Daily Archives: October 14, 2020

2020-10-14: News Headlines

Staff (2020-10-14). Making the Supreme Court Safe for Democracy: Samuel Moyn on Reforming an Undemocratic Institution. democracynow.org As Republicans race to confirm President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett prior to Election Day and cement a conservative majority on the top court for a generation or more, calls are growing for Joe Biden to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court if elected president. But Yale legal scholar Samuel Moyn argues that beyond "packing the court" and other measures commonly proposed to rebalance the Supreme Court's ideological makeup, the institution as a whole must be weakened in order to safeguard democracy. "This country was founded on minority rule and the rejection of democracy, and t…

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-14). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's "Intent" to Remove Trump from Office by Invoking the 25th Amendment? A Politically Desperate Distraction. globalresearch.ca This is a politically desperate distraction which hints that the Democrats aren't as confident about former Vice President Joe Biden's supposedly impending victory as their media surrogates are trying to convince everyone is bound to happen in a few weeks' …

Staff (2020-10-14). Headlines for October 14, 2020. democracynow.org White House Pursuing "Herd Immunity" Strategy Condemned by WHO as "Unethical", Trump Holds Packed Campaign Rallies in Defiance of Social Distancing Orders, "Potential Safety Concern" Halts Clinical Trial of Eli Lilly Antibody Treatment, Amy Coney Barrett Won't Commit to Recusing Herself If 2020 Election Is Decided by SCOTUS, FBI Says Far-Right Anti-Government Group Plotted to Kidnap Virginia Governor, More Witnesses Corroborate Claims of Extrajudicial Killing by U.S. Marshals, Trailing in Polls, Trump Appeals to White Suburban Women and Farmers, Supreme Court Will Allow Trump Admin to Halt Census Count a Month Ea…

Staff (2020-10-14). Dahlia Lithwick: Amy Coney Barrett May Claim Neutrality, But Her Record Is "Extremely Conservative" democracynow.org In the second day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, the federal judge's refusal to answer basic questions on voter intimidation and whether a president can delay elections did her "no favors" and was part of an aim to "present herself as neutral; she's an open book; whatever she was before, whatever she ruled on the bench before, is immaterial," says Dahlia Lithwick, senior legal correspondent and Supreme Court reporter for Slate.com. "There are some issues that don't need to be approached with an open mind. … She could have allayed a lot of fears."

Staff (2020-10-14). Can Trump Delay Election or Reject Peaceful Transition of Power? Amy Coney Barrett Refuses to Say. democracynow.org Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett faced 11 hours of questioning in the Senate Tuesday but refused to provide clarity about her views on the Affordable Care Act, Roe v. Wade, voting rights and even if President Trump could delay the election. Republicans are racing to confirm the 48-year-old federal judge before Election Day, which would give conservatives a commanding 6-3 majority on the high court. We air highlights from the marathon session.

Ali Harb (2020-10-14). 'Out-vote the hate': Tlaib and Omar call for large Muslim turnout. middleeasteye.net 'Out-vote the hate': Tlaib and Omar call for large Muslim turnout | At virtual event hosted by Senator Bernie Sanders, the congresswomen and other prominent US Muslims called for 'historic' turnout to defeat Trump | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 03: 55 | 'Go out there and make sure this election is too big to rig,' Rashida Tlaib says (AFP/File photo) | Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar along with other prominent Mus…

Lawrence Wittner (2020-10-14). Memories of Voter Suppression. dissidentvoice.org Back in July 1962, when, according to Donald Trump, America was "great," I was in the Deep South, working to register Black voters. It was a near-hopeless project, given the mass disenfranchisement of the region's Black population that was enforced by Southern law and an occasional dose of white terrorism. It all started in the …

Gabriel Rockhill (2020-10-14). Liberalism and Fascism: Partners in Crime. counterpunch.org Time and again we hear that liberalism is the last bulwark against fascism. It represents a defense of the rule of law and democracy in the face of aberrant, malevolent demagogues intent on destroying a perfectly good system for their own gain. This apparent opposition has been deeply engrained in contemporary so-called Western liberal democracies through their shared origin myth.

Joshua Cho (2020-10-14). Socialism's increasing popularity doesn't bring media out of McCarthy era. mronline.org Ever since the Great Recession in 2008, and accelerating with Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential run, there has been a resurgence of popularity and interest in socialism in the U.S., and an increasing skepticism of capitalism.

RT (2020-10-14). Merriam-Webster labels 'sexual preference' OFFENSIVE after uproar over LGBTQ terminology during SCOTUS confirmation hearing. rt.com Merriam-Webster has been accused of politicizing its dictionary after it flagged the term 'sexual preference' as offensive, mirroring a complaint leveled against Amy Coney Barrett during her SCOTUS confirmation hearing. | The curious edit was spotted hours after Barrett was lambasted for using the phrase "sexual preference" to refer to LGBTQ Americans' sexual orientations as she answered questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. | Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono berated the conservative Supreme Court nominee for using the term, claiming that it was "offensive and outdated." The senator alleged…

Rep. Ron Paul (2020-10-14). Can the US Federal Reserve End Racism? Eliminate Disparities in Income, Employment and Wealth? globalresearch.ca House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters and Senator Elizabeth Warren have introduced the Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act. This legislation directs the Federal Reserve to eliminate racial disparities in income, employment, wealth, and access to credit. | Eliminating racial …

_____ (2020-10-14). Packing the Court: Why Joe Biden Can't Commit. strategic-culture.org The latest issue roiling the U.S. presidential race is the Supreme Court and what to do if it bucks the wishes of the ruling party. The reason is the Amy Coney Barrett nomination, which, assuming it goes through, could result in a 6-3 conservative majority lasting well into the 2030s. | Since this would spell doom for a Biden-Harris administration, Democrats have come up with what they think is a perfect solution. It's called packing the court, and it entails expanding "the Supremes" from nine to fifteen members in order to fill the ranks with liberals guaranteed to toe the party line. | It's neat, clean, and con…

Peter Geoghegan (2020-10-14). UK Government Accused of 'Cronyism' after Tory Councilor Wins £156m COVID Contract. globalresearch.ca A small, loss-making firm run by a Conservative councillor in Stroud was given a £156m contract to import PPE from China without any competition, openDemocracy has learned. | Steve Dechan's company, P14 Medical, signed the huge contract to supply medical …

Robert J. Burrowes (2020-10-14). 'We are Many, They are Few': Nonviolent Resistance to the Elite's COVID-19 Coup. globalresearch.ca On 16 August 1819, an estimated 60,000 pro-democracy and anti-poverty activists were peacefully protesting the utterly corrupt nature of the Parliament in Westminster and demanding the reform of parliamentary representation (which afforded less than 2% of people the right to …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-14). Protests intensify in Thailand in response to pre-emptive arrests by police. peoplesdispatch.org 21 individuals were arrested from the Democracy Monument in Bangkok on October 13, Tuesday, as they congregated for demonstrations planned for the next day. The news of the arrests has triggered widespread outrage and protests…

Akela Lacy (2020-10-14). How Texas Republicans Paved the Way for Their Own Demise. zcomm.org The Texas GOP's business-friendly policies have brought unexpected electoral changes to the state's booming suburbs…

Badri Raina (2020-10-14). Sanitising the Polity: Making the Protester Invisible. zcomm.org What is a democracy in which roads and public spaces come to be given precedence over the common humanity who build them and put them to use?>

_____ (2020-10-14). Military Bases Never Go Unused. popularresistance.org If, like me, you have the unfortunate habit of pointing out the dishonesty of the cases made for various wars, and you begin to persuade people that the wars are not actually for the eradication of the weapons of mass destruction that they proliferate, or the elimination of the terrorists that they generate, or the spreading of the democracy that they stifle, most people will soon ask "Well, then, what are the wars for?" | At this point, there are two common mistakes. One is to suppose there's a single answer. The other is to suppose that the answers must all make rational sense.

pip.hinman (2020-10-14). Thai democracy activists warn of military action against students. greenleft.org.au colombiareports.com/feed/

Staff (2020-10-13). Packing the Courts: How Republicans Spent Decades Installing Judges to Cement Minority Rule. democracynow.org Amid Senate confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, we look at how conservatives have used dark money to push to seat her on the Supreme Court before the November 3 election, following a decades-long project by conservatives to install right-wing judges across the federal judiciary. "There's no doubt that what we're facing is, increasingly, rule by a minority," says former Senate Judiciary Committee staffer Lisa Graves, executive director of True North Research. "When people say that the court needs to be packed, it really needs to be unpacked."

Staff (2020-10-13). "Let the People Decide!" Protests at Amy Coney Barrett Hearing Decry GOP Power Grab, Attack on ACA. democracynow.org Hundreds protested outside the Senate Monday against the confirmation hearing for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. At least 21 were arrested after staging a sit-in to oppose the Senate pushing through Barrett's nomination in the middle of the presidential election. Senate Democrats warn the federal judge's record suggests she would overturn the Affordable Care Act and threaten reproductive rights if she takes the seat left vacant by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. "Trump and the Republicans are trying to execute a power grab," says Ana María Archila, co-executive director of…

Staff (2020-10-13). A Rigged Judiciary Leads to Rigged Elections: Ari Berman on Barrett Hearings & GOP Voter Suppression. democracynow.org Amy Coney Barrett's involvement in the court fight over the 2000 presidential election, when she was a member of George W. Bush's legal team, shows she is willing to bend the law to benefit Republican candidates, says Mother Jones reporter Ari Berman. "That's what's so disturbing about Amy Coney Barrett, because that's exactly what President Trump wants to do right now," says Berman. "He wants a justice who will rule his way on the vote count, no matter what the facts or the law actually says." Berman also looks at challenges voters are facing nationwide as early voting is underway from Georgia to Arizona, where…

Staff (2020-10-13). Headlines for October 13, 2020. democracynow.org Dems Warn of Threat to ACA, Roe v. Wade, as Hearing Begins for Trump SCOTUS Nominee Amy Coney Barrett, Trump Returns to Campaigning as COVID Status Remains Unclear, COVID-19 Cases Soaring in Europe, Russia, as India Becomes Second Country to Hit 7 Million Cases, Johnson & Johnson Halts Vaccine Trials; More Evidence of Reinfection Revealed, GA Early Voters Face Long Lines; CA Officials Warn GOP over Illegal Drop Sites, Pascua Yaqui Tribe Sues in Arizona over Voter Suppression Efforts, WH Moves Forward with Taiwan Weapons Sales as U.S. Officials Tell Taiwan to Ramp Up Defense, Bangladeshi Government Approves Death…

Mitchel Cohen (2020-10-13). Those Who Do Not Learn From History are Condemned to reTweet It. counterpunch.org ìThe first step in the revolution by the working class, is to raise the proletariat to the position of ruling class, to win the battle for democracy Ö one of the first and most important tasks of the militant proletariat. î Karl Marx & Frederick Engels, The Communist Manifesto My aim is to reinvent the wheel. My goal

Al Neal (2020-10-13). Still another chilling moment for democracy in Florida. peoplesworld.org In response to vote suppression measures filed by the Trump re-election campaign, state Republican parties and the national GOP, an attorney who represented the Bush-Cheney campaign during the 2000 Florida recount, delivered a candid and damning statement: "You're seeing a broad-based, generalized strategy to suppress the vote by the Republican Party," attorney Barry Richards declared. …

MEE staff (2020-10-13). Leading Democrat urges Biden to appoint Muslim federal judges if elected. middleeasteye.net Leading Democrat urges Biden to appoint Muslim federal judges if elected | Representative Grace Meng's call comes amid Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, whose form of Catholicism has been a point of contention among Democrats | Tue, 10/13/2020 – 15: 55 | Representative Grace Meng is using her influence among Democrats to push for the appointment of Muslim judges to the federal bench (AFP) | The vi…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-13). ELECTION 2020: In Congress, the Senate could flip. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON —Lindsay Graham never expected this. Nor did Steve Daines. Or Martha McSally. With less than a month to go until Election Day, those Republican senators, from South Carolina, Montana, and Arizona, respectively, are in the fights of their lives for political survival. McSally trails former astronaut John Kelly by so much—11 percentage points in …

Manuel García, Jr. (2020-10-13). The Demographics of Voting. counterpunch.org Many Americans are confused, conflicted and concerned about how and for whom they should vote by 3 November 2020. I say "by" because we all have the option to vote by mail, even though that option is imperiled in much of the country by campaigns of voter suppression and mail tampering by the crooks, criminals,

Amy Taxin, Adam Beam (2020-10-13). Republicans installed illegal ballot drop boxes in California; elections officials order removal. peoplesworld.org SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)—California's chief elections official on Monday ordered Republicans to remove unofficial ballot drop boxes from churches, gun shops, and other locations, and Attorney General Xavier Becerra warned those behind the "vote tampering" could face prosecution. Republicans refused, saying they are taking advantage of California's liberal ballot collection law that allows anyone to collect …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-13). Senate Dems raise threat to health care as Barrett hearings open. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—-The latest Republican dog-and-pony show, officially called Senate committee hearings on Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, opened Oct. 12 with the panel's Democrats stating should she join the other justices, health care for at least 130 million people would be changed for the worse or killed. That threat to the 10-year-old …

Matthew Stevenson (2020-10-13). The Replacements: Harris vs. Pence. counterpunch.org This essay is part of a periodic series on the 2020 presidential election. Some earlier pieces can be found here. By now, as regards the vice-presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris, you have heard that "not much was said", "no one made a mistake", and that both candidates "held their own." You may

Nick Licata (2020-10-13). Democrats Have Been a Minority on the Supreme Court Since 1970. counterpunch.org National polls have shown that most citizens do not wish her, or anyone, to be appointed until after the presidential election. A few Democrats have argued that if Barrett is appointed, seats should be added to the Supreme Court to balance its philosophical views. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both asked their Democratic opponents

RT (2020-10-13). Michigan governor kidnapping plot suspects also considered abducting Virginia governor, FBI agent tells bail hearing. rt.com Some of the men accused of trying to abduct Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also weighed up kidnapping the governor of Virginia and fellow Democrat, Ralph Northam, an FBI agent has said. | During their meeting in Dublin, Ohio in June, the alleged plotters "discussed possible targets, taking a sitting governor, specifically issues with the governor of Michigan and Virginia based on the lockdown orders," FBI Special Agent Richard Trask said in his testimony during a bail hearing for the suspects at a US District Court in Michigan. | The defendants in Tuesday's hearing were among the six facing federal kidnapp…

Betsey Piette (2020-10-13). Corporate money militarizes the police. workers.org After police murders of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., demonstrators across the U.S. called for defunding police departments. The Center for Popular Democracy Action, in a June 10 report, estimates $100 billion is spent each year in the U.S. on policing — between 20% to . . . |

Noam Chomsky (2020-10-13). Trump Is Willing to Dismantle Democracy to Hold On to Power. zcomm.org Interview on the national and international significance of Trump's refusal to commit to a "peaceful transition to power" and his reliance on conspiracy theories…

Norman Solomon (2020-10-13). All Left Hands on Deck. Step 1: Defeat Trump. Step 2: Challenge Biden. indybay.org The Trump regime must be brought down…

_____ (2020-10-13). Scheer Intelligence: Wrestling Back Privacy From The Jaws Of Big Tech. popularresistance.org Over the course of just a few decades, technology has come to play a role in nearly every single aspect of our lives. While there have been undeniable benefits to technological advances, one of the main concerns that has grown alongside its presence in daily life is how tech companies collect, use and profit from our data in ways we're often unaware of. James Steyer, a professor at Stanford University and the founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, a leading consumer advocacy group that promotes safe media and technology for families, joins Robert Scheer on this week's installment of "Scheer Intelligence" to discu…

WSWS (2020-10-13). Democrats silent on Trump's election coup plans as confirmation hearings begin on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. wsws.org Besides her potential role in an election coup d'etat, Barrett will shift the Supreme Court further to the right, gutting abortion rights, reversing protections for gays, attacking the separation of church and state, lifting restrictions on guns and blocking federal regulation of business.

Staff (2020-10-13). Protests at Amy Coney Barrett Hearing Rail Against GOP Power Grab. truthout.org Image Credit: Twitter: @CPDAction | Hundreds protested outside the Senate Monday against the confirmation hearing for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. At least 21 were arrested after staging a sit-in to oppose the Senate pushing through Barrett's nomination in the middle of the presidential election. Senate Democrats warn the federal judge's record suggests she would overturn the Affordable Care Act and threaten reproductive rights if she takes the seat left vacant by the l…

WSWS (2020-10-13). Democratic Party House antitrust report calls for breakup of big tech monopolies. wsws.org The Democrats have mounted their antitrust initiative as a means of persuading the tech firms to work more closely with their faction of the political and intelligence establishment.

Levitt L. (2020-10-13). Trump vs Biden on Health Care. jamanetwork.com There was always an expectation that health care would be one of the biggest issues in this year's presidential campaign, as was the case in the 2018 mid-term elections.

WSWS (2020-10-13). South Carolina Democratic candidate Jaime Harrison raises record $57 million in third quarter. wsws.org Harrison embodies the political role of the Democratic Party, which has hidden his history as a corporate lobbyist in the promotion of his campaign.

_____ (2020-10-13). The Correlation Between U.S. Democracy and CIA-Sponsored Terror in Cuba's Case. strategic-culture.org Fidel Castro had chartered a course for Cuba to ensure the island's complete liberation from U.S. colonial influence and interference. Participating at the UN's Sixth Committee during a debate on "Ways to Eliminate International Terrorism", Cuban Ambassador to the UN Ana Rodriguez

Staff (2020-10-13). Barrett Could Well Be the Decider in a 2020 Replay of "Bush v. Gore" truthout.org If Americans want transparency — as they should — they've got it. Judge Amy Coney Barrett's record of attacks on civil rights, workers' rights, anti-discrimination measures and consumer protections is crystal clear. Though she's just 48 years old, she has a phenomenally large legal footprint. And, as Democratic senators repeatedly pointed out Monday, on day one of the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings, her record does not bode well for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and many of the rights w…

Staff (2020-10-13). Mitch McConnell Laughs When Confronted on COVID Inaction. truthout.org In a televised debate with his Democratic opponent Amy McGrath late Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell laughed when confronted over his persistent refusal to pass additional coronavirus relief as pandemic-induced mass layoffs continue, hunger grows, and millions face the possibility of imminent eviction. | "The House passed a bill in May," said McGrath, referring to the $3.4 trillion HEROES Act that the Kentucky Republican has dismissed and blocked from receiving a vote in the Senate. "The Senate wen…

Harrison KL, Kotwal AA, Smith AK. (2020-10-13). Palliative Care for Patients With Noncancer Illnesses. jamanetwork.com The term palliative care was coined in 1975 to describe the core goals of a newly created hospital-based service in Quebec, Canada, designed to improve quality of life and mitigate sources of distress for patients with serious life-threatening illness. Now, 45 years later, palliative care retains its central focus on improving quality of life for individuals with serious life-limiting illnesses and their families by addressing physical and psychological symptoms and social and spiritual needs and aligning patient and family values with available care options.

Elie Mystal (2020-10-13). The Democrats Might Actually Have a Strategy to Block Amy Coney Barrett. thenation.com The Democrats Might Actually Have a Strategy to Block Amy Coney Barrett…

Abby Martin (2020-10-12). The 2020 Election Has Now Reached Peak Absurdity. telesurenglish.net For as long as I have been voting, progressives have been lectured about the need to engage in the politics of lesser evilism. As the years went by, the candidates got worse and worse. | RELATED: | Where now, in 2020, we are faced with the choice between two of the oldest nominees in U.S. history: Joe Biden, objectively a center-right political insider, and Donald Trump, a far-right extremist and reality star ext…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-10-12). Senate GOP Accused of 'Craven Power Grab' and 'Partisan Charade' as Coney Barrett Confirmation Hearings Kick Off. commondreams.org "The list of what is at stake if Republicans get their way is truly staggering." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/partisan-charade-coney-barrett-hearing.jpg

Staff (2020-10-12). "I Feel for Them": Son of Former White House Butler Says Trump Endangered Health of Residence Staff. democracynow.org Charles Allen, whose father Eugene Allen worked as a butler at the White House for 34 years, says President Trump's reckless actions following his COVID-19 hospitalization are threatening the health of the domestic staff at the White House. "As my dad used to say, they were the little people that made it possible for the big people to do what they did," he says. Eugene Allen, who served eight presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan, died in 2010, but his life story became the basis of the 2013 film "The Butler," starring Forest Whitaker.

Staff (2020-10-12). Ai-jen Poo: Trump Flouts COVID-19 Safety Rules with "Utter Disregard" for White House Domestic Staff. democracynow.org President Trump's return to the White House and defiant mask removal despite still being treated for COVID-19 has threatened the health of the mostly older, Black and Brown household staff, says domestic worker advocate Ai-jen Poo, senior adviser to Care in Action. "These are essential workers who have been keeping him and his family safe and caring for them, and he showed a complete and utter disregard for their health and safety," she says. At least three White House housekeepers and one other member of the residence staff were recently infected, according to The New York Times. Meanwhile, thousands of domestic…

Staff (2020-10-12). Headlines for October 12, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Resumes Rallies, Declares He Is "Immune" as WH Doctors Refuse to Say If He Tested Negative, Fauci Says His Words Taken Out of Context in New Trump Ad, WH Blocks CDC Order on Face Masks on Public Transportation as U.S. COVID-19 Cases Continue to Rise, Stimulus Talks Still at Impasse After Dems and GOP Reject Latest WH Offer, SCOTUS Hearings Kick Off in Senate as Amy Coney Barrett's Anti-Abortion Beliefs in Spotlight, Trump-Biden Debate Canceled After Trump Refuses to Participate in Virtual Format, SC Senate Debate Turns into Candidate Forum After Lindsey Graham Refuses Coronavirus Test, Judge Rejects Trump E…

Staff (2020-10-12). O'odham Land Defenders Lead Indigenous Resistance to Trump's Border Wall Amid Militarized Crackdown. democracynow.org As 14 states and more than 130 cities across the U.S. celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of Columbus Day, we go to Arizona, where Indigenous communities are leading resistance against the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall near a sacred spring inside the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. People's "lives have been so severely impacted by not only this border wall, but the complete militarization of our homelands due to this irrational fear of folks on the other side, which are our relatives," says Nellie Jo David, an O'odham water and land defender. This campaign of nonviolent protests comes as…

Prof. Juan Cole (2020-10-12). With Crushing Sanctions on 18 Iranian Banks, Is Trump Trying to Leave a War Behind for Biden? globalresearch.ca As the dying Trump administration, literally on a sickbed, contemplates losing power, its hawks are lashing out at Iran in an attempt to ensure that the 2015 international nuclear deal is dead and buried, and that the US and Iran …

Staff (2020-10-12). Trump's narcissism has become a monster Republicans can't control. therealnews.com Jim Zogby talks about the impact of Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis on the Supreme Court, the stimulus package, and potential violence leading up to the election.

Sameena Rahman (2020-10-12). Barrett confirmation hearings begin: Far right looks to lock in stranglehold over Supreme Court. liberationnews.org Today marks the beginning of the confirmation hearings of President Trump's nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett before the Senate Judiciary Committee headed by Republican Lindsey Graham. This nomination for the Supreme Court position, recently vacated by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, comes less than a month away from the presidential election and a potentially …

RT (2020-10-12). FAKE 'official' drop boxes pop up in California, as local Republicans try to defend practice on Twitter. rt.com Containers labeled "official ballot drop-off box" have been recently noticed in Southern California by local media alleging voter fraud, and their installment might have been illegal. | The metal containers were first spotted earlier this week by

Nick Pemberton (2020-10-12). Social Media Demonization Is Another Moral Panic. counterpunch.org In his debate against Kamala Harris, Mike Pence zeroed in on the words "American people". He wanted to shift responsibility away from a failing administration and onto the people themselves. Harris was at her strongest when she slammed this approach as making the American people sacrificial. There is no term more fascist than "essential worker"—death

Staff (2020-10-12). Noam Chomsky: Trump Is Willing to Dismantle Democracy to Hold On to Power. truthout.org While it's still too early to predict the likely outcome of the November 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump continues to fall behind in national polls while pulling dirty electoral tricks in the hope of defeating Democratic challenger Joe Biden. Much of Trump's hope for victory rests with his "law and order" campaign, which promotes lies about mail-in-voting fraud in order to preemptively discredit the election results if they are in Biden's favor. In this exclusive interview for Truthout,…

Ralph Nader (2020-10-12). "Loser" Pence Bullies Fabrications Through Debate Time Rules. counterpunch.org Vice President Pence "debated" Senator Kamala Harris in a way that reminded voters of how he and his boss, Donald Trump, have lawlessly misgoverned since 2017. Pence arrogantly and continually broke through the time rules that he and the Republicans agreed to obey. Again and again, Pence blew through the two minute, one minute, and

teleSUR (2020-10-12). US Senate Hearing for Trump's Supreme Court Nominee Kicks Off. telesurenglish.net The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday began a confirmation hearing for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, as Republicans push for a final floor vote amidst a raging partisan battle over the open seat at the high court. | RELATED: | The Republican leader nominated the conservative federal appellate judge last month to replace late Justice Ruth Bader Gi…

Staff (2020-10-12). Protesters Block the Entrance to Senate Building During First Barrett Hearing. truthout.org Dozens of demonstrators blocked the entrance to the Hart Senate Office Building Monday morning to protest the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee's decision to hold the first confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's right-wing Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett with less than a month to go before the pivotal November election. | Chanting "Whose court? Our court!" and "Let the people decide," the protesters gathered minutes before Barrett's first confirmation hearin…

Fight Back (2020-10-12). Students and youth webinar launching campaign for police accountability. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On October 9, student and youth activists held a webinar to launch a national campaign to fight for police accountability, on and off campus, under the headline, "Students and Youth Demand Police Accountability." The main organizations represented were New Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), AnakBayan USA, and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | Normally, SDS and other student groups host their conventions around this time of year. Instead, with the White House refusing to respond to the pandemic and with coronavirus cases on the rise, these student groups took to Zoo…

Nauman Sadiq (2020-10-12). What Does Biden's 'Deliberate Ambiguity' on Iran Sanctions Imply? globalresearch.ca The Trump administration tightened the noose further around Iran's beleaguered economy on Thursday, October 8, announcing a fresh round of sanctions that will effectively shut the country out of the global financial system. | The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on …

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-10-12). Massive Lines in Georgia on First Day of In-Person Voting Exemplify Ongoing 'Voter Suppression,' Say Critics. commondreams.org "We're becoming desensitized to unacceptable burdens on the franchise," one political scientist said. "People died for this right. [It] shouldn't take hours to participate in our democracy." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/atlanta_voting_2020.jpg

commondreams (2020-10-12). Continued Republican Resistance to COVID Relief Puts Small Businesses at Risk. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Thom Hartmann (2020-10-12). It's Time to Unpack the Court. 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/mcconnell_17.jpg

Mike Lofgren (2020-10-12). A Modest Proposal to Prevent Sabotage by the Trump Regime. commondreams.org Biden must call on federal workers to ignore illegal orders and faithfully serve the Constitution.

Joan Walsh (2020-10-12). Lindsey Graham's Desperation Is Getting Deadly. thenation.com Lindsey Graham's Desperation Is Getting Deadly…

Richard Kreitner (2020-10-12). What History Tells Us About Trump's Implosion and Biden's Opportunity. thenation.com What History Tells Us About Trump's Implosion and Biden's Opportunity…

Jack Delaney (2020-10-11). It's Time To Nationalize Social Media And Big Tech. counterpunch.org The tech oligopolies and monopolies — and particularly social media corporations — are not accountable to the public and lack meaningful regulation. The industry creates corrosive environments for democratic societies. The result allows for users and workers to be manipulated and exploited so that the industry can secure market share and profits.

Jack Delaney (2020-10-11). It's Time Nationalize Social Media And Big Tech. counterpunch.org On September 1, 2020, I received a direct message (DM) on Twitter from a reporter working with a mainstream outlet requesting comment. After a brief chat on the phone, I was informed that I was unwittingly caught up in a Russian-backed media operation, for a "publication" that had recently offered a writing opportunity. The "outlet"

RT (2020-10-11). Michigan's Democratic governor Whitmer refuses 'artificial' deadline to announce state's votes in presidential election. rt.com Swing state's governor Gretchen Whitmer has raised concerns after she refused to say when the votes from her state in the November election would be announced, claiming deadlines are set by "people with political agendas." | "Michigan will be able to announce results, but we are not going to have artificial deadlines set by, you know, people with political agendas," the governor told CBS' 'Face the Nation' on Sunday. "We're gonna get this right." | Whitmer claimed the announcement will come "soon after the polls close," but she refused to commit to a time or even day, simply insisting "we're gonna get it right…

RT (2020-10-11). Lindsey Graham's Dem challenger reveals record-breaking fundraising after GOP incumbent's questionable remarks on black people. rt.com Democrat Jaime Harrison raised a record-breaking $57 million in the final quarter of his race against incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), who sparked recent controversy over a comment about being black in his state. | Harrison's $57 million haul blows past congressional fundraising records, and is also the largest ever three-month total for a Senate candidate ever, according to his campaign. | The support came through 1.5 million donations from over 990,000 donors, with an average contribution of $37. | Harrison's financial success comes only two days after Graham found himself in hot water durin…

RT (2020-10-11). BBC mistakes Taiwan's National Day celebrations for North Korean military parade (VIDEO). rt.com BBC World News was left red-faced after it accidentally broadcast footage of National Day celebrations in Taiwan while claiming they were actually a military display marking the 75th anniversary of North Korea's ruling party. | The mistake was made by the network on Saturday, when it aired footage captioned 'Live Pyongyang'. However, the video was from Taipei, with multiple Taiwanese flags fluttering in the air and distinctive landmarks visible. | Aside from the military themes of both the North Korean and Taiwanese displays, they looked nothing alike. The Pyongyang parade featured scores of assorted milita…

Editor (2020-10-11). James Steyer: Wrestling Back Privacy From the Jaws of Big Tech. scheerpost.com Over the course of just a few decades, technology has come to play a role in nearly every single aspect of our lives. While there have been undeniable benefits to technological advances, one of the main concerns that has grown alongside its presence in daily life is how tech companies collect, use and profit from our data in ways we're often unaware of. James Steyer, a professor at Stanford… |

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-10-11). Trump Is Waging War on Us—We Ignore It at Our Peril. zcomm.org The president has made clear that he intends to cling to power at all costs, including the U.S. Constitution and our democracy…

sputniknews (2020-10-11). Tupac's Brother Says Trump Campaign Used Rapper in 'Clearly Disrespectful' Way At VP Debate. sputniknews.com Last Wednesday, US President Donald Trump's 2020 election campaign announced that it would reserve a ticket for Tupac Shakur at the vice presidential debate between VP Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris, in order to mock the Democratic VP nominee's naming of the late rap legend as her favorite living rapper during a late-September interview.

Nauman Sadiq (2020-10-11). The Yugoslav Wars: Biden's Belligerent Militarism Revisited. globalresearch.ca Ironically, while three US presidents have been accused of impeaching the Constitution for relatively minor offenses, including Bill Clinton for perjury and Donald Trump for using political influence to discredit opponents, no US president has ever been charged, let alone …

RT (2020-10-10). Actress Kirstie Alley spars with fellow celeb Rosanna Arquette after tweeting 'radical left' will be in charge if Biden wins. rt.com Conservative actress Kirstie Alley became embroiled in a war of words with fellow celebrities online after blasting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as "evil" over her attempt to create a new procedure to remove a sitting US president. | "The 'process' EVIL NANCY PELOSI speaks of is an attempt at a presidential takeover of a President by glorified BAKER ACT," Alley tweeted on Friday, adding "don't believe a word that comes out of this [witch's] mouth… and yes she gives witches a bad name." | The "process" EVIL NANCY PELOSI speaks of is an attempt at a presidential takeover of a President by glorified BAKER ACT ..

RT (2020-10-10). Pelosi & husband invest up to $1 million in CrowdStrike, tech firm that launched Russiagate — report. rt.com Newly-filed financial disclosures show House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband have invested up to $1 million in CrowdStrike, American cybersecurity technology company and the originator of 'Russian hacking' claims. | Financial disclosures New from me: Financial disclosure forms show that Nancy and P…

RT (2020-10-10). Pyongyang shows off BRAND NEW intercontinental ballistic missile during military parade, according to experts. rt.com The North Korean military has showcased a new mobile intercontinental ballistic missile during Saturday's military parade, one which experts say is larger than any previously demonstrated weapon of its type. | Four ICBMs of the new variety were carried by 11-axle erector-launcher vehicles, and they may be the new weapon system whose existence was hinted at by the North Korean government in December last year. | | Screenshot from a KCNA broadcast | The projectiles appeared to be a larger version of the Hwasong-15, the ICBM which had its first test in November 2017. That test sparked security fears, as experts…

WSWS (2020-10-10). Democrats and corporate media cover-up Trump's role in Michigan coup plot. wsws.org The silence of the Democratic Party and corporate media is giving Trump an opening to move forward with his plot to use fascist militia to overturn the outcome of the election.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II (2020-10-10). Republicans Know They Can't Win If Everyone Casts a Ballot. zcomm.org 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."

_____ (2020-10-10). The MEC Saga Shows That Canada Needs More Co-operation. popularresistance.org The campaign to "Save MEC" — Mountain Equipment Co-op — has rallied more than 140,000 Canadians together to save a business that is being sold to an American private equity firm. But this grassroots and groundswell campaign wasn't about saving a retailer; it was about saving a co-op. In fighting for a member-owned, democratic business, the campaign tapped into a passion in Canadians for co-operation. | That passion, which drove thousands of people to engage on social media, sign petitions, demand support from banks and donate more than $100,000 to a legal fund to challenge the sale of the co-op, prove…

_____ (2020-10-10). Middle East leaders prefer the devil they know in US presidential elections. And yet a Biden victory might be the bitter pill needed for reform in the region. strategic-culture.org There are few leaders in the Middle East who would want Joe Biden to take office in January of next year. Considered a disciple of Obama, many consider him as a potential U.S. president who will merely replicate Obama's policies and ostracise them from the White House as a punishment and a recalibration of U.S. relations in the region. | Indeed, countries like Saudi Arabia — which has the most to lose — will place its de facto young leader in a pickle when faced with Iran being reinvigorated by going back to the so-called 'Iran Deal' and the lifting of sanctions, in particular on oil sales in a period…

sputniknews (2020-10-10). Postmaster-General Gave $685K in Donations to Republican National Convention, FEC Filings Reveal. sputniknews.com

Michael Winship (2020-10-10). When Donald Trump's Mini-Me Met a Rational Grown Up. commondreams.org At their debate, Kamala Harris shows Mike Pence what sanity looks like.

WSWS (2020-10-10). Sri Lankan government presses ahead with plans for a presidential dictatorship. wsws.org Facing an economic catastrophe exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, President Rajapakse wants new anti-democratic measures to suppress the eruption of mass social struggles by the working class.