2020-07-25: News Headlines

Glen Ford (2020-07-25). Who is the most dangerous fascist? mronline.org Most American leftists are incoherent on the term fascism, and Democrats have utterly destroyed the word's meaning.

Noam Chomsky (2020-07-25). Trump's Troop Surge to Democratic Cities. zcomm.org "His entire attention is this one issue on his mind: that's the election. He has to cover up for the fact he is personally responsible for killing tens of thousands of Americans. It's impossible to conceal that for much longer."

Fight Back (2020-07-25). Florida State students host call-in day, slave-owner statue removed once again. fightbacknews.org Florida State students host call-in day, slave-owner statue removed once again | By Jonce Palmer | Tallahassee, FL – On July 23, The FSU chapter of Students for a Democratic Society held a call-in day demanding the administration immediately remove a statue honoring slave-owner Francis Eppes, and the immediate renaming of several buildings located on campus that are named after slave owners and segregationists. The statue of Francis Eppes, as well as Eppes Hall, B. K. Roberts Hall and Doak Campbell Stadium were the campus buildings included in the demands. | Participants in the action called the offices of FSU Pr…

WSWS (2020-07-25). Illinois Democrats embrace Trump's law enforcement "surge" wsws.org Illinois Democratic lawmakers have made public statements aimed at assuaging public fears that the federal forces will crack down on anti-police violence protesters in Chicago, just as they have in Portland.

Sammy Westfall (2020-07-25). Thailand Sees Largest Anti-Government Protests Since 2014 Military Coup. zcomm.org The youth-led protests appear to have taken a page from Hong Kong's highly decentralized pro-democracy movement last year…

Fight Back (2020-07-25). Michigan workers demand $600 unemployment from U.S. Rep. Huizenga. fightbacknews.org Grandville, MI – Stagehands held signs and rallied outside the office of U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga in this suburb of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Huizenga, like all but one Republican, voted against the HEROES Act in the House of Representatives. | Joining workers in other states, stagehands across Michigan are gathering outside politicians' offices to demand extending unemployment into next year. The stagehands, who are normally working behind the scenes, were out in front on June 23 chanting, "They say cut back! We say fight back!" and "What do we want? $600!" | Stagehands, like other entertainment and hospi…

William rivers Pitt (2020-07-25). Trump's Reelection Strategy Involves Terrorizing Us With Secret Stormtroopers. zcomm.org Trump's actions in Portland are terrifying by any standard.

WorkWeek (2020-07-25). WorkWeek On Confederate Monuments & Knights Of Labor & Covid Murders. indybay.org WorkWeek looks at the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond, Virginia and the Knights of Labor who were uniting Black and White workers against the Democrats and Republicans. WorkWeek also looks at racism at Tesla, the Port of Oakland and the fight against privatization of Alameda County Highland Hospital.

Eugene E Ruyle (2020-07-25). Sunday 7/26: Socialism, Communism, Democracy, and Dictatorship: A Scientific Perspective. indybay.org Online…

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-07-25). 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.

Staff (2020-07-24). Climate Change And Hatred For Trump May Put Biden In The White House. therealnews.com Climate justice groups are disappointed at the recently unveiled Biden-Sanders joint action plan on climate change, saying it fails to recognize the urgency of the situation which can overshadow Democrats' efforts to rally the more progressive voices behind the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. | Since Sen. Bernie Sanders' abrupt exit from the Democratic field mid-April, the respective teams of Biden and the Vermont senator have cooperated to build a joint action plan that can rally both Democratic conservatives and left-leaning progressives behind a unified political agenda. | On July 8, after weeks of h…

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.

Alan Macleod (2020-07-24). Homeland Security Justifies Invasion of Portland by Claiming Shields and Gas Masks are Weapons. mintpressnews.com DHS' Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli claimed that defensive tools like Shields and Gas Masks were evidence that protesters were making "preparations for violence."

Staff (2020-07-24). Headlines for July 24, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Cancels RNC in Jacksonville as COVID-19 Deaths Soar in Florida, CDC Issues New Guidelines Urging Schools To Reopen, South Africa Closes School For a Second Time as COVID-19 Cases Top 40,000, 1.4 Million File For Employment as Moratorium on Evictions Ends, Whistleblowers Reveal How ICE Used Deception to Deport Immigrants with COVID-19, ICE Attempted to Censor Embedded Journalists Who Filmed Wrongdoing, Judge Bars Federal Agents in Oregon From Targeting Journalists & Legal Observers, 37 Senate Democrats Join GOP in Passing $740 Billion Military Spending Bill, AOC Delivers Moving Response to Rep. Ted Yoho's Se…

Staff (2020-07-24). Watch Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Fire Back on House Floor After Rep. Yoho Calls Her An "F'ing Bitch" democracynow.org We bring you Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's full address from the floor of the House when she excoriated her Republican colleague, Rep. Ted Yoho of Florida, after he verbally attacked her earlier in the week on the steps of the Capitol and used a sexist slur overheard by a reporter, calling her a "fucking bitch," then issued a non-apology from the House floor. "My mother got to see Mr. Yoho's disrespect on the floor of this House towards me on television," she says, "and I am here because I have to show my parents that I am their daughter and that they did not raise me to accept abuse from men."

Staff (2020-07-24). Noam Chomsky: Trump Is Using Pandemic to Enrich Billionaires as Millions Lose Work & Face Eviction. democracynow.org As millions of people in the U.S. lose work and face eviction due to the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic, the 1% have seen a massive increase to their wealth, with Amazon founder and world's richest person Jeff Bezos recently adding an estimated $13 billion to his net worth in a single day. World-renowned political dissident Noam Chomsky says the corporate windfall is yet more evidence that the U.S. is run "essentially by the corporate sector" for its own profits. "They're just running wild."

Staff (2020-07-24). Noam Chomsky on Trump's Troop Surge to Democratic Cities & Whether He'll Leave Office if He Loses. democracynow.org "President Trump is desperate," says world-renowned dissident Professor Noam Chomsky in an extended interview that begins with President Trump's vow to send a "surge" of federal agents into major Democrat-run cities across the United States. "His entire attention is this one issue on his mind: that's the election. He has to cover up for the fact he is personally responsible for killing tens of thousands of Americans. It's impossible to conceal that for much longer."

Staff (2020-07-24). "Man. Woman. Camera. Person. TV.": Noam Chomsky Responds to Trump Bragging He Aced a Dementia Test. democracynow.org Is the United States being run by a madman? "What can you say about a person who, before speaking before an adoring crowd, raises his eyes to heaven and calls himself the chosen one?" says Noam Chomsky, responding to President Trump's boast that he aced a mental acuity test.

CounterSpin (2020-07-24). Marjorie Cohn on Portland Secret Police. fair.org Media…

Mike Whitney (2020-07-24). Vote Democrat… and Watch America Burn. globalresearch.ca "…This is the most dangerous time in the history of man. The seriousness of this plot cannot be underestimated. It is not due to any threat of conventional war or nuclear decimation, it is based on the fact that this …

John Wojcik (2020-07-24). AOC: 'Rep. Yoho called me, and I quote, a "fucking bitch"'. peoplesworld.org On the Holocaust Memorial in Washington, D.C., there is a list of a dozen easily recognized features of a society headed toward fascism. High on that list is the oppression and denigration of women—in short, sexism. Yesterday, New York's Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, the leading socialist in the U.S. Congress, rose to the floor and changed …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-07-24). House votes to toss statues of rebels from U.S. Capitol. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—By a 305-113 vote, the Democratic-run U.S. House voted to eject statues of Confederate leaders, plus racist U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney, from the U.S. Capitol, especially Statuary Hall. Republicans cast all 113 "no" votes, while 72 GOPers joined all 232 voting Democrats and the lone Independent in deciding to toss out the …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-07-24). Whole Foods workers sue: Amazon fired us for supporting Black Lives Matter. peoplesworld.org BOSTON—An old Republican politician said 50 years ago, "Watch what we do, not what we say." Well, 14 workers at the Amazon-owned Whole Foods grocery chain watched what their employer did—fired them for wearing Black Lives Matter apparel on the job—and marched into federal court in Boston to try to reverse that illegal action. In …

Afroze Fatima Zaidi (2020-07-24). Windrush campaigner Paulette Wilson had 'spirit broken by government', says friend. thecanary.co Windrush campaigner Paulette Wilson has died "a broken woman" at 64 years old. Her death comes just a month after delivering a petition to Downing Street calling for action to address the failings that led to the Windrush scandal.Wilson, who was from Wolverhampton, died unexpectedly on Thursday 23 July. According to family friend and fellow Windrush campaigner Patrick Vernon, she was a "precious gem" who was "broken by the government".Paulette Wilson and Anthony Bryan after a personal apology from immigration minister Caroline Nokes (Yui Mok/PA)Hostile environment: At age 10, Wilson came to Britain from Ja…

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 . . . |

Staff (2020-07-24). Leaked FBI Documents Reveal Secret Program To Criminalize Social Media. therealnews.com Simply posting about your presence at a police brutality protest can be used to incriminate you and lead to your arrest. We speak to Portland residents on the ground about the influx of unmarked federal agents.

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.

RT (2020-07-24). 'Trump's not the first racist president': Charlamagne tha God tells Joe Biden to 'shut the f*** up forever'. rt.com Joe Biden was attempting to whitewash Donald Trump's predecessors when he called him the "first" racist president, black radio host Charlamagne tha God said, urging the Democratic candidate to "shut the f*** up forever." | Asked earlier this week about Trump's use of the term "China virus" to describe Covid-19, Biden responded: "We've had racists, and they've existed. They've tried to get elected president. He's the first one that has." | The statement earned the presidential hopeful the "Donkey of the Day" title on Thursday's episode of the Breakfast Club radio show and inspired a fiery rant from its host, wh…

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). Black protester ATTACKED while trying to stop mob taking down Portland courthouse fence (VIDEO). rt.com Protesters returned to the Justice Center in Portland for another night of orchestrated chaos on Thursday. Eyewitness footage from the scene captured the moment apparent Antifa members attacked a black protester calling for calm. | After repeated criticism of heavy-handed tactics, reportedly no police or federal agents were posted on the streets at the beginning of Thursday evening, instead remaining inside the courthouse and issuing repeated orders that protesters not target the exterior fence. | Despite this, several agitators in the crowd threw trash over and set it on fire at the fence, which quickly desce…

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…

Staff (2020-07-24). AOC Refuses to Accept Rep. Yoho's Pathetic Excuses for His Verbal Assault. truthout.org We bring you Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's full address from the floor of the House when she excoriated her Republican colleague, Rep. Ted Yoho of Florida, after he verbally attacked her earlier in the week on the steps of the Capitol and used a sexist slur overheard by a reporter, calling her a "fucking bitch," then issued a non-apology from the House floor. "My mother got to see Mr. Yoho's disrespect on the floor of this House towards me on television," she says, "and I am here becau…

Peter Koenig (2020-07-24). 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, …

commondreams (2020-07-24). Omar, Sanders, Merkley, Markey, Barrag√°n Introduce Bill to End Corporate Handouts to the Fossil Fuel Industry. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Fight Back (2020-07-24). $600 unemployment benefits expire as more workers lose jobs. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – The $600 a week in additional unemployment insurance benefits is set to expire at the end of July. This aid is called the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or FPUC. More than 25 million people who are receiving regular state unemployment benefits, or the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or PUA for the self-employed, will lose their FPUC benefit. | With the average state unemployment benefit paying about $350 a week, the loss of the extra $600 a week will cut jobless workers' income by almost two-thirds. House Democrats passed a $3 trillion HEROES Act back in May to extend aid past…

Derek Royden (2020-07-24). The COIN doctrine comes to Portland? nationofchange.org The president has also promised to deploy similar militarized police to other cities, claiming that those run by Democrats are somehow in the thrall of the 'radical left', despite the latter being among the most strident critics of the former.

WSWS (2020-07-24). Trump, Congress condemn unemployed to starve. wsws.org The Democrats and Republicans are allowing the $600-a-week federal unemployment compensation supplement to expire, cutting off a lifeline for millions of jobless workers.

Andrew Emett (2020-07-24). Former Congressman charged with stuffing ballot boxes and bribery. nationofchange.org "Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If only one vote has been illegally rung up or fraudulently stuffed into a ballot box, the integrity of that entire election is undermined."

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…

Steve Early, Suzanne Gordon (2020-07-24). Patriotic Dissent: How a Working-Class Soldier Turned Against "Forever Wars" counterpunch.org When it comes to debate about US military policy, the 2020 presidential election campaign is so far looking very similar to that of 2016. Joe Biden has pledged to ensure that "we have the strongest military in the world," promising to "make the investments necessary to equip our troops for the challenges of the next century,

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.

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

James Goodman (2020-07-24). Trump Uses Border Patrol to Implement Police State. progressive.org The same agents arresting protesters in Portland routinely terrorize immigrant communities.

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

_____ (2020-07-24). Border Patrol Violently Assaults Civil Rights And Liberties. popularresistance.org In the past week, unidentified federal officers in camouflage fatigues, labeled only "police," abducted people off the streets of Portland in unmarked vehicles and threatened the "Wall of Moms" standing up for our Constitution. The administration later confirmed the unidentified officers were Border Patrol agents. | This blatant demonstration of unconstitutional authoritarianism is demonstrating to the entire country the cruel capabilities of the U.S. Border Patrol. For communities that have historically borne the brunt of Border Patrol's abuses — and still do — seeing these agents pose as a "secret f…

sputniknews (2020-07-24). Three Federal Agents Could Be 'Permanently Blinded' By Laser Attacks From Portland Protestors. sputniknews.com Demonstrations outside the courthouse in Portland have grown increasingly violent as the Trump administration sends in federal officers to crack down on the continuous nightly protests in the city.

sputniknews (2020-07-24). 18 Arrested for Vandalising Courthouse, Attacking Police in Portland. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The authorities have arrested 18 participants in nightly and often violent anti-police protests in Portland, Oregon, on charges ranging from assaulting federal officers to participating in attacks on a federal courthouse, the US Justice Department said in a press release.

Staff (2020-07-24). How the US Chamber of Commerce Wrecked the Economy and Made the Pandemic Worse. truthout.org As hospital intensive care units overflow again, and delays in COVID-19 testing reports reach record levels in many cities, a conversation I recently with Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, reminded me that I had forgotten something utterly critical: Donald Trump's decision to unilaterally disarm America in the face of the coronavirus invasion was urged upon him by an ostensible defender of American business: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. | When the pandemic reached America, we weren…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-07-24). With GOP Refusing Urgent Relief for Main Street, Tens of Thousands of Shuttered US Businesses Now Closing… Permanently. commondreams.org With Republicans in Congress intent on drastically reducing aid for unemployed Americans and altering the Paycheck Protection Act in the next coronavirus relief bill, workers across the country are losing hope that they will ever be able to return to their jobs, according to new polling. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1220444552_1.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-07-24). Polling Shows Trump's Secret Police in Portland—and GOP Lawmaker Complicity—Could Have 2020 Consequences. commondreams.org MoveOn says voters are "fed up" with GOP senators from the battleground states of Arizona, Maine, and North Carolina "carrying water for him as he trundles toward authoritarianism." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-10518352781.jpg

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). 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). 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…

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). 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."

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?

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 . . . |

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 …

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. …

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."

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.

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 …

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

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…

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.

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…

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….

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…

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 …

_____ (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). 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). 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). 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