Daily Archives: August 28, 2020

2020-08-28: News Headlines

Julie Varughese (2020-08-28). "Kamala Auntie": On the Vulgarity of Bourgeois Identity Politics in 2020. dissidentvoice.org Joe Biden picking Kamala Harris for his running mate kicked off a flurry of think pieces in the media. Some of these opinions have attacked the anti-Black and casteist attitudes still prevalent among South Asians in the subcontinent and in the global diaspora. The former prosecutor and attorney general-turned-2020 Democratic vice-presidential nominee has been propped …

Morning Star (2020-08-28). Second Trump term would mean disaster for U.S. and the whole world. peoplesworld.org Socialists around the world are recognizing the danger posed by the re-election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency. Despite reservations about Democratic nominee Joe Biden, the fascist turn of the Trump administration is prompting a recognition that Trump must be defeated at all costs. On this topic, People's World presents the following guest editorial …

Thomas Knapp (2020-08-28). Nick Sandmann: GOP's Poster Child for Fake Victimhood. counterpunch.org A common complaint among Republicans is that their opponents are mainly in the business of manufacturing victims and turning those victims into Democratic voters. That complaint is true as far as it goes. Yes, Democratic politicians work overtime to get out the vote for their party by portraying society at large as having wronged members

Erik Molvar (2020-08-28). William Perry Pendley Must Go. counterpunch.org William Perry Pendley's nomination to lead the Bureau of Land Management has been withdrawn and while President Trump offered no explanation for withdrawing Pendley's nomination, it seems he didn't have the votes necessary for Senate confirmation. The Senate Democrats were united against him and a few GOP Senators found themselves in an election year hot

Muhammed Shabeer (2020-08-28). How a communist youth organization in Kerala raised USD 1.4 million for COVID-19 relief. peoplesdispatch.org Cadre of the Democratic Youth Federation of India in the State of Kerala raised USD 1.4 million by running a recycling campaign where they collected scrap from across the State and sold in to recyclers…

Tim Libretti (2020-08-28). Tom Cotton is wrong; we don't have to suffer for capitalism. peoplesworld.org Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton recently proposed legislation that would deny federal funding to schools that in any way used The New York Times' controversial 1619 project in its curriculum. The series explores the history of the United States through the lens of slavery, premised on the fact that accounts of slavery have not been …

Norman Solomon (2020-08-28). Time to defeat Trump — without make-believe about Biden. nationofchange.org "With another Trump presidency, the left would have few options and could face new levels of government repression."

Reese Erlich (2020-08-28). Foreign Correspondent: Biden's Troubling Foreign Policy. progressive.org An important behind-the-scenes battle is being fought over the Democratic nominee's conservative positions.

Serge Halimi (2020-08-28). Restoration in Washington? counterpunch.org In 2008, when Barack Obama chose veteran centrist Joe Biden as his vice-presidential running mate, it seemed a prudent choice: Democrats had already expressed their desire for change by choosing a progressive African American who opposed the Iraq war to succeed George W Bush. In November, it's Biden's turn to run for the top job.

Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research (2020-08-28). Our enemy is imperialism, not abstract art: Fidel Castro. peoplesdispatch.org Today, the threat of imperialism looms with increased might and is putting the future of life and the planet at risk. It has diverse manifestations from military aggression, to the pillaging of territories near and far by transnational companies for natural resources, the militarization of the planet and stockpiling of incomprehensibly dangerous weapons, a global economic order characterized by extreme inequality, and the subjugation of nation-states to international financial and trade institutions dominated by imperialist powers. While we are not always conscious of it, many aspects of our daily lives are shape…

news.un (2020-08-28). Myanmar: Upcoming elections an opportunity to take a new inclusive democratic path. news.un.org The Government of Myanmar should embrace upcoming national elections, scheduled for November, as an opportunity to take a new and fully inclusive democratic path, and to address the root of causes of abuses suffered by ethnic minorities, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) has urged.

Various Contributors (2020-08-28). We cannot be silent in the face of Trump's dangerous lies. zcomm.org Rev. Barber, clergy of various faiths called out the lies of the Trump administration on issues including the economy, voting, health care and race during a news conference in Charlotte on Thursday, the last day of the Republican National Convention…

Howard Bryant (2020-08-28). The reality of Black pain is breaking American sports' status quo. zcomm.org Unlike 2014 and the years that followed, the players have sent a message: For a public that expects performance while being indifferent or hostile to the bodies that live inside the jerseys, they will be seen in full dimension, or, sometimes, not at all…

Michael Payne (2020-08-28). Trump and DeJoy's main objective: To incapacitate the US Postal Service. nationofchange.org What we need now is to see a plethora of other states joining in these lawsuits that are charging Trump and DeJoy with deliberate voter suppression.

Staff (2020-08-28). Historian Rick Perlstein on the RNC & Trump's Dangerous Propaganda Driving People to Violence. democracynow.org President Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican Party's nomination on Thursday before a crowd of about 1,500 on the South Lawn of the White House. In defiance of social distancing guidelines, attendees sat shoulder-to-shoulder with few people wearing masks. Trump spoke as the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus neared 180,000 — by far the highest total in the world — and repeatedly defended his administration's handling of the pandemic. Trump warned of chaos and violence if Joe Biden becomes president, but made no reference to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, or the k…

Staff (2020-08-28). Headlines for August 28, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Assails Biden's "Socialist Agenda" in RNC Acceptance Speech Riddled With Lies, CDC Projects Official U.S. Death Toll Will Top 200,000 in September, Two Navajo Sisters Who Worked as Frontline Health Workers Die of COVID-19, Alabama Professors Ordered Not to Warn Students of Exposure to Infected Classmates, Hurricane Laura Leaves Path of Devastation in Louisiana, Triggers Chemical Plant Fire, Hurricane Topples Confederate Monument that Lake Charles Officials Refused to Remove, Jacob Blake, Left Paralyzed by Officer's Bullets, Reportedly Handcuffed to Hospital Bed, Teenage Militia Member Charged Over Shooting…

Staff (2020-08-28). Hurricane Laura Devastates Gulf Coast, Laying Bare Climate Crisis, Environmental Racism. democracynow.org Hurricane Laura has slammed ashore as an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, bringing sustained winds of 150 miles per hour to the Gulf Coast. The strongest storm to hit Louisiana in over a century, Laura made landfall near the border of Louisiana and Texas. At least six people have been killed. Residents near Lake Charles were told to stay indoors with windows and doors shut when a chemical fire broke out at a Biolab plant. Hilton Kelley, the executive director of the Community In Power and Development Association, says local communities are dealing with multiple crises amid the devastation of the hurricane. "

Staff (2020-08-28). ACLU Demands Resignation of Top Cops in Kenosha for Racism & Brutal Response to Jacob Blake Protests. democracynow.org The ACLU of Wisconsin is calling for top Kenosha law enforcement officials to resign in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, who was left paralyzed below the waist after a white officer shot him in the back seven times. The shooting has sparked mass protests in Kenosha and around the U.S., bringing renewed attention to racism and violence in the Kenosha police force. A damning video of Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth has surfaced from a 2018 news conference, when he described Black people accused of shoplifting and crashing a stolen car as "garbage people that fill our communities that are a cancer t…

Staff (2020-08-28). Jacob Blake Shooting Shines New Light on Death of Michael Bell, Killed by Kenosha Cops in 2004. democracynow.org In light of the police shooting of unarmed African American father Jacob Blake, we look at the past misconduct of the Kenosha police department. In 2004, Kenosha police killed white 21-year-old Michael Bell in front of his mother and sister. The Kenosha Police Department conducted its own review of the incident, and within two days completely exonerated the officers. Bell's father, Michael Bell Sr., commissioned an independent inquiry that found the police account of the incident to be forensically impossible. "It was really hard for me to believe that a uniformed person would do that," says Michael Bell Sr., who…

Norman Solomon (2020-08-28). Twin Imperatives: Defeat President Trump This Fall, Challenge President Biden from Day One. indybay.org The Republican Party today is the party of white supremacy…

Labor Video Project (2020-08-28). Post Office Privatization Scams, Corruption & Politicians With Author Peter Byrne. indybay.org Journalist and author Peter Byrne discusses the privatization of the US post offices and the role of Diane Feinstein's husband Richard Blum. He also talks about Democratic politicians including Senator Kamala Harris who is now running for Vice President with Joe Biden.

RT (2020-08-28). WATCH BLM activists BEHEAD Trump effigy & pretend to shoot up 'cops' in noisy RNC protest outside White House. rt.com Demonstrators have gathered near the White House to protest the Republican National Convention, trying to drown out the event with loud music and chants while decapitating President Donald Trump's effigy with a mock guillotine. | Protesters blared music, shouted slogans and beat drums in the nation's capital on Thursday, many gathered not far from the White House, where Trump gave his acceptance speech to a live audience of more than 1,000 on the final night of the RNC. | #dcprotest pic.twitter.com/GM92w7yIX9— Matt Brown (@mrbrownsir) RT (2020-08-28). 'Violence & destruction do not save black lives, they destroy them': Widow of David Dorn, cop killed by looters, says at RNC. rt.com Ann Dorn, the widow of retired police officer David Dorn, shot to death in St. Louis amid violent protests, has urged the nation to "remember that every life is precious" while denouncing riots that cost her husband his life. | Dorn's widow — who like her late husband is a former St. Louis police officer — became one of the highlights of the fourth and final day of the Republican National Convention, which culminated with US President Donald Trump accepting his party's nomination on Thursday night. | She spoke at length about the ordeal she went through on the night of June 2 when Dorn, who was tryin…

RT (2020-08-28). Award-winning investigative journalist ridiculed on Twitter after calling out Ivanka Trump for 'LEGOGATE' fib. rt.com With 'Russiagate' done and dusted, and the 'Ukrainegate' impeachment a flop, some intrepid journalists have scraped the bottom of the barrel and come up with a new Trump family scandal: 'Legogate.' | Speaking to the Republican National Convention on Thursday, the US president's daughter and advisor, Ivanka Trump, shared a personal anecdote about moving to Washington DC with her family. "My son Joseph promptly built Grandpa a Lego replica of the White House. The president still displays it on the mantel in the Oval Office and shows it to world leaders, just so they know he has the greatest grandchildren on Eart…

RT (2020-08-28). Republican Senator Rand Paul gets swarmed & harassed by mob of 'over 100' after Trump's RNC speech. rt.com An enraged crowd "attacked" Kentucky Senator Rand Paul in the vicinity of the White House, with some hot-headed mobsters going as far as to violently push officers escorting the prominent lawmaker. | Footage of the assault quickly spread on social media on August 28, showing Senator Paul and his wife slowly making their way through a street in the US capital after the final night of the Republican National Convention. | People are seen swarming the senator, with police forming a protective ring around him. | Things started to get more contentious when an officer appears to have been shoved into Paul, nearly k…

sputniknews (2020-08-28). RNC vs DNC: Though Biden Leading in Polls, Strong Economy is POTUS' 2020 Trump Card, Observers Say. sputniknews.com The 2020 Republican National Convention (RNC) ended on Thursday night with Donald Trump delivering his acceptance speech. American observers have discussed the competitive advantages and flaws of the DNC and RNC shows weighing up the GOP's chances of attracting unaffiliated voters.

sputniknews (2020-08-28). Trump Accepts GOP Presidential Nomination, Promises 'Economic Boom' During RNC Speech. sputniknews.com The four-day Republican National Convention hosted various speakers, from members of the president's family and prominent GOP figures to media personalities.

_____ (2020-08-28). Trump/Biden… Two Candidates Both Standing for War Party. strategic-culture.org How do we know there will be no change from the election of Donald Trump or Joe Biden? Because they are essentially two faces on either side of the same coin. This is more self-evident after the Republican national convention this week officially nominating Trump for the presidency which followed the Democratic convention last week putting forward Joe Biden as their candidate in the November election. | Both parties are wrapping themselves around the flag in a competition of jingoism and chauvinism. Literally. Speakers for either party have as mandatory backdrop, the ubiquitous stars and stripes bristling with na…

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-08-28). Roaming Charges: Great Balls of Ire at the RNC. counterpunch.org Day One + The Republican convention began, as all conventions should from now on, by deplatforming its platform. The stale ideologies of the pre-Trump party were replaced over the course of four days by a parade of the ridiculous and the repugnant, gun-slingers and fetus-worshippers, conspiracies and histrionics, white grievance, fake piety and unabashed money-grubbing.

Mark Green, Ralph Nader (2020-08-28). The F-Word: No Other Way to Describe Trump's Fascism 2.0. thenation.com The F-Word: No Other Way to Describe Trump's Fascism 2.0…

Staff (2020-08-28). GOP Convention Pretended COVID Was Over While Creating Super-Spreader Conditions. truthout.org He lied about testing, again. He lied about the China travel ban, again. He lied about the pandemic dead, again. He lied about supporting Black people, again. He lied about protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions, again. He lied about Joe Biden and Barack Obama, again and again. He lied about petroleum, the police, the military, the border wall, immigration in general, NATO, the economy, veterans… for more than an hour in the hot COVID night of Washington D.C., Donald Trump brea…

Staff (2020-08-28). White House Official Spurns COVID Prevention: "Everybody Is Going to Catch This" truthout.org Around 1,500 of the president's supporters gathered on the South Lawn of the White House Thursday evening to hear Donald Trump formally accept the nomination for president at the Republican National Convention (RNC). | Before and during the speech, one thing was quite noticeable: In spite of guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

yenisafak (2020-08-28). Foreign missions condemn rights abuses in Zimbabwe. yenisafak.com In a joint statement issued Friday, the envoys urged Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa to walk the talk, after pledging two years ago to work with all citizens."It is in this spirit that the Heads of Mission express their deep concern with the current political, economic, social, and health crisis that most Zimbabweans are facing today."The Heads of Mission stand by the people of Zimbabwe in their desire for a peaceful and prosperous democracy," the joint statement read.The mission heads noted that the government was criticizing almost everyone including the Catholic Bishops for raising their voices against h…

yenisafak (2020-08-28). Japan's Shinzo Abe: 'Tired not retired'. yenisafak.com The motto "politics demands producing results" has been the hallmark of top Japanese politician Shinzo Abe until he announced his resignation from the office of prime minister on Friday. "I have decided to step down as prime minister as poor health should not lead to wrong political decisions," said Abe, who has led the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as the country's longest-serving premier, besting the previous record of 2,798 days held by his great uncle, Eisaku Sato (1901-1975).He added: "I will continue [my political work] and will run [for parliament] in the next elections."Abe, also Japan's youngest prime m…

yenisafak (2020-08-28). Top Turkish diplomat regrets Japan PM's resignation. yenisafak.com The Turkish foreign minister on Friday expressed sorrow at the resignation of the Japanese prime minister due to health issues.In a Twitter post, Mevlut Cavusoglu said Shinzo Abe made a great contribution in the sense of improving diplomatic ties between Turkey and Japan.Cavusoglu thanked Abe for his efforts in this regard and wished him recovery.Earlier, the 65-year-old Japanese premier announced his resignation due to health concerns, saying: "I have decided to step down as prime minister as poor health should not lead to wrong political decision."The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will hold a poll of se…

yenisafak (2020-08-28). US Rep. senator says he was 'attacked by angry mob'. yenisafak.com US Republican Senator Rand Paul said Friday he was "attacked by an angry mob" of more than 100 people near the White House, where he attended President Donald Trump's nomination convention."Just got attacked by an angry mob of over 100, one block away from the White House," Paul said on Twitter in the early hours of today."Thank you to DC Police Dept for literally saving our lives from a crazed mob," he added.In a video that emerged on social media, Paul and his wife Kelley are seen being escorted by police through a rowdy crowd of protesters.The motive of the confrontation is not clear yet.

Marshall Auerback (2020-08-28). Time for Democratic Deficit Hawks to Go the Way of the Dodo. thenation.com Time for Democratic Deficit Hawks to Go the Way of the Dodo…

Eric Alterman (2020-08-28). The 'Abomination' of a Convention Makes Clear the GOP Threat. thenation.com The 'Abomination' of a Convention Makes Clear the GOP Threat…

Staff (2020-08-27). Law and Order? VP Mike Pence Ignores Police Violence & Stokes Division on Third Night of RNC. democracynow.org Vice President Mike Pence headlined the third night of the Republican National Convention, focusing largely on preserving law and order and attacking Joe Biden. We play excerpts of the comments made by Pence, who made no mention of police brutality or the recent police shootings that have sparked protests across the U.S. Pence also failed to mention the white gunman accused of killing two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Ann Garrison (2020-08-27). Biden's Philly headquarters rents a fence to stop the Poor People's Army. mronline.org Cheri Honkala tells Ann Garrison that the Biden campaign headquarters threw up a rent-a-fence when they heard the Poor People's Army was coming.

Staff (2020-08-27). Headlines for August 27, 2020. democracynow.org Hurricane Laura Hits Louisiana with 150 MPH Winds, "Unsurvivable" 20-Foot Storm Surge, Mike Pence Tells Republican National Convention, "We Will Have Law and Order", Kenosha Police Officer Who Shot Jacob Blake ID'd as Rusten Sheskey, 17-Year-Old Trump-Supporting Militia Member Charged with Murdering 2 Protesters, NBA, WNBA, MLS and MLB Games Postponed as Players Protest Police Shootings, Trump Administration Officials Pressured CDC to Weaken Coronavirus Guidelines , Coronavirus Cases Hit Record High in Burma; Doctors Strike in South Korea Amid Outbreaks, Just Two States Are Distributing Trump's Promised Unemploym…

Staff (2020-08-27). "On a Hunting Spree": Wisc. Rep. David Bowen Says Cops Turned Blind Eye to White Militias in Kenosha. democracynow.org The police shooting of Jacob Blake has sparked massive protests across the country and in Kenosha, where a white teenager opened fire on Black Lives Matter protesters and killed two people. Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old self-declared militia member and avid Trump supporter, was apprehended in Antioch, Illinois, after fleeing Wisconsin. He has been charged with murder. Wisconsin state Representative David Bowen, who has attended racial justice protests in Kenosha, says he "witnessed firsthand" how freely organized white supremacists targeted protesters without interference from law enforcement, and accuses pol…

Staff (2020-08-27). "Authoritarian Nightmare": John Dean Helped Bring Down Nixon over Watergate. He Says Trump Is Worse. democracynow.org As President Trump is set to accept the Republican Party's formal renomination for president amid ongoing scandals and multiple crises, we speak with John Dean, who served as the White House counsel for President Richard Nixon from 1970 to 1973. His testimony during the Watergate scandal helped bring down Nixon. His new book is "Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump and His Followers." "I worked for the last authoritarian president we had," Dean says. "Trump is of a different cut than Nixon. … He's going to make Nixon look like a choir boy before it's all over."

Jesse Jackson (2020-08-27). The Democrats and the Agenda Test. counterpunch.org In last week's Democratic National Convention, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris passed the character test. Now as Trump rolls out his virtual convention, they must ace the agenda test. They need to argue the case for the bold agenda that this country desperately needs, and challenge Trump for his policy failures. The Democratic National Convention

RT (2020-08-27). Campaign props! Putin wannabe! Democrats cry foul over RNC clip of Marines ushering Trump through doors. rt.com Two US Marines doing their job as part of the White House detail have found themselves targeted by outraged Democrats, after the video of President Donald Trump welcoming new US citizens was shown during the Republican convention. | In the video, two Marines can be seen opening the doors for Trump as he walks into a room where the acting homeland security secretary then administers the oath of citizenship to five immigrants. The event was aired on the second night of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday evening. | Trump's critics, obsessed with finding 'links' between him and Russia for the past four…

Roger Harris (2020-08-27). Belarus's Options in the Midst of a Color Revolution. counterpunch.org A "color revolution" is a media term for a movement based on legitimate grievances only to be co-opted into a regime change operation backed by the US and confederates. There have been so many — Georgia in 2003, Ukraine in 2004, Kyrgyzstan in 2005 — that they have run out of colors. Belarus is amidst

RT (2020-08-27). 'Skulduggery': Pelosi says Biden should NOT 'dignify' Trump with a debate as president 'disrespects' office. rt.com House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, thinks her party's nominee Joe Biden shouldn't dignify President Donald Trump with a debate, because he disrespects the office and has engaged in "skulduggery" during the current election. | "I don't think there should be any debates," Pelosi (D-California) told reporters on Thursday. "I wouldn't legitimize a conversation with him, nor a debate in terms of the presidency." | | And so it begins. | PELOSI: "Don't tell anybody I told you this.. Especially don't tell Joe Biden. But I don't think th…

RT (2020-08-27). White House sends 'almost 1,000' National Guard troops & 200+ federal officers to help police in violence-plagued Kenosha. rt.com The Trump administration has deployed nearly 1,000 National Guard soldiers and more than 200 federal agents to support local law enforcement in Kenosha, beset by days of rioting and unrest after the police shooting of Jacob Blake. | "President Trump condemns violence in all forms and believes we must protect all Americans from chaos and lawlessness," White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement on Wednesday night. "This is why he is encouraging Democrat governors to request the National Guard and federal law enforcement to augment their local law enforcement efforts." | We have assisted Wis…

RT (2020-08-27). Democrat congressman faces backlash after claiming that gun owners all have 'small genitals'. rt.com A Democrat congressman from Illinois is being dragged over the coals after insinuating that gun owners have small genitals while speaking on a Zoom call with college students. | Rep. Sean Casten (D-Il) argued that anyone who would want to own a gun must be compensating for something, if they're not part of a well-trained militia. | "If you are a constitutionalist, unless you're a member of well-regulated militia, tell me why you need to own a gun, right? Having small genitals is not a sufficient reason to own a gun," Casten, a known gun control advocate, said. | The politician has pledged support for a plet…

The Canary (2020-08-27). New leader Davey admits a Liberal Democrat revival will not be easy. thecanary.co The Liberal Democrats have "lost touch" with voters, Ed Davey admitted as he set himself the goal of turning the party around as its new leader.The former Cabinet minister said the Lib Dems have to "wake up and smell the coffee" after a series of disappointing general election results.The Kingston and Surbiton MP, who has been acting leader since Jo Swinson lost her seat in the 2019 general election, defeated Layla Moran to win the leadership by 42,756 votes to 24,564. | I am so proud to lead the party that I love. I am determined to rebuild our party, and fight for a greener, fairer and more caring society. Than…

Editor (2020-08-27). Not being Trump is not enough. workers.org Once every four years, the two major capitalist parties in the United States get unlimited prime-time media, with much hoopla, to promote their candidates for U.S. president and vice president. The four-day Democratic National Convention that ended Aug. 20 offered far less than usual, which cannot just be blamed on . . . |

Philip Giraldi (2020-08-27). Let's Talk U.S. Foreign Policy: It Is the Root Cause of Many Evils. thealtworld.com As the United States sinks deeper into a multi-faceted global crisis that no politician seems able or even willing to address, one hears more and more often demands for radical change in who runs the country and to what end. Of course, Donald J. Trump offered such a dramatic shift in priorities four years ago, but he has been unable to deliver due to his own inability to execute and the ill-conceived machinations of those whom he has chosen as advisers. The Democrats for their part are offering little beyond a repeat of their 2016 pander to grievance groups in an effort to cobble together an unassailable majority…

WSWS (2020-08-27). New York City's school reopening plan: anatomy of a crime. wsws.org Mayor de Blasio, a self-proclaimed "progressive," has proven just as willing to carry out the homicidal policy of school reopening amidst the pandemic as his most reactionary Republican counterparts.

Bernie Sanders (2020-08-27). Letter from Bernie on the "Danger of Socialism" zcomm.org But already existing socialism for the rich as the problem…

David Sirota (2020-08-27). Corporate Dems Want You To Shut Up While They Get Loud. zcomm.org Progressives are told to keep quiet until after the election — meanwhile, corporate Dems are blasting out divisive ideological messages that could demoralize Democratic voters and depress turnout…

Uriel Araujo (2020-08-27). The Age of Disputed Presidencies — Is Democracy in Crisis? globalresearch.ca In 1378, it was not clear who the true Pope was. Depending on whom one asked, it was either Clement VII, nowadays listed as an Antipope in the Catholic Encyclopedia, or Urban VI. This was a time of crisis in …

Hugh Iglarsh (2020-08-27). A Republican Pledge of Allegiance. counterpunch.org A Republican Pledge of Allegiance Upon hearing that the Republican Convention this year would have no actual platform, just a pledge of loyalty and support to the whims and person of Donald J. Trump… I pledge allegiance To the Trump, And his polarized states of America. And to all the lackeys Enabling his reign: One

Hana Kiros (2020-08-27). A Tale of Two Teens: When White Killers Are Treated Better Than Black Victims. progressive.org Trayvon Martin, a Black teenager, was killed for walking home at night—Kyle Rittenhouse, a white teenager, is being defended by Republicans after murdering two BLM protesters.

WSWS (2020-08-27). The Republican National Convention: A frightened ruling class incites fascist violence. wsws.org The convention, dominated by hysterical threats against left-wing political opposition, took place against the backdrop of a shooting of demonstrators by a right-wing vigilante.

Ruth Conniff (2020-08-27). Mike Pence's Dark and Scary Vision for America. progressive.org The Republican campaign theme for 2020 is fear of the violence they are stirring up.

editors (2020-08-27). "Don't let them take democracy away from you" indybay.org "United we can and will overcome the time of darkness in America," he said. After four years of Trump's presidency, the Biden-Harris team wants to reunite the country, overcome the Corona crisis and boost the economy with millions of new jobs. In addition, the challengers want to provide an answer to "racial injustice" and take decisive action against the climate crisis [1].

Labor Video Project (2020-08-27). DeJoy Resign! SF Postal Workers/Supporters Of USPO Protest Privatization & Attacks. indybay.org Postal workers from APWU SF and the Mail Handlers as well as supporters of the US Post office rallied in San Francisco against the shutdown of postal sorting machines and the continued privatization of the public services that also threatens a democratic election. | The rally took place on August 25, 2020 as part of a national day of action to protect…

_____ (2020-08-27). For Democracy And Transparency In The Plurinational State Of Bolivia. popularresistance.org We are witnessing the systematic destruction of democracy at the hands of the de facto government of Jeanine AnÃÉez and its allied forces of repression in the streets, on the highways, and the communities across Bolivia. | Through this letter, the members of the Progressive International demand that you take urgent action within your mandate to restore the fundamental rights of the Bolivian people to peace, protest, and democratic self-determination. In our message to you, we emphasize the urgency of your action to protect the integrity of the electoral process in the Plurinational State, to prevent…

sputniknews (2020-08-27). Joe Biden Ignores Nancy Pelosi's Advice, Says He Will Debate Trump and 'Fact-Check' Him on Floor. sputniknews.com The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, whom Trump has repeatedly alleged to be losing cognitive abilities, promised he would act as a POTUS fact-checker, as Democrats accuse the president of distorting facts and giving misleading information.

sputniknews (2020-08-27). Democrats Wage #TrumpChaos 'War' Campaign via Billboards in DC Amid RNC Convention. sputniknews.com The Democratic National Committee (DNC) launched the Twitter hashtag #TrumpChaos, fueling both offline and online campaigns against US President Donald Trump, attacking the president for how he uses the coronavirus pandemic and condemning him for attempting to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

_____ (2020-08-27). Obama Is Wrong, Trump Doesn't Use Twitter Enough. strategic-culture.org Not surprisingly Barack Obama has risen from the murky grey realm of former U.S. Presidents to support his old right-hand man Joe Biden by emotionally criticizing Trump. The

Staff (2020-08-27). Top Democrat Demands DeJoy Turn Over All Secret Trump Campaign Communications. truthout.org A top Democratic congressman is Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), chairma…

Staff (2020-08-27). Trump Is Campaigning on a Fiction. That Doesn't Mean He Won't Stay President. truthout.org Donald J. Trump is the most perfect coward in the long, weird history of American politics. I know this, because he has spent the last three nights showing the nation and the world how grossly thoroughgoing that cowardice is. Many have worked to produce this Republican convention, but all of it has flowed from one mind, Trump's mind, and he is terrified of showing you who and what he truly is. | Wednesday's theme was "A Land of Heroes," and the convention used most of its 150 minutes poaching th…

Staff (2020-08-27). As RNC Speakers Denounce Protests, Police Pepper Spray Activists Protesting RNC. truthout.org Each Republican National Convention (RNC) is met with protests and a corresponding police presence. The resistance against the 2020 convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, has taken on a particularly anti-racist character, in line with ongoing rebellion following the police murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and others in the spring. The RNC protests are happening amid

yenisafak (2020-08-27). Britain's Lib Dems elect former minister Davey as new leader. yenisafak.com Britain's opposition Liberal Democrats elected Ed Davey as their fourth leader in five years on Thursday, with the former minister pledging to rebuild a party that has been sapped of support and suffered losses at last year's election.The Liberal Democrats, long Britain's third party, relied on its opposition to Brexit at last year's election to try to win over voters, but instead ended up with just 11 seats, with their then leader Jo Swinson losing her place in parliament.But they have been kingmakers in the past, entering the 2010 coalition government with the Conservative Party under former prime minister Davi…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-08-27). Citing 'Unbreakable Commitment,' Harris Vows Biden Would Never Place Conditions on US Military Aid to Israel. commondreams.org "Unconditional military aid to Israel," one critic wryly noted, "puts Biden/Harris far to the right of notorious peacenik George H.W. Bush." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/biden_bibi.jpg

Stuart Schuffman (2020-08-27). I'm a Lifelong Progressive Voting for Joe Biden—Here's Why. commondreams.org Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden appears with his running mate, Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) at Alexis I. DuPont High School in Wilmington, Del., on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020. (Photo: Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bidenharris2020.jpg

Joe Lowndes (2020-08-27). Murdering Democracy in Kenosha. commondreams.org A man on the ground was shot during the third day of protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 25, 2020. (Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/kenosha_shooter.jpg

Heidi Shierholz (2020-08-27). UI Claims Remain Historically High and the President's Executive Memorandum Is Doing More Harm Than Good. commondreams.org Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) conducts a news conference after the Senate Republican Policy luncheon in the Hart Building on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mcconnell1.jpg

The Nation (2020-08-27). LIVE CHAT: Join Us for the Republican National Convention. thenation.com LIVE CHAT: Join Us for the Republican National Convention…

Elie Mystal (2020-08-27). We Need to Talk About the GOP's 'Black Friends'. thenation.com We Need to Talk About the GOP's 'Black Friends'

Staff (2020-08-26). RNC Night 2: Trump Loyalists & Family Members Ignore COVID Death Toll & Flout Election Laws. democracynow.org At the second night of the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, speakers largely ignored the devastating public health and economic crisis facing the country as the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus nears 180,000 and tens of millions of Americans are out of work and struggling to pay for food and housing. We feature excerpts from the night, which included praise for President Trump's actions in the Middle East and more dire warnings about a Joe Biden presidency, as well as several speeches that appear to violate the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from using their office for partisan polit…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-08-26). Threat of Devastating Hurricane Laura Highlights a GOP With 'Absolutely No Plan to Deal With the Climate Crisis'. commondreams.org "The Green New Deal is not radical," said Sen. Bernie Sanders. "Having a president in office who calls climate change a hoax—that's radical." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/hurricane_laura_1.png

Staff (2020-08-26). Headlines for August 26, 2020. democracynow.org Two Killed as White Militia Member Fires on Black Lives Matter Protesters in Kenosha, WI, Family of Jacob Blake Demands Arrest of Officers Who Shot Him in the Back, Black Lives Matter Protesters Shot At While Marching in Pennsylvania, Republican National Convention Speakers Continue to Flout Hatch Act Ethics Laws, CDC Quietly Drops Test Recommendation for Asymptomatic People Exposed to COVID-19, Far-Right Militia Leader Ammon Bundy Arrested at Idaho State Capitol, Argentina Posts Record Coronavirus Toll; COVID-19 Resurgent in Europe, Hurricane Laura Could Become Category 4 Storm Ahead of Gulf Coast Landfall, Leba…

Staff (2020-08-26). "Hatemonger": Author Jean Guerrero on Stephen Miller, Trump's White Nationalist Immigration Henchman. democracynow.org A new book on Stephen Miller, the architect of the Trump administration's unprecedented attack on immigrant communities and the immigration system, describes the White House adviser as a dangerous man bringing white nationalist ideology to the highest levels of government. "This is what shapes the immigration policy," says Jean Guerrero, author of "Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda." Miller, descended from Jewish immigrants, has been obsessed with fighting multiculturalism since his teenage years and has steadily climbed the right-wing political ladder to become one of Don…

Staff (2020-08-26). Two Shot Dead in Kenosha as Armed Militias Confront BLM Protests over Police Shooting of Jacob Blake. democracynow.org Protests continue in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where police shot an unarmed Black man in the back seven times as he was getting into his car, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Jacob Blake was reportedly breaking up a fight before police shot him, and the shooting was witnessed by his three young children. On Tuesday, the situation escalated further when at least one white gunman opened fire on a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters. Two people were killed, and a third was injured, as police continued a violent crackdown on protesters demanding justice for Blake. We speak with Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Ma…

Robert Fantina (2020-08-26). US Elections 2020 and the Corporate Media. globalresearch.ca Irony is dead, or at least one might think so by observing several articles about Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar's recent re-nomination. Article after article references her statement that U.S. officials' support for Israel is "all about the Benjamins", and …

Juan Cole (2020-08-26). As Party of Climate Denial Meets, Wildfires Rage and Hurricanes Target Gulf Coast. zcomm.org The Republican Party cannot solve the climate emergency just as it cannot solve the pandemic. It is about making money for its billionaire clientele, not about delivering better lives to working Americans.

Julie Pace (2020-08-26). GOP convention claims coronavirus pandemic is over and economy is booming. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (AP)—At President Donald Trump's Republican convention, he is welcoming to immigrants, not the architect of some of the nation's harshest anti-immigration policies. At Trump's convention, the coronavirus pandemic has largely subsided, not continued to infect thousands of Americans a day. The economy is booming, not sputtering. Trump is a leader in healing racial strife, not stoking divisions. Tuesday's gauzy prime-time …

RT (2020-08-26). Anti-Trump Twitter UNWOKES itself to go after Melania for being an immigrant and a woman following RNC speech. rt.com Anti-Republican partisans online appeared to abandon any pro-women and pro-immigrant rhetoric to mock Melania Trump's accent, appearance and even to doubt her visa following the first lady's RNC speech. | In her address at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, Melania The speech's substance was largely ignored by some Twitter users, who went on to ridicule the first lady for b…

Rick Baum (2020-08-26). Sanders' Inadequate Pandemic Wealth Tax Proposal. counterpunch.org Humanity is obviously in the middle of a grave crisis that "socialist" Bernie Sanders understands. In a column recently published in the Guardian with the title "The Pandemic is helping the rich get even richer. It's time to tax their obscene wealth," he characterizes the current conditions as, "an extraordinary moment in American history: a

Mark Gruenberg (2020-08-26). IBEW leader blows the whistle on Trump plan to cut Social Security. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The Alliance for Retired Americans and the Electrical Workers (IBEW) are blowing a loud whistle on GOP President Donald Trump's threat to the financial future of Social Security. Let him get away with it, they warn, and the chances for a sane and secure retirement for millions would slide downhill. And Social Security's chief actuary, …

Melvin Goodman (2020-08-26). The USA: Global Leader in Election Interference Abroad and Now at Home. counterpunch.org Putin's impact on the election is modest compared to the damage that Trump and Republican legislators throughout the country can inflict. Voter suppression remains a huge problem, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court decision in 2013 to weaken the Voting Rights Act. The campaign against mail-in voting is creating uncertainty and cynicism throughout the country as is Trump's constant ravings about vote by mail causing a fraudulent election.

Mark Gruenberg (2020-08-26). GOP 'platform': Almost nothing for workers. peoplesworld.org CHARLOTTE, N.C.—The Republican Party's 2020 "platform" has almost nothing for workers. Technically, there's not a platform at all and the only thing workers need, according to the GOP, is four more years of Trump. Instead of a platform, there's a two-page 355-word statement issued by Oval Office occupant Donald Trump himself. In simple phrases of …

Mike Walter (2020-08-26). The Heat: Republican National Convention. america.cgtn.com The first night of the Republican National Convention was largely all about…. The Democrats. We will take a look at the U.S. Presidential race.

RT (2020-08-26). Doves not in style? CNN & Fox cut Rand Paul's anti-war speech at RNC as he calls out Biden for backing wars in M. East, Serbia. rt.com Senator Rand Paul's (R-Kentucky) speech at the Republican National Convention was butchered by major cable networks, with CNN cutting it completely and Fox replacing the anti-war part with an interview. | Senator Paul, who frequently crossed swords with Donald Trump when both were vying to become the Republican presidential candidate in the 2016 race, admitted during his speech that he did not always agree with the president, but said that Trump's desire to put an end to the "endless wars" far outweighs their differences. | "I'm supporting President Trump because he believes as I do, that a strong America cann…

RT (2020-08-26). Al Gore says if Trump resists defeat, troops will force him out… after Hillary Clinton said Biden should 'not concede'. rt.com Democrats will either be staunch defenders of the sanctity of US elections, who believe the loser in November's presidential vote must bow out graciously to protect democracy, or they will brace to fight possible defeat in court. | It all depends on who apparently wins on election night. | Former US Vice President Al Gore, who narrowly lost the controversial 2000 election to Republican George W. Bush, told

RT (2020-08-26). DOJ orders New York & other states that sent Covid-19 patients into nursing homes to turn over records. rt.com The US Justice Department is mulling civil rights investigations of four Democrat-run states whose governors forced elder care homes to take in Covid-19 patients, potentially contributing to thousands of deaths. | The governments of New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania have been ordered to turn over Covid-19 data to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division as the agency weighs whether to pursue the probes, according to a statement released on Wednesday. Investigations would be launched under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), a law meant to protect the rights of those…

Matthew Stevenson (2020-08-26). Notes From the Great Democratic Infomercial. counterpunch.org I can't say I was surprised that the Democrats led off their four-day Zoom summer jamboree with one of the Desperate Housewives acting as the moderator. On the same day there appeared a newspaper picture of former president Bill Clinton getting a back rub from a young blonde while both were waiting to board pedophile

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-08-26). 'Honor of My Life': Alex Morse Scores Big Boost with Ocasio-Cortez Endorsement. commondreams.org AOC's Courage to Change PAC targets influential corporate-backed incumbent Richard Neal in a bid for yet another progressive upset. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/morse.jpeg

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-26). Did Pompeo Breach the Hatch Act and State Department Regulations? globalresearch.ca On Tuesday, Pompeo addressed the Republican National Convention from Jerusalem, his remarks prerecorded. See below on what he said. | *** | Was his unprecedented act by a US secretary of state unlawful? | According to the 1939 Hatch Act, US executive branch …

WSWS (2020-08-26). Who are the Republican spymasters and war criminals who have endorsed Biden? wsws.org Republican former security officials, virtually all of whom were involved in war crimes and domestic spying, have announced that they will be voting for the Democratic presidential nominee.

Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-26). Hymn for a Broken Empire: Republican National Security Officials for Biden. dissidentvoice.org If fodder is needed for the argument that a Deep State is running wild and determined to depose President Donald J. Trump, this will surely help. In a statement by self-titled "former Republican National Security Officials", a hand-on-heart allegiance is made to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. The authors are intent on moving the incumbent …

WSWS (2020-08-26). New York City preparing to lay off 400 EMS workers in advance of looming second wave of pandemic. wsws.org New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, is preparing to place the burden of the pandemic-triggered budgetary crisis on workers, including frontline health care workers.

WSWS (2020-08-26). Trump continues assault on democratic norms at Republican convention. wsws.org The event marks the evolution of one of the two major parties of American capitalism into an instrument for the development of a personalist and authoritarian movement with increasingly fascistic characteristics.