2020-07-24: News Headlines

sputniknews (2020-07-24). New Stimulus Bill Lacks Teeth to Reverse 'Wave of Permanent Layoffs' in Ailing US Economy. sputniknews.com Senate Republicans announced Wednesday a "fundamental agreement" for a $1 trillion coronavirus relief package. However, that is not sufficient to generate an economic recovery, Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor of economics at Saint Mary's College of California, told Sputnik.

Eds. (2020-07-24). From Portland to the World. mronline.org Since the end of May, demonstrators opposing police violence and white supremacy have thronged the streets of Portland, Oregon, clashing with law enforcement officers. Last week, aspiring autocrat Donald Trump escalated the situation by announcing that he would be sending federal agents around the country to assert his authority through acts of violence against protesters.

Workers World Party (2020-07-24). Portland's movement is fighting back! Defend Portland, Ore.! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org Workers World Party Statement Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents — secret police — to Portland, Ore., Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial . . . |

RT (2020-07-24). Texas congressman proposes to cancel DEMOCRATS over support of slavery and Confederacy (VIDEO). rt.com If Congress is purging all things related to slavery and the Confederacy in the name of battling bigotry, the Democratic Party should be among them, says a resolution proposed in all seriousness by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). | Gohmert's

RT (2020-07-24). Oregon judge bans feds from arresting or using force against 'journalists & legal observers' at Portland protests. rt.com A judge has issued a temporary restraining order on federal agents deployed in Portland, ruling that they may not arrest, disperse or otherwise use force against reporters and legal observers covering ongoing protests there. | US District Court Judge Michael Simon

RT (2020-07-24). WATCH Portland protesters battling federal police to sound of Star Wars' Imperial March. rt.com Chaotic scenes outside Portland's federal courthouse were given a snarky soundtrack by a demonstrator who showed up to the fracas armed with a stereo. The city has seen nightly clashes between police and protesters. | Footage taken by New York Times correspondent Mike Baker shows activists and federal agents fighting over control of a fence guarding the building in downtown Portland, which has been under siege by demonstrators for nearly two months. | Protesters used projectiles and laser pointers against federal law enforcement tasked with protecting the courthouse, who in turn deployed tear gas to keep the m…

Christopher Ketcham — Jimmy Tobias (2020-07-24). We Don't Need No Stinkin' Oil Money to Fund Public Lands. counterpunch.org What does it take to get the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the League of Conservation Voters in bed with anti-conservation Republicans like Cory Gardner of Colorado, the fossil fuel lobby group Western Energy Alliance, and President Trump, whose tenure has brought a wrecking ball to environmental law? Behold the Great American Outdoors Act. The legislation passed the Senate in June and the House this week with ringing bipartisan support.

Dean Baker (2020-07-24). Quick Reminder: Casey Mulligan Argued that a Main Factor Pushing Unemployment Higher in the Great Recession Was Food Stamps. cepr.net This is worth keeping in mind when reading a New York Times article discussing Republican plans to cut the weekly $600 supplement to unemployment insurance benefits. The piece cites Mulligan as a conservative economist who argues that this supplement is discouraging people from working and therefore keeping unemployment high. In this context, it is worth …

Fight Back (2020-07-24). Trump forced to cancel RNC acceptance speech, Jacksonville wins showdown. fightbacknews.org Jacksonville, FL — Community members and activists are celebrating after Donald Trump's July 23 announcement that he is canceling the Jacksonville portion of the Republican National Convention, including the acceptance speech he intended to deliver. It is a great victory for all those who oppose Donald Trump and the Republican party, including the Coalition to March on the RNC. | The Coalition to March on the RNC is a national group that has experience organizing large marches against previous RNCs in Saint Paul (2008), Tampa (2012) and Cleveland (2016). The Coalition promised to march on the convention on…

Dean Baker (2020-07-24). The $24 an Hour Minimum Wage. counterpunch.org The push for a $15 an hour minimum wage has developed considerable political momentum over the last decade. It is a very real possibility that we will see legislation imposing a national minimum wage of $15 an hour by 2024 if Joe Biden wins the election this fall. That would be a great thing, it

David Rosen (2020-07-24). Uprising: Mass Protests Rock the Nation. counterpunch.org In an act of political desperation, President Donald Trump ordered a contingent of federal law-enforcement officers to impose order in Portland, OR. Under the direction of Attorney General Bill Barr, agents from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bureau of Prisons were deployed to protect

WSWS (2020-07-24). Trump orders federal police to more cities. wsws.org The Trump administration is stepping up its unconstitutional moves toward dictatorial rule, tear gassing the mayor of Portland, Oregon and announcing the deployment of federal police to additional cities.

Kathleen Wallace (2020-07-24). 2020 Vision Will Show You What is True, if You Can Keep Your Sanity. counterpunch.org We've all been making jokes about how terrible 2020 has played out, but I think even those of us with a bit of an imagination for the absurd and ominous missed the mark as far as this ultimate level of governmental degeneracy we've been able to achieve. Dads backing up moms in Portland with leaf

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-07-24). Ada Mills Young – A new look 2020 National Buffalo Soldiers Day Weekend. indybay.org Ada Mills Young, born in our California Gold Rush District offers a new and facinating journey into the extended families of our Buffalo Soldiers.

Abayomi Azikiwe (2020-07-23). Racial Politics in Georgia and the Presidential Elections. globalresearch.ca A contested gubernatorial election in 2018 involving Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp and former Georgia State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams highlighted problems related to voter suppression based upon the national oppression of the African American people. | Hundreds of …

Medea Benjamin (2020-07-23). King Joe and the Round Table: Biden's America in a Multipolar World. zcomm.org If Biden is elected, it will be up to peace-loving Americans to demand a foreign policy that takes illegal military "options," brutal sanctions and a new arms race off the table and replaces them with a new commitment to the rule of law and "Round Table" diplomacy…

Medea Benjamin (2020-07-23). Joe Biden's Misguided Bid for American Supremacy. progressive.org The former Vice President's view of foreign policy is deeply out of touch with a multipolar world, and America's place in it.

Dave Lindorff (2020-07-23). Defending the US Against Looming Presidential Dictatorship. counterpunch.org At least Vladimir Putin is gaining his dictatorial powers democratically. He got elected by a solid majority of Russians, and then he went to the Russian Duma and asked for a constitutional change to allow him to continue to be elected through 2030. Here in the US, we have created a presidential dictatorship through sleight

Staff (2020-07-23). Headlines for July 23, 2020. democracynow.org Trump to Send "Surge" of Federal Officers into Democrat-Run Cities, COVID-19 Hospitalizations in U.S. Near Same Level as Peak of Pandemic in April, Trump Falsely Claims Children Do Not Transmit COVID-19, McConnell to Unveil New $1 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Package, Global COVID-19 Cases Top 15M as Deaths Reach New High in Brazil, U.N.: Israeli Threat to Annex West Bank Is Hampering Palestianian Response to Pandemic, Federal Judge Rejects Releasing Detained Immigrant Families, Report: U.S. Holding Immigrant Toddlers in Hotels for Weeks Before Deportation, Canada Court Rules United States Is Not Safe for Asylum Seek…

Staff (2020-07-23). Paramilitary-Style Tactics in Portland Mirror Decades of U.S. Violence on the Border & Abroad. democracynow.org The harrowing scenes of paramilitary-style units in the streets of American cities like Portland has shocked mainstream America, but award-winning independent journalist Todd Miller, who has reported on border security and immigration for over a decade, says it's a reflection of how the U.S. has operated around the world. We also speak with Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA sociology professor, who says the image of unmarked vans snatching people from the streets "brings back memories to Latin Americans who lived through disappearances of families and friends and co-workers."

Staff (2020-07-23). Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner on Mumia Abu-Jamal, Police Corruption & Reexamining Old Cases. democracynow.org Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has made addressing police corruption a cornerstone of his time in office, and he says it affects many criminal cases, including that of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has always maintained his innocence for the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer for which he has spent four decades behind bars. Within weeks of the end of the trial, a third of the police involved in his case were jailed for systematically tampering with evidence to obtain convictions in cases across the city, and at least one police officer in the case, James Forbes, lied on the stand…

Staff (2020-07-23). "Her Front Teeth Were Knocked Out": Chicago Teen to Sue Police Officer Who Hit Her at a Protest. democracynow.org Protesters in Chicago are demanding justice after police officers attacked a teenage activist last week during a demonstration in which people attempted to topple a statue of Christopher Columbus in Grant Park. An officer struck 18-year-old Miracle Boyd, a recent high school graduate and organizer with the group GoodKids MadCity, in the face, knocking out several teeth. Journalists also reported being mistreated by police officers, who used chemical sprays and batons on protesters. "This is consistent with what we've seen from the Chicago Police Department in their response to these uprisings," says Sheila Bedi,…

Staff (2020-07-23). Philly DA Larry Krasner: Trump Is a "Wannabe Fascist." I Will Charge His Agents If They Break Law. democracynow.org As President Trump announces a "surge" of federal agents into major U.S. cities to confront protesters, we speak with Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who warns he will arrest and charge Trump's police forces if they violate the rights of residents in his city. "The law applies to the president of the United States, even though he doesn't think so. The law applies to law enforcement. The law applies to civilians. It is real simple," says Krasner. He also discusses the importance of releasing incarcerated people during the pandemic, and tackling police corruption, such as in the case of political pris…

MoveOn (2020-07-23). Thursday 7/23: MoveOn Politics & Flows Chat Guest: Rep. Ilhan Omar. indybay.org Online via livestream…

Eds. (2020-07-23). As Trump threatens secret police deployment nationwide, Democrats debate expanding surveillance powers and new money for DHS. mronline.org The rogue deployment of secret federal police forces in Portland, Oregon, has added a new complication to negotiations over reauthorizing the Trump administration's vast surveillance powers and appropriating new money for the Department of Homeland Security.

Margaret Kimberley (2020-07-23). Freedom Rider: Media silent as Trump declares wars. mronline.org Donald Trump's attacks on Venezuela, Syria and Iran are criminal, but Joe Biden vows to be even worse.

Tina Landis (2020-07-23). Biden's climate plan: tactic to win Sanders supporters or something more? liberationnews.org Trump is particularly pro-business and anti-people/planet, but will Biden lead the charge toward meaningful climate action?

Marilyn Bechtel (2020-07-23). Cities challenge Trump's dispatch of federal law enforcement officers. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif. — Outrage is growing throughout the country over Donald Trump's use of federal law enforcement against protesters in Portland, Oregon, and his threats to dispatch federal officers to other U.S. cities. On July 20, Trump told reporters he might send federal "law enforcement" to cities he claimed were experiencing heightened violence, naming cities …

Editor (2020-07-23). Defend Portland! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents ‚àí secret police ‚àí to Portland, Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial response to the threat of . . . |

RT (2020-07-23). Chicago mayor urges citizens to call cops on feds, so she can sue Trump for 'abuses' in crackdown on gun crime. rt.com Mayor Lori Lightfoot has urged Chicagoans to literally call the police over any "unconstitutional" actions by federal agents sent by President Donald Trump to help with a crackdown on skyrocketing violent crime. | Residents should call the police or social services if they "see something that doesn't look right," Lightfoot said at a press conference on Wednesday. | "If we see any steps out of line," she said, "we are not going to hesitate to take the president to court and stop any unconstitutional actions." The Democrat mayor singled out the Border Patrol and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for scrutiny…

RT (2020-07-23). Trump calls off GOP convention event in Jacksonville amid spike in Florida Covid-19 cases. rt.com US President Donald Trump confirmed that the upcoming Republican convention event in Jacksonville, Florida has been canceled, saying "it's just not right" during the coronavirus pandemic. | "I told my team it's time to cancel the Jacksonville, Florida component of the GOP convention," the president announced during a press conference Thursday evening. | "I told my team it's time to cancel the Jacksonville, Florida componen…

RT (2020-07-23). Portland mayor cheers protesters & joins them to face tear gas, gets calls to resign anyway (VIDEOS). rt.com Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler failed to win over a crowd of angry anti-police protesters despite rooting for their cause. But rather than seeing him as an ally against federal agents, some said he's part of the problem and has to go.

RT (2020-07-23). MSNBC's Joe Scarborough calls Portland protests 'peaceful'… despite footage of escalating violence. rt.com Joe Scarborough has called protests in Portland "peaceful for the most part," less than a day after the mayor was tear-gassed in the face amid escalating violence following more than two months of demonstrations. | On his Morning Joe show Thursday, Scarborough railed against the deployment of federal agents to the city of Portland, saying they have launched "deeply disturbing attacks" against "peaceful protests, for the most part." | The MSNBC host has no doubt seen footage of federal agents arresting protesters and proceeding to throw them into unmarked vans — but perhaps he missed the videos of demonstr…

The Canary (2020-07-23). Brandon Lewis tries to defend Russia-linked Tory donations. thecanary.co A Cabinet minister has defended accepting donations from wealthy individuals with links to Russia and president Vladimir Putin, insisting the benefactors are "British citizens".It comes after the Times reported that 14 Cabinet ministers and members of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which published its long-awaited report into Russian interference in British democracy this week, had taken money from figures linked to Russia.The committee's report warned that unnamed Kremlin-linked figures had given money to UK political parties in a move that could see them deployed to "assist" Moscow.The…

Jeremy Ben-Ami, James Zogby (2020-07-23). It's Time for the Democratic Party to Mention the Occupation. thenation.com It's Time for the Democratic Party to Mention the Occupation…

Margaret Kimberley (2020-07-23). Media Silent as Trump Declares Wars. globalresearch.ca Donald Trump's attacks on Venezuela, Syria and Iran are criminal, but Joe Biden vows to be even worse. | The corporate media in this country can endlessly repeat lies about Russia paying Taliban bounties, but ignore important information that is …

Kit Knightly (2020-07-23). The "Russia Report": Deep State Reinforcing Delusion to Spread Fear and Seize Power. globalresearch.ca The "Russia report" is an action plan for the intelligence agencies to hand MI5 direct control over the mechanisms of British democracy, and give the government legal power to control social media. | Nobody in the mainstream will tell you this. …

Sophia Paslaski (2020-07-23). SCOTUS' Birth Control Decision Favors Medicare for All. commondreams.org I can think of no better argument for Medicare for All than the freeing of the noble employer from the dreadful moral quandary of birth control. Great job, team. Drinks are on Kavanaugh. (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_0.jpg

WSWS (2020-07-23). Britain's Russia Report: Propaganda for authoritarianism and war. wsws.org British politics is ever more closely mirroring US politics, where conflicts within the ruling class are fought out through the prism of anti-Russian hysteria, with anti-democratic and militarist implications.

Andrew Emett (2020-07-23). Philly SWAT cop charged with assault for pepper-spraying kneeling protesters on video. nationofchange.org "The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office will not make excuses for crimes committed by law enforcement that demean the democratic freedoms so many Americans have fought and died to preserve."

Barbara Nimri Aziz (2020-07-23). Who Will Come to America's Rescue? A Nation Under Internal Threat, Engulfed in an Unprecedented Crisis… globalresearch.ca USA needs help. Let's face it: our democratic institutions aren't working well; our president is behaving like a depraved, spiteful monarch; our police, with almost 19,000 independent units nationwide, are unmanageable; our unprecedented social and economic divides are growing; the …

commondreams (2020-07-23). Progressive Groups Tell Trump, Senate Republicans: Hands Off Our Social Security. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Ken Klippenstein (2020-07-23). The Federal Response to Protests Extends Far Beyond Portland. thenation.com The Federal Response to Protests Extends Far Beyond Portland…

CounterPunch News Service (2020-07-23). Washington Governor Urged to Order New Rules to Reduce Wolf-Killing; State has Killed 31 Endangered Wolves Since 2012. counterpunch.org SEATTLE. Conservation groups appealed to Governor Jay Inslee today to order the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to draft enforceable rules that limit when the state can kill endangered wolves for conflicts with livestock. Today's appeal, filed by WildEarth Guardians, Center for Biological Diversity, Cascadia Wildlands, and Western Watersheds Project seeks a reversal of the commission's June 26 denial of

Fight Back (2020-07-23). Philippines: New People's Army lands blow on U.S.-backed Duterte regime armed forces. fightbacknews.org According to reports, the communist-led New People's Army (NPA) successfully ambushed a platoon of the 15th Infantry Battalion last Wednesday afternoon, July 8, in Brgy. Pinggot, Ilog Town, Negros Occidental, killing at least 12 AFP soldiers and wounding four others. | In a statement, red fighters of the Armando Sumayang Jr. Command (ASJC) of the New People's Army's Southwest Negros Front said that the NPA action was in response to the clamor of peasant masses in Southwest Negros seeking redress from the growing cases of arson, destruction of crops, illegal arrest, fake surrender and other rights abuses and crimi…

William Boardman (2020-07-23). Defund the Police State, Before It's Too Late. globalresearch.ca The American police state is currently making its boldest test run to date in Portland, Oregon, escalating violence and lawlessness against the peaceful population of an American city. The people of Portland have responded with increased resistance, but support from …

Fight Back (2020-07-23). Stand with the resistance in Portland! fightbacknews.org Protesters grabbed off the streets by federal agents who refuse to identify themselves, placed unmarked vehicles, and taken to undisclosed locations. These same agents nearly killed a young man holding part of a sound system at a demonstration. This is the outrageous reality in Portland today, were Trump has deployed a paramilitary police force to carry out a wave of repression. The good news is that the resistance in Portland has been nothing short of heroic, as thousands have taken to the streets in a powerful display of opposition. | The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that it is deploying federal a…

Max Elbaum (2020-07-23). Guns? Yes. Masks? No. And Gestapo in Portland. zcomm.org The toxic mix of valuing gun ownership over protecting public health, conspiracism, and reactionary movements glued together by white supremacy and national chauvinism are too deeply rooted to be ended any time soon…

Marlee Kokotovic (2020-07-23). U.S. Navy veteran speaks out about being attacked by Trump's secret police in Portland this past weekend. nationofchange.org It isn't about me getting beat up. It's about focusing back on the original intention of all of these protests, which is Black Lives Matter.

Black Alliance for Peace (2020-07-23). Trump Administration Deploys Federal Forces into Major U.S. Cities. globalresearch.ca The repressive U.S. state's chickens have come home to roost with President Donald Trump announcing federal troops will be deployed to several U.S. cities. This comes after federal agents reportedly disappeared protesters last week off the streets of Portland, Oregon….

_____ (2020-07-23). Portland's Mayor Tear-Gassed By Militarized US Police. popularresistance.org The mayor of Portland, Oregon was tear-gassed by U.S. government agents as he stood outside a federal courthouse during another night of protests against the presence of federal police sent by President Donald Trump to quell the city's ongoing unrest. | Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, appeared slightly dazed and coughed and said Wednesday night it was the first time he'd been tear-gassed. | He put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water but did not leave his spot at the front of the protest and continued to take tear gas as the demonstration raged — with protesters lighting a large fire betwe…

_____ (2020-07-23). What Are Trump And His Goons Up To? popularresistance.org First and foremost, it is a political stunt to capture the law and order crowd and press on divides between the coastal cities and inland voters. But it's also more sinister than that. The use of federal forces is designed to weaken local accountability by freezing out local government that constituents can reach. Portland's mayor might not even have opposed some "help" from the feds, but he wasn't asked. In other words, this wasn't mutual aid. This was indeed an invasion. An alphabet soup of federal agencies have been employed to crack down on police brutality protests, including the National Guard, the US Marsh…

_____ (2020-07-23). New Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Federal Law Enforcement. popularresistance.org The Western States Center, the First Unitarian Church of Portland, two state representatives and an ACLU legal observer are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which alleges the federal government has violated protesters' 10th Amendment rights. It was filed Tuesday in federal court. | The 10th Amendment delineates the separation of powers between federal and state governments. | "The power to engage in ordinary law enforcement is one of the long-recognized powers that belong to the states and to their municipalities," said Cliff Davidson, an attorney with Snell & Wilmer, the firm filing the lawsuit. | The W…

_____ (2020-07-23). Federal Agents Retreat To Portland Base As Protesters Control Streets. popularresistance.org The DHS officers dispatched by the president to put down the demonstrations have instead become prisoners of the building they are ostensibly there to defend. | "The feds don't have control of the streets," said a woman holding a sign "100% not a terrorist", who gave her name only as Shannon. "I think they're more scared than us. They're hiding in there. They don't know what they're doing." If the intent was to intimidate the protesters into abandoning the few square blocks of downtown Portland under their control, it backfired spectacularly. | Residents of a city with a long history of radical street protest wer…

yenisafak (2020-07-23). In another night of unrest in Portland, tear gas hits mayor. yenisafak.com The mayor of the U.S. city of Portland, Ted Wheeler, was stung by tear gas early on Thursday morning after he joined demonstrators protesting against racial injustice and police brutality.Protests have rocked Portland every night for weeks, with security forces often tear-gassing and clubbing demonstrators.Visiting the protest site, Wheeler was jeered at by some demonstrators who called on him to resign and chanted "Shame on You". They said he should have done more to protect Portland's citizens.However, as he stood amongst the crowd outside Portland's Justice Center, Wheeler, who was wearing a face mask, was him…

sputniknews (2020-07-23). 'Not the Right Time': Trump Calls Off Jacksonville GOP Convention Amid COVID-19 Spike. sputniknews.com The 2020 Republican National Convention scheduled to take place from August 24 to 27 in Jacksonville, Florida, has been canceled, according to Thursday evening remarks delivered by US President Donald Trump.

Staff (2020-07-23). GOP Floats Slashing Boosted Unemployment Payments to $100 Per Week. truthout.org With the final boosted unemployment check set to go out in just three days barring an unlikely last-minute extension by Congress, Senate Republicans are reportedly considering a proposal to slash the $600-per-week benefit boost to $100 — a cut that would drastically reduce the incomes of 30 million Americans and potentially cause massive job loss. | First

Staff (2020-07-23). Paramilitary-Style Tactics in Portland Mirror Decades of Global US Violence. truthout.org The harrowing scenes of paramilitary-style units in the streets of American cities like Portland has shocked mainstream America, but award-winning independent journalist Todd Miller, who has reported on border security and immigration for over a decade, says it's a reflection of how the U.S. has operated around the world. We also speak with Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA sociology professor, who says the image of unmarked vans snatching people from the streets "brings back memories to Latin Americans wh…

Register Peace & Freedom or Green (2020-07-23). Democrats Vote for War; S.F. Democrats Oppose Public Advocate. indybay.org On 7/21/20, the House of Representatives voted 93 to 324 to oppose cutting the $740 billion military budget by 10% which was proposed by the Lee-Pocan Amendment No. 9 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Roll Call Vote 148, with 139 Democrats joining 185 Republicans in voting to oppose this very small, but very necessary, cut to the war machine. See http: //clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2020&rollnumber=148. On the same day, the House of Representatives voted 129 to 284 to oppose withdrawal of US troops from its illegal occupation of Afghanistan proposed by Rep. Omar's Amendment No. 5, Roll Cal…

DLI (2020-07-23). Secret police in Portland violated human rights of peaceful protesters. indybay.org Videos showing U.S. Federal secret police(with no badges and riding in unmarked vehicles)inflicting massive violence on mostly peaceful protesters are running viral across the Globe. Yet the Federal governing regime brazenly avows that this will be the "new normal" in major cities from now on…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-07-23). 'War Is Not a Game': AOC to File Amendment Banning US Military From Recruiting on Twitch. commondreams.org "It's incredibly irresponsible for the Army and the Navy to be recruiting impressionable young people and children via live streaming platforms." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aoc_7_0.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-07-23). Amid Disappointment Over Party's Draft Platform, 25,000+ People Urge DNC to Adopt Climate Panel's Ambitious Policies. commondreams.org Critics charge Democrats' current proposal "will not go nearly far enough to secure a just and equitable transition." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-6712659061_0.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-07-23). Day After Voting Down 10% Pentagon Cut, 37 Senate Dems Join GOP to Approve $740 Billion War Budget. commondreams.org Hours after the Republican Party released a coronavirus relief proposal including $0 for election assistance funding and no additional funding for cities and states as the country continues to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the NDAA. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/5541203667_427aa3c9ab_o_1.jpg

Alan MacLeod (2020-07-22). Portland: "Wall of Moms" mobilizes to protect protests from police violence. mronline.org Chanting, "Feds stay clear! Moms are here!," groups of women congregated at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other locations in Central Portland. They were met with tear gas, flashbangs, and pepper round bullets, injuring many.

Staff (2020-07-22). COVID-19 Lays Bare South Africa's Rampant Inequality & Fault Lines of Post-Apartheid Society. democracynow.org COVID-19 infections are skyrocketing in South Africa, now fifth in the world for coronavirus cases, with an already fragile hospital system. "I really think it's our inequality reckoning moment," says Fatima Hassan, a human rights lawyer with the Health Justice Initiative. "All of the fault lines of South Africa's post-apartheid democracy, and its inequality and its violence, is actually coming to the fore."

Staff (2020-07-22). As COVID Spikes in California, Latinx Workers Who "Keep the State Going" See Up to 5x the Deaths. democracynow.org Amid a surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across the United States, the Latinx community has been hit especially hard in places like California, where many Latinx workers fill essential jobs as farmworkers and meatpackers. "Latino and people of color basically do the scut work that keep the state going, its economy going, but get very little of the resources," says Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His recent study shows Latinx Californians between the ages of 50 and 64 have died at more than fiv…

Staff (2020-07-22). "Silence the Guns": Africa's CDC Head on Delayed Pandemic, Health Equity & Dangers of War. democracynow.org The African continent has mostly escaped the worst of the pandemic, but the World Health Organization is now warning of an impending acceleration of its spread. "We have always been very clear that the pandemic in Africa was a delayed pandemic, that the continent wasn't spared," says Dr. John Nkengasong, director for Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Staff (2020-07-22). Headlines for July 22, 2020. democracynow.org As U.S. Records 1,000 More COVID-19 Deaths, Trump Admits "It Will Get Worse Before It Gets Better", California Surpasses New York in Total Coronavirus Cases, COVID-19 Death Toll at San Quentin State Prison Reaches 12, HRW: 14 Egyptians Have Died of COVID-19 in Overcrowded Prison, Brazilian COVID-19 Death Toll Surpasses 80,000; Bolivian Police Recover 400 Bodies, Israel Authorities Demolish Coronavirus Testing Center in West Bank, U.S. Military Infection Rates Soar, Raising Concerns for Areas Near Overseas Bases, Trump Moves to Exclude Counting Undocumented People in Drawing Congressional Districts, Massachusetts…

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-07-22). Washington's Anti-Chinese "Pan-Asian Alliance" thealtworld.com US-backed protesters complain about economy, then seek to ruin regional relations with Southeast Asia's most important economic partner, investor, and source of tourism. | One of Washington's reoccuring dreams is creating a "pan-Asian alliance" to encircle and contain China's economic and political rise. Unable to do this through regime change, economic incentives, military alliances, or even coercion and terrorism, it has drawn deeper and deeper from its "soft power" toolkit. | The US is also increasingly lumping its various regional assets together to fight in its growing rift with China. | In this way, it alr…

Makasi Motema (2020-07-22). Revolución y democracia proletaria. workers.org Una revolución socialista es un levantamiento del proletariado: la clase trabajadora, aquellos que no poseen la propiedad necesaria para administrar un negocio, sino que deben trabajar para otra persona. Una revolución socialista es un despertar que hace que la masa de trabajadores se resista a su opresión. Para que este . . . |

Joan Walsh (2020-07-22). Another Long Day of GOP Disrespect for Women. thenation.com Attacks on AOC, Liz Cheney, and Portland's "Wall of Moms" make it seem like Republicans don't care about women. Except Ghislaine Maxwell.

Tim Libretti (2020-07-22). GOP says workers are lazy, don't deserve HEROES Act unemployment help. peoplesworld.org Are the majority of Americans lazy and averse to work? Would they prefer not to work and to enjoy a free ride from the government? How we answer this question, or how congressional leaders answer it, shapes what is really life-or-death legislation coming out of Washington, particularly with regards to COVID-19 relief packages. Republicans have …

Daryan Rezazad (2020-07-22). Iran-China Deal Must be Green. counterpunch.org When ultra-conservative members of Iran's parliament and the usual neo-con suspects within the United States power structure agree on an issue you can be certain geopolitical watchers will be getting the popcorn out and will want to find out what is really going on. For now nobody has the full details of the Iran-China deal though this

Joshua Hanks (2020-07-22). Outrage over Trump attack: Portland movement fights back. workers.org Federal officers were deployed to "quell" Portland's protests beginning the weekend of July 10 and continuing the following week. Camouflaged unidentified agents arrested and detained demonstrators without even a pretext. The Trump administration has escalated the confrontation between the people and the state apparatus, bringing a whiff of fascism to . . . |

Ron Jacobs (2020-07-22). Trumpfen Sturmabteilung (Trump's Stormtroopers). counterpunch.org It is not hard to see the forces kidnapping individuals and teargassing Portland's streets as the Trump administration's private stormtroopers. Although they are operating under the aegis of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the truth is it is the Executive Branch that issued their orders.

Mike Hastie (2020-07-22). Tear Gas, Beatings and Projectiles in Portland. counterpunch.org The last couple of nights I have been heavily involved in demonstrations in Portland, Oregon. ( July 18-19, 2020.) As most of you probably know these demonstrations have been going on in front of the Federal Justice Center for over 50 straight nights. Since Trump called in the Feds, the turmoil and violence has escalated. We

RT (2020-07-22). Obama finally steps in to assist Biden's campaign as the duo tease streaming special in which they trash Trump (VIDEO). rt.com Though he's been relatively quiet in politics since leaving the White House, former President Barack Obama is now taking a more active role in the 2020 election, with a new video showing him and Joe Biden panning Donald Trump. | The video was tweeted out by Biden on Wednesday morning. In it, he and Obama criticize Trump while footage shows them arriving at a meeting spot in SUVs, both wearing masks. The short clip is a tease for a longer interview due for streaming release on Thursday. | "Can you imagine standing up when you were president and saying 'it's not my responsibility. I take no responsibility.' Lite…

RT (2020-07-22). 'We won't retreat': DHS chief defends 'proactive arrests' amid Portland riots, stokes Minority Report dystopia outcry (VIDEOS). rt.com The head of the Department of Homeland Security set off alarms after saying that federal agents were making 'proactive' arrests in Portland amid heated protests, drawing comparisons to the dystopian "pre-crime" of Minority Report. | Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf appeared on a Fox News segment on Tuesday night, discussing the ongoing protests and rioting across Portland, which he says have continued for "52 nights in a row" as federal officers there are stretched to the limit. | "Because we don't have that local law enforcement support, we are having to go out and proactively arrest individuals, and we need…

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-22). Trump Regime Wants Social Security and Medicare Weakened. globalresearch.ca On Monday, debate began in Washington on extending aid to unemployed workers and other Americans in need at a time of economic crisis conditions. | Trump wants an unacceptable payroll tax cut, opposed by Dems and many Republicans — for political …

WSWS (2020-07-22). The "Strike for Black Lives" protest stunt. wsws.org The "strike" was a union-organized stunt endorsed by business, the corporate media and the Democratic Party to divert anger over police violence and unsafe working conditions along racial lines.

WSWS (2020-07-22). Trump's plan to send paramilitary police throughout the US: The ruling class prepares for civil war. wsws.org The Trump administration's plans to deploy federal paramilitary forces in major American cities is a sharp escalation of the assault on democratic rights and the establishment of police state forms of rule.

Thomas Magstadt (2020-07-22). A pandemic has infected the Republican Party—it has one name and many faces. nationofchange.org "What we do have is we have perhaps the lowest, but among the lowest, but perhaps the lowest, mortality rate—death rate—anywhere in the world."

Nick Licata (2020-07-22). Trump Plays Economy Card Hoping to Win the Game. zcomm.org Expect Trump and the Republican controlled Senate to push for something akin to Trump's 2018 Tax Cut Act after labor-day, when the swing voters will finally focus on the election…

Michael T. Hertz (2020-07-22). Black female Veep for Biden. nationofchange.org The word out is that Biden should select a black woman as his running mate. But which one?>

Fight Back (2020-07-22). Federal officers seen dragging protesters into unmarked vans in Portland. fightbacknews.org Portland, OR – For weeks now, officers under the oversight of the Department of Homeland Security have been terrorizing the residents of Portland Oregon in new attempts to stamp out the protest movement that has been ongoing since the killing of George Floyd. These officers can be seen in various videos wearing nondescript camo fatigues with no markings indicating who they are or, or what agency they are working for. These same federal officers nearly killed a protester in Portland last week after shooting him in the head with a 'less-lethal' impact device. | In an intensification of an already overzeal…

Fight Back (2020-07-22). The Wisconsin District of FRSO condemns the deployment of federal agents to Milwaukee. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Last week, unmarked federal agents in military uniforms grabbed protesters off the streets of Portland, Oregon, and threw them into unmarked black vans. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed responsibility for the shadowy operation, citing "graffiti" as their justification for snatching activists off the street and interrogating them. | Now, Milwaukee has been named by the Trump administration as one of the cities that would likely be targeted for deployment of Homeland Security Investigation agents. Some Milwaukee activists have reported spotting unidentified agents in military gear n…

Zoà´ Carpenter (2020-07-22). Why Portland Became the Test Case for Trump's Secret Police. thenation.com Why Portland Became the Test Case for Trump's Secret Police…

_____ (2020-07-22). Portland's Wall Of Moms Joined By Dads With Leaf Blowers. popularresistance.org In response to the use of tear gas being utilized by federal officers against demonstrators, including a group of moms, in an uprising in Portland, Oregon, this week, a like-minded dads' group encouraged others to show up to the event with leaf blowers in order to dissipate the chemical agents. | Uprisings in Portland have happened nightly since the end of May, in response to police violence against Black Americans, including renewed attention to Jason Washington, a Black resident of the city who was shot and killed by police in 2018. | Tensions have escalated in recent weeks as federal officers began appearing a…

Fight Back (2020-07-22). Trump deploying 150 federal agents in Chicago to repress our movement. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | What we have watched in Portland is the dress rehearsal for what Trump is preparing for Chicago: an effort to squash the Black Lives Matter protests flowing from this uprising by violent military means. He claims he is targeting the cities controlled by Democrats because of the chaos caused by the largest rebellion in U.S. history. | In truth, broad democratic forces have come together to exercise their right to protest against police murder and violence. We've had signals this was…

sputniknews (2020-07-22). Over 100 US Lawmakers Ask Barr to Explain Unidentified Federal Officers in Portland. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US law enforcement chiefs need to explain the activities of unidentified federal personnel in Portland, Oregon, during the protests there, 114 members of the House of Representatives wrote in a letter to Attorney General William Barr and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Wednesday.

ACLU Foundation of Oregon (2020-07-22). ACLU Sues Federal Agents Over "Unconstitutional Nightmare" in Portland. indybay.org Organization Seeks to Block Federal Law Enforcement Attacks on Journalists, Legal Observers in Portland…

Coalition for Police Accountabiity (2020-07-22). Reject the "Exigency Clause" Measure — No Martial Law in Oakland. indybay.org This letter was written by Cathy Leonard on behalf of CPA in response to the Police Union's addition to a Measure LL [Police Commission] clean-up measure which would allow the city administrator to declare a version of martial law. If Mayor Schaaf really opposes the Portlandization of Oakland, she needs to demand this addition be removed from any police accountability measure now.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-07-21). 'Flagrantly Unconstitutional': Trump Issues Order to Block Undocumented Immigrants From Being Counted in Census. commondreams.org "This is another attempt by Trump to use scaremongering against immigrants and rig the system," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/2020_census_trump_0.jpg

Staff (2020-07-21). Portland Protests Grow Despite Violent Crackdown from Militarized Federal Agents & Local Police. democracynow.org Heavily armed federal officers without name tags have carried out nightly attacks on antiracist demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, and snatched people off the streets into unmarked vans, sparking widespread outrage. "What we've seen is a continuous escalation in violence against our protesters," says Lilith Sinclair, an Afro-Indigenous local organizer in Portland. They note the federal violence follows many years of "severe police brutality" from local police. "It's left the people of Portland not only worried about their safety, but, even more so, justified in the fight that we're engaged in."

Staff (2020-07-21). Headlines for July 21, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Spikes Across U.S. as Tensions Mount over Plans to Reopen Schools, Labs Show Promising Results in COVID-19 Vaccine as Cases Surge in Countries Around the World, Trump Threatens to Send More Feds into Cities Across U.S. to Crack Down on Protests, Georgia Dems Select State Senator Nikema Williams to Run for Late John Lewis's Congressional Seat, Suspect in Killing of NJ Judge's Son Is Found Dead, Was an "Anti-Feminist," Racist Lawyer, U.K. Suspends Extradition Treaty with Hong Kong, Iran Executes Man Convicted of Spying, After Halting Killing of Protesters Following Public Outcry, Rights Groups Call for…

Staff (2020-07-21). "I Love My Students. I Also Want to Live": Teachers Demand Safety as Trump Pushes Schools to Reopen. democracynow.org As President Trump continues to push for schools to reopen even as COVID-19 rates skyrocket in many states, teachers are revolting. "I love my students, and I know that the best place for them to learn is in classrooms where they can collaborate and collectively solve problems," says Seattle high school teacher Jesse Hagopian. He says teachers recognize that online learning is not an adequate replacement for in-class education, "but I also want to live, and I also want my students to live." We also speak with Jitu Brown, national director of the Journey for Justice Alliance, which published an open letter to Pres…

Staff (2020-07-21). Trump to Send Federal Troops to Protests in Chicago & Seattle Amid Violent Crackdown by Local Police. democracynow.org As mayors in six cities call for the immediate removal of the president's rapid deployment units and for Congress to investigate the tactics of federal authorities against antiracism protests, Trump says he may send troops to Chicago this week. "We're looking at the infringement on our rights that is just escalating," says Chicago activist Jitu Brown, national director of the Journey for Justice Alliance. We also speak with Jesse Hagopian, a history teacher in Seattle, where Trump has also vowed to send federal officers to quell ongoing demonstrations.

Staff (2020-07-21). "Camouflaged Goon Squads": Outrage, Legal Challenges in Portland as Federal Agents Snatch Protesters. democracynow.org The U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon has called for an investigation into the conduct of federal officers deployed to protests in Portland, calling their behavior "unlawful." Local officials are also mounting legal challenges to remove the agents from city streets. Juan Chavez, project director and attorney at the Oregon Justice Resource Center, says it's a terrifying situation for Portland residents who face "these camouflaged goon squads" who often refuse to identify themselves or their agencies. "They just appear in the middle of the night next to people who are in and around downtown who then get corr…

Ted Glick (2020-07-21). The Green Party's Problematic Electoral Strategy. zcomm.org The fact is that history over the last five years has made it clear that the path to a strong, mass-based, independent progressive alternative runs in part through the Democratic Party…

Jesse Jackson (2020-07-21). John Lewis, a Founding Father of American Democracy. commondreams.org John has left us, but millions have picked up the baton that he once carried — focused now on equal justice under the law, and on ending the structural racism that makes racial inequality a pre-existing condition. (Photo: Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-john_lewis_for_the_people_0.jpeg