2020-10-31: News Headlines

The Canary (2020-10-31). Key states that could decide the result of the US election. thecanary.co A handful of states will play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the 2020 United States presidential election.These are the "swing states": so called because they will help swing the overall result either way. Most states are not swing states and will not change hands at this election — but safe states alone are not enough to get either Trump or Biden to the White House.Here are eight swing states to watch. All were won by Trump in 2016, but all are being strongly contested at this election by Biden.(PA Graphics)— Florida | This is the most hotly-contested swing state of them all. Florida has…

Fight Back (2020-10-31). The riot in Naples and the choice between health and work. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Italian Marxist- Leninist organization Fronte Popolare. | "Health is first and foremost, but without money no masses are sung": so, we read on one of the many banners laid out during the spontaneous protest marches in Naples in these hours. The contrast between health and work, between physical well-being and economic well-being is a choice that in a real democracy we should not even imagine to make. Yet this is the choice put in front of us, in the South as well as in the North, throughout the all country. While the North — and especially…

_____ (2020-10-31). Radical Neoliberalism Was Born And Will Die In Chile. popularresistance.org A wave of Indigenous peoples supporting the Luis Arce-David Choquehuanca presidential ticket defeated the main right-wing candidate, Carlos Mesa by 20 points, restoring democracy to Bolivia. Just days later around 80% of Chilean voters decided by referendum to re-found their nation with a new constitution. These momentous events represent twin victories for Latin American independence, the rejection of radical neoliberalism, a desire for socio-economic reform, and the insistence on self-determination from the bottom-up.

Refuse Fascism Bay Area (2020-10-31). Saturday 10/31: Handmaids: Stop a Fascist Coup. indybay.org Harvey Milk Plaza, Castro & Market Street, San Francisco…

_____ (2020-10-31). Biden And Trump Agree Far More Than They Disagree. popularresistance.org With the U.S. presidential elections slated for next Tuesday November 3rd, unprecedented numbers of voters have already cast their ballot. Despite a polarized electorate deeply divided on issues from police brutality to COVID-19, for many voters commited to preventing four more years of Trump, the two major candidates prove far more similar than presented in mainstream media. | To shed light on some of these dyanmics in this crucial election for the hemisphere, we spoke with Adrienne Pine, professor of medical anthropology at American University, member of the Embassy Protection Collective, and author of the rece…

Common Cause (2020-10-31). Wednesday 11/4: 2020 Election & Protecting Democracy After We Vote w/ Common Cause. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Andrew Emett (2020-10-31). City Councilman charged with assault and impersonating an officer. nationofchange.org Warren City Councilman Eddie Kabacinski chased down a young woman after she placed three Black Lives Matter stickers on Trump-Pence signs posted along the road.

Center for Popular Democracy (2020-10-31). Wednesday 11/4: After the Vote 2020: National Mobilization Call w/ Center for Popular Democracy. indybay.org Online event…

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-31). No one should insult Holy Prophet in name of democracy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 31 (MNA) — Iranian First Vice President said that no one should insult Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH) under the pretext of freedom of expression and democracy, stating that the West should stop committing violence and insult.

Unitarian Universalist Society of S.F. (2020-10-31). Wednesday 11/4: Action for Justice and Democracy / Protect the Results. indybay.org 1187 Franklin @ Geary St., San Francisco…

Susan Jaffe (2020-10-31). [World Report] US election 2020: the future of the Affordable Care Act. thelancet.com President Donald Trump pledges to replace the Affordable Care Act while his Democratic opponent Joe Biden offers detailed proposals to improve it. Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.

John Feffer (2020-10-31). People to Autocrats: Not So Fast. zcomm.org Authoritarianism has been on the march for years, but people powered revolutions are pushing regimes toward democracy on nearly every continent…

The Lancet (2020-10-31). [Editorial] The US election 2020. thelancet.com 100 years ago, voters in the presidential election of 1920 were weary, trepidatious, and living with the spectre of pandemic and uncertainty. After the carnage of World War 1 and the multiple waves of influenza that enveloped the world between 1918 and 1920 (of the 50 million lives lost, 675‚Äà000 were American), the US economy had sunk into a deep recession as it adjusted to post-wartime production and consumption. Presidential candidate Warren G Harding expounded that "America's present need is not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy".

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-10-30). 'Banking for the People': Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez Unveil Bill to Foster Creation of Public Banks Across US. commondreams.org "It's time for an option that works for the people and not solely privatized profits." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11696263281.jpg

commondreams (2020-10-30). Tlaib, Ocasio-Cortez Introduce Legislation Enabling Creation of Public Banks. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-30). Will Trump Surprise Pollsters and Hostile Media by Defeating Biden? globalresearch.ca The NYT is notably unrelenting in pushing fake news of Russian US election meddling to help Biden defeat Trump. | Despite claiming otherwise, the US intelligence community has no evidence suggesting foreign interference in the US election process this year or …

Leonard C. Goodman (2020-10-30). The Scary Truth is Many Senate Dems Share the Same Corporate Agenda as Amy Coney Barrett. counterpunch.org On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland for the U.S. Supreme Court to succeed Antonin Scalia, who had died one month earlier. But Senate Republicans blocked his nomination on the grounds that it was too close to the presidential election, which was then seven months away. Four and a half years later,

sputniknews (2020-10-30). Glenn Greenwald Leaves The Intercept After Editors Spike Biden Story. sputniknews.com Pulitzer winner Glenn Greenwald founded the Intercept to challenge official narratives and protect editorial freedom. When editors abandoned those principles, spiking a controversial story, he was forced to quit.

Norman Solomon (2020-10-30). Why Noam Chomsky and Daniel Ellsberg Are So Adamant About the Need to Defeat Trump. indybay.org The potential for democratic governance is at stake…

Staff (2020-10-30). "Fighting for Democracy": Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression & Why Georgia Could Go Blue. democracynow.org As the 2020 campaign enters its final days, we go to Georgia, where two Senate seats are up for grabs and both Republican incumbents face stiff opposition. Joe Biden is also spending significant time in the state, which no Democratic presidential candidate has won since 1992. "Georgia is truly in play," says Emory University professor Carol Anderson. "We have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing, registering folks to vote, working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to bring people out to the polls in unprecedented numbers." Anderson is the author of "One Person, No Vote: How Voter S…

Staff (2020-10-30). "Let the People Pick the President": The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College. democracynow.org As Donald Trump and Joe Biden make their final campaign pushes in battleground states that could decide the election, we speak with author and journalist Jesse Wegmen about the case for abolishing the Electoral College system altogether and moving toward a national popular vote for electing the president. Two of the last three presidents — George W. Bush and Donald Trump — came to office after losing the popular vote. "The Framers who met at the Constitutional Convention really had no idea what they were doing when they established how to pick a president," says Wegman, New York Times editorial board…

Global Research News (2020-10-30). Selected Articles: The 'Very, Very Bad Look' of Remdesivir. globalresearch.ca By Whatever the lesser evil outcome of the ruling class owned and controlled exercise of the present moment, we need immediate action on …

Tony Pecinovsky (2020-10-30). New graphic book helps to 'Unrig' our broken election system. peoplesworld.org With the 2020 presidential election just days away, people all across our country are asking a basic, fundamental question: Is our democracy broken? To many, the answer is "yes." They see the rich and powerful, the big corporations and business interests, influencing our society and politics in ways that seem unfair. They know that there …

Azad Essa (2020-10-30). Three Muslim Americans explain why they're voting for Donald Trump. middleeasteye.net Three Muslim Americans explain why they're voting for Donald Trump | After everything he's said and done to Muslims, some still find the president appealing | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 13: 15 | "> | Sajid Tarar addresses Republican National Convention in Cleveland (File/Reuters) | Yes, they exist. | Despite everything he's said and done to Muslims, there are numerous Muslim Americans who…

Rev. William Alberts (2020-10-30). Democracy is Colorful, Not Colorblind. counterpunch.org Many white Americans believe racism is about individual relationships: how they think about and treat individual persons of color. Here racism is individualized and interpersonalized, which obscures its historical, institutional and White-controlled dimensions including its power base. Black friends and acquaintances, no matter how genuine the relationships, may serve to cloud rather than clarify the

Virginia Rodino (2020-10-30). Why I'm Voting Green in 2020. globalresearch.ca Author's note: Kevin and I worked on this article together right before his untimely passing on September 6. I met Kevin during Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign. Throughout the years since, I appreciated seeing his anti-imperialist and eco-socialist arguments strengthen …

WSWS (2020-10-30). Introductory remarks to "What is Left of American Democracy on the Eve of the 2020 Election?" wsws.org These remarks were delivered October 28 to an online forum sponsored by the San Diego State University Department of Political Science.

Jeff Harris (2020-10-30). Nine COVID Facts: A Pandemic of Fearmongering and Ignorance. globalresearch.ca Ever since the alleged pandemic erupted this past March the mainstream media has spewed a non-stop stream of misinformation that appears to be laser focused on generating maximum fear among the citizenry. But the facts and the science simply don't …

Scott Ritter (2020-10-30). Biden Can't Abandon US Oil Industry. thealtworld.com The challenges confronting US democracy in the upcoming presidential election are very real. With a genuine risk of post-election violence, the country's unbroken history of a peaceful transition of power may have run its course. The challenges facing the victor will also be enormous, running a broad gamut of domestic and foreign policy issues that will remain the same regardless of who wins. Energy security will be near the top of this list, given its dual characteristic as a domestic and foreign policy matter, and the critical role it plays in the economic health of both the US and the world. President Donald T…

Sierra Club (2020-10-30). Thursday 10/29: Mobilize to Defend Democracy to GOTV & Protect the Results w/ Sierra Club. indybay.org Online via livestream | (Livestream being hosted from Sierra Club National Headquarters in Oakland, CA)…

_____ (2020-10-30). Can You Smell What the Chinese Are Cooking? strategic-culture.org Less than a week before the game-changing U.S. presidential election, the real heart of the geopolitical and geoeconomic action is virtually invisible to the outside world. | We're talking about the fifth plenum of the 19th Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Central Committee, which started this past Monday in Beijing. | The plenum congregates the 200 members — and another 100 alternate members — of the civilization-state's top decision-making body: the equivalent, in Western liberal democracy terms, of the Chinese Congress. | The outline of what will be the 14th Chinese Five-Year-Plan (2021-2025) will be…

Frank Scott (2020-10-30). Calling this "our Democracy" is like Slaves referring to "our Plantation" dissidentvoice.org While Americans are re-programmed every four years for the most important desperately crucial national emergency election since the last one, which will assure that Wall Street, the Pentagon, Israel and billionaires maintain power and control over everything that matters, most eligible voters will choose neither of the ruling power's candidates and in a sense exercise …

Miles Mogulescu (2020-10-30). There Already Is a Republican Plan for Pre-Existing Conditions: It's Called Obamacare. commondreams.org There is simply no way to protect people with pre-existing conditions, other than an Obamacare/Romneycare approach of subsidized insurance exchanges, or a Medicare For All, everyone in, nobody out approach. That's why it's been impossible for Republicans to propose their own alternative plan to protect pre-existing conditions. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pre-existing_conditions_medicare_for_all_0.jpg

Staff (2020-10-29). "Drop Your Ballot Off": Supreme Court Rulings on Mailed Ballots Sow Doubt on Which Votes Will Count. democracynow.org A record 76 million people have already voted in the U.S. election, but the battle over the counting of mail-in ballots continues, with the Supreme Court issuing rulings on how long after Election Day ballots can be counted in the battleground states of Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. We speak with Mother Jones senior writer Ari Berman, author of "Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America," who says the Supreme Court could yet decide who wins the presidency if a close result leads to legal challenges. "My message to voters in these states and other states is drop your ballot…

Dean Baker (2020-10-29). Red State Governors Still Flunk COVID Testing. counterpunch.org A few weeks back I did a post noting that states governed by Republicans had the highest positive test rates, while the states with the lowest positive rates were mostly governed by Democrats. I argued that positive test rates are a good measure of how serious the governors are in trying to bring the pandemic

Liberation Staff (2020-10-29). PSL statement: Solidarity with the Statue Girl Keepers: Japanese reparations to Korea now! liberationnews.org The Party for Socialism and Liberation sends its unconditional solidarity to the "Statue Girl Keepers" and to the People's Democracy Party of South Corea in their relentless struggle against Japanese imperialism and pro-Japanese right-wing forces in their country.

Julia Kassem (2020-10-29). Trump and Biden: Cold-War Dinosaurs. counterpunch.org If Americans have a modicum of memory, it is clear that baseless, warmongering accusations have time and time again been the precursor for winning consent over upcoming imperialist hostility. Accusing Iraq of harboring "weapons of mass destruction" in 2003, those that care to remember the administration of former President George W. Bush recalled the widespread condemnation from the left over how a lie cost over 1 million lives.

Staff (2020-10-29). Facebook Choked Traffic to Mother Jones & Other Sites While Amplifying Right-Wing Misinformation. democracynow.org Big Tech CEOs were grilled Wednesday about how they moderate election disinformation and extremist content, and were accused by Republicans of censoring conservatives. Overlooked were reports that Facebook designed changes to its news feed algorithm in 2017 to reduce the visibility of left-leaning news sites like Mother Jones. Mother Jones editors wrote in 2019 that the site had seen a sharp decline in its Facebook audience, which translated to a loss of around $600,000 over 18 months. "The fact that we are trying to do everything we can to get the truth out and Facebook is deliberately sabotaging our readership…

Eds. (2020-10-29). Panic over 'Cancel Culture' is another example of right-wing projection. mronline.org The Republican National Convention this year made fighting "cancel culture" a priority for the party. Former Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch wrote in the Wall Street Journal (7/27/20) that cancel culture was at the heart of the crisis facing academic freedom in the nation.

Staff (2020-10-29). Pandemic Poverty: The CARES Act Kept Millions from Going Hungry. Why Won't the Senate Renew It? democracynow.org The massive $2 trillion CARES Act — which sent households one-time payments and boosted unemployment checks with an additional $600 a week through July — helped keep millions afloat, but more than 8 million people have been forced into poverty since the aid ended. "The relief was temporary, and much of it has now expired, so now we're seeing poverty rise again," says Megan Curran, a researcher at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. "We know that families can be protected again, but it does require action at the federal level."

Serria Club (2020-10-29). Thursday 10/29: Mobilze to Defend Democracy to GOTV & Protect the Results w/ Sierra Club. indybay.org Online via livestream | (Livestream being hosted from Sierra Club National Headquarters in Oakland, CA)…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-29). Indonesian protests mark re-emergence of social movements, civil society. peoplesdispatch.org Academic and activist Robertus Robet, talks about the wave of protests in Indonesia against the Omnibus Law, the key role played by the trade unions, and the challenges to democracy in the country…

7 Days to Go (2020-10-29). 3 Day Tex Biden Bus Tour, Wis Hand-In Ballots,11/4/20 Protect Results. indybay.org This last week before Election Day and Beyond are filled with campaign activity to Dump Trump. There is a 3-day Texas Biden Bus Tour, a Wisconsin Hand-In Mail-In Ballots this week campaign, and 11/4/20 Nationwide Protect the Vote Rallies.

Heidi Shierholz (2020-10-29). Let's Be Very Clear: Senate Republicans Have Failed Every Struggling American Family. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/senate_republicans.png

Jennifer C. Berkshire (2020-10-29). The GOP's Education Extremism Is Alienating Moderate Voters. thenation.com The GOP's Education Extremism Is Alienating Moderate Voters…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-29). 'It's Not Just That You're a Crook': Watch Jon Ossoff Eviscerate Sen. Perdue Over Insider Trading, Covid Lies, and Healthcare Attacks. commondreams.org "You're attacking the health of the people that you represent," the Democratic challenger said to Georgia's incumbent GOP senator. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-10-29_at_9.59.28_am.jpg

Jeff Bryant (2020-10-29). Bad Leadership Is Plunging Public Schools Into a Crisis. progressive.org COVID-19 exposed how important teachers are to students and families—it's a shame that school leaders still won't listen to them.

Subodh Varma (2020-10-29). Trump vs Biden: Big businesses pump in big money in costliest ever US Election. peoplesdispatch.org The Center for Responsive Politics estimates that the current election cycle will consume some $11 billion, which is way more than any other US election cycle even after adjusting for inflation…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-28). Colorado's Sen. Bennet: Barrett on High Court good for the exploitative 1%. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Elevation of federal judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court is not just bad news for workers, Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., says. It's good news—and another chapter—in the crusade of the 1% and the corporate/political elite that has schemed to rule the republic, and the rest of us, ever since the U.S. was …

Jasmine Norden (2020-10-28). Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation threatens the future of liberal America. thecanary.co Amy Coney Barrett has been confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, marking a notable shift to the right for the US's ultimate judiciary. | Coney Barrett was Republican senator Susan Collins voted against Coney Barrett's appointment, citing concerns th…

MBNJSD (2020-10-28). Ending regime change—in Bolivia and the world. nationofchange.org The triumph of democracy in Bolivia and the failure of the U.S.'s "regime change" efforts around the world.

A Guest Author (2020-10-28). Ableism and voter suppression: struggles are intertwined. workers.org Kristin Turgeon By Kristin Turgeon This is a lightly edited version of a talk given on the Oct. 22 Workers World Party webinar, "Voter suppression and COVID and their impact on disabled people." Voting has always been a hot topic, and in the 2020 election many people see it as . . . |

Bruce Lerro (2020-10-28). "Dictatorship" and "Democracy" as Loaded Language: Anti-Communist Cold-War Propaganda. dissidentvoice.org ORIENTATION In my last article I showed how the word "totalitarian" was used as a loaded vice word to attack the Soviet Union after World War II and to red-bait communists around the world. The use of the word totalitarian began in the 1930s, but even before then in the 1920's, the word "dictator" began …

Staff (2020-10-28). "A Desire Rooted in Revolt": Chileans Vote Overwhelmingly to Rewrite Pinochet-Era Constitution. democracynow.org We get an update from Chile, where an overwhelming majority have voted to rewrite the country's Pinochet dictatorship-era constitution and tens of thousands poured into the streets to celebrate, just one year after mass protests against social and economic inequalities rocked the country and set it on a path to social reform. Javiera Manzi, a spokesperson for Chile's largest feminist advocacy group, Coordinadora Feminista 8M, says the referendum is the result of people doing what politicians had refused to do for decades. We also speak with journalist Pablo Vivanco, who says Chile's neoliberal model has long been…

Staff (2020-10-28). What do billionaires like Tom Steyer mean for progressive politics and the climate movement? therealnews.com In an interview with Real News Network, climate philanthropist Tom Steyer presents his case on whether Joe Biden's plan on climate change is really progressive and, if elected, whether Biden can get the United States back in the global leadership role on climate issues.

Staff (2020-10-28). Breonna Taylor Grand Jurors Say Police Actions Were "Criminal"; Never Given Chance to Indict Cops. democracynow.org Two members of a Kentucky grand jury convened after the Louisville police killing of Breonna Taylor have spoken on camera for the first time, calling the actions of the Louisville officers responsible for Taylor's death "criminal" and saying the state's Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron never gave them the option to consider murder or manslaughter charges against the police officers involved. "From the very beginning, we have seen a campaign of prevarication, of dishonesty, of outright neglect of any semblance of justice for Breonna Taylor or for her family," responds Marc Lamont Hill, professor of media…

Staff (2020-10-28). Care Not Cops: Marc Lamont Hill Makes Case for Abolition After Philadelphia Police Kill Walter Wallace Jr. democracynow.org Protesters in Philadelphia mark a second night of calling for the abolition of police after two Philadelphia police shot and killed Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old Black man, while he was having a mental health crisis. The shooting reflects decades of defunding of social services, including for mental health, while police departments have continued to grow, says author and activist Marc Lamont Hill, who argues, "If all you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail." Lamont Hill is professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University and author of "We Still Here: Pandemic, Policing, P…

John Bachtell (2020-10-28). Texas voter turnout hotter than any Texas BBQ. peoplesworld.org Across the country, neither the resurgent COVID 19 pandemic nor GOP voter suppression is deterring millions of voters from casting their ballots. Early voter turnout is shattering records (as of this writing, 71 million, or over half of total turnout in 2016, have already voted), and at this pace, the U.S. will experience the highest …

John Stanton (2020-10-28). Liquid Capitalism: Everyone Drinks It, Swims in It, Drowns in It. globalresearch.ca The most radical socialists, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters (Black, White, Latino or Asian), liberal and conservative zealots, diversity and equity gurus, pacifists, denizens of corporates and non-profits, rappers, rockers and country western musicians, Bernie Sanders, racists and White guilt …

Matt Taibbi (2020-10-28). Ten Ways to Call Something "Russian Disinformation" Without Evidence. globalresearch.ca How do you call something "Russian disinformation" when you don't have evidence it is? Let's count the ways. | We don't know a whole lot about how the New York Post story about Hunter Biden got into print. There are some …

Dorian T. Warren (2020-10-28). For Black Americans, Being Voters Is Who We Are. thenation.com For Black Americans, Being Voters Is Who We Are…

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-28). VIDEO: US Trump threatened to assassinate his rival Joe Biden. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 28 (MNA) — At a presidential campaign held in Michigan, US President Trump claimed that Joe Biden might be in power for just three weeks if he became president and would be assassinated and replaced by his deputy, Kamala Harris.

The Lighthouse Collective, Santa Cruz (2020-10-28). Tuesday 11/3: Take the Defend Democracy Pledge. indybay.org Online Event | forms.gle/NjYGeh395c224d9C6

sputniknews (2020-10-28). Biden in Hiding After Bobulinski Bombshells. sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, including rioting & looting in Philadelphia, the LA Dodgers' winning the 2020 World Series, stocks plunging 900 points, and Patrisse Cullors signing a five-project animation deal with Warner Bros.

Brett Wilkins (2020-10-28). Michigan judge accused of jeopardizing safety and democracy with reversal of open carry ban at polling places. nationofchange.org "There are voters who are afraid, there are election workers who are afraid."

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-28). In 'Extraordinary Step,' International Crisis Group Issues Report Warning of US Election Violence. commondreams.org The report serves as "a testament to the erosion of U.S. democracy and the persistence of minority rule, of which the current presidency is a malignant symptom," wrote one observer. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1228364682_1.jpg

Goran Sumkoski (2020-10-28). US Policy to Encounter Another Strategic Defeat in Macedonia? globalresearch.ca The U.S. supported tarnishing of democracy is only causing a re-birth of sovereignty and freedom movement in Macedonia. | Not standing for democracy, rule of law and human rights, the United States can no longer claim the moral high ground it …

WSWS (2020-10-28). What is Left of American Democracy on the Eve of the 2020 Elections? wsws.org The event, hosted by San Diego State University's Department of Political Science, is taking place Wednesday, October 28 at 7: 00 pm Eastern, 4: 00 pm Pacific.

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-10-28). 'Stuff of Tinpot Dictatorships': Trump Appointee Denounced for Move to Turn US Media Agency Into Mouthpiece for State 'Propaganda'. commondreams.org "Trump stooge Michael Pack is eliminating the legally required editorial independence of U.S.-funded news outlets abroad so they can act like Trump's Ministry of Propaganda," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/voa.jpg

Editor (2020-10-28). Grassroots Activists Tackle Public Safety in Minneapolis. scheerpost.com By Eric Ortiz / Reposted with permission from TheWedge.org Grassroots democracy is not easy. The work is rooted in community and empowers people to take leadership into their own communities. It requires passion, commitment and courage. And sometimes, it can get messy. That's what happens when there are big problems to solve. Here in Minneapolis, we have some pressing issues. Crime is up. |

commondreams (2020-10-28). Sanders, Klobuchar Issue Statement Correcting Misinformation from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh on Voting Processes. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Charles Stevenson (2020-10-28). Switzerland's Failing Democracy. counterpunch.org Last September, the Bundesplatz in Bern, over which sit the Swiss federal executive and legislative bodies, played host to the largest acts of peaceful civil disobedience in the country's history. Several hundred environmental activists were arrested after calling on the government to take the necessary action for Switzerland to fulfill its pledges in respect to