torturer Meets His Victims: CIA Psychologist Defends Brutal Methods at Guantánamo Military Hearing
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-22
On Tuesday, the psychologist identified as the "architect" of the CIA's torture program testified for the first time to the war court at Guantánamo Bay. James Mitchell was in the courtroom for a pretrial hearing for five 9/11 suspects who had been subject to torture, euphemistically called "enhanced interrogation techniques." Mitchell and his partner, Dr. Bruce Jessen, were paid $81 million to help design the CIA's torture methods, including some of the agency's most abusive tactics. The pair had no prior experience in interrogation. At the hearing, Mitchell reportedly told defense lawyers he only came to Guantán…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/22/cia_torture_program_guantanamo_bay

23 Headlines Obscure Biden's Lies About Cutting Social Security
Joshua Cho | fair.org | 2020-01-22
by Joshua Cho | Here's something many Americans would be very interested to know: Is a leading candidate in the Democratic primary a liar? And since a strong majority of Americans have consistently opposed cuts to Social Security, the country's most successful anti-poverty program, D…
fair.org/home/23-headlines-obscure-bidens-lies-about-cutting-social-security/

Andrew Johnson Was a Racist President Facing Impeachment. Sound Familiar?
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-22
After a nearly 13-hour marathon session, the U.S. Senate approved by a party-line vote the rules for the impeachment trial of President Trump. This marks just the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history. The Senate trial comes a month after the House impeached Trump for pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. Under the rules, each side will be given 24 hours over a three-day period for opening arguments. Senators also agreed to automatically admit evidence from t…
truthout.org/video/andrew-johnson-was-a-racist-president-facing-impeachment-sound-familiar/

Despite Limitations, Cuba's State Budget Maintains Its Eminently Social Focus
Yudy Castro Morales | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-22
The planned budget for 2020 is based on principles of conservation and rationality in expenditures, and maximizing income, mobilizing all untapped potential that exists in the economy, stated Vladimir Regueiro Ale, first deputy minister of Finances and Prices, during …
globalresearch.ca/despite-limitations-cuba-state-budget-maintains-eminently-social-focus/5701381

The Republicans Have Revealed Their Impeachment Strategy–Lying
Elie Mystal | thenation.com | 2020-01-22
The Republicans Have Revealed Their Impeachment Strategy–Lying…
thenation.com/article/cipollone-impeachment-lies/

There's a New Playbook for Securing Abortion Access
Andrea Miller | thenation.com | 2020-01-22
There's a New Playbook for Securing Abortion Access…
thenation.com/article/abortion-democrats-roe-anniversary/

What Is Chuck Schumer Doing?
Jeet Heer | thenation.com | 2020-01-22
What Is Chuck Schumer Doing?
thenation.com/article/schumer-amendments-impeachment-strategy/

'I'll straight up get armed': Yet another Bernie staffer caught spouting extremist ideas, is there a problem in the campaign?
rt.com | 2020-01-21
A video exposing the extreme viewpoints of yet another staffer of the Bernie Sanders campaign has some questioning whether there is a growing issue inside the Vermont senator's ranks. | A video released on Tuesday by Project Veritas reveals a man identified as Martin Weissgerber, a paid field organizer for the Sanders presidential campaign in South Carolina, fantasizing about sending Republicans to "reeducation camps" and Sanders dissolving the Senate and House of Representatives should he become president. | "Do we just cease

Is Hillary Clinton Running for President Again? Sure Seems Like It
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-21
Did Hillary Clinton become a candidate for the Democratic nomination on Tuesday? Not officially, but I'm pretty damned certain she's in it now just the same, hoping for a confluence of circumstances that can catapult her to the office she has so spectacularly failed to obtain. | Notwithstanding last week's media-amped kerfuffle over what Bernie Sanders did or did not say to Elizabeth Warren about…
truthout.org/articles/is-hillary-clinton-running-for-president-again-sure-seems-like-it/

Bernie Sanders: 10 Years Fighting Citizens United
Brett Wilkins | commondreams.org | 2020-01-21
Essentially, it's democracy for sale to the highest bidder. (Photo: Joe Bruskey/cc/flickr) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/money_out.jpeg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/01/21/bernie-sanders-10-years-fighting-citizens-united?cd-origin=rss

"Nobody Likes Him": Hillary Clinton Not Sure She'll Endorse Bernie Sanders
Eoin Higgins | theantimedia.com | 2020-01-21
(CD)

Hillary Clinton Won't Help Bernie Sanders Win 2020 Election
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-21
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would not commit to back Sen. Bernie Sanders should he win the Democratic nomination this year and declared in a forthcoming documentary that "nobody likes" the Vermont senator. | RELATED: | Sanders 1st Democratic Candidate to Criticize Coup in Bolivia | Her comments were made in an interview with The Hollywood Repo…
telesurenglish.net/news/Hillary-Clinton-Wont-Help-Bernie-Sanders-Win-2020-Election-20200121-0014.html

Hillary Clinton Won't Commit to Endorsing Sanders
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-21
WASHINGTON

Paging pot, this is kettle: 'Nobody likes him,' Hillary Clinton says of 'divisive' Bernie Sanders
rt.com | 2020-01-21
Two-time presidential also-ran Hillary Clinton hasn't dropped her grudge against erstwhile opponent and current Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders, and her comments on his 'likability' have triggered a backlash from all sides. | Clinton excoriated her former competitor as unlikeable and ineffective, telling the Hollywood Reporter that "nobody wants to work with [Sanders]" in the Senate in an interview published Tuesday ahead of a four-part d…
rt.com/usa/478819-clinton-attacks-sanders-divisive-hypocrisy/

The Trump Coup to Come
Paul Street | truthdig.com | 2020-01-21
America's political authoritarianism comes in different, yet combined, mutually reinforcing forms. We have the neofascist authoritarianism of the white nationalist Republican Party, its Great Dog-Wagging God in the White House and his cultish, white-Amerikaner base. | Donald Trump may well not leave the White House without a dangerous fight if he is bested in the Electoral College in November. In his book…
truthdig.com/articles/the-trump-coup-to-come/

Even the Democrats Do Favors for the Rich
Gerald E. Scorse | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-01-21
In 2017 a Republican-controlled Congress passed a tax cut hugely tilted to corporations and the wealthy. In the waning days of 2019, the Democratic-controlled House did a kind of me-too. It pushed through a retirement bill with a provision that gives billions to those in the upper tiers. The House's gift to the well-off was …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/01/even-the-democrats-do-favors-for-the-rich/

Spanish PM Sanchez to meet head of Catalan govt Torra, independence referendum 'off the table'
rt.com | 2020-01-21
Spain's prime minister has said he will meet the head of Catalonia's regional government in early February, but discussion of an independence referendum will be off the table. | The meeting will come ahead of negotiations between Quim Torra's regional government and PM Pedro Sanchez, aimed at finding a way out of the political crisis that has rocked Spain since 2017 after a disputed referendum in the northeastern region. | Catalonia's oldest and largest pro-independence party, the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), demanded the talks about the region's place within Spain in exchange for its abstention in a co…
rt.com/newsline/478767-spain-pm-catalan-referendum/

Senate Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump Begins
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-21
The impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump has begun in the Senate after Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell proposed rules that would envisage a quick trial. | Hours before the start of Trump's trial in the Republican-controlled Senate on charges he abused power and obstructed Congress, Democrats said the rules proposed by McConnell would prevent witnesses from testifying and bar evidence gathered by investigators. | McConnell unveiled a plan on Monday that would execute a potentially quick trial without new testimony or evidence, and give House Democratic prosecutors and Trump lawyers 48 hours,…
telesurenglish.net/news/Senate-Impeachment-Trial-of-Donald-Trump-Begins-20200121-0008.html

Iowa is not the Twitterverse
Laura Flanders | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-21
It was a balmy 70 degrees in New York City last Saturday, and the excited green croci began tipping through the earth. Now, that same ground is icy, and those tips are frozen stiff, and I've been fearing that the same fate might befall hopeful progressive voters in the wake of the Warren/Sanders tiff. The…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/21/iowa-is-not-the-twitterverse/

Iowa is Not the Twitterverse
Laura Flanders | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-21
It was a balmy 70 degrees in New York City last Saturday, and the excited green croci began tipping through the earth. Now, that same ground is icy, and those tips are frozen stiff, and I've been fearing that the same fate might befall hopeful progressive voters in the wake of the Warren/Sanders tiff. The…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/21/iowa-is-not-the-twitterverse/

US Gov Was Found Guilty In MLK's Assassination, Virginia Update & Israeli Gov "Proof" Of Iran Nukes
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2020-01-21
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (1/20/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/us-gov-was-found-guilty-in-mlks-assassination-virginia-update-israeli-gov-proof-of-iran-nukes/

US Officials Admit Covert Tech Program Is Fueling Iran Protests, MEK Attacks Iran Bases & OPCW Lies
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2020-01-21
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (1/20/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/us-officials-admit-covert-tech-program-is-fueling-iran-protests-mek-attacks-iran-bases-opcw-lies/

A Show Trial? As Trump Impeachment Trial Begins, Mitch McConnell Accused of Staging a Cover-Up
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-21
The Senate opens the third impeachment trial of a U.S. president in the country's history Tuesday, marking a historic day in Washington. Under proposed rules by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, each side will be given 24 hours over two days for opening arguments, after which senators will have 16 hours for questions and four hours for debate. The Senate will then vote on whether to hear from any new witnesses. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said McConnell is trying to rush the impeachment process, while House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff, who is one of the impeachment managers, has accused the…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/21/trump_impeachment_trial_us_senate

The Teamster Revolt Against the Hoffa Era
David Levin | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-21
Willie Ford listened to the conference call in disbelief from the cab of his tractor trailer on I-95 as the Teamster election monitor announced the results of the contract vote covering 250,000 workers at UPS.Ford, a leader of Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU), and rank-and-file activists like him, had spent months organizing the UPS…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/21/the-teamster-revolt-against-the-hoffa-era/

Trump lawyers & intel committee head Schiff accuse each other of obstructing as Senate impeachment trial begins
rt.com | 2020-01-21
House intel committee head Adam Schiff clashed with President Donald Trump's attorneys as the Senate impeachment trial began, attempting to spin his party's lackluster articles of impeachment as dire crimes and getting cut down. | Even while insisting the evidence presented during the House hearings was "more than enough" for the Senate to convict Trump, Schiff maintained that failing to include all the witnesses, documents, and other material the Democrats had tried (and failed) to shoehorn into those hearings "only rewards the president's obstruction." | Trump's "refusal to obey subpoenas" was allowing him t…
rt.com/usa/478839-schiff-trump-lawyers-impeachment-senate/

National Archives Doctored Photos of 2017 Women's March to Blur Messages Critical of Trump
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-21
The National Archives and Records Administration apologized Saturday for doctoring a photo of the 2017 Women's March to remove criticisms of President Trump. In an exhibit called "Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote," the National Archives had displayed a large image of the first Women's March. But at least four signs referencing Trump had been blurred to remove his name, including a poster reading "God Hates Trump." Signs in the photo referencing female anatomy were also blurred. The shocking revelation that the archives

Democracy – a Plea to Strengthen It and Fight for It
Hanspeter Georgi | indybay.org | 2020-01-21
We as democrats must take care of democracy as a learning system. If we do not do so, democracy will wither away.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/20/18829924.php

Greta Thunberg Addresses Global Elite at Davos: Our House Is Still on Fire
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-21
The 17-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg delivered a speech Tuesday to the world leaders and global elite gathered in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, one year after she first condemned the forum for its inaction on climate change. "We don't need a 'low-carbon economy.' We don't need to 'lower emissions.' Our emissions have to stop," Thunberg said. "And until we have the technologies that at scale can put our emissions to minus, then we must forget about net zero. We need real zero."
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/21/greta_thunberg_davos_speech_2020

Voting Rights Advocate: The Impeachment of Trump Is Needed to Protect Our Elections & Democracy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-21
The impeachment trial begins its proceedings in the Senate today amid accusations of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attempting to rush the impeachment process. Senators will have 16 hours for questions and four hours for debate, after 24 hours for opening arguments on each side. We speak with Rick Perlstein, historian and author, and Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Clarke says that thanks to the rules set by McConnell, Trump's impeachment trial could be over within a week, with much of the debate taking place in the evening. The proces…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/21/trump_impeachment_trial_us_senate_pt2

The big loser in the Iowa debate? CNN's reputation
Jim Naureckas | mronline.org | 2020-01-21
The biggest loser from last night's Democratic debate (1/14/20) was CNN's journalistic credibility. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/21/the-big-loser-in-the-iowa-debate-cnns-reputation/

National Archives Doctored Photo of 2017 Women's March to Blur Messages Critical of Trump
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-21
The National Archives and Records Administration apologized Saturday for doctoring a photo of the 2017 Women's March to remove criticisms of President Trump. In an exhibit called "Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote," the National Archives had displayed a large image of the first Women's March. But at least four signs referencing Trump had been blurred to remove his name, including a poster reading "God Hates Trump." Signs in the photo referencing female anatomy were also blurred. The shocking revelation that the archives

Northam's Virginia budget: Democrat gives a pittance to workers, lion's share to wealthy
wsws.org | 2020-01-21
The budget would give paltry increases in healthcare subsidies and teacher wages while doing nothing to undercut the state government's support for big business.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/21/virg-j21.html

Get the Money Out of Politics: 10 Years After Citizens United
Tiffany Muller | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-21
Ten years ago this week, the Supreme Court released its disastrous 2010 Citizens United decision. The court, either through remarkable naivety or sheer malevolence, essentially married two terrible ideas: that "money equals speech" and that "corporations are people." The ruling put a for sale sign on our democracy, opening up a flood of corporate, special…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/21/get-the-money-out-of-politics-10-years-after-citizens-united/

Seven pointed questions for corporate media about their biases
Jeff Cohen | nationofchange.org | 2020-01-21
Unfortunately, many Democratic voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and elsewhere are unduly influenced by mainstream media.
nationofchange.org/2020/01/21/seven-pointed-questions-for-corporate-media-about-their-biases/

Citizens United at 10: Why Fighting Corruption Is a Racial Justice Issue
Chris Kromm | commondreams.org | 2020-01-21
Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) speaks in favor of the For the People Act, a sweeping, pro-democracy bill passed by the House in 2019 that combines measures to protect voting rights, curb Big Money influence, and strengthen ethics rules. (Photo: Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-john_lewis_for_the_people.jpeg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/01/21/citizens-united-10-why-fighting-corruption-racial-justice-issue?cd-origin=rss

Get the Money Out of Politics: 10 Years After Citizens United
Tiffany Muller | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-21
Ten years ago this week, the Supreme Court released its disastrous 2010 Citizens United decision. The court, either through remarkable naivety or sheer malevolence, essentially married two terrible ideas: that "money equals speech" and that "corporations are people." The ruling put a for sale sign on our democracy, opening up a flood of corporate, special…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/21/get-the-money-out-of-politics-10-years-after-citizens-united/

Mitch McConnell Accused of Staging a Cover-Up as Trump Impeachment Trial Begins
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-21
The Senate opens the third impeachment trial of a U.S. president in the country's history Tuesday, marking a historic day in Washington. Under proposed rules by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, each side will be given 24 hours over two days for opening arguments, after which senators will have 16 hours for questions and four hours for debate. The Senate will then vote on whether to hear from any new witnesses. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said McConnell is trying to rush th…
truthout.org/video/mitch-mcconnell-accused-of-staging-a-cover-up-as-trump-impeachment-trial-begins/

In 2020, Double Standards Are Still Dogging Elizabeth Warren–and All the Women Candidates
Joan Walsh | thenation.com | 2020-01-21
In 2020, Double Standards Are Still Dogging Elizabeth Warren–and All the Women Candidates…
thenation.com/article/women-presidential-campaign-sexism-democrats/

Is Anti-Monopolism Enough?
Gabriel Winant | thenation.com | 2020-01-21
Is Anti-Monopolism Enough?
thenation.com/article/goliath-monopoly-and-democracy-matt-stoller-review/

The Iowa Caucuses Have Long Turned Out the 'Same Old White Crew.' 2020 Could Be Different
Rebecca Zweig | thenation.com | 2020-01-21
The Iowa Caucuses Have Long Turned Out the 'Same Old White Crew.' 2020 Could Be Different.
thenation.com/article/iowa-caucuses-democrats-diverse/

Is Anti-monopolism Enough?
Gabriel Winant | thenation.com | 2020-01-21
| In Goliath, Matt Stoller argues that U.S. history has been defined by a struggle between monopoly and democracy, but to understand inequality today requires engaging with questions of class and labor that he and other anti-monopolists tends to ignore.
thenation.com/article/goliath-monopoly-and-democracy-matt-stoller-review/

In Response to Oxfam Inequality Report, Sanders Calls for Global Movement to Counter 'Greed of Billionaire Class'
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-01-21
Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has spent his several decades in politics fighting for working people and believes that "billionaires should not exist," responded to a new Oxfam International report on inequality by calling Tuesday for a global movement to pursue economic justice. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sanders_34_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/01/21/response-oxfam-inequality-report-sanders-calls-global-movement-counter-greed?cd-origin=rss

If Democrats Want to Honor Legacy of Dr. King, Says Ocasio-Cortez, "We Have to Be Dangerous Too"
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-01-21
At a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event at Riverside Church in Harlem, New York Monday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez urged her audience to recognize the Democratic Party is closer to "a center-conservative party" than a progressive one—something that must change if the civil rights icon's legacy is truly to be honored. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-01-21_at_11.11.07_am.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/01/21/if-democrats-want-honor-legacy-dr-king-says-ocasio-cortez-we-have-be-dangerous-too?cd-origin=rss

While Establishment Erupts Over Anti-Corruption Expert Pointing Out Biden's Troubling Record, Progressives Say: Look at the Troubling Record
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-01-21
"Here's the thing: nominating a candidate like Biden will make it far more difficult to defeat Trump." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/biden_ad_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/01/21/while-establishment-erupts-over-anti-corruption-expert-pointing-out-bidens-troubling?cd-origin=rss

The Warren-Sanders Feud Is Proof Our Electoral System Is Broken
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-21
This article originally appeared on Salon. | It started as garden-variety tensions between two campaigns competing for the same voters. Then it exploded into a testy exchange during

PROFILE: Elias Fakhakh, Tunisia's new premier
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-21
Born in commercial hub town of Sfax, Fakhfakh, 48, was announced on Monday as the country's new premier after President Qais Saeed gave him a mandate to form the government.He appeared satisfied last Saturday during his meeting with Saeed at Carthage Palace, amid ongoing consultations to choose the next prime minister.Fakhfakh belongs to the Democratic Current Party, which has 22 lawmakers in the 217-seat Tunisian parliament. He got the support of both his own bloc and the Long Live Tunisia Party for the premier position. Following parliamentary elections last October, Fakhfakh will be the second prime minister a…
yenisafak.com/en/news/profile-elias-fakhakh-tunisias-new-premier-3510138

Oxfam Report Contains Dire Warning for Global Capitalism
Ilana Novick | truthdig.com | 2020-01-20
"I don't think 500 billionaires are the reason we're in trouble," former Vice President Joe Biden told an audience at the Brookings Institute in 2018. It was a few months before he'd officially declare his candidacy for president, but Biden's position was clear: "The folks at the top aren't bad guys." | After Bernie Sanders said that " Billionaires should not exist" during a 2019 New York Times interview, Facebook CEO Mark Zu…
truthdig.com/articles/oxfam-report-contains-dire-warning-for-global-capitalism/

Trump Showed Us Who He Was Before He Became President
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-20
The long record of this presidency's transgressions now includes the open dog-wagging assassination

Better Living Through Glyphosate? Spray Now, Ask Questions Later
Mark Harris | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-20
There's a lot of talk in the Trump era about the "war on science." But this war, such as it is, extends far beyond uninformed Republican attacks on climate change science or Donald Trump's mocking insults of Greta Thunberg, the teen climate activist nearly 60 years the old bully's junior. This war involves not only…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/20/better-living-through-glyphosate-spray-now-ask-questions-later/

Report: Israel Steals Land, Erects Nature Reserves and National Parks to Expand Settlements
IMEMC News & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-01-20
Madeeha Araj/PNN The National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated, in its latest weekly report , that the far-right Israeli Defense Minister, Naftali Bennett announced, last week, the approval of seven nature reserves in the West Bank, with an area of 130,000-State dunams

'Hot mess': New York Times eviscerated for dual endorsement of Warren/Klobuchar
rt.com | 2020-01-20
New York Times editor Mara Gay said the paper's Sunday night dual endorsement of Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar is meant to point out that there's two ways forward for anti-Trump voters, but neither side is buying it. | "This is really our way of narrowing that field, and also just pointing out to voters there is more than one pathway forward here," Gay told Morning Joe on Monday, saying Warren and Klobuchar present the best "two paths" to beat US President Donald Trump. | Conservatives have mocked the dual endorsement for being motivated by identity politics

Democrats Respond to Trump's Official Statement on Impeachment Charges
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-20
Responding to President Donald Trump's official answer to the impeachment charges against him now facing trial in the U.S. Senate, the Democratic House Managers assigned to prosecute the case rejected Sunday morning the president's claim his conduct was "perfect" by saying there is "a different word for it: impeachable." | Entitled " The Answer of President Donald J. Trump" (pdf), the six-page…
truthout.org/articles/democrats-respond-to-trumps-official-statement-on-impeachment-charges/

Thousands of Armed Gun-Rights Activists Protest in Virginia
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-20
A large number of armed gun-rights activists descended on Virginia's capitol building on Monday to protest a package of gun-control legislation making its way through the newly Democratic-controlled state legislature. | RELATED: | 55% of US Voting-Age Women Prefer Socialism, Over Capitalism | According to the Reuters News Agency, the Richmond rally was surrounded by heavy security after Virginian Governor Ralph Northam banned carrying weapons onto the capitol grounds. | The r…
telesurenglish.net/news/Thousands-of-Armed-Gun-Rights-Activists-Protest-in-Virginia-20200120-0004.html

Trump Lawyers Urge Dismissal of "Flimsy" Impeachment Case
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-20
Their brief offers a glimpse of the lines of defense they intend to use against Democratic efforts to convict and oust the president.
truthdig.com/articles/trump-lawyers-urge-dismissal-of-flimsy-impeachment-case/

Trump's legal team releases impeachment trial memo, calls process a 'charade'
rt.com | 2020-01-20
Donald Trump's legal team has released an official response to the charges of impeachment against the president, calling the process a "charade" and an "affront to the Constitution." | Trump has been charged with abuse of office and obstruction of Congress, with his impeachment trial slated to begin in the Senate on Tuesday. Though Trump has lambasted the impeachment drive against him since an inquiry was initially opened by Democrats in September, his legal team released a 110-page rebuttal of the charges on Monday. | "The Articles of Impeachment now before the Senate are an affront to the Constitution and to…
rt.com/usa/478749-trump-impeachment-trial-defense/

'Come and take it': Thousands rally in Virginia against new gun-control laws (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-01-20
Thousands of gun-rights supporters and militia members have gathered at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, in an armed show of defiance against a slew of gun laws proposed by Governor Ralph Northam. | Northam

7 Pointed Questions for Corporate Media About Their Biases
Jeff Cohen | truthdig.com | 2020-01-20
| Why don't you refer to our current health care system as a "corporate-run system"? | At Democratic presidential debates and elsewhere, network TV journalists have aggressively challenged the notion of "abolishing p…
truthdig.com/articles/seven-pointed-questions-for-corporate-media-about-their-biases/

SPECIAL: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in His Own Words
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-20
Today is the federal holiday that honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was born January 15, 1929. He was assassinated April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was just 39 years old. While Dr. King is primarily remembered as a civil rights leader, he also championed the cause of the poor and organized the Poor People's Campaign to address issues of economic justice. Dr. King was also a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy and the Vietnam War. We play his "Beyond Vietnam" speech, which he delivered at New York City's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, as well as his last speech, "I've Been to…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/20/special_dr_martin_luther_king_jr

Biden campaign warns media not to spread 'debunked' claims about his activities in Ukraine or else
rt.com | 2020-01-20
Joe Biden's presidential campaign has issued a warning to the media cautioning journalists against spreading what he called "debunked" theories about his controversial role in having a Ukrainian prosecutor removed from office. | In the memo first reported by NBC News, Biden's campaign accuses President Donald Trump of "spreading a malicious and conclusively debunked conspiracy theory" that the former VP engaged in wrongdoing when he pressured Ukraine to fire former Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin. | Biden has previously bragged about his role in having Shokin fired, even admitting on camera that he presented…
rt.com/usa/478746-biden-warns-media-ukraine/

Latam Expects Stable, Prosperous New Year After Turbulent 2019
Cui Yuanlei, Yang Chunxue, Shooka Shemirani | telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-20
Via Xinhua: | The year of 2019 was a turbulent one for Latin America where there were protests, violent clashes and a fierce tug of war between conservative and progressive currents in countries long considered bastions of stability. | As the region staggers into 2020 with stagnant or even shrinking growth, hopes are that the first year of this new decade will be marked by greater political stability, economic prosperity and fruitful trade ties, though observers admit it may sometimes be an uphill battle. | RECOVERING STABILITY | With…
telesurenglish.net/news/Latam-Expects-Stable-Prosperous-New-Year-After-Turbulent-2019-20200120-0009.html

Bernie Sanders Has Been Getting It Right for 40 Years. Now, Says His Movement: 'We Are Going to Win'
Jon Queally, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-01-20
"We've never ever in our lifetimes had a true champion of social, economic, and climate justice this close to the White House." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_molly_crabapple_new_hampshire.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/01/20/bernie-sanders-has-been-getting-it-right-40-years-now-says-his-movement-we-are-going?cd-origin=rss

Countering Annual Whitewash of His Legacy, Progressives Remember the 'Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Imperialist' Martin Luther King Jr
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-01-20
While the likes of President Donald Trump, right-wing Republicans, and Pentagon officials—in addition to many liberals—marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with selective quotes and messages, progressives aimed to challenge their whitewashed narrative of the civil rights leader's legacy with detailed reminders of King's scathing critique of not only racism but also capitalism, militarism, and imperialism. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mlk_2.jpeg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/01/20/countering-annual-whitewash-his-legacy-progressives-remember-anti-capitalist-anti?cd-origin=rss

'Love Letter to Capitalism and War': Progressive Scorn Follows New York Times Endorsement
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-01-20
The newspaper's endorsement of both Warren and Klobuchar, said one critic, reveals "so much about the liberal reaction to a resurgent left, a reaction that holds Trump as an aberration and polite, well-mannered centrism as the greatest virtue." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/nyt-scorn-endorsement-.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/01/20/love-letter-capitalism-and-war-progressive-scorn-follows-new-york-times-endorsement?cd-origin=rss

Sanders Team Hits Back After Biden Claims Social Security Video Was "Doctored"
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-19
Highlighting a major contrast between the current top two candidates in the Democratic primary field in terms of how they have addressed the issue over their long legislative careers, the Bernie Sanders campaign hit back against a claim made by Joe Biden earlier in the day in which the former vice president said there was "doctored video" being circulated by the Sanders campaign that showed him agreeing with former Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan about the need to cut Social Securit…
truthout.org/articles/sanders-team-hits-back-after-biden-claims-social-security-video-was-doctored/

Cusack, Bernie's prophet of doom: Only 10-12 years to stop climate change & 'predatory capitalism'
rt.com | 2020-01-19
It appears actor John Cusack took the climate change messages in his film '2012' really, really seriously, because he says Earth only has a handful of years left

Revealed Iran's Attack Did Cause Casualties, US/Israeli Cyberattack & Pompeo Threatens The World
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2020-01-19
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (1/18/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/revealed-irans-attack-did-cause-casualties-us-israeli-cyberattack-pompeo-threatens-the-world/

The Battle to Impeach Trump Is Part of a Global Struggle for Democracy
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-19
The impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump

Ex-UN weapons inspector: Biden's Iraq war vote excuse a 'bald-faced lie'
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-19
Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter dismantles Joe Biden's explanation for his Iraq war vote and recounts Biden's long record…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/19/ex-un-weapons-inspector-bidens-iraq-war-explanation-a-bald-faced-lie/

Ex-UN weapons inspector: Biden's Iraq war vote excuse a 'bald-faced lie'
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-19
Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter dismantles Joe Biden's explanation for his Iraq war vote and recounts Biden's long record…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/19/ex-un-weapons-inspector-bidens-iraq-war-explanation-a-bald-faced-lie/

Unity Requires Recognizing That Warren Is Telling the Truth
Elie Mystal | thenation.com | 2020-01-19
Unity Requires Recognizing That Warren Is Telling the Truth…
thenation.com/article/sanders-warren-truth/

AFL-CIO to the nation: Make King's dream America's reality
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-18
WASHINGTON–Faced with the renewed and rising right-wing onslaught against women, workers, immigrants and people of color, unionists at the AFL-CIO's annual Martin Luther King Civil and Human Rights Conference spent their two days in D.C. focusing on reclaiming voting rights, battling voter suppression and educating and empowering workers to ensure they can vote this year …
peoplesworld.org/article/afl-cio-to-the-nation-make-kings-dream-americas-reality/

Minnesotans brave a blizzard to challenge Klobuchar on Iran and Iraq
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-01-18
Minneapolis, MN – 20 people picketed in front of Senator Amy Klobuchar's office during a blizzard, January 17, for her legitimizing Trump's targeting of Iran and for her silence on the U.S. occupation of Iraq. | Autumn Lake of the Anti-War Committee spoke to the crowd, "Minnesota's favorite hometown disappointment, Senator Amy Klobuchar, is somehow still on the campaign trail, seemingly for no other reason than to prove what many of us have known for years; that the Republicans and the Democrats will always unite to serve the interests of the powerful over the interests of the broad masses. She's managed to…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/18/minnesotans-brave-blizzard-challenge-klobuchar-iran-and-iraq

Following corporate media's Warren-Sanders controversy, progressive groups call for unity
People's World Staff | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-17
The leaders of six major progressive organizations–some on record endorsing Sen. Elizabeth Warren, some backing Sen. Bernie Sanders, and others so far neutral–issued a joint statement calling for unity between the candidates and their supporters in the wake of the media-stoked controversy over gender and electability that has threatened to distract from the campaign to …
peoplesworld.org/article/following-corporate-medias-warren-sanders-controversy-progressive-groups-call-for-unity/

'Rigging election again': Trump says impeachment all a ploy to… shaft Bernie Sanders
rt.com | 2020-01-17
The impeachment trial against Donald Trump is not just a "witch hunt," but a ploy to "rig" the Democratic nomination against Bernie Sanders and in favor of Joe Biden, the US president has claimed. | "They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders, just like last time, only even more obviously," Trump tweeted on Friday. | They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders, just like last time, only even more obviously. They are bringing him out of so important Iowa in order that, as a Senator, he sit through the Impeachment Hoax Trial. Crazy Nancy thereby gives the strong edge to Sleepy…[m…
rt.com/usa/478551-trump-bernie-sanders-rigging/

Trump's Impeachment Trial Begins Next Week
Staff | therealnews.com | 2020-01-17
By Jaisal Noor Democrats are just one Republican vote short of allowing new witnesses into Donald Trump's impeachment trial–and new evidence might sway them. The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump begins next week. House Democrats introduced charges on Thursday, Jan.16 that Trump abused his powers and obstructed a congressional inquiry into his effort…
therealnews.com/columns/trumps-impeachment-trial-begins-next-week

Warren presents ambitious plans to voters in rapidly changing small-town Iowa
John Bachtell | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-17
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa–"When you see government working great for those with money and not working much for anyone else, that is corruption pure and simple," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren at a packed campaign event here on Jan. 12, with the Iowa Caucuses looming Feb. 3. The Caucuses are the first in a string of state contests …
peoplesworld.org/article/warren-presents-ambitious-plans-to-voters-in-rapidly-changing-small-town-iowa/

Protest at Senator Klobuchar's office to demand no war on Iran and U.S. troops out of Iraq
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-01-17
Minneapolis, MN – The Anti-War Committee of Minnesota is holding a protest on Friday, January 17, 4: 30 p.m., at U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar's Office, located at 1200 S Washington Avenue in Minneapolis to demand the senator denounce the Trump administration's military escalations with Iran and the U.S. continued occupation of Iraq. Klobuchar had the opportunity to denounce Trump's airstrike and instead responded that Trump should have asked for Congress' permission. | Protesters also plan on denouncing Klobuchar's attempts to further legitimize the targeting of Iran. On CNN Tonight with Don Lemon Senator Klobuchar…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/17/protest-senator-klobuchar-s-office-demand-no-war-iran-and-us-troops-out-iraq