Daily Archives: August 3, 2020

2020-08-03: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-03). Accusations of TikTok meddling in U.S. elections reflect Trump's fear of losing. thealtworld.com The entertainment app TikTok has been increasingly in the spotlight in recent weeks. Trump announced on Friday night that it would be banned from operating in the U.S. And on July 28 several Republican Senators demanded that the Trump administration investigate TikTok in order to assess the possibility of it meddling in the upcoming elections. | It's totally crazy to imagine that this video-sharing app could determine the next president of the United States, but the very fact that it's even being seriously discussed among leading legislators speaks to just how paranoid America has become after several years of…

Glen Ford (2020-08-03). The Black Caucus and the dictatorship of (White) capital. mronline.org Black politics does not exist in the Democratic Party, because the duopoly system serves only the corporate rulers.

Ralph Nader (2020-08-03). Speaker Nancy Pelosi Writes to Me! counterpunch.org Years ago, Elizabeth Brennan Moynihan told me about her disgust with the Democratic Party's outside consultants. These consultants were not competent. They were arrogant, costly, and looking out first for their interests, not the candidates they were supposed to advance. She threw them out and personally took over her husband, Senator Daniel P. Moynihan's successful

WSWS (2020-08-03). Vote for SEP candidates in the Sri Lankan national elections! Fight for a workers' and peasants' government and socialist internationalism! wsws.org The SEP is the only party in the elections advancing an international socialist program to fight the crisis created by COVID-19, defend democratic rights and oppose imperialist war.

WSWS (2020-08-03). Hong Kong delays legislative elections amid crackdown on democratic rights. wsws.org Beijing is driven above all by fears that renewed protests in Hong Kong could spread to the mainland.

WSWS (2020-08-03). Congress of millionaires robs the unemployed. wsws.org Allowing federal supplemental benefits to expire for 30 million jobless workers shows the class character of both the Democratic and Republican parties.

John G. Russell (2020-08-03). The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. counterpunch.org The name Homeland Security grates on a lot of people, understandably. Homeland isn't really an American word, it's not something we used to say or say now. It has a vaguely Teutonic ring — Ve must help ze Fuehrer protect ze Homeland! — and Republicans must always be on guard against sounding Teutonic. —Peggy Noonan The federal

yenisafak (2020-08-03). Turkey regrets US firm's signing oil deal with YPG/PKK. yenisafak.com Turkey Monday denounced a US firm's signing a deal with YPG/PKK-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to extract, process and produce oil in northeastern Syria."We deeply regret the US support to this step, disregarding international law, violating territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty of Syria, as well as being considered within the scope of financing terrorism. This act, which cannot be justified by any legitimate motive, is utterly unacceptable" the Foreign Ministry said in a written statement.Turkey's remarks came after media reports that the US-based company Delta Crescent Energy LLC signed a contract wi…

yenisafak (2020-08-03). Nobel laureate, former N.Ireland party leader John Hume dies. yenisafak.com Nobel peace laureate and former leader of Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDPL) John Hume has died on Monday, according to a statement from his former party."We are deeply saddened to announce that John passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning after a short illness," a statement from the SDLP said.Hume was born in Northern Ireland in 1937 and he was regarded as an important figure in recent political history in the region.Hume, as the leader of the SDLP, was one of the key architects of the 1998 Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement that ended decades of sectarian violence in North…

The Canary (2020-08-03). Khan 'surprised' over plans to use M25 to seal off London if Covid-19 surges. thecanary.co The mayor of London has written to the prime minister to express "great surprise" that the government reportedly plans to use the M25 to seal off the capital if there is a spike in coronavirus (Covid-19) infections. | Sadiq Khan also pointed out that it has been 12 weeks since he was invited to a Cobra meeting as he warned against "riding roughshod over democratically elected representatives". | The Times reported that Boris Johnson held a "war game" session with chancellor Rishi Sunak on 29 July to run through possible options in the event of a second wave, and measures are said to include lockdown-like conditio…

RT (2020-08-02). Trump is Mussolini, riots are peaceful, but federal agents are terrorists — top black Democrat turns to trite #Resistance rhetoric. rt.com Rep. Jim Clyburn was a key figure behind securing Joe Biden's nomination, and will be instrumental in picking his running mate. However, his views of late are show denial of reality and falling back on #Resistance tropes. | Jim Clyburn's name carries gravitas in both Washington and his home state of South Carolina. Clyburn's endorsement is considered to have pushed Joe Biden ahead of Bernie Sanders in the state's primary election, securing him the black vote. The veteran lawmaker and House Majority Whip is expected to vet Biden's eventual choice of running mate, given Biden has promised to consider a black wom…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-08-02). 'The Clock Is Ticking': Bernie Sanders Calls on Senate to Act Quickly on Covid Relief Bill. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_iowa_trump_impeachment_1_0.jpg

Mike Whitney (2020-08-02). Seattle's "Bolshevik Revolution" globalresearch.ca "We are coming to dismantle this deeply oppressive, racist, sexist, utterly bankrupt system of capitalism. We cannot and will not stop until it is dismantled, and we replace it with a socialist world, based on solidarity, genuine democracy, and equality." …

Bob Scofield (2020-08-02). Is a Second Trump Presidency a Lesser Evil Than a Biden Presidency? dissidentvoice.org In this essay I will sketch an outline for an argument that, from a left-wing and especially an environmentalist perspective, a second Trump presidency will be a lesser evil than a Biden presidency. Before doing so, I will discuss my personal views on lesser-of-two-evils voting, protest voting, and the article that led me to stumble …

Elaheh Farmand (2020-08-02). Insurance industry profits over people's lives: Democrats reject Medicare for All. liberationnews.org What people need is not more profits for private companies and corporate bailouts, but a universal, socialist healthcare system.

RT (2020-08-02). 'Sleepy Joe' Biden 'never leaves his basement' and won't win Texas, Trump says. rt.com President Donald Trump has bashed his basement-dwelling presidential opponent, Joe Biden, and touted his own support for "Oil, Gas, Guns, & God," after a fundraising trip to the Lone Star State. | "Was in the Great State of Texas this week and explained that the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats, headed up by their great leader, Sleepy Joe Biden (who never leaves his basement), are strongly against 'Oil, Gas, Guns, & God," Trump tweeted on Sunday. | "Must be tough to win Texas on that platform!" he added. | Was in the Great State of Texas this week and explained that the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats, hea…

RT (2020-08-02). Syria says US 'stealing' oil after American energy firm signs deal with Kurdish rebels. rt.com The Syrian government has accused the US of "stealing" the country's oil reserves, which Washington claimed to be protecting from terrorists. American lawmakers admitted that a deal has been signed with Kurdish rebels. | When President Donald Trump pulled US troops out of Syria last October, it was not the full withdrawal promised in his anti-interventionist campaign speeches. Instead, a contingent was left behind in areas of north Syria controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, ostensibly to protect the region's oilfields from Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists. | Also on rt.com

RT (2020-08-02). No press allowed at GOP convention, Trump to be nominated behind closed doors — reports. rt.com This month's Republican National Convention will take place behind closed doors and with no press present, reports suggest. The move is the latest in a series of twists and changes to the convention. | Originally slated to take place in Jacksonville, Florida, the Republican National Convention was canceled last month due to a rise in coronavirus cases. Beforehand, it had been moved there from Charlotte due to virus restrictions applied by North Carolina Governor Ray Cooper, a Democrat. After canvassing a number of other cities as potential hosts, the GOP has fallen back on Charlotte, albeit for a convention wi…

RT (2020-08-02). Members of Congress returning to DC from Lewis funeral in Georgia won't have to follow quarantine rule made for everybody else. rt.com Politicians who attended the funeral of Congressman John Lewis in Georgia won't have to worry about Washington's new quarantine rules as they return to the city because they're deemed too essential to lock down. | A 'Who's Who' of Democrat politicians attended Thursday's funeral in Atlanta, despite a state ban on gatherings of more than 50 people. Some 50

Adam Shah (2020-08-02). The One Percent's Attack on Unemployment Benefits Shows How Broken Our Democracy Is. zcomm.org The dignity of work is restored when employment leads to working people securing living wages and having their voices heard…

Dean Baker (2020-08-02). An Economic Survival Package, not a Stimulus Package. cepr.net There continues to be enormous confusion about what we should be trying to accomplish in the next pandemic relief package. This is best demonstrated by Republicans' obsession with getting people back to work, with a mixture of cuts to unemployment benefits and return to work bonuses. Ignoring the questionable economic logic (there is zero evidence …

_____ (2020-08-02). COVID-19 Crisis Failure, People Must Save Themselves And The Economy. popularresistance.org The US is at a moment of truth. This week, Congress has to face up to a pandemic that is out of control and an economy that is collapsing. The Republican's and Democrat's proposals show they will fail this test. The people will need to protect themselves and lead from below. Our actions need to be about building a people's movement that grows in power before and after the November elections. No matter who is elected, the people will need to resist, create new systems and rule from below.

_____ (2020-08-02). 'We Are On The Cusp Of Something Great'. popularresistance.org Since the nation erupted after the May 25 police killing of George Floyd, Black organizers and community members have been working around the clock to channel mass protests into tangible victories. Nikita Mitchell, 26, is national coordinator of The Rising Majority, formed in 2017 by the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition that includes Black Lives Matter. Rising Majority is led by Black people and people of color, and brings social movements together in an anti-racist, anti-capitalist Left for radical democracy.

Staff (2020-08-02). What Has Happened to Police Filmed Hurting Protesters? So Far, Very Little. truthout.org It has been almost two months since a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car accelerated into Brooke Fortson during a protest over police violence. She still doesn't know the name of the officer who hit her or whether that person is still policing the city's streets. The officer did not stop after hitting Fortson and instead turned around, nearly hitting other demonstrators in the process, and sped off. | The LAPD almost surely knows who the officer is. The squad car's number is clearly visible…

Terry Everton (2020-08-01). An Ignorant, Racist US Senator. dissidentvoice.org Another head scratcher. Arkansas Republican senator, Tom Cotton defended the institution of slavery by quoting the slave-owning so-called founding fathers who opined that slavery "was the necessary evil upon which the union was built…"

RT (2020-08-01). Xenugate: Resurfaced VIDEO of top contender for Biden's VP pick addressing Scientology church in LA goes viral. rt.com California Rep. Karen Bass, thought to be on the shortlist of potential running mates for Joe Biden, has appeared in a resurfaced clip giving a glowing speech to a new Scientology church — a group widely deemed a predatory "cult." | Dated from the 2010

Adam Shah (2020-08-01). The 1 Percent's Attack on Unemployment Benefits is a Sign of Our Broken Democracy. commondreams.org The long-term systemic reason that working people are willing to accept jobs that cannot provide enough income to cover basic needs is because they are unable to organize and demand higher wages. Unionization is clearly tied to higher and more equal wages. (Photo: SEIU via Twitter) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/union_0.jpg

Rajiv Agarwal, Patrick Rossignol, William B White, Bryan Williams (2020-08-01). [Correspondence] Individual patient risk assessment and cost—benefit analysis of patiromer in AMBER — Authors' reply. thelancet.com Eoin O'Sullivan and Iain MacIntyre raise important questions about the relevance of the AMBER study, relating to individual-level decision making and the cost—benefit of our approach.1…

_____ (2020-08-01). The Biden Rule: 'No Men Need Apply!'. strategic-culture.org Patrick BUCHANAN | There is a real possibility that, this coming week, Joe Biden will be selecting the 47th president of the United States. | For the woman Biden picks — he has promised to exclude from consideration all men, black, brown, white or Asian — has a better chance of succeeding to the presidency than any vice presidential nominee in U.S. history, other than perhaps Harry Truman. | In 1944, the Democratic establishment engineered the dumping of radical Henry Wallace from Roosevelt's ticket. They could see from FDR's physical deterioration that he would not last through a full fourth term.

sputniknews (2020-08-01). Obama's Half-Brother Says Ex-US President 'Wants People to Worship' Him. sputniknews.com In July, Barack Obama's half-brother Malik Obama, who supported Republican US President Donald Trump in the US 2016 election despite his brother's endorsement of fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton, published a memoir titled 'Big Bad Brother From Kenya', in which he suggested that his brother was "cold and ruthless" to his Kenyan family.

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-08-01). 170th Anniversary of California and Negro Bar history still hidden? indybay.org I've read lots of articles about Negro Bar and changing the name. But with our close tie to Mexico in the history of California, no one has mentioned that Negro means black in Spanish! | Are we also going to have to change the Spanish language? | So many of our towns and cities have some form of Spanish in their naming. They either start with San or Santa or the whole name is a Spanish word. So I rest my case. | Please bring this up in the next article about the name Negro being black in Spanish. | Laurie Kendall, Folsom…

_____ (2020-08-01). Moncada's Significance in Cuban Revolutionary History. strategic-culture.org "When Batista's coup took place in 1952, I'd already formulated a plan for the future. I decided to launch a revolutionary programme and organise a popular uprising. From that moment on, I had a clear idea of the struggle ahead and of the fundamental revolutionary ideas behind it, the ideas that are in History Will Absolve Me." | Just one year later, Fidel Castro would

_____ (2020-08-01). When Corporate Power Is Your Real Government, Corporate Media Is State Media. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | astonishingly horrible article the other day titled "Latin America Is Facing a 'Decline of Democracy' Under the Pandemic" accusing governments like Venezuela and Nicaragua of exploiting Covid-19 to quash opposition and oppress democracy. | The article sources its jarringly propagandistic claims in multiple US government-funded narrative management operations like the Wilson Center and the National Endow…

Norman Solomon (2020-07-31). Why Bernie Sanders Delegates Should Keep Fighting. commondreams.org Just as Biden's chances of winning the presidency would improve if he embraced Medicare for All, his prospects would also be enhanced by adopting popular positions that are especially important to racial minorities. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_sanders_cd_0.jpg

_____ (2020-07-31). Here's How We Remake The Economy. popularresistance.org To defend the $600 unemployment payments as both morally and economically necessary is not to suggest that the CARES Act is a sufficient solution to our economic problems. Nor, says Pavlina Tcherneva, Associate Professor of Economics at Bard College and a Research Scholar at the Levy Economics Institute and advisor to Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign, is the Democratic-led HEROES Act, which would extend the payments through January 2021 if Senate Republicans and the Trump administration would support it. Dr. Tcherneva studies the impact of unemployment on growth, income inequality and public health, an…

Staff (2020-07-31). Barack Obama: Honor John Lewis by Renewing Voting Rights Act & Ballot Access in the U.S. democracynow.org In his stirring eulogy at the funeral service for Congressmember John Lewis, President Barack Obama said expanded voting rights would be the greatest way to honor the civil rights icon's legacy. In a speech that condemned the status of American democracy without ever naming the sitting president, Obama called for election day to be declared a national holiday, full Congressional representation for Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and the end of the filibuster, which he called a "Jim Crow relic." "You want to honor John? Let's honor him by revitalizing the law he was willing to die for," Obama said in reference…

Staff (2020-07-31). Rev. James Lawson: John Lewis's Life Is Call to Action Against U.S. Violence & Plantation Capitalism. democracynow.org As mourners gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to honor the life of Georgia Congressmember John Lewis, among those who spoke was civil rights icon Rev. James Lawson, who helped to train John Lewis in nonviolence when Lewis was a student in Nashville. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once described Rev. Lawson as "the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world." Lawson invoked John Lewis's life as a call to action. "We will not be quiet as long as our nation continues to be the most violent culture in the history of humankind," Lawson said. We feature his extended remarks.

Staff (2020-07-31). Civil Rights Hero John Lewis Remembered at Funeral as "Patriot Who Risked His Life" for Democracy. democracynow.org As family, friends and dignitaries paid their final respects at the Atlanta funeral of John Lewis, the civil rights leader and 17-term Georgia Congressmember was remembered as a singular force for equality and justice. The funeral took place at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, once led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., where senior pastor Rev. Raphael Warnock contrasted Lewis' legacy with "some in high office who are much better at division than vision," and described the late politician as "a true American patriot who risked his life and bled for the hope and promise of democracy."

Staff (2020-07-31). Headlines for July 31, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Top 1,000 for Fourth Consecutive Day, U.S. Economy Recorded Worst Quarterly Drop on Record as Coronavirus Spread, New Orleans Protesters Block Eviction Court Proceedings as Rent Comes Due, Brazil's First Lady Tests Positive for COVID-19 as Deaths Top 91,000, Coronavirus Cases Spike in European Countries that Lifted Lockdowns, Donald Trump Suggests Election Delay, Sparking Bipartisan Outrage, U.S. Postal Delays Spark Fears Over Mail-In Ballots in November Election, Civil Rights Icon and Georgia Congressmember John Lewis Laid to Rest, Herman Cain, Co-Chair of Black Voices for Trump, Dies of…

RT (2020-07-31). Ilhan Omar under fire after campaign paid over $1.6 million to husband's firm. rt.com Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's re-election campaign paid out more than $600,000 to a consulting firm headed by her husband in July, bringing the total disbursements to the company to over $1.6 million this election cycle. | According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) The payments, which account for 77 percent of the disbursements from the congresswoman's campai…

Subhash Rai (2020-07-31). Rich big tech, dead democracy. peoplesdispatch.org Evidence that Big Tech has had a chilling effect on start-ups and investors is one thing, but the ubiquitous nature of the platforms in their specific ways does effect every aspect of life, not just in the US but across the world…

Nick Pemberton (2020-07-31). Does The Left Stand With Uighurs? counterpunch.org As the American left forces itself to reckon with its neglect of the minority underclass in its central planning of democratic socialism, a similar reckoning should be happening in relation to China and its treatment of the Muslim minority population and its increasing reach in Africa. Under the guise of economic empowerment for the upper

Richard D. Wolff (2020-07-31). The Consequences of Inequality Can Be Fatal. counterpunch.org Capitalism, as Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century shows, relentlessly worsens wealth and income inequalities. That inherent tendency is only occasionally stopped or reversed when masses of people rise up against it. That happened, for example, in western Europe and the U.S. during the 1930s Great Depression. It prompted social democracy in Europe and

Andrew Taylor (2020-07-31). GOP sneaks $8 billion for military weapons into coronavirus relief bill. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (AP) — A new $1 trillion COVID-19 response package by Senate Republicans is supposed to give the government more weapons to battle the surging coronavirus pandemic. But GOP lawmakers have more than just the "invisible enemy" in mind. The Republican measure includes billions for F-35 fighters, Apache helicopters and infantry carriers sought by Washington's powerful defense …

CounterSpin (2020-07-31). Alex Main on Bolivia Coup, Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression. fair.org Media…

RT (2020-07-31). US' global media agency launches probe into 'election interference' after VOA runs Biden campaign ad targeting Muslims. rt.com The head of the US agency for Global Media has announced an investigation into state-funded Voice of America (VOA) for possible election meddling, after its service in Urdu promoted a clip of Joe Biden courting Muslim votes. | The probe,

RT (2020-07-31). #IStandWithRingo: Iowa senator draws ire of dog lovers after criticizing opponent for 'taking selfies' with her pet. rt.com Iowa Senator Joni Ernst provoked a storm of criticism on Twitter after attempting to shame her election opponent for the crime of taking selfies with her dog and ultimately learned the hard way: leave the pets out of it. | The incumbent Republican senator who is seeking re-election in November blasted her opponent, Democrat Theresa Greenfield, for her lack of leadership which was apparently demonstrated by the fact that she takes pictures with her dog. | Speaking during a campaign conference call on Wednesday, Ernst called out Greenfield, saying she "has been hiding in her basement taking selfies with her dog…

RT (2020-07-31). War IS a game? US House rejects AOC's amendment to bar Pentagon from recruiting on Twitch as over 100 Dems side with GOP. rt.com Congress has voted to kill an amendment that would have blocked the military from recruiting through streaming platforms like Twitch, with nearly half of Democrats in the House joining the effort to strike down the measure. | A House vote of 196-292 easily quashed the appropriations bill

RT (2020-07-31). Political narrative overwhelms hearing on Covid-19 as lawmakers from both parties attempt to pinch opponents. rt.com A Covid-19 related hearing on the Hill saw a vivid clash between GOP congressman Jim Jordan and Dr. Anthony Fauci over the risk of protests, while other Democrats and Republicans didn't miss the chance to score political points. | Steve Scalise (R-LA) began his monologue by deconstructing the title of a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing, which he read as 'Urgent need for a plan'. | "That's not the title of a hearing, that's a political narrative, a false political narrative," he added, because "if there wasn't a plan" there would not have been a hearing. | Rep. Steve Scalise deconstructs…

_____ (2020-07-31). Are the Democrats Plotting a 'Maidan Trap' for Trump at 'Peaceful' Portland Protests? strategic-culture.org By now it is abundantly clear that the Democrats will do just about anything to ensure Trump's defeat in November. That would include the proliferation of violence in major American cities to provide optics to the narrative that the US leader has been an unmitigated disaster for the United States. Will Portland, Oregon become Donald Trump's Maidan? | During the public grilling of Attorney General William Barr on July 28, the Democrat's pushed one argument above all others: Democratic cities had been enjoying their 'summer of love' that saw righteous folks peacefully protesting against police abuse until Darth Tru…

Jordan Uhl (2020-07-31). Congress Refuses to Kick the Military Off of Twitch. thenation.com Congress Refuses to Kick the Military Off of Twitch…

Aída Chávez (2020-07-31). Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Lieu Introduce Amendment to Curtail Federal Crackdown on Protesters. zcomm.org The amendment would prohibit funds from being used to send federal agents into American cities…

teleSUR (2020-07-31). Democrats Criticize Trump for Raising Funds in Florida. telesurenglish.net Democratic leaders and the presidential candidate Joe Biden Friday criticized President Donald Trump for a private fundraising event scheduled this Friday in Florida. | RELATED: | Trump was expected in Tampa for a meeting with sheriffs, a round table on COVID-19, and a fundraising event for his reelection campaign. | Previously, Biden said that the U.S. President has repeatedly downplayed the problems caused by the pandemic.

Matt Sedlar (2020-07-31). The Future of Trust-Busting Is in Joe Biden's Hands. cepr.net The New Republic See article on original site Pigs are flying! Up is down! The public approves of how Congress handled something! After Wednesday's much-anticipated hearing with the chief executive officers of Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple, onlookers in the media and activist community generally thought that the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust members showed …

Jack Delaney (2020-07-31). "Operation Gideon": The Amphibious Assault against Venezuela. globalresearch.ca On May, 3, U.S. mercenaries and the

Amberin Zaman (2020-07-31). US Oil Company Signs Deal with Syrian Kurds. globalresearch.ca Sources told Al-Monitor the agreement to market oil in territory controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces was signed "with the knowledge and encouragement of the White House." | *** | The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria has signed an agreement …

Karma Samtani (2020-07-31). Congressional Primary Challengers Seek to Keep Progressive Tide Going. progressive.org Two leftwing, underdog candidates in Missouri and Massachusetts have a real chance of unseating their corporate-funded Democratic opponents.

Project Censored (2020-07-31). Episode 100 — Are The Democrats The New Conservative Party? And Abolishing The Police w/Professor Beth Baker. projectcensored.org On today's episode, Nicholas Baham II (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan Higdon host Professor of Anthropology at California State University, Los Angeles, Beth Baker. Along The Line is a…

Peter Bolton (2020-07-31). Trump has floated idea of postponing the 2020 election. But it's not like the US was ever a democracy in the first place. thecanary.co US President Donald Trump has sparked outrage by suggesting the US presidential election should be postponed. Though he later seemingly

James Zogby (2020-07-31). Why Is the Democratic Party So Timid on Palestinian Rights? commondreams.org President Donald Trump, right, looks over to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 28. (Photo: Susan Walsh/AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/netanyahu_6.jpg

Jim Miles (2020-07-31). "The War That Ended Peace". How the West Stole Democracy from the Arabs. globalresearch.ca Having just read

Tobita Chow (2020-07-31). The Democratic Platform on China Is a Failure of Imagination. thenation.com The Democratic Platform on China Is a Failure of Imagination…

Fight Back (2020-07-31). Federal $600 a week addition to unemployment insurance runs out. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – 25 million Americans or more are losing their additional $600 a week in unemployment insurance benefits even as the number of people applying for unemployment benefits continues to rise. Up to one-third of all renters have already lost eviction protection from the federal government, and the Republican proposal does not include extending it. Millions of other households are under threat of losing their electrical power for not paying their bills. | The depth of the economic crisis stoked by the uncontrolled COVID-19 pandemic was shown this morning, July 30, in the Commerce Department's report on Gr…

Yang Mei, Samuel E. Weinberg, Lihui Zhao, Adam Frink, Chao Qi, Amir Behdad, Peng Ji (2020-07-31). Risk stratification of hospitalized COVID-19 patients through comparative studies of laboratory results with influenza. thelancet.com There are significant differences in the clinical and laboratory courses between COVID-19 and influenza. Risk stratification in hospitalized COVID-19 patients using laboratory data could be useful to predict clinical outcomes and pathophysiology of these patients.

Bob Fitrakis, Harvey Wasserman (2020-07-31). Fascist Ohio's Bribed $60 Million Nuke Reactor Meltdown. counterpunch.org While Trump pumps his private gestapo into cities like Portland and Seattle, Ohio's homegrown fascist legions launched a blitzkrieg of their own. On Saturday, July 18, about a thousand heavily armed militia members, white nationalists and Trump supporters showed their lack of color at a statehouse rally in downtown Columbus. The "Stand for America 2020"

_____ (2020-07-31). What Has Happened To Police Filmed Hurting Protesters? popularresistance.org It has been almost two months since a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car accelerated into Brooke Fortson during a protest over police violence. She still doesn't know the name of the officer who hit her or whether that person is still policing the city's streets. The officer did not stop after hitting Fortson and instead turned around, nearly hitting other demonstrators in the process, and sped off. | The LAPD almost surely knows who the officer is. The squad car's number is clearly visible in one of the multiple videos that captured the incident.

Karen Bernal, Christian T. Shaughnessy (2020-07-31). The Case for Who Should Not Be Vice President: Joe Biden, Are You Listening? commondreams.org Donald Trump will not be defeated without the votes of the progressive base, which now skews toward younger people of color and for which issues of social injustice are paramount. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/barb_0.jpeg

Staff (2020-07-31). Barack Obama: End the Filibuster to Restore Voting Rights Act. truthout.org In his stirring eulogy at the funeral service for Congressmember John Lewis, President Barack Obama said expanded voting rights would be the greatest way to honor the civil rights icon's legacy. In a speech that condemned the status of American democracy without ever naming the sitting president, Obama called for election day to be declared a national holiday, full Congressional representation for Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and the end of the filibuster, which he called a "Jim Crow relic." "You want to…

Staff (2020-07-31). Voter ID Law Handed Wisconsin to Trump in 2016. It Could Happen Again in 2020. truthout.org Donald Trump's 2016 Wisconsin win was a shock to the Democratic Party — but then, the Democratic Party is always shocked — because Wisconsin was supposed to be a safe state for Hillary Clinton. | Democrats had crushed it seven elections in a row, helped by the massive vote from the famously progressive, activist University of Wisconsin student population. | But then, on Election Day 2016, a giant hunk of the student vote simply… vanished. And the Milwaukee Black vote also seemed…

Jon Queally, staff writer (2020-07-30). 'What We Must Do': Following Obama Eulogy for Lewis, Bernie Sanders Backs Call for Ending Filibuster. commondreams.org "President Obama is absolutely right," said the former Democratic presidential candidate from Vermont. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sanders_filibuster.jpg

Staff (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.

Staff (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."

Staff (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.

Staff (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…

RT (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…

Staff (2020-07-30). Democracy Delayed Is Democracy Denied. therealnews.com Stir Crazy! Episode 73: Today we are joined by TRNN reporter Aman Azhar, journalist Justine Barron, TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, and TRNN editorial director Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown.

Mark Gruenberg (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 …

RT (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…

RT (2020-07-30). Does Trump want Pelosi for president? Twitter goes wild over his suggestion to delay election. rt.com After Donald Trump seemed to suggest delaying the election, the idea of 'President Pelosi' gained momentum online, as the House of Representatives speaker would theoretically be the next in line to assume the office. | Trump's idea on Thursday to delay the November presidential election due to public concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic and his own distrust of mail-in voting might make the Democrats dream come true, since "delaying" the election doesn't implicitly extend any term limits. | The order of succession of the US highest office is such that if both the president and the vice president's terms end, t…

RT (2020-07-30). Obama turns John Lewis funeral into DNC event, wants automatic voter registration, end to 'Jim Crow relic' filibuster. rt.com It did not take long for the funeral of John Lewis to turn political as former President Barack Obama's eulogy evolved into a campaign speech, where he recommended ending the Senate filibuster and blasted voter ID laws. | Watching Obama speak at Thursday's funeral, it would be easy to think you were watching a campaign speech as opposed to a eulogy. | He urged the Senate and Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, legislation that would make it harder for states to enact things like voter ID laws, which Democrats have long called restrictive and racially motivated. It would give the federal gover…

RT (2020-07-30). Liberals leap to politicize Herman Cain's Covid-19 death because he 'didn't wear a mask'. rt.com Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, diagnosed with Covid-19 after attending Donald Trump's Tulsa rally in June, has died from the virus. Liberals online soon rushed to treat his death as a statement about masks. | Cain, who was hospitalized on July 1, just two days after testing positive for the coronavirus, died on Thursday. His initial diagnosis prompted

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-07-30). Ocasio-Cortez Amendment Takes Aim at 'Racist, Classist' Attack on Fair Housing by Trump. commondreams.org "We must hinder President Trump's efforts to segregate communities and to discriminate against Black and Brown homeowners and renters." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1227842707.jpg

commondreams (2020-07-30). Dozens of Groups Urge Biden to Stand Against Corporate Conflicts of Interest. commondreams.org ______________________________…

WSWS (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.

Barbara Miner (2020-07-30). Death of America's Democracy? commondreams.org When looking at the possible death of democracy in the United States, for me the question is no longer, "Can it happen here?" The question is, "What are we going to do to about it?" (Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/feds_1.jpg

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-30). Bolivians oppose postponement of elections. peoplesdispatch.org On July 23, the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) postponed the elections scheduled for September 6 to October 18, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the third time since the coup in November 2019 that elections have been postponed. On July 28, mobilizations were held across Bolivia opposing this delay in elections. Indigenous, peasant, rural and women organizations organized massive demonstrations in the capital city La Paz, among other cities, under the banner of "For Democracy, Health and Life".

Paul Larudee (2020-07-30). An Economic Order by and for the People. dissidentvoice.org Read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, and Part VI. It is bad enough that the U.S. makes vacuous claims to a democratic form of government, as described in Part IV. But even a democratic form of government does not equate to a democratic society, and most Americans participate in democratic …

Matt Sedlar (2020-07-30). Stimulus Checks in Next Coronavirus Package Shouldn't Penalize One-Parent Households. cepr.net Both the HEROES Act passed by the House in May and Senate Republicans' HEALS Act announced this week would provide a new round of stimulus in the form of one-time cash payments to most Americans, but with some major differences. One of these differences is in how the bills treat one-parent households with children, the …

Ryan Devereaux (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…

CP Editor (2020-07-30). Warren Zevon — My Shits Fucked Up. counterpunch.org

Dan Liu, Pengfei Cui, Shaoqing Zeng, Siyuan Wang, Xinxia Feng, Sen Xu, Ruyuan Li, Yue Gao, Ruidi Yu, Ya Wang, Yuan Yuan, Huayi Li, Xiaofei Jiao, Jianhua Chi, Jiahao Liu, Yang Yu, Xu Zheng, Chunyan Song, Ning Jin, Wenjian Gong, Xingyu Liu, Guangyao Cai, Chunrui Li, Qinglei Gao (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). RIP Arnold Trebach — Made Opposition To The Drug War Respectable. popularresistance.org Arnold Trebach, who died last week at the age of 92, started the Drug Policy Foundation in the heat of Ronald Reagan's war on drugs. It was the same year that Joe Biden, a Democrat who is running for president this year as a criminal justice reformer, wrote the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which prescribed new mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses and created the notorious weight-based sentencing distinction that treated crack cocaine as if it were 100 times worse than cocaine powder.

_____ (2020-07-30). Democrats Offer Half-Hearted Measures To Impending Eviction Crisis. popularresistance.org 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," according to the Housing Rights Initiative. Earlier this week, the federal moratorium on evictions expired, meaning the nation's 12 million renters are now at risk of losing their homes. Renters tend to be poorer, many of whom are among the 52 million that have filed for unemployment benefits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. | Instead of extending t…

sputniknews (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.

Staff (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

Staff (2020-07-30). Herman Cain Dies of COVID-19. truthout.org Herman Cain, a pizza business magnate who unsuccessfully ran for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for president, has died Thursday due to complications from coronavirus. | Cain had tested positive for COVID-19 on June 29. Just two days later, he was hospitalized after developing "serious" symptoms of the disease, "There is no way of knowing for sure how or where Mr. Cain contracted the…

Staff (2020-07-30). GOP Leaders Attempt to Distance Themselves From Trump's Election Delay Talk. truthout.org A number of Republicans have condemned President Donald Trump's suggestion on Thursday to delay this year's elections. | While leaving the president's false statements on mail-in voting unchallenged, several lawmakers within Trump's own party were quick to rebuke the proposal. | "We are going to have an election on time. It's unthinkable that would not be the case,"

_____ (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…