Daily Archives: October 24, 2020

2020-10-24: News Headlines

Staff (2020-10-24). The Squad Calls for UN Inquiry Into Alleged Human Rights Abuses at Trump's DHS. truthout.org The four first-term progressive congresswomen collectively called the Squad led a letter Friday calling for independent international investigation of "recent, ongoing, and credible allegations of egregious human rights abuses by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), its components, and its private contractors." | "From the unwanted and unnecessary hysterectomies of migrant women, to the forced separation of children from their families, to the indefinite detention of immi…

Pres. Donald Trump (2020-10-24). Video: Second 2020 Presidential Debate: Joe Biden and Donald Trump. globalresearch.ca

Fight Back (2020-10-24). Commentary on Bolivia: How a coup failed. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On November 10, 2019, a hastily-assembled coalition of generals, middle class liberals and fascist paramilitaries overthrew the democratic government of Evo Morales in Bolivia. Coming on the heels of a coup attempt in Venezuela and the vicious repression of a people's uprising in Chile, it seemed to many that the continental struggle against U.S. imperialism had reached a tipping point in the empire's favor. | Today, not even a year later, the official results for Bolivia's presidential elections were announced. Evo's comrade and successor Luis "Lucho" Arce received a resounding 55% of the vote…

Editor (2020-10-24). What Canvassing in Nevada Amid a Pandemic Has Taught Me. scheerpost.com Anthony Quintano / CC BY 2.0] By Rebecca Gordon / TomDispatch "Look, folks, the air quality is in the red zone today. The EPA says that means people with lung or heart issues should avoid prolonged activity outdoors." That was J.R. de Vera, one of two directors of UNITE-HERE!'s independent expenditure campaign to elect Biden and Harris in Reno, Nevada. UNITE-HERE! is a union representing 300… |

Hannah Aizenman, Stefanie Frey, and Mai Schotz (2020-10-24). We Finally Won Just Cause Protection at The New Yorker after AOC and Warren Refused to Cross Our Picket Line. zcomm.org After 95 years, at-will employment is over at The New Yorker. Our union finally won just cause in our first contract…

WorkWeek (2020-10-24). Tuesday 10/27: Panel-SEIU, Union Democracy, Union Elections & The Rank & File. indybay.org Zoom Panel | us02web.zoom.us/j/82188245989?pwd=aEJ5b2ZkcXNSYVVDemlZK0JxWnpidz09

Susan Jaffe (2020-10-24). [World Report] US election 2020: research and health institutions. thelancet.com How will the NIH, CDC, and FDA change if President Donald Trump wins a second term or if his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, defeats him? Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.

_____ (2020-10-24). Debate Victory May Have Sealed It for Biden. strategic-culture.org Donald Trump learned his lesson to appear gentlemanly before a national audience at long last. But too late. That is the Big Takeaway from the Second Trump-Biden presidential debate on Thursday night. | Before the debate, opinion polls consistently reported Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden enjoyed a 10 percent lead over Trump across the United States: It is likely to grow wider now. | There are still 10 days to go as I write this before the presidential election is officially held on November 3. But Trump has already run out of time. | Around one third of estimated voters have already voted — 35…

Fight Back (2020-10-24). Anti-war activists grade foreign policies of Trump, Biden. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On October 20, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee (AWC) held an online discussion on the foreign policies of President Donald Trump and his rival in the upcoming election, former Vice President Joe Biden. Members of the longstanding Twin Cities-based street protest group compared the platforms and records of each candidate from an anti-war perspective. | Overall, the group condemned U.S. interventions abroad under Trump's leadership, and affirmed the need for change. But panelists agreed that the anti-war movement would need to push back against a Biden administration for similar reasons. | "Trump…

Staff (2020-10-23). Headlines for October 23, 2020. democracynow.org Donald Trump and Joe Biden Meet for Final Debate of 2020 Campaign, U.S. Confirms Over 71,000 Daily Coronavirus Cases as Some Hospitals Near Capacity, FDA Approves Remdesivir for COVID-19 Despite WHO Study Showing No Benefit, France Extends Curfew and Czech Republic Locks Down as COVID-19 Surges Across Europe, India's BJP Party Promises Free COVID-19 Vaccines But Only If It Wins Regional Election, Senate Democrats Boycott as Judiciary Committee Advances Amy Coney Barrett's Confirmation, Rocky Mountain National Park Closes as Colorado Experiences Two Largest Wildfires on Record, Asylum Seekers Say ICE Agents Tortur…

Staff (2020-10-23). "It's Criminal": Biden Slams Trump as Gov't Can't Find Parents of 545 Children Separated at Border. democracynow.org During the second and final presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee, moderator Kristen Welker asked Trump and Biden about immigration and family separation. Trump deflected questions during the debate, repeatedly stating that the Obama-Biden administration "built the cages" and falsely claiming that kids seeking asylum in the U.S. are "well taken care of." However, the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy "took children away from their families at the border," says Erika Andiola, advocacy chief at RAICES Action, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services. "He's not owning up t…

Staff (2020-10-23). Trump Lies About COVID-19 Risks & Vaccine at Debate as Pandemic Is Tied to 300K Excess U.S. Deaths. democracynow.org President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden met in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday in the second and final debate of the 2020 campaign. It was a more subdued debate than their first clash, when Trump refused to abide by the rules and interrupted Biden at least 128 times. Thursday's debate was moderated by NBC's Kristen Welker, who began by asking the candidates about COVID-19. Biden criticized Trump for repeatedly downplaying the severity of the pandemic, while the president boasted about his handling of the crisis, falsely claiming a vaccine was "ready" to be deployed within weeks. Epidemiologis…

Staff (2020-10-23). Biden Admits Past Mistake Supporting Crime Bill as Trump Defends Attacks on Black Lives Matter. democracynow.org President Trump and Joe Biden sparred on their records over race and criminal justice in Thursday's presidential debate. Trump simultaneously promoted his criminal justice reform efforts while continuing to lean on "tough on crime" rhetoric. Trump also criticized Biden for authoring the 1994 crime bill and supporting other laws that intensified mass incarceration in the U.S., which Biden acknowledged was "a mistake." Rashad Robinson, spokesperson for Color of Change PAC, says Biden's admission highlights the importance of continued pressure on politicians on racial justice issues. "The Democrats can't just make t…

Juan Cole (2020-10-23). A clear Choice on Climate. zcomm.org Trump wants to Wreck the Planet; Biden has taken strides toward a Green Vision…

Lee Camp (2020-10-23). Top 10 People to Blame if Joe Biden Loses (It's Not The Left). counterpunch.org So, Joseph Biden, AKA "Kid Senile," leads in the polls against Donald Trump, AKA "Kid Fascist Lunatic," by such a large margin that it resembles a horse race in which one of the horses is an aged wiener dog with three legs. Right now, even though the polling does not account for the millions of voters who

Staff (2020-10-23). Trump Smears Victims of Mass Family Separations as "Bad People" truthout.org Pressed during Thursday night's final 2020 presidential debate to account for his administration's record of separating immigrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, President Donald Trump repeatedly attempted to evade responsibility by lying about the origins of the inhumane practice, smearing those harmed by it, and attempting to shift blame onto Democratic opponent Joe Biden. | In response to a question about the more than 500 parents who have yet to be found after they were separated from their children…

Beau Peters (2020-10-23). Early Voting, Long Lines, and Voter Suppression. dissidentvoice.org November 3rd, Election Day in America, is rapidly approaching. However, early in-person voting has started in several states across the country and there are some concerning issues already coming to light this election year. Videos by voters have been circulating on social media sites such as Twitter, showing extremely long lines and long waiting periods. …

Jordan Woll (2020-10-23). Trump and Biden agree: U.S. empire should reign supreme. liberationnews.org On matters of war and empire, Donald Trump and Joe Biden fundamentally agree.

Liberation Staff (2020-10-23). Gloria La Riva responds to second Biden vs. Trump presidential debate: The two capitalist parties offer workers nothing. liberationnews.org The second debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump was one of the closing events of a presidential campaign that has been an utter insult to the working class.

Pete Dolack (2020-10-23). We Can Do Better Than Capitalist Formal "Democracy" counterpunch.org An article I read shortly after Jacinda Ardern's re-election in New Zealand noted, with a touch of weariness, that Labour's victory came after a campaign measured in "weeks." Folks there ought to count themselves lucky — the United States has endured years of campaigning in what has proved, to the surprise of no one, its nastiest

Ralph Nader (2020-10-23). Wrecking America: How Trump's Lawbreaking and Lies Betray All. counterpunch.org Political analysts of all stripes have concluded that President Trump has a base of supporters who are credulous, immovable, and unpersuadable. Allow us to briefly test that hypothesis, but to ignore the skins-shirts labels — Left-Right, Democrat-Republican — that often though not always determine how a person votes. Instead, we'd like to ask sincere Trump voters

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-23). Obama returns to campaign trail to help crush Trump. peoplesworld.org PHILADELPHIA—Say one thing for former Democratic President Barack Obama: He can still fire up a crowd, even if they're stuck in parked cars at a Philadelphia stadium lot due to the coronavirus pandemic. Because that's what Obama did in a rousing Oct. 21 speech at Lincoln Financial Field, to a chorus of shouted cheers and …

Paul Street (2020-10-23). Ex-President Obama: Ten Ironies. counterpunch.org The irony on Thursday morning cable news was too delicious not to savor. MSDNC anchor Halle Jackson could barely contain her glee over how former president Barack Obama had finally "taken the gloves off" and gone after Donald Trump by name while campaigning for Joe Biden the previous day. I have no idea if Obama really did "take the gloves off" on Wednesday. I have my doubts. But whatever he did, he may have answered the bell too late.

Hugh Iglarsh (2020-10-23). Advertising vs. Democracy: An Interview with Jean Kilbourne. counterpunch.org There it is, on page 56 of Jean Kilbourne's book Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel: the graphic that stopped me cold and made me realize just how prophetic was her work (originally published in hardcover in 1999 as Deadly Persuasion: Why Women and Girls Must Fight the

Leonid Savin (2020-10-23). The Role Of Capital In the US Elections. thealtworld.com Money plays a key role in US election campaigns. It is spent on advertising, consultants' salaries and PR firms. In addition, the Democrats' strategy shows that funding goes towards street protests. Since their confrontational approach is adopted in advance and involves provoking people into mass protests, it is a technique that also requires serious investment. | Let us explore the different fundraising mechanisms for election campaigns and the interests of various financial groups (individuals). | Political action committees: | Since 1976, political action committees (PACs) have been used in the US to r…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-23). Trump offers lies, distortions, and excuses during last debate. peoplesworld.org Yesterday, when a record 77,000 people in one day were infected with the coronavirus President Trump, offering no plan to deal with it, said only, "We are learning to live with it." "Come on," Joe Biden, his debate opponent responded, "We're dying with it." Biden explained, during the debate segment on the pandemic, detailed plans …

Staff (2020-10-23). Who is 'the least racist person in the room'? therealnews.com Burn It Down with Kim Brown — airing live on 10/23/2020. As YouTube restricts embedding for new channels, please click over to the YouTube link below. | Trump and Biden traded blows over each other's character, and what they would do for the country. Our panel discusses the final 2020 presidential debate, along with the recent developments in the fight against voter suppression.

RT (2020-10-23). Biden claims he never said he'd ban fracking, despite video, admits he wants to 'transition' away from oil industry. rt.com Joe Biden said he wants to "transition" away from oil and have all industries at "net zero emissions" by 2035. He also claimed he's never said he would ban fracking, despite video evidence of him saying just that. | "Would he close down the oil industry?" President Donald Trump asked of Biden at Thursday's presidential debate. "Would you close down the oil industry?" | "I would transition from the oil industry, yes," Biden admitted, a statement Trump called "big" and critics latched onto on social media, taking it as an admission he would destroy an industry vitally important to the economies of many states.

RT (2020-10-23). Biden calls Rudy Giuliani 'Russian pawn' as he & Trump accuse each other of taking over foreign money in debate. rt.com Democratic hopeful Joe Biden has alleged that Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's lawyer, is working as a "Russian pawn" to help his client win the 2020 race, as both candidates accuse each other of taking foreign cash. | Also on rt.com | | "[Trump's] own national security adviser told him that what is happening with his buddy — oh, I shouldn't… well, I will — his buddy Rudy Giuliani. He's being used as a Russian pawn. He's being fed information that is Ru…

RT (2020-10-23). 19yo man with van full of guns & explosives arrested, was plotting to assassinate Joe Biden. rt.com Newly-released court documents show a man was arrested in Kannapolis, North Carolina in possession of firearms and explosives. He had reportedly researched how to kill presidential candidate Joe Biden. | A van belonging to Alexander Hillel Treisman, 19, was found at a Kannapolis bank filled with guns, books on making bombs, explosive materials, multiple driver's licenses, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. | The van was abandoned and towed at the request of the bank, and then subsequently searched by police officers. | Court docs say Alexander Treisman left this van at a Kannapolis Fifth Third Bank.

RT (2020-10-23). FBI asks to interview former Hunter Biden business partner after he said Joe Biden was involved in son's foreign business dealings. rt.com The FBI has asked to interview investor Tony Bobulinski, the ex-business partner of Hunter Biden who alleged Thursday that Joe Biden was involved in his son's overseas deals, contrary to the presidential candidate's statements. | The Senate Homeland Security Committee

RT (2020-10-23). Biden called out for 'lying' that Republican Congress obstructed criminal justice reforms under Obama. rt.com Presidential candidate Joe Biden claimed at the final debate with Donald Trump that the Democrats couldn't pass criminal justice reform as the GOP controlled Congress, prompting online posters to point out it wasn't the case. | President Trump took a jab at his electoral challenger during the Thursday debate, asking, "Why didn't you get [criminal justice reform] done? … You know why, Joe? Because you're all talk and no action." | Biden was quick to defend the former Democratic administration's supposed inaction on the issue, saying he and former president Barack Obama's "had a Republican Congress," which hin…

RT (2020-10-23). 'That's not a plan, dude': Biden ripped for saying best way to battle Covid-19 is to 'wear a mask all the time'. rt.com While criticizing President Donald Trump's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Joe Biden recommended people wearing masks "all the time," setting off critics on social media. | "I would make sure everyone was encouraged to wear a mask all the time," Biden said during Thursday's presidential debate while discussing his potential plans for ending the pandemic, which includes more rapid testing and national standards for states reopening their economies. | Trump has mocked Biden for his near-constant mask wearing in the past. While the president walked onto the debate stage not wearing a mask, Biden did. He also h…

RT (2020-10-23). 'We had a good relationship with Hitler': Biden slams Trump for meeting Kim Jong-un, compares North Korea to Nazi Germany. rt.com Slamming President Donald Trump's "good relationship" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Joe Biden confused debate viewers by referring to a "good relationship" between the US and Adolf Hitler. | Calling Kim a "different kind of guy" during a discussion on North Korea, Trump touted his ability to talk to the controversial leader and said his civil relationship with him has helped the two countries avoid a nuclear war. | "We're not in a war. We have a good relationship… Having a good relationship with leaders of other countries is a good thing," Trump said during the Thursday night debate. Biden slammed th…

RT (2020-10-23). 'Pragmatic conservative' Putin rejects totalitarian rule, but won't embrace Western liberal democracy as Russia goes its own way. rt.com Western pundits use Vladimir Putin's rejection of the idea of Western liberal democracy as a universal model to imply he rejects the concept of democracy outright. His latest comments reveal the reality is rather more complex. | On Thursday, the Russian president gave his annual speech to the gathering of the Valdai Discussion Club — a select group of Russian and foreign experts who meet once a year to ponder the fate of the world. The 2020 event, normally held in Sochi, was staged online, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. | Putin's address, and his answers to the questions that followed, wandered far and wid…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-10-23). Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley, and Tlaib Lead Call for UN Probe Into Alleged DHS Human Rights Abuses. commondreams.org "Our government cannot be allowed to commit human rights atrocities or escape investigation, oversight, or criticism based on its powerful geopolitical position, as it so often has." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/omar_pressley_aoc_tlaib_0.jpg

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-10-23). Biden Appeals to Bosnian Muslim and Albanian Voters. Reveal Democrats' Plans in the Balkans. globalresearch.ca U.S. Democrat Presidential Candidate Joe Biden has been on a whirlwind campaign in an attempt to defeat President Donald Trump in next month's election. Published policy papers has shown Biden's strong support for Greece, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Albania …

Zephyr Teachout (2020-10-23). "A Barrett Confirmation Is a Catastrophe" zcomm.org What Democrats Can Do to Block Trump's Supreme Court Pick…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-10-23). Constitutional Law Experts Endorse Democrats' Bill to Create 18-Year Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices. commondreams.org The called it "a critical piece in prescribing how our country's leaders can work to depoliticize the Supreme Court and its confirmation process." | www.flickr.com/photos/44768401@N07/4122928968/in

teleSUR (2020-10-23). US Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Took Center Stage at Debate. telesurenglish.net Democratic candidate Joe Biden slammed President Donald Trump for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic at the final presidential debate on Thursday night. | RELATED: | "We're in a circumstance where the president thus far still has no plan, no comprehensive plan," Biden said and noted that the death toll had already surpassed 220,000 in the U.S., with 1,000 new deaths per day, accusing Trump of intentionally playing down the thre…

Matt Sedlar (2020-10-23). Mexico at the OAS General Assembly: Almagro undermined the OAS Charter and Damaged Bolivia's Democracy. cepr.net This week in Washington, D.C. the Organization of American States (OAS) held their 50th Regular Session of the General Assembly. In these meetings the General Assembly, the highest decision-making body of the OAS, is tasked with debating the organization's course of action for the next year, as well as setting the standards of governance for …

Nauman Sadiq (2020-10-23). 'Friends, Not Masters': Is Biden a Frenemy of Islamic World? globalresearch.ca During the presidential debate alongside Donald Trump in September, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden uttered the invocative Islamic expression "Inshallah," meaning "God willing," to woo the Muslim American voters, which was cheered by Democratic supporters across the Islamic World. | Being …

Max Moran (2020-10-23). How BlackRock is on Track to Infiltrate a Biden Administration. counterpunch.org The Democratic base, still scarred from the 2016 election, is frantic not to count its chickens before they hatch. But Wall Street and corporate America have no such qualms. As Joe Biden leads in national polls and swing states, the most powerful firms in the country are seeking assurances that his administration won't crack down

teleSUR (2020-10-23). 'Mar-a-Lago' Will Be A Ghost Town, NYC Mayor Replies to Trump. telesurenglish.net New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks during the last presidential debate when he assured that New York had become a "ghost town." | RELATED: | "The only 'ghost town' will be Mar-a-Lago once you're forced into retirement after losing the elections," De Blasio assured alluding to Trump's private Florida resort. | "New Yorkers are bringing our city back stronger than ever. It's noth…

WSWS (2020-10-23). Over 100 teachers launch wildcat sickout strike in Houston. wsws.org The drive by Texas Democrats to reopen Houston schools coincides with the platform of the Biden-Harris campaign, which fraudulently claim that this can be done "safely" while the pandemic spirals out of control.

teleSUR (2020-10-23). US: Trump and Biden Respectful During Last Presidential Debate. telesurenglish.net President Donald Trump and former Vice-president Joe Biden faced each other during the last debate ahead of the elections on November 3 during a conversation less offensive than the previous debate but also longer than the established 90 minutes. | RELATED: | NBC News' White House correspondent Kristen Welker clarified that the candidates would have their microphones cut off if they did not allow each other to answer the questions and alt…

WSWS (2020-10-23). Corporate America puts its money on Biden and the Democrats. wsws.org Biden and the Democrats have significantly outraised Trump and the Republicans, with cash from Wall Street and Silicon Valley accounting for much of the difference.

Pepe Escobar (2020-10-23). Make America Jeffersonian Again. thealtworld.com A messianic bent leads Americans to dismiss as malign actors every nation deviating from 'self-evident truths' | The whole planet has every reason to be terminally puzzled at how all those lofty Enlightenment ideals Thomas Jefferson embedded in the 1776 Declaration of Independence ended up with…Trump vs. Biden. | Jefferson borrowed freely from Locke, Rousseau, Hume to come up with an eminently quotable Greatest Hits, featuring "self-evident" truths such as "all men are created equal", "unalienable rights", and that searing "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." | Well, Baudrillard would have dubbed the e…

Ruth Conniff (2020-10-23). Hope Prevails Over Fear in Final Debate. progressive.org Biden delivers a strong performance as Trump displays his sneering lack of empathy.

Fight Back (2020-10-23). Tampa students rally against cuts to education, demand defunding of USF police department. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On October 20, around 40 students and community members protested against the University of South Florida's (USF) budget cuts and demanded defunding the campus police. Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held the protest as part of their Chop from the Top and the Cops campaign and a new demand for USF to keep the College of Education after recent news of the department's closure. | The reason for ending undergraduate education programs, according to USF, is that attendance has been low and that ending the program will save the school about $6.8 million. This decision is the beginning of…

Sam Pizzigati (2020-10-23). The Biden Tax Plan: The More Progressives Look, the More Progressives Like. zcomm.org This package of serious tax-the-rich proposals will have no easy road through Congress…

Ureerat Wilson (2020-10-23). A New Democracy Movement in Thailand. zcomm.org Thailand's conservative middle classes are now joining populists in a movement against their military-backed system…

_____ (2020-10-23). Movement Towards Socialism Wins Landslide Victory In Bolivia. popularresistance.org After 11 months of being ruled by a repressive coup-regime, Bolivians have finally recovered democracy. After five days of counting, the official results of the Bolivian presidential elections are finally in. The Movement Towards Socialism's (MAS) presidential ticket with Luis Arce and David Choquehuanca won 55.1% of the vote share while Carlos Mesa's Citizen Community party won just 28.83% of the vote share. The MAS also won the parliamentary elections, bagging 73 out of the 130 seats in the lower house of parliament and 21 of the 36 seats in the Senate.

Institute of the Arts and Sciences, UCSC (2020-10-23). Tuesday 10/27: Images, Memory and Justice with Bryan Stevenson. indybay.org Online Event | ias.ucsc.edu/events/2020/images-memory-and-justice-bryan-stevenson-october-27-2020

Anita Raj (2020-10-23). [Research Paper] Gun violence in the U.S.: It is past time we listen to the voices of women and black communities. thelancet.com The United States (U.S.) presidential election is upon us at a time when the nation faces increasing polarization on many issues, including guns and violence, and our presidential candidates reflect this polarization. The incumbent Republican Nominee, Donald Trump, warns voters that his opponent will "take away your guns (and) destroy your Second Amendment," which secures the right of the people to keep and bear firearms [1]. Democratic nominee and former Vice President under Barack Obama, Joe Biden, in fact includes in his platform a commitment to effective gun control policies, including banning assault weapons…

_____ (2020-10-23). Russiagate, The Sequel: Democrats Resurrect 'Russia Bogeyman' Ruse to Cover Joe and Hunter Biden's Foreign Misconduct. strategic-culture.org If a U.S. political giant falls in Washington, D.C. but nobody is around to hear it, did Russia do it? Judging by the way the Democrats have been overplaying the anti-Russia card for the past four years, we already know the answer to that question. | Last week, the New York Post fired off a bombshell story that exposed emails allegedly belonging to U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden. The messages — discovered on a laptop that the younger Biden had reportedly dropped off at a Delaware computer repair shop in April 2019 — point to a level of corruption and nepotism that is shockin…

sputniknews (2020-10-23). 'Please Be Responsible': Actress Jennifer Aniston Tells Americans Voting for Kanye West 'Not Funny'. sputniknews.com In the run-up to the 3 November presidential election in the United States, candidates are contesting to be the voice of America. Besides the two main candidates, sitting Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden, US rapper Kanye West joined the White House race at the last minute.

sputniknews (2020-10-23). Shh We're Debating!; MAS Fights for Peace in Bolivia; Nigeria on Fire. sputniknews.com Biden, Trump hold final, quieter debate; Nigerian civil unrests leaves 50+ dead; Will Sanders serve as Labor Secretary in Biden's cabinet?

sputniknews (2020-10-23). Court Docs Reveal US Republican State Senate Candidate Booted From School Over KKK Halloween Regalia. sputniknews.com A Republican running for the Arkansas Senate was dismissed from the Mississippi high school he attended nearly two decades ago after allegedly dressing up as a member of the Ku Klux Klan during a school-sponsored Halloween event.

sputniknews (2020-10-23). Can Biden and the Media Keep Ignoring Tony Bobulinski? sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, including the media ignoring the Hunter Biden story, Joe Biden denying taking foreign money ever in his life, Sudan announcing normalization with Israel, the Senate confirming Judge Barrett, and former Biden associate Tony Bobulinski being interviewed by the FBI.

Staff (2020-10-23). Trump May Fire Barr and FBI Director for Not Investigating Biden. truthout.org President Donald Trump has repeatedly discussed firing FBI Director Christopher Wray after the election — and officials are concerned he may also oust Attorney General Bill Barr, according to Trump has been unhappy that Wray and Barr have not publicly announced an investigation into Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, his son…

Staff (2020-10-23). Trump's Lawyers Want Trump's Judges to Limit Voting. truthout.org This article was originally published by the In March, President Donald Trump phoned into the show "Fox & Friends" on Fox News to talk about his negotiations over a coronavirus aid bill. Democrats in Congress had been pushing to include billions to assist states in expanding mail-in voting, ensuring voters wouldn't have to risk exposure to the virus on Election Day. | Trump was…

Staff (2020-10-23). Biden Acknowledged Crime Bill "Mistake" Because of Massive Grassroots Pressure. truthout.org President Trump and Joe Biden sparred on their records over race and criminal justice in Thursday's presidential debate. Trump simultaneously promoted his criminal justice reform efforts while continuing to lean on "tough on crime" rhetoric. Trump also criticized Biden for authoring the 1994 crime bill and supporting other laws that intensified mass incarceration in the U.S., which Biden acknowledged was "a mistake." Rashad Robinson, spokesperson for Color of Change PAC, says Biden's admission h…

Steve Ellner (2020-10-23). Takeaways From the Last Biden-Trump Presidential Debate. telesurenglish.net If there was one takeaway for the second presidential debate it's that the difference between the two candidates is minimum, especially concerning foreign policy. | RELATED: | Both Trump and Biden boosted over and over again that they are more belligerent than their opponents concerning countries considered to be U.S adversaries. | Biden for instance claimed that as vice president he stood up to the Chinese with regards to their claims in…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-10-23). 'Unlawful Abuse of Power': NYC, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon Sue DOJ Over 'Anarchist' Designation. commondreams.org "The only anarchy in this country is coming from the White House," quipped New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/nyc.jpg

Jamie Henn (2020-10-23). Joe Biden is Finally Talking About Fossil Fuels—That's a Good Thing. commondreams.org Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks to reporters before boarding his campaign plane at Nashville International Airport on October 22, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. Biden is traveling to Nashville, Tennessee for the final presidential debate with President Donald Trump. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_fossil_fuels.jpg

Susan Price (2020-10-23). Thailand's Free Youth movement defies regime with nightly mobilisations. greenleft.org.au A week after the Thai regime issued an emergency decree banning gatherings of more than five people, Peter Boyle reports the Free Youth student-led democracy movement has been staging nightly mass gatherings around the country.

Joan Walsh (2020-10-23). The Moment Joe Biden Found His Voice—and Won the Final Debate. thenation.com The Moment Joe Biden Found His Voice—and Won the Final Debate…

Nick Pemberton (2020-10-23). Sheep Blitzer Cozies Up To Donald Trump. counterpunch.org The corporate media propelled Donald Trump into the White House in 2016 and are keen to do so again. The media is addicted to ratings and instead of researching the issues related to the welfare of the American people they have turned their journalism into click bait gossip. Wolf Blitzer had on Nancy Pelosi just

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-10-23). NPR, CNN, NYT, Wa-Po, MSNBC, Twitter, Facebook, Google Presstitutes Covering Up Biden Scandals by Refusing to Report on Them. thealtworld.com There has never been a news media as biased as the American one The New York Post's …

Jeet Heer (2020-10-23). The 'Dark Winter' of Covid-19 Overshadows the Debate. thenation.com The 'Dark Winter' of Covid-19 Overshadows the Debate…

Sasha Abramsky (2020-10-23). Trump Sinks to New Depths of Deceit and Depravity. thenation.com Trump Sinks to New Depths of Deceit and Depravity…

Daniel Judt, Maxwell Ulin (2020-10-23). Opportunity Knocks: Canvassing in the Time of Covid. thenation.com Opportunity Knocks: Canvassing in the Time of Covid…

John Nichols (2020-10-23). Dianne Feinstein Demonstrates Why Democratic Challenges to Democratic Incumbents Are Necessary. thenation.com Dianne Feinstein Demonstrates Why Democratic Challenges to Democratic Incumbents Are Necessary…

Editor (2020-10-22). It's No Surprise Corporate Media Abhors Wealth Taxes. scheerpost.com Neil Alexander McKee / CC BY-NC 2.0] By Alan MacLeod / FAIR The coronavirus pandemic has greatly increased wealth inequality in the United States, a key issue in the upcoming presidential election. Polls are currently looking good for the Democrats, many of whom have been murmuring about—or even demanding—a new wealth tax. Recent surveys show the idea is overwhelmingly popular with the electorate… |

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-10-22). AOC to Join Jane Fonda for Fire Drill Friday Focused on Planetary Imperative of November Victory. commondreams.org "This is one of our most important calls in the lead-up to Election Day." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aoc-fire-drill-chat.jpg

Staff (2020-10-22). Headlines for October 22, 2020. democracynow.org Columbia Researchers Say Trump's Failures Led to at Least 130,000 Coronavirus Deaths, California to Slash San Quentin Prison Population After Massive Coronavirus Outbreak, Obama Blasts Trump's Record as Candidates Head to Nashville for Final Presidential Debate, NYT: Trump Maintains Chinese Bank Account and Paid Nearly $200,000 in Taxes to China, DNI John Ratcliffe Claims Iran Is Meddling in 2020 Election to "Damage President Trump", Democrats to Boycott Senate Committee Vote on Amy Coney Barrett's SCOTUS Nomination, Billionaire Sackler Family Gets No Jail Time in $8 Billion OxyContin Settlement, In Historic Shif…

Staff (2020-10-22). "We Are Asking for Justice": #EndSARS Anti-Police Brutality Protests Grow as Nigerian Forces Kill 12. democracynow.org Mass protests against police brutality continue in Nigeria after security forces shot and killed 12 peaceful protesters in Lagos this week. Video widely shared on social media shows security forces firing directly into a crowd of demonstrators in Lagos singing the country's national anthem. Authorities have imposed a curfew to clamp down on the growing demonstrations, which started as a demand to disband the notorious police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, but which have since grown into a wider movement against police brutality and official impunity. "We are asking for justice. We are aski…

MEE staff (2020-10-22). Democrats urge US to boycott G20 summit in Saudi Arabia. middleeasteye.net Democrats urge US to boycott G20 summit in Saudi Arabia | Forty-five House Democrats urge government to boycott next month's G20 summit in Riyadh over kingdom's human rights violations | Thu, 10/22/2020 – 16: 08 | Sixty-five members of the European Parliament have also signed letter calling for EU to downgrade attendance at G20 (AFP/File photo) | A group of 45 Democratic lawmakers urged the Trump administratio…

MEE staff (2020-10-22). Top Senate Democrat slams Trump's foreign policy record. middleeasteye.net Top Senate Democrat slams Trump's foreign policy record | In 74-page report, Senator Bob Menendez says US president has 'profound affinity for dictators and autocrats' | Thu, 10/22/2020 – 21: 12 | Senator Bob Menendez is poised to assume chairmanship of Foreign Relations Committee if Democrats win control of Senate (AFP/File photo) | The top Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee launched a blis…

MEE staff (2020-10-22). US Democrat senators introduce bill to restrict sale of F-35 jets to UAE. middleeasteye.net US Democrat senators introduce bill to restrict sale of F-35 jets to UAE | Senators want White House to certify Israel's military advantage in region would not be jeopardised by sales to other Middle Eastern countries | Thu, 10/22/2020 – 22: 28 | UAE has long expressed interest in acquiring F-35 jets and was promised chance to buy them when agreeing to normalise ties with Israel (AFP/File photo) | Two Democrat…

Staff (2020-10-22). What's at stake in the final presidential debate? therealnews.com Join us live at 12pm EST on Friday, Oct. 23 for a recap of the second and final presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Roger Harris (2020-10-22). US Presidential Campaign Spectacle: Distracts from Essential Issues while Playing the Race Card. counterpunch.org With the seemingly interminable US presidential campaign season mercifully drawing to a close, the buzz is about a possible coup. That would make the US one of the few countries in recent history to experience regime change not masterminded by a US embassy, because there is no US embassy in Washington.

Vijay Prashad (2020-10-22). Argentina's veteran ambassador makes a stand for the sovereignty of Latin America. mronline.org Alicia Castro does not shy away from her views. She came to diplomacy from the trade union movement, where she was a leader when she was a flight attendant with Aerolíneas Argentinas.

Darrell Rankin (2020-10-22). Save the world, defeat Trump: Thoughts from a fellow worker in Canada. peoplesworld.org The choice facing U.S. voters on Nov. 3 is between the remnants of bourgeois democracy and an open terrorist dictatorship of billionaires, and it is heartening to hear the U.S. labor movement is choosing sides. A general strike in case of interference in the election—not by Russia but by Trump-led reactionaries—is starting to become the …

Henry Giroux (2020-10-22). Fascist Culture, Critical Pedagogy, and Resistance in Dark Times. counterpunch.org Something sinister and horrifying is happening to liberal democracies all over the globe. The global thrust towards democratization that emerged after World War II is giving way once again to authoritarian tyrannies. As alarming as the signs may be, the public cannot look away and allow the terrors of the unforeseen to be given free rein. For those who believe in democratic socialism we cannot allow the power of dreams and militant hopes to turn into ashes.

The Canary (2020-10-22). Thailand cancels state of emergency in bid to calm pro-democracy protests. thecanary.co Thailand's government has cancelled a state of emergency it declared last week for Bangkok in a gesture offered by the embattled prime minister to cool massive student-led protests seeking democracy reforms.The decree had banned public gatherings of more than four people and allowed censorship of the media, among other provisions. It was challenged in court by an opposition party and a group of university students.The revocation of the emergency decree declared that the situation had been mitigated and could now be dealt with by existing laws.Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has faced calls to step down (Governme…

George Ochenski (2020-10-22). Trump Takes a Beating…in Montana. counterpunch.org Montana's Gov. Steve Bullock just chalked up another great win with a victory over Donald Trump's corrupt puppet, Louis DeJoy, who heads the U.S. Postal Service and has crippled that agency with Draconian measures such as dismantling sorting machines, removing postal boxes and generally slowing down delivery of the mail. Thanks to Bullock's legal initiative, DeJoy

RT (2020-10-22). Hunter's business partner CONFIRMS authenticity of laptop email, claims Joe Biden was part of Chinese deals. rt.com A former associate of Hunter Biden's has said that an email addressed to him concerning potentially shady deals with a Chinese firm is genuine and that Hunter's father was also involved in the scheme. | A tranche of emails, text messages and photos, allegedly taken from a hard drive that belonged to the former vice president's son and published by the New York Post, have been dismissed by many media outlets as "unverified" and potentially even "Russian disinformation." Twitter even blocked the link to the original story. But now a man claiming to be a recipient of one of the leaked emails, concerning a busines…

RT (2020-10-22). Biden pledges funding transparency, yet seemingly cheats on own vows as many of his campaign donors are kept secret. rt.com As the sums received by Biden's campaign have grown, his interactions with big donors have become more opaque, an NYT report shows, as part of a broader trend to 'out' the candidate's non-commitment to his 'transparency' vows. | The news was reported by Politico with some fanfar…

RT (2020-10-22). Conservatives accuse Twitter of selectively ignoring own policies on REVENGE PORN, misleading content in Borat prank on Giuliani. rt.com Conservatives blasted Twitter for ignoring and even promoting what they called a misleading revenge-porn attack on Rudy Giuliani after censoring reporting on alleged influence-peddling by Joe Biden's family. | At issue was a picture posted on Twitter on Wednesday showing Giuliani laying back on a bed with his hand reaching inside his pants while a woman stands nearby. The image was taken from the new 'Borat' sequel, in which Giuliani, a personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, believed himself to be doing an interview on the Covid-19 pandemic with a female Russian reporter. After the interview, Giuliani and…

RT (2020-10-22). Trump to bring Hunter Biden's business partner to debate as guest. rt.com President Donald Trump has a surprise guest for his final debate with Joe Biden: Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Hunter Biden who said the emails describing the Biden family's alleged shady dealings are genuine. | Bobulinski came forward on Wednesday, claiming he can confirm the authenticity of the documents published by the New York Post last week. The emails, supposedly obtained from a Delaware computer repair shop, show Hunter trading access to his father with Ukrainian energy tycoons, making deals for his family in China, and kicking a share of his foreign profits up to Joe, all while the sen…

RT (2020-10-22). Trump to bring Hunter Biden's business partner who CONFIRMED leaked emails are real as GUEST to tonight's debate. rt.com President Donald Trump has a surprise guest for his final debate with Joe Biden: Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Hunter Biden who said the emails describing the Biden family's alleged shady dealings are genuine. | Bobulinski came forward on Wednesday, claiming he can confirm the authenticity of the documents published by the New York Post last week. The emails, supposedly obtained from a Delaware computer repair shop, show Hunter trading access to his father with Ukrainian energy tycoons, making deals for his family in China, and kicking a share of his foreign profits up to Joe, all while the sen…

Tim Libretti (2020-10-22). Democrats right to close the door on McConnell's sham COVID rescue bills. peoplesworld.org Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brought his two stand-alone COVID relief bills to a vote in the Senate this week two stand-alone COVID-19 relief packages. On Tuesday, he put up an extension of the Paycheck Protection Program bill to help small businesses, and on Wednesday again staged a vote on the same "skinny" $500 billion …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-22). GOP Senate ignores 24 million unemployed workers, schedules Barrett vote first. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The Republican Senate majority, led by Mitch McConnell, has sidelined further economic aid for millions of people, including the 24.736 million, who are either getting state or federal jobless benefits or are seeking them, according to the latest federal data. Instead, McConnell declared, senators will debate GOP Oval Office occupant Donald Trump's nomination of right-wing …

WSWS (2020-10-22). Sri Lankan SEP to hold online meeting on a socialist program to fight COVID-19. wsws.org The event will discuss the policies necessary for workers, the rural poor and youth to combat the coronavirus disaster and the Rajapakse administration's austerity and anti-democratic measures.

Erin McCarley and Birrion Sondahl (2020-10-22). The Assistance, Not the Resistance. dissidentvoice.org As Amy Coney Barrett is expected to be confirmed today as the next Justice to the Supreme Court, one might expect to see more news coverage of the multiple ways Congressional Democrats have tried to block her confirmation. Given the massive groundswell of anguish and fury over her nomination to replace the legendary Ruth Bader …

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-10-22). To Fix 'Out of Whack' US Judiciary and Supreme Court, Biden Says He'll Create Commission to Study Reforms. commondreams.org "There's a number of alternatives that… go well beyond packing," Biden asserted. "The last thing we need to do is turn the Supreme Court into just a political football." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/biden60.jpg

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2020-10-22). Saying Quiet Part 'Really Loud,' Trump Admits He Hopes Supreme Court Kills ACA as Barrett Moves Closer to Confirmation. commondreams.org "Senate Republicans who claim this was never about gutting healthcare are lying to you and Donald Trump just proved it." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/barrett_0.jpg

Susan Price (2020-10-22). Racism, democracy in the 'land of the free'. greenleft.org.au The racism and lack of democracy that underpins the institutions of the United States has been exposed thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement and President Donald Trump's rush to confirm a new Supreme Court, writes Barry Sheppard.