(2020-08-06). America's Wars on Democracy in Rwanda and the DR Congo. zcomm.org Joe Emersberger interviewed Justin Podur regarding his new book about a conflict few understand thanks to, among other things, "Africanist" scholars.
(2020-08-06). Democrats drifting to extreme left because they are 'owned by George Soros,' claims former House speaker Gingrich. rt.com 
The Democrat Party continues to drift radically leftward, and its leadership will never rebuke militant elements like Antifa, because it's controlled by billionaire leftist George Soros, former US House speaker Newt Gingrich said. | "All of these Democrats are now basically owned by the left," Gingrich said on Wednesday in an interview on Fox News. "They are not going to pick any fights. They are owned by people who are financed by George Soros." | Gingrich made his comments after Democrats in a US Senate hearing on Tuesday refused to directly criticize the conduct of Antifa, whose members have been accused of…
(2020-08-06). Seeking peace on the Korean Peninsula. mronline.org 
Although the date drew little notice in the U.S. media, July 27, 2020 marked the 67th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, an agreement that ended the fighting but not the war between the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).
(2020-08-06). Dossier 31: 'The Politic of Blood': Political Repression in South Africa. mronline.org 
In his famous speech from the dock in April 1964, Nelson Mandela spoke of 'revolutionary democracy' rooted in precolonial forms of collective deliberation and decision making.
(2020-08-06). 'Virtue signaling her way to reelection': Michigan governor roasted online after declaring racism 'PUBLIC HEALTH crisis'. rt.com 
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was accused of pandering to those engaged in identity politics, after she declared racism a "public health crisis" and said that everyone is plagued by unconscious bias. | The executive order signed by Whitmer on Wednesday mandates implicit bias training for all state employees. The ultimate goal is to build "a more inclusive and unbiased state that works for everyone," the Democrat governor said. | Implicit, unconscious bias exists within each of us, and, as public servants, we have a duty to understand how our bias can impact the lives of others. | Another measure rolled ou…
(2020-08-06). A Message to the Swing State. zcomm.org Trump is waging a war on truth, decency, our planet, and on working people. If Biden wins, we'll be at his door on day one, demanding the kinds of structural reforms that advance racial, economic, and environmental justice. But before that, we have to #VoteTrumpOut in swing states…
(2020-08-06). Why the Left Must Reject and Elect Biden at the Same Time. zcomm.org To make a progressive future possible, beating Trump is absolutely necessary while very far from sufficient. To organize against a government headed by Trump is to push against a thick stone wall. To organize against a government headed by Biden holds out the real potential of progressive breakthroughs.
(2020-08-06). Raise, Don't Stabilize and Don't Reduce Social Costs. zcomm.org We seek radical social transformation. But short of that, our actions should not only force elites to respond to our demands they should also expand democracy and plant the seeds of a new future in the present…
(2020-08-06). Ebola cases in DR Congo rise to 74 in latest outbreak. yenisafak.com At least 74 Ebola virus cases have been recorded in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization announced Thursday.So far there are 74 cases, with 70 confirmed and four probable, 32 deaths and 28 recoveries from the 11th Ebola virus outbreak in Mbandaka, Equateur province, the WHO African Region tweeted.For several months, the DRC has been battling with several diseasing including, Cholera, Ebola, Measles.Last month the WHO office in the Central African country said that a total of 12,959 people have been vaccinated since the start of the 11th Ebola outbreak in ear…
(2020-08-06). No Matter Who Biden Chooses as VP, It Will Be a Bittersweet Win for Women. thenation.com No Matter Who Biden Chooses as VP, It Will Be a Bittersweet Win for Women…
(2020-08-06). Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS): To Nancy Pelosi — Did Russia Hack the DNC Emails? globalresearch.ca The lack of detail demanded by Pelosi may simply mean the absence of credible evidence of Russian interference as well as the absence of Clapperesque officials to conjure it up. | *** | MEMORANDUM FOR: Speaker Nancy Pelosi | FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals …
(2020-08-06). Biden, Just Say Yes on Medicare for All! thenation.com Biden, Just Say Yes on Medicare for All!
(2020-08-06). Why We're Demanding No Cops for Veep. thenation.com Why We're Demanding No Cops for Veep…
(2020-08-05). Backed by Millions from Pro-Israel Interests, Antone Melton-Meaux Takes Aim at Ilhan Omar. mintpressnews.com 
A little-known union-busting attorney from Minnesota is raking in millions in campaign donations, mostly from out of state, in his attempt to unseat anti-war Rep. Ilhan Omar.
(2020-08-05). The End of Big Tech? Calls Grow to Break Up Facebook, Amazon for "Mob-Like" Behavior, Monopoly Power. democracynow.org 
Calls are growing to break up the Big Tech giants, with a handful of companies controlling more and more of the technology industry, crowding out or acquiring would-be competitors and exercising vast power over the U.S. economy. Lawmakers grilled the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook during a hearing last week on whether their companies are guilty of stifling competition, in a scene reminiscent of the 1994 hearing of tobacco executives who claimed cigarettes were not addictive. This came just days after Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly made $13 billion in a single day, even as the coronavirus pandemic ha…
(2020-08-05). Journalist Rami Khouri: Beirut Explosion Follows Years of Lebanese Gov't Incompetence & Corruption. democracynow.org 
The explosion in the port of Beirut, which killed at least 100 people and injured about 4,000 others, is the latest blow to Lebanon, which already faces an economic, political and public health crisis amid the coronavirus pandemic. The blast is believed to have been triggered by 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate inexplicably left unattended in a warehouse for six years. Journalist Rami Khouri says it's further proof of "the cumulative incompetence, corruption, lassitude, amateurism and uncaring attitude by successive Lebanese governments" that have failed the country. "It's the ruling political elit…
(2020-08-05). Headlines for August 5, 2020. democracynow.org Massive Explosion Tears Through Beirut, Leaving Hundreds Missing and Thousands Injured, Lebanon's PM Says 2,700 Tons of Ammonium Nitrate Sparked "National Catastrophe" in Beirut, Mississippi Becomes Biggest U.S. Coronavirus Hot Spot as Governor Mandates Masks, Georgia Prisoners Livestream Video From Prison Uprising Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Chicago Schools Cancel September Classes as Union Threatens Strike Over Coronavirus Safety, U.N. Warns Coronavirus School Closures Have Impacted Over One Billion Students, Brazil COVID-19 Deaths Approach 100,000 as Infections Surge in India, Black Lives Matter & Ferguson Acti…
(2020-08-05). "Despair and Destruction": Doctor in Beirut Describes Harrowing Scenes After Massive Port Explosion. democracynow.org 
As Beirut reels from a massive explosion that killed at least 100 people and injured thousands, we get an on-the-ground update from pediatrician and writer Dr. Seema Jilani, who treated her own daughter for injuries after the blast. "It was extremely packed because we're just coming out of a four-day lockdown," says Jilani. "Everybody was out." Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab called the explosion a "national catastrophe."
(2020-08-05). Trump Has A Path To Victory. It's Voter Suppression. therealnews.com 
The real threat facing the 2020 election isn't Russian interference or voter fraud, it's the GOP's massive voter suppression effort, argues journalist Greg Palast.
(2020-08-05). Republicans sabotage as negotiations delay pandemic relief package. workers.org 
Aug. 3 — Talks between the Republican administration and its majority Republican Senate with the Democratic Party House and Senate leaders have failed so far to reach agreement. This impasse holds up the emergency relief, which Republicans call CARES-2, beyond the date when vital unemployment supplements expired and the rent . . . |
(2020-08-05). Workers World Party salutes Fidel Agcaoili. workers.org 
Fidel Agcaoili Workers World Party sends its deepest condolences and firm solidarity to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the Communist Party of the Philippines and the world proletarian movement on the death of an extraordinary Filipino revolutionary, Fidel Agcaoili, on July 23. Fidel's deep, lifelong dedication to organizing . . . |
(2020-08-05). Gaffe-smothered Biden laughs off the idea he should take a cognitive test. rt.com 
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has mocked an interviewer who asked him if he would take a cognitive test, and also dismissed Donald Trump's challenge to do so. | "Why the hell would I take a test?" the 77-year-old politician asked, during a Tuesday Yahoo News interview after confirming that he has not taken one. Biden then used his catchphrase "come on, man" to mock the very idea, adding that it is like asking the interviewer, Errol Barnett, if he has been taking cocaine before the interview. | Biden concluded by saying he believes that Barnett was trying to "goad" him during the interview, but…
(2020-08-05). Biden's wife says he WILL debate Trump, as his campaign blames right wingers for 'imaginary controversy'. rt.com 
Joe Biden's wife confirmed in a Fox News interview that he will go through with plans for debates with President Donald Trump, ignoring the advice of some political strategists and media outlets such as CNN. | "Oh yes, he will," Jill Biden told Fox's Dana Perino on Tuesday. "I think they've already, I think it's three debates they've decided on. So yes, he will be there." She added that her husband, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, will make up his own mind rather than being swayed by those who are urging him to skip the debates. | Jill Biden's comments echoed those of Biden campaign spokes…
(2020-08-05). Biden backs out of attending Democratic convention on Covid-19 fears, will instead accept presidential nomination VIRTUALLY. rt.com 
Joe Biden won't be traveling to Milwaukee as planned to accept the Democratic presidential nomination – he and other scheduled speakers at the party's national convention will give their speeches remotely, due to Covid-19 fears. | "From the very beginning of this pandemic, we put the health and safety of the American people first," Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said Wednesday. | "We followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts, and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives. That's the kind of steady and responsible leadership America deserv…
(2020-08-05). NYC setting up quarantine CHECKPOINTS to monitor visitors from 34 states, de Blasio says. rt.com 
New York City is setting up checkpoints at bridges, tunnels and train stations to crack down on visitors from 34 states attempting to elude a statewide mandatory two-week Covid-19 quarantine, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced. | De Blasio warned visitors that the city would be tightening its surveillance of new arrivals at "key entry points" during a press conference on Wednesday. Visitors "will be reminded that [quarantine] is required, not optional," he told reporters, adding that failure to self-isolate can net violators a $10,000 fine. | Mayor de Blasio says, "starting today," NYC will put COVID checkpoin…
(2020-08-05). Former nurse defeats veteran congressman in another victory for the left wing of the Democratic party. rt.com 
Cori Bush has unseated Democratic Party congressman William Lacy Clay, defeating a political dynasty that has represented its district in St Louis, Missouri, for more than half a century. | The race ended on Tuesday night, though far from a landslide, with Bush, a former nurse,
(2020-08-05). Former acting AG Yates says she signed bogus FISA requests to spy on Trump campaign because it's not her job to do fact-checking. rt.com 
Former acting attorney general Sally Yates continued clinging to the possibility that President Donald Trump colluded with Russia to get elected in 2016, testifying in the Senate that she couldn't opine on whether he's guilty. | Asked on Wednesday by Louisiana Republican John Kennedy whether Trump violated the law by somehow colluding with Russia, Yates said the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller found
(2020-08-05). A tale of two Chomskys: Cancel culture vs. neoliberal hegemonic soft power. mronline.org 
Noam Chomsky has been writing about the lack of democracy under neoliberal hegemony for decades, which is why I was so surprised that he signed the recent Harper's Letter.
(2020-08-05). Ocasio-Cortez, Vel√°zquez Call for Investigation Into Possible Martin Act Violations by New York Hedge Funds. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-05). US War on Chinese Enterprises. globalresearch.ca US war on China's rising prominence on the world stage is a bipartisan affair. | It won't likely miss a beat if Biden succeeds Trump in January. | US hostility toward China by Republicans and Dems differs only or largely in style …
(2020-08-05). People's Action Cheers Rep. Rashida Tlaib's Defeat of Challenger in Heated Michigan Primary. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-05). PFAW Congratulates Rashida Tlaib on Primary Win. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-05). From Medicare-for-All to "Masks-for-All": Bernie Sanders and the incredible shrinking "political revolution" wsws.org Under conditions of the greatest political, economic, social, and health catastrophe in US history, Sanders' proposal amounts to less than a Band-Aid for a bullet wound.
(2020-08-05). The Big Tech Hearings Could Be a Model for Corporate Accountability. cepr.net The American Prospect See article on original site In 2018, Democrats ran and won on a platform to hold President Trump and his cronies accountable. Many observers expected to be treated to a full schedule of oversight programming in the succeeding Congress, with a nearly endless stream of smug incompetents being caught in their lies …
(2020-08-05). Syria criticizes US deal with SDF over its oil fields. peoplesdispatch.org Syrian oil fields in the north-eastern part of the country have been under the control of the Kurdish-led rebel group, Syrian Democratic Forces, since the defeat of ISIS in 2017…
(2020-08-05). New York educators oppose city and state school reopening plans. wsws.org Teachers in New York are determined to prevent the unsafe reopening of schools by the Democratic mayor and governor.
(2020-08-05). US teachers defy threats to cut funding for schools that delay in-person learning. wsws.org Republican-controlled legislatures in several states are moving to cut funding and outsource the jobs of teachers if schools do not open with full in-person learning.
(2020-08-05). Water Wars and America's Fate. strategic-culture.org India versus China, Egypt versus Ethiopia, Israel versus the Palestinians — the Water Wars are already here with U.S., yet American and European policymakers remain disastrously blind to them. This is certain to have catastrophic consequences for the wealthy, arrogant and ludicrously complacent elites of the West. | The problem is particularly acute in the United States: Indeed, it has been growing for half a century but has reached such enormous dimensions in the 21st century that neocon imperialist Republican, neoliberal imperialist Democratic and Green policymakers are all oblivious to it. | How can this…
(2020-08-05). 'Don't Let Anyone Fool You,' Says Sanders. Primary Wins Show Progressives 'Transforming American Politics'. commondreams.org Sen. Bernie Sanders maintains progressive candidates won because they campaigned "not only against Trump, but for an agenda that works for the working families of this country." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-08-05_at_3.02.38_pm.png …
(2020-08-05). Beware Biblical Literalists Like Pompeo Seeking War With China. commondreams.org U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo admitted on Wednesday that he was on the phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensy in July, in which Trump asked Zelensky to investigate 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's son. (Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-11336864281.jpg …
(2020-08-05). New Report Accuses Trump of 'Intentional Disregard' and Attack on Democracy Throughout Failed Covid-19 Response. commondreams.org A new report from government watchdog Common Cause details at least seven months of failures by the Trump administration to confront the coronavirus pandemic as a national emergency and to contain the virus. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/intentional_disregard.jpg …
(2020-08-05). How Mitch McConnell's republicans are destroying America. nationofchange.org Time and again, they've shown that they only care about their wealthy donors and corporate backers.
(2020-08-05). House Speaker Pelosi signals readiness to cut unemployment benefits. wsws.org Congress continues to quibble over a new bill as the crisis deepens for millions of workers and their families.
(2020-08-05). The Democratic Party Is Setting the Stage for a Letdown. thenation.com The Democratic Party Is Setting the Stage for a Letdown…
(2020-08-04). Public Health vs. Politics: White House Scrapped Nationwide COVID-19 Testing Plan to Hurt Blue States. democracynow.org 
As the U.S. coronavirus death toll passes 155,000, there is still no national testing program, with widespread shortages and delays hampering efforts to contain the pandemic. This continues months after President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner launched a White House task force with the goal of establishing a national testing plan. We speak to investigative reporter Katherine Eban, whose explosive Vanity Fair report chronicles Kushner's fumbling efforts and the sudden decision to abandon the project on political grounds. "The participants expected that at any moment in early April, the plan would be announced,"
(2020-08-04). Headlines for August 4, 2020. democracynow.org Concerns Mount over Politicization of COVID-19 Vaccine, as Trump Lashes Out at "Pathetic" Dr. Birx, WHO Warns There May Never Be a Coronavirus "Silver Bullet", Trump Threatens to Sue Nevada After It Expands Voter Access, Leaked Video Shows George Floyd Pleaded for His Life, Cooperated with Police, Before He Was Killed, Video Shows LAPD Shot Peaceful Protester in the Head as He Held His Arms in the Air, Prosecutor Clears Arkansas Officers Who Pushed Black Man into the Ground for 6.5 Minutes Before He Died, Census Bureau Cuts Short Collection Efforts by One Month, Mexican Man Dies After Falling from Border Wall, Me…
(2020-08-04). "It's Basically a Death Sentence": Hunger Strikers Demand Release as Virus Surges in ICE Jails. democracynow.org 
People being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement jails are holding work strikes and hunger strikes over the lack of access to personal protective equipment or quality medical care, and to demand their release. We speak with Joe Mejia, an asylum seeker who was among a group of prisoners at Yuba County Jail in California who led a hunger strike while he was held there for nearly 11 months. "That place is dangerous," Mejia says. "It is a death sentence to detainees, especially right now with the coronavirus."
(2020-08-04). "Release Them All": Calls Grow to Stop Jailing Immigrants as Transfers & Deportations Spread COVID. democracynow.org 
The U.S. government continues to hold tens of thousands of asylum seekers and immigrants in detention centers and jails, ignoring the advice of medical experts as the coronavirus continues to spread. ICE has also continued to transfer and deport people — including those who are infected — making it a global superspreader. We speak with Luis Angel Reyes Savalza, an immigration attorney and co-director of Pangea Legal Services in San Francisco, who himself is undocumented and recently got arrested at a protest outside the mansion of California Governor Gavin Newsom demanding the release of people in sta…
(2020-08-04). Militarized BORTAC Border Patrol Raids & Ransacks Medical Camp on U.S. Border, Arrests 30 Migrants. democracynow.org 
In Arizona, heavily armed Border Patrol officers raided the medical camp of humanitarian group No More Deaths and detained 30 migrants whose whereabouts are now unknown. It was the second raid in just two days on the camp, which provides water, food and medical attention to refugees crossing into the United States through the scorching Sonoran Desert. "Immediately after they entered the camp, the first thing they did was round up all of the No More Deaths aid workers and zip-tie them, remove their phones," says Montana Thames, a humanitarian aid worker with No More Deaths. "It was very clear they didn't want any…
(2020-08-04). Trump RUINED our Venezuela coup and botched 'winning play,' cries Democrat senator before getting ROASTED online. rt.com 
The Democratic Party's gripes with President Trump are many, yet the latest may be the most bizarre to date. One senator argued that Trump's brash personality bungled a perfectly good, American-style coup in Venezuela. | If Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) had his way, opposition leader Juan Guaido would be occupying the Presidential Palace in Caracas right now, after the successful ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Despite the weight the US threw behind Guaido last year, the young upstart's planned coup was a failure, and Murphy blames Trump for that loss. | 2/ In early 2019, an opportunity…
(2020-08-04). Trump RUINED our Venezuela coup and botched 'winning play,' cries Democrat Senator & gets ROASTED online. rt.com The Democratic Party's gripes with President Trump are many, yet the latest may be the most bizarre to date. One Senator argued that Trump's brash personality bungled a perfectly good, American-style coup in Venezuela. | If Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) had his way, opposition leader Juan Guaido would be occupying the Presidential Palace in Caracas right now, after the successful ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Despite the weight the US threw behind Guaido last year, the young upstart's planned coup was a failure, and Murphy blames Trump for that loss. | 2/ In early 2019, an opportunity…
(2020-08-04). We Need an Economic Survival Package Not Another Stimulus. counterpunch.org 
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
(2020-08-04). Two more NLRB rulings curb worker rights. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights includes these words opening the Fourth Amendment: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated." Somebody tell the three-white-man, all-Trump-named right-wing Republicans who are now the entire National Labor Relations Board. Recently, the …
(2020-08-04). COVID Stimulus Checks Shouldn't Penalize One-Parent Households. counterpunch.org 
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
(2020-08-04). The Heat: Race for the White House. america.cgtn.com 
Just three months away from the presidential election in the U.S., what does it look like for the two major candidates? On November 3, millions of Americans will choose to either re-elect President Donald Trump or elevate former Vice-President Joe Biden. For now, the polls suggest …
(2020-08-04). Media ramps up campaign to get Biden out of debates with Trump, offering various excuses other than their candidate's failing mind. rt.com 
Media outlets from the New York Times to CNN and Newsweek have offered Joe Biden various reasons over the past several days to skip debates with President Donald Trump. None mentions Biden's fading ability to speak coherently. | A New York Times opinion piece on Monday suggested that presidential debates should be scrapped altogether because they've "never made sense as a test for presidential leadership." | We didn't need the debates to tell us that Trump had chosen to be the P.T. Barnum of American politics. For him, it was (and still is) all about the show, about distracting the public from reality. | CNN p…
(2020-08-04). Illinois lawmaker calls for ABOLITION of 'racist' history classes until state comes up with more 'inclusive' alternative. rt.com 
LaShawn Ford, a Democrat in the Illinois General Assembly, has called for an immediate halt to history classes that he claims "lead to white privilege and a racist society," sparking concerns over an Orwellian revision of history. | "I'm calling on the state board of education to end the teaching of history and the local school districts to take immediate action by removing the current history books and curriculum practices that unfairly communicate our history," Ford said on Sunday at an event in Evanston, Illinois. His vague plan calls for temporarily replacing history classes by devoting greater attention t…
(2020-08-04). Mass Evictions Are on The Way for Millions of American Working Families. sputniknews.com On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Professor Richard Wolff, a professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and founder of the organization Democracy at Work whose latest book is "Understanding Socialism."
(2020-08-04). Colombia: Nobody Is Above The Law, Says Senator Ivan Cepeda. telesurenglish.net Colombian Senator Iván Cepeda for the Alternative Democratic Pole (ADP-Polo Democrático Alternativo) and his lawyer Reinaldo Villalba welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice to issue an assurance measure against former Colombian President àÅlvaro Uribe Vélez, who is being investigated for witness tampering and procedural fraud. | RELATED: | At a short press conference, Villalba said this is importan…
(2020-08-04). Who decides the fate of the US Postal Service? wsws.org The assortment of former Wall Street executives, private CEOs, union financial advisors and major Republican and Democratic Party donors who sit on the USPS Board of Governors is the clearest sign of the ruling class's plans to privatize the USPS.
(2020-08-04). Teachers protest Jordan government's closure of union and harsh crackdown. wsws.org As poverty and social unrest rise, the government has used the draconian emergency laws introduced in March to curtail democratic rights.
(2020-08-04). The Confessions and Polemics of Esmeralda "The Red" Chang. dissidentvoice.org On American Democracy In American political discourse we frequently hear the term "our democracy." For example, the Russiagaters are fond of this term. The term grates. The sound of the utterance "our democracy" is not as bad as the sound of fingernails scratching a chalkboard, but it's reminiscent. It's been said that a great advantage …
(2020-08-04). The 1 Percent's Attack on Unemployment Benefits is a Sign of Our Broken Democracy. counterpunch.org Members of the One Percent, such as former restaurateur Andrew Puzder, have urged Congress to not renew the $600 a week unemployment supplement Congress enacted as part of the CARES Act. They argue, in Puzder's words, that "this $600 per week bonus is discouraging work" for low-wage earners. No one receiving unemployment benefits will make themselves
(2020-08-04). Trump installs ex-general and anti-Islam bigot in top Pentagon post. wsws.org The appointment of retired Gen. Anthony Tata was carried out by means of a maneuver designed to bypass opposition from both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate.
(2020-08-04). 'How The South Won The Civil War'. popularresistance.org If you think about the Civil War as a war between two different ideologies, two different concepts of what America is supposed to be, is it supposed to be a place where a few wealthy men direct the labor and the lives of the people below them, the women and people of color below them, the way the Confederacy argued? Is that America? Or is America what Lincoln and his ilk in the Republican Party in the North defined the democracy as during the Civil War? Is it a place where all men are equal before the law and should have equal access to resources? And of course, I use the word man there, but that's because that's…
(2020-08-04). Racial And Ethnic Economic Inequality And The COVID-19 Pandemic. popularresistance.org The Democracy Collaborative prepared a report, created for the Healthcare Anchor Network, that looked at how racial and ethnic disparities in the economy are showing up in the COVID-19 pandemic and in the public policy response to the pandemic. The report also covers how the economic effects of the pandemic will likely impact racial and ethnic inequality. | Every passing day brings new, painful evidence of how the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting people of color in the United States.
(2020-08-04). Privacy Advocates Herald Bill to Curb Corporate Use of 'Enormously Invasive' Facial Recognition Technology. commondreams.org New legislation put forward by Sens. Jeff Merkley and Bernie Sanders on Tuesday would curb the use of facial recognition software by corporations, helping to slow the spread of "abusive" surveillance, according to leading privacy advocates. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1181457356_2.jpg …
(2020-08-04). The GOP Are Standing on Trump's Sinking Ship, But Democrats Need a Vision Beyond Electing Biden. commondreams.org President Donald Trump, writes Conniff, "is so godawful, you would think more Republicans would be jumping ship already. But apart from Mitt Romney, Charlie Sykes, and a handful of other principled conservatives, GOP politicians appear to be willing to go all the way to the bottom with their epic failure of a president." (Photo: DonkeyHotey/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/donald_donkeyhotey_2.jpg …
(2020-08-04). Trump's Big Lie About Covid-19 vs. Grieving Families and a Dying Democracy. commondreams.org "Trump's lies about the coronavirus," writes Hartmann, "are encouraging older people who watch Fox and believe what they see to take chances and expose themselves to the virus and, as a result, they are dying all over the country." (Photo: Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1208284583_custom-a004a62ab1ac27a1c0ca27e433631afa58235b54-s800-c85.jpg …
(2020-08-04). 'Impossible for Democracy to Function': Study Reveals Growing Mistrust of American Media. commondreams.org The findings from the Knight Foundation and Gallup suggest lack of trust in news media has far-reaching effects. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-camera-crop_955x500.jpg …
(2020-08-04). Biden's Running Mate Matters. So Does His Cabinet. thenation.com Biden's Running Mate Matters. So Does His Cabinet.
(2020-08-03). What If Trump Refuses to Accept a Biden Victory? A Look at How Electoral Chaos Could Divide Nation. democracynow.org 
As President Trump floats the idea of delaying the election, we speak with Nils Gilman, historian and co-founder of Transition Integrity Project, which organized a bipartisan group of experts to game out what a contested November election might look like. "In every scenario except for the one where Biden won in a landslide, we ended up with severe electoral contestation, protests in the streets, crazy stories happening on social media, and the challenges went down to Inauguration Day," Gilman says.
(2020-08-03). "They Have No Evidence": Moroccan Journalist Omar Radi Jailed, Surveilled After Criticizing Gov't. democracynow.org 
Award-winning journalist and human rights activist Omar Radi spoke to us from Casablanca on July 16. Two weeks later, on July 29, last Wednesday, Moroccan authorities arrested him on what press freedom advocates call "retaliatory charges." Now a court has charged Radi with undermining state security by receiving foreign funding and collaborating with foreign intelligence, and also charged him with rape. He is reportedly being held in a prison that is a COVID hot spot, and has not been allowed to have visits from his lawyer or his parents. We feature our interview with Radi, which focuses in part on an Amnesty Int…
(2020-08-03). Headlines for August 3, 2020. democracynow.org White House's Dr. Birx Warns U.S. Has Entered New Phase in Pandemic as Death Toll Tops 155,000, Lawmakers at Standstill over Coronavirus Bill as Democratic Rep. Grijalva Goes After GOP Response, Worldwide Cases Top 18 Million as Countries Across the Globe Hit Grim New Milestones, Border Patrol Raid Arizona Humanitarian Camp for 2nd Time in 2 Days, Detain 30 Asylum Seekers, SCOTUS Rules Trump Can Move Forward with Border Wall Construction, Trump Admin to Start Charging Fees for Asylum Applications, Islamic State Claims Attack on Afghanistan Jail Which Killed At Least 29 People, Award-Winning Author Tsitsi Dangarem…
(2020-08-03). Voting Rights Activist LaTosha Brown: Trump Is Hellbent on Undermining Democracy to Win Reelection. democracynow.org 
With President Trump trailing in most polls, he tweeted recently that he was floating the idea of delaying the November election — something he cannot legally do — and continued his attacks on mail-in voting. "We have a president who is probably the most fascist president that we've ever had in this country," responds LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund and the BVM Capacity Building Institute. "He is hellbent on pushing the boundaries, whatever he needs to do, to undermine and undercut democracy."
(2020-08-03). COVID-19 Crisis Failure, People Must Save Themselves and the Economy. dissidentvoice.org 
Positive COVID-19 Test (Shutterstock) 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. …
(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.
(2020-08-03). A fractured empire, within and without. mronline.org 
Two things seem certain at this point: (1) The Trump administration will continue to extend its heavy handed neofascist tactics in the next three months, seeking to expand its political base by these means, and (2) the White House and the Republican Party will try to engineer another set of stimulus payments/tax cuts in early …
(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
(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
(2020-08-03). Vital: Will a 'President Biden' become America's 'Putin?'. thealtworld.com American elections are demonstrations to the world of how democracy can go bad. It is clear and simple. They are ruled by cash, run by 'cons' and exist inside a political system that is the most corrupt on earth. | American politics matter to the world because, quite simply, when America catches a cold, the world goes on life support. | We are going to be looking at a number of policy and leadership issues and the possibility of regime change in Washington and the potential impact, but, at the outset one issue has typified the US under Trump and that is the abandonment of all concepts outlined under the United Na…
(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.
(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.
(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.
(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…
(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…
(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…
(2020-08-03). Oligarchy and Democracy From the Civil War to the Present. commondreams.org The Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Bull Run, Va. July 21st 1861, Currier and Ives. (Drawing: Library of Congress) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/service-pnp-pga-06100-06122r-1-640×461.jpg …
(2020-08-03). Republican Senators Commit Political Suicide by Holding Up Stimulus in Election Year. commondreams.org Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) arrives at the Senate chamber as the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump continues at the U.S. Capitol on January 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/susan_collins_fake_moderate.jpg …
(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." …
(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 …
(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.
(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…
(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…
(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…
(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
(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…
(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…
(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.
(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…