(2020-07-30). Chomsky on Cuba's "Internationalist" Response to Pandemic & Need to Make Vaccine Globally Accessible. democracynow.org 
As the world races to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, Noam Chomsky says any successful treatment must be accessible to everyone, and he warns that President Trump's withdrawal from the World Health Organization will hamper the international body's efforts to distribute medicine in countries racked by poverty and war. "There's at least one country in the world that is showing genuine internationalism, providing medical aid and support for people that need it," Chomsky says, and that is Cuba.
(2020-07-30). Headlines for July 30, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 150,000 as Public Health Experts Call for "Reset" in Response, GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert Tests Positive for Coronavirus After Refusing to Wear Mask in Capitol, Brazil Records Record Daily Coronavirus Toll as Deaths Top 90,000, Mexico's Health Ministry Recommends Masks But Won't Require Them, Vietnam Reports First Coronavirus Cases in Months; Just 1,000 Pilgrims Join Hajj in Mecca, Oregon Governor Says Federal Agents Will Withdraw From Portland Amid Protests, Lawmakers Grill Big Tech CEOs Over Anticompetitive Practices, Extended Jobless Benefits Expiring as Lawmakers Fail to Break Stalem…
(2020-07-30). Chomsky on Israel's Hindering of Palestinian Pandemic Response & Threat to Annex Occupied West Bank. democracynow.org 
Noam Chomsky says Israel's planned annexation of the occupied West Bank "basically formalizes" what has already been official policy over the last half-century, from both left-wing and right-wing parties in Israel. He compares Israel's treatment of Palestinians to anti-immigrant policies in the United States, and says the main goal of annexation is to take over as much territory while excluding its Palestinian inhabitants. "Israel does not want to bring Palestinian populations into the greater Israel they're constructing."
(2020-07-30). Noam Chomsky: Decades of "the Neoliberal Plague" Left U.S. Unprepared for COVID-19 Outbreak. democracynow.org 
As the U.S. coronavirus death toll tops 150,000, we spend the hour with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky, who says decades of neoliberal policies that shredded the social safety net and public institutions left the country ill-prepared for a major health crisis. "We should understand the roots of this pandemic," he says.
(2020-07-30). Ilhan Omar roasted for idea to replace police at schools with mental care workers; What if there's a shooting? people online ask. rt.com 
US Democratic Party Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was blasted on Twitter for proposing that police officers be swapped with mental health staff at schools. Many argued online that the idea would make the schools even less safe. | Omar tweeted that "over-policing doesn't make them safer — it criminalizes Black and brown students." Along with fellow Representative Ayanna Pressley, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Murphy, she proposed a bill to replace police officers at schools with mental health professionals. | Over-policing our schools doesn't make them safer — it criminalizes Black and brown student…
(2020-07-30). California childcare workers score biggest union win of the century. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES—By an overwhelming margin, and after a 17-year campaign that started with lobbying and ended with successful organizing, AFSCME and the Service Employees scored a joint big win in California, winning recognition to represent at least 40,000 state-employed child care workers there. Presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden immediately congratulated the workers on their …
(2020-07-30). Michigan gov. limits indoor gatherings to 10 people & restricts bars' operations to 'avoid a potentially devastating 2nd wave'. rt.com 
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed an order making it illegal for more than 10 people to gather indoors and allowing bars to service customers only outdoors, citing a major spike in coronavirus cases. | The Democratic governor announced the new restrictions in a "After seeing a resurgence in cases connected to social gathering…
(2020-07-30). Corporate press promotes Susan Rice as Biden running mate. wsws.org The former Obama national security advisor is identified with illegal wars, drone missile assassinations and an aggressive posture towards both Russia and China.
(2020-07-30). Before Portland, Trump's Shock Troops Went After Border Activists. zcomm.org The purported threat of antifa was long used to justify militarized targeting of immigration activists. Now it's being used against protesters in Portland…
(2020-07-30). [Research Paper] Risk factors for developing into critical COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China: A multicenter, retrospective, cohort study. thelancet.com We provide comprehensive front-line information about different severity of COVID-19 and insights into different risk factors associated with critical COVID-19 between sexes. These results highlight the significance of dividing risk factors between sexes in clinical and epidemiologic works of COVID-19, and perhaps other coronavirus appearing in future.
(2020-07-30). Why the Best Thing Twitter, Facebook Can Do is Cash In on the Trump-Biden Political Strife. sputniknews.com Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter's Jack Dorsey have found themselves between a rock and a hard place as the Republican and Democratic camps exert pressure on social media platforms. US observers discuss whether the tech giants will submit.
(2020-07-30). Lawmakers Warn New USPS Loan Terms "Could Accelerate Demise of Postal Service" truthout.org Leading congressional Democrats are warning that an emergency loan agreement
(2020-07-30). CIA Fabricated Russiagate 'Evidence', Says Former NSA Tech Chief. strategic-culture.org Bill Binney has now laid out, in this speech, the evidence that he wants to present in court against Barack Obama's CIA, that it defrauded Americans to believe in "Russiagate" (the allegation that Russia 'hacked' the computers of Hillary Clinton and Democratic Party officials and fed that information to Wikileaks and other organizations). Binney cites evidence, which, if true, conclusively proves that Russiagate was actually created fraudulently by the CIA's extensive evidence-tampering, which subsequently became covered-up by the Special Counsel Robert Mueller, in his investigations for the Democratic Party's fi…
(2020-07-29). Just Like With Healthcare, Democrats Offer Half-Hearted Measures to Impending Eviction Crisis. mintpressnews.com The federal moratorium on evictions expired this week, leaving 12 million renters at risk of losing their homes, and much as they did with healthcare, Democrats are offering little more than token non-solutions.
(2020-07-29). Democrats Offer Half-Hearted Measures to Impending Eviction Crisis. thealtworld.com The federal moratorium on evictions expired this week, leaving 12 million renters at risk of losing their homes, and much as they did with healthcare, Democrats are offering little more than token non-solutions. | MPN- The best defense against a raging pandemic that has already claimed over 152,000 American lives is simply to stay home. But even this could soon become impossible for millions, as the United States is facing an impending eviction crisis of "biblical proportions,"
(2020-07-29). AG Bill Barr Grilled by House Lawmakers on Protest Crackdown, Voter Suppression & Pandemic Failures. democracynow.org 
We play highlights from Attorney General William Barr's grilling by the House Judiciary Committee over how he sent militarized federal forces to confront Black Lives Matter protesters, and his opposition to voting by mail, and get response from a close friend of Congressmember John Lewis who is now running for Senate. "In spite of the machinations of Donald Trump and those who do his bidding, including the attorney general, the good news is that we're seeing a multiracial coalition of people pouring out into American streets," responds Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, "saying that we're concerned about the soul of our d…
(2020-07-29). Rev. Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church on Legacy of John Lewis & Ongoing Fight for Voting Rights. democracynow.org 
We look at the life and legacy of late civil rights icon and Georgia Congressmember John Lewis, who is being mourned across the U.S. and who became the first Black politician to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. "The irony of this moment is that even as we celebrate and honor John Lewis, the patron saint of voting rights, he hailed from the state which in many instances is ground zero for voter suppression," says Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, who serves as senior pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, was with Lewis in the final days of his life and will preside over his memorial service. "In recen…
(2020-07-29). Headlines for July 29, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Records Highest One-Day Coronavirus Death Toll Since May, Trump Retweets Doctor Who Warned of Sex with Demons and "Alien DNA", Twitter Suspends Donald Trump Jr. for Spreading COVID-19 Misinformation, Progressives Say GOP Coronavirus Bill Would Bring "Mass Poverty and Mass Hunger", Teachers' Union Prepared to Strike If Schools Aren't Made Safe from Coronavirus, World Health Organization Warns Summer Weather Isn't Slowing Coronavirus, Argentina Reports Record COVID-19 Death Toll as Guatemala Reopens Economy, Attorney General Barr Grilled over Police Violence Against Peaceful Protesters, Portland Demonstrators…
(2020-07-29). Civil Rights Icon Bernard Lafayette on His Friend John Lewis, Freedom Rides & Practicing Nonviolence. democracynow.org 
We revisit civil rights leader and Congressmember John Lewis's early years of activism with Bernard Lafayette, one of Lewis's closest friends and collaborators. Lafayette participated with Lewis in the first Freedom Rides of 1961 as they attempted to integrate buses and faced brutal beatings by white mobs, and was a fellow leader in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Lewis "knew how to relate to people who were different from him and who had different orientations, different values, different philosophies, and that's why he was such a great leader," Lafayette says. "He found a way to make a way."
(2020-07-29). Crash the Economy, Burn the Cities, Infect the People: The Destabilization Plan to "Remake America" globalresearch.ca The American people are under attack, the country is under attack, and democracy is under attack. At present, the enemy is conducting a three-pronged assault on the presidency the objective of which is to remove the existing administration and install …
(2020-07-29). CPUSA co-chair Rossana Cambron sees potential for transformative moment in history. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES — As Rossana Cambron contemplates the multiple crises and threats to democracy facing the nation, the Communist Party USA co-chair is gripped with urgency. But she also sees much to be excited about and the potential for a transformative moment. "All these social and democratic movements are coming together, there's a deeper understanding …
(2020-07-29). 'Do not hold grudges' & 'great respect': Biden's handwritten notes on Senator Kamala Harris fuel speculation on VP pick. rt.com 
Notes by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have added weight to rumors that Senator Kamala Harris will be his running mate. Despite clashing during the debates, there seems to be no bad blood between the pair. | Biden's handwritten notes were photographed during his campaign speech in Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday. They contained Harris' name, along with a set of five talking points: "Do not hold grudges," "Talented," "Great help to campaign," "Great respect for her," and "Campaign with me and Jill (Biden's wife)." | The phrase about grudges is likely a reference to a memorable clash the…
(2020-07-29). Twitter discovers 'Settle for Biden' campaign to lure in Sanders & Warren supporters — and can't tell if it's a joke. rt.com 
The revelation of a campaign that seeks to persuade leftist Americans to park their progressive reservations about Joe Biden and vote for him in an all-out bid to block Donald Trump's reelection has perplexed many Dems online. | The campaign called
(2020-07-29). Barr directs agencies to 'significantly increase resources' in Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee to combat uptick in violent crime. rt.com 
After a tense congressional hearing where Democrats excoriated the US Attorney General for deploying federal agents to cities like Portland, Bill Barr announced an expansion of a program to tackle rising violent crime in the US. | The FBI, US Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have all been directed to "significantly increase resources" in Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee — three cities newly added as part of an expansion of Operation Legend, which launched on July 8. | Operation Legend — named after four-year-old Le…
(2020-07-29). Zuckerberg admits Facebook suppresses 'hate speech' BEFORE it's seen by anyone. rt.com 
Facebook censors almost 90 percent of 'hate speech' before it's allowed to circulate, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Congress at Wednesday's Big Tech hearing, responding to pressure from Democrats to submit to the advertiser boycott. | "We're able to proactively identify 89 percent of the hate speech that we take down before, I think, it's even seen by other people," Zuckerberg told the Antitrust Subcommittee of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday. | The statement was in response to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) pressuring Facebook to "join the civil rights movement" by submitting to the demands of the Sto…
(2020-07-29). Dem rep equates Portland riot with anti-lockdown protest, attacks Barr for not sending feds to 'deal' with 'right-wing extremists'. rt.com 
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) has compared armed anti-lockdown protesters in Michigan, an open-carry state, to vandals and rioters in Portland, as she unleashed a tirade on AG Bill Barr for treating the groups differently. | Barr was accused of plenty by Democrats during Tuesday's hearing, from politicizing the Justice Department to being "unAmerican" for deploying federal officers to violent protests in Portland, Oregon. However, Jayapal went a step further and questioned the way the attorney general responds to protests involving black citizens and those involving white ones, while comparing and contra…
(2020-07-29). Police quit agreements to provide security at DNC convention over tear gas & pepper spray ban as mass protests are feared — report. rt.com 
Democrats who have been clamoring to defund police and "reimagine" the force may soon get a small taste of what they're asking for, after scores of law enforcement agencies reportedly refused to protect their convention. | At least 100 law enforcement agencies around Wisconsin are reportedly canceling agreements to help provide security at next month's Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee, raising concerns over whether forces will be adequate to deal with potential protests. | At issue is a new policy banning Milwaukee police from using tear gas or pepper spray during protests, which was ordered last we…
(2020-07-29). GOP Functioning as 'Mouthpiece of Business' Amid US' Dangerous Push for Jobs, School Openings. sputniknews.com Professor Richard Wolff of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, tells Sputnik that despite the US being far from containing the spread of COVID-19, the struggles of the nation's economy and business sectors appear to be more of a concern for Republicans in Congress than the health and well-being of their actual constituents.
(2020-07-29). Imperialist Economic War Costs US Almost $200 Billion. popularresistance.org Quantifying each and every one of the effects of the war that imperialism has declared on the Venezuelan people is impossible. The attacks that Venezuelans have experienced since 1999 have not only been economic, they have also been psychological. There is no way to measure the consequences of the hatred that the undemocratic opposition has sown with its anti-socialist propaganda, to the point of burning people alive if they are suspected Chavistas. The resentment that the Venezuelan people have towards those who claim to be Venezuelans, but who have sold out their homeland, is also unmeasurable. | That said, foc…
(2020-07-29). Communities Deserve Better Than Bayonets and Grenade Launchers: The Defense 1033 Program Must End Now. aclu.org Police
(2020-07-29). Democratic Leaders Have Blocked Real Healthcare Reform for Decades. Time to Give 'Em Hell. zcomm.org Single payer doesn't just cut costs by eliminating the waste caused by a multiplicity of for-profit insurers — but also because the purchasing power of a federal plan can rein in pharmaceutical and other exploding costs.
(2020-07-29). Attorney General Barr aggressively defends violent attacks on protesters in Portland. wsws.org The White House remains the cockpit of a conspiracy to destroy democratic rights and establish authoritarian rule in the United States.
(2020-07-29). Six arrested at banned Australian protest against police violence. wsws.org COVID-19 public health orders were used to suppress the demonstration in a blatant attack on democratic rights.
(2020-07-29). French state sues mayor for linking police repression to pro-Nazi Vichy regime. wsws.org The lawsuit against Colombes Mayor Patrick Chaimovitch tramples on historical truth and basic democratic rights.
(2020-07-29). The White Black Nationalist Color Revolution. dissidentvoice.org So, the White Black Nationalist Color Revolution ("made possible in part by GloboCap") appears to be going extremely well. According to Foreign Policy magazine, the Trump regime is clinging to power, but it's only a matter of time until the identitarian moderate rebels drive the Putin-backed fascists out of office and restore democracy to the …
(2020-07-29). Killing Democracy in America. counterpunch.org The phrase "thinking about the unthinkable" has always been associated with the unthinkable cataclysm of a nuclear war, and rightly so. Lately, though, I've been pondering another kind of unthinkable scenario, nearly as nightmarish (at least for a democracy) as a thermonuclear Armageddon, but one that's been rolling out in far slower motion: that America's
(2020-07-29). New GOP Stimulus Bill Shows They Are Perfectly Happy to Watch You Die. zcomm.org We are being led by the worst people at the worst possible time, and the Republican reaction to this stimulus package debate is exactly the kind of thinking that will leave this nation a bowl of ashes far sooner than we think…
(2020-07-29). Workers Need the Right to Sue. progressive.org Republicans want to give corporate CEOs a five-year "get out of jail free card" for jeopardizing the health and safety of their workers while threatening the overall economic recovery.
(2020-07-29). A clinical pilot study on the safety and efficacy of aerosol inhalation treatment of IFN-κ plus TFF2 in patients with moderate COVID-19. thelancet.com Aerosol inhalation of IFN-κ plus TFF2 is a safe treatment and is likely to significantly facilitate clinical improvement, including cough relief, CT imaging improvement, and viral RNA reversion, thereby achieves an early release from hospitalization. These data support to explore a scale-up trial with IFN-κ plus TFF2.
(2020-07-29). Preparing For A November Surprise. popularresistance.org Nationwide protests against police brutality following George Floyd's murder are the broadest and most persistent in US history. They have laid bare the racism that pervades American society—and demonstrated the willingness of Americans to take to the streets and resist oppression, even in the midst of a pandemic. Americans must continue demanding an end to white supremacy and follow the lead of Black organizers to galvanize a similar flexing of civic muscle to help ensure democratic continuity come November. With elections four months away and the rule of law under steady attack, people power could prove d…
(2020-07-29). Ethiopia, Rwanda, DRC leaders on eminent Africans list. yenisafak.com Ethiopia's prime minister and the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been named among the 100 Most Reputable Africans.Abiy Ahmed, Paul Kagame, and Felix Tshisekedi were joined by Kenyan minister Amina Mohamed on the list released by Reputation Poll International, a reputation management consultancy firm.The list features 47 women and 53 men from diverse sectors, including leadership, entertainment, advocacy, education, and business.They were selected on the criteria of integrity, visibility, and impact, according to a statement.Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization's director for…
(2020-07-29). AG Barr Vows to Leave Office if US Presidential Election Results 'Clear'. sputniknews.com Incumbent US President Donald Trump is expected to face presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the 3 November elections. As polls show Biden in the lead in several states, Trump is claiming that the elections might be rigged, particularly through the use of mail ballots.
(2020-07-29). Will GOP Distance Itself From Trump to Save Congressional Seats as President's Poll Numbers Slide? sputniknews.com As the November election day nears speculations are swirling about Donald Trump's plummeting poll numbers which threaten to ruin the Republican Party's bid to keep control of the US Congress. Political scientists have discussed whether the GOP is really breaking ranks with the president and who might be Trump's most likely successor in the party.
(2020-07-29). Anti-Government Propaganda Is a Republican Ploy Meant to Disarm Progressives. truthout.org Social justice activists win myriad campaigns on specific issues each year, but when we step back, it still looks like we're losing the broader struggle for a livable future. | Despite our best efforts, we still face unprecedented concentrations of wealth and power, expanding economic insecurity (the "gig" economy), environmental catastrophe and systemic racism. | Why have progressives failed to mobilize a force capable of governing the U.S.? | Recently, I found a compelling explanation [mdas…
(2020-07-29). Congressman Who Refused to Wear Mask Tests Positive for COVID, Blames Masks. truthout.org Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Republican from Texas who frequently refuses to wear masks or facial coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19, tested positive for the disease on Wednesday. | Gohmert was screened for COVID-19
(2020-07-29). Bill Barr Grilled by House Lawmakers on Protest Crackdown and Voter Suppression. truthout.org We play highlights from Attorney General William Barr's grilling by the House Judiciary Committee over how he sent militarized federal forces to confront Black Lives Matter protesters, and his opposition to voting by mail, and get response from a close friend of Congressmember John Lewis who is now running for Senate. "In spite of the machinations of Donald Trump and those who do his bidding, including the attorney general, the good news is that we're seeing a multiracial coalition of people…
(2020-07-29). Citing Fears of a Defeated Trump Who Won't Go Willingly, Warren Calls on Cabinet Officials to End Deployment of Federal Agents Against Protests. commondreams.org "This is an urgent matter for American democracy and for the safety of Americans peacefully protesting in their communities." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/warren_18.jpg …
(2020-07-29). Texas Republican Louis Gohmert Becomes Latest Anti-Mask Lawmaker to Test Positive for Covid-19. commondreams.org The GOP lawmaker was quickly accused of exposing "every single person in yesterday's hearing." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gohmert_covid19.jpg …
(2020-07-29). "Police Shouldn't Be in Schools": Omar, Pressley, Warren, and Murphy Introduce Bill to End Federal Funding for Officers on Campus. commondreams.org "Schools should be places of learning, not law enforcement." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/kids_6.jpg …
(2020-07-28). China, Militarism and Bipartisan Games. globalresearch.ca Trump militarized Portland last week and then threatened to send federal police and military forces to Chicago and other Democrat Party-led cities. Then Democrats squealed in opposition. But it's phony. Both political parties are playing a cynical game designed to …
(2020-07-28). The 277 Policies for Which Biden Need Not Ask Permission. cepr.net The American Prospect See article on original site On July 8, the Joe Biden campaign published the results of its unity task forces with the former Bernie Sanders campaign in a 110-page document of policy recommendations. Though Biden has not committed to enacting the policies recommended by the task forces, they represent the clearest consensus …
(2020-07-28). No Paper Trail: Migrant Children Secretly Held in Hampton Inn Hotels Before Expulsion from U.S. democracynow.org 
Under a shocking new Trump administration policy, hundreds of people who came to the United States seeking asylum were secretly held in hotels for days on end before being expelled from the country, often with little or no paper trail. This includes more than 200 unaccompanied immigrant children — including babies and toddlers — who were taken to hotels near the Texas-Mexico border by a private contractor for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "The Trump administration has been just basically expelling them without due process and without any paper trail," says Zenén Jaimes Pérez, advocacy director…
(2020-07-28). Who Profits & Where Is the Transparency in Trump Admin's $6 Billion Vaccine Program? democracynow.org 
As researchers around the world race to find a vaccine for COVID-19, we speak with Peter Maybarduk, director of Public Citizen's Access to Medicines Program, about who is profiting from government efforts to fund vaccines, testing and treatment. The Trump administration has announced major contracts with pharmaceutical companies as part of its $6 billion program, Operation Warp Speed, including with firms that have never brought a vaccine to market. Meanwhile, a New York Times investigation shows corporate insiders from at least 11 companies working on coronavirus research have sold shares worth more than $1 bill…
(2020-07-28). Headlines for July 28, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Republicans Unveil Plan to Slash Unemployment Benefits as Pandemic Rages, Moderna Late Stage Vaccine Trial Starts, as Trump's NSA Tests Positive for Coronavirus, WHO: COVID-19 "Most Severe Global Health Emergency" as Global Death Toll Tops 654,000, AG Barr and National Guardsman to Testify Before Congress with Battling Narratives, John Lewis Lies in State in Capitol Rotunda as He Is Honored by Fellow Lawmakers, 100s of DNC Delegates to Oppose a Party Platform Without Medicare for All, DNC Members Vote to Support Israel's Illegal Annexation of West Bank, "Free Them All!": Immigrant Rights Activists Chain Th…
(2020-07-28). A Vaccine by November? Science Journalist in Vaccine Trial Casts Doubt on Rosy U.S. Projections. democracynow.org 
With 30,000 people taking part in the first major COVID-19 vaccine study in the United States, hopes are high that the collaboration between drugmaker Moderna and the National Institutes of Health will yield positive results as early as November. Researchers around the world are working on more than 165 vaccine candidates, though only a handful are conducting large-scale human trials. We speak with BBC science journalist Richard Fisher, who took part in the vaccine trial run by Oxford University that is among the most promising. "It was both a personal decision and a journalistic one," Fisher says of his decision…
(2020-07-28). U.S.-Supported Coup in Bolivia Continues to Produce Repression and Tyranny. zcomm.org The U.S.-supported military coup in Bolivia has largely disappeared from western news outlets ever since the November 2019 massacres of pro-democracy protesters by the right-wing faction that seized power…
(2020-07-28). Even If Biden Wins in a Blowout, the Economy Still Isn't Coming Back. counterpunch.org 
COVID-19 has not only presented the global economy with its greatest public health challenge in over a century, but also likely killed off the notion of America's "unipolar moment" for good. That doesn't mean full-on autarky or isolationism but, rather, enlightened selfishness, which allows for some limited cooperation. Donald Trump's ongoing threats to impose additional
(2020-07-28). House panel grills Barr on sending Trump's troops to cities. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Trump regime Attorney General William Barr faced tough grilling July 28 from congressional Democrats who hate the GOP president's schemes to send troops to the nation's cities. And Barr also must contend with an eyewitness to Trump's first deployment, in Washington's Lafayette Square. Army National Guard Major William DeMarco flatly testified Barr ordered U.S. Park …
(2020-07-28). Slavery — "a necessary evil" ? mronline.org 
Arkansas Republican senator Tom Cotton, widely seen as a possible presidential candidate in 2024, aims to prohibit use of federal funds to teach the 1619 Project, an initiative that reframes U.S. history around August 1619 and the arrival of slave ships on American shores for the first time.
(2020-07-28). Michael Meeropol: This Is How It Starts. mronline.org 
Early in the campaign for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination, I stated that I believed Donald Trump was a fascist.
(2020-07-28). The Heat: U.S. presidential election countdown. america.cgtn.com 
With fewer than a hundred days to go before Americans head to the voting booths in November, President Donald Trump faces an uphill battle to win reelection. A number of polls give former Vice President Joe Biden the lead nationally, especially in key battleground states. …
(2020-07-28). Spoiler alert? Politico QUOTES Biden declaring Kamala Harris as his VP pick on August 1, kicking off rumor frenzy online. rt.com 
The internet rumor mill was sent into overdrive after Politico published, and then swiftly deleted, a story announcing Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate, prompting speculation the outlet was privy to an insider leak. | For a brief time on Tuesday, a "In his announcemen…
(2020-07-28). GOP 'Covid-19 relief' bill sets aside $7bn on weapons, including F-35 FIGHTER JETS — Sanders calls it 'dead on arrival'. rt.com 
The coronavirus relief proposal released by Republican lawmakers seeks to inject $7 billion into tools presumably essential for fighting the virus… such as the Pentagon's favorite money sink, the F-35 stealth fighter program. | Democrats have been adamantly opposed to the GOP coronavirus relief package right from the onset, and to the surprise of no one, given the current ultra-partisan climate. But the bill, which was made public on Monday, really brings out the Republican party's generosity towards defense contractors. Of the $1 trillion financial injection, $29 billion is supposed to go to defense spendin…
(2020-07-28). Dems, media allies cry foul after GOP leader 'hijacks' Barr hearing with video showing violent side of protests. rt.com 
A US House hearing meant by Democrats to excoriate Attorney General William Barr got off to a rocky start Monday as ranking Republican Jim Jordan showed a video montage of violent protests raging across the country. | The video began with clips of more than a dozen media outlets and Democrat leaders describing the wave of anti-racism demonstrations as "peaceful protests," followed by the widow of retired St Louis police captain David Dorn speaking about the murder of her husband by a looter on June 2. Video of rioting, looting and arson then begins to play with the widow's speech continuing. | Immediately a…
(2020-07-28). Growing demands that Sri Lankan defence secretary end the military harassment of SEP candidates. wsws.org Workers, educators and professionals speak out against the attacks on the democratic rights of Socialist Equality Party candidates in Jaffna.
(2020-07-28). Biden Surges in the Polls But Trump Doubles Down on the Economy to Stop Him. counterpunch.org A mid-July Washington Post-ABC News poll found that Biden leads Trump by double digits. It was conducted by telephone among a random national sample of 1,006 adults, with 75 percent reached on cell phones and 25 percent on landlines. Results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. In sum, Biden leads Trump
(2020-07-28). Why Biden May Follow Through on a Bolder Agenda. thenation.com Why Biden May Follow Through on a Bolder Agenda…
(2020-07-28). Dump Trump then Combat Biden. zcomm.org The U.S. presidential election has so far involved and will undoubtedly continue to involve a clash over voting strategy for the left…
(2020-07-28). Senator Booker Introduces Line Speed Bill to Protect Meatpacking Workers. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-07-28). Human rights report details 'heartbreaking' accounts of women detained in DPRK. news.un.org Women forcibly returned to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) are subjected to torture, ill treatment, sexual abuse, and other violations, according to a report published on Tuesday by the UN Human Rights office.
(2020-07-28). Ethiopia's volatile path to democracy. nationofchange.org Political parties aligned along ethnic lines intensifies existing divisions; political groups need to evolve that are free from any specific ethnic association.
(2020-07-28). Trump, Republicans demand $400-a-week cut for the unemployed. wsws.org The savage class war proposal is the start of "negotiations" with the Democrats in which the outcome is already assured: a severe reduction in working class living standards in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-07-28). The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and Dietary Quality Among Children in the US School Lunch Program. jamanetwork.com This national survey study assesses the dietary quality of lunch for students participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) before and after implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which, in 2012, aligned school lunch nutrition standards with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
(2020-07-28). Republicans propose $400 a week cut from unemployment benefits. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – After months of delay and weeks of infighting, on Monday, July 27 the Trump administration and the Republican Senate put forward their proposal for more economic relief from the pandemic and recession. With the $600 a week in additional benefits expiring, the Republicans want to cut this by $400 a week, down to $200. With the national unemployment benefit averaging about $350 a week, this would mean a more than 40% cut in their benefits. | To make matters worse, it will hit the unemployed who have low-paying jobs the hardest. For example, a full-time worker in a small business that earns the minimu…
(2020-07-28). Killing Democracy In The United States. popularresistance.org I fear that it either can't or won't end because, as Martin Luther King, Jr., pointed out in 1967 during the Vietnam War, the United States remains the world's greatest purveyor of violence — and nothing in this century, the one he didn't live to see, has faintly proved him wrong. Considered another way, Washington should be classified as the planet's most committed arsonist, regularly setting or fanning the flames of fires globally from Libya to Iraq, Somalia to Afghanistan, Syria to — dare I say it — in some quite imaginable future Iran, even as our leaders invariably boast of having the world's greatest fir…
(2020-07-28). US — China Conflict Puts Allies In Crossfire. popularresistance.org US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is calling for "an alliance of democracies" to confront China. It amounts to a new Cold War in which nations are being forced to side either with Washington or Beijing. | It's a classic tyrannical power-play by Washington. Such polarized demarcation of the planet as designated by Washington is impossible in a global economy which is highly integrated, from consumer and financial markets to supply chains. | A news report this week once again underscores how even the American military is reliant on China for supplies of rare earth metals used in its weapon systems. | Indeed, the en…
(2020-07-28). Venezuela Moves Toward Elections: US Seeks To Undermine Them. popularresistance.org Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) has kickstarted proceedings for the upcoming December 6 National Assembly (AN) elections. A number of events have taken place in recent weeks that appear to open the way for a path out of the current political crisis and towards new conditions of stability in the country. | The roadmap has several democratic and electoral elements, which dovetail with decrees handed down by state institutions. | The government's strategy is, in broad strokes, to create a new democratic framework on the basis of several recent developments that we will examine. | While this roadmap is r…
(2020-07-28). Nukes guarantee N. Korea's safety, future: Kim Jong-un. yenisafak.com North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has said the country's nuclear capabilities will permanently guarantee its "national security and future," according to media reports on Tuesday.His remarks came at an event in the capital Pyongyang on Monday night to mark the 67th anniversary of the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.They were a clear signal that North Korea has no intention of giving up its nuclear weapons and views them as an essential means of deterrence."Thanks to our reliable and effective self-defense war deterrence, there will no longer be war on this land and our na…
(2020-07-28). Joe Biden Says Will Announce 2020 Running Mate as Soon as Next Week. sputniknews.com In March, the presumptive US Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, declared that he would pick a woman as his running mate for the US 2020 election, adding that "there are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow".
(2020-07-28). 'Still Sh**': Former Sanders' Campaign Chair Shares Strong Opinion on Voting For Trump, Biden. sputniknews.com In the upcoming November US presidential elections, incumbent President Donald Trump will face Democratic presumptive nominee Joe Biden, who, according to some recent polls, is leading by seven points in the key swing state of North Carolina.
(2020-07-28). GOP Stimulus Bill Shows McConnell and Trump Are Perfectly Happy to Watch You Die. truthout.org Let us now turn our primers to the chapter titled, "Stuff That Should Have Happened Months Ago But Didn't Because Mitch McConnell Said 'No.'" | Two months and tens of thousands of corpses ago, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (
(2020-07-27). Sen. Warren Demands Eviction Moratorium as New Reporting Sheds Light on Nation's Stark Housing Inequality. commondreams.org "This pandemic is deepening our country's already historic levels of inequality." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cancelrent.jpg …
(2020-07-27). Seattle & Portland Activists: Protest Federal and City Police Crackdowns & Keep Focus on BLM Agenda. democracynow.org 
As nationwide protests against systemic racism and police violence stretch into their second month, President Trump has sent a team of federal agents to Seattle, following a controversial deployment of federal forces in Portland, Oregon. "We don't know exactly what the federal officers are doing. What we do know is we are in a situation where local police are welcoming those federal agents into our city," says Seattle community organizer Nikkita Oliver, co-executive director of Creative Justice. We also speak with Pastor E.D. Mondainé, president of the Portland, Oregon, branch of the NAACP.
(2020-07-27). Make America White Again: Eddie Glaude on Trump and What James Baldwin Still Has to Teach Us. democracynow.org 
Amid a nationwide reckoning with systemic racism, we speak with Princeton African American studies professor Eddie Glaude, whose new book on James Baldwin offers lessons from the iconic writer for the present. Baldwin, says Glaude, insisted that "we put aside the myths and illusions and understand what white supremacy has done in terms of disfiguring and distorting the character of this nation." The book is titled "Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own."
(2020-07-27). "Don't Simply Yoke Him to Dr. King": Eddie Glaude on How Radical Student Activism Shaped John Lewis. democracynow.org 
Memorials for John Lewis, the civil rights icon and 17-term congressmember, are highlighting the bravery he and others showed in the face of police violence as they fought for the right to vote. We highlight the radical early years of Lewis, when he was chairperson of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. His political upbringing as a youth and student organizer and "the movement that he came out of" can't be ignored, says Princeton professor Eddie Glaude. It's important that people "don't simply yoke him to Dr. King, [and] understand him as a product of this student activism." Glaude is chair of Princet…
(2020-07-27). Headlines for July 27, 2020. democracynow.org Florida, Texas and California Grapple with Mounting Infections as U.S. Caseload Tops 4.2 Million, Protesters in Puerto Rico Call for Halt to Tourism to Curb Mounting Coronavirus Cases, Judge Denies Trump Request to Delay Deadline for Releasing Immigrant Children, Senate to Unveil New Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Cutting Unemployment Benefits, U.K. Reinstates Spain Quarantine; N. Korea Declares Emergency; Cases Mount Across Latin America & Africa, BLM Protesters Face Attacks from Federal Agents, Police, and Other Violence in Cities Across the U.S., John Lewis Crosses Edmund Pettus Bridge for Last Time as Family and S…
(2020-07-27). GOP maneuvers to block Heroes Act will bring the roof down. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON — Unless Congress acts, acts fast, and acts the way the Democratic-run U.S. House wants it to act, millions of people will fall off a cliff—financially and otherwise—after Friday, July 31. But Senate Republicans and GOP President Donald Trump are standing in the way. July 31 is the date of the last $600 weekly …
(2020-07-27). Trump threatens democracy with militarized police as polls suggest he's in trouble. peoplesworld.org 
By sending federal militarized units in fascist-like fashion into major cities to attack peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrators, President Donald Trump is assaulting democracy and setting a dangerous precedent less than 100 days before the November elections. Clearly, it is a desperate move to shore up his far-right base and divert public attention away from …
(2020-07-27). Elizabeth Warren On Why We Must Stop Utility Shutoffs During The Pandemic. therealnews.com 
With unemployment at record levels and an economy teetering on the edge, utility shutoffs threaten to compound the existing public health disaster unfolding in the US. The Real News is highlighting voices from a national campaign that is trying to do something to prevent this by demanding a national moratorium on shutoffs during the COVID…
(2020-07-27). Where are the fact checkers? Rep. Jerry Nadler claims Antifa violence in Portland is a MYTH (VIDEO). rt.com 
Congressman Jerry Nadler has been raked across the coals by social media after insisting that there is no protester-instigated violence in Portland. The lawmaker has spearheaded efforts to discredit federal police in the city. | The New York Democrat was approached by pundit and internet personality Austen Fletcher, who asked the House member if he "disavows the violence from Antifa happening in Portland right now." | "That's a myth that's being spread only in Washington, DC," Nadler responded. | Clearly amused by the lawmaker's answer, Fletched clarified: "About Antifa in Portland?" | "Yes," the NY representa…
(2020-07-27). WHO praises Australia's efforts in containing coronavirus, but 6-week lockdown in Victoria state may last longer. rt.com 
WHO emergencies program head Mike Ryan praised Japan and Australia on Monday for having had "good success in containing" the novel coronavirus. However, he warned that it was to be expected that the virus would resurge in areas with active transmission if restrictions are lifted and mobility increased. | Australian authorities said a six-week lockdown in parts of southeastern Victoria state may last longer, after the country registered its highest daily increase in infections. | Most of Australia is effectively virus-free but flare-ups in the two most populous southeastern states have authorities scrambling to…
(2020-07-27). False alarm? Person suspected of bringing 1st Covid-19 case into N. Korea wasn't infected, South believes. rt.com 
A man who crossed into North Korea and put the city of Kaesong on high alert because he had symptoms resembling coronavirus is unlikely to have been a transmitter of the deadly contagion, Seoul's health officials have claimed. | The man in question — who fled from the North three years ago — returned to his homeland on July 19. He reportedly showed up in Kaesong, his home city, and on-site medical screening returned "uncertain results," Pyongyang's state media reported. | Fearing that he could become North Korea's patient zero, the authorities immediately called a meeting to address an emergency "tha…
(2020-07-27). With Cold War Language, Pompeo Defines Plan For 'Totalitarian' China. popularresistance.org In a major foreign policy speech on U.S.-China relations, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cast ratcheted-up tensions with Beijing in Cold War terms, announcing that Washington would seek to change Beijing's behavior and stopping just short of calling for regime change. | He described Beijing — and Chinese President Xi Jinping — as a generational threat to "free democracies around the world," a totalitarian and hegemonic regime that must not be treated like a normal nation. Riffing on President Ronald Reagan's famous "trust but verify" dictum about the Soviet Union, he said that when it comes to Beijing…
(2020-07-27). Will the Left Get a Say in the Biden Doctrine? thenation.com Will the Left Get a Say in the Biden Doctrine?
(2020-07-27). One Cheer for John Kasich. thenation.com One Cheer for John Kasich…
(2020-07-27). Cuba commemorates the 67th National Rebellion Day. peoplesdispatch.org On July 26, 1953, a group of revolutionaries under the command of Fidel Castro attacked the Moncada army barracks in Santiago de Cuba and the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes military garrison in Bayamo, marking the beginning of the Cuban revolution…
(2020-07-27). Caribbean Artist Honors Commander Chavez on His 66th Birthday. telesurenglish.net Barbados' artist Wayne "Onkphra" Wells dedicated a song to Venezuela's Commander Hugo Chavez to honor his 66th birthday anniversary to be commemorated on July 28. | RELATED: | The reggae-style song " We Are All Chavez" is a tribute "to the revolutionary leader's legacy and the Venezuelan people, who have welcomed me in their homeland like a son," Wells said. | With six-and-a-half minutes long, the piece also honors the Latin American heroes Toussaint L'Ouverture, Simon Bolivar, Jose Marti, and Fidel Castro's influences on C…
(2020-07-27). The Volatile Path to Democracy in Ethiopia. counterpunch.org Ancient ethnic divisions and long held grievances die hard. Ethiopia is made up of dozens of tribal/ethnic groups, divided into nine regional states. Oromia is the largest region (it includes the capital, Addis Ababa) and, with 34% of the population (c.40 million), the Oromo people make up the biggest single group. On 29th June the
(2020-07-27). $600-per-week jobless benefit expires for 20 million US workers. wsws.org The Trump administration and Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress are condemning millions of workers to destitution, hunger and homelessness.
(2020-07-27). Corporate Constitutional Rights are Cancerous to Democracy. commondreams.org "Monsanto has known for several decades that Roundup (glyphosate) causes cancer. Rather than informing consumers about the glyphosate cancer risk, Monsanto buried the risks as sales of Roundup continued to skyrocket." (Photo: Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/monsanto_bayer-settlement.jpg …
