2020-10-19: News Headlines

John Wojcik (2020-10-19). Instead of offering COVID relief, Trump mocks Biden for being pro-science. peoplesworld.org &nbsp…

MEE staff (2020-10-19). Democrats urge Egypt's Sisi to free dissidents before jail terms 'become death sentences'. middleeasteye.net Democrats urge Egypt's Sisi to free dissidents before jail terms 'become death sentences' | More than 50 lawmakers issued a letter to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi urging him to release prisoners of conscience during the coronavirus pandemic | Mon, 10/19/2020 – 17: 02 | An Egyptian police officer at the entrance of the Tora prison in the Egyptian capital Cairo on 11 February (AFP/File photo) | More t…

Chris Floyd (2020-10-19). Rule Draconia: Tories and Labor Collude in Enabling Act for State Crimes. counterpunch.org The Tory government (with the collusion of the Labour leadership) is ramming through one of the most draconian and tyrannical laws ever seen in an ostensible democracy, a bill that will give a wide and ever-expanding number of state agencies the power to torture, rape and kill citizens without any legal consequences. This is no rhetorical exaggeration; it is the plain fact — as that notoriously far-left commie rag, the Spectator, points out.

Adan Plascencia (2020-10-19). "We've recovered our democracy": Bolivian coup regime humiliated as socialist wins landslide election. liberationnews.org The Bolivian people stood up to vote for sovereignty and regain their democracy. This is a humiliating blow to the far-right regime of coup-installed president Jeanine àÅñez and is being celebrated by the left across Latin America.

Paul Dobson (2020-10-19). Venezuela Welcomes 'Return to Democracy' in Bolivia. venezuelanalysis.com Progressive Luis Arce won the elections, putting an end to the de facto presidency of the Washington-backed Jeanine Añez.

Craig Murray (2020-10-19). People Need to Reclaim the Internet. globalresearch.ca No matter how much you dislike Trump, only a fool can fail to see the implications for public access to information of the massive suppression on the internet of the Hunter Biden leaks. | This blog has been suffering a ratcheting …

WSWS (2020-10-19). The Detroit triple murder: What the media doesn't say. wsws.org The brutal murders of six-year-old Tai'raz Moore and two other victims in the Detroit suburb of Warren, Michigan shocked residents throughout the metropolitan area.

Nauman Sadiq (2020-10-19). The Biden Campaign and China's Oligarchs. globalresearch.ca In two bombshell reports, Emma-Jo Morris and Gabrielle Fonrouge of the New York Post have leveled damning allegations of Hunter Biden's murky financial dealings with Ukrainian and Chinese oligarchs. As expected, $50,000 remuneration paid by Burisma Holdings of Ukraine …

Binoy Kampmark (2020-10-19). Sloppy Methodology: Social Media, Censorship and New York Post's Hunter Biden Story. dissidentvoice.org It was highly probable. Given the howls of concern that social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook nurse and nurture a bias (every choice on content entails one), a gift was made to critics to show just that. Last Wednesday, Twitter prevented users from posting links to a New York Post story. The story, …

Robert S. Becker (2020-10-19). Democrats flirt with 'systemic change' as right-wingers get it done—smashing and trashing at will. nationofchange.org When demagoguery scorns simply counting votes, the range of disruption is inexhaustible — that's where countries go to die.

Brett Wilkins (2020-10-19). Progressives Sign Letter vs a Corporate Cabinet. zcomm.org Many progressive activists, wary of being spurned and burned again as they feel they were by Obama, are nevertheless preparing to—as Noam Chomsky, Medea Benjamin, and other left activists said in a recent letter of their own—"dump Trump, then battle Biden."

Michael Barajas (2020-10-19). The Long Tail of Voter Suppression. zcomm.org As the growing number of Black and Latinx voters threaten the GOP's stranglehold on power, attempts to limit safe voting options during the pandemic reveal a deeper sickness in Texas politics…

_____ (2020-10-19). Bolivia Elections Live Blog. popularresistance.org Bolivians go to the polls today, Sunday, October 18, in the first general elections since the last democratically elected president, Evo Morales, was forced out in a military coup last November, two months before his term had ended and despite election results showing he had won another term in a first-round election victory. Today's elections had been postponed twice: first from May to September, and then from September to October. While Jeanine àÅñez, whose party had received just 4 percent of the vote last year, had taken office vowing to be a caretaker president until…

Alliance for Justice (2020-10-19). Wednesday 10/21: Holding Court: Democracy Under Attack, the Role of SCOTUS, & the 2020 Election. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Staff (2020-10-19). Jeremy Scahill: Trump Has Incited White Supremacists & Emboldened Police to Act Outside the Law. democracynow.org As the 2020 presidential campaign enters its final two weeks, we look at the past four years of the Trump presidency with investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill of The Intercept. His podcast "Intercepted" has just released the fourth chapter in a seven-part audio documentary titled "American Mythology," which critically examines the Trump presidency and places it within a larger historical context. Scahill says Trump has empowered white supremacist vigilantes and given permission to law enforcement to act extrajudicially to enforce a racist status quo, but he cautions that "Donald Trump is not an aberration of U…

Staff (2020-10-19). Jeremy Scahill: Trump's Xenophobia Is Horrific, But U.S. Immigration Policy Has Always Been Racist. democracynow.org In Part 2 of our discussion of the Trump era with The Intercept's Jeremy Scahill about his new seven-part audio documentary "American Mythology," he examines how Trump's xenophobic immigration policies have been a "methodical, surgical operation" to make life miserable for both current and prospective immigrants, including asylum seekers fleeing violence. He also notes that while Trump's policies have been particularly vicious, "this country has had a racist immigration policy for a very long time, and it's bipartisan."

Staff (2020-10-19). Headlines for October 19, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. COVID-19 Cases Surge as Trump Continues Unmasked Campaign Rallies, Cases Mounting Across Europe as New Restrictions Enacted, Top Palestinian Official Saeb Erekat in Critical Condition with COVID-19, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Accuses Trump of Inspiring, Incentivizing and Inciting Terrorism, White Supremacists Indicted for Arms Trafficking, Murder and Plotting to Bomb Synagogue, Death Toll in Nagorno-Karabakh Fighting Mounts as New Ceasefire Falls Apart, Kyrgyzstan Installs New President, Who Will Also Serve as Prime Minister, Alexei Navalny Calls on Trump to Denounce Use of Chemical Weapons, Car Bomb in…

Staff (2020-10-19). Jeremy Scahill: "Trump Is Not the Root of the Problem, He Is a Product of American Imperial History" democracynow.org Donald Trump ran for president in 2016 with a mixed message of attacking the legacy of the Iraq War and U.S. military adventurism, while simultaneously pledging to commit war crimes and promote imperialism. As we look back at Trump's record, Jeremy Scahill, co-founder of The Intercept, says his flouting of international norms and bullying of other countries is in keeping with how U.S. presidents have long behaved. "Donald Trump is not the root of the problem. Donald Trump is a product of American imperial history," Scahill notes.

Staff (2020-10-19). Jeremy Scahill on Trump's "Homicidal" Pandemic Response & What's at Stake in November Election. democracynow.org As President Trump campaigns in swing states that are also coronavirus hot spots, The Intercept's Jeremy Scahill argues he is directly responsible for the poor U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed almost 220,000 people in the country so far and sickened millions. "I don't know how else to describe what Trump has done except homicidal," says Scahill, host of a new seven-part audio series that examines the Trump era.

Staff (2020-10-19). In Nevada, Trump Mocks Biden for Listening to Scientists. truthout.org Speaking to a largely maskless crowd of supporters on Carson City, Nevada late Sunday, President Donald Trump mocked Democratic nominee Joe Biden for vowing to "listen to the scientists" on the Covid-19 pandemic if elected in November and boasted about his own refusal to heed the advice of experts even as coronavirus cases and deaths continue to surge nationwide. | "If I listened totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression," Trump said, neglecting to mention…

Staff (2020-10-19). Michigan Republican Senate Candidate Has Strong Financial Ties to DeVos Family. truthout.org Michigan Republican Senate candidate James attended a fundraiser at the home of DeVos' brother-in-law, Dan, and his wife, Pamella, last month. Though James was well-dista…

RT (2020-10-19). Wikipedia says Hunter Biden scandal 'DEBUNKED', as editing war rages & new page emerges calling it a 'conspiracy'. rt.com Allegations of corruption against ex-Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter have apparently been "debunked" and are merely a "conspiracy theory" according to Wikipedia, where editors are battling over the terms. | Hunter Biden was the subject of an explosive report last week as the New York Post published emails alleging that he involved his father in dodgy business dealings in Ukraine and China. | While the story is still unfolding, the Wikipedia page for Hunter Biden simply

yenisafak (2020-10-19). Mayor of Copenhagen steps down over sexual harassment. yenisafak.com Frank Jensen, the mayor of Denmark's capital Copenhagen, told a news conference on Monday he was stepping down after having admitted to several episodes of sexual harassment.Jensen, who also serves as deputy of Denmark's governing Social Democratic Party, has served as Lord Mayor of Copenhagen since 2010.

yenisafak (2020-10-19). Israel to face pressure from Democrats if Trump loses: advisor. yenisafak.com US President Donald Trump's loss in the upcoming presidential election would put pressure on Israel in the Middle East, one of his advisors said Monday.If Trump loses the election on Nov. 3 to his opponent Joe Biden, Israel will face pressure from the Democrats to make concessions in Judea and Samaria, Mike Evans, senior Evangelical Christian leader and advisor to Trump, told Israel National News in an interview."This is the most pro-Israel president in American history. But he's not doing so well in the polls," said Evans, who is also the founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem.Evans said alt…

RT (2020-10-19). 'Are you kidding me?' Final presidential debate will NOT feature foreign policy among topics in wake of Hunter Biden scandal. rt.com The final debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden will not include foreign policy as a topic, a decision for which the president's campaign has slammed the commission, especially after the recent Hunter Biden allegations. | "Good morning to everyone except Presidential Debate Commission members who changed focus of final debate away from foreign policy," the Trump campaign's senior adviser Jason Miller tweeted on Monday morning. | Miller theorized the topics were steered away from foreign policy "so Joe Biden wouldn't have to answer to being compromised by the Chinese Communist Party, supporting endless wars…

RT (2020-10-19). Man 'eats a heart' over burning US flag as anti-Trump protesters face off with the president's supporters in Boston (VIDEO). rt.com Clashes erupted on Sunday in Boston as pro- and anti-Trump protesters faced off. Anti-Trumpers were filmed burning the US flag, Trump effigies, and MAGA hats, while calling for the president to be removed from office. | Two competing rallies were held, totaling roughly 1,000 people between them, in Boston's Copley Square on Sunday. | The 'Peaceful Protest Against Democrat Violence' was organized by the The gro…

RT (2020-10-19). DNI Ratcliffe says 'NO EVIDENCE' of Russian interference in Hunter Biden scandal, accuses Schiff of 'politicizing intelligence'. rt.com US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has refuted claims that alleged emails detailing Hunter Biden's business dealings in Ukraine and China when his father was VP are part of a Russian election interference effort. | "Hunter Biden's laptop is not part of some Russian disinformation campaign," Ratcliffe said during a Monday interview on Fox Business. "The intelligence community doesn't believe that because there is no intelligence that supports that," he added. | pic.twitter.com/49SSjhfQuN— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) RT (2020-10-19). New York Governor Cuomo goes 'full anti-vaxxer' on Covid-19 vaccine, says people should be 'very skeptical'. rt.com Gov. Andrew Cuomo is the latest Democrat to cast doubt on a potential Covid-19 vaccine, saying he is "not that confidant" in the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). | In a Monday morning interview with ABC's 'Good Morning America', Cuomo claimed the CDC and FDA "don't have any credibility" while President Donald Trump is in office and the public should be "very skeptical" of any vaccine pushed out. | "I'm not that confident, but my opinion doesn't matter. I don't believe the American people are that confident," the governor said. "I think it's going to be a…

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2020-10-19). 'Democracy Has Won': Year After Right-Wing Coup Against Evo Morales, Socialist Luis Arce Declares Victory in Bolivia Election. commondreams.org "Brothers and sisters: the will of the people has been asserted," Morales declared from exile in Argentina. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bolivia_democracy_arce.jpg

MBNJSD (2020-10-19). How Biden Flubbed Town Hall Foreign Policy Question. dissidentvoice.org Toward the end of Joe Biden's October 15 town hall session, a Trump supporter asked Biden the only foreign policy question of the night. "So peace is breaking out all over the world," the questioner claimed. "Our troops are coming home. Serbia is talking to Kosovo. And the Arabs and Israelis are talking peace, which …

yenisafak (2020-10-19). At least 56 US lawmakers urge Egypt's Sisi to release prisoners. yenisafak.com In a letter being sent to the Egyptian leader on Monday, the 55 Democrats and one Independent — Senator Bernie Sanders — said al-Sisi should free detained lawyers, activists, journalists and other prisoners of conscience amid a COVID outbreak in Egypt's prison system.Led by Democratic lawmakers Ro Khanna, Jim McGovern and Sherrod Brown, the bicameral letter urges Sisi "to immediately and unconditionally release those prisoners whose cases we have cited, and all other prisoners of conscience unjustly detained for exercising their fundamental human rights.""These are people who should never have been im…

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2020-10-19). Goldman Sachs: Benefits of 'Blue Wave' and $2.5 Trillion Stimulus Outweigh Wall Street Concerns Over Tax Hike on the Rich. commondreams.org "As right-wing hacks predict economic disaster if Biden wins, worth pointing out that private-sector analysts are remarkably bullish." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/biden_harris.jpg

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2020-10-19). 'No Wonder the US Leads the World in Covid Deaths': Trump Mocks Biden for Vowing to 'Listen to the Scientists'. commondreams.org The president also claimed the economy is rising "like a rocket ship," a claim belied by ongoing layoffs and widespread economic suffering. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/donald_trump_coronavirus_5.jpg

Andrew Bacevich (2020-10-19). Reframing America's Role in the World. commondreams.org Only by genuinely democratizing the formulation of foreign policy will real change become possible. (Photo: U.S. Army/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/afghanistanwar_0_1.jpeg

Andrew Emett (2020-10-19). Elizabeth Warren urges SEC to investigate Trump administration for insider trading. nationofchange.org "I want the SEC & CFTC to investigate this textbook case of insider trading."

Robert L. Borosage (2020-10-19). Progressives Won't Wait for Biden to Set the Course. thenation.com Progressives Won't Wait for Biden to Set the Course…

Jeet Heer (2020-10-19). Trump Keeps Slinging Mud, but This Time It's Not Sticking. thenation.com Trump Keeps Slinging Mud, but This Time It's Not Sticking…

Kevin Alexander Gray (2020-10-19). Can Jamie Harrison Really Beat Lindsey Graham? thenation.com Can Jamie Harrison Really Beat Lindsey Graham?

Kevin Alexander Gray (2020-10-19). Can Jaime Harrison Really Beat Lindsey Graham? thenation.com Can Jaime Harrison Really Beat Lindsey Graham?

John Nichols (2020-10-19). What Joe Biden Can Learn From Jacinda Ardern. thenation.com What Joe Biden Can Learn From Jacinda Ardern…

_____ (2020-10-18). Stepping Back From the Brink. strategic-culture.org As people give up on the state, politics flow out of the system and into the streets. | William LIND | As the elections fall upon us, most people are focused on who wins, Republicans or Democrats. That is an important question, since a Democratic victory would bring a serious assault on freedom of thought and expression. What you see on campuses is what the cultural Marxists want to force on society as a whole. "Cancel" is the new synonym for "liquidate." | There is nonetheless a more portentous question facing our country: do politics stay within the banks of the political system or do they overflow those ban…

RT (2020-10-18). Chicken company targeted by boycotters over Sen. Perdue's 'racist' Kamala remarks despite ZERO affiliation. rt.com Perdue Farms has struggled to distance itself from Sen. David Perdue (R-Georgia) after he 'mispronounced' Kamala Harris' name in a 'racist' way, triggering a wave of outraged calls for a boycott of a totally unrelated firm. | Twitter users have scolded the Georgia senator for his remarks at a Friday Trump campaign rally where he appeared to mock Harris' name, poor humor some are chalking up to racism. | "The most insidious thing that Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden are trying to perpetrate, and Bernie and Elizabeth and Kamala — Kah-ma-la or Kah-mah-la or Kamalamalamala, I don't know…" Perdue said. | Perdue…

RT (2020-10-18). Pelosi gives White House 48-hour deadline to agree on Covid-19 stimulus, or postpone it until after election. rt.com After giving a deadline to the Trump administration to reach an agreement for a Covid-19 stimulus plan, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) slammed officials for wording changes she says are "unacceptable." | In a "The White House had assured Democrats that they would accept our lan…

RT (2020-10-18). 'Disaster for Joe': As Hunter Biden's lawyers allegedly ask for his laptop BACK, Trump calls its explosive revelations 'REAL DEAL'. rt.com Despite questions over the authenticity of damaging content from a hard drive allegedly belonging to Joe Biden's son, Hunter, Donald Trump has said the data is a "proven fact," with Steve Bannon promising there is more to come. | "Hunter Biden's laptop is a disaster for the entire Biden family, but especially for his father, Joe," the president tweeted on Sunday. | He blasted his Democrat opponent and said the content of the hard drive, first reported on by the New York Post, "makes it impossible" for him to ever assume the office of the presidency. | "It is now a proven fact, and cannot be denied, that all of…

Nuala Bishari (2020-10-18). The Socialists and Progressives Working Outside of the Biden Campaign to Oust Trump. zcomm.org These grassroots groups may be reaching people the Biden campaign isn't…

Pepe Escobar (2020-10-18). POTUS Punk vs. Dem Dementia. globalresearch.ca The whole planet is enthralled, appalled, shocked and awed by the spectacle of democracy as enacted under the shadow of messianic imperialism — complete with a slew of slimy, We're in total

Pepe Escobar (2020-10-18). O presidente doidà£o contra o democrata demente. globalresearch.ca O planeta inteiro está estupefato, espantado, chocado e aterrorizado com o espetáculo da democracia desvelado nas sombras do imperialismo messiânico — acrescente um monte de surpresas asquerosas tipo "bala de prata" de outubro. | Estamos dentro do território de Frank Underwood. …

Jim Hightower (2020-10-18). Republicans Unleash Their Inner Jim Crow. zcomm.org Endangered GOP incumbents are launching increasingly racialized attacks against their challengers…

Barbara Madeloni (2020-10-18). Unions Are Beginning to Talk About Staving Off a Possible Coup. zcomm.org "Unions should be at the front lines in defense of American democracy and should be prepared to take decisive action if our democratic traditions are threatened."

_____ (2020-10-18). Whose Great Reset? The Fight for Our Future — Technocracy vs. the Republic. strategic-culture.org People living in the western world are in the greatest fight for the future of pluralist and republican forms of governance since the rise and fall of fascism 75 years ago. As then, society had to be built up from a war. Today's war has been an economic war of the oligarchs against the republic, and it increasingly appears that the coronavirus pandemic is being used, on the political end, as a massive coup against pluralist society. We are being confronted with this 'great reset', alluding to post-war construction. But for a whole generation people have already been living under an ever-increasing austerity regim…

sputniknews (2020-10-18). Donald Trump Jr Calls Joe Biden the 'Most Compromised Person' in US Politics. sputniknews.com As the controversy surrounding Hunter Biden and a laptop that allegedly contains emails of his business dealings begin to build, the Presidential campaign of Donald Trump has claimed the incident as proof of corruption on part of Democratic contender Joe Biden.

Staff (2020-10-18). Trump Is Charging Ahead With Cataclysmic Deregulation in Case of Election Loss. truthout.org With President Donald Trump's re-election very much in doubt, his administration is rushing to ram through regulatory rollbacks that could adversely affect millions of Americans, the environment, and the ability of Joe Biden — should he win — to pursue his agenda or even undo the damage done over the past four years. | Reporting by the New York Times

yenisafak (2020-10-18). Spanish republicans take to streets to call for prosecution of former king. yenisafak.com Waving red, purple and yellow republican flags, demonstrators in 24 Spanish cities on Sunday called for the prosecution of the former king Juan Carlos who left Spain embroiled in controversy.The 82-year-old former monarch has been living in the United Arab Emirates since leaving Spain in August to avoid further embarrassing his son, King Felipe VI."We are here to call for the corrupt former king to be prosecuted and to demand a republic," said Juan Morillo, 74, a retired teacher, who joined hundreds of demonstrators in Seville.While not formally under investigation, Juan Carlos could become a target in two inquir…

Common Dreams staff (2020-10-18). To Avoid Cleaning Up 'Dumpings of This Elephant,' Pelosi Gives White House 48 Hours to Agree on Covid-19 Relief Package. commondreams.org The two-day deadline, which means by the end of day Tuesday, said the Democratic House Speaker, "relates to if we want to get it done before the election, which we do." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pelosi_9.jpg

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-10-18). 'As American as Apple Pie': #MyNameIs Hashtag Celebrates Beauty of Diversity After David Perdue's Racist Attack on Kamala Harris. commondreams.org "Let's build an inclusive America," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wa.). | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/jayapal_2_1.jpg

Jon Queally, staff writer (2020-10-18). Nearly One Year After 2019 'Right-Wing Coup,' Bolivians Head to the Polls for National Elections. commondreams.org "It is very important that each and every one of us calmly wait for each and every vote to be counted," said Evo Morales, the nation's ousted democratically-elected leader, from exile in Argentina. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bolivia_elections.jpg

Pip Hinman (2020-10-18). Thais want Coalition gov't to sanction Thai dictatorship. greenleft.org.au Thai democracy activists took to streets after the violent police attack on a peaceful mass democracy protest in Bangkok, reports Peter Boyle.

WSWS (2020-10-17). Democratic Socialists of America goes all in for Biden. wsws.org The decision to campaign for Biden violates the decision at the DSA's own convention to not campaign for any Democratic Party candidate other than Bernie Sanders.

Staff (2020-10-17). Amid Climate Crisis, Many Americans Still Don't Know What the Green New Deal Is. truthout.org Americans could be forgiven if the first time they heard about the Green New Deal was during the October 7 vice-presidential debate between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence. Viewers of Fox News may have heard about the Green New Deal, but the coverage on Fox, according to Media Matters, has, for the last two years, focused on

Juan Cole (2020-10-17). At Townhall, Biden Promises Big Green Infrastructure and Jobs. zcomm.org Spain's Example Suggests he is Right…

Fight Back (2020-10-17). Minneapolis protest demands legalization for immigrants. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Around 100 people marched through downtown Minneapolis, October 14, from Senator Amy Klobuchar's office to the Hennepin County Jail. The march was part of an ongoing campaign by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) demanding legalization for all immigrants including those eligible for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), TPS (Temporary Protected Status), and DED (Deferred Enforced Departure) status. More than a million immigrants that hold these statuses are in increasing danger of deportation because of recent court rulings that open the door to the Trump administra…

Jeff Bryant (2020-10-17). How online learning companies are using the Pandemic to take over classroom teaching. mronline.org Experts warn the rush to outsource teaching to private companies is bad for students, teachers, and taxpayers.

Anand Naidoo (2020-10-17). The Heat: Trump, Biden participate in town halls. america.cgtn.com No debate. No problem. The two candidates for US president go head to head in separate town halls.

The Canary (2020-10-17). Bangkok shuts down transport systems as pro-democracy protests continue. thecanary.co Authorities in Bangkok have shut down mass transit systems and set up roadblocks as Thailand's capital braced for a fourth straight day of determined anti-government protests. The pro-democracy protesters have been doing their best to elude the authorities, using social media to assemble followers before police have time to block them.The government has announced plans to take legal action against Twitter and Facebook accounts announcing the protests. But fresh calls to action were still posted on 17 October.Pro-democracy protesters flash three-fingers salute against shutting down mass transport system at Ashok B…

Max Parry (2020-10-17). A Warning of the Imminent Danger of a Kamala Harris Presidency. dissidentvoice.org With the 2020 U.S. presidential election less than a month away, there is widespread speculation concerning Democratic nominee Joe Biden's mental and physical fitness at 77 years of age if he were to defeat incumbent Donald Trump on November 3rd. The former Vice President and Senator from Delaware would surpass his opponent as the oldest …

RT (2020-10-17). Giuliani says shop owner who passed Biden laptop to FBI had copied data to friends in case he's 'KILLED'. rt.com President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani is insisting that the hard drive allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden contains such explosive revelations that the shop owner who handed the data to authorities feared for his life. | The repair-shop owner handed the laptop, allegedly left for repair by Biden and then abandoned, over to the FBI some time in December — but not before making four complete copies of the data as insurance, the former New York City mayor claimed, in a recent interview with The Daily Caller. | "He gave two to friends of his in case he was killed," Giuliani, who shared information fro…

_____ (2020-10-17). The U.S. Did Not Defeat Fascism in WWII, It Discretely Internationalized It. strategic-culture.org Gabriel ROCKHILL"The U.S. has established itself as the mortal enemy of all people's government, all scientific-socialist mobilization of consciousness everywhere on the globe, all anti-imperialist activity on earth." | — George Jackson | One of the founding myths of the contemporary Western European and American world is that fascism was defeated in WWII by liberal democracies, and particularly by the United States. With the subsequent Nuremburg trials and the patient construction of a liberal world order, a bulwark was erected—in fits and starts, and with the constant threat of regression—agai…

WSWS (2020-10-17). Democrats let Amy Coney Barrett sail through Supreme Court confirmation hearings. wsws.org In the course of the hearings, the Democrats deliberately downplayed the connection between the rush to confirm and install Barrett on the Supreme Court and Trump's conspiracy to carry out an election coup.

Staff (2020-10-17). Black Civil Rights Leaders Fear Barrett "Invites a Return to a Racist Past" truthout.org After four days of confirmation hearings, Black leaders of five major civil rights organizations are lining up in opposition to the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme court and the "deeply flawed" process Senate Republicans are using to secure her confirmation just weeks ahead of a contentious presidential election. | Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Kristen Clarke, president of the National Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, said Barrett…

WSWS (2020-10-17). Alarming spike of COVID-19 infections in Michigan amid ruling class push for "herd immunity" wsws.org Several Republican state senators in the Michigan Senate held an online meeting last Saturday, where they discussed steps towards the lifting of mandates to wear masks indoors despite a clear resurgence of the disease.

WSWS (2020-10-17). Role of Virginia fascists in conspiracy to kill Northam and Whitmer comes into focus. wsws.org Many questions remain as to the possible role of Virginia Boogaloo members and other fascist groups in the expanding plot against Democratic governors.

teleSUR (2020-10-17). Trump Says He May Leave the US If Biden Wins. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Donald Trump Saturday suggested that he would "have to leave the country" if he loses against the Democratic candidate Joe Biden in the upcoming November election. | RELATED: | Trump made that statement amid a campaign event in Macon, Georgia, where he mocked the social distancing and face masks that Biden urges to his campaign events' attendees. | "Running against the worst candidate in the history…

WSWS (2020-10-17). Twitter and Facebook censor New York Post report on Hunter Biden. wsws.org The social media platforms Twitter and Facebook blocked and suppressed the sharing of links to a news article from the New York Post on Wednesday in a blatant act of online censorship.

Jeet Heer (2020-10-17). Barrett's Evasions Show Why Expanding the Court Is Necessary. zcomm.org The Republican deal with the devil to tolerate Trumpian corruption in exchange for a supermajority deserves both scorn and redress…

_____ (2020-10-17). Bolivia: First Election Since US-Backed Coup Creates Divisions. popularresistance.org Eleven months after a U.S-backed military coup overthrew the democratically elected Evo Morales and his Movement to Socialism (MAS) party, Bolivians will go to the polls on Sunday, offering them a chance to repudiate the coup government of Jeanine Añez, who has ruled the country since last November. | The last year has been a period of constant political struggle, as the self-described "interim government" has fought to impose its rule on a rebellious population, attempting to bring sweeping changes to the Andean state.

_____ (2020-10-17). The US Did Not Defeat Fascism In WWII. popularresistance.org One of the founding myths of the contemporary Western European and American world is that fascism was defeated in WWII by liberal democracies, and particularly by the United States. With the subsequent Nuremburg trials and the patient construction of a liberal world order, a bulwark was erected—in fits and starts, and with the constant threat of regression—against fascism and its evil twin in the East. American culture industries have rehearsed this narrative ad nauseum, brewing it into a saccharine ideological Kool-Aid and piping it into every household, shack and street corner with a TV or smartphon…

Roland Rottenfuss (2020-10-17). Behavior and body in the sights of capital. indybay.org The proclamation of states of emergency in the spring of 2020, even if not in all countries, helped to consolidate a state crisis management system that overturned constitutions and now completely bypassed democratic decision-making processes. In the name of public health… the measures were presented as without alternative and divergent expert opinions were ignored or defamed.

Dolores Perez Heilbron (2020-10-17). Saturday 10/24: March for Democracy. indybay.org Rally at Mission High School Steps, 3750 18th Street | Across from Dolores Park | Followed by a march to San Francisco City Hall…

sputniknews (2020-10-17). Trump Slams Republican Senator 'Little Ben' Sasse in Response to 'Narcissist' Jibe. sputniknews.com Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse, worried that a "blue tsunami" could wipe out the Republican senate majority, laid into President Trump this week, calling him a narcissist who kisses dictators' butts and sells out the US' allies.

sputniknews (2020-10-17). Joe Biden Rants About 'Smear Campaign' and Insults CBS Reporter Who Asks About NY Post Story. sputniknews.com Twitter and Facebook have both moved to suppress New York Post reports that the former vice president lied about never talking to his son Hunter about his business dealings in Ukraine, where Biden had the prosecutor general fired.

Jon Queally, staff writer (2020-10-17). 'Well That Is Incredibly Racist,' Says Kamala Harris Campaign After David Perdue's Dogwhistle Attack at Trump Rally. commondreams.org "This kind of vile, race-baiting trash talk is what President Trump has unleashed from sitting Republican members of the Senate," said Perdue's Democratic challenger, Jon Ossoff, in response. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/david_perdue.jpg

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-10-16). Dogshit Presidents, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com It's extremely foolish to let monopolistic tech oligarchs have this unprecedented influence over the flow of information. I shouldn't have to keep saying this, but here we are. | If online censorship keeps tightening, the internet will cease to be an information-democratizing tool of the people to any extent at all and will instead just enable ruling power structures to administer propaganda much more quickly and efficiently than they could previously. | ~ | "You should oppose censorship because it will eventually come for you too." | This is only true of people who oppose the establishment power structures with…

_____ (2020-10-16). Imagine If MSM Consistently Applied the Evidentiary Standards It's Applying to Hunter Biden's Emails. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | published by The New York Post which purports to show "smoking gun" emails from the laptop of Hunter Biden, son of Democratic nominee Joe Biden. | Both Twitter and Facebook have censored the story on their platforms, the first time we've seen the powerful social media giants deplatform a mainstream news media article, both citing concerns about the origins of the emails and an uncertainty about the veracity of the claims. | "Facebook was limiting distribution of the story while its outside fact-checkers reviewed the story's claims, spokesman Andy Stone said," Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-10-16). As Memory of 2016 Clinton Defeat Lingers, Biden Campaign Manager Warns 2020 Race 'Far Closer' Than You Think. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/race-far-closer.jpg

Staff (2020-10-16). Dark Money & Barrett Nomination: The Link Between Big Polluters & the War on ACA, Roe & LGBT Rights. democracynow.org During confirmation hearings this week for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island opted not to ask the judge any questions. Instead, he gave a 30-minute presentation on how right-wing groups, including the Federalist Society and Judicial Crisis Network, use dark money to shape the nation's judiciary. We air excerpts from his presentation and get reaction from Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Staff (2020-10-16). Deeply Troubling: Kristen Clarke on How Rush to Confirm Barrett Endangers Voting & Civil Rights. democracynow.org The Senate confirmation hearing for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett ended Thursday with Republicans on the Judiciary Committee scheduling a vote on her nomination for October 22, with a full Senate vote to follow shortly thereafter — less than two weeks before the presidential election, in which the Supreme Court could play a decisive role. The right-wing judge's confirmation looks all but assured, after four rushed days of questioning in which Barrett refused to state her position on abortion rights, gay marriage, the Affordable Care Act, voting rights, climate change, and even if…

Staff (2020-10-16). Headlines for October 16, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 Hospitalizations on the Rise Across U.S. as Confirmed Cases Hit 8 Million, French Police Raid Homes of Government Officials in Probe of Failed Coronavirus Response, WHO Finds Remdesivir Fails to Prevent COVID-19 Deaths, World Health Organization Warns Many Will Have to Wait Until 2022 for Vaccine, Senate on Track to Confirm Far-Right Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Oct. 26, Joe Biden Defends 1994 Crime Bill and Calls for More Police Funding, President Trump Refuses to Disavow Far-Right Anti-Semitic QAnon Conspiracy Theory, Trump Celebrates Apparent Extrajudicial Killing by U.S. Marshals Carryi…

Staff (2020-10-16). Preserving Roe: West Virginia Mom Tells Abortion Story in Heartfelt Speech Against Amy Coney Barrett. democracynow.org The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony this week from Crystal Good, who spoke about her experience of having an abortion and expressed concerns that Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation to the Supreme Court would limit access to safe, affordable care. During three days of hearings, Judge Barrett has repeatedly refused to answer questions about her views on abortion and the future of Roe v. Wade, despite her public record opposing reproductive rights. "If confirmed, Judge Barrett will be a fifth vote to eviscerate the important protections that have been afforded by Roe v. Wade," says Kristen Clarke, president…

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-10-16). Roaming Charges: Pray, Grin and Barrett. counterpunch.org The genius of the Biden campaign is that there really is no Biden campaign. The outcome of the election will almost certainly depend on whether they can resist the temptation to start one over the next three weeks.

Mark Fiore (2020-10-16). Screen Shot 2020-10-15 at 12.37.31 PM.png. progressive.org President Trump and Senate Republicans are determined to shove through their SCOTUS pick before election results are decided.

Dennis Laumann (2020-10-16). 'A Perfect Crime,' gripping Netflix documentary on the looting of East Germany. peoplesworld.org A Perfect Crime, a new four-part documentary series on Netflix about the 1991 assassination of German politician Detlev Rohwedder, surprisingly offers critical viewpoints about German reunification. October 3 marked the 30th anniversary of the reunification of the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). While German reunification is …

Calvin Woodward, Hope Yen (2020-10-16). After backing out of debate, Trump took his lies to NBC town hall. peoplesworld.org The following is excerpted from a longer article by The Associated Press. WASHINGTON (AP)—President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden faced inquisitive voters on separate stages in different cities in a substitute for the debate Trump refused to participate in. Here's how some of Trump's rhetoric Thursday night compared with the facts in the prime-time events …

Jordan Woll (2020-10-16). Two mockeries of democracy instead of one: Biden and Trump town halls replace debate. liberationnews.org Donald Trump and Joe Biden held town hall-style encounters at the same time yesterday in what columnist and political cartoonist Ted Rall described as an event, "long on drama but short on credible solutions." Trump and Biden were initially scheduled to face off in a traditional head-to-head debate. But this was called off due to …

RT (2020-10-16). Joe Biden says young children who decide they 'want to be transgender' should face 'zero discrimination'. rt.com Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden suggested that children as young as eight-years-old should be allowed to change their gender identity if they decide they "want to be transgender." | The comment came on Thursday night at an election town hall hosted by ABC News, where a woman who said one of her two daughters is transgender asked Biden what he would do to protect LGBTQ rights. The former vice president said, "I will flat out just change the law." He then told a story about seeing two gay men kissing each other and being told by his father, "Joey, it's simple, they love each other." | Biden next turned…

RT (2020-10-16). Twitter rolls out 'DISPUTED' warnings for users trying to post 'misleading' content after backlash over Biden emails censorship. rt.com Twitter is cracking down on the spread of "misleading" content ahead of the US election, as users attempting to retweet anything similar to the NYPost's Hunter Biden leaks will now get a warning the material is "disputed." | Attempting to retweet offending content will trigger a prompt warning the user that the material they're trying to post is "disputed," Twitter revealed on Friday, posting an image of the new warning screen. | The user will be able to click a button to "find out more" about why Twitter doesn't want the material shared, and then presumably post it anyway. | Our work to limit the spread of mi…

RT (2020-10-16). Race & climate change, but no economy? Debate topics list lines up with Democrat issues, not what Americans care about. rt.com The newly released list of topics for the last remaining debate between President Donald Trump and his challenger Joe Biden seems to be tailored to Democrats rather than subjects that polls show most Americans care about. | The Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonprofit that traditionally runs the process, announced on Friday that the topics for the October 22 debate have been picked by moderator Kristen Welker of NBC. They will range from fighting Covid-19 and climate change to leadership, families and race. | Debate topics for third debate disclosed: | Nothing on the economy (top issue in Gallup) | No…

RT (2020-10-16). ABC ignores elephant in the room, asks Biden ZERO QUESTIONS about censored NY Post scoops on his son's overseas business dealings. rt.com ABC held a 90-minute town hall with Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden without asking a single question about this week's New York Post stories on alleged scandals involving his son's business dealings in Ukraine and China. | Host George Stephanopoulos steered clear of…

RT (2020-10-16). Biden won't rule out MANDATORY Covid-19 vaccination, but admits that enforcement would be nearly impossible. rt.com Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden said he might make a Covid-19 vaccine mandatory, depending on the "nature" of the drug, but then admitted that such a mandate probably couldn't be fully enforced. | Speaking on Thursday night at a town hall event hosted by ABC News, Biden said his decision on whether to make a Covid-19 vaccine compulsory for all Americans would depend on the "state" and "nature" of the vaccine, including whether it's seen as something that would positively affect 85 percent of the public or as a "golden key" to ending the pandemic. | Biden says you can't mandate masks and a COVID vacci…

RT (2020-10-16). Trump tricked by Babylon Bee satire article claiming Twitter shut down 'entire network' to slow negative Biden news. rt.com President Donald Trump has mistaken a satirical news story on the Babylon Bee about a total Twitter shutdown for a real one, prompting confusion among supporters and an onslaught of mockery from his critics. | Trump on Friday tweeted the fake story about Twitter shutting down its "entire network" to slow the spread of negative stories about his Democratic opponent Joe Biden. | "Wow, this has never been done in history," Trump wrote, reacting to the satire site's post about the supposed Twitter shutdown. "Why is Twitter doing this?" the commander-in-chief asked, adding that it would only bring "more attention t…

RT (2020-10-16). 'No need to quarantine': Biden says he was wearing mask, '50+ feet away' from crew member who had Covid-19 on board campaign plane. rt.com Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden said he will not quarantine after being on board the same airplane as a crew member who tested positive for the coronavirus, saying he was far away and wearing a N-95 mask. | "My COVID test from last night came back negative," Biden tweeted on Thursday evening, just before the platform unexpectedly crashed. | "Not only was the individual 50+ feet [15 meters] away and wearing a mask, but I was wearing an N-95 mask," he added. "My doctors have advised that there is no need for me to quarantine." | Not only was the individual 50+ feet away and wearing a mask, but I was w…