(2020-08-13). Headlines for August 13, 2020. democracynow.org Kamala Harris and Joe Biden Make First Appearance as Running Mates, U.S. Records Highest Coronavirus Death Toll of Summer, NJ Schools Allowed to Reopen as NY Educators Call for Delay to Start of School Year, Florida Sheriff Bans Deputies from Wearing Masks as Coronavirus Cases Spike, New WH Coronavirus Task Force Chief Is Radiologist Who Favors Herd Immunity, New Zealand Imposes New Lockdown as Coronavirus Spreads for First Time in Months, Argentine Doctor Warns of Spike in COVID-19 Deaths as Hospitals Hit Capacity, India Records Record Coronavirus Deaths as Ex-President with COVID-19 Placed on Ventilator, House…
(2020-08-13). The Case Against Trump Is "Open and Shut": Kamala Harris Slams President's Handling of Pandemic. democracynow.org 
As Kamala Harris, the first woman of color on a major presidential ticket, hits the campaign trail with Joe Biden for the first time, we play an extended excerpt of her address, in which she blasts President Trump's handling of the economy, immigration, racial justice and the coronavirus pandemic. "The case against Donald Trump and Mike Pence is open and shut," Harris says. "Just look where they've gotten us: more than 16 million out of work; millions of kids who cannot go back to school; a crisis of poverty, of homelessness, afflicting Black, Brown and Indigenous people the most."
(2020-08-13). Was Kamala Harris a Progressive Prosecutor? A Look at Her Time as a DA & California Attorney General. democracynow.org 
As Senator Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman of color on a major party ticket, we host a debate on her record as California attorney general and San Francisco district attorney, when she proudly billed herself as "top cop" and called for more cops on the street. San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Niki Solis says Harris was the state's most progressive DA and advocated for "so many policies and so many alternatives to incarceration." Law professor Lara Bazelon says Harris was on the wrong side of history for often opposing criminal justice reform, though her record did change as a senator. "Her o…
(2020-08-13). General Strike & Blockade in Bolivia Enter Day 11 as Protesters Condemn Delayed Vote by Coup Gov't. democracynow.org 
We go to Bolivia, where opponents of the coup government have entered day 11 of a general strike and nationwide highway blockade to protest the repeated postponement of Bolivia's first presidential election since last year's ouster of Evo Morales by the right-wing coup government of Jeanine àÅñez, which was followed by an economic collapse and oppression. "Almost all of the key highways have roadblocks … bringing the country to a standstill," says Ollie Vargas, Cochabamba-based reporter with Kawsachun News. "People feel impoverished. They feel persecuted. There's a climate of authoritarianism in the count…
(2020-08-13). Ilhan Omar defeats Corporate Democrat, Israel Lobbies in Overwhelming Primary Victory. zcomm.org Although the Israel lobbies put a lot of money into defeating Omar, the issues on which she won, of progressive policing and health care, were largely disconnected from the geopolitical ones where her straight talk had attracted so much vitriol to her…
(2020-08-13). Progressives' problems with Kamala Harris. therealnews.com 
Liberals praised Harris, Republicans attacked her as a "radical leftist," but progressives say the selection underscores the need for sustained grassroots pressure.
(2020-08-13). Vote Democrat to wear a mask? Biden says Americans must mask up for AT LEAST 3 months as CDC warns of 'worst fall ever'. rt.com 
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has urged all Americans to 'mask up' outdoors for the next three months – at the same time as health officials warned disobeying their Covid-19 orders will cause unprecedented suffering. | "Every single American should be wearing a mask when they are outside for the next three months at a minimum," Biden said during a press briefing on Thursday, adding in his characteristic awkward cadence that "every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing." | A nationwide mask mandate would save "over 40,000 lives," according to the experts, Biden claimed. | Also on rt.com…
(2020-08-13). 'Americans must have their freedoms': Trump rejects Biden's call for MASK MANDATE, says states should decide. rt.com 
President Donald Trump rejected his rival Joe Biden's call for a nationwide face mask mandate, saying he trusted elected governors to make science-based decisions about the Covid-19 pandemic that best fit their states. | Biden's approach is "regressive, anti-scientific and very defeatist," Trump said on Thursday during a White House press briefing, accusing the Democrat presidential candidate of hiding in his Delaware basement and wanting the same fate inflicted on all Americans. | The Trump administration is strongly recommending people to wear face masks when social distancing is not practical, but "American…
(2020-08-13). Biden praises 'historic step' of Israel-UAE deal, but claims credit goes to Obama admin and doesn't mention Trump AT ALL. rt.com 
Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden praised the "historic" decision by the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations with Israel, claiming part of the credit for himself and not mentioning President Donald Trump even once. | "Today, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have taken a historic step to bridge the deep divides of the Middle East," Biden said in a statement on Thursday. "The UAE's offer to publicly recognize the State of Israel is a welcome, brave, and badly needed act of statesmanship." | | Biden statement on the Isra…
(2020-08-13). Trump suggests he's withholding post office funds to stop 'universal mail-in voting'. rt.com 
Donald Trump is being accused of "trying to steal" the election after claiming talks with Democrats on Covid-19 economic relief was stalled when the president refused post office funding for "universal mail-in voting." | Asked by Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo what led to the standstill between the White House and Democrats on a coronavirus stimulus package, the president said one of the main points the left will not budge on is extra funding for the US postal service to handle universal mail-in voting, something he is staunchly against. | "They want three-and-a-half billion dollars for the mail-in votes. Unive…
(2020-08-13). Newsweek forced to deny promoting 'birther' theory against Kamala after 'RACIST' op-ed takes deep dive into 14th Amendment. rt.com 
Newsweek was pushed into defending an op-ed questioning Kamala Harris' eligibility for the position of vice president based on the 14th amendment after numerous critics slammed it as "racist birtherism." | In a Wednesday
(2020-08-13). The environmental legacy of Kamala Harris, Biden's newly-announced running mate. peoplesworld.org 
Former Vice President Joe Biden made a historic announcement Tuesday when he named California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate in the 2020 presidential election. Harris is now the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to run for national office for a major political party in the U.S., the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) …
(2020-08-13). "Real politics is constant activism" zcomm.org Interview on the pandemic, the election, the word Bernie Sanders needs to stop using, the Harper's letter, the 1619 Project, patriotism, and the greatest social movement in U.S. history…
(2020-08-13). Is Joe Biden Cognitively Impaired? President Kamala Harris? globalresearch.ca If elected president in November, Joe Biden will be age-78 when entering office in January. | His political career since 1972 as US senator, vice president, and presidential aspirant elevated him to national prominence with high public name recognition. | He's only …
(2020-08-13). America Doesn't Have Real Presidential Debates, But It Should. counterpunch.org On August 6, the Commission on Presidential Debates denied US president Donald Trump's request to increase the number of debates between himself and Democratic nominee Joe Biden from three to four. Trump's case: The expansion of voting by mail means that many ballots will have been cast before the first scheduled fake debate on September
(2020-08-13). Climate Activists Push Biden to Cut Ties With Industry-Friendly Energy Advisers. zcomm.org "We must work to get in climate hawks who understand that every fossil fuel permitting decision is a potential step away from 1.5 degrees."
(2020-08-13). Trump: If I Lose to Biden, Get Ready to 'Have to Learn to Speak Chinese'. globalresearch.ca Ramping up
(2020-08-13). "We face a system incapable of solving the problems of the youth and the people. peoplesdispatch.org Aritz Rodríguez Galán, president of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, talks about the centrality of youth in anti-racism protests, COVID-19 relief work and the building of a better world…
(2020-08-13). Repaying the debt owed to Black people requires a democratic and reparative economy. zcomm.org The entire racial capitalist system that extracts labor and blood from Black lives must go…
(2020-08-13). Critic of Wildlife Department Removed Day Before Scheduled Meetings on Revisions to Wolf-killing Protocols. counterpunch.org SEATTLE Environmental groups called on Gov. Jay Inslee today to reform wolf management in Washington after the sudden removal of conservationist Tim Coleman from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's Wolf Advisory Group. Today's letter urges Inslee to reject the Department's resistance to reform and calls for the crafting of a new state wolf
(2020-08-13). 2020 Sequoia National Park ~ Buffalo Soldiers Day Celebration. indybay.org California US Senator Kamala Harris, a native daughter of Oakland, California, has an special connection with Buffalo Soldiers as she continues to lead the way helping quantify and qualify the merits of our California Buffalo Soldiers Project.
(2020-08-13). Friday 8/21: Rally & March to Slash SFPD's Stash. indybay.org Gather at Civic Center Plaza in front of SF City Hall | March to 850 Bryant…
(2020-08-13). Kamala Harris: Where Does Biden's Running Mate Stand on Middle East Issues? globalresearch.ca The American constitution does not grant the vice president much power. Other than the ability to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate, the VP's main responsibility is to assume the presidency in case of a sudden vacancy in the …
(2020-08-13). Top Muslim Brotherhood figure dies in government custody in Egpyt. yenisafak.com Abdel-Mon'em Abdel-Maqsoud, a lawyer for Muslim Brotherhood leaders, told Anadolu Agency: "Security officials informed me of the death of Essam Al-Aryan without giving any reasons for his death." | "I don't know whether he died in prison or in hospital… I informed his family of his death and started procedures after his death," Abdel-Maqsoud added. | Egyptian pro-government media sources, including Al-Masri Al-Youm, said Al-Aryan's death was from natural causes or a sudden heart attack. | Egypt's Interior Ministry has yet to comment on Al-Aryan's death. | Al-Aryan, 66, was arrested following the ouster of Egyp…
(2020-08-13). The Democratic Convention Is Shaping Up to Be a Centrist Hoedown. thenation.com The Democratic Convention Is Shaping Up to Be a Centrist Hoedown…
(2020-08-12). As Kamala Harris Makes History as VP Pick, Her "Top Cop" Record Faces New Scrutiny Amid BLM Protests. democracynow.org 
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's selection of California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate for the November election makes her the first Black woman and the first Indian American on a major party presidential ticket. "It's hard to overstate how historic, how monumental this is," says Aimee Allison, president of She the People, which works to elevate the political voice and leadership of women of color. But in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history against racist policing, Briahna Joy Gray, the former national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders pres…
(2020-08-12). Headlines for August 12, 2020. democracynow.org Joe Biden Taps Kamala Harris as Vice-Presidential Running Mate, Florida, Georgia Record Record Coronavirus Deaths as U.S. Colleges Delay Fall Sports Season, Bodies of COVID-19 Victims Lie Unclaimed Outside Chapel in La Paz, Bolivia, QAnon Conspiracy Theorist Wins Georgia 14th Congressional District GOP Primary, Rep. Ilhan Omar Fends Off Primary Challenger Who Dramatically Outraised Her, Clintons, Obamas Among Top Speakers at Democratic National Convention, Beirut Vigil Marks One Week Since Catastrophic Port Explosion, Thousands of Protesters in Mali Demand President's Ouster, Chicago Man Accused of Firing at Poli…
(2020-08-12). What the Nazis Learned from Jim Crow: Author Isabel Wilkerson on the U.S. Racial Caste System. democracynow.org 
In her extensively researched new book, "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson argues the United States' racial hierarchy should be thought of as a caste system, similar to that in India. In a wide-ranging interview, she describes how she also looks at the ways Nazi Germany borrowed from U.S. Jim Crow laws. "The Nazis needed no one to teach them how to hate," Wilkerson says. "But what they did was they sent researchers to the United States to study Jim Crow laws here in the United States, to study and to research how the United States had managed to subordinate…
(2020-08-12). With Biden-Harris Ticket Set, Climate Groups Demand 'Transformative Action From Day One' If Elected. commondreams.org "Let's do our part to end this era of chaos and defeat Republicans up and down the ballot. Then, let's turn up to make a Biden-Harris administration lay the groundwork for a Green New Deal." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/kamala_reversal_cnn_climate_forum_0.jpg …
(2020-08-12). A Message to the Left About Kamala Harris—And Us. commondreams.org Kamala Harris addresses the media about migrant children in front of a detention center in Homestead, Florida on June 28, 2019. (Photo: Rhona Wise / AFP / Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/kamala_harris_0.jpg …
(2020-08-12). Lost at Sea: Left Liberals Have No Party. dissidentvoice.org 
I wrote this article over four years ago in 2016 for the purpose of challenging left liberals to face the fact that they have no party. In re-reading it today, everything I said in the original article remains true. In fact, the Democratic Party has leaned even further to the right over the last four …
(2020-08-12). Political strike shuts down Bolivia. workers.org 
Ibarra, Ecuador Do Bolivian lives matter? The Bolivian masses are experiencing a perfect storm of social, health and economic crises. A U.S.-backed military coup overthrew President Evo Morales Ayma in November 2019 — Morales called it a lithium coup. To Wall Street, only the great reserves of Bolivian lithium matter. . . . |
(2020-08-12). An anti-racist vote for class unity. workers.org 
Rashida Tlaib of Detroit made history on Nov. 7, 2018, when she became the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress. This year, in the weeks leading up to the Michigan Democratic Party primary on Aug. 4, the capitalist media questioned whether she would get a shot at reelection. "Congressperson . . . |
(2020-08-12). Kamala Harris? Really? Desperate Times, Desperate Measures. counterpunch.org 
Kamala Harris might be the perfect lens to reveal who the Democrats really are. A good run-down on her track record highlights her assertion that "It is not progressive to be soft on crime."
(2020-08-12). 'What we're seeing now is Jim Crow 2.0'. mronline.org 
CounterSpin interview with Carol Anderson on voter suppression.
(2020-08-12). The Heat: Biden picks Sen. Kamala Harris as running mate. america.cgtn.com 
Democrat Joe Biden has chosen Kamala Harris as his running mate to take on Donald Trump in the U.S. Presidential election.
(2020-08-12). MSNBC accused of cropping image of Biden calling Kamala to remove script he was reading. rt.com 
MSNBC has been accused of some comically conspicuous cropping of a photo of Joe Biden, obscuring his notes for the video call in which he told Kamala Harris she would be his 2020 election running mate. | As election season gathers pace ahead of the November vote to decide the US president, every word, photo and soundbite will be pored over endlessly by both the media and the public, which makes it all the more bizarre that MSNBC would attempt to somewhat needlessly obscure the phone script for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. | MSNBC cropped the photo of Joe Biden video chatting with Kamala Har…
(2020-08-12). 'Trust no one & have fun': Sarah Palin embraced by libs as she comes out with words of encouragement for Biden's VP pick Harris. rt.com 
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who ran as VP on the McCain ticket in 2008, has been praised as a "class act" by her detractors after she gave Biden's freshly-announced VP pick Kamala Harris a long list of dos and don'ts.
(2020-08-12). 'Keep on marching': Biden & Harris stick to 'stop Trump' message in first public appearance together. rt.com 
Joe Biden has made his first joint appearance with running mate Kamala Harris, centering focus on the need to give the boot to Donald Trump while touting the California senator as the first woman of color on a major party ticket.
(2020-08-12). Wanna bet? US statisticians give Trump 'exact same odds' against Biden as the ones he beat in 2016. rt.com 
The major statistical analysis website FiveThirtyEight has US President Donald Trump's odds of winning the November election at 29 percent — exactly the same chances he was said to have had in 2016 before he went on to win. | Nate Silver's website, named for the total number of electors in the US electoral college, unveiled its forecast,
(2020-08-12). Polls show young voters support Biden… but running mate Kamala Harris thinks they're 'STUPID' (VIDEO). rt.com 
Though young voters seem lukewarm about Joe Biden, polls show their support for the Democrat is greater than for Donald Trump. But a newly-surfaced clip shows his VP pick Kamala Harris doesn't think much of the American youth. | At 77 years-old, Biden would be the oldest president in history if he manages to defeat President Trump in November. His advanced age, however, hasn't repelled young voters. According to the latest Monmouth University
(2020-08-12). Atheists for Trump? David Silverman reacts to Biden naming Harris with 'Are You Serious?' face, saying he might VOTE RED. rt.com 
David Silverman, one of America's most prominent atheists, says he's so troubled by the Democratic Party's radical shift to the left and the mowing down of libertarian principles that he may do the unthinkable: vote Trump. | Silverman's face became a popular online meme after his 2011 stand-off with Bill O'Reilly on Fox News, in which he reacted with a particularly perplexed face to the host's "tide goes in, tide goes out" argument supposedly proving the existence of God. It now appears that Joe Biden's Tuesday pick of the Senator Kamala Harris (D-California) as his running mate has triggered a new major "Are…
(2020-08-12). QAnon-supporting, anti-Soros GOP upstart Marjorie Greene on track for Congress after landslide victory in Georgia primary. rt.com 
A GOP congressional candidate who's come under fire for endorsing 'QAnon' conspiracy theories has taken more than half the vote in Georgia's primary runoff race, putting her on track to become the first Q-supporter in Congress. | Businesswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene prevailed over her fellow Republican John Cowan on Tuesday night, earning more than 57 percent of the vote. Greene ran a victory lap following the final result, celebrating her win despite "the GOP establishment, the media, and the radical left" spending "months and millions of dollars attacking me." | The GOP establishment, the media, & the radic…
(2020-08-12). Letters From Melbourne, a 'Ghost Town Police State' Under Brutal Covid Lockdown. strategic-culture.org 
The citizens of Australia's second most populous city are suffering under the harshest lockdown conditions of all Western democracies. Their voices need to be heard. | In the last several weeks, Melbourne has introduced shockingly draconian anti-Covid measures, imposed on the metropolis of some 5 million souls. What tragedy was responsible for spurring officials to leap into action? To blame was a fractional
(2020-08-12). Trump turning state-owned VOA into personal propaganda arm. therealnews.com 
The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) management, which oversees five federally-funded broadcast networks, has suspended four journalists on contract with possible termination. The four journalists are charged with influencing the US elections and violating federal laws by favoring Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden in a video published by the Urdu language service of…
(2020-08-12). Selection of Kamala Harris as VP candidate makes history. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—In a move that is widely expected to boost voter turnout and push Donald Trump out of office in less than 83 days, presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden selected Kamala Harris yesterday as his vice presidential running mate. The selection is being widely lauded not just by Black women but by broad swaths of …
(2020-08-12). Kamala Harris pick can forge historic unity in fight for justice in America. peoplesworld.org 
The selection of Kamala Harris as the first Black female candidate of a major party for the vice presidency of the United States deserves the support of every single person in this country who cherishes democracy, economic justice, and equality. Kamala Harris has said that in these tough times, "People say it is important that …
(2020-08-12). Kamala Harris and her "Top Cop" Record. counterpunch.org 
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(2020-08-12). Trump Is Quite Capable of an "October Surprise" zcomm.org Popular support for autocracy runs disturbingly high. Almost one-fourth of Republicans agree "President Trump should close down mainstream news outlets, like CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times."
(2020-08-12). TG5 Biden picks Kamala Harris — More Dem business as usual. thealtworld.com Peter Lavelle is joined by Philip Giraldi — former CIA counter-terrorism specialist. We discuss what she brings to the ticket and importantly what a Biden-Harris foreign policy would look like.
(2020-08-12). Who is Democratic Senator Kamala Harris? wsws.org In this political profile of Harris, published in July 2019, the World Socialist Web Site summed up her career as a representative of the US criminal justice system and a reliable defender of corporate and intelligence state interests.
(2020-08-12). Joe Biden Picks Kamala Harris as Running Mate. Biden-Harris vs. Trump-Pence. Who is Kamala Harris? globalresearch.ca Whenever US presidential and congressional elections are held, voters get to choose between two pro-war, pro-corporate empowerment, anti-progressive right wings of the one-party state. | Names and faces change, results always the same. Dirty business as usual wins every time — …
(2020-08-12). 'Vital Democracy Reform' Takes Hit in Oregon After US Supreme Court Undermines Another Ballot Initiative. commondreams.org A state-level effort to put redistricting in the hands of the people amid the pandemic was set back after the nation's highest court intervened. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty_supreme_court_crop.jpg …
(2020-08-12). Biden picks former law-and-order prosecutor Kamala Harris to be his Democratic running mate. wsws.org Harris satisfies the advocates of identity politics while reassuring big business with her law-and-order record and close ties to the moneyed elite.
(2020-08-12). How Kamala Harris as VP Can Be a Win for Progressives. progressive.org With the choice of Harris, Democrats are saying: bring it on.
(2020-08-12). With Harris pick, Biden reaches out to young Black Americans. nationofchange.org Harris joining up with Biden may have made the Democratic ticket more attractive to younger Black Americans, who now comprise what we define as a critical set of swing voters.
(2020-08-12). Replaying the 'Syria Scenario' in Lebanon. thealtworld.com The US and its clients are trying to exploit the crisis to advance their plans to destroy Hezbollah. They should know better. | Let us start at the end, without getting bogged down in the details and analyses that fill the Lebanese and Arab media these days: The current ferment in Lebanon, which resulted in the resignation of Hassan Diab's government over the Beirut Port explosion, will eventually lead to the demise of Lebanon's corrupt ruling elite and the 1989 Taif Agreement that brought it to power and established the sectarian carve-up system that sustains it. | The Lebanese people want genuine democratic ref…
(2020-08-12). The 'Wall of Vets' Continue Long Legacy of Veteran Activism. zcomm.org Veterans are mindful of the crimes that an authoritarian government and occupying military force are capable of. They know that we have a civic duty to stand up to these existential threats to democracy, freedom and liberty…
(2020-08-12). The US Labor Movement Needs More of the UE's "Them and Us" Unionism. zcomm.org UE's model of militant, democratic unionism can revive labor…
(2020-08-12). Belarus: UN rights chief condemns violence against protesters, calls for grievances to be heard. news.un.org The flow of free information is "crucial" in a democratic society, the UN human rights chief said on Wednesday, spotlighting the landlocked eastern European nation of Belarus, "especially in a context of crisis and social unrest".
(2020-08-12). Germany deports Roma family to Moldova despite life-threatening conditions. wsws.org The deportations were planned and carried out by the Social Democratic/Left Party/Green government in the state of Berlin.
(2020-08-12). The Medical Assessment of Covid: America Desperately Needs a "Second Opinion" globalresearch.ca Doctors are human and subject to human mistakes. Even doctors with exceptional "expert" credentials are still human and like all humans fallible. That's why patients often seek a second or even third opinion from other expert physicians BEFORE implementing a …
(2020-08-12). Santa Cruz for Bernie Endorses Brown, Hill and Kumar for Santa Cruz City Council. indybay.org Santa Cruz County for Bernie Sanders has announced their organization is endorsing three progressive candidates for Santa Cruz City Council in the November 2020 election: Sandy Brown, Kelsey Hill, and Kayla Kumar.
(2020-08-12). Friday 9/18: Juneteenth Holiday Education Symposium. indybay.org Historic Gold Mining Town | Negro Bar, California | Historic Folsom District…
(2020-08-12). How Trump Can Steal The 2020 Election. popularresistance.org The election was stolen from Clinton four years ago and the even weaker 2020 candidate can expect the same fate. Republicans win the presidency when they steal votes. Democrats need a huge turnout to undo the impact of so-called "spoiled ballots," electronic vote machine theft and the removal of Democratic voters, i.e. Black people, from the rolls. These methods will of course be used in November and ought to be the basis for concerns regarding any electoral malfeasance. | It is important to remember the real electoral threats when Donald Trump decides to have fun with America's collective reptile brain. When he…
(2020-08-12). The Censoring Cancel Culture Against Russia. strategic-culture.org Wyoming Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney,
(2020-08-12). Kamala Harris's "Top Cop" Record Faces New Scrutiny Amid BLM Protests. truthout.org Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's selection of California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate for the November election makes her the first Black woman and the first Indian American on a major party presidential ticket. "It's hard to overstate how historic, how monumental this is," says Aimee Allison, president of She the People, which works to elevate the political voice and leadership of women of color. But in the midst of the largest protest movement in American hist…
(2020-08-12). Trump Calls QAnon Conspiracy Theorist Who Won Georgia Primary "Republican Star" truthout.org A Georgia Republican primary runoff election on Tuesday has resulted with voters selecting a candidate who promotes a highly dubious and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is a supporter of the QAnon set of conspiracy theories, defeated John Cowan in a runoff primary race in Georgia's 14th congressional district. Being…
(2020-08-12). The 2020 Race Is Down to Center-Right vs. Far Right. truthout.org Vice President Mike Pence was doing a campaign gig in Arizona last night, the state where incumbent Republican Sen. Martha McSally
(2020-08-12). Now Comes the Difficult Work of Pushing the Biden-Harris Ticket Left. commondreams.org Democratic presidential hopefuls former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) speak during the second round of the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by CNN at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan on July 31, 2019. (Photo: Jim Waton/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/joe_biden_kamala_harris_healthcare.jpg …
(2020-08-12). Trump's Attack on the Postal Service Now Endangers Democracy. commondreams.org The truth is that the USPS's problems were largely created by Congress. (Photo: Ron Doke/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/usps_1_0.jpg …
(2020-08-12). Denouncing 'Smear Campaign' Against Alex Morse, Former Detractor Calls for Focus on 'Damage Richie Neal Is Doing to Our Democracy'. commondreams.org A Massachusetts law professor on Wednesday retracted an earlier statement about Holyoke, Mass. mayor and progressive U.S. House candidate Alex Morse, who came under attack last weekend regarding consensual sexual relationships he allegedly had with college students. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-08-12_at_3.13.04_pm.jpg …
(2020-08-12). International Community Should Condemn Violent Repression of Pro-Democracy Protests in Bolivia, CEPR Co-Director Says. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-12). Kamala Harris Makes History, Many Times Over. thenation.com Kamala Harris Makes History, Many Times Over…
(2020-08-11). How the Pandemic Defeated America: Ed Yong on How COVID-19 Humiliated Planet's Most Powerful Nation. democracynow.org 
As the world passes a grim milestone of 20 million coronavirus cases, we look at how the pandemic humbled and humiliated the world's most powerful country. Over a quarter of the confirmed infections and deaths have been in the United States, which has less than 5% of the world's population. Ed Yong, a science writer at The Atlantic who has been covering the pandemic extensively since March, says existing gaps in the U.S. social safety net and the Trump administration's "devastatingly inept response" made for a deadly combination.
(2020-08-11). Lebanon's Gov't Resigns Amid Public Rage over Beirut Blast, But Protesters Demand Structural Change. democracynow.org 
After days of protests, Lebanon's government has resigned following the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut that killed 200 people and injured thousands. The port blast, the source of which was 2,700 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate left unattended in a warehouse for more than six years, occurred as Lebanon was already facing political, economic and public health crises. We speak with Ziad Abu-Rish, a historian and research fellow at the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and co-director of Bard College's Masters of Arts program in human rights and the arts, who says despite public outrage toppli…
(2020-08-11). Headlines for August 11, 2020. democracynow.org Lebanese Gov't Steps Down in Wake of Catastrophic Beirut Explosion and Mounting Protests, Trump Mulls Barring Americans from Reentry into U.S.; Coronavirus Cases Rise in Kids, Russia Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine; New Zealand Goes Back into Lockdown, Unrest in Chicago Sparked by Police Shooting Leads to 100+ Arrests, 16 People Arrested in Portland, OR Protests, Including Hate Crime Survivor Demetria Hester, Belarus in Turmoil as Lukashenko Cracks Down on Protests, Opposition Candidate Flees to Lithuania, Bolivia Protests Against Interim Right-Wing Gov't Intensify; Union Calls for General Strike, Fires in Brazil…
(2020-08-11). "Prisons Are Not Fit for Human Occupation": San Quentin Prisoners Speak Out as Virus Deaths Reach 25. democracynow.org 
California's notorious San Quentin State Prison is experiencing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the United States. At least 2,200 prisoners have been infected, and 25 have died. More than 260 staff members have also been infected. We hear from two people incarcerated at San Quentin about conditions inside and the punitive measures authorities have taken against prisoners campaigning for better safety measures, and speak with James King, a member of the Stop San Quentin Outbreak Coalition. "The conditions at San Quentin are horrific," says King, who was incarcerated at San Quentin from 2013 until December 2019.
(2020-08-11). By clasping hands with Netanyahu, 'top cop' Kamala Harris whitewashes Israel's racism. thegrayzone.com A friendly meeting California senator and self-declared "top cop" Kamala Harris held with Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows…
(2020-08-11). Ilhan Omar speaks at Minneapolis celebration of NO BAN Act passage In House. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – A small crowd gathered in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on August 10 for a press conference celebrating the passage of the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. | The bill would repeal President Trump's racist travel ban that has prevented immigration from a list of Muslim-majority and African countries. It would also strengthen prohibitions against discrimination on visa applications, permanently barring the executive branch from banning people from entering the United States on the basis of religious affiliation. Approv…
(2020-08-11). Progressive Ilhan Omar Faces Dark Money and Right-Wing Attacks in Minnesota Primary. commondreams.org "When you speak truth to power, power fights back," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said of Omar's primary challenge. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-08-11_at_1.21.58_pm.png …
(2020-08-11). Radical historian challenges traditional Marxist view of 'so-called' American Revolution. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The 'so-called' American Revolution of 1776 was not a bourgeois-democratic uprising for liberty as the common view would have it. Instead, it was a settler-colonialist revolt, a reactionary event aimed at blocking the impending abolition of slavery. That according to radical historian Gerald Horne, who is challenging both mainstream as well as traditional Marxist narratives about …
(2020-08-11). Trump and Biden, Two Ignoble Minds Here O'erthrown. counterpunch.org 
At the presidential level and perhaps down-ticket too, this year's electoral circus will be a spectacle well calculated to cause disgust and despair — thanks mainly to Donald Trump's unprecedented machinations, but also because, at least in the presidential contest, the main contenders, both of them, are embarrassingly unfit to serve. For kindness sake, one
(2020-08-11). Why Capitalism is in Constant Conflict With Democracy. counterpunch.org 
The capitalist economic system has always had a big problem with politics in societies with universal suffrage. Anticipating that, most capitalists opposed and long resisted extending suffrage beyond the rich who possessed capital. Only mass pressures from below forced repeated extensions of voting rights until universal suffrage was achieved—at least legally. To this day, capitalists
(2020-08-11). 'Beirut is burning': Lebanese youth leader says country in trouble before blast. peoplesworld.org 
Following the devastating Beirut explosion, Robin Talbot and Ewan Simpson of the Young Communist League of Britain spoke to Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth (ULDY) president Adnan Al-Mokdad about his organization's response and the fast-moving political situation in Lebanon. The following article detailing their conversation is an edited version of an article that originally appeared …
(2020-08-11). The Heat: Race for White House as Trump battles Democrats. america.cgtn.com 
The race for the White House heats us as Trump and Democrats battle over economic aid.
(2020-08-11). Joe Biden chooses Kamala Harris as running mate. rt.com 
2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden has announced his running mate. The Democratic challenger picked former California senator and former prosecutor Kamala Harris, after promising to select a woman of color for the role. | Biden announced his pick on Tuesday, with Harris previously considered a front-runner for…
(2020-08-11). Trump launches scathing ad on 'phony' Kamala Harris as Democrats are torn over Biden's VP pick. rt.com 
President Donald Trump is having a field day with the choice of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate. While Democrat elites are rallying behind the ticket, frustrated progressives point to her problematic prosecutorial past. | Democrats
(2020-08-11). At least it wasn't Susan Rice: Democrats could have made a worse running mate pick for Biden. rt.com 
Barack Obama's national security adviser Susan Rice would have ticked the woke politics box, but her foreign policy failures and lack of domestic experience ultimately made someone else Joe Biden's running mate. | On Tuesday, hours before Senator Kamala Harris of California was announced as Biden's VP pick on the Democrats' 2020 ticket, the betting markets had pivoted to Rice. | This was based on her taking a leave of absence from her New York Times opinion column and selling off stocks in Netflix, as well as the rumor mill fueled by her conspicuous absence from the list of named speakers at next week's Democr…
(2020-08-11). Kamala Harris got 'destroyed' by Tulsi Gabbard in Democrat debates, dropped out before primaries — and now might be president. rt.com 
California Senator Kamala Harris crashed and burned early in the Democrat primary process, never recovering from the debate drubbing she took from Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. She became Joe Biden's running mate anyway. | "Tulsi" was trending on social networks shortly after the
(2020-08-11). Whose convention is it again? MSNBC uses Republican backdrop to promote Democratic convention. rt.com 
A graphical blunder by MSNBC demonstrates two facts about modern America: that fact-checking takes second seat to pizzazz, and that neither party has a monopoly on red, white, and blue pageantry. | In a series of graphics announcing the speaker schedule for next week's Democratic National Convention, MSNBC on Tuesday listed the names over a photograph of the Republican Party's 2012 convention — where Mitt Romney accepted his party's nomination in a shower of red, white, and blue balloons. | The gaffe was quickly picked up by hawk-eyed Twitter users, who mocked the network for its sloppiness. Among the fir…
(2020-08-11). How the Guardian Betrayed not only Corbyn but the Last Vestiges of British Democracy. dissidentvoice.org 
It is simply astonishing that the first attempt by the Guardian — the only major British newspaper styling itself as on the liberal-left — to properly examine the contents of a devastating internal Labour party report leaked in April is taking place nearly four months after the 860-page report first came to light. If you are a Labour party …
(2020-08-11). DNC Announces Progressive Champion Ocasio-Cortez Will Speak at Convention. commondreams.org Previous speculation indicated the popular New York Democrat would be left off the program. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-08-11_at_8.26.42_am.png …
(2020-08-11). Coronavirus Is the New 'Terrorism'. globalresearch.ca House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed the next multi-trillion dollar "coronavirus relief" spending bill that will support testing, tracing, treatment, isolation, and mask policies that have been part of a "national strategic plan" she has been advocating. The Trump administration …
(2020-08-11). Louisiana Supreme Court denies review of Fair Wayne Bryant's life sentence for allegedly stealing a pair of hedge clippers. wsws.org This horrific experience demonstrates the true face of justice in America, with one set of rules for the poor and oppressed and another set of rules for the wealthy.
(2020-08-11). DNC Delegates: Biden Team 'A Horror Show' of 'Disastrous' Foreign Interventionism. globalresearch.ca Former National Security Advisor
(2020-08-11). The "Election Interference" Fearmongers Think You're Stupid. counterpunch.org Xi Jinping and Ali Khamenei prefer Joe Biden to Donald Trump. Vladimir Putin prefers Donald Trump to Joe Biden. That's according to William Evanina, Director of the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center. "Many foreign actors," he says, "have a preference for who wins the election, which they express through a range of overt and
(2020-08-11). Biden's blueprint for a right-wing presidency: Part two. wsws.org On China, the Democratic platform attacks Trump from the right, claiming that his trade war policies have not restored jobs in the United States and pledging to "stand up" to Beijing.
(2020-08-11). Cuba's doctors to the rescue. peoplesdispatch.org The efforts by Cuba's Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade have been the most significant example of medical internationalism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brigade was set up in 2005 by Fidel Castro.
(2020-08-11). Chicago mayor locks down business district after police shooting sparks looting. wsws.org Democratic officials responded by deploying more police, threatening more aggressive prosecutions and cutting off nighttime access to the Loop.