2020-07-26: News Headlines

_____ (2020-07-26). The Real Collusion Scandal of the 2016 Campaign. strategic-culture.org Tim GRAHAM | Four years ago this week, the leftists at WikiLeaks tried to ruin the Democratic convention by posting a trove of emails exposing how the Democratic National Committee blatantly favored Hillary Clinton and tilted against Bernie Sanders. But even then, the media downplayed the juiciest tidbits for conservatives: emails in Clinton aide John Podesta's account that demonstrated how shamelessly reporters and Democrats work hand in hand to shape the "news". — Some might even say it sounds fake. For example: | 1. ABC's George Stephanopoulos harshly interviewed "Clinton Cash" author Peter Schweizer on h…

RT (2020-07-26). Political murder? Republicans seek federal probe into 'senseless' killing of black Trump supporter in Milwaukee. rt.com The murder in broad daylight of Milwaukee's Bernell Trammell is prompting calls for a federal prosecutor to investigate whether the 60-year-old black man was killed because of his passionate support for President Donald Trump. | Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Andrew Hitt asked that US Attorney Matthew Krueger investigate whether the "senseless" killing was politically motivated. Trammel was gunned down around midday Thursday in front of his small publishing business, eXpressions Journal. Police are still looking for the shooter. | "No American should fear for their personal safety because of where they li…

RT (2020-07-26). Police declare riot in Portland after protesters pull down courthouse fence (VIDEOS). rt.com Law enforcement officers have begun pushing protesters away from Portland's federal courthouse after demonstrators pulled down a fence surrounding the building. | Activists used wire cutters, power saws, and ropes to attack the fence on Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning. Videos show a group of demonstrators rocking the chainlink barrier back and forth, ultimately pulling it down. Projectiles and tear gas flew across the sky, in what one observer described as a scene resembling a battlefield. Several fires were then lit outside the courthouse before police declared a riot and emerged fro…

RT (2020-07-26). Riots are driving Portland's small businesses under, but mainstream media wants to sell you a different story. rt.com After nearly 60 straight nights of violence, business owners in Portland are sick and tired of riots. But as their stores go under, the coastal media treats the rioters to glowing coverage and city authorities do nothing. | Portland is a liberal stronghold, and as 'Black Lives Matter' protests fizzle out around the country, anger remains at boiling point in the Oregonian city. The protests there have not been all banner-waving and slogan-chanting affairs though. Instead, droves of 'Antifa' types have laid siege to the city's Justice Center for almost 2 months, tearing down barricades, lobbing fireworks, settin…

Nafisa Tanjeem (2020-07-26). Eclipsed Race and Class? Calling AOC a 'B*tch' Is Not Just About Sexism. commondreams.org Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wears a face mask to protect herself from the coronavirus during a press conference in the Corona neighborhood of Queens on April 14, 2020 in New York City. (Photo: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-12098953161.jpg

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-07-26). Trump Is Daring Us to Stop Him. zcomm.org Trump's deployment of federal officers to Democratic-run cities is extreme even for him…

Arun Gupta (2020-07-26). Questions Swirl Around Portland Police's Coordination With Federal Officers. zcomm.org The Portland police have been cagey about how they work with the feds. Deputy Chief Chris Davis has said Portland police offered "suggestions" to the federal forces and coordinated efforts with them.

Fight Back (2020-07-26). NYC rallies to defend Portland. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – Over 40 people gathered in Union Square in New York City, July 24, to stand in solidarity with Portland against the recent targeting of activists there. The action was called in response to viral videos of protesters in Portland being picked up by unmarked vans and brought to undisclosed locations, all just for speaking out against racist violence. | The action was called by the Workers World Party and included speakers from New York Community Action Project, Code Pink, Peoples Power Assemblies, Veterans for Peace, A Call to Action on Puerto Rico, and The Pakistan-USA Freedom Forum. | The speeches…

Fight Back (2020-07-26). Minneapolis protests Trump's repression in Portland. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Over 600 people rallied and marched here, July 23, at the "Portland to Minneapolis: Protest Trump's Goons Attacking Our Movement," called by the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J.) | On July 20, Trump announced plans to send the Department of Homeland Security to cities across the U.S. Agents in military fatigues were deployed in Portland, grabbing demonstrators off the street, detaining them in unmarked cars and attacking protesters. Homeland Security agents were also sent to Washington, DC and Seattle. 150 federal agents are headed to Chicago, and there are reports that 2000 mor…

_____ (2020-07-26). Anti-China Hysteria Drives Record 2021 US Defense Spending. popularresistance.org Anti-China hysteria has emerged as the central 'threat' designed to justify endless U.S. military spending and adventurism in the Asia-Pacific. | The 2021 Department of Defense spending bill has become contested terrain for a progressive wing of Democrats seeking to curtail endless military spending and a Republican-led bipartisan coalition focused on increasing spending to "stay competitive" with ostensible threats from Russia and China. | On July 21, the House passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with an increase in stipulated defense spending from 2020's $658 bi…

_____ (2020-07-26). Wall Of Vets, Grandparents Support Black Lives Matter Movement. popularresistance.org Portland, Ore. — The protests have drawn people from all walks of life, and on Friday night, veterans from all over showed up downtown to create a "Wall of Vets" to protect protesters. | And they showed up in white shirts to support the Black Lives Matter movement. | "It's something I believe in. The other vets here — this is the first time they've come down; they don't like crowds either; we believe in something; it's time to stand," said Jonathan Fisher, a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. | Veterans responded after the Navy veteran, Chris David, seen on video being beaten by federal officers, called for…

_____ (2020-07-26). Popular Movements Can Overcome Authoritarian Policing. popularresistance.org Today is the 60th day of protests since the murder of George Floyd. This weekend, people marched in cities across the country in solidarity with Portland and in opposition to the US becoming a police state. | President Trump sending troops to cities added fuel to the nationwide uprising against racist police violence. Protests have grown not only in Portland but in Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Omaha, Austin, Oakland, San Francisco, New York, and Washington, DC, among other cities. | Trump is not a 'law and order' president, he is a chaos and disorder president.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-26). US federal agents fire tear gas on peaceful protesters. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 26 (MNA) — US federal troops have used tear gas and flash-bang grenades against Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, on the 59th consecutive day of unrest in the city.

Center for Popular Democracy and others (2020-07-26). Sunday 7/26: "Birddog Nation" Film Screening & Panel Discussion on Progressive Grassroots Activism. indybay.org Online…

SEIU, AFT 2121, UESF, AFSCME 3299, CFA, JWJ (2020-07-26). Monday 7/27: SF Union Members Speak Out Against POA & Support For Defunding The Police. indybay.org POA | 800 Bryant St. | San Francisco…

Commonwealth Club (2020-07-26). Friday 8/7: The Battle for Portland & the Implications Nationwide. indybay.org Online via livestream…

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-07-26). Oakland March In Solidarity With Portland. indybay.org Close to a thousand in Oakland protest for BLM and against hostile Federal occupation of cities.

Rise Up Now (2020-07-26). J25 Stand with Portland March, Quanah Parker Brightman Address. indybay.org video by Micky Souza, Pro Bono Photo. Please give credit. | 2 min 23 second video…

Rise Up Now (2020-07-26). J25 Stand with Portland March, Call and Response. indybay.org One min 15 second video by Micky Souza, Pro Bono Photo. | Please give credit.

National Day of Action (2020-07-26). At Solidarity with Portland March, A "Wall of Moms" Ready. indybay.org On July 25, Oakland stood strong with Portland in opposition to Trump's invasion of cities. A recently formed Wall of Moms was ready to take up their place on short notice between police and protesters.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-07-26). Federal Crackdown in Portland Provokes Solidarity Protests Across the Country. commondreams.org "This is my first protest," said a 45-year-old woman who joined the "Wall of Moms" at a Saturday demonstration in Seattle. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12586851111.jpg

Juan Cole (2020-07-25). First the National Security State Surged Baghdad, Now It Is Surging Portland and Seattle. commondreams.org Federal officers walk through tear gas while dispersing a crowd of about a thousand people during a protest on July 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/dhs_agents.jpg

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.

Joyce Chediac (2020-07-25). Trump's federal repression election ploy spurs greater resistance. liberationnews.org Far from being intimidated, Portland residents were outraged when unannounced paramilitary units started grabbing protesters off the street.

Eds. (2020-07-25). Trump orders federal police to more cities. mronline.org The Trump administration is stepping up its unconstitutional moves toward dictatorial rule, tear gassing antipolice violence protesters in Portland, Oregon and announcing the deployment of federal police to three more cities—Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee—in addition to Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

RT (2020-07-25). Human 'Wall of Vets' joins 'moms' & 'dads' to shield Portland protesters from police (VIDEO). rt.com A group of former US service members has deployed to Portland to support demonstrators laying siege to the city's federal courthouse. The new 'wall' has emerged after self-described moms and dads formed their own human shields. | The cadre of military veterans assembled in front of the courthouse on Friday night, creating a line between protesters and a protective fence wrapped around the building. Some of the vets stood with their hands placed behind their backs, while others held signs that read "Disabled veterans 4 BLM" and "Federal troops defend property but this does not give them the right to take away m…

RT (2020-07-25). Democrats have gone 'stone cold left,' want to turn America into 'Venezuela on steroids' — Trump. rt.com President Donald Trump has called on the Republican-held Senate to kill a bill that would overturn his controversial travel ban. The Democrats, he said, want to turn the US into "Venezuela on steroids." | Comparing one's opponents to communists or Stalinists is a tired trope in American politics, but President Donald Trump added another anti-socialist slur to the phrasebook on Saturday. | "The Democrats in the House are trying to undo my big win Travel Ban Bill, which successfully keeps very bad and dangerous people out of our great Country," he tweeted. "Passed along party lines. Hopefully, will be DEAD in th…

RT (2020-07-25). Black Trump supporter allegedly STABBED by 'Antifa dude' during Portland protest (VIDEO). rt.com A black Trump supporter was reportedly attacked and stabbed by a protester amid increasingly violent demonstrations in Portland that have rocked the Oregon city for weeks. Police have made an arrest in connection to the incident. | Drew Duncomb, a Trump supporter and anti-Antifa activist, said that he had been stabbed while walking around downtown Portland in the early hours of Saturday. In a brief video message that he made while being transported to the hospital in an ambulance, Duncomb claimed that he had been attacked by an "Antifa dude" who had been "following me around for a while." | I got stabbed in P…

RT (2020-07-25). Strobe lights, electric saws & glass bottles: Portland protesters expand weapons arsenal in ongoing clashes with police (VIDEOS). rt.com Demonstrators in downtown Portland are using a range of weapons in their nightly skirmishes with law enforcement officers, and their growing arsenal now includes everything from leaf blowers to lasers. | Ropes and electric saws: | Protesters tried out some new tactics during the latest fracas. Footage shows a group of helmeted, masked activists using an electric saw to break apart the fence used to protect the city's besieged federal courthouse. The operation appeared to be well-coordinated, with several demonstrators using shields to protect the individual using the saw. | Portland rioters are using e…

RT (2020-07-25). UN human rights office condemns 'arbitrary arrests & unnecessary use of force' amid US police brutality protests. rt.com The United Nations has denounced heavy-handed police tactics used against demonstrators in Portland and other US cities during ongoing protests, taking aim at what it called baseless arrests and unnecessary violence by officers. | "Peaceful demonstrations that have been taking place in cities in the US, such as Portland, really must be able to continue without those participating in them… risking arbitrary arrest or detention, being subject to unnecessary, disproportionate or discriminatory use of force, or suffering other violations of their rights," Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN's Office of the Hi…

The Canary (2020-07-25). Portland protests continue after judge rejects bid to restrict federal agents. thecanary.co Thousands of people joined another night of Black Lives Matter protests on the streets of Portland, hours after a US judge denied the state of Oregon's request to restrict federal police in the city.Demonstrators, most wearing masks and many donning helmets, stood near the fountain on Salmon Street Springs. They then marched to the Hatfield Federal Courthouse and the federal agents there.They chanted and clapped along to the sound of thunderous drums, pausing to listen to speakers. Various organised groups took part, including Healthcare Workers Protest, Teachers against Tyrants, Lawyers for Black Lives and the '

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). Coalition to March on the DNC announces shift, to prioritize movement against police crimes. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – On August 20, the day that Joe Biden is expected to be in Milwaukee to accept the Democratic nomination, the Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention is hosting a march and rally within sight and sound of the Wisconsin Center. | People in cities and towns across the country are protesting racist police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Alvin Cole right here in Milwaukee. Protests in Minneapolis ignited a fire that swept across the country, producing the largest civil rights movement in U.S. history. | For the Coalition, a shift in priority is necessary. Rather than maint…

Dean Baker (2020-07-25). Thoughts on Zachary Carter's The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes. cepr.net I just finished reading Carter's book and I will agree with the general assessment. It is an outstanding book that brings together much useful material on the life and influence of Keynes. While I am of course familiar Keynes' history and the history of Keynesianism, there is much that I learned here. In particular, I …

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.

WSWS (2020-07-25). 150,000 dead in the US and no end in sight. wsws.org The resurgence of COVID-19 is a result of the campaign by the Trump administration—with the assistance of the Democrats and the media—to force workers back on the job as the pandemic continues to rage.

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…

Candace Hollingsworth (2020-07-25). Biden still needs to earn our vote. nationofchange.org "Earning our vote would create an accountability structure which to date has been avoided."

John Feffer (2020-07-25). Trump's Use of Federal Paramilitaries Is a Classic Tactic of Autocrats to Test How Far They Can Push Their Authority. commondreams.org A federal officer tells the crowd to move while dispersing a protest in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/feds.jpg

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.

Amy Goodman & Denis Moynihan (2020-07-25). US Cities Need Masks and Tests, Mr. President, Not Shock Troops. commondreams.org Federal officers prepare to disperse the crowd of protestors outside the Multnomah County Justice Center on July 17, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo: Mason Trinca/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/portland_protest_0.jpg

ACLU (2020-07-25). The Portland Police Attack: ACLU Files Lawsuit. Sues Trump and City of Portland. globalresearch.ca PORTLAND, Ore. — Multiple volunteer street medics are suing the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, and the City of Portland for targeting and attacking them at Portland protests against police brutality. The lawsuit was filed in federal court …

Unicorn Riot (2020-07-25). Massive Crowd Outside Aurora PD in Solidarity with Elijah McClain & Portland. unicornriot.ninja Aurora, CO — This evening over a thousand protesters demonstrated outside the Aurora Police Department (APD) to continue calling for justice for Elijah McClain, as well as, to show solidarity with Portland. | Unicorn Riot is covering the event, which you can check out below. | Aurora…

Lawrence Tribe (2020-07-25). Why Trump's Paramilitary Force Is Unconstitutional. 'A Profoundly Un-American Attack On Civil Society'. globalresearch.ca We are being confronted in city after city with a nationwide paramilitary force, its troops unidentifiable and its vehicles unmarked, directed in deliberately vague terms to protect property and preserve domestic order. | It began in Portland, Oregon where

_____ (2020-07-25). America's Terminal Decline. popularresistance.org President Trump's U-turn admission on the coronavirus pandemic, acknowledging that it's going to get worse before it gets better, could be applied to the general condition of American politics. It can only get worse under present circumstances. | That's because there is no way to solve deep-seated problems in the US system under the prevailing bipartisan framework. | It is delusional for Democrats to blame Trump and the Republicans for all the woes of that nation. The notion that America can be returned to some kind of presumed normality if Joe Biden is elected to the White House in November is a fantasy.

_____ (2020-07-25). What Programs A 10% Cut In Military Spending Could Buy. popularresistance.org For millions of Californians, times are tough, and the future looks tougher still. So far, California has seen over 325,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 7,000 deaths. | In the economic fallout, over 6 million of us have applied for unemployment insurance since the start of the pandemic. Many of them have yet to see a dime from the understaffed California Employment Development Department, which has struggled to keep up with the sheer volume of claims. | Meanwhile, a $600-per-week federal unemployment supplement is set to expire at the end of July, and the Republican-controlled Senate appears determined to…

_____ (2020-07-25). Single Mothers And Children Take Over Abandoned Public Buildings. popularresistance.org In Philadelphia, single mothers and their children have moved into abandoned, publicly owned buildings, in the most significant housing take over in the country—at a time when millions have lost their jobs and the country is on the brink of another housing crisis. Jennifer Bennetch has helped place unhoused people into vacant homes owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA), as the founder of Occupy PHA and a member of the Philadelphia Housing Action coalition. She's doing what she says is "the government's job to make sure people who need it have housing."

_____ (2020-07-25). Protesters Use 'Midnight Yoga' To Cope With Police Violence. popularresistance.org Saturday night marked another session of "Midnight Yoga" on Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington D.C. | The protesters, who have been out in the streets over 50 days after being initially sparked by the failure to arrest the officers who had murdered George Floyd and Breonna Taylor (still), have turned to the peace that yoga provides to manage their pain, both physical and emotional. | Around the same time federal police were turning Portland into a war zone while violently beating and pepper-spraying citizens, D.C. protesters were stretching out their limbs after giving a touching 100 candle-light tribute to l…

_____ (2020-07-25). Federal Agents Use Tear Gas To Clear Portland Protest. popularresistance.org Thousands of protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, into the early hours of Saturday shooting fireworks at the building as plumes of tear gas, dispensed by U.S. agents, lingered above. | The demonstration went on for hours until federal agents entered the crowd around 2: 30 a.m. and marched in a line down the street, clearing remaining protesters with tear gas at close range. They also extinguished a large fire in the street outside the courthouse. | The Federal Protective Service had declared the gathering as "an unlawful assembly" and cited that officers had been injured.

_____ (2020-07-25). Judge Rejects Oregon's Motion For A Restraining Order Against Federal Police. popularresistance.org A federal judge on Friday afternoon denied a request by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to issue a temporary restraining order against federal officers making arrests of Portland protesters without probable cause. | In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman said Rosenblum had failed to provide sufficient evidence that such arrests were occurring widely in the streets of Portland or were part of a federal policy. (Disclosure: Rosenblum is married to the co-owner of WW's parent company.) | He ruled that because the state of Oregon couldn't establish a pattern or policy, it lacked the legal standi…

_____ (2020-07-25). Homeland Security Claims Shields And Gas Masks Are Weapons. popularresistance.org Far from restoring order, the arrival of federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Border Patrol in Portland, Oregon has only heightened tensions, with agents attacking and arresting protesters nightly. DHS' Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli took to social media yesterday to share images of items confiscated from demonstrators. | "Here is a shield and a couple of gas masks from a rioter arrested in Portland. Not a sign with a slogan that someone expressing their first amendment rights might carry, but preparations for violence. Peaceful protester? I don't think so," he wrote.

Fight Back (2020-07-25). Florida State students host call-in day, slave-owner statue removed once again. fightbacknews.org 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 President John Thrasher and Vice President of Student Affairs Amy Hecht to speak out against the…

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.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-07-25). Massive Protests in Portland Continue After Judge Denies State Request for Restraining Order Against Federal Agencies. commondreams.org "If the state of Oregon does not have standing to prevent this unconstitutional conduct by unidentified federal agents running roughshod over her citizens, who does?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12277751121.jpg

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). "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.

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."

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 …

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.

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 …

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

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,

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…

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

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.

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). '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). 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). 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…

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 ______________________________…

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.

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.

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…

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."

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). 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 …

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

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.

_____ (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