(2020-07-12). Thursday 7/16: "Capturing The Flag" Voter Suppression Film & Town Hall w/ Starring Voting Rights . indybay.org Online…
(2020-07-12). Better-Than-Before Climate Plans Still Aren't Good Enough. commondreams.org Sunrise Movement campaigners call on Democratic House members to back a Green New Deal. (Photo: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/covid-crisis-gnd_0.jpg …
(2020-07-12). The Fall of Plahotniuc and a New Hope for Moldova. strategic-culture.org In June 2019, the small landlocked nation of Moldova found itself in a life or death struggle between two opposing futures: Oligarchs like the notorious Vladimir Plahotniuc had worked diligently for years to bring this nation into the hull of the collapsing NATO-EU Titanic while nationalists sought to re-align Moldova's future with the new emerging Multipolar Alliance led by China and Russia. | The greatest moment of decision (until now) occurred in June 2019 when elections resulted in a three-way split between a pro-Russian Socialist Party, the pro-EU ACUM and another pro-western Democratic Party run by the arch…
(2020-07-12). Biden's New Economic Nationalism. zcomm.org Better Than You May Think. And some of it seems to have been inspired by Elizabeth Warren…
(2020-07-12). Tens of thousands of Greeks agitate against law curbing s. peoplesdispatch.org Over the past few weeks, s have been held across Greece against a law introduced by the New Democracy government that will impose strict restrictions on demonstrations. The Communist Party of Greece and leftist trade unions have been in the forefront of these s.
(2020-07-12). Govt. ready to coop. with Parl. for country's development. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 12 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that his administration is ready to establish fair cooperation and interaction with the Parliament for the development and progress of the country.
(2020-07-12). Operation Twilight Lockdown: Occupying Mayor Lily Mei's House (Fremont, CA). indybay.org We, the people of Fremont, took direct action by occupying space on July 6th, from 8pm till past midnight at the Mayor Lily Mei's neighborhood. Drawing attention to #blacklivesmatter, #landback, and demanding to #defundfremontpd.
(2020-07-12). Financial Markets and National Socialism. indybay.org Joseph Goebbels was appointed "Reich Minister for National Enlightenment and Propaganda " on March 15, 1933. "The people should begin to think and react in a unified way […]" He wanted them to stand behind the actions of the government with full sympathy and support.
(2020-07-12). Tuesday 7/14: Women Voters: Intersection of Gender, Race & Voting in the 2020 Election. indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2020-07-12). Bolivia's Struggle To Restore Democracy After OAS Instigated Coup. popularresistance.org Today, Bolivia stands at a crossroads. In June 2020, popular calls were mounting for new elections and the restoration of democracy, despite the ongoing repression. In response to this pressure, on June 22, àÅñez signed off on legislation to hold new elections in September. Former president Carlos Mesa (2003-2005) of the right-wing Citizens Community Party would face off against the MAS candidate, former Minister of Finance (2006-2019), Luis Arce. àÅñez's decision drew the ire of Minister of Government, Arturo Murillo, who characterizes the most popular political party in the country as narco-terroris…
(2020-07-12). Symbolism And African (Black) Men (Mostly) With Guns. popularresistance.org The video was circulating endlessly this past weekend. Seemingly dozens of primarily African men (with a sprinkling of women) carrying semi-automatic weapons, marching, and chanting, in formation. Apparently, headed for the Ku Klux Klan headquarters in rural Georgia, U.S. It wasn't clear what happened once or if they reached their destination, but its safe to say that the centuries old vision of African people putting the Klan out of their misery once and for all didn't take place. | For the most part, the reaction, primarily from colonized people, particularly African women, was support for this action. And, for…
(2020-07-12). Trump Commutes 40-Month Sentence of Longtime Ally Roger Stone. truthout.org Government ethics watchdogs and congressional Democrats were among those outraged late Friday after President Donald Trump announced his commutation of his longtime associate Roger Stone's Trump
(2020-07-12). Over 500,000 Hong Kongers cast " vote against new security laws. yenisafak.com Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong citizens queued to cast ballots over the weekend in what the Chinese-ruled city's opposition camp says is a symbolic vote against tough national security laws directly imposed by Beijing.The unofficial poll will decide the strongest pro-democracy candidates to contest Legislative Council elections in September, when they aim to ride a wave of anti-China sentiment stirred by the law to seize control for the first time from pro-Beijing rivals.While the primaries are only for the opposition camp, observers are watching closely as they say the turnout will serve as a test of…
(2020-07-12). Trump's push to reopen schools part of bid to boost suburban standing. yenisafak.com President Donald Trump's demand for U.S. schools to fully reopen this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic is central to an emerging re-election strategy that seeks to resuscitate his flagging support in the nation's critical suburbs.Trump in recent weeks has taken stances on hot-button issues his campaign hopes will appeal to suburban voters, particularly women, who have soured on the Republican president since his 2016 election and continue to move away as the virus rages across the country and the economy sputters.Along with aggressively pushing for students to return to classrooms – "Schools must be open in the…
(2020-07-11). Remembering the Venezuelan National Assembly vote lost by Guaidó in January 2019. zcomm.org The view of the US government and the pro-Guaidó faction of the opposition was summed up by a New York Times headline and subhead that on January 5 that said Venezuela's Maduro Claims Control of National Assembly, Tightening Grip on Power It was the last political institution in opposition hands. Now President Nicolás Maduro's has
(2020-07-11). Don't let the Democratic Party bury the movement. mronline.org 
The Black movement will be asphyxiated by the ubiquitous fingers of the Democratic Party if it does not build independent nexuses of people's power.
(2020-07-11). Mail-in voter fur-raud? CAT who DIED 12 years ago receives voter registration application in Atlanta. rt.com 
An Atlanta family was surprised to receive a voter registration application in the mail for their long-dead pet cat — and the state government is wondering what other kind of fraud "out-of-town s" are up to in Georgia. | Cody Tims, a beloved pet cat who was a venerable 18 years old when he died 12 years ago, received an application to register for mail-in voting earlier this week, according to his owners, Ron and Carol Tims — providing serious ammunition to opponents of mail-in voting for November's presidential election. | There's a big push to get people to register to vote, but cats? One…
(2020-07-11). Not the same thing, Nancy: Pelosi calls for law restricting presidential pardons after Trump commutes sentence of Roger Stone. rt.com 
Nancy Pelosi has been accused of harboring misinformed and constitutionally dubious opinions, after arguing that Donald Trump's commutation of Roger Stone is proof that presidential pardon powers need to be reined in. | Stone, a former aide to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, faced more than three years behind bars for obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and making false statements to Congress. The political operative's sentence was commuted by the president just as he was preparing to report to prison. | Unsurprisingly, the Democratic House speaker used the occasion to rehash the long-debunked consp…
(2020-07-11). Anti-Trump camp in meltdown over VIDEO of dancing Roger Stone after his prison term's commuted. rt.com 
Political huckster Roger Stone celebrated the commutation of his prison sentence in typically flamboyant style: by gyrating to music in a video that went viral and hit a raw nerve with his opponents and those of President Trump. | Ensnared by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 'Russiagate' probe, Stone was sentenced in February to three years in prison for interfering with the investigation and tampering with witnesses — charges the long-time Republican maintained were baseless. Trump commuted his sentence on Friday — a move that doesn't overturn his conviction, but spares him a stint behind bars. | Fa…
(2020-07-11). As Long as Mass Media Propaganda Exists, Democracy Is a Sham. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | "A majority of Americans believe that Russia paid the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan last year amid negotiations to end the war, and more than half want to respond with new economic sanctions against Moscow, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday," "Overall, 60% of Americans said they found reports of Russian bounties on American soldiers to be 'very' or 'somewhat' believable, while 21% said they were not credible and the rest were unsure,"
(2020-07-11). Sanders-Biden task forces and the debacle of Sanders' "political revolution" wsws.org The Biden-Sanders collaboration has produced a total repudiation of all of the central pillars of Sanders' campaign, in the midst of an unprecedented social and political crisis of world capitalism.
(2020-07-11). Biden promotes economic nationalism and anti-China militarism. wsws.org Biden offered no opposition to Trump's "back-to-work" drive, mass job destruction during the pandemic or the looming unemployment benefit cutoff.
(2020-07-11). Trump Must be Defeated, but Unions Shouldn't be Democratic Party Cheerleaders. zcomm.org If Trump wins, he will be convinced that he has a mandate for authoritarianism and further irrationalism; trade unions must become organizations of the class…
(2020-07-11). A Vote for American Healthcare is a Vote for Violence. commondreams.org To protect profits, the private health insurance industry and their Congressional supporters continue strongly opposing Medicare for All. (Photo: National Nurses United/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/medicare_for_all_democrats_0_1_0.jpg …
(2020-07-11). Trump, the Pandemic, and the End of the Trumpian Tragedy. commondreams.org For a long time, the GOP has pursued a political and policy agenda that makes the world worse for most of us. Donald Trump, of course, has done this with particular vigor and cruelty. The Democrats, alas, have too often been complicit (and sometimes enthusiastic) collaborators.
(2020-07-11). [Articles] Ruxolitinib cream for treatment of vitiligo: a randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial. thelancet.com Treatment with ruxolitinib cream was associated with substantial repigmentation of vitiligo lesions up to 52 weeks of treatment, and all doses were well tolerated. These data suggest that ruxolitinib cream might be an effective treatment option for patients with vitiligo.
(2020-07-11). [Correspondence] Differential effect of ticagrelor on irreversible harms in diabetes — Authors' reply. thelancet.com Gerald Chi and Jolanta Marszalek raise questions about subgroup analysis and interaction terms in the THEMIS trial. Interaction terms are generally underpowered. At the same time, when several subgroups are compared, interaction terms might be positive by chance because of multiplicity of testing. These are two opposing forces in the interpretation of interaction terms that have long been appreciated in clinical trials. With respect to our work, the THEMIS trial was a positive trial in which we found significant efficacy benefit of ticagrelor in the overall population of patients with stable coronary artery disea…
(2020-07-11). Chicago Unions Demand to Defund Police and Fund Health Care for All. zcomm.org Many of the organizations and individuals who came together and produced the June 27 action have been part of ongoing collaborations among labor, community s, social justice fighters, and advocates of abolishing the police…
(2020-07-11). Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei condemns right-wing terror against Left Party parliamentarian. wsws.org Janine Wissler, chairwoman of the Hesse state parliamentary faction of the Left Party, has repeatedly received email death threats.
(2020-07-11). Palestinian Factions Call for Popular Resistance in Response to 'Israeli Crimes'. imemc.org Majority of Palestinian resistance factions, across the occupied Palestinian territories, on Saturday, called for heightened Palestinian popular resistance, in response to what the factions described as, 'Israeli occupation crimes against the Palestinian people'. In a statement, submitted to local media outlets, factions' representatives held a meeting in the central West …
(2020-07-11). Four former correctional officers sentenced to prison for beating handcuffed inmate. nationofchange.org "The sentences handed down in this case show that law enforcement officers who break the law, violate their oaths, and deprive inmates of their civil rights will be held accountable for their actions."
(2020-07-11). Historic Negro Bar, California a World Heritage Site to be considered. indybay.org In 1848, the discovery of Gold just above Rancho Rio De Los Americanos, his land along the American River Parkway, sparked the world's first global story. The Gold Mining Town of Negro Bar, California is worthy of world class preservation.
(2020-07-11). Strike For Black Lives In 25 Cities On July 20 Wins Union Support. popularresistance.org The growing Black Lives Matters Strike Wave has reached over 600 strikes since June 1 got a massive boost of momentum today. | A coalition of 150 organizations, including major unions like SEIU, AFT, and Teamsters, all put out a call for #Strike4BlackLives on July 20. Other organizations supporting the strike include the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the Movement for Black Lives, and the Center for Popular Democracy. | The coalition is calling on workers everywhere to stop work for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in honor of George Floyd. | In some cities, workers intend to strike all day. Many workers may aways s…
(2020-07-11). Covid Recovery And Radical Social Change. popularresistance.org I share the hope that the pandemic serves as a wake-up call for mobilizing action for radical societal change, and I don't think that those who see fragments of this happening in commoning or solidarity practices during this pandemic are either naàØve or only see part of the picture. | But I am troubled by the signs that the inequality wagon might have a long way before it derails, which I see side-by-side with those other hopeful signs. | Still, the care and vulnerability vision I sketched could provide a basis for a more hopeful outlook. Keeping in mind that pain better not be romanticized, valuing care…
(2020-07-11). US Claims Religious Repression Underway In Vietnam, But Where's The Evidence? popularresistance.org Recently, the U.S. Department of State issued a report in which they claimed that religious freedom is being suppressed in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government is of course capable of speaking for itself and responding to this defamation. However, I think that Americans also have a responsibility to speak out against baseless claims made by our reactionary government. And as an American living in Hanoi, I can tell you—this is a baseless claim indeed. | Anyone that has spent any time in Vietnam can plainly see the evidence right in front of their face that accusations about a lack of religious freedom are lies…
(2020-07-11). 'Bring Back Steele': Trump Demands Extradition of Author of Notorious 'Russia Hoax' Dossier to US. sputniknews.com The Steele Dossier, paid for by the leadership of the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton, accused Trump of conspiring with Russia leading up to the November elections in 2016 on the basis of unreliable sources. However, nobody responsible was ever charged over the dossier, despite it being proved to contain unsubstantiated claims.
(2020-07-11). 'Trump At His Most Corrupt': President Commutes 40-Month Sentence of Longtime Ally Roger Stone. commondreams.org Government ethics watchdogs and congressional Democrats were among those outraged late Friday after President Donald Trump announced his commutation of his longtime associate Roger Stone's 40-month sentence, in what Democratic leaders called a "transparently corrupt" move. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/roger_stone_0_0.jpg …
(2020-07-11). The First NATO: British and French Joint Aggressions in the Mid-19th Century. strategic-culture.org The two most militarily powerful nations in the West, both free to project naval power and maritime domination anywhere in the world, get together to punish and overthrow regimes they find guilty of human rights abuses and political repression in the name of human rights and promoting democracy: What could possibly go wrong? | It is of course NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's new call for NATO, which has already over the past decade exercised its nation-building and promotion of enlightened regime policies with such brilliant success in Ukraine, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan to spread its mantle of protect…
(2020-07-11). Public Sector's Right to Strike Is Left Behind in Biden-Bernie Task Force. truthout.org This week's release of the The task force, made up of 49 surr…
(2020-07-11). Schools Are Struggling to Avoid Worsening Inequity When They Reopen. truthout.org When Denmark became the first of 22 European countries to reopen schools on April 15, students were told that wearing face masks was optional. But Recess for Danish children now requires social distancing, and elementary school-aged students have been divided into groups of five to limit interactions. Games include "shadow tag"
(2020-07-11). Bush-era neocons put their weight behind Biden. And that can mean only one thing. thecanary.co Earlier this year, former vice president Joe Biden
(2020-07-11). China's southern Jiangxi declares highest flood alert. yenisafak.com Jiangxi province in southern China issued its highest flood warning on Saturday, predicting a big overflow from a lake on the Yangtze River as torrential rain continues to batter much of the country, state media said.The Jiangxi government raised its flood-control response level to I from II, the People's Daily said, the top level on China's four-tier scale, signalling disasters such as dam collapses or extraordinary floods simultaneously in several rivers.Provincial authorities expect severe regional flooding in Poyang, China's largest freshwater lake which connects to the Yangtze, state television said.The wate…
(2020-07-10). Retired Steelworker leader Jones backs Biden but wishes it was Bernie. peoplesworld.org 
INDIANAPOLIS—Chuck Jones, the retired Steelworkers Local 1999 president who became famous for debunking then-President-elect Donald Trump's lies about the Carrier plant closure outside Indianapolis almost four years ago, is going to vote for Joe Biden. But Jones really wishes he was voting for Sen. Bernie Sanders, Ind-Vt., the last man standing against former veep Biden …
(2020-07-10). Alternative "Declaration of Independence Day" on July 4. indybay.org On the fourth of July, a CodePink caravan declared independence from racism, war, and climate devastation – all interconnecting systems of death. | Top Photo: Demonstrators use stencils to paint a message on the street in front of Nancy Pelosi's Pacific Heights Home. It reads, Pelosi Defund War $.
(2020-07-10). Headlines for July 10, 2020. democracynow.org Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Claim of Absolute Immunity, Court Says Much of Oklahoma Remains Indian Country in Landmark Indigenous Sovereignty Case, Hospitals Face Surge as U.S. Reports Record 65,000 New Coronavirus Cases, Surge in Cases Directly Tied to Early Reopenings in Florida, Arizona, Texas, Bolivia's Interim President Tests Positive; India, S. Africa & Mexico Report New Record Highs, 1.3 Million More File for Unemployment as GOP Rejects Extending Jobless Aid, Biden Unveils $700 Billion "Buy American" Economic Recovery Plan, St. Louis Police Break Up City Hall Encampment, With Veto-Proof Majority,…
(2020-07-10). "House of Absolute Horrors": Mary Trump's Book Reveals How Trump Family Gave Rise to a "Sociopath" democracynow.org 
In a new book, Mary Trump — the president's niece — describes Donald Trump as a "sociopath" who grew up in a dysfunctional family that fostered his greed and cruelty. Donald Trump's younger brother, Robert, is seeking to block the sale of the book on the grounds that it violates a confidentiality agreement, but publisher Simon & Schuster says 600,000 copies of the book have already been distributed ahead of its July 14 publishing date. Investigative journalist David Cay Johnston, who has reported on Trump for three decades, says the book is "very, very important" and helps to answer how Trump got to t…
(2020-07-10). Supreme Court Rules Trump Is Not Above the Law, But Public Unlikely to See Tax Returns by Election. democracynow.org 
In a pair of 7-2 rulings, the Supreme Court rejected President Trump's claim of absolute immunity under the law. The court ruled a Manhattan grand jury could have access to the president's tax returns, but it remains unlikely any of Trump's tax records will be seen before the election. "Legally, Trump had a big loss," says investigative reporter David Cay Johnston, founder and editor of DCReport.org. "Politically, he got a big win out of this court."
(2020-07-10). "Most Important Indian Law Case in Half a Century": Supreme Court Upholds Tribal Sovereignty in OK. democracynow.org 
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that much of eastern Oklahoma, constituting nearly half the state, is Native American land, recognizing a 19th century U.S. treaty with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump nominee, joined the court's liberal wing in a narrow 5-4 ruling that found state authorities cannot criminally prosecute Indigenous peoples under state or local laws. The court's bombshell decision — which also impacts the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole Nations — is a major victory for Indigenous sovereignty and treaty rights. "It's a landmark case…
(2020-07-10). Brazilian Epidemiologist Slams Bolsonaro's COVID Response as Far-Right President Tests Positive. democracynow.org 
As Brazil faces the world's second-worst COVID-19 outbreak after the United States, Trump ally and far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has tested positive, after months of downplaying the severity of the pandemic. Brazil has gone almost two months with no health minister. "Bad political leadership is a major risk factor for the spread of the pandemic," says leading Brazilian epidemiologist Cesar Victora, who coordinates the International Center for Equity in Health at the Federal University of Pelotas.
(2020-07-10). Ilhan Omar Demands Pentagon Acknowledge, Compensate US Drone Strike Victims 'Illegally Killed' in Somalia. commondreams.org Congresswoman's call, says one rights advocate, "is an important acknowledgment that civilians unlawfully harmed have a right to redress." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ilhan_0.jpg …
(2020-07-10). Deep Recession and Contraction of Global Economy: "Second Wave" Covid Economic Impact? globalresearch.ca The reopening of the US economy in June—and some states as early as May—has produced a modest economic 'rebound'. But rebound is not to be confused with economic recovery. | The current rebound is the natural result of the US economy …
(2020-07-10). Imperial Blind Spots and a Question for Obama. counterpunch.org 
The biggest of the many moral blind-spots that mar the politics of the Democratic Party is American imperialism. Biden Helped Lead the Charge into Iraq Look at the Inauthentic Opposition Party's[1] presumptive presidential nominee. Biden recently chided Donald Trump in not-so veiled terms for failing to overthrow the democratically elected socialist Maduro government of Venezuela?
(2020-07-10). Screen Shot 2020-07-09 at 11.57.46 AM.png. progressive.org With Democrats increasing the impeachment pressure, of course President Trump and his supporters would go after a decorated combat veteran who was a refugee.
(2020-07-10). Trump election strategy: Blame China for coronavirus, bad economy. peoplesworld.org 
With the latest opinion polls showing Joe Biden leading Donald Trump by 53% to 42%, Trump needs desperate measures. A major part of his re-election strategy now is to up the ante against Beijing. Last weekend, he announced yet again that China had caused great damage to the United States and the rest of the …
(2020-07-10). Overcoming Civil Discourse and Other Illusions of Democracy for the 1%. dissidentvoice.org 
Festishizing democracy The U.S. racist-capitalist class and its ideological apparatus fetishize the word democracy. Using fatuous appeals to civil discourse, it sponsors the illusion that democracy is the most advanced political system in human history. In addition to voting for their representatives, people supposedly engage with civil society through which they achieve greater social goods …
(2020-07-10). Democracy and the Illusion of Choice. counterpunch.org 
The neoliberal logic of everything for the rich is now so deeply embedded in American political economy that its base assumptions appear untouchable, except in rare and extraordinary circumstances. With the Covid pandemic exacerbating the current crisis of capitalism, political and economic defense mechanisms make restoring the people and institutions that created the crisis appear to be the only alternative (once again) to solving it
(2020-07-10). 'Day of Rage' against Zionist annexation. workers.org 
When Palestine is under attack, what do we do? Unite and fight back! And that's just what thousands of ers did across the U.S. on July 1, the day Israel annexed 30 percent of the West Bank. More cities had demonstrations in the days that followed. At least 40 actions . . . |
(2020-07-10). Federal executions set to resume before Republicans convene. workers.org 
The federal government plans to execute four people this summer in Terre Haute, Ind., even though the condemned prisoners have not been able to meet with their attorneys for more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced the executions to take place on . . . |
(2020-07-10). NYC mayor bans 'large events' through end of September — except BLM s. rt.com 
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has banned all large public events for the next three months, citing the Covid-19 pandemic — only to make a belated exception for Black Lives Matter rallies, incensing Americans far outside the city. | Fresh from painting a giant "Black Lives Matter" mural on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower, the mayor took to CNN to expand on his office's order to cancel all large gatherings through September 30 on Thursday. But when host Wolf Blitzer asked him about "s," de Blasio couldn't resist taking the day's pandering even further. | "We understand, at this moment in histor…
(2020-07-10). Phoenix, Arizona hospital runs out of morgue space, requests REFRIGERATOR TRUCKS as Covid-19 fatalities mount. rt.com 
One hospital in Phoenix, Arizona has reportedly requested refrigerated trucks to augment its morgue capacity, amid a spike in both temperatures and coronavirus deaths in that southwest US state. | Maricopa County "just announced they are going to be getting refrigerated trucks because the Abrazo health care system has run out of morgue beds," Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego told MSNBC on Friday. | Gallego, a Democrat, demanded a statewide mask mandate from Republican Governor Doug Ducey. | Phoenix Mayor Gallego says Maricopa Co. has requested refrigerated trucks because one health system in the region has run out o…
(2020-07-10). VenezolanosConBiden And MAGAzuela: Two Sides Of The Same Coin. popularresistance.org The Biden campaign held an online event on Wednesday, July 8 pitched as the former Vice President's "vision for Venezuela and Venezuelans in the U.S." Spoiler alert: his vision for Venezuela barely differs from President Trump. This event, which didn't merit an appearance from Biden himself, was aimed at getting Venezuelan-Americans to volunteer for "Uncle Joe", as Representative Darren Soto (D-Fl) called him. It was an hour and a half of shilling for votes and influence, and it demonstrated that when it comes to Venezuela, policies of regime change, sanctions and a refusal to engage in dialogue unite Venezolanos…
(2020-07-10). Drug Policy Action Statement on Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force Recommendations. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-07-10). Chile: Court Declares Admissible Lawsuit Against Piñera. telesurenglish.net Chile's judicial system Thursday admitted a lawsuit against President Sebastian Piñera for allegedly not having supervised the measures that his Health Ministry took to deal with the pandemic. | RELATED: | The complaint was filed by this South American nation's Human Rights Commission, the National Association of Fiscal Employees (ANEF), and the Democratic Federation of University Health Professionals (Fedeprus), and it was ruled…
(2020-07-10). Brazilian Democracy Is at a Stalemate. zcomm.org Interview on the need for a broad front coalition to defeat Bolsonarismo…
(2020-07-10). WHO Experts Arrived In China To Find Out COVID-19 Origins. telesurenglish.net The World Health Organization (WHO) Friday reported two scientists arrived in China to be part of a study to identify the origins of COVID-19. | RELATED: | WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said the experts are specialists in animal health and epidemiology and will work along with Chinese scientists. | The two scientists will establish the groundwork and will define the scope and itinerary of the investigation. | "One of the main…
(2020-07-10). Reproductive Justice Is Economic Justice. commondreams.org Reproductive justice is economic justice, and reproductive freedom requires full and unlimited access to healthcare. (Photo: Mikasi/cc/flickr) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/stop_war_on_women_0_0.jpg …
(2020-07-10). The School That Tried to End Racism: A cruel experiment in furtherance of identity politics. wsws.org Behind the experiment carried out at Glenthorne High School are reactionary, right-wing politics based on the conception that identity, especially race, is the main driver in society.
(2020-07-10). Calls for Swift Action as Hundreds of Elephants Die in Botswana's Okavango Delta. globalresearch.ca Nearly 400 elephants have died in Botswana's Okavango Delta since March, in what wildlife experts say is one of the largest elephant mortality events ever recorded. Conservationists have criticized the government's handling of the matter and are urging them to …
(2020-07-10). Propaganda on Government Action and Inequality from David Leonhardt. cepr.net It really gets annoying how all discussions in the media of inequality in the media take the White Savior route, where we need the government to act to reduce inequality created by the natural workings of the market. David Leonhardt gave us another dose of this one today when he speculated about the state of …
(2020-07-10). By his words and actions, Trump is facilitating, proliferating the spread of Covid-19. nationofchange.org An American president must never again be allowed to fully manage a response to any pandemic. That responsibility must be assigned to scientists and other medical experts.
(2020-07-10). JCPOA: The Iran Nuclear Deal that Wasn't. globalresearch.ca July 14th, 2020, marks the fifth anniversary of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Agreement, often referred to as the Iran Nuclear Deal (or simply the Deal) — the Deal that wasn't. It was yet another attempt …
(2020-07-10). Bee populations are thriving in the UK as human lifestyle changed due to pandemic. nationofchange.org This news is definitely something to "bee" happy about and should give us hope that our actions really can make a difference and improve the Earth.
(2020-07-10). Latin America Needs Access to Resources Without Generating Debt: Issuance of Special Drawing Rights. cepr.net Latindadd See article on original site En español Latin America is going through a multiple crisis, the perfect storm is brewing in the region, with severe sanitary limitations to face the Covid-19 and in the face of the deepest recession since the Great Depression (1872-1896), the projection of contraction for the region, according to ECLAC[1] …
(2020-07-10). Milwaukee: Students honor Vanessa Guillén, UWM Professor Schoeller and administration. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – On the evening of July 8, students and community members rallied at Spaights Plaza on UW-Milwaukee's campus. They came together to honor Texas' Vanessa Guillén and others who have lost their lives to sexual violence, and to hold Professor Betsy Schoeller accountable for her harmful comments about the situation, and the administration of UW-Milwaukee accountable for not taking action on hate speech. | Professor Schoeller's comment implies that she believes sexual harassment and assault is justifiable. After her comment got national attention, she responded that she meant to clarify the sexism prese…
(2020-07-10). Mexican labor lawyer released under punitive deal after arbitrary imprisonment. wsws.org The imprisonment of Susana Prieto Terrazas exposed all factions of the ruling elite, from the ostensibly "left" López Obrador administration to the National Action Party (PAN) state governments, and their lurch toward authoritarian forms of rule.
(2020-07-10). Coalition to March on the RNC: 'We will march with or without a permit'. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL – Members of the Coalition to March on the RNC applied for permits several weeks ago from the City of Jacksonville to march against Donald Trump and the Republican National Convention on August 27. After not receiving any response about the permit application for several weeks, the Coalition still plans to march against Trump and the RNC regardless of the city's decision to issue or deny a permit for the march. | The Coalition to March on the RNC organized large s against previous RNCs in 2008 (St. Paul), 2012 (Tampa), and 2016 (Cleveland). Thousands are expected to participate in the hist…
(2020-07-10). Saturday 7/11: Demand that Palo Alto Open City Park to All. indybay.org Foothills Park, 3300 Page Mill Rd, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022. | See parking directions below.
(2020-07-10). Trump Threatens To Cut Funding For Schools That Don't Reopen. popularresistance.org President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are threatening to cut off federal funding to schools that do not open their doors this fall due to coronavirus concerns. | In a recent Tweet he suggests it is a Democrat ploy to hurt him politically by tweeting: "In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families." In a conference call with governors across the country, Devos stated: "Risk is involved in ever…
(2020-07-10). ICE to Train Civilians to Target Immigrants; Mischaracterizing Biden. sputniknews.com ICE launches citizen academies for amateur immigrant-catchers, as SCOTUS finds white settlers are still squatting illegally on Indian Country.
(2020-07-10). UNSC Fails to Adopt Russian Draft Resolution to Deliver Syria Aid via 1 Crossing for One Year. sputniknews.com The previous resolution submitted by Russia was also blocked in the UNSC, with the United States, UK, Germany, France, Estonia, Belgium, and the Dominican Republican voting against the measure.
(2020-07-10). How Democrats Are Deceived. strategic-culture.org Democrats are deceived in basically the same way that Republicans are, but by a different group of billionaires. | Noah Shachtman is the Editor-in-Chief of the Democratic Party billionaires' Daily Beast 'news' site. On 29 October 2018, he headlined there,
(2020-07-10). Corporations Hyping BLM Fail Us in Every Other Way. strategic-culture.org If Apple and Nike actually cared, they would focus on creating jobs in struggling American black communities. But they don't. | Darrell C. SCOTT | Over the past weeks, we have been endlessly inundated with the same three words: "Black Lives Matter." We hear them every day, on every media platform. Those words are spray-painted on buildings, streets and monuments across the country. We've also witnessed a parade of elite corporations vocally and financially supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. | Their rhetoric is lofty and touching, but contradicted by their actions. As Johnny Burtka, the Executive Director…
(2020-07-10). Scientist says Johnson's easing of the lockdown consists of 'ad hoc openings' and 'cheap headlines'. thecanary.co Professor Stephen Reicher criticised Boris Johnson's Government over its approach to easing restrictions, claiming the "drift" plan consisted of "ad hoc openings" and "cheap headlines". | Meanwhile, Reicher stated that the Scottish Government has a much clearer strategy for coming out of lockdown than Westminster. | He told a briefing on Friday that Scotland had taken an "elimination strategy", focused on driving infection rates as low as possible before taking action. | The scientist was speaking in his capacity as a member of Independent Sage, a group set up by former government chief scientific adviser David K…
(2020-07-10). "New Right" Leaders Are Co-opting Progressive Language to Mislead Voters. truthout.org Over the past two years, a growing and somewhat unconventional faction of leaders on the American right have caught the
(2020-07-09). Racism in America: Police Choke-hold is Not the Issue. counterpunch.org While the abject inhumanity of slavery may have been legally mitigated to some extent, the institutions, practices and values of exclusion, exploitation and devaluation were not. Constitutional guarantees, and Supreme Court decisions, could be cleverly subverted by States. For example, Black people were denied the right to vote through poll taxes, arbitrary registration requirements, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, white primaries and so on. In 1940, 70 years after they had received the right to vote, only 3% of Blacks in the South were registered as voters. Less overt voter suppression efforts continue to t…
(2020-07-09). How to Stop the Next Pandemic: U.N. Report Links Outbreaks to Climate Crisis & Industrial Farming. democracynow.org 
As the unprecedented global health emergency continues to unfold, a new United Nations report says humans must lower stress on the natural environment to prevent the next pandemic. COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, has a zoonotic origin, meaning it jumped from animals to humans, and the U.N. report finds that such diseases are spreading with greater frequency due to human activity, including industrial farming and the climate crisis. "Rather than focusing on the symptoms, we were looking at the causes," says Delia Grace, lead author of the report, veterinary epidemiologist at the Internationa…
(2020-07-09). Racism in America: Police Choke-Holds Are Not the Issue. counterpunch.org 
While the abject inhumanity of slavery may have been legally mitigated to some extent, the institutions, practices and values of exclusion, exploitation and devaluation were not. Constitutional guarantees, and Supreme Court decisions, could be cleverly subverted by States. For example, Black people were denied the right to vote through poll taxes, arbitrary registration requirements, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, white primaries and so on. In 1940, 70 years after they had received the right to vote, only 3% of Blacks in the South were registered as voters. Less overt voter suppression efforts continue to t…
(2020-07-09). Belgian Princess Condemns Her Family's Brutal Colonial History in Congo & Calls for Reparations. democracynow.org 
Black Lives Matter s in the U.S. have sparked a reckoning about racism and colonialism across the world, including in Belgium, where a growing movement is demanding the country address systemic racism and make amends for its violent colonial legacy. King Philippe issued an unprecedented statement "expressing regret" for Belgium's brutal colonial rule in Congo under Leopold II, who ran the country as his personal fiefdom and under whose command millions of Congolese were enslaved and killed. "It's an erased history," says Belgo-Congolese journalist and Gia Abrassart. We also speak with Princess Esm…
(2020-07-09). Headlines for July 9, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Posts Another Record Daily High in New Coronavirus Cases, Anthony Fauci Absent from Coronavirus Task Force Briefing After Drawing Criticism from Trump, Trump Attacks CDC Guidance on School Reopenings During Pandemic, Hundreds Test Positive for COVID-19 at Arizona For-Profit Immigration Jail, Tulsa, OK Health Official Links Explosion of Coronavirus Cases to Trump Rally, HHS Secretary Claims Medical Workers "Don't Get Infected" After 95,000 Test Positive for Coronavirus, COVID-19 Cases Spike in Africa, While Melbourne, Australia, Is Placed Back on Lockdown, Bolivians Buried in Mass Graves as Hospitals "Collaps…
(2020-07-09). Viagra? Yes. Birth Control? No. SCOTUS Sides with Trump & Limits Free Contraception Under Obamacare. democracynow.org 
The Supreme Court dealt a major blow to reproductive rights when it sided with the Trump administration in letting employers deny people access to free birth control based on religious or moral grounds, hollowing out a mandate under the Affordable Care Act that requires most private health insurance plans to provide cost-free birth control. "It's a really deeply disappointing ruling," says Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center. "These individuals are effectively on their own to find and pay for their contraception."
(2020-07-09). "Pinning Down Putin" Biden, the Democrats and the Next War. counterpunch.org The latest Foreign Affairs features a piece by former Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, "Pinning Down Putin: How a Confidant America Should Deal With Russia." A protege of former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and Hillary Clinton, she is a notorious "liberal interventionist," married to neocon pundit Robert Kagan. She is perhaps best known
(2020-07-09). Biden's vision for Venezuela is virtually indistinguishable from Trump's. thegrayzone.com A campaign event demonstrated that when it comes to Venezuela, policies of regime change, sanctions, and refusal to engage in…
(2020-07-09). Biden and Trump on Venezuela: Two Sides of the Same Coin. commondreams.org A January 2015 meeting between Venezuelan President Nicol√°s Maduro and Vice President Biden—unlikely to be repeated if Biden wins the presidency. (Photo: AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_maduro.jpg …
(2020-07-09). Revolution and proletarian democracy. workers.org 
A socialist revolution is an uprising of the proletariat — the working class, those who do not own the property necessary to run a business but must instead work for someone else. A socialist revolution is an awakening that causes the mass of workers to resist their oppression. In order . . . |
(2020-07-09). Trumka rips Senate GOP and its leader, McConnell. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has had it up to here with the U.S. Senate's ruling Republicans and specifically with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Listing the three big crises facing the country, Trumka wants the GOP majority to get off its butt and help the nation's workers. "Numbers of coronavirus infections are rising across large …
(2020-07-09). Not a 'racist' plan anymore? Democrats rejoice over Biden's $700bn 'Buy American' promise. rt.com 
Joe Biden unveiled a $700 billion 'Buy American' initiative, drawing praise from both liberals and conservatives on social media, but some noted that similar plans by the Trump administration were previously framed as 'racist.' | Biden's economic pitch includes plans for a $400 billion, four-year increase in government spending on US-made goods and services — topped by a $300 billion investment in research and development for US technology. | "This will be the largest mobilization of public investments in procurement, infrastructure and (research and development) since World War II," Biden's senior advise…
(2020-07-09). 'Liberating 5th Avenue': New York mayor paints BLACK LIVES MATTER outside Trump Tower. rt.com 
Signaling where his priorities lie amid an epidemic of coronavirus and violence, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered a stretch of 5th Avenue outside Trump Tower to be painted with the words 'Black Lives Matter'. | City workers closed off the street on Thursday morning and began painting the mural, as De Blasio boasted about "liberating 5th Avenue" and finally giving credit to African-Americans for building New York and the US. | | "We are not denigrating anything, we are liberating Fifth Avenue." | New York City Mayor Bill de Blasi…
(2020-07-09). 'Pull up your pants & finish school': Would CNN's Don Lemon cancel himself over shockingly unwoke 2013 tips to black community? rt.com 
A vintage clip of CNN anchor Don Lemon telling black people to act civilized and disregard "street culture" has the woke pundit's detractors' jaws on the floor, wondering what happened to him over the intervening seven years. | In the 2013 clip, Lemon praises Fox News host Bill O'Reilly as the Republican pundit decries the "disintegration of the African-American family," even arguing O'Reilly "doesn't go far enough" when he denounces "street culture." The video was posted to social media by "Panda Tribune" on Wednesday and quickly circulated among conservatives, who had a hard time reconciling this Lemon with…
(2020-07-09). The Global Reset — Unplugged. "The Deep State" globalresearch.ca 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, or simply the Beast, …
(2020-07-09). Federal judge backs Democrats, rules against SEP challenge to Michigan ballot access requirements during pandemic. wsws.org A Republican-appointed federal judge sided with Michigan Democrats on Wednesday and ruled against the Socialist Equality Party in its lawsuit to block the state's unconstitutional rules for ballot access in the 2020 presidential elections.