Bloomberg Versus Bernie: The Upcoming Battle?
Gary Leupp | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
Between January 11 and April 14, 2019, Tulsi Gabbard, Kamala Harris, Marianne Williamson, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg had all announced their presidential bids. Sanders after entering the race formally on Feb. 19 was the immediate front runner. Biden entered the race on April 25, immediately replacing Bernie as the new…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/bloomberg-versus-bernie-the-upcoming-battle/
On JFK, Tulsi Gabbard Keeps Very Respectable Company
Jefferson Morley | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
On Monday night in Fairfax, Virginia, Donald Jeffries, author and talk radio host, asked Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard about a book she was seen carrying, "JFK and the Unspeakable." Published in 2008, the book is a Catholic philosopher's meditation about the assassination of liberal president John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, one of…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/on-jfk-tulsi-gabbard-keeps-very-respectable-company/
Bernie Should Own the Socialist Label
Ted Rall | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
Bernie Sanders is currently the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. He and everyone else knows exactly how the Republicans will attack him if and when he becomes the nominee: old-fashioned redbaiting. China became communist in name only during the 1980s, the Soviet Union shut its doors in 1991, the Cold War is dead, and…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/bernie-should-own-the-socialist-label/
Young Democratic Socialists of America's winter conference props up the Democratic Party
wsws.org | 2020-02-21
Those who attended were told to integrate themselves fully into the Democratic primary election campaign of Bernie Sanders. The fundamental aim of the event organizers was to disabuse young people of the notion that socialism entails an independent struggle for political power.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/21/ydsa-f21.html
Las Vegas debate reveals deepening Democratic Party crisis
wsws.org | 2020-02-21
All five rivals of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders indicated they would deny him the nomination even if he won the most votes in the primaries.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/21/deba-f21.html
'Pathway to Peace' Would Revolutionize US Foreign Policy
Ilhan Omar | zcomm.org | 2020-02-21
The seven bills would steer US foreign policy towards international norms and remove support for human rights violators. While the chances are slim that these bills will pass, they outline a progressive foreign policy.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/pathway-to-peace-would-revolutionize-us-foreign-policy/
Bloomberg Serves Oligarchy and Patriarchy Before Any Party
Alison Rose Levy | truthdig.com | 2020-02-21
In its zeal to unseat President Donald Trump without sacrificing one iota of its waning power and influence, the Democratic National Committee is now for a "moderate" savior for the party's nomination. It appears to matter little to DNC operatives whether this late entry is a Democrat, a Republican, or simply a political opportunist whose loyalties or agendas, whatever they are, must be accepted | Enter Michael Bloomberg. After five years of resistance to the candidacy of Sen. Bernie…
truthdig.com/articles/bloomberg-puts-oligarchy-and-patriarchy-above-any-party/
Kremlin: Claims of Russian backing for Trump in US election 'untrue' & down to 'paranoia'
rt.com | 2020-02-21
Vladimir Putin's spokesman says statements suggesting Russia plans to interfere in this year's US Presidential election "don't have anything in common with the truth." | Dmitry Peskov slammed the idea Moscow will attempt to help President Donald Trump achieve re-election as being of "paranoid character." | He was responding to US media reports which claimed US intelligence has warned politicians that Moscow is already laying the groundwork to get behind the Republican Party incumbent. | CNN, quoting its usual anonymous sources, told of a briefing where Russian readiness to use hacking, the 'weaponisation' of s…
rt.com/russia/481381-trump-us-russia-paranoia-elections/
We Can Fireproof Homes But Not Forests
Mike Garrity | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
Using wildfires as their cover, Montana's Republican Senator Steve Daines announced that he and California's Democrat Senator Diane Feinstein are introducing legislation to weaken federal environmental laws and allow more logging and thinning of our national forests. Private, for-profit timber companies have already over-cut the private forest lands in the West and now Feinstein and Daines…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/we-can-fireproof-homes-but-not-forests/
The Debate Question That Really Mattered
Kathleen Wallace | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
The last question asked during the recent Democratic debate was the one that laid reality bare. The question was basically "are you okay with the will of the voters being subverted in order for the DNC establishment to place their own selected candidate as their nominee?" The answers came without hesitation from all but candidate…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/the-debate-question-that-really-mattered-2/
Cop-Hating Vandals or Pro-Democracy Activists?
Alan MacLeod | zcomm.org | 2020-02-21
Depends whose police are being protested…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/cop-hating-vandals-or-pro-democracy-activists/
Trump Has Dropped the Pretense of Playing by the Rules of Democracy
Sasha Abramsky | thenation.com | 2020-02-21
Trump Has Dropped the Pretense of Playing by the Rules of Democracy…
thenation.com/article/politics/trump-justice-democracy-dictatorship/
Sochie Nnaemeka Wants to Take On Corporate Democrats
Karina Piser | thenation.com | 2020-02-21
Sochie Nnaemeka Wants to Take On Corporate Democrats…
thenation.com/article/politics/sochie-nnaemeka-wfp/
Germany to tighten mosque security after racist attack
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-21
Germany will step up security around mosques and migrant organizations following a racist terror attack in Hanau, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Friday."What happened in Hanau was clearly a racism motivated terror attack," Seehofer told a news conference in Berlin, adding that far-right extremism has become a very serious threat to democracy in Germany.He said police presence will be increased across the country ahead of major public events, and authorities will take additional security measures to protect mosques and migrant organizations due to the growing threat posed by the far-right.A 43-year-old f…
yenisafak.com/en/world/germany-to-tighten-mosque-security-after-racist-attack-3512518
Netanyahu Says Trump's Peace Plan Can't Be Stopped Even if Democrat Wins White House
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-21
Nearly all of President Trump's potential opponents from the Democratic Party have condemned his 'Deal of the Century' Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, which has received lavish praise from Tel Aviv but been viciously condemned by the Palestinian Authority after being rolled out in January.
sputniknews.com/world/202002211078371456-netanyahu-says-trumps-peace-plan-cant-be-stopped-even-if-democrat-wins-white-house/
LGBTQI Leaders: Picking the Democratic Presidential Candidate 2020
The Commonwealth Club | indybay.org | 2020-02-21
The Commonwealth Club, 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/20/18830870.php
Roaming Charges: Billion Dollar Babies
Jeffrey St. Clair | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-21
Michael Bloomberg is, of course, the perfect person to lead a party which has been the driving political force behind the neoliberal policies which helped make him the 9th richest person in America. In fact, he may be its apotheosis. Finally, we'll have some clarity about what the Democratic Party has really been up to for the last 40 years.
counterpunch.org/2020/02/21/roaming-charges-billion-dollar-babies/
Bloomberg Takes Debate Stage for First Time & Struggles to Face His History of Misogyny, Racism
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-20
Tensions flared at the ninth Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Senator Bernie Sanders sought to defend his position as front-runner in the Democrats' nomination fight, and former Vice President Joe Biden, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar tried to attract more supporters. Senator Elizabeth Warren led a night full of attacks on the new person on stage: billionaire former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Bloomberg faced questions about his vast wealth, his defense of stop-and-frisk and his treatment of women. | We host a roundtable on the debate and Saturday's Nevada c…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/20/nevada_democratic_debate
Divisions on Health Care Continue to Define 2020 Democratic Race
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-20
Healthcare continues to be a central issue of the Democratic nomination fight, with Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren repeating their calls for Medicare for All on the debate stage Wednesday night while their rivals proposed more incremental approaches. | We continue our roundtable discussion on Wednesday's Democratic debate in Nevada. Our guests are Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation, America's oldest weekly magazine, and a columnist for WashingtonPost.com; jou…
truthout.org/video/divisions-on-health-care-continue-to-define-2020-democratic-race/
Mike Bloomberg attacked on all fronts during Democratic debate
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-20
New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg was savaged by his Democratic rivals on his first debate on the presidential campaign trail.Bloomberg, the former New York mayor who was once a Republican, was forced to defend his record and past comments related to race, gender and his personal wealth in a rocky debate stage debut in Las Vegas.Bernie Sanders lashed out at Bloomberg's policing policies as New York City mayor that he said targeted "African-American and Latinos in an outrageous way".Elizabeth Warren made repeated attacks on Bloomberg. She raised issues such as his vast wealth, his offensive remarks about policin…
thecanary.co/us/us-news-us/2020/02/20/mike-bloomberg-attacked-on-all-fronts-during-democratic-debate/
"Most Important Issue for Most People": Split on Healthcare Continues to Define 2020 Race
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-20
Healthcare continues to be a central issue of the Democratic nomination fight, with Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren repeating their calls for Medicare for All on the debate stage Wednesday night while their rivals proposed more incremental approaches. | We continue our roundtable discussion on Wednesday's Democratic debate in Nevada. Our guests are Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation, America's oldest weekly magazine, and a columnist for WashingtonPost.com; journalist and activist Raquel Willis, executive editor of Out magazine, who has endorsed Senator Elizabeth War…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/20/nevada_democratic_debate_part_2
The Most Unnerving Moment From the Nevada Democratic Debate
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-20
In the event of a brokered convention, only Bernie Sanders calls for the candidate with the most pledged delegates to win the nomination.
truthdig.com/articles/the-most-unnerving-moment-from-the-nevada-democratic-debate/
Factchecking NPR's attempted takedown of Bernie Sanders
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-02-20
The Iowa caucuses officially began the Democratic primary, and even in this ongoing, extended battle for the White House, Iowa remains an important marker for candidates and the media. A close look at a piece by two of NPR's leading political reporters, which aired just before the caucuses, provides a view of how journalists speak […] | Source…
mronline.org/2020/02/20/factchecking-nprs-attempted-takedown-of-bernie-sanders/
Bernie Sanders in Las Vegas
Tomasz Konicz | zcomm.org | 2020-02-20
This fear of the election victory of the left-wing Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, which many prominent politicians and media representatives in the United States have long since openly articulated, is now taking on strange characteristics…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/bernie-sanders-in-las-vegas/
MSNBC's Anti-Sanders Bias Was on Display in Nevada, But It Hasn't Hurt Him
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-20
After months of speculation, billionaire and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg finally appeared at a Democratic primary debate last night. In an ominous sign, the first answer he gave to a question was a dishonest attack aimed at scaring voters away from a universal health care system. | Asked to compare his chances of beating President Trump to Sen. Bernie Sanders's chances of doing so, Bloomberg attacked Sanders and his Medicare for All Plan, falsely suggesting it would throw 160 million…
truthout.org/articles/msnbcs-anti-sanders-bias-was-on-display-in-nevada-but-it-hasnt-hurt-him/
Bernie Sanders Says "Will of the People" Should Decide Democratic Nomination, Not Party Insiders
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-20
As the primary season heads into the Nevada caucuses on Saturday, we unpack the ninth Democratic presidential debate in a roundtable on the tensions at work on the Las Vegas debate stage. Senator Bernie Sanders, currently the front-runner in the race, said the candidate with the most delegates should become the nominee; all his rivals on stage suggested they would be open to a brokered convention, with superdelegates and other party insiders potentially deciding the nomination. | We continue our discussion with Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation; Raquel Willis, journalist, activ…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/20/nevada_democratic_debate_part_4
Bloomberg surrogate was PR guru for Brazil's extreme-right leader Bolsonaro
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-20
Former Michael Bloomberg aide Arick Wierson, who is pushing the billionaire's 2020 presidential campaign and attacking Bernie Sanders, helped elect…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/19/arick-wierson-bloomberg-pr-bolsonaro/
No room for homophobic attacks in presidential contest
John Bachtell | peoplesworld.org | 2020-02-20
Condemnation of vile homophobic remarks last week by right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh directed at Pete Buttigieg came swiftly from all parts of the diverse coalition to defeat Trump and the GOP, including Democratic candidates. The former South Bend, Indiana mayor, is making history as the first openly gay Democratic presidential candidate. In his radio …
peoplesworld.org/article/no-room-for-homophobic-attacks-in-presidential-contest/
Elizabeth Warren Made a Meal of Mike Bloomberg in Las Vegas
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-20
The world will properly say in the aftermath of last night's Democratic debate/melee in Las Vegas that former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg had his own head handed to him in a small paper sack marked "Property of Warren for President." | They will say this because it is the truth, but it is not the only truth of the evening. The establishment wing of the Democratic Party
Warren and Sanders Eviscerate Bloomberg on Debate Stage
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-20
The two senators liken the billionaire businessman to Trump and question his ability to turn out voters at the Las Vegas Democratic debate.
truthdig.com/articles/warren-and-sanders-eviscerate-bloomberg-on-debate-stage/
Mick Mulvaney Says GOP Won't Act on Climate Because They Don't Want Higher Taxes
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-20
Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said in a speech Wednesday night that Republicans won't act on the climate crisis because the party doesn't want to raise taxes or ask people to change their "lifestyle." | "We take the position in my party that asking people to change their lifestyle dramatically, i…
truthout.org/articles/mick-mulvaney-says-gop-wont-act-on-climate-because-they-dont-want-higher-taxes/
The biggest threat to unity is the "Anybody But Bernie" crowd
C.J. Atkins | peoplesworld.org | 2020-02-20
Wall Street Democrats' worst nightmare seems to be coming true: The momentum of a self-declared socialist who threatens to make health care accessible to every American and pledges to combat climate change while creating green, union jobs is looking increasingly unstoppable. Scroll through the Twitter feed of "centrist think tank" Third Way these days and …
peoplesworld.org/article/the-biggest-threat-to-unity-is-the-anybody-but-bernie-crowd/
Minnesota House subcommittee passes bill to end local jail contracts with ICE
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-20
St. Paul, MN – On February 19, the House Subcommittee on Local Government voted to pass House File 3060. HF 3060 is a bill that would end contracts that local jails in Minnesota have with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain people facing civil immigration charges. Currently several county jails in Minnesota have contracts with ICE to hold hundreds of immigrants facing deportation. | The bill, sponsored by democrat Representative Fue Lee, who represents part of north Minneapolis, will now advance to the Government Operations Committee. | Before voting on the bill, the committee heard testimony fr…
fightbacknews.org/2020/2/20/minnesota-house-subcommittee-passes-bill-end-local-jail-contracts-ice
Pardoning Julian Assange: Donald Trump, WikiLeaks and the DNC
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-20
The central pillar to Democratic paranoia and vengefulness regarding the loss of Hillary Clinton in 2016 was the link between Russian hacking, the servers of the Democratic National Committee and the release of emails via WikiLeaks. Over time, that account …
globalresearch.ca/pardoning-julian-assange-donald-trump-wikileaks-dnc/5704145
Germany: Left Party proposes a Christian Democrat as state premier in Thuringia
wsws.org | 2020-02-20
The Left Party is forging an alliance of all establishment parties in order to strengthen the state apparatus and implement a policy of blatant social inequality.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/20/thur-f20.html
Sanders alone on debate stage to say candidate with the most votes should get nomination at convention
Eoin Higgins | nationofchange.org | 2020-02-20
"Out of all the candidates, Bernie is the only one to advocate for the democratic will of the people."
nationofchange.org/2020/02/20/sanders-alone-on-debate-stage-to-say-candidate-with-the-most-votes-should-get-nomination-at-convention/
Deepfakes for me, but not for thee? Bloomberg campaign releases altered video of lackluster debate performance
rt.com | 2020-02-20
Billionaire Democratic candidate Michael Bloomberg has released a doctored video showing his rivals struck dumb by his brilliance after a widely-panned debate performance. So much for social media's war on fake videos… | The clip shows a smug Bloomberg challenging the other candidates to match his business acumen. "I'm the only one here I think that's ever started a business. Is that fair?" he asks in the clip, posted to Twitter on Thursday. As the camera cuts from one dumbstruck face to another for 20 uncomfortable seconds, the sound of crickets underscores his rivals' utter failure to muster any challenge…
rt.com/usa/481321-bloomberg-deepfake-business-democratic-debate/
Revealed: The Secret Cash that Put Boris Johnson in Number 10
Peter Geoghegan | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-20
Cash from secretive Tory groups and anonymous donors played a critical role in demolishing Labour's 'red wall' of northern seats, the key strategy that won the election for Boris Johnson. | *** | According to new research by openDemocracy, almost half a …
globalresearch.ca/secret-cash-put-boris-johnson-number-10/5704097
Over 570 Groups Endorse Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez Fracking Ban Bills
commondreams.org | 2020-02-20
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/02/20/over-570-groups-endorse-sanders-ocasio-cortez-fracking-ban-bills?cd-origin=rss
Democrats Must Reject Not Just a Billionaire but the Billionaire Class
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-02-20
Democrats Must Reject Not Just a Billionaire but the Billionaire Class…
thenation.com/article/politics/billionaire-class-war-debate/
Bloomberg Is Too Rich for His Own Good
Joan Walsh | thenation.com | 2020-02-20
Bloomberg Is Too Rich for His Own Good…
thenation.com/article/politics/michael-bloomberg-debate-democrats/
'We Are Proud to Stand By His Side': High-Profile Muslim Rights Group Emgage Endorses Bernie Sanders for President
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-02-20
"Senator Sanders has built a historically inclusive and forward-thinking movement: one that represents America as a set of ideas grounded in the belief that all humans are equal and worthy of a dignified life." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sanders.age_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/02/20/we-are-proud-stand-his-side-high-profile-muslim-rights-group-emgage-endorses-bernie?cd-origin=rss
UltraViolet Calls On DNC to Keep Bloomberg Off Debate Stage Unless the Billionaire Releases Former Employees From NDAs
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-02-20
The women's advocacy group UltraViolet called on the Democratic National Committee to help pressure former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg into releasing former employees from non-disclosure agreements by stipulating that presidential primary candidates who are keeping former employees from speaking out about alleged mistreatment will not have a spot on the stage in future primary debates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bloomberg_should_run_as_a_republican.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/02/20/ultraviolet-calls-dnc-keep-bloomberg-debate-stage-unless-billionaire-releases-former?cd-origin=rss
Democrats Call on White House to Ensure Any Coronavirus Vaccine Is Not Profit-Making Venture for Big Pharma
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-02-20
"We cannot allow Big Pharma to price gouge the fruits of Americans investments." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pharma_greed_1.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/02/20/democrats-call-white-house-ensure-any-coronavirus-vaccine-not-profit-making-venture?cd-origin=rss
Over 570 Groups Endorse Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez's Fracking Ban Act as 'Essential and Urgent Climate Action'
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-02-20
More than 570 national, regional, and local groups signed on to a letter Thursday endorsing the first-ever national legislation that would immediately prohibit federal permits for new fracking or related infrastructure and fully ban the practice in the United States beginning in 2025. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ocasio_cortez_8_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/02/20/over-570-groups-endorse-sanders-and-ocasio-cortezs-fracking-ban-act-essential-and?cd-origin=rss
Barrister says 'democracy at stake' in Assange trial
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-20
civil liberties Pip HinmanIssue 1254 Australia WhistleblowersFebruary 20, 2020February 24 is the first day of Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange's extradition hearing at Belmarsh Prison in London. The United States government will argue for his extradition to the US.
greenleft.org.au/content/barrister-says-democracy-stake-assange-trial
Michael Bloomberg Is Trying To take Down Bernie Sanders, Not Trump
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-02-19
Michael Bloomberg's campaign has called on the other "moderate" candidates, such as Amy Klobuchar, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, to step down and unite behind him as the only force that can stop Bernie Sanders, who, he warns, will soon have an insurmountable lead in delegates.
mintpressnews.com/michael-bloomberg-trying-take-bernie-sanders-not-trump/265026/
Yale Study Says Medicare for All Would Save U.S. $450 Billion, Prevent Nearly 70,000 Deaths a Year
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-19
As the Democratic presidential hopefuls prepare to take to the debate stage tonight, we turn to a central issue of the campaign: Medicare for All. In a new study, Yale scholars have found that Medicare for All will save Americans more than $450 billion and prevent 68,000 deaths every year. The study in The Lancet
Latinx Group Mijente Backs Bernie Sanders in First-Ever Presidential Endorsement
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-19
In its first-ever presidential endorsement, the Latinx and Chicanx organization Mijente endorsed Bernie Sanders on Tuesday ahead of the Nevada caucuses. The group tweeted its decision, saying, "We know that in 2020, Trump's potential re-election is a life-or-death threat for us, for our people, and for our planet. This moment demands a historic mobilization. That's why Mijente is uniting with the movement to elect @BernieSanders." A video accompanied the announcement. After the contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, where the electorate is overwhelmingly white, Nevada is the first election with a diverse population.
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/19/latinx_groups_back_bernie_sanders
U-turn: Ex-Democratic candidate Andrew Yang joins CNN as political commentator
rt.com | 2020-02-19
Fresh from abandoning his dreams of presidential glory, entrepreneur and failed presidential hopeful Andrew Yang has lowered his sights to the corridors of CNN's newsrooms instead, joining the network as a political commentator. | Yang announced he was ending his long-shot campaign following last week's New Hampshire primary in which he finished in eighth place. "I am not someone who wants to accept donations and support in a race that we will not win," he said graciously. | It wasn't long, however, before Yang had found another route to political stardom: a cushy commentator job with CNN. | I'm excited to joi…
rt.com/usa/481236-andrew-yang-joins-cnn/
CNN reporter triggered by Fox interviewing InfoWars' 'Gun Girl' quickly reminded of own network's history with racists & criminals
rt.com | 2020-02-19
In a case of the pot calling the kettle black, Oliver Darcy fumed at Fox News describing Kaitlin Bennet as a "gun rights activist" after her tumultuous visit to a college campus. Twitter was quick to remind him of CNN's own sins. | …
rt.com/usa/481244-cnn-fox-kaitlin-bennett-ohio/
If Bloomberg wants to buy an election, he should run as a Republican against Trump–not sabotage Democrats
Robert W. McChesney | mronline.org | 2020-02-19
The mega-billionaire should be running against Trump in the Republican primaries, not as a Democrat. If he actually cared about this country more than stroking his massive ego that is exactly what he would be doing. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/02/19/if-bloomberg-wants-to-buy-an-election-he-should-run-as-a-republican-against-trump-not-sabotage-democrats/
Mysterious 'PUTIN' group unleashes flock of MAGA-hatted pigeons in Las Vegas to protest Dem debate
rt.com | 2020-02-19
A flock of pigeons wearing tiny red baseball caps
'Corporate Media Are Not Observers of the Electoral Process; They Are Participants' – CounterSpin interview with Jim Naureckas on Democratic primaries
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2020-02-19
Janine Jackson interviewed FAIR's Jim Naureckas about the Democratic primaries for the February 14, 2020, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. Janine Jackson: From debates that encouraged sparring over substance, to evidence-free declarations about electability or momentum, to the insistence–bordering on gaslighting–of the fringiness of ideas that in fact enjoy broad …
fair.org/home/corporate-media-are-not-observers-of-the-electoral-process-they-are-participants/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=corporate-media-are-not-observers-of-the-electoral-process-they-are-participants
Nevada: Democratic primary intensifies the debate over class divisions in America
Eric A. Gordon | peoplesworld.org | 2020-02-19
In the lead-up to the statewide Democratic primary caucus on Saturday, Feb. 22, Nevada's early voters on Feb. 15, the first day, turned out in record numbers–more than 18,500 Democrats, almost twice the turnout on the first day of advance caucusing in 2016. Enthusiasm over this election is mounting, and the eyes of the nation …
peoplesworld.org/article/nevada-democratic-primary-intensifies-the-debate-over-class-divisions-in-america/
Bloomberg Gains in Democratic Primaries, But Has History of Hostility to Unions Key to Voter Turnout
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-19
We continue our conversation with Marcie Wells, activist and waitress who is a member of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 in Nevada, and Hamilton Nolan, labor reporter with In These Times. Nolan says 2020 had been "the most promising election year for organized labor in a long time," with Democratic candidates releasing platforms with strong labor protections. But Michael Bloomberg's entry into the race threatens to upend the Democratic Party's pro-worker shift. The billionaire former mayor of New York has a long track record of hostility toward organized labor, particularly teachers' unions, whom he has comp…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/19/hamilton_nolan_michael_bloomberg_organized_labor
Nevada Culinary Workers Union Member: I Would Trade My Union Healthcare for Medicare for All
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-19
The third presidential contest of the primary season takes place Saturday in Nevada. One of the state's most coveted endorsements is from the Culinary Workers Union, which represents some 60,000 workers in the restaurant and hospitality industries in Las Vegas and Reno. Its membership is 54% Latinx. But last week they decided not to endorse any of the candidates. Nevada is a "right to work" state, and the Culinary Workers Union has attracted members by offering them healthcare. It has said it supports "choices" in healthcare. The mobilization of service employees could be critical to winning the Nevada caucuses.
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/19/nevada_caucus_healthcare_culinary_union
'Impeached president says what?' Bloomberg hits back at Trump 'Mini Mike the pathetic debater' jibe
rt.com | 2020-02-19
US President Donald Trump has lashed out at billionaire Democratic candidate Mike Bloomberg (again), this time calling him a "pathetic debater" with no respect for American farmers. Bloomberg hit back with some snark of his own. | Tweeting on Wednesday, Trump asked whether the "corrupt" Bloomberg News channel would admit that its owner "Mini Mike" was a pathetic debater. The tweet came ahead of the upcoming Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas
Democracy in Focus: Follow the dark money
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-02-19
Greater Britain, as we might call it, has over the past 70 years transformed itself from the largest-ever land empire to a sprawling financial one: a network of tax havens and money laundries stashing cash for the world's oligarchs, mafiosi, gangsters and hedge funds. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/02/19/democracy-in-focus-follow-the-dark-money/
Sanders or Warren: Time to Choose?
The Nation | thenation.com | 2020-02-19
Sanders or Warren: Time to Choose?
thenation.com/article/politics/sanders-warren-presidential-debate/
Live Chat: Watch the 9th Democratic Debate With 'The Nation'
The Nation | thenation.com | 2020-02-19
Live Chat: Watch the 9th Democratic Debate With 'The Nation'…
thenation.com/article/politics/democratic-debate-nevada/
The Future of Democratic Socialism Starts Here
Alan Maass | thenation.com | 2020-02-19
The Future of Democratic Socialism Starts Here…
thenation.com/article/politics/democratic-socialists-ydsa-conference/
Factchecking NPR's Attempted Takedown of Bernie Sanders
Robin Andersen | fair.org | 2020-02-18
by Robin Andersen | The Iowa caucuses officially began the Democratic primary, and even in this ongoing, extended battle for the White House, Iowa remains an important marker for candidates and the media. A close look at a piece by two of NPR's leading political reporters, which aired just before the caucuses, provides a view of how journalists speak with authority on issues they seem to know very little about. The conversation between Mary Louise Kelly and her partner Mara Liasson, headlined "Where Iowa Falls in the Big Picture of the 2020 Election" (All Thing…
fair.org/home/factchecking-nprs-attempted-takedown-of-bernie-sanders/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=factchecking-nprs-attempted-takedown-of-bernie-sanders
Politico reporter mercilessly mocked for tweeting that traffic jams at busy Bernie Sanders rally 'not a good look'
rt.com | 2020-02-18
US media has often been accused of playing down the popularity of Bernie Sanders
"Worth the Price?" New Film Shows How Biden Played Leading Role in Push for U.S. to Invade Iraq
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-18
The Democratic presidential candidates face off in Las Vegas Wednesday night ahead of the Nevada caucuses. Nevada could be a decisive state for candidates who performed poorly in Iowa and New Hampshire, including former Vice President Joe Biden. As Biden hopes for a comeback, a new short documentary sheds light on his extensive role in the Iraq War
Ambra Gutierrez Recorded Harvey Weinstein Admitting Sexual Assault in 2015. Why Wasn't He Charged?
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-18
Irin Carmon is a senior correspondent for New York magazine who has followed the allegations against Harvey Weinstein. She just published her new profile on Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, a Filipina-Italian model who reported Weinstein to the New York Police Department in 2015 for allegedly groping her during a meeting at his Tribeca office. At the urging of police, she wore a recording device for an arranged meetup at a Manhattan hotel and got Weinstein to admit on tape that he groped her and sought unsuccessfully to get her to come to his room. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance decided not to pursue the case…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/18/harvey_weinstein_trial_new_york
Journalist: Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-18
A jury of seven men and five women meet today in New York Supreme Court to begin deliberations on whether to find disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein guilty of sexual assault. The case has drawn international attention amid the #MeToo movement. If the jurors find Weinstein guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women but in this case faces five charges based on evidence relating to two main accusers. One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, alleges she was raped by Weinstein in a New York hotel, for which he has been charged wit…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/18/irin_carmon_harvey_weinstein_trial_nyc
The Day Democracy Died
The Founding Fathers | zcomm.org | 2020-02-18
Some of the Founders and Framers of the Constitution did more than turn over in their graves… they actually resurfaced to sing "The Day Democracy Died."
zcomm.org/zvideo/1029329/
Pay-to-play? Bloomberg & his deep pockets qualify for Nevada debate after DNC rule change opened door to billionaire contender
rt.com | 2020-02-18
Michael Bloomberg will be allowed to participate in the upcoming Democratic primary debate in Nevada, thanks in part to a helpful rule change
Trump's Morality Police Are Obsessed With Buttigieg Kissing His Husband
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-02-18
Trump's Morality Police Are Obsessed With Buttigieg Kissing His Husband…
thenation.com/article/politics/buttigieg-sexuality-lgbtq-gorka/
John Pilger: Julian Assange must be freed, not betrayed
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-02-18
civil liberties John PilgerIssue 1254 Britain Julian Assange extraditionFebruary 18, 2020On February 22, there will be a march from Australia House in London to Parliament Square, the centre of British democracy. | People will carry pictures of the Australi…
greenleft.org.au/content/john-pilger-julian-assange-must-be-freed-not-betrayed
How Bloomberg-Funded Center for American Progress Censored a Report on NYPD Surveillance of Muslims
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-17
Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg's self-funded campaign has flooded the airwaves with political advertisements, with the billionaire former New York City mayor having already spent more than $400 million on TV, radio and other ads
How Billionaire Michael Bloomberg's Deep Pockets Have Let Him Win Friends and Buy Influence
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-17
With the Nevada caucuses less than a week away, many Democratic candidates are courting voters in state and increasingly targeting their attacks on a new challenger
"They Have Not Relented": U.S. Maintains Support for Yemen War as Saudi Airstrike Kills 31 Civilians
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-17
In Yemen, 31 people were killed in U.S.-backed Saudi airstrikes over the weekend, including women and children. The strikes in the northern al-Jawf province came just hours after the Houthis said they had shot down a Saudi fighter jet in the same area. The United Nations called the drone strike "shocking." The deadly strike follows a recent uptick in violence in northern Yemen and comes as the war there hits a five-year mark. More than 100,000 have died, and far more have been displaced, since the conflict began in 2015. On Sunday, the United Nations said the Houthis and U.S.-backed Saudi and United Arab Emirates…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/17/us_backed_saudi_airstrikes_yemen_war
Tulsi Gabbard: A Political Postmortem
William Kaufman | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-16
The all-or-nothing New Hampshire gamble of Tulsi Gabbard has come up snake eyes. As I write, with 98 percent of the vote tallied, she is in seventh place, with a meager 3.3 percent of the vote, behind Tom Steyer. It is hard to imagine any path forward for her. And, frankly, one must acknowledge that …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/tulsi-gabbard-a-political-postmortem/
What "That's Not Realistic" Really Means: Bernie Sanders, Social Democracy, and Capitalist Apologetics
William Hawes | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-15
When discussing politics, or listening to pundits in the mainstream media in the run up to the 2020 presidential election, you've probably heard a common refrain: certain policies are "not realistic." It's similar to the close-minded remark that certain politicians, such as Bernie Sanders, have issues regarding their "electability". What are these elites and people …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/what-thats-not-realistic-really-means-bernie-sanders-social-democracy-and-capitalist-apologetics/
For Media in New Hampshire, Losing Is Winning and Winning Is Losing
Alan MacLeod | fair.org | 2020-02-14
The results from the New Hampshire primary are in– mercifully quickly–showing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders victorious with 26% of the vote, ahead of former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg with 24%. However, it was third place Amy Klobuchar, with 20%, who seemed to draw the greatest media buzz. The Minnesota senator has received a lot of press attention of late–almost all of it positive. | Why losing is actually winning: Vox's Matthe…
fair.org/home/for-media-in-new-hampshire-losing-is-winning-and-winning-is-losing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=for-media-in-new-hampshire-losing-is-winning-and-winning-is-losing
Pundits Look to Bloomberg as Their Anti-Sanders Savior
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2020-02-14
Coming out of the first two Democratic primary states, with Bernie Sanders leading in votes and Pete Buttigieg leading in delegates, who is "starting to dominate the national political debate like no one in the past five years other than President Donald Trump"? | According to NBC's Jonathan Allen ( 2/12/20), that's former New York City mayor, erstwhile Republican, and billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who has won no national delegates and is cur…
fair.org/home/pundits-look-to-bloomberg-as-their-anti-sanders-savior/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pundits-look-to-bloomberg-as-their-anti-sanders-savior
Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Trump's "Racist" Plan Would Legalize the Theft of Palestinian Land
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-14
We continue our conversation with Congressmember Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress. She responds to President Trump's Middle East plan, under which Israel would gain sovereignty over large areas of the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem would be under total Israeli control, and all Jewish settlers in the occupied territory would be allowed to remain in their homes. Tlaib says the plan was formulated with a "racist lens" that ignores Palestinian lives and aspirations. Tlaib says she wants people "to know what the human impact is of taking people's land, taking people's…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/14/rashida_tlaib_trump_middle_east_plan
One Billion Rising: Eve Ensler & Taína Asili Mark V-Day and Campaign to End Sexual Violence
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-14
This Valentine's Day, people around the world are taking to the streets to protest violence against women and girls. From the Philippines to India to Italy to Bolivia, thousands of women in more than 100 countries will reclaim public space through dance and performance as part of a global movement called One Billion Rising. The movement takes its name from the shocking statistic that one in three women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. One Billion Rising started on Valentine's Day 2012 and has continued to grow every year since. Participants say they won't stop dancing until violence…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/14/v_day_one_billion_rising
Detroit Overtaxed Residents by $600M, Causing Foreclosure Crisis. Residents Are Now Fighting Back
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-14
In Detroit, a showdown between progressive lawmakers and the city is taking on racist housing policies that robbed African Americans in Detroit of their homes and widened the racial wealth gap. On Thursday, the Coalition for Property Tax Justice announced a class-action lawsuit against the city of Detroit, Wayne County and the state of Michigan in response to unfair property tax foreclosures. One in four Detroit properties have been subject to property tax foreclosure, a level comparable only to tax foreclosure rates during the Great Depression. According to legal experts, many of the foreclosures were caused by…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/14/detroit_class_action_lawsuit_foreclosures
The Corporate Media Is Directly Profiting from Mike Bloomberg's Rise as He Spends Fortune on TV Ads
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-14
Billionaire Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is rising in the polls in the wake of the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Democracy Now! co-host Juan González speaks with us about Bloomberg's approach to campaign spending, the administration's policies during his three terms as mayor of New York City and the scores of lawsuits filed against Bloomberg and his company. "It's amazing to me that Michael Bloomberg is getting as much attention as he is," González says.
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/14/michael_bloomberg_tv_ads_corporate_media
Jim Naureckas on Democratic Primaries, Nina Luo on Decriminalizing Sex Work
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2020-02-14
Media…
fair.org/home/jim-naureckas-on-democratic-primaries-nina-luo-on-decriminalizing-sex-work/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jim-naureckas-on-democratic-primaries-nina-luo-on-decriminalizing-sex-work
Did Amy Klobuchar Send an Innocent Teenager to Life in Prison? Questions Mount over Her Record as DA
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-13
After a surprising third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is attempting to gain ground in the national polls. But Klobuchar is also facing mounting scrutiny over her record as a district attorney in Minnesota. The Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and other racial justice groups recently called on Klobuchar to suspend her presidential campaign following a shocking investigation by the Associated Press. The AP report centered on the case of Myon Burrell, an African-American teenager who was sentenced to life in prison over the 2002 murder of 11-year-old Tye…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/13/amy_klobuchar_myon_burrell
State-backed Alliance for Securing Democracy disinfo shop falsely smears The Grayzone as 'state-backed'
Alexander Rubinstein | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-13
In painting critical reporting on the Iowa caucuses debacle as a Russian plot, a Western government-backed information warfare shop smeared…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/13/state-backed-alliance-securing-democracy-smears-grayzone/
The Wet'suwet'en Fight Against New Pipeline Spreads Across Canada with Blockades & Occupations
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-13
A major anti-pipeline struggle continues in Canada, where protests have broken out across the country in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en land defenders whose sovereign land in northern British Columbia was raided last week and over the weekend by Canadian police. Dozens were arrested in the days-long raid of unceded indigenous territories, where hereditary chiefs have been in a protracted battle to protect their land from the construction of TransCanada's 400-mile, $4.7 billion Coastal GasLink pipeline. The raids took place about 700 miles north of Vancouver and sparked outrage across the country. In Ontario, a Moha…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/13/wet_suwet_en_territory_pipeline_opposition
Peace Action: Senate Reclaims War Powers to Thwart Iran War
Paul Kawika Martin | peaceaction.org | 2020-02-13
Washington, D.C.
Deadline Looming, Strongest Surveillance Reform Bill Yet Emerges
Neema Singh Guliani | aclu.org | 2020-02-12
Congress has just five weeks to decide the fate of key foreign | intelligence surveillance powers
Hasan Sits Down With Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders | zcomm.org | 2020-02-08
Interview on aging and retirement in America…
zcomm.org/zvideo/1029014/
Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results
Tyler Durden | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-04
American democracy–ain't it grand?>…
Biden Threatens Lawsuit to Halt Release of Real Iowa Caucus Results
War with Iran Is at Stake–and Democrats' High Jumps Over Low Standards Aren't Helping
Norman Solomon | zcomm.org | 2020-02-02
The huge crisis with Iran is more dangerous because so many Democrats have been talking out of both sides of their mouths…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/war-with-iran-is-at-stake-and-democrats-high-jumps-over-low-standards-arent-helping/
The Times They Are a-Changin: Bernie Sanders
Various Contributors | zcomm.org | 2020-02-01
Sometimes it feels like our world is falling apart, but real change is all around us…
zcomm.org/zvideo/the-times-they-are-a-changin-bernie-sanders/
House Votes to Rein in Trump's Iran War Powers While Ending Endless Wars
Jon Rainwater | peaceaction.org | 2020-01-31
Washington, D.C.
Alive and Well: Voter Suppression and Election Mismanagement in Alabama
splcenter.org | 2020-01-24
splcenter.org/20200210/alive-and-well-voter-suppression-and-election-mismanagement-alabama