2020-10-21: News Headlines

David Swanson (2020-10-21). Top 12 Reasons Biden Is Not My Fault. counterpunch.org When the Democratic Party decided it preferred Trump to Bernie and would rather nominate to run against Trump a more corporate-friendly candidate who was polling more weakly against Trump, there were — in theory — at least two choices. First, millions of people could have publicly announced that they would not vote for either rotten

Jack Rasmus (2020-10-21). A Short History of the 'On Again, Off Again' Fiscal Stimulus Negotiations. counterpunch.org It's been more than three months since the March-April economic rescue package, called the Cares Act, expired at the end of July. Since then both political parties, Republican and Democrat, have played a 'hot potato' bargaining game: i.e. "here's my offer, the ball's in your court…Here's mine, now it's your turn". This week the game

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2020-10-21). How Biden Flubbed Town Hall Foreign Policy Question. counterpunch.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

Binoy Kampmark (2020-10-21). Sloppy Methodology: Social Media, Censorship and the New York Post's Hunter Biden Story. counterpunch.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,

Alan Robock (2020-10-21). An Open Letter to Biden: 5 Easy Steps to Reduce the Threat of Nuclear War. counterpunch.org Here is a letter I intend to mail in November. But I want you know about it now, to bring up an issue that is crucial to consider before you vote, and which has not received enough attention. Dear President-Elect Biden, I'm so happy that you were elected because in January you can start to

WSWS (2020-10-21). Breonna Taylor grand jury was never given option to indict killer cops. wsws.org Jurors have begun to come forward to dispute Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron's characterization of the grand jury deliberations.

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-10-21). Federal Juneteenth Holiday Bill Lacks Congressional Budget Office Cost Analysis. indybay.org Juneteenth our agreed upon date of a National Day to celebrate Freedom awaits a cost analysis by the "Non-Partisan" Congressional Budget Office during the election cycle for oue President, US Senate and US House of Representatives. Freedom is never free.

SRACC (2020-10-21). Houston Racist KPFT Coupster Bill Crosier & Supporters at KPFA & Pacifica. indybay.org Former Pacifica interim executive director Bill Crosier called the police on the Black staff at KPFT and now wants to institute corporate bylaws. He has opposed community Black and Brown programming at Houston and supported racist programmers. He and his corporate racist agenda is being supported by KPFA programmers and other programmers in Pacifica as well as "liberals" like Code Pink leader Jodie Evans. While these people complain about the corporatization of the state, they are supporting the corporatization of the Pacific bylaws and ending democratic governance to a hand picked corporate team that supported t…

Susan Price (2020-10-21). Whatever happens … it's the end of the world as we know it. greenleft.org.au If carbon continues to be pumped into the atmosphere, we may see the end of complex societies and the extinction of most species, writes Shawn Hattingh. But, we can still avoid climate catastrophe and build a radically democratic, egalitarian and caring society.

Julian Brave NoiseCat, Danielle Deiseroth (2020-10-21). Earth to Biden: Stop Talking About Fracking. thenation.com Earth to Biden: Stop Talking About Fracking…

Staff (2020-10-20). "A Fire That Has Spread Across the Country": Jelani Cobb on Voter Suppression in the 2020 Election. democracynow.org As tens of millions of people across the U.S. cast their ballots in early voting ahead of the November 3 election, we look at voter suppression efforts with journalist and academic Jelani Cobb. His new "Frontline" documentary "Whose Vote Counts" examines the long lines, record number of mail-in ballots and the legal fights that have marked voting during the pandemic, with a focus on Wisconsin. "This is a state where the presidency was essentially decided in the last election," says Cobb, a professor of journalism at Columbia University and a contributor to The New Yorker. He describes voter suppression as "a fire…

Staff (2020-10-20). "A Blow Against Neoliberalism": Socialist Wins Bolivian Election a Year After Coup Ousted Evo Morales. democracynow.org Former Bolivian President Evo Morales's political party MAS has claimed victory in the country's presidential election, with Morales's handpicked successor Luis Arce securing over 50% of the vote, according to exit polls. If confirmed, the result will put the socialist party back in power almost a year after a right-wing coup that ousted Morales and installed Jeanine àÅñez as president. The election was postponed twice, and protests rocked Bolivia for months leading up to the vote, calling out the government's use of military and police repression and violence against Indigenous communities. "It's an extrao…

Staff (2020-10-20). Headlines for October 20, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Continues Attack on Fauci as U.S. Coronavirus Cases Surge and Death Toll Mounts, SCOTUS Deadlock Hands Victory to Voters in Pennsylvania as Floridians Break Early Voting Record, Debate Commission Announces Changes Ahead of Final Presidential Face-Off, Evo Morales Celebrates Victory of MAS Party, Says He Will Return to Bolivia, Trump Admin to Remove Sudan from U.S. List of Terrorist States, At Least 15 People Killed as Nigerian Protests Against Police Violence Continue, WSJ: U.S. Held Talks with Syrian Intelligence About Missing U.S. Citizens, Palestinian Prisoner in Critical Condition After Nearly 3 Months…

Glenn Greenwald (2020-10-20). Bolivians Return Evo Morales's Party to Power One Year After a U.S.-Applauded Coup. zcomm.org Right-wing forces cheered by the U.S. tried to destroy one of Latin America's most vibrant democracies. Voters just restored it…

MEE staff (2020-10-20). Ilhan Omar says Trump's attacks are posing a threat to her life. middleeasteye.net Ilhan Omar says Trump's attacks are posing a threat to her life | 'Every time the president has invoked my name, it has incited violence against me,' the congresswoman said | Tue, 10/20/2020 – 22: 13 | Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has received hundreds of death threats since being elected to office (AFP/File photo) | Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has said US President Donald Trump's repeated attacks and insults are pos…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-20). Participants of the Minga continue to wait for a meeting with Colombian President Iván Duque. peoplesdispatch.org The organizations of the Social Minga are demanding protection for social leaders, right to defend their land, right to democracy and the construction of peace in the country…

C.J. Atkins (2020-10-20). Trump's Google antitrust lawsuit: Blow against monopoly or political theater? peoplesworld.org Eager to portray the president as a populist enemy of big business, Attorney General William Barr unveiled the Trump administration's long-expected antitrust lawsuit against search engine giant Google's parent company, Alphabet, on Tuesday morning. Filed jointly with 11 Republican state attorneys general, the Department of Justice's suit alleges Google maintains monopolies in "general search services, …

Jenny Farrell (2020-10-20). Last of Communist Liam O'Flaherty's banned novels sees the light in Ireland. peoplesworld.org Liam O'Flaherty's banned novel The Martyr has just been republished by Nuascéalta, 87 years since its first and only edition in 1933. With this sensational republication of The Martyr, Nuascéalta publishers complete their epic task of restoring the remaining three major O'Flaherty novels banned by the Irish state. The other two novels reprinted by them …

Ali Harb (2020-10-20). Jill Biden to Arab Americans: Your vote could be the difference. middleeasteye.net Jill Biden to Arab Americans: Your vote could be the difference | 'Your Community matters to this campaign,' Joe Biden's wife tells Arab American crowd in Dearborn, Michigan | Wed, 10/21/2020 – 00: 11 | Socially distant event was attended by dozens of Arab activists and local politicians (MEE/Ali Harb) | Standing in front of an iconic Arabic bakery in Dearborn, Michigan, Jill Biden, the wife of Democratic preside…

Mark Gruenberg, John Wojcik (2020-10-20). Labor, its allies, and the courts fight to stop Trump. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—It seems that everywhere he turns Trump is being trumped these days. Record voter turnout during early voting doesn't look like it is going well for the president. Then, after dark, when the voting stops, the United Steelworkers are taking their "batlight" campaign across the country. They shine a Biden-Harris "batlight" on Trump towers and …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-20). Anti-fascists across the UK honor volunteers of the International Brigade. peoplesdispatch.org Around 2500 volunteers from Britain and Ireland participated in the Spanish Civil War supporting the Spanish Left and Republican forces against the fascist forces led by Francisco Franco…

John Feffer (2020-10-20). America's New Policy of Demoting Democracy. counterpunch.org In November 2000, the battle between George W. Bush and Al Gore for the U.S. presidency was deadlocked over the status of a few thousand votes in Florida. Gore had won the popular vote, but the margin of victory in the Electoral College depended on Florida. In that state, Bush held a very slim lead

RT (2020-10-20). 'Won't happen under Kamala-Biden ticket': Fox Sports duo caught mocking military flyover in apparent hot mic moment (VIDEO). rt.com Fox Sports casters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman have caused quite a controversy among conservative circles in the US after they were apparently caught on a hot mic poking fun at military flyovers before sports events. | The hot mic moment happened during Fox Sports' coverage of Sunday's NFC game between the Packers and Buccaneers. In a video published by Defector (who said it got it from an unnamed "tipster"), the pair is heard mocking pregame military flyovers, a regular occurrence at US sporting events, as a waste of taxpayer money. | Even Joe Buck and Troy Aikman find pregame flyovers to be a little much these…

RT (2020-10-20). 'I don't care Trump doesn't like black people': Rapper 50 Cent says 'Vote Trump' reacting to Biden's tax hike plan. rt.com Rapper 50 Cent has become an unlikely supporter of Donald Trump's reelection campaign, with the hip hop artist reacting in horror to Joe Biden's tax plan, which hikes rates on high earners, and calling on fans to "vote for Trump." | The 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' star threw his weight behind the president in an Instagram post on Monday, sharing a screencap from a news broadcast showing the top combined state and local tax rates under Biden's proposal along with an outraged caption. | "WHAT THE F**K! (VOTE for TRUMP) I'M OUT. F**K NEW YORK The KNICKS never win anyway," he wrote, adding "I don't care Trump doesn't…

Roger D. Harris (2020-10-20). US Presidential Campaign Spectacle: Distracts from Essential Issues while Playing the Race Card. dissidentvoice.org With the seemingly interminable US presidential campaign season mercifully drawing to a close, the buzz is about a possible coup. That would make the US one of the few countries in recent history to experience regime change not masterminded by a US embassy, because there is no US embassy in Washington. There are other reasons …

_____ (2020-10-20). US Presidential Campaign Spectacle. popularresistance.org With the seemingly interminable US presidential campaign season mercifully drawing to a close, the buzz is about a possible coup. That would make the US one of the few countries in recent history to experience regime change not masterminded by a US embassy, because there is no US embassy in Washington. | There are other reasons why a coup is unlikely. Namely, most of the politically active public believe that they live in an exceptional democracy. This conviction is held despite the abysmal candidate choices they are given and the obscene mountains of money backing them.

Editor (2020-10-20). Bolivia Resoundingly Chooses Socialism in Wake of Military Coup. scheerpost.com OECD Development Centre / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] By Jake Johnson / Common Dreams Following socialist candidate Luis Arce's resounding victory in Bolivia's high-stakes and closely watched presidential election, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday applauded the people of the South American nation for persisting in their "difficult, year-long fight to restore democracy" in the wake of last year's military… |

People's Voice (2020-10-20). When Canada became a dictatorship: 50 years after Quebec's 'October Crisis'. peoplesworld.org

Nicolas J S Davies (2020-10-20). How Biden Flubbed the Town Hall Foreign Policy Question. progressive.org From praising Trump's deal with Israel to smearing China's president Xi Jinping, Biden's response wasn't just disappointing, it was incorrect.

James Haught (2020-10-20). Will 'Nones' Bring a Progressive Future? counterpunch.org Someday, the coronavirus tragedy will be gone, wiped out by scientific vaccines. And Donald Trump will be just an unpleasant memory, an absurd reminder of what can happen when bigotry contaminates democracy. This part of the 21st century will be remembered chiefly, I predict, as the era when supernatural religion died among intelligent western people. I think it

Max Parry (2020-10-20). New Book: The Prospect of a Kamala Harris Presidency. globalresearch.ca 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 …

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-10-20). Sloppy Methodology: Social Media, Censorship and New York Post's Hunter Biden Story. globalresearch.ca 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 …

WSWS (2020-10-20). As outbreaks spread in US, major Democrat-led cities push to reopen schools. wsws.org While the Democrats publicly decry President Trump's blatant indifference to the spread of the virus, in practice they are carrying out the same murderous policy of opening schools amid the raging pandemic.

WSWS (2020-10-20). Labor Notes covers up role of AFT, Democratic Party in betrayal of U of M grad instructors strike. wsws.org In challenging the back-to-work and back-to-school policy of the university, the grad students entered into what was not simply a trade union but a political struggle. The strike broke out in the midst of the drive by Trump and Democratic governors across the country to reopen the schools and universities.

WSWS (2020-10-20). Democrats call for "patience" as Trump moves forward with coup plot. wsws.org In a position paper issued yesterday, the Democratic Party refused to refer to the ongoing plot against Whitmer and downplayed the threat of dictatorship as "disinformation."

WSWS (2020-10-20). Anti-mask zealot arrested after threat to kidnap and kill Democratic mayor of Wichita. wsws.org Meredith Dowty, 59, was charged with criminal threat after sending text messages to a city official in an attempt to ascertain the mayor's address to facilitate a kidnapping.

sputniknews (2020-10-20). Two Weeks Until Election Day PLUS Google Lawsuit Filed. sputniknews.com On today's episode, Lee discussed current events, including the new Hunter Biden information to be released by Bannon and Giuliani, the Justice Department's lawsuit against Google, France's closing of a mosque after the beheading of a teacher, an H1B1 visa lawsuit filed by the Chamber of Commerce, and new debate rules announced for debates.

Staff (2020-10-20). Trump Makes Alarming Call for AG Barr to Investigate Biden "Before the Election" truthout.org During a Fox News interview on Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump called on Attorney General William Barr to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter, over allegations made in a disputed story by an unnamed staff reporter in the New York Post last week. | The call from the president for his attorney general to investigate Hunter Biden comes just two weeks before Election Day 2020. | "We have got to get the attorney general to act. He's got to act, and he's got to…

Staff (2020-10-20). Voter Suppression Has Spread Like Fire Across the US — Far Beyond the South. truthout.org As tens of millions of people across the U.S. cast their ballots in early voting ahead of the November 3 election, we look at voter suppression efforts with journalist and academic Jelani Cobb. His new Frontline documentary Whose Vote Counts examines the long lines, record number of mail-in ballots and the legal fights that have marked voting during the pandemic, with a focus on Wisconsin. "This is a state where the presidency was essentially decided in the last election," says Cobb, a professor of…

Staff (2020-10-20). Trump and Biden's Mics Will Be Muted for at Least Some of the Final Debate. truthout.org The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced on Monday that it would mute the microphones of both candidates for portions of Thursday night's debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden — a move that Trump has described as "unfair," even though it will be applied to both candidates equally. |

Bindman A. (2020-10-20). Medicaid's Public Health Plan Options. jamanetwork.com The democratic nominee for president, former Vice President Joe Biden, has made the availability of a public option (a Medicarelike health plan operated by the federal government) a central component of his health care platform. One goal of this policy is to lower costs for consumers who purchase coverage in health insurance marketplaces. Biden would also increase population coverage by making his public option available at no cost to income-eligible adults in the 12 states that have still not expanded Medicaid as a part of the Affordable Care Act. In the states that have already expanded Medicaid to low-income a…

yenisafak (2020-10-20). Hashd al-Shaabi head decries attack on KDP office. yenisafak.com The leader of the Hashd al-Shaabi militia in Iraq has decried an attack on the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) branch office in Baghdad as a criminal act.Falih Alfayyadh told state television that 15 people who stormed the headquarters of the party were arrested.He said that al-Hashd al-Shaabi was not responsible for the occasional missile attacks against the US and other foreign missions in Baghdad."Those who attack foreign representatives are illegal groups that have nothing to do with us," Alfayyadh stressed.Supporters of the Hashd al-Shaabi militia ransacked the KDP headquarters in Baghdad and set it on fi…

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-10-20). 'A Source of Inspiration' for Egalitarians Everywhere: Progressive International Celebrates Triumph of Democracy in Bolivia. commondreams.org "Bolivia's election not only showed the world how to defeat authoritarianism and its imperialist allies. It also revealed the power of international solidarity to defend democracy around the world." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bolivia_victory.jpg

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-10-20). Coalition of Advocacy and Business Groups Call On Election Officials to Uphold 'Sacred Responsibility' to Democratic Principles. commondreams.org "We know you understand the importance of your role in preserving our fragile democracy," the groups wrote. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/election_funding_0.jpg

commondreams (2020-10-20). Common Cause Adds Expertise Anticipating Unprecedented Opportunities for Comprehensive Democracy Reform at State and Federal Levels. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Susan Price (2020-10-20). From Rebel Teas to marching bands: A year of protest culture in Chile. greenleft.org.au October 18 marked one year of mass protests for systemic change in Chile, and one year of brutal repression, writes Sandra Cuffe. It has also been a year filled with a resurgence of protest art and music, neighbourhood organising, feminist influences, city-specific forms of protest, local experiments in direct democracy, and mutual aid.

Alex Bainbridge (2020-10-20). Thai democracy movement supported in Brisbane. greenleft.org.au Alex Bainbridge reports on a rally outside the Thai consulate in Brisbane on October 20 to express support for the democracy movement in Thailand.

Katrina vanden Heuvel (2020-10-20). Progressives Should Support Biden Now, but Be Ready to Push Later. thenation.com Progressives Should Support Biden Now, but Be Ready to Push Later…

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). 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…

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."

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.

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…

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

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). Bolivia's Mesa accepts election defeat after rapid vote count indicates solid victory for socialist Arce. rt.com The Bolivian presidential centrist candidate Carlos Mesa conceded the election on Monday after an unofficial rapid vote count signaled a decisive victory for the socialist candidate Luis Arce. | "The result of the quick count is very strong and very clear," Mesa, the leader of the centrist Comunidad Ciudadana coalition, said during a press conference. | "The difference between the first candidate and the Comunidad Ciudadana is wide and it is up to us, those of us who believe in democracy, to recognize that there has been a winner in this election." | The Movement for Socialism (MAS) candidate, Luis Arce, recei…

Norman Solomon (2020-10-19). Why a Former Green Party Candidate Is on a Very Long Fast—Urging Progressives to Vote for Biden to Defeat Trump. commondreams.org I urge Green Party members in battleground states to do the right thing and vote not for Hawkins but for Biden. (Photo: CNN/Screengrab) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_1_0.jpg

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

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 …

teleSUR (2020-10-19). Bolivia: Political Figures Acknowledge Arce's Victory In The Polls. telesurenglish.net Several important voices of the Latin American's political landscape Monday acknowledged Luis Arce's victory in the Bolivian presidential elections. | RELATED: | Citizens Community Alliance (CCA) presidential candidate Carlos Mesa acknowledged the victory of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) and said that "the difference between the first candidate and the CCA is wide and it is up to us who believe in democracy to r…

teleSUR (2020-10-19). Luis Arce: 'We Recovered Democracy and Took Back Our Country'. telesurenglish.net The winner of Bolivia's elections Luis Arce Monday celebrated the unofficial results of the quick vote-counting as he said, "we will govern for all, we will redirect the change without hate." | RELATED: | On Sunday night, Bolivian authorities allowed the results of the exit polls to be presented to the public. There it was observed that the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) won the elections with 53 percent of the v…

teleSUR (2020-10-19). US: Biden Gains Latinos Confidence In The Face Of Elections. telesurenglish.net The Pew Research Center (PRC) on Monday published a study showing that Latino voters have growing confidence in Democrat candidate Joe Biden on key issues. | RELATED: | The study was based on a survey of over 11,000 registered Latino voters and found that two-thirds of those interviewed were even more supportive than four months ago of Biden's capacity to manage issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the economic crisis. | "The share with confidenc…

teleSUR (2020-10-19). Evo Morales: 'MAS Fulfilled Its Promise, It Became Millions'. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's former president Evo Morales Monday assured from Buenos Aires (Argentina) that "sooner or later" he will return to his country as he thanked the support of the Latin American progressive governments over the last year. | RELATED: | "Bolivia was never alone. The governments of Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, and Cuba were a great support in these months of democratic absence in the country. Thanks to them, I…

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 …

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.

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…

sputniknews (2020-10-19). Trump Campaign Accuses Michigan Gov. Whitmer of 'Encouraging Assassination Attempts' Against POTUS. sputniknews.com On Sunday, during an interview on NBC's 'Meet the Press', Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer accused US President Donald Trump of "inspiring, incentivizing and inciting domestic terrorism".

sputniknews (2020-10-19). Trump Will Raise Hunter Biden Corruption Story in Debate if Moderator Doesn't, Campaign Advisor Says. sputniknews.com Accusations surrounded former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's son, Hunter, and his alleged corrupt business deals in Ukraine have become a key topic for the Trump Campaign in the encroaching race for the White House.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2020-10-19). With Biden Path to Victory Still Fraught, Senate Democrats Issue All-Hands-on-Deck Warning Against Trump and GOP Election Threats. commondreams.org "The reality is that this race is far closer than some of the punditry we're seeing on Twitter and on TV would suggest," Biden's campaign manager cautioned over the weekend. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_voting_election.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

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

Ruwan Subasinghe, Makbule Sahan (2020-10-19). Ending Corporate Impunity Is at the Heart of a Sustainable Post-Pandemic Global Recovery. commondreams.org To ensure that the global economy is not only resilient but also conducive to social progress, governments must restore the social contract by rebuilding trust in democracy and a fair and equitable economy.(Photo: Scott Lewis/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/wemet.jpg

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."

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

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…

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

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 Jaime Harrison Really Beat Lindsey Graham? thenation.com Can Jaime Harrison Really Beat Lindsey Graham?

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-10-18). 'The Emails Are Russian' Will Be The Narrative, Regardless Of Facts Or Evidence. thealtworld.com Fight it all you want, but there's nothing you can do. "The emails are Russian" is going to be the official dominant narrative in mainstream political discourse, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Resistance is futile. | Like the Russian hacking narrative, the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, the Russian bounties in Afghanistan narrative, and any other evidence-free framing of events that simultaneously advances pre-planned cold war agendas, is politically convenient for the Democratic party and generates clicks and ratings, the narrative that the New York Post publication of Hunter Biden's emails is a R…

_____ (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…

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). 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. …

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

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…