Daily Archives: October 30, 2020

2020-10-30: News Headlines

Rev. William Alberts (2020-10-30). Democracy is Colorful, Not Colorblind. counterpunch.org Many white Americans believe racism is about individual relationships: how they think about and treat individual persons of color. Here racism is individualized and interpersonalized, which obscures its historical, institutional and White-controlled dimensions including its power base. Black friends and acquaintances, no matter how genuine the relationships, may serve to cloud rather than clarify the

Norman Solomon (2020-10-30). Why Noam Chomsky and Daniel Ellsberg Are So Adamant About the Need to Defeat Trump. indybay.org The potential for democratic governance is at stake…

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-30). Will Trump Surprise Pollsters and Hostile Media by Defeating Biden? globalresearch.ca The NYT is notably unrelenting in pushing fake news of Russian US election meddling to help Biden defeat Trump. | Despite claiming otherwise, the US intelligence community has no evidence suggesting foreign interference in the US election process this year or …

Leonard C. Goodman (2020-10-30). The Scary Truth is Many Senate Dems Share the Same Corporate Agenda as Amy Coney Barrett. counterpunch.org On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland for the U.S. Supreme Court to succeed Antonin Scalia, who had died one month earlier. But Senate Republicans blocked his nomination on the grounds that it was too close to the presidential election, which was then seven months away. Four and a half years later,

Staff (2020-10-30). "Fighting for Democracy": Carol Anderson on Voter Suppression & Why Georgia Could Go Blue. democracynow.org As the 2020 campaign enters its final days, we go to Georgia, where two Senate seats are up for grabs and both Republican incumbents face stiff opposition. Joe Biden is also spending significant time in the state, which no Democratic presidential candidate has won since 1992. "Georgia is truly in play," says Emory University professor Carol Anderson. "We have had grassroots organizing and mobilizing, registering folks to vote, working through getting through all of the voter suppression barriers to bring people out to the polls in unprecedented numbers." Anderson is the author of "One Person, No Vote: How Voter S…

Staff (2020-10-30). "Let the People Pick the President": The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College. democracynow.org As Donald Trump and Joe Biden make their final campaign pushes in battleground states that could decide the election, we speak with author and journalist Jesse Wegmen about the case for abolishing the Electoral College system altogether and moving toward a national popular vote for electing the president. Two of the last three presidents — George W. Bush and Donald Trump — came to office after losing the popular vote. "The Framers who met at the Constitutional Convention really had no idea what they were doing when they established how to pick a president," says Wegman, New York Times editorial board…

Tony Pecinovsky (2020-10-30). New graphic book helps to 'Unrig' our broken election system. peoplesworld.org With the 2020 presidential election just days away, people all across our country are asking a basic, fundamental question: Is our democracy broken? To many, the answer is "yes." They see the rich and powerful, the big corporations and business interests, influencing our society and politics in ways that seem unfair. They know that there …

Azad Essa (2020-10-30). Three Muslim Americans explain why they're voting for Donald Trump. middleeasteye.net Three Muslim Americans explain why they're voting for Donald Trump | After everything he's said and done to Muslims, some still find the president appealing | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 13: 15 | "> | Sajid Tarar addresses Republican National Convention in Cleveland (File/Reuters) | Yes, they exist. | Despite everything he's said and done to Muslims, there are numerous Muslim Americans who…

Frank Scott (2020-10-30). Calling this "Our Democracy" Is Like Slaves Referring to "Our Plantation" globalresearch.ca While Americans are re-programmed every four years for the most important desperately crucial national emergency election since the last one, which will assure that Wall Street, the Pentagon, Israel and billionaires maintain power and control over everything that matters, most …

Jeff Harris (2020-10-30). Nine COVID Facts: A Pandemic of Fearmongering and Ignorance. globalresearch.ca Ever since the alleged pandemic erupted this past March the mainstream media has spewed a non-stop stream of misinformation that appears to be laser focused on generating maximum fear among the citizenry. But the facts and the science simply don't …

_____ (2020-10-30). Can You Smell What the Chinese Are Cooking? strategic-culture.org Less than a week before the game-changing U.S. presidential election, the real heart of the geopolitical and geoeconomic action is virtually invisible to the outside world. | We're talking about the fifth plenum of the 19th Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Central Committee, which started this past Monday in Beijing. | The plenum congregates the 200 members — and another 100 alternate members — of the civilization-state's top decision-making body: the equivalent, in Western liberal democracy terms, of the Chinese Congress. | The outline of what will be the 14th Chinese Five-Year-Plan (2021-2025) will be…

Sierra Club (2020-10-30). Thursday 10/29: Mobilize to Defend Democracy to GOTV & Protect the Results w/ Sierra Club. indybay.org Online via livestream | (Livestream being hosted from Sierra Club National Headquarters in Oakland, CA)…

Refuse Fascism Bay Area (2020-10-30). Saturday 10/31: Handmaids: Stop a Fascist Coup. indybay.org Harvey Milk Plaza, Castro & Market Street, San Francisco…

Center for Popular Democracy (2020-10-30). Wednesday 11/4: After the Vote 2020: National Mobilization Call w/ Center for Popular Democracy. indybay.org Online event…

Staff (2020-10-29). "Drop Your Ballot Off": Supreme Court Rulings on Mailed Ballots Sow Doubt on Which Votes Will Count. democracynow.org A record 76 million people have already voted in the U.S. election, but the battle over the counting of mail-in ballots continues, with the Supreme Court issuing rulings on how long after Election Day ballots can be counted in the battleground states of Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. We speak with Mother Jones senior writer Ari Berman, author of "Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America," who says the Supreme Court could yet decide who wins the presidency if a close result leads to legal challenges. "My message to voters in these states and other states is drop your ballot…

Staff (2020-10-29). Facebook Choked Traffic to Mother Jones & Other Sites While Amplifying Right-Wing Misinformation. democracynow.org Big Tech CEOs were grilled Wednesday about how they moderate election disinformation and extremist content, and were accused by Republicans of censoring conservatives. Overlooked were reports that Facebook designed changes to its news feed algorithm in 2017 to reduce the visibility of left-leaning news sites like Mother Jones. Mother Jones editors wrote in 2019 that the site had seen a sharp decline in its Facebook audience, which translated to a loss of around $600,000 over 18 months. "The fact that we are trying to do everything we can to get the truth out and Facebook is deliberately sabotaging our readership…

Staff (2020-10-29). Pandemic Poverty: The CARES Act Kept Millions from Going Hungry. Why Won't the Senate Renew It? democracynow.org The massive $2 trillion CARES Act — which sent households one-time payments and boosted unemployment checks with an additional $600 a week through July — helped keep millions afloat, but more than 8 million people have been forced into poverty since the aid ended. "The relief was temporary, and much of it has now expired, so now we're seeing poverty rise again," says Megan Curran, a researcher at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. "We know that families can be protected again, but it does require action at the federal level."

Dean Baker (2020-10-29). Red State Governors Still Flunk COVID Testing. counterpunch.org A few weeks back I did a post noting that states governed by Republicans had the highest positive test rates, while the states with the lowest positive rates were mostly governed by Democrats. I argued that positive test rates are a good measure of how serious the governors are in trying to bring the pandemic

Julia Kassem (2020-10-29). Trump and Biden: Cold-War Dinosaurs. counterpunch.org If Americans have a modicum of memory, it is clear that baseless, warmongering accusations have time and time again been the precursor for winning consent over upcoming imperialist hostility. Accusing Iraq of harboring "weapons of mass destruction" in 2003, those that care to remember the administration of former President George W. Bush recalled the widespread condemnation from the left over how a lie cost over 1 million lives.

Liberation Staff (2020-10-29). PSL statement: Solidarity with the Statue Girl Keepers: Japanese reparations to Korea now! liberationnews.org The Party for Socialism and Liberation sends its unconditional solidarity to the "Statue Girl Keepers" and to the People's Democracy Party of South Corea in their relentless struggle against Japanese imperialism and pro-Japanese right-wing forces in their country.

Eds. (2020-10-29). Panic over 'Cancel Culture' is another example of right-wing projection. mronline.org The Republican National Convention this year made fighting "cancel culture" a priority for the party. Former Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch wrote in the Wall Street Journal (7/27/20) that cancel culture was at the heart of the crisis facing academic freedom in the nation.

Jeff Bryant (2020-10-29). Bad Leadership Is Plunging Public Schools Into a Crisis. progressive.org COVID-19 exposed how important teachers are to students and families—it's a shame that school leaders still won't listen to them.

7 Days to Go (2020-10-29). 3 Day Tex Biden Bus Tour, Wis Hand-In Ballots,11/4/20 Protect Results. indybay.org This last week before Election Day and Beyond are filled with campaign activity to Dump Trump. There is a 3-day Texas Biden Bus Tour, a Wisconsin Hand-In Mail-In Ballots this week campaign, and 11/4/20 Nationwide Protect the Vote Rallies.

Subodh Varma (2020-10-29). Trump vs Biden: Big businesses pump in big money in costliest ever US Election. peoplesdispatch.org The Center for Responsive Politics estimates that the current election cycle will consume some $11 billion, which is way more than any other US election cycle even after adjusting for inflation…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-29). 'It's Not Just That You're a Crook': Watch Jon Ossoff Eviscerate Sen. Perdue Over Insider Trading, Covid Lies, and Healthcare Attacks. commondreams.org "You're attacking the health of the people that you represent," the Democratic challenger said to Georgia's incumbent GOP senator. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-10-29_at_9.59.28_am.jpg

Serria Club (2020-10-29). Thursday 10/29: Mobilze to Defend Democracy to GOTV & Protect the Results w/ Sierra Club. indybay.org Online via livestream | (Livestream being hosted from Sierra Club National Headquarters in Oakland, CA)…

Heidi Shierholz (2020-10-29). Let's Be Very Clear: Senate Republicans Have Failed Every Struggling American Family. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/senate_republicans.png

Jennifer C. Berkshire (2020-10-29). The GOP's Education Extremism Is Alienating Moderate Voters. thenation.com The GOP's Education Extremism Is Alienating Moderate Voters…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-29). Indonesian protests mark re-emergence of social movements, civil society. peoplesdispatch.org Academic and activist Robertus Robet, talks about the wave of protests in Indonesia against the Omnibus Law, the key role played by the trade unions, and the challenges to democracy in the country…

_____ (2020-10-28). If Biden Wins, Russiagate Will Magically Morph Into Chinagate. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | The same exact low rumble, slowly rising toward the same fever pitch crescendo. First you get a few unexpected comments showing up in your notifications, then a few more, then a lot more, then a whole lot more. It's one news story, then it's ten, then it's a hundred, then it's completely dominating half of US political discourse. | The increasingly shrill shrieking from rightists about China having leverage over Joe Biden is alarmingly similar to what I experienced from liberals at this exact point in time in 2016 about Russia having leverage over Donald Trump. When I point out these similarit…

Jasmine Norden (2020-10-28). Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation threatens the future of liberal America. thecanary.co Amy Coney Barrett has been confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, marking a notable shift to the right for the US's ultimate judiciary. | Coney Barrett was Republican senator Susan Collins voted against Coney Barrett's appointment, citing concerns th…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-28). Colorado's Sen. Bennet: Barrett on High Court good for the exploitative 1%. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Elevation of federal judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court is not just bad news for workers, Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., says. It's good news—and another chapter—in the crusade of the 1% and the corporate/political elite that has schemed to rule the republic, and the rest of us, ever since the U.S. was …

John Stanton (2020-10-28). Liquid Capitalism: Everyone Drinks It, Swims in It, Drowns in It. globalresearch.ca The most radical socialists, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters (Black, White, Latino or Asian), liberal and conservative zealots, diversity and equity gurus, pacifists, denizens of corporates and non-profits, rappers, rockers and country western musicians, Bernie Sanders, racists and White guilt …

MBNJSD (2020-10-28). Ending regime change—in Bolivia and the world. nationofchange.org The triumph of democracy in Bolivia and the failure of the U.S.'s "regime change" efforts around the world.

Staff (2020-10-28). Headlines for October 28, 2020. democracynow.org White House Credits Trump with "Ending the COVID-19 Pandemic" as U.S. Cases Hit Record Highs, As 54 Million U.S. Residents Struggle for Food, Senate Adjourns Without Passing Relief Bill, Family of Walter Wallace Jr. Demands Justice After Fatal Police Shooting, Grand Jurors Call Actions of Louisville Police Officers Who Killed Breonna Taylor "Criminal", Trump Mocks Media Coverage of Coronavirus Crisis, Trump on Counting Votes Beyond Election Day: "I Don't Believe That's by Our Laws", Muslims Denounce French President for Defending Caricatures of Prophet Muhammad, Yemen's Humanitarian Workers Plead for Internationa…

Matt Taibbi (2020-10-28). Ten Ways to Call Something "Russian Disinformation" Without Evidence. globalresearch.ca How do you call something "Russian disinformation" when you don't have evidence it is? Let's count the ways. | We don't know a whole lot about how the New York Post story about Hunter Biden got into print. There are some …

Staff (2020-10-28). Breonna Taylor Grand Jurors Say Police Actions Were "Criminal"; Never Given Chance to Indict Cops. democracynow.org Two members of a Kentucky grand jury convened after the Louisville police killing of Breonna Taylor have spoken on camera for the first time, calling the actions of the Louisville officers responsible for Taylor's death "criminal" and saying the state's Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron never gave them the option to consider murder or manslaughter charges against the police officers involved. "From the very beginning, we have seen a campaign of prevarication, of dishonesty, of outright neglect of any semblance of justice for Breonna Taylor or for her family," responds Marc Lamont Hill, professor of media…

Staff (2020-10-28). Care Not Cops: Marc Lamont Hill Makes Case for Abolition After Philadelphia Police Kill Walter Wallace Jr. democracynow.org Protesters in Philadelphia mark a second night of calling for the abolition of police after two Philadelphia police shot and killed Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old Black man, while he was having a mental health crisis. The shooting reflects decades of defunding of social services, including for mental health, while police departments have continued to grow, says author and activist Marc Lamont Hill, who argues, "If all you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail." Lamont Hill is professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University and author of "We Still Here: Pandemic, Policing, P…

Staff (2020-10-28). "A Desire Rooted in Revolt": Chileans Vote Overwhelmingly to Rewrite Pinochet-Era Constitution. democracynow.org We get an update from Chile, where an overwhelming majority have voted to rewrite the country's Pinochet dictatorship-era constitution and tens of thousands poured into the streets to celebrate, just one year after mass protests against social and economic inequalities rocked the country and set it on a path to social reform. Javiera Manzi, a spokesperson for Chile's largest feminist advocacy group, Coordinadora Feminista 8M, says the referendum is the result of people doing what politicians had refused to do for decades. We also speak with journalist Pablo Vivanco, who says Chile's neoliberal model has long been…

Staff (2020-10-28). What do billionaires like Tom Steyer mean for progressive politics and the climate movement? therealnews.com In an interview with Real News Network, climate philanthropist Tom Steyer presents his case on whether Joe Biden's plan on climate change is really progressive and, if elected, whether Biden can get the United States back in the global leadership role on climate issues.

Bruce Lerro (2020-10-28). "Dictatorship" and "Democracy" as Loaded Language: Anti-Communist Cold-War Propaganda. dissidentvoice.org ORIENTATION In my last article I showed how the word "totalitarian" was used as a loaded vice word to attack the Soviet Union after World War II and to red-bait communists around the world. The use of the word totalitarian began in the 1930s, but even before then in the 1920's, the word "dictator" began …

Anand Naidoo (2020-10-28). The Heat: U.S. Presidential Race. america.cgtn.com In the home stretch. | United States President Donald Trump and Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden hit key swing states in the campaign's final week. Will it be four more years of Trump or a new Biden administration?

A Guest Author (2020-10-28). Ableism and voter suppression: struggles are intertwined. workers.org Kristin Turgeon By Kristin Turgeon This is a lightly edited version of a talk given on the Oct. 22 Workers World Party webinar, "Voter suppression and COVID and their impact on disabled people." Voting has always been a hot topic, and in the 2020 election many people see it as . . . |

John Bachtell (2020-10-28). Texas voter turnout hotter than any Texas BBQ. peoplesworld.org Across the country, neither the resurgent COVID 19 pandemic nor GOP voter suppression is deterring millions of voters from casting their ballots. Early voter turnout is shattering records (as of this writing, 71 million, or over half of total turnout in 2016, have already voted), and at this pace, the U.S. will experience the highest …

WSWS (2020-10-28). What is Left of American Democracy on the Eve of the 2020 Elections? wsws.org The event, hosted by San Diego State University's Department of Political Science, is taking place Wednesday, October 28 at 7: 00 pm Eastern, 4: 00 pm Pacific.

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-10-28). 'Stuff of Tinpot Dictatorships': Trump Appointee Denounced for Move to Turn US Media Agency Into Mouthpiece for State 'Propaganda'. commondreams.org "Trump stooge Michael Pack is eliminating the legally required editorial independence of U.S.-funded news outlets abroad so they can act like Trump's Ministry of Propaganda," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/voa.jpg

Brett Wilkins (2020-10-28). Michigan judge accused of jeopardizing safety and democracy with reversal of open carry ban at polling places. nationofchange.org "There are voters who are afraid, there are election workers who are afraid."

Goran Sumkoski (2020-10-28). US Policy to Encounter Another Strategic Defeat in Macedonia? globalresearch.ca The U.S. supported tarnishing of democracy is only causing a re-birth of sovereignty and freedom movement in Macedonia. | Not standing for democracy, rule of law and human rights, the United States can no longer claim the moral high ground it …

The Lighthouse Collective, Santa Cruz (2020-10-28). Tuesday 11/3: Take the Defend Democracy Pledge. indybay.org Online Event | forms.gle/NjYGeh395c224d9C6

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-28). VIDEO: US Trump threatened to assassinate his rival Joe Biden. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 28 (MNA) — At a presidential campaign held in Michigan, US President Trump claimed that Joe Biden might be in power for just three weeks if he became president and would be assassinated and replaced by his deputy, Kamala Harris.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-28). In 'Extraordinary Step,' International Crisis Group Issues Report Warning of US Election Violence. commondreams.org The report serves as "a testament to the erosion of U.S. democracy and the persistence of minority rule, of which the current presidency is a malignant symptom," wrote one observer. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1228364682_1.jpg

sputniknews (2020-10-28). Biden in Hiding After Bobulinski Bombshells. sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, including rioting & looting in Philadelphia, the LA Dodgers' winning the 2020 World Series, stocks plunging 900 points, and Patrisse Cullors signing a five-project animation deal with Warner Bros.

Dorian T. Warren (2020-10-28). For Black Americans, Being Voters Is Who We Are. thenation.com For Black Americans, Being Voters Is Who We Are…

Ryan Grim (2020-10-28). Congressional Progressives Are Revamping Their Caucus With an Eye Toward 2021. zcomm.org With nearly 100 members, the CPC's large size and loose requirements have been an obstacle to its ability to be a cohesive force…

commondreams (2020-10-28). Sanders, Klobuchar Issue Statement Correcting Misinformation from President Trump and Justice Kavanaugh on Voting Processes. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Editor (2020-10-28). Grassroots Activists Tackle Public Safety in Minneapolis. scheerpost.com By Eric Ortiz / Reposted with permission from TheWedge.org Grassroots democracy is not easy. The work is rooted in community and empowers people to take leadership into their own communities. It requires passion, commitment and courage. And sometimes, it can get messy. That's what happens when there are big problems to solve. Here in Minneapolis, we have some pressing issues. Crime is up. |

Charles Stevenson (2020-10-28). Switzerland's Failing Democracy. counterpunch.org Last September, the Bundesplatz in Bern, over which sit the Swiss federal executive and legislative bodies, played host to the largest acts of peaceful civil disobedience in the country's history. Several hundred environmental activists were arrested after calling on the government to take the necessary action for Switzerland to fulfill its pledges in respect to

Lawrence Wittner (2020-10-27). Trump's Broken Promises to U.S. Factory Workers. counterpunch.org Back in 2016, while campaigning for president, Donald Trump discovered a useful tactic for drawing the votes of disgruntled blue-collar workers: denouncing the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs and promising to restore them. At a rally in hard-hit Ohio, he assailed the Democrats and assured his listeners that he would turn the state into a

Dr. Jack Rasmus (2020-10-27). Barrett Confirmed by US Senate: Post-Election Chaos Now Inevitable. globalresearch.ca Today Mitch McConnell's Republican Senate confirmed its third ultra conservative Supreme Court nominee, Amy Barrett, as Supreme Court Justice. Coming in the midst of America's current dual crisis—economic and Covid health—both now worsening, the Barrett appointment ensures the emergence …

jamanetwork (2020-10-27). The Physician's Responsibility. jamanetwork.com The recent decision of the Supreme Court of Nebraska, abstracted in the Medicolegal department of The Journal last week, is of importance and interest to practicing physicians, and especially to health officers…. The plaintiff, while stopping at a small hotel, consulted a local physician, the defendant, regarding some sores that had appeared on his body. After an examination, the physician told the plaintiff—his patient—that he believed the disease to be syphilis, but that it was impossible to make a positive diagnosis without a Wassermann test, for which he had no equipment. The defendant physician…

Jack Rasmus (2020-10-27). Barrett Confirmed, Post-Election Chaos Will Ensue. counterpunch.org Yesterday Mitch McConnell's Republican Senate confirmed its third ultra conservative Supreme Court nominee, Amy Barrett, as Supreme Court Justice. Coming in the midst of America's current dual crisis—economic and Covid health—both now worsening, the Barrett appointment ensures the emergence of historic political instability in the USA. The dual crisis is about to become a triple

Elie Mystal (2020-10-27). Republicans Have Confirmed Amy Coney Barrett—and Officially Captured the Supreme Court. thenation.com Republicans Have Confirmed Amy Coney Barrett—and Officially Captured the Supreme Court…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-27). 'We. Will. Vote. Her. Out.': Maine Progressives Not Fooled Even a Little Bit by Susan Collins' Cynical Vote on Barrett. commondreams.org Progressives in Maine and across the U.S. on Tuesday urged Sen. Susan Collins' constituents to reject her latest attempt to cast herself as a moderate Republican after the four-term senator voted against Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1181029825_1.png

Ralph Nader (2020-10-27). Don't Rush to Declare Victory: Implementing a Two-Week Grace Period After November 3rd So All Voters Can Be Counted. commondreams.org With such large stakes for our fragile democracy, we cannot afford to bypass such a course of action that will assure a peaceful transition in accord with the rule of law. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/early.jpg

Philip Giraldi (2020-10-27). The "Wokeness" Wars Coming to Your Town. thealtworld.com Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 dystopian short story "Harrison Bergeron" describes a 2081 America in which the 211th, 212th, and 213th amendments to the Constitution of the United States have together mandated that all Americans must be made completely equal. No one is allowed to be more intelligent or handsome or more physically capable than anyone else. The standards are enforced by a Handicapper General, an elderly woman named Diana Moon Glampers armed with a shotgun, who mandates the wearing of disfiguring masks for those who are thought to be too beautiful while tiny radios are mounted inside the ears of intelligent p…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-27). The Thai uprising against the military-monarchical complex. peoplesdispatch.org Thai intellectual and writer Giles Ungpakorn talks to Vijay Prashad on the massive protests that are currently on in Thailand demanding reform of the monarchy and restoration of democracy…

Staff (2020-10-27). "Movements Are Not Just About Protests": BLM Co-Founder Alicia Garza on How to Build & Wield Power. democracynow.org In her new book, "The Purpose of Power," Black Lives Matter co-creator Alicia Garza lays out how people can build power and effect change. "Movements are not just about protests," she says. "Movements are absolutely about how we get more power into the hands of more people."

Staff (2020-10-27). Headlines for October 27, 2020. democracynow.org Amy Coney Barrett Sworn In, Giving SCOTUS Heavy Conservative Majority Ahead of Pivotal Cases, SCOTUS Rules Wisconsin Cannot Count Ballots Received After Election Day, Surging COVID-19 Cases Trigger Curfews; Doctors Say 800,000 Children Have Been Infected, China Testing 5 Million People After One Asymptomatic Case in Xinjiang, New Lockdowns in Germany, Mask Orders in Russia as COVID-19 Cases Surge, Oxford Vaccine Shows Promising Results as New Data Suggests Antibodies in Recovered Cases Don't Last, U.S. Imposes Harsh New Sanctions on Iranian Oil, Airstrikes Kill Dozens at Training Camp in Idlib, Syria, Explosion a…

Staff (2020-10-27). Thousands of ex-felon first-time voters in Florida could help decide the 2020 election. therealnews.com In 2000, with all eyes on Florida, a young lawyer named Amy Coney Barrett helped swing the controversial Bush v. Gore decision, securing a Republican presidency. In 2020, the courts could again be decisive in swing states. Voting rights activist Desmond Meade is working to get court costs paid and ex-felons registered to vote.

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-27). The China-Russia "Threat to America": Biden's Intriguing "Attempt" to Unite Democrat and Republican Foreign Policy Hawks. globalresearch.ca Biden's description of Russia as "the biggest threat to America" and China as its "biggest competitor" is an intriguing attempt to unite the anti-Russian and anti-Chinese factions of America's permanent military, intelligence, and diplomatic bureaucracies ("deep state") even if it's …

Sharon Kelly (2020-10-27). Trump pledges to 'save your fracking' and Biden says no ban — but most Pennsylvania voters oppose fracking. nationofchange.org Voters in Pennsylvania have turned against fracking after over a decade of experience with shale drilling in the region.

James J. Zogby (2020-10-27). Using Arabs or Muslims as Scapegoats Has a History. globalresearch.ca During the past century, we have witnessed a long and tragic history of domestic policies that have targeted persons of Arab descent. We have been subjected to discriminatory treatment by law enforcement, immigration authorities, and by both Democratic and Republican …

sputniknews (2020-10-27). Are Philly Riots a Sign of Things to Come? sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, such as Donald Trump and Joe Biden both on the campaign trail, Hunter Biden's audio released, Oklahoma's early ice storm, and a police shooting in Philadelphia.