(2020-08-11). Lebanon's Gov't Resigns Amid Public Rage over Beirut Blast, But Protesters Demand Structural Change. democracynow.org 
After days of protests, Lebanon's government has resigned following the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut that killed 200 people and injured thousands. The port blast, the source of which was 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate left unattended in a warehouse for more than six years, occurred as Lebanon was already facing political, economic and public health crises. We speak with Ziad Abu-Rish, a historian and research fellow at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and co-director of Bard College's Masters of Arts program in human rights and the arts, who says despite public outrage toppli…
(2020-08-11). How the Pandemic Defeated America: Ed Yong on How COVID-19 Humiliated Planet's Most Powerful Nation. democracynow.org 
As the world passes a grim milestone of 20 million coronavirus cases, we look at how the pandemic humbled and humiliated the world's most powerful country. Over a quarter of the confirmed infections and deaths have been in the United States, which has less than 5% of the world's population. Ed Yong, a science writer at The Atlantic who has been covering the pandemic extensively since March, says existing gaps in the U.S. social safety net and the Trump administration's "devastatingly inept response" made for a deadly combination.
(2020-08-11). "Prisons Are Not Fit for Human Occupation": San Quentin Prisoners Speak Out as Virus Deaths Reach 25. democracynow.org 
California's notorious San Quentin State Prison is experiencing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the United States. At least 2,200 prisoners have been infected, and 25 have died. More than 260 staff members have also been infected. We hear from two people incarcerated at San Quentin about conditions inside and the punitive measures authorities have taken against prisoners campaigning for better safety measures, and speak with James King, a member of the Stop San Quentin Outbreak Coalition. "The conditions at San Quentin are horrific," says King, who was incarcerated at San Quentin from 2013 until December 2019.
(2020-08-11). Headlines for August 11, 2020. democracynow.org Lebanese Gov't Steps Down in Wake of Catastrophic Beirut Explosion and Mounting Protests, Trump Mulls Barring Americans from Reentry into U.S.; Coronavirus Cases Rise in Kids, Russia Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine; New Zealand Goes Back into Lockdown, Unrest in Chicago Sparked by Police Shooting Leads to 100+ Arrests, 16 People Arrested in Portland, OR Protests, Including Hate Crime Survivor Demetria Hester, Belarus in Turmoil as Lukashenko Cracks Down on Protests, Opposition Candidate Flees to Lithuania, Bolivia Protests Against Interim Right-Wing Gov't Intensify; Union Calls for General Strike, Fires in Brazil…
(2020-08-11). Ilhan Omar speaks at Minneapolis celebration of NO BAN Act passage In House. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – A small crowd gathered in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on August 10 for a press conference celebrating the passage of the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. | The bill would repeal President Trump's racist travel ban that has prevented immigration from a list of Muslim-majority and African countries. It would also strengthen prohibitions against discrimination on visa applications, permanently barring the executive branch from banning people from entering the United States on the basis of religious affiliation. Approv…
(2020-08-11). Radical historian challenges traditional Marxist view of 'so-called' American Revolution. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The 'so-called' American Revolution of 1776 was not a bourgeois-democratic uprising for liberty as the common view would have it. Instead, it was a settler-colonialist revolt, a reactionary event aimed at blocking the impending abolition of slavery. That according to radical historian Gerald Horne, who is challenging both mainstream as well as traditional Marxist narratives about …
(2020-08-11). Trump and Biden, Two Ignoble Minds Here O'erthrown. counterpunch.org 
At the presidential level and perhaps down-ticket too, this year's electoral circus will be a spectacle well calculated to cause disgust and despair — thanks mainly to Donald Trump's unprecedented machinations, but also because, at least in the presidential contest, the main contenders, both of them, are embarrassingly unfit to serve. For kindness sake, one
(2020-08-11). Why Capitalism is in Constant Conflict With Democracy. counterpunch.org 
The capitalist economic system has always had a big problem with politics in societies with universal suffrage. Anticipating that, most capitalists opposed and long resisted extending suffrage beyond the rich who possessed capital. Only mass pressures from below forced repeated extensions of voting rights until universal suffrage was achieved—at least legally. To this day, capitalists
(2020-08-11). 'Beirut is burning': Lebanese youth leader says country in trouble before blast. peoplesworld.org 
Following the devastating Beirut explosion, Robin Talbot and Ewan Simpson of the Young Communist League of Britain spoke to Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth (ULDY) president Adnan Al-Mokdad about his organization's response and the fast-moving political situation in Lebanon. The following article detailing their conversation is an edited version of an article that originally appeared …
(2020-08-11). The Heat: Race for White House as Trump battles Democrats. america.cgtn.com 
The race for the White House heats us as Trump and Democrats battle over economic aid.
(2020-08-11). Joe Biden chooses Kamala Harris as running mate. rt.com 
2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden has announced his running mate. The Democratic challenger picked former California Senator and former prosecutor Kamala Harris, after promising to select a woman of color for the role. | Biden announced his pick on Tuesday, with Harris previously considered a front-runner for…
(2020-08-11). Whose convention is it again? MSNBC uses Republican backdrop to promote Democratic convention. rt.com 
A graphical blunder by MSNBC demonstrates two facts about modern America: that fact-checking takes second seat to pizzazz, and that neither party has a monopoly on red, white, and blue pageantry. | In a series of graphics announcing the speaker schedule for next week's Democratic National Convention, MSNBC on Tuesday listed the names over a photograph of the Republican Party's 2012 convention — where Mitt Romney accepted his party's nomination in a shower of red, white, and blue balloons. | The gaffe was quickly picked up by hawk-eyed Twitter users, who mocked the network for its sloppiness. Among the fir…
(2020-08-11). How the Guardian Betrayed not only Corbyn but the Last Vestiges of British Democracy. dissidentvoice.org 
It is simply astonishing that the first attempt by the Guardian — the only major British newspaper styling itself as on the liberal-left — to properly examine the contents of a devastating internal Labour party report leaked in April is taking place nearly four months after the 860-page report first came to light. If you are a Labour party …
(2020-08-11). Coronavirus Is the New 'Terrorism'. globalresearch.ca House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed the next multi-trillion dollar "coronavirus relief" spending bill that will support testing, tracing, treatment, isolation, and mask policies that have been part of a "national strategic plan" she has been advocating. The Trump administration …
(2020-08-11). The "Election Interference" Fearmongers Think You're Stupid. counterpunch.org Xi Jinping and Ali Khamenei prefer Joe Biden to Donald Trump. Vladimir Putin prefers Donald Trump to Joe Biden. That's according to William Evanina, Director of the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center. "Many foreign actors," he says, "have a preference for who wins the election, which they express through a range of overt and
(2020-08-11). DNC Delegates: Biden Team 'A Horror Show' of 'Disastrous' Foreign Interventionism. globalresearch.ca Former National Security Advisor
(2020-08-11). Cuba's doctors to the rescue. peoplesdispatch.org The efforts by Cuba's Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade have been the most significant example of medical internationalism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brigade was set up in 2005 by Fidel Castro.
(2020-08-11). Democracy — We've had the Russia Report, now where is the America Report? truepublica.org.uk By Rob Woodward — TruePublica: The long-awaited Russia report was published with a call for "immediate action" by the government and intelligence services to tackle the threat from just one country — Russia. The reality was that while Russia may have been meddling at the edges of Britain's democracy, America has been actively involved in …
(2020-08-11). Bolivians brave repression, continue struggle for democracy. peoplesdispatch.org The national strike and road blockades have intensified across Bolivia. The Bolivian Workers' Center (COB) called for these actions to oppose…
(2020-08-11). US Attorney General Barr gives fascistic tirade against Antifa, Black Lives Matter. wsws.org Barr made a political amalgam connecting the Democratic Party, Black Lives Matter, Antifa and terrorism.
(2020-08-11). America's Political Crisis: Organized Riots and the Economic Lockdown. globalresearch.ca In case you missed it, not one member of the Democratic hierarchy: not the DNC Chair, not one Democratic Member of Congress, Governor or Mayor, has spoken out to criticize the
(2020-08-11). Chicago mayor locks down business district after police shooting sparks looting. wsws.org Democratic officials responded by deploying more police, threatening more aggressive prosecutions and cutting off nighttime access to the Loop.
(2020-08-11). The Flaw in the US Plan to Rally Democracies Against China. globalresearch.ca US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called last week for "a new alliance of democracies" to fight what he called "the tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party". In a speech delivered at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in California, Mr …
(2020-08-11). Honey extraction in Daryan, NW Iran. en.mehrnews.com DARYAN, Aug. 11 (MNA) — Some 15.025 tons of honey are produced per annum from 1,391,679 hives in East Azarbaijan Province, northwest Iran. The images show the process of honey extraction in Daryan Village in Shabestar County.
(2020-08-11). Santa Cruz for Bernie Endorses Brown, Hill and Kumar for Santa Cruz City Council. indybay.org Santa Cruz County for Bernie Sanders has announced their organization is endorsing three progressive candidates for Santa Cruz City Council in the November 2020 election: Sandy Brown, Kelsey Hill, and Kayla Kumar.
(2020-08-11). Friday 9/18: Juneteenth Holiday Education Symposium. indybay.org Historic Gold Mining Town | Negro Bar, California | Historic Folsom District…
(2020-08-11). If Trump Wins, Russia Did It, If Biden Wins, It Was China And Iran. popularresistance.org Mass media throughout the western world are uncritically passing along a press release from the US intelligence community because that's what passes for journalism in a world where God is dead and everything is stupid. | The press release, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and authored by National Counterintelligence and Security Center Director William Evanina, claims that Russia wants Donald Trump to win re-election in November and is pushing to advance than goal, while China and Iran are doing the same with Joe Biden. What this completely unsubstantiated narrative means, of course, is th…
(2020-08-11). The AFL-CIO Aided US Interference in Venezuela. popularresistance.org The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Solidarity Center has a long history of working hand in glove with the U.S. government in undermining democracy and left labor movements throughout the world. | The center emphasizes it has shifted away from these Cold War tactics in recent years. But newly obtained documents show that the Solidarity Center has worked closely with the US to undermine the Venezuelan government in the recent past. Across much of the world, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) acted as an international a…
(2020-08-11). China To Sanction US Senators, NED And NGO Chiefs Over Hong Kong. popularresistance.org China on Monday announced sanctions on a group of 11 Americans, including lawmakers and top executives of American NGOs, in retaliation for US sanctions on a group of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials. | Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press conference that Beijing would impose sanctions on Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, all of whom are Republicans.
(2020-08-11). Philippines: Condemnation of the murder of Randall Echanis. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Jose Maria Sison, National Democratic Front of the Philippines Chief Political Consultant. | In the strongest terms, I condemn the murder of Randall (Randy) Echanis and his neighbor who were unarmed. Randall was a peaceful social activist. He was a mild-mannered man of 71 years. He had a consistent modest personality with a high level of education and intellect. He had long dedicated himself to his social advocacy and had made tremendous sacrifices for many decades. | He was outstanding as an advocate of genuine land reform, rural development and n…
(2020-08-11). Progressive Groups Pressure Biden and Trump to Include Nuclear Disarmament in Campaign Platforms. commondreams.org "The United States urgently needs a leader who will have the courage to look at, think hard about, and speak openly about the dire perils posed by our country's vast nuclear arsenal." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cropped-gettyimages-871194038_0_0.jpg …
(2020-08-10). Headlines for August 10, 2020. democracynow.org Lebanon Unrest Mounting as Death Toll from Catastrophic Port Blast Tops 200, Trump Signs Executive Orders After Coronavirus Bill Stalls, Dems Say They Are Unconstitutional , U.S. COVID-19 Cases Top 5 Million, with More Evidence of Infections in Children and Teens, Coronavirus Surging Across India, Brazil as Europe and Cuba Reimpose Containment Measures, Hong Kong Arrests Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Under National Security Law, Protesters Take to Streets of Belarus, Accuse Officials of Fraud After Lukashenko Claims 80% of Vote, Mauritius in State of "Environmental Emergency" as Tanker Leeches Fuel into Protected Areas,…
(2020-08-10). Lebanese Gov't Faces Collapse Amid Rage-Filled Protests over Blast, Economic Crisis & Corruption. democracynow.org 
The Lebanese government may be on the verge of collapse amid protests over the massive port explosion that devastated much of Beirut and killed at least 200 people and injured thousands. At least four ministers and nine members of Parliament have resigned. "The dominoes are falling," says Dion Nissenbaum, a Beirut-based reporter for The Wall Street Journal, who led an investigation into the official neglect that preceded last week's explosion, and says it has intensified public outrage over long-standing government dysfunction, calling it "the straw that's broken the camel's back here."
(2020-08-10). Millions Facing Eviction and Joblessness Get No Immediate Help from Trump's New Executive Orders. democracynow.org 
President Trump's latest executive orders to extend unemployment benefits and defer payroll taxes may be unconstitutional. Democrats had hoped to extend a program to give unemployed workers an additional $600 in weekly benefits and to extend a federal moratorium protecting some renters from evictions, but failed to overcome opposition from Republican lawmakers. Under Trump's order, unemployed workers would continue receiving an additional $400 a week, but only once states put up a quarter of the money and set up a new system to distribute the payments — a process that could take months. Trump also signed an…
(2020-08-10). Is Trump Sabotaging U.S. Postal Service Ahead of Election as Part of His Attack on Mail-in Voting? democracynow.org 
Democratic lawmakers say the Trump administration is sabotaging the United States Postal Service ahead of the November election, when a record number of votes are expected to be cast by mail. Since taking office, U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy — a major Trump donor — has instituted a number of cost-cutting measures that have slowed down the delivery of mail, and overhauled the leadership of the agency in a move that critics say will give him more power. This comes as President Trump continues to attack mail-in voting, claiming…
(2020-08-10). The Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Human Rights Emergency is Not a Photo-Op for Ivanka Trump. counterpunch.org 
We need to be clear about what is needed to address this crisis, and it is not a photo-op where our sacred symbols of high office are degraded by being used as props by Ivanka Trump. Democratic 2020 presidential candidate, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, accurately called MMIWG "an unconscionable human rights emergency," and the response must
(2020-08-10). Trump's Executive Orders: EOs as PR and FUs. counterpunch.org 
Less than 24 hours after Trump broke off negotiations on the economic stimulus package with Congressional Democrat leaders, Pelosi and Shumer, last Friday August 7, Trump issued a series of Executive Orders (EOs) that he had been signaling and threatening all last week well before the break up. Almost certainly the legal crafting of the
(2020-08-10). Free Them All! Care Not Cages! March & Rally In SF Against ICE & Republicrats. indybay.org Activists protested at the ICE office in San Francisco against the imprisonment of children in cages and the ICE terrorism against immigrants and people of color. They also attacked California Governor Newsom, Pelosi and the Democrats for supporting these policies.
(2020-08-10). Biden's Ukrainegate Problem. counterpunch.org 
Joe Biden's role in the Ukraine regime change, as Victoria Nuland put it, was to "midwife" the new government into existence and thereby incorporate another eastern European satellite into America's orbit. This is what the neocons call "democracy promotion." His efforts in Ukraine, however, proved disastrous.
(2020-08-10). Victim of 'systemic racism'? Biden's Ferguson anniversary tweet flops… as his own DOJ justified Michael Brown shooting. rt.com 
Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden seemingly forgot what was made clear by his own administration when he was vice president under Obama: Evidence shows that Michael Brown was killed while assaulting a police officer. | That was the
(2020-08-10). 'Give them soy lattes and foot massages' — Ted Cruz roasted for mocking pandemic payments. rt.com 
Republican Senator Ted Cruz was hammered online after he mocked a Democrat colleague's calls for higher coronavirus payments to Americans. Cruz's brand of 'let them sip soy' humor went down like a lead balloon. | Though President Donald Trump recently signed a slew of executive orders extending unemployment benefits, pausing evictions, deferring student loan payments and implementing a payroll tax cut, the American people have yet to receive another stimulus check from the federal government. | With Congress set to debate a second round of checks in the coming days, some Democrats have called for a more genero…
(2020-08-10). What could it mean? Twitter erupts with sarcastic suggestions after Trump refers to himself as 'President T'. rt.com 
Donald Trump has sparked yet another Twitter drama after referring to himself as 'President T' in a post questioning the loyalty of a senator, prompting users to make sarcastic suggestions of what the 'T' could possibly stand for. | In the Monday tweet, Trump accused Republican Senator Ben Sasse of "going rogue" after he sharply criticized the president's executive orders aimed at providing coronavirus relief while bypassing Congress. | RINO Ben Sasse, who needed my support and endorsement in order to get the Republican nomination for Senate from the GREAT State of Nebraska, has, now that he's got it (Thank yo…
(2020-08-10). After 300 Years, It's Time To End Capitalism, Not Reform It. popularresistance.org The United States is facing multiple crises with no signs of improvement on the horizon – a deep recession, high unemployment, millions of people soon to be displaced from their homes, a failed healthcare system in the midst of a pandemic, the climate crisis and more. We speak with Professor Richard Wolff, an economist and the author of "Democracy at Work", about the history of capitalism and how it is inherently unstable. Prof. Wolff posits that the United States is now in a situation where capitalism is unlikely to survive. He describes why that is and the lessons we must learn from the fatal mistakes made when…
(2020-08-10). How Socialists Won Our Democratic Rights. popularresistance.org The myth of modern democracy is that it was handed down from on-high. In fact, the ruling class resisted extending the franchise at every turn — and it was socialists who fought them for the right to vote. | Since the advent of the modern state, ruling classes have tried to restrain the voting power of workers and those not "well-born." Contrary to the mainstream story that capitalism naturally gave rise to democracy, establishment powers in nineteenth-century Europe restricted the vote for as long as they possibly could. Only when faced with mass mobilization — or when continent-wide war wiped out wo…
(2020-08-10). Cognitive Without Conscience. counterpunch.org President Trump took a cognitive test, and touted his performance as "amazing." The test: he repeated "Person, Woman, Man, Camera and TV" in that order. It is a dementia test that measures memory, not morality, the capacity to recall, not intelligence. Seventy-four-year-old Trump proposed that his 2020 presidential opponent, seventy-seven-year-old Joe Biden take the test
(2020-08-10). How Trump Plans to Win Wisconsin. progressive.org The Badger State, for Trump and Biden, is ground zero for November's election.
(2020-08-10). A good news storyline: Trump repudiated, Biden steady but insufficient. Enter systemic reformers. nationofchange.org Biden is no FDR. To expect systemic reform from Biden is naive but to envision him as a stepping stone is good progressive strategy.
(2020-08-10). Biden's blueprint for a right-wing presidency: Part one. wsws.org Despite media claims that the Democratic Party has "moved to the left," Joe Biden is running on a thoroughly right-wing program based on the defense of Wall Street and the global interests of American imperialism.
(2020-08-10). Tampa Bay SDS wins major victory in their Increase Black Enrollment campaign. fightbacknews.org Tampa Bay SDS wins major victory in their Increase Black Enrollment campaign | By Eithne Silva | Tampa, Fl – On August 4, the president of the University of South Florida (USF) released a statement to the public announcing changes being made to improve Black student life. Some of these changes include demands that Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) brought to USF administration through their Increase Black Enrollment campaign. | In the fall of 2019, after a string of white supremacist activity on campus as well as the lowest proportion of black students at USF in a decade, Tampa Bay SDS launched th…
(2020-08-10). Politicizing Fear Through the News Media. counterpunch.org News coverage of fear, threat, and violence continues to influence and be manipulated by politicians attuned to network TV criteria for coverage. President Trump sent armed federal agents to several cities, to battle "terrorists" because he says some cities run by Democrats, are out of control. "Look at what's going on — all run by
(2020-08-10). Caleb Reed, a youth activist in Chicago, falls victim to gun violence. wsws.org Most recently Reed opposed Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot's budget that starves schools of resources while flooding the Police Department with billions of dollars.
(2020-08-10). Hong Kong: 'Freedom'… to Subvert. thealtworld.com The arrest of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has sent Western news outlets into a tizzy. We are told that "free speech" is under attack by the Chinese authorities who are supposedly rolling back democracy on the semiautonomous island city. | Lai was
(2020-08-10). The Fight for Democracy in Wisconsin. progressive.org State Republicans have set out to reverse the state's progressive legacy—by commandeering its mechanisms of governance.
(2020-08-10). As statewide cases hit half a million, opposition mounts in Florida to school reopening. wsws.org Teachers from across Florida marched on Republican Governor Ron DeSantis' mansion Saturday to protest his statewide mandate for fully in-person instruction.
(2020-08-10). Ukraine's Complex Historical Background and The Contemporary Era. globalresearch.ca Ukraine has a complex historical background and most people have little knowledge of this. The western part of Ukraine known as Galicia has an especially complex history. Going back for more than a thousand years, this region had been settled …
(2020-08-10). Social Security & Medicare Cut to Be Permanent if Nazi Trump Reelected. indybay.org Nazi Trump signed an illegal order on 8/8/20 to cut the payroll tax for Social Security and Medicare and promised on national TV to make it permanent if he is re-elected. This is a long-standing Republican Party program, outlined in their platform as they want to privatize both programs.
(2020-08-10). Trump's Executive Orders Are Public Relations Stunts. popularresistance.org Trump, Meadows, Mnuchin and McConnell cleverly set up and sucked in Pelosi and Shumer into negotiations last week, never planning to conclude a deal by Friday, in the process getting them to reveal their priority demands and securing from them major concessions worth $1 trillion—for which the Democrat leaders apparently got nothing in return. | A day later, Trump dropped the hammer and issued his EOs, which are designed more as PR for his election campaign. They certainly won't provide anything remotely necessary as fiscal stimulus to confront the US economy's emerging fading rebound in recent weeks. | Upon…
(2020-08-10). Biden Reportedly Done With VP Interviews, Set to Announce Pick in Coming Days. sputniknews.com As the 2020 Democratic National Convention approaches, and candidate Joe Biden is expected to be confirmed as his party's presidential candidate, speculation has emerged that his choice has narrowed to either Senator Kamala Harris or Barack Obama's former national security adviser, Susan Rice.
(2020-08-10). Climate Activists Push Biden to Cut Ties With Industry-Friendly Energy Advisers. truthout.org With President Trump's poll numbers sinking, he is increasingly turning to the fossil fuel industry for support. Rallying oil patch workers and executives during a stop
(2020-08-10). ALEC Works to Pass Industry-Backed COVID Liability Shields at the State Level. truthout.org The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has long It is no surprise, then, that ALEC has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Businesses, and Senate Republicans to push for sweeping limits on the civil liability of employers for coronavirus-rel…
(2020-08-10). Australian parliamentary staffer initiates legal challenge to "foreign interference" laws. wsws.org The High Court case will shed light on the profoundly anti-democratic implications of the legislation.
(2020-08-10). 'Impossible to Stay Quiet': With Nearly 100,000 Kids Infected by Covid-19 in Just Two Weeks, Medical Experts Warn Against Hasty Return to School. commondreams.org "Rushing to reopen our schools will directly jeopardize the lives of our students and educators, and that is a risk we cannot take," said Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty-schoolgirl_in_mask_in_mirror-crop.jpg …
(2020-08-10). Weeks After Voting for $740 Billion Pentagon Budget, Ted Cruz Says 'Magic Money Tree' Isn't Available to Struggling Families. commondreams.org Sen. Ed Markey led the charge on Monday against his colleague, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, after Cruz mocked the notion of providing robust financial assistance to Americans during the coronavirus pandemic as the nation faces a Great Depression-level unemployment crisis. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1226458384_1.jpg …
(2020-08-10). Stagehands push for $600 unemployment benefit. fightbacknews.org Grand Rapids, MI – Fifty union stagehands chanted, "$600 now!" while pushing music road cases thru downtown Grand Rapids. They began their push at the U.S. Federal Building to demand Senator Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans pass the $600 workers need. | Outdoor diners gawked, homeless workers shouted approval and cars honked in solidarity as the stagehands rolled past on their way to a lively rally under the Rosa Parks statue. | "We paid into unemployment our entire working lives. It is our money and we need the Republican politicians in the Senate to pass $600 now to pay our bills, pay for housing and pay…
(2020-08-09). Trump Scuttles Economic Stimulus Negotiations. What Next? globalresearch.ca Today, August 7, 2020 negotiations on an economic stimulus package between US House Democrats and the White House broke down and broke off. What's behind it? | In recent days the Democrats' leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Shumer, reportedly reduced …
(2020-08-09). Self-aware much? CNN's Stelter says right-wing media outlets exist 'to tear down Joe Biden,' sees nothing like it on the left. rt.com 
CNN host Brian Stelter has attempted to give viewers what he called "a reality check about the alternative reality" of right-wing media, which he said exists to tear down Democrat Joe Biden, failing to see any irony in the claim. | "Let's go on a trip together to a totally alternative universe," Stelter said on his Sunday show. "You never hear what's happening there unless you tune into rightwing talk radio. But you need to know what they are saying because they're the most popular, the most powerful talkers in the whole country." | If you're not listening to right-wing talk radio, you're missing just how extr…
(2020-08-09). Pelosi prays for needy as Dems rip Trump Covid-19 orders as 'big show' that 'won't do the job,' ignoring futile shows in Congress. rt.com 
Democrat leaders — ignoring their latest in a decade-long string of failures at legislative compromise — are blasting President Donald Trump for signing executive orders that won't provide all needed Covid-19 economic relief. | Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the orders signed Saturday by Trump "unworkable, weak and far too narrow." He also took issue with Trump's signing the orders at his New Jersey country club. | "The event at the country club is just what Trump does — a big show, but it doesn't do anything," Schumer said Sunday in an ABC News interview. "As the American people…
(2020-08-09). Abuse of power or social justice witch hunt? PC police come for gay mayor who had consensual sex with students. rt.com 
Left-wing college activists are up in arms after it emerged that a Massachusetts mayor used dating apps to sleep with students at a university he guest lectured at. While some deemed him "abusive," others say he did nothing wrong. | As mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, and lecturer at nearby University of Massachusetts Amherst, Alex Morse is a mainstay of progressive politics in the blue state. He's a regular guest at Democratic events on campus, and got to know progressive activists at the college well. | However, the College Democrats of Massachusetts claim he got to know some students a little too well. The…
(2020-08-09). Tuesday 8/11: Protect Our Vote! Virtual Town Hall to Demand Safe & Fair Elections Now! indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2020-08-09). In another sign that Biden is the true neocon candidate, his inner circle reads like a who's who of US imperialism. thecanary.co The Canary recently Now figures from the Democratic Party's small progressive (or, perhaps more accurately, mode…
(2020-08-09). Warren Denounces Trump's Executive Orders as "Cruel Joke" on American People. truthout.org Progressive critics and Democratic lawmakers did not need the help of even the Republican U.S. Senator who used the phrase "
(2020-08-09). Belarus holds presidential elections. yenisafak.com Belarusians began casting votes on Sunday in the presidential election.In a statement, the country's central election commission said over 6.84 million people are expected to cast their votes.Five candidates are running for the presidency: Alexander Lukashenko, president of Belarus since 1994, Andreij Dmitrijev, co-chairman of the Speak the Truth movement, Anna Kanopackaja, a former lawmaker, Sergeij Cherechnia, chairman of Belarus' Social Democratic Party and Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. | Lukashenko was re-elected with 83.5% votes in 2015. | *Writing by Fahri Aksut in Ankara…
(2020-08-09). N.Korea brings aid supplies to border town under lockdown: state media. yenisafak.com North Korea's ruling party has delivered special aid packages of food and medical equipment to residents of Kaesong, near the border with the South, after imposing a lockdown there due to COVID-19 concerns, state media said on Sunday.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared an emergency and imposed a lockdown on the small border town last month after a person, who defected to South Korea in 2017, returned to Kaesong across the highly fortified border showing coronavirus symptoms.Pyongyang has not confirmed any coronavirus infections but has been taking strict quarantine measures and screening the town, while prov…
(2020-08-09). Vowing to Defend Retirees, Biden Denounces 'New, Reckless War on Social Security' by Trump. commondreams.org "This is no art of the deal. This is not presidential leadership. These orders are not real solutions. They are just another cynical ploy designed to deflect responsibility." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/joe_biden_6.jpg …
(2020-08-09). Elizabeth Warren Leads Charge Against Trump, Denouncing 'Dubious' Executive Orders as 'Cruel Joke' on American People. commondreams.org If president actually "cared about helping Americans," the Democratic senator charged, "he would have demanded Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell start negotiating as soon as the House passed the HEROES act almost two months ago." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_executive_orders1.jpg …
(2020-08-09). Progressives Call Trump Executive Orders What They Are: IIllegal. Inadequate. Misleading. 'A Disgrace.' 'A Sham.' 'A Cruel Joke.'. commondreams.org If president actually "cared about helping Americans," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, "he would have demanded Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell start negotiating as soon as the House passed the HEROES act almost two months ago." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_executive_orders1.jpg …
(2020-08-09). Progressives Say Call Trump Executive Orders What They Are: IIllegal. Inadequate. Misleading. 'A Disgrace.' 'A Sham.' 'A Cruel Joke.'. commondreams.org If president actually "cared about helping Americans," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, "he would have demanded Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell start negotiating as soon as the House passed the HEROES act almost two months ago." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_executive_orders1.jpg …
(2020-08-09). Progressives Call Trump Executive Orders What They Are: Illegal. Inadequate. Misleading. 'A Disgrace.' 'A Sham.' 'A Cruel Joke.'. commondreams.org If president actually "cared about helping Americans," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, "he would have demanded Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell start negotiating as soon as the House passed the HEROES act almost two months ago." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_executive_orders1.jpg …
(2020-08-08). "The Squad Is Here to Stay" zcomm.org For leftists and progressively minded Democrats still reeling from Bernie Sanders's defeat, this week's elections were very welcome news…
(2020-08-08). 'Why not a diverse Latino?' Maxine Waters claims Biden 'can't go home without black woman VP,' gets mocked for 'racism'. rt.com 
Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters was roasted online after saying 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden has no other choice but to pick a black woman as his running mate, suggesting he owed a debt to African American voters. | "We know that we're going to have a black woman as vice president," Waters said in an Let me guarantee you this, based on everything…
(2020-08-08). 'Too much pot brownie': Clinton slams NYT's Maureen Dowd over claim it's been 36 YEARS since a man & woman ran on Dem ticket. rt.com 
Hillary Clinton and thousands of others roasted a now-corrected story and tweet from the New York Times claiming the last time there was a mixed-gender presidential ticket for the Democratic Party was in the '80s. | "It's hard to fathom, but it has been 36 years since a man and a woman ran together on a Democratic Party ticket," the New York Times' Opinion Twitter account wrote, linking to an article by columnist Maureen Dowd, which included the same quote. | How does an error this significant get past an editor?
(2020-08-08). Trump signs executive orders on Covid-19 relief after talks break down between White House and Democrats. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders giving extended economic relief to Americans struggling economically during the Covid-19 pandemic after negotiations with Democrats broke down. | Trump announced the orders at a press conference at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club on Saturday, the same location where he The orders will give a payroll tax holiday to Americans earning less than $100,000 a year. A second order will "protect people…
(2020-08-08). The politics of oligarchy: Federal appeals court blocks SEP challenge to anti-democratic ballot access laws in California. wsws.org The response of the ruling class and its state to the SEP's legal challenge has been determined by one political motive: Keep socialists off the ballot!
(2020-08-08). Towards Theocracy: the ignominious collapse of Secular Democracy in India. zcomm.org The constitution of India is there, like many other artifacts in the archives, but, like the human appendix, it may now be vestigial…
(2020-08-08). Justice for Travis Jordan – 38th birthday protest. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Hundreds of protesters rallied outside the Minneapolis police's 4th Precinct in North Minneapolis, July 31, to demand justice for Travis Jordan, on what should have been his 38th birthday. | On November 9, 2018, Travis Jordan was shot and killed by two rookie officers of the Minneapolis Police Department's 4th Precinct during a wellness check for his suicidal ideation. Officers Neal Walsh and Ryan Keyes, who had each been on the police force less than a year, responded to the call. Instead of saving Travis's life and providing him with the mental health support he needed, they killed him. C…
(2020-08-08). Trump Scuttles Economic Stimulus Negotiations. popularresistance.org In recent days, the Democrats' leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Shumer, reportedly reduced the cost of their original 'Heroes Act' proposals by $1 trillion. Instead of the original cost of $3T in the Heroes Act passed last June, they were willing to agree to a reduced package of $2 trillion. Never mind the attempt to reach a compromise on some middle ground. The White House, through his assigned negotiator, staffer Mark Meadows, Trump rejected the Democrats' offer. Meadows reportedly slammed the table (a two-bit amateur negotiating tactic) and walked out of negotiations with Pelosi-Shumer in a huff.
(2020-08-08). 'Queen of Shade': Hillary Clinton Riles Up Social Media as She Mocks Columnist. sputniknews.com The original version of the column in question apparently mentioned that it has been 36 years since "a man and a woman ran together on a Democratic Party ticket", even though Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2016.
(2020-08-08). 'Russiagate' Hoax Unravels, but Their Anti-Russia Sanctions Don't. strategic-culture.org Eric ZUESSE | It was reported only on 'fringe' media (such as "Disobedient Media" now gone from the Web) until recently. However, the evidence that the entire "Russiagate" charge — that Russia's Government had "hacked" the Democratic National Committee in 2016 — is an Obama Administration hoax (which was continued into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report), is now starting to come out into public view and be endorsed publicly by retired U.S. intelligence professionals who can't be fired. It's not yet published in any mainstream U.S. news media, however. So, in this place will be chronologically pre…
(2020-08-08). Watchdogs Alarmed by Changes to Postal Service Under Trump's Postmaster General. truthout.org Government watchdogs, Democratic lawmakers, and pro-democracy advocates declared it a "
(2020-08-08). Covid-19 'Has Laid Bare' the Crisis of Healthcare in America. commondreams.org The newly-created Center for Health and Democracy, says founder Wendell Potter, is necessary because there "not nearly enough awareness of the problems associated with money in politics and why money in politics is a real barrier for this country to move forward on meaningful healthcare reform. We will be drawing attention to how big corporations and associations are spending enormous sums of money to influence campaigns and public policy, both legislation and regulations, and help explain why that is blocking progressive reforms." (Image: Courtesy of Center for Health and Democracy) | www.commondreams…
(2020-08-08). Progressive Groups Express Outrage at Senate Republicans and Trump for Walking Away from COVID-19 Stimulus Negotiations. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-08). 'Executive Order Stunt No Substitute for Real Relief,' Say Progressives of Legally Dubious Trump Proposal. commondreams.org Coalition accuses Republican Party of "abandoning their constituents and the country as a whole, and causing chaos and turmoil by refusing to negotiate on COVID-19 relief." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_executive_orders.jpg …
(2020-08-08). 'This Is a Five-Alarm Fire': With 2020 Election at Stake, Call Goes Up for Mass Mobilization to Save Postal Service. commondreams.org "Can't stress this enough— if the USPS is sabotaged, this will amount to the greatest voter suppression campaign in history." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/save_the_postal_service.jpg …
(2020-08-08). Progressive Prosecutor Movement Makes Major Gains in Democratic Primaries. zcomm.org Reformers in Arizona, Michigan, Missouri, and New Mexico won their primaries for district attorney on Tuesday night…
(2020-08-07). "The World's Most Dangerous Man": Mary Trump on Her Uncle, President Trump, & Why He Must Be Ousted. democracynow.org 
"In my family, being kind was considered being weak," says Mary Trump, President Trump's niece, a clinical psychologist and author of "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man." We spend the hour with Mary Trump, discussing her book the president doesn't want people to read, in which she describes his upbringing in a dysfunctional family that fostered his greed, cruelty and racist and sexist behaviors — which he is now inflicting on the world. Mary Trump also discusses the president's mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, his long history of lies and misrepresentati…
(2020-08-07). Leftist groups urge Danish government to receive more refugees. peoplesdispatch.org Leftist groups in Denmark have demanded the social democrat-led government to raise the country's refugee quota and receive at least 500 refugees annually, which was the case before 2016…
(2020-08-07). NEA chief talks politics, school safety and pandemic. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says "education is a civil and human right," National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen-Garcia reports. And it'll also be a top priority should he win the White House away from GOP incumbent Donald Trump, his spouse, Jill Biden, Ph.D., a past community college professor, declares. Besides, she adds, he …
(2020-08-07). Trump is Not Conceding: This is Happening Here. counterpunch.org 
Sorry, Trump's Not Conceding I have been hearing liberals and lefties fantasizing that Donald Trump is conceding the presidency to Joe Biden. The evidence for this curious thesis? 1. Biden's significant polling lead over Trump not just nationally but in the battleground states where the presidency is contested. 2. The real or rumored pulling of
(2020-08-07). 'Biden no longer worthy of the black vote': Trump pounces on 'Sleepy Joe' for controversial diversity statement. rt.com 
Donald Trump attacked Joe Biden by tweeting that he is "no longer worthy of the Black Vote," after his controversial statement. Now both presidential candidates are under fire for their comments on the African American community. | "After yesterday's statement, Sleepy Joe Biden is no longer worthy of the Black Vote!" the president tweeted Friday morning. He referenced the Thursday interview with the presumptive Democratic nominee, where he seemingly
(2020-08-07). Why the Left Must Reject and Elect Biden at the Same Time. indybay.org We have to get rid of Trump…