Daily Archives: October 8, 2020

2020-10-08: News Headlines

Staff (2020-10-08). Rev. William Barber on Voter Suppression: Republicans Know They Can't Win If Everyone Casts a Ballot. democracynow.org During Wednesday's debate, Vice President Mike Pence refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power if Biden wins the election. Instead, he referenced the Trump administration's legal efforts to restrict mail-in voting. Rev. William Barber says the Republican Party's voter suppression efforts ahead of the November election, aimed primarily at Black and Brown voters, amount to "surgical racism with surgical precision." The Poor People's Campaign, of which Barber is co-chair, is leading a major voter mobilization effort to combat voter disenfranchisement. "They know they cannot win if everybody votes. They are…

Staff (2020-10-08). Headlines for October 8, 2020. democracynow.org Kamala Harris and Mike Pence Face Off in VP Debate Separated by Plexiglass Barriers, Contagious with COVID-19, President Trump Returns to Oval Office, Trump Calls COVID-19 Diagnosis a "Blessing from God", Top Security Official "Gravely Ill" with COVID-19 as White House Coronavirus Cluster Grows to 34, White House Quietly Told Gold Star Families They May Have Been Exposed to Coronavirus, Wisconsin Restricts Indoor Gatherings Amid Record Spike in Coronavirus Cases, New England Journal of Medicine Calls on Voters to Vote Against Trump in First-Ever Endorsement, Ex-CDC Director Calls on Robert Redfield to Expose "Col…

Staff (2020-10-08). Rev. William Barber: Millions Are Struggling. So Why Do the Debates Ignore Poverty? democracynow.org Rev. William Barber says the 2020 election debates have steadfastly ignored the subject of poverty, even though it affected almost half the United States population before the COVID-19 pandemic and millions more people are struggling since then. "We have to stop saying that things were well before COVID," Barber says. "The reality is, Wall Street was well." Barber is co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign and president of Repairers of the Breach.

Staff (2020-10-08). The Greatest Failure in Presidential History: Kamala Harris Slams Trump/Pence's Handling of COVID-19. democracynow.org Separated by two plates of plexiglass, Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris met Wednesday in the only vice-presidential debate of the campaign season. Pence, who heads the White House Coronavirus Task Force, repeatedly defended the Trump administration's handling of the crisis as the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 nears 212,000 and millions of people remain out of work. The debate also took place against the backdrop of a White House outbreak that has infected President Trump and dozens of other senior figures. "The White House has had more cases than the country of Yemen recently, than Vietnam, tha…

Mark Weisbrot (2020-10-08). Republican attempts to suppress the vote must be stopped. zcomm.org Democrats need to bring some "law and order" to these elections: people who deprive Americans of their constitutional right to vote, in order to steal an election, will be prosecuted, convicted, and imprisoned…

Gregory Elich (2020-10-08). Race, Militarism and the US Scheme to Control the Pacific. counterpunch.org Christine Hong's marvelous book, A Violent Peace: Race, U.S. Militarism, and Cultures of Democratization in Cold War Asia and the Pacific, arrives at a time when Washington's Indo Pacific Strategy is driving U.S. political, economic, and military confrontation in the Asia-Pacific, as the culmination of a long process that began in the immediate aftermath of the

Ramzy Baroud (2020-10-08). Black Lives Should Always Matter: Delinking Social Justice from Seasonal US Politics. dissidentvoice.org After viewing the first US Presidential debate on September 29, one is left with no doubt about the degenerating political discourse among America's ruling elites. Following the debate between US President, Donald Trump, and Democratic Presidential nominee, Joe Biden, most analyses focused mainly on the personal insults and name-calling, which, deservedly, earned the event the …

Binoy Kampmark (2020-10-08). Infectious Conspiracies: Donald Trump, Coronavirus and Reality. counterpunch.org One measure of success in politics is the degree enemies imitate you, even if done insincerely and without flattery. Insincere imitation has become the preserve of a whole panoply of Donald Trump's critics stretching from the money, corporate side of the Democrats to the sandalled warriors who believe in environmental eschatology. Most importantly for Joe

Ali Harb (2020-10-08). US elections: Four Middle East moments from Harris-Pence debate. middleeasteye.net US elections: Four Middle East moments from Harris-Pence debate | Kamala Harris and Mike Pence discussed US policy on Iran, Israel and Palestine in the first and only vice presidential debate | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 07: 11 | Plexiglass separated the two candidates on Wednesday amid coronavirus concerns (AFP) | If political debates were a sport, US vice presidential debates would be a game between the reserve teams.

Nick Pemberton (2020-10-08). Donald Trump Is Not Extreme Left. counterpunch.org Donald Trump is not extreme left. Seems obvious, right? Shouldn't I be writing that Joe Biden isn't extreme left, as this is the accusation leveled against him? Still, I think when people call Joe Biden extreme left it's seen as a positive. When Noam Chomsky calls him the most progressive President since FDR we are

pip.hinman (2020-10-08). Socialist campaigner shares her vision for a democratic council. greenleft.org.au

T.P. Wilkinson (2020-10-08). Reflections on white elections. dissidentvoice.org In less than four weeks a nation that loves nostalgia will be entertaining an election not unlike those a century ago. The election on 3 November 2020 will be fundamentally a "white man's election", the penumbra of protest notwithstanding. Donald Trump captured the Republican nomination and the election four years ago by appealing to the …

Fight Back (2020-10-08). Tampa students rally against university budget cuts. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On October 5, members of Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) gathered near the University of South Florida (USF) to protest the university's recent budget cuts. University administration recently announced budget cuts amounting to $36.7 million, with instruction taking the bulk of the cuts and various student services comprising the rest. | Tampa Bay SDS protested these budget cuts, which would adversely affect students and workers on campus, with chants calling for USF administration to instead take significant pay cuts and to defund the university police department (USFPD). Speeches no…

Augustine Zenakos (2020-10-08). Golden Dawn is defeated: the damage to democracy is harder to repair. zcomm.org In an historic verdict, an Athens Court convicted Golden Dawn leaders of running a criminal organisation, bringing its campaign of racist murders to an end. But the political climate that legitimised this is ever present.

Arundhati Roy (2020-10-08). India's Hindu Right Are Willing to Bury Democracy. zcomm.org While India's rulers downplay the brutal murder of a Dalit teenager by an upper-caste gang and acquit Hindu nationalists guilty of historic crimes, Arundhati Roy argues, they are concocting another show trial of Muslims and progressive activists to intimidate dissenters…

WSWS Repost (2020-10-08). Harris refuses to oppose Trump's planned 2020 election coup. indybay.org The Democratic candidate was asked what her party's response would be to Trump seeking to remain in office in defiance of the voters.

Green Party (2020-10-08). Sunday 10/11: Voter Suppression 2020 and the Cure. indybay.org Online, on Zoom: | us02web.zoom.us/j/82620271999?pwd=S3ZwUklteGI5YjJsMEtMSnJXRzU3UT09 | Meeting ID: 826 2027 1999 | Passcode: 2020 | One tap mobile | +16699009128,,82620271999#,,,,,,0#,,2020# US (San Jose) | +13462487799,,82620271999#,,,,,,0#,,2020# US (Houston) | Dial by your location | +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) | Meeting ID: 826 2027 1999 | Passcode: 2020 | Find your local number: us02web.zoom.us/u/kgrlxBN1m

The Nation (2020-10-08). Watch the Vice Presidential Debate Tonight With 'The Nation'. thenation.com Watch the Vice Presidential Debate Tonight With 'The Nation'

Nauman Sadiq (2020-10-08). The Biden Doctrine: Cheerlead Wars, Feign Ignorance Later. globalresearch.ca If we look at the track record of Joe Biden during his political career first as a senator and then as Obama's vice president, he is a typical establishment Democrat who has played into the hands of the US national …

Staff (2020-10-07). Mary Trump: My Uncle Is Responsible for 210,000 Deaths and Is Now "Willfully Getting People Sick" democracynow.org As President Trump compares the deadly COVID-19 outbreak to the flu despite being hospitalized for the virus, we speak to his only niece, Mary Trump, about his increasingly erratic behavior in the final weeks of the election season and how his family views illness as a weakness. "To be treated for something is to admit that you need the treatment, and I don't see him having any self-awareness," she says. "Clearly the people closest to him don't care about his well-being. If they did, he'd still be at Walter Reed." She also warns that the "worst-case scenario" would be for President Trump to overcome his illness r…

Staff (2020-10-07). Greensboro Massacre: City Apologizes 41 Years After Cops Allowed Klan, Nazis to Kill 5 Antiracists. democracynow.org Nearly 41 years after Ku Klux Klansmen and American Nazis shot dead five antiracist activists in the town of Greensboro, North Carolina, the City Council there has passed a resolution apologizing for the attack and the police department's complicity in the killings. We speak with two survivors of the 1979 attack, Reverend Nelson Johnson and Joyce Hobson Johnson, who say the city's apology acknowledges "the police knew and chose to do nothing. In fact, they facilitated what we name now as a North American death squad."

Staff (2020-10-07). Headlines for October 7, 2020. democracynow.org Stephen Miller Tests Positive for COVID-19 as Top Pentagon Generals Quarantine, Rudy Giuliani Coughs Through TV Interview While Awaiting Coronavirus Test Result, White House Refuses Contact Tracing Help as Trump Puts Residence Staff at Risk of COVID-19, Two Presidential Valets Who Carry Nuclear Launch Codes Test Positive for Coronavirus, Six States Report Record Hospitalizations as U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Nears 211,000, Trump Calls Off Stimulus Talks, Then Reverses Course in Erratic Series of Tweets, Facebook, Twitter Crack Down on Trump's False Claim COVID-19 Is Less Lethal Than Flu, FDA to Require Two Month Sa…

Dr. Jack Rasmus (2020-10-07). Trump Scuttles a Fiscal Stimulus—Again! globalresearch.ca This past week Pelosi and Mnuchin had reportedly been quietly negotiating toward …

Jack Rasmus (2020-10-07). Trump Scuttles a Fiscal Stimulus Deal…Again! counterpunch.org This past Tuesday, October 6, Trump pulled the plug once again—a second time—on negotiations on a fiscal stimulus between House speaker, Pelosi, and his Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin. This past week Pelosi and Mnuchin had reportedly been quietly negotiating toward a compromise fiscal stimulus package and were making progress while Trump was in the hospital

Ariel Dorfman (2020-10-07). Confronting a Tyrant: Lessons From Chile. counterpunch.org Can you recognize this country? In a momentous election, a narcissistic president—who has never won the popular vote—unleashes the full force of his executive powers in order to avoid defeat. At frenzied rallies, he accuses his democratic opponents of being puppets of dark foreign interests, captives of radical revolutionaries bent on spreading chaos and violence,

Walter Smolarek (2020-10-07). Chaos in Washington kills hopes for major pre-election stimulus. liberationnews.org Donald Trump abruptly called off his administration's participation in negotiations with Congress over a highly-anticipated new pandemic relief bill that has been stalled for months. Talks between Congressional Democrats and Republicans along with senior White House officials had been revived in the days following Trump's COVID diagnosis, but Trump's move yesterday dramatically reverses the situation. …

Editor (2020-10-07). Voting rights: 'Capitalist charity' vs workers' democracy. workers.org During this U.S. election season, many people are still fighting to get access to the universal bourgeois right to vote, supposedly a cornerstone of capitalist "democracy." It's been an uphill struggle since 1776 when only propertied white men who were Protestants could legally vote. Everyone else was denied — Catholics, . . . |

Kent Paterson (2020-10-07). Hearts on Fire for the 43 of Ayoztinapa. counterpunch.org Six years after the Night of Iguala, the case of the 43 perhaps stands as the litmus test in determining the nature of the Mexican State. What will prevail? A viable State committed to human rights, justice and democracy or an endlessly corrupted and brutal version of it?

Staff (2020-10-07). 2020 Vice Presidential Debate Recap. therealnews.com Trump's battle with COVID-19 has raised the stakes for the VP debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence.

RT (2020-10-07). 'Cuties' goes to court: Netflix INDICTED by Texas grand jury for lewd depiction of children in controversial film. rt.com Netflix is facing criminal prosecution over the controversial French film 'Cuties,' after a Texas grand jury indicted the entertainment streaming service for lewd depiction of children. | The indictment was filed on September 23 in Tyler County but was shared on Tuesday on Twitter by Republican state Representative Matt Schaefer. It accuses Netflix of knowingly promoting visual material that depicts "lewd exhibition" of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was under 18 when the content was created. Further, the prosecution alleges that the material "appeals to the prurient int…

Staff (2020-10-07). Pence takes on Harris in high stakes vice presidential debate. therealnews.com With Trump infected with COVID-19, Wednesday's sole vice presidential debate could be the most important of all time. Real News will recap it live at 11PM EST on 10/7.

RT (2020-10-07). Trump hints at 'standalone' $1,200 stimulus check bill after vowing to halt Covid relief talks with Democrats until November. rt.com US President Donald Trump said he would sign a bill approving another round of Covid-19 relief checks if one crossed his desk, apparently backtracking after saying he'd ended stimulus talks with Democrats until after the election. | "[If I sent] a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200), they will go out to our great people IMMEDIATELY. I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening Nancy?" Trump tweeted on Tuesday evening amid a flurry of posts, tagging his own chief of staff Mark Meadows and leadership in both parties. | If I am sent a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200), they will go out to…

RT (2020-10-07). 'Former staff' of disgraced Rep. Katie Hill use ex-lawmaker's Twitter account to accuse her of 'workplace abuse'. rt.com A series of messages posted to the verified Twitter account of former Rep. Katie Hill accused her of abusing her congressional staff. Hill, who resigned following a salacious sex scandal, claims that the account was hacked. | Hill, a Democrat who vacated her seat in October 2019 following allegations that she had extramarital affairs with multiple members of her staff, once again found herself in the spotlight after it was announced on Tuesday that her memoir would be turned into a film. The Handmaid's Tale star Elisabeth Moss will play Hill in the movie, which is being produced for a streaming service. | Alt…

MEE staff (2020-10-07). Trump shares tweet calling New York City mayor 'an anti-Semite thug'. middleeasteye.net Trump shares tweet calling New York City mayor 'an anti-Semite thug' | President suggests New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is antisemitic after night of demonstrations by Orthodox Jews that saw some burn their masks | Wed, 10/07/2020 – 17: 51 | Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men in Borough Park section of Brooklyn in New York City on 6 October (Reuters) | US President Donald Trump suggested that New York's Democratic mayo…

Aaliyah Harris (2020-10-07). Without study abroad, I would have struggled to make it through third year. thecanary.co I recently expressed the words above to friends as we reminisced about our four-year degree journey.For many students, these past few months have involved countless overnight study sessions, hours of self-teaching as lecturers took part in

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-07). Trump Halts Talks on New Economic Stimulus. globalresearch.ca At a time of dire economic conditions — worse than during the Great Depression with real unemployment at 26.9% and likely to rise ahead — Republicans and Dems remain at odds over federal aid to jobless Americans, small businesses, states, …

Elie Mystal (2020-10-07). The Democrats Need to Prepare for the Supreme Court to Overturn 'Roe v. Wade'. thenation.com The Democrats Need to Prepare for the Supreme Court to Overturn 'Roe v. Wade'

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-07). Luis Arce warns of attacks to democracy in Bolivia. peoplesdispatch.org MAS presidential candidate, Luis Arce, denounced the violent threats by the de-facto government officials and requested the active observation of the international organizations during and after the general elections…

WSWS (2020-10-07). Republican operatives indicted in voter suppression scheme in Michigan. wsws.org Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl are alleged to have orchestrated a mass robo-call voter suppression campaign that targeted minority voters in Detroit.

Matt Sedlar (2020-10-07). The Biden Transition's Ethics Pledge Is a Paper Tiger. cepr.net The American Prospect See article on original site For all of his failures—at business, governing, and even just sitting still and receiving proper medical care for a deadly virus—the American public can always count on Donald Trump to put on a show. For four years, he has gripped the country's attention with an unending stream …

Mark Leonard (2020-10-07). Dirty tricks of the autocrats. indybay.org Donald Trump tries to get re-elected with partly illegal tricks. This is undemocratic and dangerous for the USA and its allies. Trump's role models, however, are already further along: they decompose and weaken democracy until there is nothing left of it. Defending it is becoming the challenge of our time.

Leon Kunstenaar (2020-10-07). Poor People's Caravan Targets Senators Feinstein and Harris. indybay.org Political action as applied morality…

sputniknews (2020-10-07). 'Not a Joke': Trump Campaign Reserves Ticket For Harris's Best Rapper 'Alive' Tupac at VP Debate. sputniknews.com Last month, during a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) virtual event, Democratic vice presidential nominee for the 3 November election, US Senator Kamala Harris, made a gaffe while responding to a question about her favorite "living" rapper. The Senator answered: Tupac Shakur, who was killed in 1996.

sputniknews (2020-10-07). The Real History of Angela Davis and The Shearer Family. sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory host Lee Stranahan covers the media upset about Trump recovery post-COVID, Mayor Bill De Blasio made a video to counter President Trump, by putting his mask on leaving a building, Wisconsin is having new COVID restrictions, and Nancy Pelosi attacked President Trump on "The View" talk show after no stimulus bill.

Staff (2020-10-07). "Super-Spreader" Trump Returns to Oval Office Despite Being Contagious. truthout.org At every turn, Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers have opted to hide information around COVID-19 diagnoses rather than disclose it, despite the enormous health risks this creates for everyone around them. In his latest selfish act of endangerment, Trump, still infected with coronavirus, left isolation Wednesday afternoon and

Common Dreams staff (2020-10-07). WATCH LIVE: Vice Presidential Debate Between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence. commondreams.org The first and only debate between the two candidates begins at 9: 00 pm ET. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/harris_pence_debate.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-07). If Trump 'Still Has Covid, We Shouldn't Have a Debate,' Biden Says of Next Week's Town Hall Event. commondreams.org Out of concern for the health of voters planning to attend the next presidential debate on Oct. 15 as well as his own and that of his campaign staff, Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday evening said the event should not go forward as long as President Donald Trump still has Covid-19. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1228943048_1.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-07). 'This Is an Outrage—and It's Also Illegal': USPS Blocking Democratic Lawmakers From Inspecting Postal Facilities. commondreams.org "Postal facilities are not Area 51," said Rep. Bill Pascrell. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/iowa_postal_1.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-10-07). As Trump Kills Covid-19 Relief Talks, Census Data Shows Millions of Americans Expecting to Lose Wages, Job, or Home. commondreams.org "When it comes to relief for struggling families, he's nothing but selfish and vindictive," Sen. Elizabeth Warren says of the president. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12283001181.jpg

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-10-07). Facebook to Ban Political Ads After Polls Close on Nov. 3, 'Just in Time to Have No Impact Whatsoever'. commondreams.org Critics noted that the social media giant also recently announced an algorithm change that could "make the site more toxic and less usable while endangering democracy and human rights." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/facebook.housing_0_0.jpg

Nick Licata (2020-10-07). Could the Covid Outbreak Delay Barrett's Confirmation? counterpunch.org Sen. Mitch McConnell has delayed the convening of the full Senate until Oct. 19 because three Republican Senators have tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. But he is pushing ahead with Barrett's confirmation hearing scheduled for Oct. 12. Is it now possible that the Covid-19 virus could do what the Democrats can't do — fatally delay

Staff (2020-10-06). Activist Who Lost Father to COVID Says Trump's White House Photo Op Was Like "Sci-Fi Horror Film" democracynow.org As the highest-profile coronavirus patient in the world returns to the White House while still infectious and a danger to others, we speak with activist Kristin Urquiza, whose father died from COVID-19 earlier this year. She says President Trump's minimizing of the disease is a slap in the face to families who have lost loved ones. "I was appalled," says Urquiza. "Every single person out there who's lost a loved one to COVID, who has seen up close and personal what this virus can do, felt the same way." Urquiza, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August about her father, is co-founder of Marked by…

Staff (2020-10-06). Meet the College Senior Who Built a COVID Tracker After CDC Blocked from Tracing Trump's Contacts. democracynow.org As the number of people in President Trump's orbit who test positive for COVID-19 continues to grow, we meet a student journalist who is doing what the White House doesn't want the CDC to do: tracing the contacts of people who may have infected or been infected by President Trump. Benjy Renton, a Middlebury College senior, helped develop a real-time tracking tool to monitor the growing number of people in President Trump's circle who were exposed or infected with COVID-19. The site is called COVID-19 at the White House and lists over 270 contacts and 25 positive cases, so far. It uses "publicly available informat…

Staff (2020-10-06). "Don't Be Afraid of COVID": Trump Removes Mask & Fuels Misinformation Effort After Leaving Hospital. democracynow.org Shocking medical experts, President Trump has returned to the White House while still infectious with the coronavirus and after more than a dozen people in Trump's orbit have already tested positive for COVID-19. Emergency room physician Dr. Dara Kass says she was "horrified" by President Trump's dismissive attitude toward a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States. "I had this virus," says Dr. Kass. "I never left my bedroom without an N95 mask on my face, because I was petrified of giving it to my friends and family."

RT (2020-10-06). 'He was setting me up': Project Veritas accused of offering $10,000 for activist to say Ilhan Omar involved in voter fraud scheme. rt.com A ballot collector featured heavily in a Project Veritas 'exposé' that alleges Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was involved in voter fraud has claimed he was offered $10,000 to say he was illegally 'harvesting' ballots for her. | Liban Osman was at the center of the conservative group's recent investigation claiming that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar was linked to a cash-for-ballots scheme in Minnesota. | The 17-minute video released by Project Veritas (PV) last month showed Osman in snapchat videos appearing to admit to the scheme. He told Fox 9 KMSP, however, that the clips were maliciously edited and claims…

Marjorie Cohn (2020-10-06). Trump Needs Accomplices at Every Level of Government to Pull Off a Coup. zcomm.org Voting is absolutely critical for democracy. But at the end of the day, stopping a coup attempt will depend on far more than the ballot, and will require creative and courageous acts of civic and political engagement from all of us…

Michael Welton (2020-10-06). Tongues as Sharp as Snakes. counterpunch.org Thomas Muntzer's name is indelibly inscribed in the blood of the peasants who were slaughtered in the Peasants' War of 1524-5 in Germany. The German revolutionary and bon vivant, Friedrich Engels, celebrated Muntzer as a proto-revolutionary; streets were named after him in the former Democratic Republic of Germany (he was hated in West Germany). Today

Staff (2020-10-06). Trump lies about Philadelphia because it's a city that could decide the election. therealnews.com Trump fabricated allegations of voter fraud in Pennsylvania and called on his supporters to intimidate voters in Philadelphia, which is home to one in five of the state's Democratic voters.

Staff (2020-10-05). A still-contagious, mask-less Trump returns to the White House to lie about COVID-19. therealnews.com After receiving cutting-edge treatment, Trump downplays COVID-19 danger and compares it to the flu, after privately admitting in February that it's far more deadly.

Alex MacDonald (2020-10-06). Arab populations continue to oppose normalisation with Israel, survey shows. middleeasteye.net Arab populations continue to oppose normalisation with Israel, survey shows | Support for pro-democracy movements still high, though Algerians refused to back Sudanese transition | Tue, 10/06/2020 – 15: 56 | Palestinians gather to protest the Israeli normalisation deals with the UAE and Bahrain, in the town of Tubas, in the occupied West Bank (AFP) | Arab populations overwhelmingly continue to o…

C.J. Atkins (2020-10-06). Republican senator uses People's World in anti-communist smear attack. peoplesworld.org The Republican Party's anti-communist election crusade is still going strong, although it doesn't appear to be winning over many voters. The latest target of the modern-day McCarthyite witch-hunt is Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff. His opponent, Trump loyalist Sen. David Perdue, has accused Ossoff of being backed by the Communist Party USA. The evidence …

Al Neal (2020-10-06). Minor League baseball players get a SCOTUS win; voting rights a loss. peoplesworld.org At this very moment, the United States is staring down the barrel of a gun. As we inch closer to Election Day 2020, the country is seeing an uptick in coronavirus cases. Our voting rights are under siege by GOP operatives misguided by their impression that winning trumps democracy, and the highest court in the land is on the …

Aaron Gettinger (2020-10-06). 102-year-old Bea Lumpkin calls her mail-in ballot a 'vote against fascism'. peoplesworld.org CHICAGO—Longtime labor activist, socialist, and retired teacher Bea Lumpkin cast her vote by mail for former Vice President Joe Biden, calling it an action against fascism in the United States and said this election is by far the most serious of her 102 years. "I think democracy is on the line, and if we ever …

RT (2020-10-06). 'I want to see them dancing when they're four years older': Biden's latest gaffe with young girls elicits cringe-fest on Twitter. rt.com Joe Biden's penchant for gaffes and cringy moments involving girls has resurfaced, as the Democrat presidential candidate told a group of "beautiful young ladies" that he wants to "see them dancing when they're four years older." | "The good news for me is, I'm here," Biden told a group in Miami on Monday. "The bad news for you is, I'm coming back. And I want to see these beautiful young ladies, I want to see them dancing when they're four years older, too." | Biden was referring to a group of girls who had performed before he spoke at Miami's Little Haiti Cultural Center. He apparently was trying to make a…

Global Research News (2020-10-06). Selected Articles: John Lennon at 80, One Man Against the Deep State 'Monster'. globalresearch.ca By The Trump campaign is mobilizing "an army for Trump," calling on "all able-bodied men and women to stop the …

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-10-06). Polls Show that Trump's COVID-19 Infection Has Not Impacted His Re-election Campaign. globalresearch.ca US President Donald Trump will need all the points he can score in the run up to next month's presidential elections where he will face off against Democrat candidate Joe Biden. Events such as war or threats to a …

news.un (2020-10-06). DR Congo's fragile detente 'could yet unravel', Security Council warned. news.un.org Planning for a drawdown of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is well underway, but much work still remains to be done to put the country firmly on the path to long-term stability and sustainable development, the Security Council heard today.

Ian Millhiser (2020-10-06). The Supreme Court Will Hear a Case That Could Destroy What Remains of the Voting Rights Act. zcomm.org And Republicans are poised to gain a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-10-06). WATCH: Tlaib and Rouda Call for National Moratorium on Water Shutoffs During Pandemic. commondreams.org The Democrats are pressuring the head of the CDC to use his authority to help Americans retain "essential" access to running water. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/water_tap_by_shenghung_lin_0.jpg

WSWS (2020-10-06). Bangladesh's Awami League government intensifies anti-democratic attacks on its critics. wsws.org Prime Minister Sheik Hasina has responded to the social crisis exacerbated by COVID-19 by suppressing information on the disease and persecuting journalists.

news.un (2020-10-06). DR Congo: Children suffering 'unrelenting violence', UNICEF deeply concerned. news.un.org Thousands of children continue to suffer grievously as unrelenting violence persists across eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, expressing deep concern.

Peter Hogness (2020-10-06). Defeating Trump: Grassroots Organizations Can Tip the Scales. zcomm.org We don't know what the last weeks of the campaign will bring, but one thing is clear. Defeating Donald Trump is too important to leave up to the Biden campaign.

_____ (2020-10-06). Vandalizing The Post Office. popularresistance.org Undermining democracy to win elections and protect investors and property interests in the United States is well documented and has been a consistent part of our history. However, Donald Trump's attacks on our democracy, including his effort to privatize and disparage the public Post Office are unprecedented, and unpopular with most voters. Article 1 of the Constitution requires Congress to establish…

sputniknews (2020-10-06). Ahead of US Vice-Presidential Debate, What Challenges Face Pence, Harris? sputniknews.com On this edition of The Critical Hour, co-hosts Dr. Wilmer Leon and Garland Nixon talk to Daniel Lazare about Wednesday evening's debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA).

sputniknews (2020-10-06). DNI Declassifies CIA Referral, Brennan's Memo Revealing Hillary Clinton Plotting 'Russiagate'. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump has been long accused by Democrats – who were stunned by his unexpected victory in the 2016 presidential election – of "colluding" with the Russian government. No direct evidence has been found to back the allegations.

sputniknews (2020-10-06). Biden Says Second Debate With Trump Shouldn't Happen 'If He Still Has COVID'. sputniknews.com Democratic presidential nominee and former US Vice President Joe Biden appears to have changed his opinion on the slated October 15 debate against US President Donald Trump, telling reporters that the next debate will be contingent on 45's COVID-19 novel coronavirus test results.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-10-06). 'What an Anti-Everybody Agenda Looks Like': AOC Excoriates Trump for Walking Away From Covid-19 Relief Talks. commondreams.org "Millions falling into poverty, millions on the edge of eviction, millions going hungry, millions losing their healthcare and this megalomaniac dime store dictator puts his knee of the neck of a nation." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12289191131.jpg

Aldous Tyler (2020-10-06). I'm a #NeverBiden Wisconsin Voter; Here's Why I'm Voting Biden Anyway. commondreams.org Right now, we have a Nazi to fight. (Photo: Informed Comment/CC) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/nazi_0.jpeg

Sasha Abramsky (2020-10-06). We Have a Covidiot in the White House. thenation.com We Have a Covidiot in the White House…

Manisha Sinha (2020-10-06). America's Unending Struggle Between Oligarchy and Democracy. thenation.com America's Unending Struggle Between Oligarchy and Democracy…

Staff (2020-10-05). What Did He Know and When Did He Know It? Lies & Contradictions Abound as Trump Is Treated for COVID. democracynow.org As the White House and President Trump's medical team issue conflicting statements on Trump's condition after he was hospitalized for COVID-19, and when he was infected, we speak with Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason. The administration's lack of transparency "certainly raises questions about the decisions that were made to allow him to travel, for him to decide to travel, and to expose what seems like a lot of people," Mason says.

Staff (2020-10-05). After Recklessness, a Coronavirus Outbreak at the White House; Will Admin Cover Up or Contract Trace? democracynow.org As President Trump and a growing number of prominent Republicans are infected with COVID-19, we speak with Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, who says Trump was reckless in his approach to the coronavirus and continues to flout public health recommendations. "There is an outbreak happening at the White House. It will continue to spread. It will not go away on its own," says Dr. Jha. "The way you stop it is to test, trace and isolate."

Staff (2020-10-05). Headlines for October 5, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Breaks Isolation, Endangers Secret Service as WH Sends Mixed Messages on Trump's Condition, GOP Vows to Push Through SCOTUS Hearings as 3 Senators Test Positive for COVID-19, Coronavirus Cases on the Rise Across the Country as NYC Seeks to Shut Down 9 Neighborhoods, ICE Prisoners in Washington Tested for COVID-19 After Exposure from a Guard, Police in Chile Throw Teenager Off Bridge During Anti-Government Protest, Fighting in Disputed Nagorno-Karabakh Region Escalates, Killing at Least One, Guatemala Deports Thousands of Central American Migrants Headed Toward U.S., ICE Erects Billboards with Faces of Immig…

Staff (2020-10-05). "Black Women's Lives Matter": Breonna Taylor's Family Demands a Special Prosecutor to Reopen Case. democracynow.org Breonna Taylor's family is calling on Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to appoint a new special prosecutor to reopen the case after they say newly released grand jury tapes confirm the state Attorney General Daniel Cameron "did not serve as an unbiased prosecutor in this case and intentionally did not present charges to the grand jury that would have pursued justice for Ms. Taylor." Cameron complied with a judicial order to release 15 hours of audiotapes just before the judge's noon deadline on Friday. "The recordings that were released were just as we assumed they were, that nobody was presenting evidence on behal…

ACLU (2020-10-05). Learn About Where the Cobb County Sheriff Candidates Land on Civil Liberties Issues. aclu.org The Cobb County Detention Center is in crisis. Fifty people have died in custody since 2003, and others have experienced deadly neglect, misconduct by deputies, inhumane conditions, extended lockdowns, and inadequate medical care. The sheriff's office also works with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a program to detain immigrants who live in Cobb County, splitting apart families and promoting racial profiling. To make an informed decision, make sure you know where the candidates land on the issues. | ACLU of Georgia asked the candidates: | IssuesCraig OwensNeil Warren (inc.) | Has pledged to e…

Keith Preston (2020-10-05). A Model for Healthcare Reform from a Surprising Place. dissidentvoice.org The issue of healthcare reform is one that is consistently identified by opinion polls as being among the most important to Americans. The United States continues to be the only fully industrialized nation that lacks a public healthcare system, a feature of modern "democracy" that is taken for granted in most developed countries. Most American …

Lawrence Davidson (2020-10-05). Regression as a National Theme. counterpunch.org Going Backwards Led by a reactionary, autocratic faction of the Republican Party, the United States has taken another step backward in terms of social progress. This comes with Donald Trump's nomination of a religiously motivated conservative, Amy Coney Barrett, to the Supreme Court. Barrett, a devout Catholic and presently a federal appeals court judge, was

Staff (2020-10-05). Republican leaders denied COVID's seriousness. Now they are being ravaged by it. therealnews.com Trump, who was recently revealed to have paid little to no money in taxes in the last 15 years, is receiving cutting-edge, taxpayer-funded medical treatment at Walter Reed Military Medical Center…

Staff (2020-10-05). House Dems pass climate bill boosting oil drilling, lobbied for by Biden donor. therealnews.com In this week's Climate Crisis News Roundup, House Democrats push bill lobbied for by ex-Goldman Sachs executive, Trump backs "1 trillion trees" and a new study links the 1% to disproportionate climate impacts.

Anthony Mangos (2020-10-05). All aboard to defeat Trump: Biden train tour in Pennsylvania steel country. peoplesworld.org JOHNSTOWN, Penn.— It was an unusually warm autumn evening in Johnstown as Joe Biden's Amtrak pulled into the city's historic passenger station, opened in 1916. The station is a unique structure, as trains arrive above the depot on an elevated level. The adjacent wall was adorned with a massive Biden-Harris sign, rising above a very …

MEE staff (2020-10-05). A Biden victory will be 'bad' for Israel, Gulf states, US envoy claims. middleeasteye.net A Biden victory will be 'bad' for Israel, Gulf states, US envoy claims | US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman says if Joe Biden wins presidential election, it would damage Trump's efforts to subdue Iran | Mon, 10/05/2020 – 15: 57 | US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman speaks during a briefing at the White House on 13 August 2020 (AFP/File photo) | The US ambassador to Israel has said a victory for Joe Bide…

Eds. (2020-10-05). The increasingly impossible middle class. mronline.org IN 2010 THE Commerce Department prepared data for the Obama administration's Middle Class Task Force, headed by Vice President Joe Biden. Sidestepping knotty problems—see below—of just who was middle class, part of their study proposed a host of expectations that a middle class family would hold.

RT (2020-10-05). Facebook breakup would be 'complete nonstarter': Memo leaked ahead of antitrust report. rt.com Separating Facebook from Instagram and WhatsApp would harm consumers, cost billions and defy US law, the social media giant argues in a memo leaked to the media ahead of a congressional report expected to advise otherwise. | The 14-page document was reviewed by the Wall Street Journal over the weekend and amounts to a preview of Facebook's defense against the pending report from the House Antitrust Subcommittee. | FB says breakup would be a "complete nonstarter" … as if theirs is the only view that matters. A breakup alone will not eliminate threat FB poses to democracy, public health, privacy, innovation, b…

Ralph Nader (2020-10-05). Ginsburg Institute for Justice Needed for Our Depleted Democracy. counterpunch.org Jean Monnet — a founder of the European Union once said: "Nothing is possible without men, but nothing is lasting without institutions." I'm reminded of his observation each time our country loses a "just" Supreme Court Justice. So, what will follow after the few days of prominent encomiums at memorial events and editorial praise of

WSWS (2020-10-05). Free State of Jones available again on Netflix. wsws.org This important film from 2016 is now available again on Netflix. It is a rebuke to the racialist politics of the New York Times and the Democratic Party and to the 1619 Project in particular.

Project Censored (2020-10-05). Nico Perrino and Nolan Higdon. projectcensored.org With the November election drawing near, media analyst Nolan Higdon returns to the Project Censored Show to explain how fake news and biased media undermine democracy, and why individuals should be "media citizens" rather than "media consumers." | Then in the second half-hour, Nico Perrino joins the program to explain the results of a new study of freedom-of-speech on US college campuses, based on a survey of 20,000 students at 55 schools. At which schools is freedom of speech most respected, and what policies should every college follow to protect it?

The Alternative World (2020-10-05). Matt Taibbi: Hate Inc., Why Today's Media Makes Us Despise One Another. thealtworld.com Journalist and author Matt Taibbi presented a lecture on his book "Hate Inc.: Why Today's Media Makes Us Despise One Another." This event was co-sponsored by Penn State's McCourtney Institute for Democracy and Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. | The lecture is followed by an audience Q&A moderated by McCourtney Institute communications specialist Jenna Spinelle.

Robert Koehler (2020-10-05). Trump and the Lost Country. counterpunch.org Where, oh where, is the United States of America — global leader, creator of democracy, hope of humankind? It certainly wasn't up there on the debate stage last night. When 9-year-olds start slinging insults at each other — "Is not!" "Is too!" — it's hard for platitudes to step in and re-establish a sense of

Ian Schwartz (2020-10-05). CIA Director Haspel Personally Blocking Declassification of Documents that Will Reveal Truth About Russiagate. Federalist's Sean Davis. globalresearch.ca "Federalist" co-founder Sean Davis reports that CIA Director Gina Haspel is personally blocking the release of documents that will show "what actually happened" with Russiagate. | "This isn't just a scandal about Democrat projection, this is a scandal about what was …

Ryan Grim (2020-10-05). Panic Over Mail-in Voting Only Feeds Trump's Chaos, Says Top Pennsylvania Democrat. zcomm.org Voters in the Keystone State who request an absentee ballot but decide to vote in person are playing into Trump's hands, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman warns.