2020-09-11: News Headlines

Staff (2020-09-11). Headlines for September 11, 2020. democracynow.org 500,000 Evacuated Across Oregon as Record-Shattering Fires Rage in Western States, AstraZeneca CEO Warned Investors of Vaccine Recipient Who Became Ill, Trump Admin Fines Pork Processor $13,500 for Lapses at Plant Where 1,300 Contracted Coronavirus, India Records Another Record Daily Coronavirus Toll, Senate Coronavirus Relief Bill Fails as Another 857,000 File New Unemployment Claims, Amazon Accused of Price Gouging After Raising Prices Up to 1,000% During Lockdown, Philadelphia Activists Defy City Order to Vacate Encampment for Unhoused Residents, Joe Biden Says He May Further Increase Military Spending If Elec…

Staff (2020-09-11). What Went Wrong with AstraZeneca's Vaccine Trial? CEO Only Shares Details with Investors. democracynow.org As the world races to find a COVID-19 vaccine, one of the most promising vaccine trials has hit a major roadblock. AstraZeneca paused its Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial after a woman in the trial developed severe neurological symptoms consistent with transverse myelitis, or inflammation of the spinal cord. Details were only revealed during a CEO call with investors, and "everyone was left to guess what went wrong," writes Ed Silverman, senior writer at the health news site STAT, which broke the story. Silverman says the halting of the U.K. trial raises several issues, including whether pharmaceutical companies ar…

Staff (2020-09-11). Barbara Smith: The U.S. "Functions with White Supremacy as Its Engine." Here's How We Dismantle It. democracynow.org Since the police killing of George Floyd in May sparked a nationwide uprising against police brutality, armed white supremacists have taken to the streets of U.S. cities in response to Black Lives Matter protests. Organizing against systemic racism has been met with apparent attempts by the Trump administration to cover up white supremacist violence. We speak to legendary Black feminist scholar Barbara Smith, founder of the Combahee River Collective, about her proposal for an antiracist program called the Hamer-Baker Plan — named for Fannie Lou Hamer and Ella Baker — to eradicate white supremacy in th…

Staff (2020-09-11). Costs of War: After 9/11 Attacks, U.S. Wars Displaced at Least 37 Million People Around the World. democracynow.org As the United States marks 19 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, a new report finds at least 37 million people in eight countries have been displaced since the start of the so-called global war on terrorism since 2001. The Costs of War Project at Brown University also found more than 800,000 people have been killed since U.S. forces began fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Yemen, at a cost of $6.4 trillion to U.S. taxpayers. "The U.S. has played a disproportionate role in waging war, in launching war and in perpetuating war over the last 19 years," says…

Richard D. Wolff (2020-09-11). The U.S. is Borrowing Its Way to Fascism. counterpunch.org Viewing the GOP convention seemed a little like binge-watching the last several years' parade of none-too-subtle signs of incipient fascism. We saw extreme nationalism, scapegoating immigrants and foreigners in general, white supremacy, "strong (narcissistic)-man" government, aggressive foreign policies, and hysterical red-baiting. Those signs reflect how capitalism's deepening crisis undermines both the center-left (Democrat) and center-right

Louis Proyect (2020-09-11). Biden's Transition Team Isn't a "Team" and It's Not Promising Much of a Transition. counterpunch.org On September 5th, Joe Biden added four new members to his transition team, which was not really a team. It consisted only of Ted Kaufman, the 81-year old Democratic senator from Delaware. Considering Kaufman's reputation as a deficit hawk and his advanced age, Biden had to cover his left flank and give the appearance of

RT (2020-09-11). Pelosi ridiculed from left and right after saying 'angry Mother Earth' caused California wildfires. rt.com Top US Democrat Nancy Pelosi was bombarded with online mockery after saying that massive ongoing wildfires raging in California were the result of "Mother Earth" and her displeasure with humans. | The house speaker addressed the blazing wildfires that have engulfed her home state on Friday in an interview with MSNBC. "Mother Earth is angry," Pelosi said. "She's telling us … with hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, fires in the west, whatever it is … the climate crisis is real and has an impact." | pic.twitter.com/ulY4Vwh7AC— MSNBC (@MSNBC) news.un (2020-09-11). WHO warns against potential Ebola spread in DR Congo and beyond. news.un.org Ebola is spreading in a western province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), raising fears that the disease could reach neighbouring Republic of Congo and even the capital, Kinshasa, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

WSWS (2020-09-11). The human cost of school reopenings: Six teachers dead in the US in the past month. wsws.org All of these deaths were absolutely unnecessary and are the direct result of criminal policies carried out by Democratic and Republican politicians at every level in the interest of protecting the profits of the financial oligarchy.

Robert Koehler (2020-09-11). Standing Up to Trump . . . and Biden. zcomm.org In a crazy sense, Trump's unwillingness to concede or acknowledge defeat could wind up pushing real democracy forward, by forcing citizens to vote not just with their ballots but with their bodies and souls…

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-09-11). 2020 Juneteenth National Holiday Convention. indybay.org Globally, Juneteenth is poised help expand a year round expression of Freedom marked by a new official United States of America, Federal Holiday that could begin on Saturday, June 19, 2021, as we stand on the shoulders of many ancestors preparing for an amazing new beginning.

Staff (2020-09-10). Headlines for September 10, 2020. democracynow.org Wildfires Destroy Oregon Towns, Bringing "Apocalyptic" Orange Skies to West Coast, Human Activity Blamed for 68% Drop in Animal Population Since 1970, President Donald Trump Acknowledges Downplaying COVID-19 Threat to U.S. Public, Biden Blasts Trump's "Life-and-Death Betrayal of the American People" on COVID-19, Bob Woodward Blasted for Withholding Trump's Comments on COVID-19 for Months, NIH Director Says Politics Shouldn't Trump Science in Vaccine Development, UW-Madison Halts In-Person Classes After 1,000+ Students Test Positive for Coronavirus, India Reports Record Daily Coronavirus Infections as Global Death…

Staff (2020-09-10). "Democratic Public Health": Big Pharma Relies on Developing World While Limiting Access to Treatment. democracynow.org We look at the history of clinical vaccine trials and exploitation of vulnerable people in the U.S. and India, which recently surpassed Brazil as the country with the second most infections worldwide. Kaushik Sunder Rajan, an anthropologist at the University of Chicago, says there is a documented history of "ethical lapses" and lack of accountability in vaccine studies in India. "The critical issue here is not whether vaccines are good or bad, but … even more, I would suggest what is at stake is a democratic public health," he notes.

Staff (2020-09-10). "This Is Climate Change": West Coast Fires Scorch Millions of Acres & Blot Out the Sun. democracynow.org The skies of the Bay Area and Northern California turned a dark orange as 90 major fires burn in the western United States, from San Diego to the Canadian border. At least seven people have died as a result of the fires, which have already burned 2.5 million acres in California alone. Despite heavy coverage in the mainstream media, however, few outlets are highlighting the link between the blazes and the accelerating climate crisis. "The fact is that TV news is completely abdicating its responsibility when it comes to telling the truth of what the West is dealing with right now," says Leah Stokes, assistant profe…

Staff (2020-09-10). COVID Vaccine Trials Seek Black & Latinx Participants, But History of Medical Apartheid Sows Mistrust. democracynow.org As President Trump pushes to release a coronavirus vaccine before the November election, a National Institutes of Health report details how the process could be slowed by a lack of participation in vaccine studies by African American and Latinx people, many of whom mistrust the U.S. healthcare system due the history of racist medical exploitation. "The written history of medicine, the canon, has been carefully curated to elide the experience of African Americans," says medical ethicist Harriet Washington, author of "Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Ti…

Michael Arney (2020-09-10). Progressives and the left can't hesitate in advocating a Biden-Harris vote. peoplesworld.org Progressives and democratic socialists are saying it. Leaders, organizations, media, websites, and postings warn of a terrible threat. Fascism, or neo-fascism, or the growing danger of it. If not that, a severe rollback of our democracy. A permanent increase in systemic and individual acts of racism, with a green light from the Oval Office. If …

Roger Harris (2020-09-10). The Current Impasse in Belarus and the Peace Alternative. counterpunch.org Back in the 1970s, the left and even many liberals were clear that Nixon's dropping napalm on Vietnamese villages was an abomination. By the 1990s, some thought Bill Clinton's bombing of Yugoslavia was, perhaps, humanitarian. Fast forward to the present, there is sentiment that the US has a global "responsibility to protect" the less enlightened

Medea Benjamin, Leonardo Flores (2020-09-10). Biden Urged to Adopt a Good Neighbor Policy Toward Latin America. counterpunch.org Election season is a difficult time to develop good policies towards Latin America, since both Democrats and Republicans cater to the small, but organized, conservative factions of the Latinx community in Florida, vying for their votes. But if Biden wins the White House, there is a chance to reverse the Trump administration policies that have

RT (2020-09-10). US sanctions Ukrainian lawmaker who published Biden-Poroshenko tapes for 'Russian influence' in presidential election. rt.com Ukrainian parliamentarian Andrii Derkach has been sanctioned by the US, and his publication of alleged phone calls between the Ukrainian president and the US vice president declared 'Russian interference' in the US election. | Derkach "has been an active Russian agent for over a decade, maintaining close connections with the Russian Intelligence Services," the US Treasury Department

RT (2020-09-10). 'Orwellian in the extreme': Conservatives slam media for appearing to blame GOP for Dems' decision to tank Covid-19 relief bill. rt.com Conservatives are slamming mainstream media outlets after their almost identical coverage of the Senate Democrats' decision to vote against a coronavirus relief bill appeared to blame Republicans for the "failure." | After months of negotiations, a coronavirus stimulus package, which included funding for schools and Covid-19 testing, unemployment benefits, and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), was voted down by every Democrat in the Senate on Thursday. The only Republican to join them was Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky). | Needing 60 votes to pass, the bill earned a 52-47 outcome and it's now unlikely a coron…

Editor (2020-09-10). Some of the Many Reasons Progressives Don't Like Joe Biden. scheerpost.com Phil Roeder / CC BY 2.0] By Norman Solomon At a time when long-winded polemics and punditry about the upcoming presidential election are all over the place, a longtime progressive populist author and agitator has just summarized it all in less than a minute. "Hi, Jim Hightower here," a just-released video begins, "with a message for progressives who don't like Joe Biden's corporate-hugging… |

_____ (2020-09-10). US Sanctions Targeting International Criminal Court Are An Outrage. popularresistance.org On 2 September 2020, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced the imposition of sanctions on Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and prosecution jurisdiction director for authorizing such an investigation, including war crimes committed by U.S. forces, for which U.S. officials bear responsibility. | These sanctions were based on a declaration by U.S. President Trump of a national emergency on this subject in June of 2020. | The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) rejects as outrageous these sanctions on senior prosecution officials of the International Criminal Court.

Dean Baker (2020-09-10). Blue States are Not Wrong to Want to Restore the Deduction for State and Local Taxes. counterpunch.org Richard Reeves and Christopher Pulliam had a New York Times column complaining that Democrats want to restore the full deductibility for state and local income taxes, which was ended with the 2017 tax cut bill. They claim, rightly, that the vast majority of this deduction goes to rich people. While that is true, the point

news.un (2020-09-10). Work to achieve a culture of peace amid COVID-19 upheaval: UN Secretary-General. news.un.org As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend economies and societies, while also threatening to erode trust in public institutions and democracy, it is critical that people everywhere continue to pursue peace.

WSWS (2020-09-10). New York City educators launch safety committee to halt the reopening of schools. wsws.org In launching this committee, we stand wholly independent of both the Democrats and Republicans, as well as the United Federation of Teachers and its backers, all of whom have conspired to enforce the reopening of schools.

WSWS (2020-09-10). Speaking before auto union bureaucrats in Michigan, Biden makes nationalist appeal. wsws.org The Democratic nominee sought to maintain one of the most pernicious fictions of capitalist politics—that the union executives represent the working class, rather than serving as a corporate police force.

Marlee Kokotovic (2020-09-10). Senate Republicans propose new 'relief' bill that ignores struggling Americans and gives aid to coal industry. nationofchange.org "The pandemic is already widening social and economic divisions. Shielding corporations from accountability will endanger workers, consumers, and patients, and make the pandemic even worse."

WSWS (2020-09-10). Democrats and media silent on execution of Michael Reinoehl by US Marshals. wsws.org New details on the September 3 killing of Michael Reinoehl by a task force led by federal Marshals confirm that the Portland protester was executed in a hail of police bullets.

Bernie Sanders (2020-09-10). Fighting for the working class. zcomm.org Let us create an economy that works for all, and not just the few. Let us come together to defeat Donald Trump in November, and then let us keep fighting and organizing for the progressive change our country desperately needs…

_____ (2020-09-10). Democracy Dies in Obfuscation. strategic-culture.org Dorothee BENZ | "US Political Divide Becomes Increasingly Violent, Rattling Activists and Police," a Washington Post headline (

sputniknews (2020-09-10). Trump vs Biden: Who Do US Evangelicals, Catholics Believe Christ Would Vote For in 2020 Election? sputniknews.com As US Election Day approaches, Americans prepare to give their voices to either incumbent Republican President Donald Trump or his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden. But who would Jesus Christ vote for in the November 2020 presidential election? A recent poll conducted among religiously-motivated voters offers a clue.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-09-10). After 'Disgraceful' GOP Coronavirus Package Defeated, Progressives Demand McConnell 'Get Serious' About Relief. commondreams.org After Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's attempt at passing the Republicans' "skinny" coronavirus relief plan—prioritizing corporations over the health, safety, and livelihoods of working families—failed on Thursday, advocacy groups demanded that the Senate "get serious" about providing relief to Americans. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/2020-09-10.png

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-09-10). States Already Out of Unemployment Cash Helps Prove Much-Predicted Failure of Trump's Executive Action on Covid-19 Relief. commondreams.org "America's economy is getting hammered, but when those who need help most look to Washington they see Senate Republicans posturing with bad legislation and the White House refusing to negotiate." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/unemployment_8.jpg

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-09-10). 'What a Healthy Democracy Should Look Like': Connecticut Small-Dollar Campaign Program a Model for Restoring Power to the People. commondreams.org New report details how state initiative leveled the playing field for candidates and ultimately led to better legislative outcomes for communities. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty-conn-voting.jpg

Barry Yeoman (2020-09-10). Our Stutter: Joe Biden, Brayden Harrington—and Me. thenation.com Our Stutter: Joe Biden, Brayden Harrington—and Me…

Staff (2020-09-09). "Unforgetting": Roberto Lovato's Memoir Links U.S. Military in Central America to Migration Crisis. democracynow.org We look at how decades of U.S. military intervention in Central America have led to the ongoing migrant crisis, with Salvadoran American journalist Roberto Lovato, author of the new book "Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas." Lovato recounts his own family's migration from El Salvador to the United States, his return to the country as a young man to fight against the U.S.-backed right-wing government responsible for grave human rights violations, and his embrace of journalism to tell the stories of people on the margins. "I'm unforgetting a history of not just El Sal…

Staff (2020-09-09). Headlines for September 9, 2020. democracynow.org California Governor Has "No Patience for Climate Change Deniers" Amid Historic Fires, Report Estimates Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Led to Quarter-Million COVID-19 Cases, Peru COVID-19 Death Toll Reaches 30,000, Senate Republicans Abandon New Stimulus Checks Despite Economic Crisis, Tropical Storm Rene Forms, Continuing Record Atlantic Hurricane Season, Sudan Under State of Emergency as Nile River Flooding Sets Records, Senegal's Capital Partially Submerged Following Record-Shattering Rainfall, Trump Extends Offshore Drilling Bans in Republican-Led States, DOJ Seeks to Defend Trump from Rape Accuser's Defamation Laws…

_____ (2020-09-09). Remembering Kevin Zeese, Tireless Fighter For Our Democracy. popularresistance.org Defending Rights & Dissent was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Kevin Zeese over the weekend. Over his life, he was on the frontlines of many causes—whistleblower protections, election integrity, single payer healthcare, net neutrality, reforming our criminal justice system, environmental justice, and peace. He was the press secretary for Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign and in 2006 ran for Senate in Maryland with the backing of both the Green and Libertarian Parties.

Myles Hoenig (2020-09-09). Time for the Democrats and Republicans to Merge and Open up the Field to Real Leftist Parties. dissidentvoice.org Now is the time for the two most disgraced parties in America to unite, and join together to fight the good fight for Wall Street, war mongering, and maintaining an America that's the pity of the world. With so many Republican standard bearers and war mongers rallying around Joe Biden, becoming one single party is …

Roger D. Harris (2020-09-09). Belarus: A Catalyst for Regime Change and the Peace Alternative. mintpressnews.com Opposition elements in Belarus have long planned to use the September 9 presidential election as a catalyst for regime change, and thanks to broad and genuine discontent with president Lukashenko, they might just succeed.

RT (2020-09-09). Pelosi warns London there will be 'absolutely no chance' of UK-US trade deal if it violates Brexit protocol on Northern Ireland. rt.com Any violation the Good Friday Agreement by London will make a trade deal between the UK and the US totally impossible, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has warned. | Pelosi issued a strongly-worded statement on Wednesday after British authorities admitted that their new 'Internal Market Bill' could violate international law in a "limited way." The bill would allow the UK to circumvent its Brexit withdrawal agreement with Brussels, particularly in relation to the protocol on Northern Ireland. | "The Good Friday Agreement is the bedrock of peace in Northern Ireland and an inspiration for t…

RT (2020-09-09). Dems scramble to cancel Al Gore's running mate & 'fake Democrat' Joe Lieberman after he endorses GOP Senator Susan Collins. rt.com Supporters of the Democratic Party have disowned former Democrat Senator and VP pick Joe Lieberman, arguing that he has always been a black sheep in the family after he appeared in a reelection ad for Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). | Former US Senator for Connecticut Joe Lieberman, who was selected to be Al Gore's running mate in his failed 2000 presidential bid, has announced his endorsement for Collins, a self-described "moderate Republican" vying for reelection in November. | Collins is lagging behind her Democratic opponent, state House Speaker Sara Gideon, in recent polls. | In a campaign ad that made the…

RT (2020-09-09). Democrats & Republicans agree: Politicians & corporations should be spared from prosecution over killer Covid-19 care homes. rt.com Republican and Democrat politicians have both embraced legislation to immunize themselves and their deep-pocketed corporate donors from legal liability for ill-thought-out pandemic policies blamed for the deaths of thousands. | Republicans in the Senate have all but plagiarized a controversial provision from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that will offer legal immunity to corporations that ran the care homes in which hundreds of thousands of elderly Americans died with the coronavirus over the last six months, according to a trio of progressive journalists who compared the texts and interviewed some of the lob…

RT (2020-09-09). US senator's solution to 'Make Senate Great'? Cut the cameras, don't let popular vote elect lawmakers, expand terms to 12 years. rt.com Republican Senator Ben Sasse is at the center of a national online discussion after his ideas to reform the US Senate according to the Founding Fathers' supposed wishes were critiqued as both undemocratic and simply "weird." | Sasse's Wall Street Journal opinion piece,

splcenter (2020-09-09). Neo-Nazi Collaborator Jack Posobiec Crosses One Million Twitter Followers. splcenter.org One American News Network (OANN) correspondent Jack Posobiec reached one million Twitter followers over Labor Day weekend. He has repeatedly used the website to promote hate and disinformation and is currently promoting unsubstantiated and potentially inflammatory claims suggesting that Democrats are plotting to steal the 2020 election from President Trump.

_____ (2020-09-09). Foreign Policy Of This Country Has To Reject US Exceptionalism. popularresistance.org Describing the Democratic presidential candidates after a debate back in January, our next guest noted that they had "talked some about what it means to be the commander-in-chief," but not "enough about what it means to be the diplomat-in-chief." The same might be said for corporate news media, whose assessment of presidential contenders gives foreign policy short shrift generally, and then, as we noticed in the debates, overwhelmingly frame international questions around military intervention. | What's missing from that truncated conversation, and what does it cost us in terms of global political possibilities?

Sarah Lahm (2020-09-09). Midwest Dispatch: The Gospel of School Choice. progressive.org While Republicans peddle the myth that every student has access to 'world-class schools,' Democrats must start defending public schools.

WSWS (2020-09-09). Republicans, Democrats block restoration of jobless aid. wsws.org Both parties have a common interest in using the threat of destitution and homelessness to pressure workers into returning to COVID-19-infected factories and unsafe schools.

Prof. Graeme MacQueen (2020-09-09). The "Inside Job" Hypothesis of the 9/11 Attacks: JFK, 9/11 and the American Left. globalresearch.ca First published by Global Research on March 15, 2017 | On November 23, 1963, the day after John F. Kennedy's assassination, Fidel Castro gave a talk on Cuban radio and television. [1] He pulled together, as well as he could …

Robert Pollin (2020-09-09). Biden Not Phasing Out Fossil Fuel, Relies on Carbon Capture. zcomm.org While better than Trump's climate denial, a review of the Biden climate plan reveals an over reliance on unproven carbon capture and far too limited investment in solar and wind…

Lynn Adelman (2020-09-09). How Workers Can Achieve Real Power. zcomm.org We can build a sectoral bargaining system—and strong, democratic, worker-driven unions—from the ground up.

Maria Rosario Capeding, Arijit Sil, Birkneh Tilahun Tadesse, Tarun Saluja, Samuel Teshome, Edison Alberto, Deok Ryun Kim, Eun Lyeong Park, Ju Yeon Park, Jae Seung Yang, Suchada Chinaworapong, Jiwook Park, Sue-Kyoung Jo, Yun Chon, Seon-Young Yang, Ji Hwa Ryu, Inho Cheong, Kyu-Young Shim, Yoonyeong Lee, Hun Kim, Julia A. Lynch, Jerome H. Kim, Jean-Louis Excler, T. Anh Wartel, Sushant Sahastrabuddhe (2020-09-09). Safety and immunogenicity of Vi-DT conjugate vaccine among 6-23-month-old children: Phase II, randomized, dose-scheduling, observer-blind Study. thelancet.com Both single and two doses of Vi-DT vaccine are safe, well tolerated, and immunogenic for infants and toddlers in a moderately endemic setting.

sputniknews (2020-09-09). Biden Says Trump Minimizing COVID-19 Threat Cost Over 50,000 Lives. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said President Donald Trump could have saved at least 54,000 lives if he did not downplay the COVID-19 threat.

WSWS (2020-09-09). Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer greenlights the resumption of high school sports during pandemic. wsws.org Ignoring the advice of Michigan's chief medical executive, the Democratic governor suspended her executive order banning high school contact sports.

yenisafak (2020-09-09). Another family reunites with son kidnapped by PKK in SE Turkey. yenisafak.com One more family on Wednesday reunited with their son kidnapped by the PKK terrorist organization in southeastern Turkey.An aggrieved family's longing has come to an end after Erdal Cetin, who was abducted and taken to the mountains by the terrorists five years ago when he was only 13 years old, surrendered to the Turkish security forces in the southeastern Mardin province.Cetin's family joined a sit-in against the YPG/PKK terror group in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, outside the office of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which the government accuses of having links to the terrorist organization.So far,…

commondreams (2020-09-09). Top Republican Social Security Expert: Trump's Defunding of Social Security Opens the Door to Privatization. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-09-09). 'One of the Best Reforms We Can Make' to Improve Democracy: Ranked Choice Voting on the Ballot in Massachusetts. commondreams.org Citizens in the Bay State and in Alaska will vote on statewide initiatives on RCV in November. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/yeson2_ma_fromfb.png

Katrina vanden Heuvel (2020-09-09). How the Biden Campaign Can Turn Trump's 'Strength' Into a Weakness. thenation.com How the Biden Campaign Can Turn Trump's 'Strength' Into a Weakness…

Robert L. Borosage (2020-09-09). Biden Must Resist the Calls for a 'Sister Souljah' Moment. thenation.com Biden Must Resist the Calls for a 'Sister Souljah' Moment…

WSWS (2020-09-08). The working class must demand an end to the show trial of Julian Assange. wsws.org Assange's kangaroo court extradition hearing has seen the UK, which boasts of being one of the world's oldest democracies, sink to the level of a tinpot dictatorship.

Staff (2020-09-08). Headlines for September 8, 2020. democracynow.org Record-Breaking Wildfires and Heat Scorch California, Rochester Protests Continue as Mayor Promises Changes After Police Killing of Daniel Prude, Major Drug Companies Pledge to Not Rush COVID-19 Vaccine as U.S. Cases Top 6.3 Million, India Becomes Second Most Infected Country; Spain First European Country to Surpass 500,000 Cases, Belarusian Opposition Leader Resists Expulsion at Border with Ukraine After Reports of Abduction, Alexei Navalny Out of Induced Coma as He Continues Recovery from Poisoning, Extradition Hearing Resumes for Julian Assange in U.K., Hundreds of Rohingya Refugees Arrive on Dry Land After Mo…

Staff (2020-09-08). The Police Can't Be Judge, Jury & Executioner: Filmmaker Yoruba Richen on Killing of Breonna Taylor. democracynow.org Months after the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, new details have emerged about the final moments of the 26-year-old EMT's life and the police raid that brought it to a violent end, as detailed in a New York Times documentary that includes dozens of interviews and a review of more than 1,200 new photos of the crime scene. Taylor, whom police shot five times in her own home on March 13, has since become a household name and rallying point in the national movement for racial justice. The police officers responsible for her death have not been charged. We speak with Yoruba Richen, director…

Staff (2020-09-08). Quid Pro Quo: Did Trump Help Kill Anti-Corruption Probe in Guatemala to Aid Reelection Bid? democracynow.org Iván Velásquez is a Colombian prosecutor who headed the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala from 2013 to 2019, a powerful U.N.-backed commission formed to investigate corruption in the country and supported by the Obama administration. But Velásquez and other investigators were expelled from the country after the Trump administration agreed to withdraw support for the commission in apparent exchange for Guatemala's support of Trump's immigration and Middle East policies. The details of that quid pro quo between President Trump and Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales are detailed in a new investi…

Staff (2020-09-08). "Loss of the Entire Community": 6 Months Later, Trauma of Breonna Taylor's Killing Remains. democracynow.org Filmmaker Yoruba Richen, director of The New York Times documentary "The Killing of Breonna Taylor," says the 26-year-old EMT's killing was not just a devastating blow to her friends and family, but a "loss of the entire community." Police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, fatally shot Taylor during a raid on her home in March, part of a botched drug investigation. Richen says that in visiting Louisville and speaking with Taylor's loved ones, she "personally felt the trauma that we endure as African American people" as a result of police killings.

yenisafak (2020-09-08). UN sends 38 truckloads of aid to Idlib, Syria. yenisafak.com The UN on Tuesday sent 38 trucks with humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria, where millions of people remain in need of assistance due to internal conflicts. The trucks carrying supplies entered Idlib province through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's south. The aid will be distributed among residents of Idlib and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged und…

Jesse Jackson (2020-09-08). Trump Leads by Division, While Biden Leads by Multiplication. commondreams.org Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on September 3, 2020, in the aftermath of the police shooting of Jacob Blake. (Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_kenosha.jpg

Mark Gruenberg (2020-09-08). Biden to workers: 'Wall Street didn't build this country. You did.'. peoplesworld.org HARRISBURG, Pa.—With AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka beaming while looking on, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden used a Labor Day joint Zoom appearance to reiterate his strong and public pitch to unionists to support him in this fall's election. "If there's one thing the pandemic has done, it's made people realize you're the people who keep …

John Feffer (2020-09-08). Memo to the Next President. counterpunch.org Thirteen years ago, in summer 2007, I wrote a memo for the future president of the United States. The one who would take office in 2020. At the time, I had no idea who would win the 2008 elections, much less an election in the distant future. In summer 2007, Hillary Clinton was the Democratic

Anand Naidoo (2020-09-08). The Heat: Race for the White House. america.cgtn.com Less than 60 days before the U.S. presidential election. Can Donald Trump win re-election or will it be Joe Biden?

Thierry Meyssan (2020-09-08). What will be the foreign policy of the next US President? thealtworld.com

| The two programs for the Trump and Biden candidacies are not similar to those of previous candidates. It is no longer a question of adjusting the United States to the changing world, but of defining what they will be. The question is existential, so it is quite possible that things will degenerate and end in violence. For some, the country must be a nation at the service of its citizens, for others it must restore its imperial status. | The U.S. 2020 presidential campaign pits two radically different visions of the United States: empire or nation? | On the one hand, Washington's claim to dominate the…

Thierry Meyssan (2020-09-08). Quelle sera la politique étrangère du prochain président US? thealtworld.com Les deux programmes des candidats Trump et Biden ne ressemblent pas à ceux des candidats précédents. Il ne s'agit plus d'ajuster les Etats-Unis aux évolutions du monde, mais de définir ce qu'ils seront. La question est existentielle, de sorte qu'il est tout à fait possible que les choses dégénèrent et se terminent dans la violence. Pour les uns, le pays doit être une nation au service des citoyens, pour les autres il doit restaurer son statut impérial. | La campagne présidentielle états-unienne 2020 oppose deux visions radicalement différentes des États-Unis : empire ou nation ? | D'un cà¥té, la prétention de…

RT (2020-09-08). Most Americans believe US government is corrupt and unaccountable to the people, poll finds. rt.com Most US citizens believe their government, legislators and courts are corrupt and unaccountable to the public, according to a new poll. Strikingly, both Democrats and Republicans share this opinion. | Seventy-three percent of Americans say that elected officials do not face "serious consequences" for misconduct, according to a new Pew Research Center

WSWS (2020-09-08). Anger erupting as union paves way to open New York City schools. wsws.org Teachers are returning to work today to prepare for the full reopening of the schools on September 21 brokered by the United Federation of Teachers and the Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio.

teleSUR (2020-09-08). EU To Deploy an Election Observation Mission in Bolivia. telesurenglish.net The European Union (EU) Tuesday announced that it will deploy election observers to control Bolivia's general elections to be held on October 18. | RELATED: | "The organization of genuine and credible elections is of paramount importance for the Bolivian people, who stand ready to reaffirm their commitment to democratic values and restore the country's much-needed stability," European Union High Representative for For…

Freddy Cruz and Brett Barrouquere (2020-09-08). Congressional Candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene Has Several Ties to Conspiracy, Hate Groups. splcenter.org QAnon follower Marjorie Taylor Greene has prevailed in a primary runoff in Georgia's heavily Republican 14th Congressional District.

Ruth Conniff (2020-09-08). A Tale of Two Veep Visits. progressive.org Mike Pence and Kamala Harris hold dueling Labor Day events in Wisconsin.

teleSUR (2020-09-08). Chile: Right-Wingers Use Jara's Song To Oppose New Constitution. telesurenglish.net Controversy Tuesday arose in Chile after the ultra-right-wing party Independent Democratic Union (UDI) used a phrase from legendary singer-songwriter Victor Jara to promote its political campaign over next October's constitutional plebiscite. | RELATED: | Telesur's correspondent in Chile Paola Dragnic explained that UDI used Jara's phrase "The right to live in peace", to call for voters to check the "reject" option in the ballot during the popular c…

Philip Farruggio (2020-09-08). My last (electoral) dance. nationofchange.org "When November comes around (even earlier as we vote by mail in Florida, where the Republican Trump stooge governor has made it ok) my vote, FOR THE LAST TIME, will be for any and all Democrats on the ballot."

Bernie Sanders (2020-09-08). Nothing less than our democracy is at stake. zcomm.org In order to be effective in combating Trump's attempt to sabotage the November election, it is important that you, and everyone you know, recognize the warning signs as to what he and his Republican allies are doing…

_____ (2020-09-08). Four More Years Would Be Welcomed by the Pentagon. strategic-culture.org On August 24 President Trump was nominated as the Republican presidential candidate to

sputniknews (2020-09-08). 'Insult to Our Country': Trump Says Kamala Harris 'Could Never' Be US President. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump told attendees of his Tuesday campaign rally that "nobody likes" Democratic vice presidential nominee and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and that she "could never be the first woman president" of the US.

Staff (2020-09-08). Sanders Condemns Trump Effort to Rush COVID Vaccine Before Election. truthout.org After President Donald Trump on Monday suggested a Covid-19 vaccine could be fully developed and put to market "before a very special day" — apparently referring to the November 3 presidential election — Sen. Bernie Sanders warned that Trump's ongoing politicization of the vaccine process threatens to undermine public trust and safety. | "I think you got a president who's losing it, and I think most people are sick and tired of the ranting and the ravings of Donald Trump," the Vermont sena…

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-09-08). 'Liberal Diversity Is Not Racial Justice': Black Progressives Denounce Claims They Want Wall Street Insiders in Biden Cabinet. commondreams.org "We need less Wall Street in the next administration and more working class representation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty-biden-harris_fundraiser.jpg

Russell Mokhiber (2020-09-08). Trump, Biden and a Possible October Single-Payer Surprise. commondreams.org National Nurses United (NNU), along with a broader coalition of pro-Medicare for All organizations, rallied outside of the national headquarters of PhRMA in support of Medicare for All. (Photo: NNU/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/m4a_rally.jpg

Jim Goodman (2020-09-08). The Party Formerly Known as Republican. commondreams.org President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at the BOK Center on June 20, 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.(Photo: Nicholas Kamm / AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump-republican-party.jpg

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-09-08). Democrats Have Planned a Coup If Trump Wins Reelection. thealtworld.com Under the pretext that President Trump will not step down if he loses reelection, Democrats and the military/security complex created the Transition Integrity Project. The plan they have worked out is to take the presidency regardless of the vote. Trump's win is to be blamed on vote fraud, and Biden/Kamala are forbidden to concede their defeat. Instead, the presstitutes will conduct a propaganda campaign against Trump alleging election fraud in order to cast Trump's reelection in doubt. | The propaganda campaign against Trump will be conducted by assertions and fake news just as was the Russiagate, Impeachgate, a…

RT (2020-09-07). If Berlin can bring Russia's Navalny to Charite hospital, why can't it help Assange? German MP asks. rt.com A German MP is calling on her government to provide medical assistance to the "seriously ill" WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, saying that Berlin spared no effort when it came to Russian opposition figure, Alexey Navalny. | Berlin should not be supporting the US-orchestrated attack "on journalists, on press freedom and on democracy," said Heike Haensel, the deputy head of the Left Party's parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, as she addressed a crowd of Assange supporters outside of the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales. | Dozens of people, including fashion designer Vivienne Westwood as well…

yenisafak (2020-09-07). UN sends 39 truckloads of aid to Syria's Idlib. yenisafak.com The UN on Monday sent 39 truckloads of humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria, where millions of people are in need of assistance due to internal conflict.The trucks carrying supplies entered Idlib province through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's south.The aid will be distributed among residents of Idlib and nearby rural areas.Syria has been ravaged by civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an ag…

_____ (2020-09-07). Going Down in Style: Nancy Pelosi's Illicit 'Blow Out' Exposes Democrats as Above-the-Law Elitists. strategic-culture.org Since the beginning of the lockdown in March, hair stylists have ranked among the hardest hit service sector workers, and nowhere more than in California where a draconian anti-Covid regime forbids salons from meeting clients indoors. That did not stop House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, from scheduling an appointment anyways. | Pelosi, like many of her other Democratic colleagues, has demonstrated such a lack of connection and compassion with her constituency that it literally borders on the criminal. Caught red-handed on video having her hair done inside of San Francisco's eSalon — and without the de rig…