2020-06-24: News Headlines

Fight Back (2020-06-24). Coalition to March on the DNC plans Trump protest in Green Bay, WI. fightbacknews.org Green Bay, WI – Last week, it was announced that President Donald Trump would be visiting Marinette in the northern part of the state on June 25, and will hold a "town hall meeting" at a Green Bay airport at 7 p.m. The Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention – a collection of over 50 organizations that's planning a demonstration on the first day of the DNC in Milwaukee – has called for a protest of Trump's visit. | "We met Trump with more than 2000 people when he came to Milwaukee at the start of the year," said Ryan Hamann, co-chair of the Coalition. "Together with our allies in Green Bay, we're…

_____ (2020-06-24). NYPD Enforcement Of Low-Level Offenses Accounts For Huge Department Expenditures, Racial Disparities. popularresistance.org New York City criminalizes drugs and low-level broken windows offenses at a startling rate, with enforcement in these areas accounting for a vast proportion of the NYPD's policing activities and the city's budget, according to a new brief from Drug Policy Alliance. DPA released the brief in support of the Communities United for Police Reform coalition call for Mayor de Blasio and the NYC Council to cut the FY21 NYPD expense budget by $1 billion and redirect savings to core needs in Black, Latinx and other NYC communities of color that have long been the target of the drug war and racist policing. | The brief, "NY…

John Wojcik (2020-06-24). Progressives rack up impressive victories in June 23 Democratic primaries. peoplesworld.org Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rolled to a blowout victory in her Democratic primary yesterday in her New York City Congressional District that covers parts of the Bronx and Queens. AOC, as she is popularly known across the country, trounced three opponents in New York's 14th Congressional District, garnering what looks like more than 81% of the …

_____ (2020-06-24). The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed why we urgently need to re-imagine democracy. truepublica.org.uk By Dr Clodagh Harris and Ian Hughes: The Covid-19 pandemic has spawned a rash of articles speculating about how our world will change in the aftermath of the virus. Indian author and political activist Arundhati Roy has described the pandemic as a portal, an opportunity for humanity collectively to break with the past, leaving our 'dead …

Jamal Abdi, Ryan Costello (2020-06-24). Biden Can Reverse Trump's Failures on Iran. commondreams.org By January 2021, the U.S. is likely to have been in material breach of the JCPOA for 32 months and will have very little credibility or leverage to insist on changes to the agreement or a grand bargain addressing all of the international community's concerns about Iran. (Photo: Ron Adar / Shutterstock.com) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-06-24_at_12.36.13_pm.png

Victoria Burton-Harris (2020-06-24). Wrongfully Arrested Because Face Recognition Can't Tell Black People Apart. aclu.org Early this year, Detroit police arrested Robert Williams — a Black man living in a Detroit suburb — on his front lawn in front of his wife and two little daughters (ages 2 and 5). Robert was hauled off and locked up for nearly 30 hours. His crime? Face recognition software owned by Michigan State Police told the cops that Robert Williams was the watch thief they were on the hunt for., , There was just one problem: Face recognition technology can't tell Black people apart. That includes Robert Williams, whose only thing in common with the suspect caught by the watch shop's surveillance feed is that…

sputniknews (2020-06-24). Republican Police Reform Bill Fails to Pass US Senate Vote. sputniknews.com The GOP initiative was announced last week by President Donald Trump in response to the protests over the death of George Floyd that have been ongoing for weeks and demands to "defund the police". Trump refused to cut the funds, suggesting instead an array of measures aimed at preventing new cases of police brutality.

Margaret Kimberley (2020-06-24). Democrats Are Moving to the Right Again and Towards Another Defeat. mintpressnews.com "We can disagree in the margins but the truth of the matter is it's all within our wheelhouse and nobody has to be punished. No one's standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change." – Joe Biden…

Medea Benjamin and Ariel Gold (2020-06-24). Will Biden Remain Tone Deaf to Palestinian Rights? dissidentvoice.org Joe Biden wants you to believe that he is opposed to Israel's likely annexation of parts of the West Bank that Netanyahu plans to carry out in July. "I do not support annexation," he said during a call with American Jewish donors on June 16. But only a month ago, Biden senior foreign policy advisor …

Stefan Bollinger (2020-06-24). Disease, Power and Capitalism. indybay.org Have you tried DeepL.com, academia.edu, grin.com or grammarly.com? Send me your comments and/or discoveries – as we await the reopening of the libraries and the Biden landslide! Will the great comedian Stephan Colbert be the dark horse candidate at the last moment? Marc…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-24). Jessy Dayane: "Bolsonaro has never tried to hide his authoritarian project" peoplesdispatch.org The coup d'état in 2016 which overthrew Dilma Rouseff of the Workers' Party of Brazil, marked a new period in Brazil characterized by the attack on democracy. The illegal maneuvering to eliminate popular leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from the 2018 elections and effectively solidify the election of far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro was another step in this process. | Under the leadership of Bolsonaro, Brazilian state institutions and programs have been systematically dismantled, funding for public education and health has been cut, and tensions within Brazilian society have been heightened. | In this context, the…

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-06-24). U.S. must return political prisoner Simón Trinidad to Colombia. peoplesworld.org Murderous violence and oligarchy were at the center of Colombian political life during the 20th century. Colombians by the millions were marginalized, impoverished, and/or displaced from small land holdings. Violence and the failings of liberal democracy turned Simón Trinidad into a revolutionary. Few in the United States and Europe know about him. Colombia's allies in …

Mike Whitney (2020-06-24). Behind the Veil of the Protest Movement, the War on the American People Is Gaining Pace. globalresearch.ca "This is not a momentary civil disturbance. This is a serious, and highly organized political movement…It is deep and profound and has vast political ambitions. It is insidious, it will grow. It's goal is to end liberal democracy and challenge …

Rachel Monroe (2020-06-24). Between Mystery and Social Democracy: A Journey Through Scandinavian Crime Novels. thenation.com Between Mystery and Social Democracy: A Journey Through Scandinavian Crime Novels…

yenisafak (2020-06-24). US: Progressive leads old guard in NY Democratic race. yenisafak.com In a notch for US progressive Democrats over the party establishment, Jamaal Bowman looks set to trounce Representative Eliot Engel, chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, in a New York primary.Bowman, a middle school principal from the Bronx, garnered 61% of the vote early Wednesday, leading Engel's 36% by double digits with 85% of precincts reporting, according to US news outlet The Hill.Progressives' bids got a boost from nationwide protests over the death in police custody of George Floyd, helping Bowman become the possible second New York progressive to defeat a senior lawmaker since fire…

Staff (2020-06-24). Headlines for June 24, 2020. democracynow.org Dr. Anthony Fauci Warns of "Disturbing Surge" of U.S. COVID-19 Cases, Trump on Claim He Tried to Slow Coronavirus Testing: "I Don't Kid", Latin America Tops 100,000 Coronavirus Deaths as Brazilian President Ordered to Wear Mask in Public, Kentucky Slashes Polling Places by 95%, Causing Election Day Chaos, Progressive Challenger Jamaal Bowman Poised to Upset 16-Term Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel, 3,000 Pack Indoor Trump Rally in Arizona as COVID-19 Cases Surge to Record High, Student-Led March in Oakland Calls for End to Police in Schools, Louisville Police Department Fires Officer Who Shot Breonna Taylor, Two New Y…

Staff (2020-06-24). The Next AOC? Progressive Insurgent Jamaal Bowman Takes Big Lead Over Rep. Eliot Engel in NY Primary. democracynow.org In what could be one of the biggest progressive upsets of the year, Jamaal Bowman, an African American former middle school principal, appears headed to victory over 16-term Democratic Congressmember Eliot Engel in Tuesday's New York primary election. The race has not been called, but Bowman has a large lead over Engel, the powerful chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee known for his support of Israel. Bowman supports a Green New Deal, Medicare for All and defunding the police. We air his remarks from a campaign party late Tuesday.

Staff (2020-06-24). Palestinian Scholar Noura Erakat: Israeli Forces Killed My Cousin on His Sister's Wedding Day. democracynow.org Israeli soldiers on Tuesday killed 27-year-old Ahmed Erekat at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank as he was on his way to pick up his sister, who was set to be married that night. Ahmed Erekat is the nephew of senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and cousin of Palestinian American legal scholar Noura Erakat, who says Israeli claims that Ahmed was attempting a car-ramming attack on soldiers are completely unfounded. "What we understand is that Ahmed lost control of his car or was confused while he was in his car. That was all it took to have a kne…

Staff (2020-06-24). Outbreak at San Quentin: COVID Is Skyrocketing in CA Prisons. Why Haven't More People Been Released? democracynow.org As coronavirus rapidly spreads through California's overcrowded prisons, 400 people have tested positive for the virus at San Quentin State Prison. Advocates and incarcerated people warn conditions behind bars make it nearly impossible to stop the virus once it enters. We speak with Adnan Khan, executive director of Re: Store Justice, an organization that advocates for policy and alternative responses to violence and life sentences. He links inhumane prison conditions to the mass uprising in the streets against systemic racism and state violence. "There are literally millions of people in prison based on the 'cred…

Zhou Zhu, Shabei Xu, Hui Wang, Zheng Liu, Jianhong Wu, Guo Li, Jinfeng Miao, Chenyan Zhang, Yuan Yang, Wenzhe Sun, Suiqiang Zhu, Yebin Fan, Yuxi Chen, Junbo Hu, Jihong Liu, Wei Wang (2020-06-24). [Research Paper] COVID-19 in Wuhan: Sociodemographic characteristics and hospital support measures associated with the immediate psychological impact on healthcare workers. thelancet.com Women and those who have more than 10 years of working, concomitant chronic diseases, history of mental disorders, and family members or relatives confirmed or suspected are susceptible to stress, depression and anxiety among HWs during the pandemic. In addition, since HWs often have a greater stigma against mental problems than the general public, it is worthwhile to address the needs of the HWs during this pandemic and to provide appropriate psychological supports for those people at high risk of mental problems.

Kathy Durkin (2020-06-24). Honoring Che: Revolutionary hero, internationalist. workers.org Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. "If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine." Those are the words of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, anti-imperialist, guerrilla fighter and a leader of the Cuban revolution. This working-class hero is revered by revolutionaries and oppressed peoples worldwide. Che . . . |

Bryan Smith (2020-06-23). Evanston's Road to Reparations. zcomm.org Compensating African Americans for the wrongs of history has been a political nonstarter for decades. Then, last November, one Chicago suburb made it a reality…

RT (2020-06-23). De Blasio planning HUGE STING OPERATION to catch illegal fireworks sellers after noisy protest at his NYC mansion. rt.com New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is forming a "fireworks task force" of over 40 officers from the police and fire departments after irate residents demanding action on the problem staged a noisy protest outside his home. | In what must be record timing for city government, de Blasio announced the new fireworks unit on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after a gathering of angry sleep-deprived New Yorkers gathered outside his Gracie Mansion residence to honk their horns, rev their engines, and loudly lecture him about civic responsibility and the importance of a good night's sleep. | The task force will involve "underco…

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-06-23). Sins of "The Father" Torn Down, A New Way Forward At Hand. indybay.org Be ye not afraid, "the nakedness and drunkenness of our fathers" can no longer be tolerated as a bastardized translation of a moral compass of divinity.

WSWS (2020-06-23). Bolton appeals for right-wing Republicans to break with Trump on foreign policy. wsws.org The former Trump national security advisor has given numerous anti-Trump press interviews to promote his newly launched—and lucrative—White House memoir.

_____ (2020-06-23). Stop the Madness of Congressional. strategic-culture.org Stephen MOORE | The coronavirus shutdown has flattened multiple industries across America — everything from airlines and manufacturers to hospitals, retailers, oil and gas producers, and restaurants. Many of the 30 million small and large businesses in the country have reported a 30% reduction in revenues. Amid the carnage, one sector of the economy is thriving like never before in the history of the republic: the government. | Congress has already spent more than $2 trillion on phases one, two, three and 3 1/2 of coronavirus relief packages. The irresponsible bill from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would rais…

RT (2020-06-23). Hunter's millions: Ukrainian MP reveals new 'Biden-Poroshenko' tapes, claims VP's son was paid 'protection money' by Burisma. rt.com More tapes of what appear to be Joe Biden's phone calls with the former president of Ukraine have surfaced, along with documents showing how much his son Hunter was paid by Burisma, a gas company desperate to avoid prosecution. | Ledgers show payments of $3.4 million from Burisma to Rosemont Seneca Bohai, the company co-founded by Hunter Biden, for "consulting services," former prosecutor Konstantin Kulyk and Ukrainian MP Andrii Derkach revealed on Monday in Kiev. | Kulyk added that these services clearly amounted to "political protection of Burisma" and its owner Mykola Zlochevsky by US vice president at the…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-23). Health experts blast Trump order to cut down coronavirus testing. peoplesworld.org TULSA, Okla.—GOP President Donald Trump's order to cut down coronavirus testing—because, in so many words, the results would make him look bad—is drawing flak from health experts and top congressional Democrats. Trump boasted about his order at his half-filled controversial rally on June 20 in Tulsa, Okla. Health experts, both nationally and in the Sooner …

Peter Koenig (2020-06-23). The Global Reset: Unplugged. dissidentvoice.org Imagine, you are living in a world that you are told is a democracy — and you may even believe it — but, in fact, your life and fate is in the hands of a few ultra-rich, ultra-powerful and ultra-inhuman oligarchs. They may be called Deep State, Illuminati, or simply the Beast, or anything else …

_____ (2020-06-23). Ministers in Westminster bubble believe voters trust them. truepublica.org.uk By Josiah Mortimer: Speaking in the House of Lords on last week, Green peer Baroness Natalie Bennett raised the idea that countries with more cooperative, democratic political systems have higher levels of public trust in politics — and in their governments' handling of the current pandemic. Cabinet Office minister Lord True replied: "I strongly disagree …

news.un (2020-06-23). UN condemns killing of Indonesian peacekeeper in DR Congo. news.un.org The United Nations has strongly condemned an attack believed to be carried out by rebel militia on peacekeepers serving with the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), which left one Indonesian 'blue helmet' dead, and another injured.

Ken Klippenstein (2020-06-23). Why Is GOP Money Going to Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel? thenation.com Why Is GOP Money Going to Democratic Congressman Eliot Engel?

Josh Bacopulos (2020-06-23). Arizona mired in pandemic as governor puts profits before people. peoplesworld.org "Arizona is the new national hotspot for COVID-19" tweeted Arizona Democratic Congressman Greg Stanton on June 14. The enormous rise of COVID cases and hospitalizations in the Grand Canyon State has put Arizona into the national and global spotlight as a case study of how not to handle a global pandemic. Every week, Arizona is breaking …

Simon Threlkeld (2020-06-23). Let Legislative Juries Decide Laws. dissidentvoice.org It would be far better and far more democratic if laws are decided by legislative juries rather than by elected politicians. By a legislative jury, which can also be called a legislative minipublic, I mean a representative random sample of the public that meets to make an informed decision about a proposed law. Such randomly …

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-06-23). Will White People Self-Destruct? thealtworld.com The November presidential election has been racialized by the Democrats, media, white liberal elites, and the George Floyd protests. The racialization makes this election a watershed. | The Democrats, media, and white liberal elites have placed the responsibility for the multi-city rioting and looting by blacks on white Americans for being racist. Although the evidence is clear that Floyd died from a fatal dose of the opioid on which he was strung out, his death is falsely attributed to strangulation by white police. Thousands of businesses in many cities have been damaged, looted, or destroyed. People have been…

yenisafak (2020-06-23). Turkish students commemorate anniversary of Korean war. yenisafak.com Yunus Emre Institute in Seoul has prepared a memorial video with Turkish students living in South Korea on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.In a written statement, the Yunus Emre Institute said the video also included Sude Kaya Surenoglu, the granddaughter of Korean War veteran Rafet Surenoglu and currently a student at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.Speaking in Korean, Turkish students in the video said: "Today is the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, which displayed South Korea's struggle to become a strong democratic country. As Turkey, exactly 70 years ago from today, we proudly…

RT (2020-06-23). Farage investigated by US Homeland Security over trip to attend Trump Tulsa rally. rt.com A US congressman who chairs the Committee on Homeland Security has launched an investigation into Nigel Farage after the Brexit Party leader apparently flew to America to attend a Donald Trump rally during the Covid-19 pandemic. | US Democrat representative Bennie G Thompson sent a

RT (2020-06-23). Democrat Rep. calls for police after being attacked in short-lived 'autonomous zone' near White House. rt.com A Democrat lawmaker and an MSNBC reporter have been left wondering where the police were, after they were apparently attacked in a fledgling 'autonomous zone' near the White House. | Perhaps spurred on by activists in Seattle's 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone', a group of protesters in Washington, DC occupied a street near the White House this weekend, declaring it the 'Black House Autonomous Zone'. Though police cleared the street of tents and trash on Tuesday, a large crowd remained, and Democrat Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton was on the street to talk to MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell. | The interview was cut short when…

Staff (2020-06-23). A New Voting Crisis: Kentucky Closes 95% of Polling Places, Leaving Louisville with Just One. democracynow.org As primary voters head to the polls in New York, Kentucky and Virginia, they face long lines, even as President Trump continues to attack mail-in voting, falsely claiming it leads to fraud. Kentucky has reduced the number of polling places from 3,700 to just 170 — a 95% reduction. "There's the potential for record turnout," notes Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive director of Black Voters Matter, despite such suppression tactics.

Staff (2020-06-23). Headlines for June 23, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 on the Rise in 29 States; Immigrant and Communities of Color Carry Brunt of Devastation, Coronavirus Continues to Devastate Latin America; South Korea in Midst of Second Wave, Trump Issues Ban on H-1B Visas and Green Cards Through 2020, KY Slashes Primary Polling Sites as Key Races Pit Progressives and Establishment Dems in KY, NY, VA, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan Shutting Down CHOP, Says Police Will Return, Bridgeport Council Agrees to Shift Police Funding After Mass Protests, NYPD Says Officers Who Plowed SUVs into Protesters Were Not at Fault, Funeral for Rayshard Brooks Held in Atlanta, NAACP Lawsuit:…

Staff (2020-06-23). Trump Attacks Anti-Fascists But Is Silent on Boogaloo & Far-Right Groups Engaged in Deadly Violence. democracynow.org President Trump claims without evidence that anti-fascists are inciting riots at protests against police brutality, but has downplayed groups like the "boogaloo" movement, which are using the protests as cover to carry out violence, even murder. "We know that in this country the far right holds a monopoly on political violence and that since September 11th, far-right extremists have killed far more people than members of any other ideology," says Cassie Miller, senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center. We also speak with journalist Ali Winston about a new BBC investigation into how the neo-Nazi…

Staff (2020-06-23). Meet Brandon Saenz: Dallas Protester Who Lost Eye After Police Shot Him with "Less Lethal" Projectile. democracynow.org As a new Amnesty International report documents at least 125 instances of police violence against Black Lives Matters protesters in 40 states from May 26 to June 5, we speak with Brandon Saenz, a 26-year-old Black man shot in the face by Dallas police with so-called less-lethal ammunition that shattered his left eye and fractured his face. We also speak with his lawyer, Daryl Washington, about how he has since helped to win a 90-day preliminary injunction against the police use of chemical agents and rubber bullets in Dallas.

Project Censored (2020-06-23). Alternatives to Policing: Putting the Power and Money Back Into Our Communities. projectcensored.org Project Censored researcher and author Amber Yang, a Restorative Justice and Wellness Coordinator at Novato High School in Marin County, California rejoins the show along with Phoebe Smith, a long-time…

Ryan Cristián (2020-06-22). #ID2020 Defector Speaks On "Techno-Solutionism" With Immunity Passports & The Vaccine Deception. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (6/22/20). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

RT (2020-06-22). Outcry & cheers as Teddy Roosevelt statue in NYC to be dismantled over 'depicting black & indigenous people as racially inferior'. rt.com The New York mayor ordered the removal of a statue of Theodore Roosevelt on horseback, flanked by a Native American man and an African man, arguing it feeds into racial stereotypes. | "The American Museum of Natural History has asked to remove the Theodore Roosevelt statue because it explicitly depicts Black and Indigenous people as subjugated and racially inferior," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement on Sunday. | De Blasio noted that the city authorities sided with the museum, calling the idea to get rid of the "problematic" statue, "the right decision" at the "right time." The NYC mayor was ap…

Alan Minsky (2020-06-22). If You Want Joe Biden to Govern More Like FDR Than Jamie Dimon, Vote for Bernie Sanders on Tuesday in New York and Kentucky. commondreams.org Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) holds hands with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) during his speech at a campaign rally in Queensbridge Park on October 19, 2019 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo: Kena Betancur/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bernie-sanders-ocasio-cortez-queens-rally-endorsement-saturday.jpg

Mark Harris (2020-06-22). History in the Making: Police Violence vs. People's Justice. commondreams.org The massive anti-racist rebellion now unfolding is history in the making. (Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/black_lives_matter_solidarity_0.png

sputniknews (2020-06-22). Spokesperson Refutes Story That Bolton Will Vote For Democrat Biden Over Trump. sputniknews.com The former Trump appointee is set to release a memoir on Tuesday detailing his days as the national security adviser for US President Donald Trump. Excerpts of the book have already sparked a wave of criticism against his former boss.

David Duhalde (2020-06-22). How to Defeat Trump Without Campaigning for Biden. zcomm.org Socialists and other Bernie Sanders supporters can play a critical role in defeating right-wing populism while building a left-wing alternative for the long term—by going down-ballot.

John Wojcik (2020-06-22). Poor turnout, hate speech, COVID infections mark Trump's Tulsa rally. peoplesworld.org TULSA, Okla.—President Donald Trump addressed his flop of a rally Saturday in a speech that tried to convince his supporters that literally everywhere they turn there are "left-wing radicals" waiting for Joe Biden to be elected so that they can make their move and destroy the American way of life. He praised Confederate statues and …

commondreams (2020-06-22). Over 100 U.S. Organizations Urge Biden to Support Equality for Palestinians. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Lucas Koerner (2020-06-22). Biden Bashes Trump's Willingness to Meet with Venezuela's Maduro. venezuelanalysis.com The White House insisted that Trump "has not lost confidence" in opposition leader Guaido.

Matt Sedlar (2020-06-22). How Biden Can Prove He's Serious About Busting Corporate Monopolies. cepr.net Washington Monthly See article on original site At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, Americans quickly learned just how unprepared the country was for a pandemic. One of the most alarming revelations was that the U.S. had nowhere near the number of ventilators and other life-saving medical equipment it needed to fight the virus. That's …

RT (2020-06-22). Trump warns of 'RIGGED' election, claims millions of mail-in ballots will be forged by foreign powers. rt.com The upcoming presidential election will be the scandal of the century, Donald Trump has predicted, stating that the use of mail-in ballots opens the door to widespread vote fraud as well as foreign meddling. | In one of his signature all-caps tweets, the US leader expressed his concerns about November's contest against Democrat Joe Biden. | "RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES!" shrieked Trump's tweet. | RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL B…

RT (2020-06-22). Fake news or about-face? Bolton DENIES he's voting for Biden after the Telegraph reports him saying so in interview. rt.com Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has refuted a report by the Telegraph that he plans to cast his ballot for Joe Biden, the Democrat rival of his former boss, as he continues to tout his tell-all book in the media.

RT (2020-06-22). Trump walks back Maduro olive branch after Biden challenges his commitment to Venezuelan regime change. rt.com US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed support for his administration's regime change policy in Venezuela, reversing course on negotiation after Democratic rival Joe Biden attacked his "admiration" for "dictator" Nicolas Maduro. | Trump would "only meet with Maduro to discuss one thing: a peaceful exit from power!" the president tweeted on Monday, walking back comments he made in an Axios interview, where he hinted he would "maybe think about" meeting with the Venezuelan leader. | "Unlike the radical left, I will ALWAYS stand against socialism and with the people of Venezuela," Trump added, proclaiming his o…

WSWS Repost (2020-06-22). Amy Klobuchar ends bid to become Biden's running mate in favor of a "woman of color" indybay.org Who will be Biden's running mate now that Amy Klobuchar is out of contention? The political record and background of the leading candidates reveals that nearly every one of them is a "law and order" Democrat with a record of defending the police.

_____ (2020-06-22). Biden And His Ventriloquists Keep Out-Hawking Trump. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | In response to Trump "Trump talks…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-06-22). 115+ Groups Urge Biden (and Trump) to Support 'Fair and Just Foreign Policy Regarding Israel and Palestinian Rights'. commondreams.org More than 115 organizations on Monday urged Joe Biden and President Donald Trump to adopt a U.S. policy toward the Israeli government and Palestinian people that is "based on the principles of equality and justice for all." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/palestinians_kushner_0.jpg

Lital Khaikin (2020-06-22). The Rhetoric of Democracy-building in Ukraine. NATO and the Militarization of Eastern Europe. globalresearch.ca Buying Freedom on the Free Market | Obscured by the mythology of pursuing economic and political autonomy, Ukraine plays the latest role in a long, unfolding process of western corporate, political and military interests establishing the "territorial integrity" not of independent …

Fight Back (2020-06-22). Tampa Bay community honors life of murdered Tallahassee activist Oluwatoyin Salau. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On June 20, Tampa Bay community members gathered at the Joe Chillura Courthouse Square to honor the life of Oluwatoyin "Toyin" Salau, who was sexually assaulted, abducted and murdered. Salau was a known Black Lives Matter activist in Tallahassee, Florida. Her death follows a recent wave of violence against, and murder of, Black people in the United States committed by the police, white vigilantes and others. | The vigil began at 7 p.m. and was co-hosted by the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee (TBCAC), Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and the Intersections of Tampa Advocates (ITA…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-22). Algerian court sentences prominent Hirak activist to one year imprisonment. peoplesdispatch.org Amira Bouraoui, who has been convicted for her Facebook post, is part of the popular ongoing Hirak movement which calls for large-scale democratic reforms in Algeria…

WSWS (2020-06-22). Further evidence of the criminality of the New York Democratic administration response to the COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org A Wall Street Journal analysis of the response by New York state to the COVID-19 pandemic paints a horrifying picture of preventable mass death in New York City hospitals.

_____ (2020-06-22). New Colorado Law Ends Immunity For Police. popularresistance.org Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Friday signed into law a bill to remove the shield of legal immunity that has long protected police officers from civil suits for on-the-job misconduct, a measure civil libertarians hailed as landmark legislation. | The Colorado state legislature passed the sweeping police accountability bill last week in the wake of nationwide protests over unfair treatment of racial minorities by law enforcement, sparked by the death of an unarmed Black man under the knee of a white Minneapolis policeman last month. | Polis, a first-term Democrat, took the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, celebr…

yenisafak (2020-06-22). UN dispatches 36 trucks carrying aid to Idlib, Syria. yenisafak.com The UN on Monday dispatched a total of 36 trucks carrying humanitarian aid for needy people in Idlib city of northwestern Syria.Truckloads of supplies entered the Syrian city through the Cilvegozu border crossing of Turkey's southern Hatay province.The aid will be distributed among residents of Idlib and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement…

yenisafak (2020-06-22). Turkey sends 6 truckloads of aid to Idlib, Syria. yenisafak.com Two Turkish charities on Monday sent six trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Idlib, northwestern Syria, where millions of people are in need of assistance due to internal conflict in the country.Truckloads of supplies, including flour, clothing and dry food, by Adana Dosteller and Eskisehir Gunisigi charities, entered Idlib through the Yayladagi border crossing of Turkey's southern Hatay province.The aid will be distributed among families living in tents in Idlib.Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people h…

Staff (2020-06-22). Trump Fires Top U.S. Prosecutor as William Barr Moves to Expand "Imperial Presidency" democracynow.org After a dramatic weekend showdown, the Trump administration has ousted Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan who led multiple prosecutions and investigations into allies of the president. We look at the extraordinary measures U.S. Attorney General William Barr took to protect Trump, with New York Times Magazine writer Emily Bazelon, who has profiled Barr. "He believes in a very strong executive presidency, a kind of imperial presidency in which a huge amount of power resides in the president," she says of the attorney general.

Staff (2020-06-22). "Robert E. Lee Was a Brutal Slave Master": Activist's Call to Rename Louisiana School Goes Viral. democracynow.org We play a video that has now gone viral from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where community activist Gary Chambers Jr. calls out members of the Lee High School school board for their racism during a June 18 meeting to discuss a resolution to rename the school, which is named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Chambers urged members to choose a name in honor of people who fought slavery and racism, not someone who defended it, and addressed board member Connie Bernard, who had defended Robert E. Lee and was seen shopping on her computer during the meeting.

Staff (2020-06-22). Five Black & Brown Men Have Been Recently Found Hanged in Public. Were Some of Them Lynched? democracynow.org As mass protests against racism and police brutality continue, at least five men — four Black and one Latinx — have been found hanging in public across the U.S. in recent weeks. We speak with Jacqueline Olive, director of "Always in Season," a documentary that examines the history of lynchings through the story of Lennon Lacy, an African American teenager who was found hanged from a swing set in 2014. "They deserve a full investigation," Olive says of the recent hangings, "and given the context of this history … that we look at them more than three days, and then that they are looked at as a whole."

Staff (2020-06-22). Headlines for June 22, 2020. democracynow.org AG Barr Under Fire as Dems Launch Investigation into Firing of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, Coronavirus Cases Surging in U.S. and Around the World, Antiracism Uprising Continues as Demonstrators Celebrate Juneteenth, Dept. of Homeland Security Spied on Protesters in 15+ U.S. Cities, More Confederate and Racist Statues Fall Across the Country, Protesters Call for Justice After Fatal Shooting of 18-Year-Old Andres Guardado in Gardena, CA, Louisville Police Chief Moves to Fire Officer Who Shot and Killed Breonna Taylor, 19-Year-Old Killed in Shooting in Seattle's Autonomous "Capitol Hill Occupied Protest" Zone, No…

Staff (2020-06-22). Trump's Reelection Playbook: Racist Tropes & Downplaying COVID Pandemic by Slowing Down Testing. democracynow.org As the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 nears 120,000 and mass protests against police brutality and racism continue, President Trump faces condemnation for his remarks at his poorly attended campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he repeated racist terms like "kung flu" and lashed out at protesters. "You just see this tremendous impulse to divide," says Emily Bazelon, staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. "This is what has worked for Trump in the past. He is not going to change now."

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-06-22). House Dems Introduce Bill to Prevent Big Pharma Price-Gouging During Covid-19 Pandemic. commondreams.org On the heels of polling that showed 88% of Americans worry Big Pharma will exploit the ongoing pandemic to hike drug prices, House Democrats on Monday introduced two bipartisan bills to prevent price-gouging for Covid-19 treatments and vaccines and to strengthen oversight of federal spending on coronavirus research and development. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12137062381_1.jpg

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-06-22). Corporate Interests Nervous as Progressive Democrats Surge Ahead of NY and Kentucky Primaries. commondreams.org "They were always going to have more money on their side. But we have the better candidate, with better ideas, and a better campaign." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1220622079.jpg

RT (2020-06-22). Seoul says military option on the table over Pyongyang's plans to drop leaflets prompted by its people's 'unquenchable anger'. rt.com South Korea has warned it's ready for an armed response against the North's plans to drop leaflets if it violates the two states' military agreement. Equipment is reportedly being set up to spread the leaflets "deep inside South." | South Korean defense authorities said on Monday they are closely watching Pyongyang's leafleting methods and are leaving a military response option on the table. Kim Jun-rak, the spokesperson of the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed that Seoul was prepared to take military action if any aerial vehicle is flown over the Demilitarized Zone, which would violate the 2018 inter-Ko…

Juan Cole (2020-06-22). Top 6 Reasons Trump's Racist Attack on Ilhan Omar at Empty Stadium Is a Lie. commondreams.org African Muslims have been central to American history and American success. Ilhan Omar has been an American citizen longer than Melania Trump, and stands in a tradition of contributing to this country. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ilhan_omar-trump-incite-violence_0.jpg

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-22). Voter suppression looms over the 2020 election. peoplesworld.org ATLANTA—You've heard or read about a wide range of ways the right wing is suppressing the votes of people it hates, but this takes the cake: Postage stamps, or lack of them, for absentee voters in the entire state of Georgia. It's as bad as having one polling place for a county with 767,000 people …

RT (2020-06-21). Murders, violence on the rise in NYC as footage shows man killed washing his car, 92yo woman randomly assaulted (VIDEOS). rt.com New York City has reported a major increase in murders and shootings. The news comes as a man was killed in the city while washing his car, and a 92-year-old woman was assaulted in a seemingly random attack. | "Earlier today, police officers from the 75th Precinct responded to a call of a male shot in front of 334 Milford Street. When they arrived, they discovered a 35-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the neck," the NYPD's Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison

RT (2020-06-21). Trump's Tulsa rally has low turnout, but Biden has none at all — and aids to both candidates stumble to explain it. rt.com Fox News' Chris Wallace has confronted advisers of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, grilling them on their presidential campaigns' failures. Neither of them seem to produce a good explanation besides campaign speeches. | Fox News Sunday turned out to be quite eventful, as its host faced campaign advisers for both of the presidential candidates. Wallace spoke with Trump's 2020 campaign spokeswoman, Mercedes Schlapp, about poor attendance of Saturday's rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where whole sections of the arena were seen empty. | The spokeswoman blamed the poor turnout on Black Lives Matter protesters, who were…

Lavinia Steinfort (2020-06-21). Democratizing Energy to Counter the Climate Catastrophe. zcomm.org The economic recovery as well as a Green New Deal will only be meaningful if we take our country-wide energy systems out of the market and into democratic public ownership…

William rivers Pitt (2020-06-20). Armed Extremist Groups Were Galvanized by GOP. zcomm.org These people did not spring up from the ground like mushrooms. They are products of a long-standing cultivation project undertaken by the Republican Party and its media allies to agitate and radicalize its political base…

sputniknews (2020-06-20). 'Improper Motives' Behind Berman's Firing, AG Barr 'Must Be Held Accountable', Speaker Pelosi Says. sputniknews.com Her statement comes after Geoffrey Berman, ex-US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that he stepped down from his position to "respect the normal operation of law".

Gordon Duff (2020-06-20). Trump Crashing at the Polls, Dropping through the Hopeless 30's. thealtworld.com The president's team had been relieved that he wasn't slipping below 40 percent in the polls. Well. Now he is. | VT recognizes Trump's "base," a failure of the Democratic party to stay true to the American people and the marriage with the GOP and the cartels, the Mossad and the Kosher Nostra. | This is the simple truth of it. | Daily Beast: As Donald Trump

WSWS (2020-06-20). Quebec film distributors censor Roman Polanski's J'accuse. wsws.org Yielding to the anti-democratic #MeToo campaign, distributors in Quebec refused to buy the rights to Polanski's remarkable film about the Dreyfus Affair.

Jamaal Bowman (2020-06-20). Challenging One of the Most Powerful Democrats in Congress. zcomm.org In the Bronx, the second most economically unequal district in New York state, the insurgent primary campaign of former middle school principal Jamaal Bowman threatens to unseat 16-term Democratic congressmember Eliot Engel…

sputniknews (2020-06-20). Senate's Top Democrat Demands DOJ Probe Into Attempt to Oust Attorney Investigating Trump Lawyer. sputniknews.com On Friday, Geoffrey Berman, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), said he does not intend to resign, contradicting an announcement by Attorney General William Barr earlier in the day that Berman would be stepping down.

RT (2020-06-20). 'THEY AIN'T NOTHING BUT DEVILS': Muhammad Ali's son says father would have HATED 'racist' BLM movement. rt.com Muhammad Ali's only biological son says his father would have despised the "racist" Black Lives Matter movement and endorsed all races, never singling "anyone out." | "My father would have said, 'They ain't nothing but devils.' My father said, 'all lives matter,'" Muhammad Ali Jr. told the New York Post. | The 47-year-old son of the legendary boxer, who is often noted as a cultural trailblazer for black Americans, did not stop at connecting his father to the "all lives matter" position. He also said Ali would have supported President Donald Trump — the late athlete endorsed both Democrat Jimmy Carter…

Lawrence Goldstone (2020-06-20). How the Supreme Court undermined the Black vote. nationofchange.org Black Americans braved police violence at Selma and galvanized support for the Voting Rights Act. Fifty years later, the Supreme Court's Shelby decision ushered in a new era of racially targeted voter suppression.