Biden's Flip-Flop on Free Higher Education Exposes His Hypocrisy
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-30
One key debate in the Democratic primary is the question of free public higher education. While Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have proposed free public college for all, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has supported the idea for families making less than $150,000, and former Vice President Joe Biden has positioned himself as a centrist who rejects these plans and instead adopts the Obama approach of free community college. | What makes t…
truthout.org/articles/bidens-flip-flop-on-free-higher-education-exposes-his-hypocrisy/

Document Offers Tantalizing Preview of a Sanders Administration
Jacob Sugarman | truthdig.com | 2020-01-30
While former Vice President Joe Biden still leads the Democratic field nationally, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has pulled ahead in Iowa and New Hampshire, and Politico reports that he's now receiving the kinds of political attacks typically associated with "front-runner status." It's a label the Vermont sen…
truthdig.com/articles/document-offers-tantalizing-preview-of-a-sanders-administration/

The Bernie Blackout Is Real, and These Screenshots Prove It
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-30
It's 2020, but it could well be 2016 all over again

Document Offers Tantalizing Preview of a Sanders Administration
Jacob Sugarman | truthdig.com | 2020-01-30
While former Vice President Joe Biden still leads the Democratic field nationally, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has pulled ahead in Iowa and New Hampshire, and Politico reports that he's now receiving the kinds of political attacks typically associated with "frontrunner status." It's a label the Vermont sena…
truthdig.com/articles/document-offers-tantalizing-preview-of-a-sanders-administration/

Why the Prospect of a "Bernie Blue Out" Terrifies the One-Percent
Tony Christini | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-30
I mentioned some time ago when it didn't go without saying that Bernie Sanders stands a real chance to win the US Presidency. It goes without saying now. What's also clear is that the One Percent establishment

It's Media–Not Bernie Sanders–That Have an Antisemitism Problem
Alan MacLeod | zcomm.org | 2020-01-30
Media motives appear less to do with genuine concern over anti-Jewish sentiment and more about weaponizing smears against a progressive campaign taking on the power of the wealthy…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/its-media-not-bernie-sanders-that-have-an-antisemitism-problem/

Alan Dershowitz Is Insulting Everybody's Intelligence
Marjorie Cohn | truthdig.com | 2020-01-30
This article originally appeared on Truthout. | Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard emeritus law professor who is serving as a hired gun for Team Trump, is arguing that even if John Bolton testifies that Trump admitted the quid pro quo with Ukraine to him, the Senate could not remove the president from office. Dershowitz has gone so far as to say that even if Trump told Bolton he was withholding the congressionally authorized military aid to Ukraine until it helped him with an investigation of the Bidens, that is s…
truthdig.com/articles/alan-dershowitz-is-insulting-everybodys-intelligence/

Could This Be the End of American Exceptionalism?
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-30
More Americans are dissatisfied with democracy than at any point since records began in 1995, according to a new study published Wednesday, and the number of citizens with a positive view of the U.S. system of government dipped for the first time below 50%. | To observers like journalist Rania Khalek, the reason for such a shift in global attitudes was clear. | "Our systems aren't actually democratic," said Khalek. "We live in a miserable oligarchy, no wonder people are unhappy." | "Dissatisfaction with democracy within developed countries is at its highest level in almost 25 years" | That's bc our systems aren't…
truthdig.com/articles/could-this-be-the-end-of-american-exceptionalism/

Will dad splash the cash for the wedding?! Bill Gates' daughter gets engaged to Egyptian showjumping star
rt.com | 2020-01-30
The daughter of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Jennifer, has got engaged to Egyptian equestrian star Nayel Nassar, who made a surprise proposal during the couple's skiing vacation. | The eldest daughter of billionaire businessman Gates and his wife Melinda, revealed she will soon tie the knot with her fiancé by posting a picture on Instagram showing her emotional reaction to the offer of marriage. | READ MORE: Democrats turn on Bill Gates after billionaire hints he's not a fan of Warren's wealth tax…
rt.com/sport/479594-bill-gates-daughter-engaged/

Your Emoji-Based Guide to Where the 2020 Candidates Stand on Media and Tech Policy
Craig Aaron, Dana Floberg | commondreams.org | 2020-01-30
On Thursday, Free Press Action released its 2020 "Right to Connect Voter Guide," an analysis of presidential candidates' positions on vital media and technology policies. It analyzes the positions of nine Democratic and Republican presidential candidates polling at 3 percent or above in recent national polls. (Image: Free Press Action) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/media_scorecard.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/01/30/your-emoji-based-guide-where-2020-candidates-stand-media-and-tech-policy?cd-origin=rss

Why was Rand banned? Sen. Paul reveals his CENSORED question at Trump impeachment trial
rt.com | 2020-01-30
As Senators gathered for the last day of questioning in President Trump's impeachment trial, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul found his question censored in a way that may have revealed the identity of the mysterious whistleblower. | With the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump nearing its final stages, senators gathered on Capitol Hill on Thursday to question the Democratic prosecution team, and Trump's defense attorneys. However, Paul (R-Kentucky) found his question shot down by presiding Chief Justice John Roberts, who declined "to read the question as submitted." | Paul left the chamber after Roberts' de…
rt.com/usa/479628-rand-paul-impeachment-question/

Impeachment and the Imperial Presidency
Donald Monaco | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-30
Donald J. Trump is the third president in American history to face an impeachment trial in the United States Senate. He stands accused by Democratic members in the House of Representatives of abusing power and obstructing Congress. | In reality, Trump …
globalresearch.ca/impeachment-imperial-presidency/5702279

John Bolton and the "national security" impeachment
wsws.org | 2020-01-30
While the Democrats embrace the war criminal John Bolton, the Republicans portray the president as essentially above the law, an elected dictator.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/30/pers-j30.html

"Coded Bias": New Film Looks at Fight Against Racial Bias in Facial Recognition & AI Technology
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-30
A new documentary looks at the dangers of artificial intelligence and its increasing omnipresence in daily life, as new research shows that it often reflects racist biases. Earlier this month, Cambridge, Massachusetts, became the latest major city to ban facial recognition technology, joining a growing number of cities, including San Francisco, to ban the artificial intelligence, citing flawed technology and racial and gender bias. A recent study also found that facial recognition identified African-American and Asian faces incorrectly 10 to 100 times more than white faces. The film "Coded Bias" begins with Joy B…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/30/coded_bias_shalini_kantayya_joy_buolamwini

A Public Option Sustains Health Care Inequities. Medicare for All Tackles Them
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-30
Health care has been at the forefront of discussion during the 2020 primary season. The debate has boiled down to whether Democratic candidates will embrace single-payer or support an expansion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through a public option. While candidates trade jabs and throw around industry talking points, the debate and subsequent media attention has largely excluded how people with disabilities will be affected by the prospective nominees' health care plans. | People with dis…
truthout.org/articles/a-public-option-sustains-health-care-inequities-medicare-for-all-tackles-them/

Local Dems Say City Council Candidate Renée Golder was a Registered Republican Until 2018
Santa Cruz Election News | indybay.org | 2020-01-30
Local Democrats have checked official voting records and are reporting that Santa Cruz City Council recall candidate Renée Golder was a registered Republican until April of 2018. They say voting records indicate Golder registered as a Republican in 2000 and voted in multiple primary elections as a Republican, until she switched her party affiliation to Democratic in 2018. Presently, Golder is running as a "pro-recall" Santa Cruz City Council candidate against Progressives in the March 2020 election.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/28/18830135.php

Ex-Solicitor General: Alan Dershowitz Is Wrong. Trump Is Not Above the Law & Should Be Impeached
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-30
President Trump's legal team offered an extraordinary new defense during Trump's impeachment trial on Wednesday. Attorney Alan Dershowitz said that a sitting president could take any action to boost his re-election chances if he felt his re-election was in the public interest. "If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment," Dershowitz said. Trump was impeached by the House last month for freezing military aid to Ukraine in an effort to pressure Ukraine to open an investigation of Trump's politi…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/30/neal_katyal_impeachment_alan_dershowitz

Amid impeachment, Trump signs North American trade deal passed with Democratic support
wsws.org | 2020-01-30
The bipartisan support for the USMCA shows that all factions in Washington agree on an intensification of economic conflict with China.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/30/usmc-j30.html

Bring It On: Why Democrats Should Take the Hunter Biden for John Bolton Trade
Alan Hirsch | commondreams.org | 2020-01-30
Protesters at the rally held signs depicting reasons for Trump to be removed. Members of the activist group Rise and Resist held an emergency demo in the main hall of Grand Central Terminal during the peak evening rush hour to demand that the Senate hold a full trial with witnesses and evidence. (Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1197122176.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/01/30/bring-it-why-democrats-should-take-hunter-biden-john-bolton-trade?cd-origin=rss

Amid Social Security Fight, Biden Losing Ground
Akela Lacy | zcomm.org | 2020-01-30
Amid an ongoing debate over Joe Biden's record on Social Security, the former vice president's support among middle-aged and older Americans is eroding…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/amid-social-security-fight-biden-losing-ground/

20th Anniversary of Rosa Parks Day in California
Khubaka, Michael Harris | indybay.org | 2020-01-30
Our 2020 Rosa Parks Day of Courage, at Sacramento City Hall is the oldest known official celebration of Rosa Parks Day in California. ACR 156, California Legislation recognizing the 20th Anniversary of Rosa Parks Day will recommit a statewide effort to share the strength, courage, faith and determination of Rosa Louise McCauley Parks with young school children and seasoned seniors who have forgotten how to sing, "We Shall Overcome" in California and throughout the world.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/29/18830157.php

Republicans are 'actual demons,' 'zombies,' says New York Times Nobel Prize-winning columnist
rt.com | 2020-01-30
New York Times columnist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman has doubled down on denouncing the Republican Party as "bad people," insisting that there's nothing wrong with "demonizing" opponents who "actually are demons." | Krugman refused to budge from his declaration that "Republicans are bad people" during an interview with PBS' Firing Line on Thursday. When interviewer Margaret Hoover pressed the Nobel Prize-winning economist on the risks inherent in "demonizing" political opponents, he only doubled down, taking his ad hominems into the mythical realm. | Is it demonizing if they already actually are demons?
rt.com/usa/479625-krugman-calls-republicans-demons-zombies/

Trump's Impeachment Defense Is Incoherent by Design
Sonali Kolhatkar | truthdig.com | 2020-01-30
The Senate impeachment trial playing out in Washington, D.C., is a history-making event, not just because it is only the third time that the Senate has ever been asked to formally consider removing a president, but also because it showcases, in stunning terms, the hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy of the Republican Party. It would be laughable, if it weren't so tragic, to watch defenders of President Donald Trump tying themselves into knots in attempting to prove his innocence. They are forced to resort to constant contradictions of their own past statements–and of one another–at every turn, because ther…
truthdig.com/articles/trumps-impeachment-defense-is-incoherent-by-design/

Trump's Defense Is Rife With Contradictions–by Design
Sonali Kolhatkar | truthdig.com | 2020-01-30
The Senate impeachment trial playing out in Washington, D.C., is a history-making event, not just because it is only the third time that the Senate has ever been asked to formally consider removing a president, but also because it showcases, in stunning terms, the hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy of the Republican Party. It would be laughable, if it weren't so tragic, to watch defenders of President Donald Trump tying themselves into knots in attempting to prove his innocence. They are forced to resort to constant contradictions of their own past statements–and of one another–at every turn, because ther…
truthdig.com/articles/trumps-defense-is-rife-with-contradictions-by-design/

US authorizes embassy evacuations in China, as coronavirus death toll ticks up
rt.com | 2020-01-30
The US State Department has authorized the departure of non-emergency staff at its embassy in Beijing and consulates in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang, a spokesman told Reuters on Thursday. The decision was made as the SARS-like coronavirus spread to every region of China, killing at least 170 people and infecting over 8,000. The virus has been confirmed in nearly 20 countries, and the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency. The State Department's departure order comes a week after American diplomatic staff were evacuated by plane from Wuhan, a city of 11 mill…
rt.com/newsline/479629-us-embassy-china-coronavirus/

Sanders or Warren? Why Not Both?
D.D. Guttenplan | thenation.com | 2020-01-30
Sanders or Warren? Why Not Both?
thenation.com/article/politics/sanders-warren-winning-ticket/

Donald Trump Is Not the Only Alleged Criminal Democrats Can't Unseat
Hallie Golden | thenation.com | 2020-01-30
Donald Trump Is Not the Only Alleged Criminal Democrats Can't Unseat…
thenation.com/article/politics/matt-shea-washington/

Donald Trump Is Not the Only Lawless Republican
Hallie Golden | thenation.com | 2020-01-30
Donald Trump Is Not the Only Lawless Republican…
thenation.com/article/politics/matt-shea-washington/

The Republicans Have Now Begun the Trolling Phase of the Impeachment Trial
Elie Mystal | thenation.com | 2020-01-30
The Republicans Have Now Begun the Trolling Phase of the Impeachment Trial…
thenation.com/article/politics/impeachment-dershowitz-trolling/

Day Nine of Donald Trump's Impeachment Trial in Senate – Video
sputniknews.com | 2020-01-30
Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry against President Trump in autumn last year following a whistleblower's complaint that the US president had allegedly pressed his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky to investigate former US Vice-President Joe Biden and his son Hunter regarding their business activities in Ukraine.
sputniknews.com/us/202001301078180150-day-nine-of-donald-trumps-impeachment-trial-in-senate—video/

'A Champion of Workers Rights': 200,000-Strong Postal Workers Union Endorses Sanders for President
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-01-30
"We believe it is in the best interests of all postal workers, our job security, and our union to support and elect Bernie Sanders for president." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sanders-staff-bargaining-agreement_0_0.png …
commondreams.org/news/2020/01/30/champion-workers-rights-200000-strong-postal-workers-union-endorses-sanders?cd-origin=rss

The Liberal Establishment is Already Warning Third Parties Not to Ruin the 2020 Election
Roger D. Harris | mintpressnews.com | 2020-01-29
Prominent liberal personalities, including Noam Chomsky, issued an open letter imploring third parties to "remove themselves as a factor" in the 2020 presidential election to "benefit all humanity and a good part of the biosphere."
mintpressnews.com/liberal-establishment-warning-third-parties-not-to-ruin-2020-election/264460/

Warren calls for criminalizing online 'disinformation,' gets roasted for Orwellian overreach
rt.com | 2020-01-29
Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren has called for criminalizing knowingly disseminating 'disinformation' about voting, a move that would give the government the power to decide what constitutes truth and lies. | Warren called for "civil and criminal penalties for knowingly disseminating false information about when and how to vote in US elections" on Wednesday, as part of the lengthy and occasionally self-contradictory plan for "fighting digital disinformation" posted to her campaign website.
rt.com/usa/479536-warren-demands-criminalizing-voting-disinfo/

In impeachment crisis, Trump continues fascistic appeals, Democrats promote warmonger John Bolton
wsws.org | 2020-01-29
An architect of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Bolton has advocated wars for regime change in Iran, Syria, Libya, Venezuela, Cuba, Yemen and North Korea.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/29/impe-j29.html

"Yet Another Declaration of War on Palestinians": Rashid Khalidi on Trump's Middle East "Peace" Plan
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-29
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans to annex about 30% of the occupied West Bank, after Israel was given the green light to do so by the United States. On Tuesday, President Trump

New NAFTA Signed Into Law Only After Democrats Force Trump to Rewrite His 2018 NAFTA 2.0 Deal to Remove Big Pharma Giveaways, Add Better Labor and Environmental Terms
commondreams.org | 2020-01-29
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/01/29/new-nafta-signed-law-only-after-democrats-force-trump-rewrite-his-2018-nafta-20?cd-origin=rss

Coalition to March on DNC threatens lawsuit as Milwaukee government denies democratic rights
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-01-29
Milwaukee, WI – On the evening of January 27, organizers for the Coalition to March on the DNC held a press conference outside City Hall to announce their intention to sue the city if their permit to rally and march is not delivered. Despite having reserved the rotunda inside the building, the press conference was forced to be held outside. | This was the result of a city council representative not booking the room for that evening, even after all proper procedures were followed by the Coalition. This is further proof that the City of Milwaukee is trying to silence the freedoms of speech and assembly of the peopl…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/29/coalition-march-dnc-threatens-lawsuit-milwaukee-government-denies-democratic-rights

SEIU's Henry demands Senate impeachment trial call witnesses
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-29
WASHINGTON –In her second comment on the Senate impeachment trial of GOP President Donald Trump, Service Employees President Mary Kay Henry is demanding lawmakers call live witnesses to ensure a fair trial. And those senators who don't want witnesses, she adds, are "playing political games with issues serious for our democracy and the sanctity of …
peoplesworld.org/article/seius-henry-demands-senate-impeachment-trial-call-witnesses/

Mehdi Hasan: Trump's Middle East Plan Is a Policy of Apartheid & Settler Colonialism
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-29
We continue our discussion of President Trump's long-awaited Middle East plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which he has described as the "deal of the century." The plan was drafted by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner without any input from Palestinians and would give Israel sovereignty over large areas of the occupied West Bank, control over all of Jerusalem, and keep all illegal settlements built in the occupied West Bank. We speak with Mehdi Hasan, senior columnist at The Intercept, and Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University. Khalidi's latest book is…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/29/trump_middle_east_plan_apartheid

After the 2019 election, we need media reform now more than ever
Granville Williams | thecanary.co | 2020-01-29
This is a guest piece from Granville Williams, editor of MediaNorth

'I'm an old guy, vote for someone else': Biden's latest gaffes include odd sales pitch to voter & head-scratching demands for VP
rt.com | 2020-01-29
Former Vice President Joe Biden's odd strategy for winning over voters continues as video of him scolding one goes viral, and recent comments about his age raises alarm. | Though Biden continues to poll at the top of the Democrats fighting for their party's presidential nomination

Mehdi Hasan: The Impeachment Trial Has Been a Farce Since Day One Filled with GOP Lies
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-29
At the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told fellow Republican senators in a private meeting Tuesday that he does not yet have enough votes to block Democrats from calling impeachment witnesses. Democrats have pushed for former national security adviser John Bolton to testify. On Sunday night, The New York Times published details about a draft of Bolton's forthcoming book, in which he claims Trump personally told him in August he wanted to maintain a freeze on $391 million in military aid to Ukraine until Ukraine turned over materials related to former Vice Presi…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/29/john_bolton_witness_impeachment_trial

The Impeachment Trial Has Been a Farce Staged by the GOP Since Day One
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-29
At the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told fellow Republican senators in a private meeting Tuesday that he does not yet have enough votes to block Democrats from calling impeachment witnesses. Democrats have pushed for former national security adviser John Bolton to testify. On Sunday night, The New York Times published details about a draft of Bolton's forthcoming book, in which he claims Trump personally told him in August he wanted to maintain a…
truthout.org/video/the-impeachment-trial-has-been-a-farce-staged-by-the-gop-since-day-one/

Israeli Defense Minister Wants Annexation of Occupied West Bank
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-29
Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex over a third of the occupied West Bank shorlty after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his so-called "Deal of the Century" plan on Middle East peace. | RELATED: | Iran Slams Trump's Middle East Peace Plan as 'Disgraceful' | "Yesterday evening, history knocked on our door and granted us a one-time opportunity to apply Israel law on all of the settlements in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan…
telesurenglish.net/news/Israeli-Defense-Minister-Wants-Annexation-of-Occupied-West-Bank-20200129-0007.html

'We would be in World War Six by now' if Bolton were still in the WH, says Trump in scathing tweets
rt.com | 2020-01-29
US President Donald Trump has hit back at John Bolton, his former national security advisor, accusing him of writing a "nasty & untrue" book and saying the warmongering Republican could have led us into "World War Six." | While Bolton has become something of a hero to Trump's critics thanks to leaks from his upcoming book 'The Room Where it Happened', which seemingly confirm accusations that the president withheld foreign aid to Ukraine in the hopes they would investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, conservatives have begun to turn on the man, chief among them the president himself. | "For a guy who could…
rt.com/usa/479509-donald-trump-world-war-six/

57 scientists denounce Biden's claim that Sanders' Green New Deal doesn't have backing of science
Ashley Curtin | nationofchange.org | 2020-01-29
The scientists went as far as saying the Green New Deal is necessary to "solve our climate crisis."
nationofchange.org/2020/01/29/57-scientists-denounce-bidens-claim-that-sanders-green-new-deal-doesnt-have-backing-of-science/

Ukraine's ex-prosecutor who led Burisma investigation demands criminal probe of Biden
rt.com | 2020-01-29
Former top Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin has filed a criminal complaint with the state authorities, claiming former US Vice President Joe Biden strong-armed Kiev into firing him in order to stop the Burisma investigation. | In the complaint Shokin sent to the Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) on Tuesday, the former prosecutor requests that Biden be charged with "interference with the activities of a law enforcement officer." The document was obtained by the Interfax-U…
rt.com/news/479535-biden-burisma-shokin-criminal-probe/

Trump Trial: Pointed Questioning With Bolton Book at the Center
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-29
WASHINGTON

Bernie to the rescue
Michael T. Hertz | nationofchange.org | 2020-01-29
The media supporting centrists like Biden will say anything to tarnish Bernie's reputation, even with statements that are blatantly false.
nationofchange.org/2020/01/29/bernie-to-the-rescue/

The Imminent Threat of Trump and the Value of Progressive Third Parties
Roger D. Harris | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-01-29
As predictable as death and taxes is the quadrennial injunction from liberals for progressive third parties to cease and desist. Equally predictable is the admonition that this will be the most decisive presidential election in US history. Given the prospect of four more years of Trump, do they have a valid thesis or are they …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/01/the-imminent-threat-of-trump-and-the-value-of-progressive-third-parties/

Weakest Link: Impeachment and National Security
Jefferson Morley | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-29
In the summer of 2016 President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump didn't agree about much, except for one obscure issue of U.S. foreign policy: lethal military aid to Ukraine. As commander in chief, Obama objected to such assistance, even in the face of a Russian proxy war. So did candidate Trump. On…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/29/weakest-link-impeachment-and-national-security/

What Happens if Iowa and Nevada's 2020 Caucuses Are Disrupted?
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-29
In 2012, the Iowa Republican Party named Mitt Romney (now Utah's senator) as the winner of its presidential caucuses. But 16 days later, long after Romney rode a wave of momentum into New Hampshire, the Io…
truthdig.com/articles/what-happens-if-iowas-and-nevadas-2020-caucuses-are-disrupted/

The Electability Argument Is Really About Party Unity
Jeet Heer | thenation.com | 2020-01-29
The Electability Argument Is Really About Party Unity…
thenation.com/article/politics/democratic-unity-sanders-warren/

Tennessee's Chemical Castration Bill Shows Local Republicans Have One Thing on Their Minds
Jennifer Bernstein | thenation.com | 2020-01-29
Tennessee's Chemical Castration Bill Shows Local Republicans Have One Thing on Their Minds…
thenation.com/article/politics/tennessee-chemical-castration/

'Huge': Bernie Sanders Endorses Progressive Primary Challenger Jessica Cisneros
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-01-29
"We're proud that presidential candidates are taking a close look at South Texas as we fight to turn Texas blue in November—and that they know we're the only candidate in this race who will champion Democratic values in Washington." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cisneros-sanders-endorsement.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/01/29/huge-bernie-sanders-endorses-progressive-primary-challenger-jessica-cisneros?cd-origin=rss

The End of American Exceptionalism? Study Indicates Failure of US Democracy Creating Wave of Self Doubt
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-01-29
A new study shows that less than half of all Americans are satisfied with the nation's democratic system. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/democracy.jpeg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/01/29/end-american-exceptionalism-study-indicates-failure-us-democracy-creating-wave-self?cd-origin=rss

Interviews with New Hampshire voters show Bernie, Biden the favorites
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-28
MANCHESTER, N.H.–With two weeks to go before the key New Hampshire primary, there's at least one certain point you can make about the Democratic presidential nomination race here: Bernie Sanders is the favorite among younger voters, Joe Biden is the favorite among older ones. But that goes only for the people who have made up …
peoplesworld.org/article/interviews-with-new-hampshire-voters-show-bernie-biden-the-favorites/

It's Media–Not Bernie Sanders–That Have an Antisemitism Problem
Alan MacLeod | fair.org | 2020-01-28
Have you heard the news? Democratic presidential frontrunner Bernie Sanders is antisemitic. Yes, yes, he's Jewish, and has a long history of anti-racist activism–but that doesn't matter. | So goes the story in several prominent media outlets, who accuse him of leading "the most antisemitic [campaign] in decades" (Washington Examiner, 12/13/19). While unable to point to Sanders' own actions or words, the…
fair.org/home/its-media-not-bernie-sanders-that-have-an-antisemitism-problem/

Chomsky and other Liberal Intellectuals ask us to Join them in Throwing in the Towel
Stansfield Smith | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-01-28
Noam Chomsky, Barbara Ehrenreich, Bill Fletcher, Leslie Cagan, Ron Daniels, Kathy Kelly, Norman Solomon, Cynthia Peters, and Michael Albert wrote an Open Letter to the Green Party, asking them to support the 2020 Democratic candidate regardless who wins the nomination. It was in response to an article well worth reading by Howie Hawkins, "The Green …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/01/chomsky-and-other-liberal-intellectuals-ask-us-to-join-them-in-throwing-in-the-towel/

Murder of Mexican Artist Isabel Cabanillas Highlights Endemic Issue of Femicide in Ciudad Juárez
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-28
Isabel Cabanillas, a 26-year-old beloved feminist activist and artist, was recently assassinated in Ciudad Juárez, resurfacing the border city's painful legacy of femicides and violence against women. Cabanillas was reported missing on social media by her friends on Saturday, January 18, after she never returned home. On that same day, she was found shot to death on a sidewalk next to her bicycle in downtown Juárez. We speak with Nana Rebell, a feminist activist in Ciudad Juárez and a member of the Juárez feminist collective Hijas de su Maquilera Madre, about Cabanillas's life and the endemic issue of femicide in…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/28/juarez_mexico_isabel_cabanillas_assassination_femicide

Chinese Artist & Filmmaker Ai Weiwei on State Violence from Mexico to Hong Kong to Xinjiang
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-28
In 2014, 43 students from Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College disappeared after they were abducted in Iguala, Mexico. More than five years after their disappearance, the families of the students are still fighting for justice. The story is the subject of a stunning new documentary by the world-renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei. The film, "Vivos," follows the families of the disappeared students in their daily lives as they grapple with the absence of their loved ones and attempt to hold the Mexican government accountable for their disappearance. We sat down with Ai Weiwei earlier this week at the Sund…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/28/ai_weiwei_vivos_hong_kong_xinjiang

DNC chair names John Podesta & other Clinton loyalists to Convention Committee, triggering revolt from voters fearing 2016 2.0
rt.com | 2020-01-28
Democrats hoping their party learned from its 2016 failure have been horrified to discover many of those behind Hillary Clinton's losing campaign

Trump's Expansive Claims of Executive Privilege Pose "Very Serious Constitutional Crisis"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-28
During eight hours of oral arguments at the president's impeachment trial on Monday, President Trump's legal team repeatedly said that he has done nothing wrong, and largely ignored the explosive revelations made by Trump's former national security adviser. The president's case was made on Monday by a team of lawyers including Harvard University law professor Alan Dershowitz and former independent counsel Kenneth Starr, whose probe led to the impeachment of Bill Clinton. In an upcoming book, former national security adviser John Bolton says Trump told him the withholding of $391 million in military aid to Ukraine…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/28/impeachment_claire_finkelstein_executive_privilege

FRSO Venezuela delegation meets with women in Bolivarian Militia
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-01-28
Caracas, Venezuela – During the World Anti-Imperialist Congress, members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) delegation talked with women in the Bolivarian Militia. The Bolivarian Militia was created in 2005 in response to U.S. intervention. As of December 2019, President Maduro said he is moving toward making the Militia into "combat units" within the Armed Forces. In 2019, with multiple U.S.-backed coup attempts to install Juan Guaidó in place of democratically elected President Maduro, the Bolivarian Militia nearly doubled to 3.3 million members in a country of around 30 million people. Their rol…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/28/frso-venezuela-delegation-meets-women-bolivarian-militia

Milwaukee: Rally against war on Iraq, Iran
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-01-28
Milwaukee, WI – On January 25, around 40 people gathered at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and North Avenue to protest the ongoing U.S. war in Iraq and the threat of war with Iran. The protesters occupied each of the four street corners and took to chanting before running through a short lineup of speakers. | "Organization and numbers are the two greatest weapons at the disposal of the working class. We must use them if we're gonna win," said Ryan Hamann, a speaker from Freedom Road Socialist Organization. "Here's to building a strong, united, firmly anti-imperialist anti-war movement in Mi…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/28/milwaukee-rally-against-war-iraq-iran

Shaky Joe Biden, Billionaire Bloomberg, and the global race to the bottom
Glen Ford | mronline.org | 2020-01-28
Bloomberg has put himself and his fortune into the contest to rally his (ruling) classmates to the task of shoring up corporate control of the Party if Sanders seizes the top spot. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/28/shaky-joe-biden-billionaire-bloomberg-and-the-global-race-to-the-bottom/

Bernie Sanders Is Rising on the Strength of His Anti-War Stance
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-01-28
Bernie Sanders Is Rising on the Strength of His Anti-War Stance…
thenation.com/article/politics/bernie-sanders-anti-war-polls/

Kobe Bryant: America's Imperfect Icon
Aaron Ross Coleman | thenation.com | 2020-01-28
Kobe Bryant: America's Imperfect Icon…
thenation.com/article/culture/kobe-bryant-death/

To rig primary against Bernie, DNC chair Tom Perez nominates regime-change agents, Israel lobbyists, and Wall Street consultants
Kevin Gosztola | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-27
With Senator Bernie Sanders surging in the polls, DNC chair Tom Perez has put forward a cartoonishly neoliberal cast of…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/27/dnc-perez-regime-change-agents-israel-lobbyists-wall-street-rig-game-bernie/

Explosive Bolton Book Allegations Spark New Calls for Witnesses to Testify at Impeachment Trial
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-27
Calls are growing for the Senate to call witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial, after The New York Times published details about former national security adviser John Bolton's forthcoming book. In the book, Bolton writes that President Trump personally told him in August that he wanted to maintain a freeze on $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until Ukraine turned over materials related to former Vice President Joe Biden and supporters of Hillary Clinton in Ukraine. The New York Times broke the story on Sunday, one day after President Trump's legal team began its defense of the president. D…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/27/impeachment_trial_john_bolton_donald_trump

Never-Trumper strategist launches #ILefttheGOP campaign just in time for Senate impeachment votes
rt.com | 2020-01-27
Disaffected ex-Republicans are sharing their stories on social media as the seemingly-unbreakable two-party duopoly approaches peak unpopularity with American voters with less than a year to go before the 2020 election. | The hashtag #ILefttheGOP was trending on Monday as self-described former Republicans shared what made them exit party ranks – whether to join the Democrats, or to vote independently. It was created by former Republican strategist Cheri Jacobus, who left the party after a disastrous encounter with the president's 2016 campaign and has been a strident "never-Trumper" ever since. | Perhaps predi…
rt.com/usa/479334-gop-strategist-launches-campaign-walkaway/

Kobe Bryant Dead at 41: Remembering Basketball Star's Legacy On and Off the Court
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-27
Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles at the age of 41. The crash killed all nine people on board, including Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna and beloved college baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa. They were heading to a youth basketball game. Bryant won five NBA championships, two Olympic gold medals and was crowned an All-Star 18 times. He played for the L.A. Lakers for 20 years before retiring in 2016. Gianna Bryant reportedly hoped to one day play for the University of Connecticut women's basketball team. Tribute…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/27/kobe_bryant_death_in_helicopter_crash

Under Pressure in Impeachment Trial, Trump Steps Up Attacks on Reproductive Rights
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-27
Donald Trump on Friday became the first sitting president in U.S. history to attend the so-called March for Life, the annual anti-abortion rally held in Washington, D.C., that draws thousands of participants. President Trump

'Bombshell' or nothing to see here? Dems clamor for Bolton impeachment testimony as manuscript claims Trump-Ukraine quid-pro-quo
rt.com | 2020-01-27
Ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton's book claims Donald Trump admitted a Ukraine quid-pro-quo, prompting Democrats to declare it's game-over for the US president, as his supporters dismiss it as yet another nothingburger. | Democrats have renewed their demands for Bolton to testify in the Senate impeachment trial after a manuscript of the inveterate hawk's new tell-all book on his time in the White House asserted Trump had told Bolton the administration should keep sitting on $391 million in military aid to Ukraine until Kiev reopened an investigation of Burisma Holdings, the natural gas firm tied to for…
rt.com/usa/479321-bolton-book-impeachment-witness/

Kobe Bryant's fateful helicopter flight details REVEALED online as authorities work to ID victims (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-01-27
New details have emerged about the helicopter crash in California that took the life of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and eight others, including an audio recording from the pilot. As of Monday, three bodies have been recovered. | The authorities have said they will not identify anyone involved in the Sunday crash until a coroner's report comes in and the bodies are fully recovered. Thus far, only three bodies have been recovered, according to the LA County Coroner's Office. | However, multiple outlets have reported the identities of the the passengers besides Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and the pilot, i…
rt.com/usa/479329-kobe-bryant-helicopter-crash/

'Poor judgement': WaPo suspends reporter for Kobe Bryant rape case link tweeted HOURS after his death
rt.com | 2020-01-27
The Washington Post has suspended one of its reporters after she posted a link to a story about a 2016 rape case involving Kobe Bryant just hours after the basketball star's death in a helicopter crash. | Felicia Sonmez posted the link not long after the news of Bryant's death broke on Sunday and faced furious backlash online, with tweeters accusing her of "disgusting" insensitivity, particularly in light of the fact that the crash also took the lives of Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people.
rt.com/usa/479326-washington-post-kobe-bryant-rape/

"Ours to Tell": New Film Highlights Personal Stories About the Importance of Abortion Access
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-27
As Roe v. Wade faces unprecedented attacks, the new short film "Ours to Tell" puts a human face to the fight for reproductive justice and highlights those whose stories are often sidelined by the media: LGBTQ communities and communities of color. The film focuses on Ylonda, Nick, Hannah and Brittany, four people who discuss how having access to abortion shaped their lives. The film was directed by Rayka Zehtabchi and was created by Planned Parenthood and We Testify. For more on the film, as well as the state of reproductive rights in the United States, we speak with Renee Bracey Sherman, founder and executive dir…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/27/ours_to_tell_film_abortion_stories

United States: As Iowa caucuses approach, Democratic battle lines emerge
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-01-27
US politics Leo CrnogorcevicIssue 1251 United States Democratic Party US presidential primariesJanuary 27, 2020Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton's defeat by Republican Donald Tr…
greenleft.org.au/content/united-states-iowa-caucuses-approach-democratic-battle-lines-emerge

VIDEOS show scene of California helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant
rt.com | 2020-01-26
Footage has emerged showing the aftermath of the helicopter crash in California that reportedly took the life of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and eight others. | First videos and photos of the crash site show smoke and debris scattered around the area, and emergency services arriving to the scene. The accident reportedly started from a fire onboard Kobe Bryant's private helicopter which made it spiral out of control before crashing over Calabasas. | The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed there were no survivors left at the crash site. They have said they will not confirm the identity of the eight o…
rt.com/usa/479250-kobe-bryant-helicoper-crash-videos/

Suing Hillary Clinton, Tulsi Gabbard stands up to the Russiagate smear machine
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-25
As Bernie Sanders ignores Hillary Clinton's attacks, Tulsi Gabbard is fighting back. Gabbard has filed a $50 million defamation suit…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/25/suing-hillary-clinton-tulsi-gabbard-stands-up-to-the-russiagate-smear-machine/

Impeachment: Democrats cry 'dictator' while Team Trump cries 'election interference'
rt.com | 2020-01-25
After three days of Democrat offensive, President Donald Trump's defense team have laid out their arguments. The Democrats, they said, are trying to commit their own brand of election interference by removing Trump from office. | The Senate impeachment trial of President Trump opened on Tuesday, and the Democrats' chosen team of prosecutors, or impeachment managers, spent much of this week reiterating their long-standing argument: Trump abused his office by withholding military aid for Ukraine to pressure President Volodymyr Zelensky into reopening a corruption investigation into the business activities of Joe…
rt.com/usa/479196-impeachment-trump-defense-arguments/

International Court of Justice Orders Burmese Authorities to Protect Rohingya Muslims from Genocide
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-24
In a major ruling, the U.N. International Court of Justice at The Hague has ordered Burma to "take all measures within its power" to protect Rohingya Muslims from genocide. The court issued the ruling Thursday, calling the 600,000 Rohingya remaining in Burma, also known as Myanmar, "extremely vulnerable" to military violence. The court ordered Burma to report regularly to the tribunal about its progress. The ruling is a sharp rebuke of Burma's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who last month asked the court to drop the genocide case against Burma. Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace Prize winner who spent over a decade figh…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/24/burma_rohingya_genocide_icj_ruling

Oakland Moms Who Occupied Vacant Property to Highlight Housing Crisis Celebrate Unexpected Victory
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-24
In Oakland, California, a months-long struggle between a group of unhoused mothers occupying a vacant home and the real estate firm that owned it ended with an unexpected offer to purchase the property earlier this week. The major win in the mothers' fight against homelessness and real estate speculation comes just a week after Wedgewood Properties forcibly evicted the families

Law Professor: Trump Could Also Have Been Impeached for War Crimes, Assassinations & Corruption
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-24
Democratic lawmakers are continuing to lay out their case for removing the president from office in the final day of opening arguments by Democrats in the historic impeachment trial of President Trump. Republicans will begin their opening arguments on Saturday. The Senate trial comes a month after the House impeached Trump for withholding congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine as part of an effort to pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate Trump's political rival, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. On Thursday, House impeachment manager Jerrold Nadler made the case that a president can…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/24/donald_trump_senate_impeachment_trial

Canada's Justin Trudeau Toes the Imperial Line on Iran
Yves Engler | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-01-24
While the current Liberal government claims to be progressive and in favour of a rules-based international order, promotion of democracy and world peace, its actions regarding Iran demonstrate that the primary drivers of Canadian foreign policy remain US geo-political interests and the interests of the rich and powerful. (This previous article argues this has long been the …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/01/canadas-justin-trudeau-toes-the-imperial-line-on-iran/

Tim Robbins: Bernie Sanders Is the Best Shot We Have to Defeat Donald Trump
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-23
We continue our conversation with Academy Award-winning actor and director Tim Robbins, whose recent projects include the new film "Dark Waters" and a play about immigration called "The New Colossus." He recently endorsed Vermont senator and Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders for president. "I believe he is the only one of them that can defeat Trump," Robbins says.
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/23/tim_robbins_bernie_sanders_endorsement

Trump Brags About Withholding Evidence as Democratic Impeachment Managers Lay Out Case in the Senate
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-23
During the opening day of oral arguments in the impeachment trial, President Trump was accused of abusing his office to "cheat an election." House impeachment managers spent about eight hours on Wednesday laying out their case for why President Trump should be removed from office. The Senate trial comes a month after the House impeached Trump for withholding congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine as part of an effort to pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate Trump's political rival, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. While the impeachment trial was taking place in the Senate, Presiden…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/23/trump_impeachment_trial_senate_dahlia_lithwick

"Dark Waters": Meet the Lawyer Whose 20-Year Fight Against DuPont Inspired the New Film
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-23
The new film "Dark Waters" tells the story of attorney Rob Bilott's 20-year battle with DuPont over contaminated drinking water in West Virginia from toxic chemicals used to make Teflon. The Environmental Working Group credited Billot with "uncovering the most heinous corporate environmental conspiracy in history," and the issue of contaminated water from the plastics industry continues to devastate areas across the country. On Wednesday, the Environmental Working Group released a shocking report about how toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS have been found in the drinking water of dozens of U.S. cities, in…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/23/tim_robbins_rob_billot_dark_waters

"The New Colossus": In New Play, Tim Robbins Tackles Immigration & Xenophobia
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-23
President Trump said Wednesday that he would expand his highly controversial travel ban, which already bars citizens from seven countries, most of which have Muslim-majority populations

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

23 Headlines Obscure Biden's Lies About Cutting Social Security
Joshua Cho | fair.org | 2020-01-22
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, Democratic vot…
fair.org/home/23-headlines-obscure-bidens-lies-about-cutting-social-security/

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

Miller Dismisses DACA in Emails, Mirroring Anti-Immigrant Extremists' Views
splcenter.org | 2020-01-13
White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller went against many Republicans when siding with white nationalists and other extremists on the issue of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, more commonly known as DACA, emails show.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/01/14/miller-dismisses-daca-emails-mirroring-anti-immigrant-extremists-views

Sanders Remarks on Iran
Bernie Sanders | zcomm.org | 2020-01-04
Sanders remarks on Iran Escalation…
zcomm.org/zvideo/sanders-remarks-on-iran/

The Legend Of Bernie Sanders Song
EIGHTY Bug | zcomm.org | 2020-01-01
The Legend of Bernie Sanders was originally written for the Bernie documentary called BERN THE MOVIE and is a compendium of Bernie Sanders's life leading into the OUR REVOLUTION movement…
zcomm.org/zvideo/the-legend-of-bernie-sanders-song/