Daily Archives: November 23, 2020

2020-11-23: News Headlines

Walter Smolarek (2020-11-23). Biden to unveil cabinet picks: Hyper-militarist, pro-Wall Street administration takes shape. liberationnews.org Desperately-needed reforms under an administration so thoroughly imperialist and reactionary can only be secured through determined, militant struggle.

Ralph Nader (2020-11-23). Trump's Massive, Lawless, and Immoral Legacy to Our Country Will Continue Unless … counterpunch.org Trump has gotten away with almost everything throughout his bankruptcy-driven business career and his corrupt, cruel, and costly political years in the White House. Things changed on November 3, when he was retired by the voters.

Staff (2020-11-23). A People's Vaccine? Drugmakers Set to Profit from COVID Vaccines Made with Publicly Funded Research. democracynow.org With the world pinning its hopes on a successful coronavirus vaccine to curb the pandemic, corporate watchdogs say much of the research and development of the medicines rely on publicly funded research. "The investment in these vaccines, as for most drugs, has really been underwritten by the taxpayer, by the government," says Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-23). Future of American Democracy: On Inequality, Polarization and Violence. counterpunch.org In January 2017, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)'s Democracy Index downgraded the state of democracy in the United States from "full democracy" to "flawed democracy". The demotion of a country that has constantly prided itself, not only on being democratic but also on championing democracy throughout the world, took many by surprise. Some US pundits

Walden Bello (2020-11-23). What Will a Biden Presidency Mean for the Asia-Pacific Region? counterpunch.org Assuming Joe Biden will take the reins of the presidency on January 20, 2021, what will his likely policies toward the Asia-Pacific region look like? It is unlikely that Joe Biden will continue Trump's trade war with China. That would simply be too destabilizing for everyone. Not only is the U.S. greatly dependent on China

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-11-23). From 'Alarming Red Flag' to 'Something We Can Work With,' Campaigners Respond to Kerry as Biden Climate Envoy. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/biden-kerry-climate-envoy.jpg

Howard Lisnoff (2020-11-23). Crashing Against the Glass Ceiling. counterpunch.org During Bernie Sanders' most recent run for the presidency, the issue of his religious/ethnic background raised a recurrent theme of Jews who are seen as too politically left to rise to the highest levels of the US government. Sanders considered himself a socialist, but his campaign policy positions and history place him in a mild

WSWS (2020-11-23). With COVID-19 spreading through auto plants, workers report death at FCA Warren Truck Assembly Plant. wsws.org The death, if confirmed, is the outcome of a massive outbreak in the plant, reported by several workers to the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter. According to one worker, eight teams with six to eight workers each have been sent home due to the virus since September 28.

Jeff Bryant (2020-11-23). Bad Leadership Drove Schools into Crisis. progressive.org COVID-19 exposed how important teachers are to students and families—but politicians and policy leaders are still not listening to them.

Editor (2020-11-23). What President Biden Simply Won't Touch. scheerpost.com The U.S. Army / CC BY 2.0] By Maj. Danny Sjursen / TomDispatch In this mystifying moment,…

ibasid (2020-11-23). Video: The Day of Democratic Shame. The Berlin November 18 Rally against The Lockdown. Police Repression. globalresearch.ca 18.11.2020 — Tag der demokratischen Schande — Die etwas andere Perspektive. | Police repression is being routinely carried out in response to Germany's Infection Protection Law which denies fundamental rights to oppose the Merkel government's lockdown policies, which have triggered unemployment …

commondreams (2020-11-23). Biden's Appointment of John Kerry as Climate Czar Is Alarming Red Flag. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Staff (2020-11-23). Drugmakers Will Profit Off COVID Vaccines Generated by Taxpayer-Funded Research. truthout.org With the world pinning its hopes on a successful coronavirus vaccine to curb the pandemic, corporate watchdogs say much of the research and development of the medicines rely on public funding. "The investment in these vaccines, as for most drugs, has really been underwritten by the taxpayer, by the government," says Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I'm Amy Goodma…

M Kilian, H Wetzer and C Zaschke (2020-11-23). Trump's United States looks more and more like a banana republic. indybay.org "The country that was once an exemplary democracy is becoming a Third World banana republic," he says.For a week now, Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the election and future president. But the loser and previous incumbent Donald Trump refuses to acknowledge this. Trump claims he won the election and Biden wants to take the victory away from him. Trump calls the votes that cast for him "legal."

commondreams (2020-11-23). 350.Org on Biden Appointing John Kerry as International Climate Envoy. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2020-11-23). U.S. Set To Retake Global Leadership on Climate With Choice of John Kerry as Biden's "Climate Czar". commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2020-11-23). Biden Administration Must Remove Trump Holdovers On Day One. commondreams.org ______________________________…

repost (2020-11-22). A. Ocasio-Cortez Addresses Failure of U.S. Gov't to Address Poverty. indybay.org As New York Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated to an empty congressional room, on YouTube, the Senate broke for a holiday week while the workingclass of the USA starves. See www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNBeI-G3eQQ&feature=emb_logo and www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/20/breaking-senate-we-are-abandoning-our-people-watch-aoc-excoriate-mcconnell-house

Medea Benjamin (2020-11-22). Here are 10 things Joe Biden can do immediately to create a safer, better world. salon.com Much of Trump's foreign policy has been conducted by executive order — Biden can undo the worst of it right away…

Abdul Rahman (2020-11-22). US sanctions on Iran stand as an obstacle to any constructive engagement in West Asia. peoplesdispatch.org The relentless maximum pressure campaign of the Trump administration against Iran which is continuing even after his electoral loss will be tough for a Biden administration to reverse, assuming there is the will to do so…

_____ (2020-11-22). Elections Proved Americans Are Done With The Drug War. popularresistance.org Something seismic happened in this election and it has nothing to do with Joe Biden winning. And yes, Joe Biden did indeed win. I'm sorry for those of you Trump fans who believe the election was rigged against him. It simply wasn't. | Yes, millions of Americans were indeed purged from the voter rolls — but they were mostly people of color. So if MAGA Nation are waiting for those votes to be counted, then Trump will actually do even worse. And I honestly don't care if you're thinking, "But I saw a video on Tik-Tok of someone burning a ballot and then smothering it in hot sauce and eating it."

_____ (2020-11-22). Biden Could Enact Medicare For All By Executive Action. popularresistance.org Journalist David Dayen presented a convincing case Tuesday that President-elect Joe Biden, once sworn into office come January, would have the legal authority to immediately provide complete Medicare coverage to everyone in the country via executive action due to the Covid-19 pandemic—though the very serious question remains: would he? | During the primary season in March, Biden said he would veto a Medicare for All bill should one ever reach his desk, but with the coronavirus infection rate surging—and some scenarios projecting an overall death toll as high as 360,000 by the time the inauguration tak…

Dr. Rudolf Hà§nsel (2020-11-22). Germany: The "Dictatorship of Democracy" Secretly Transformed into an "Open Dictatorship" globalresearch.ca The German national anthem, as a state symbol, was protected from denigration in a special way. But for months it has been dragged deeper and deeper …

Editor (2020-11-22). A New Cold War Could Be Just Around the Corner. scheerpost.com Antonio R. Villaraigosa / CC BY-NC 2.0] By Cassandra Stimpson and Holly Zhang / TomDispatch War: what is it good for? Apparently, in Washington's world of think tanks, the answer is: the bottom line. In fact, as the Biden presidency approaches, an era of great-power competition between the United States and China is already taken for granted inside the Washington Beltway. Much less well known are… |

sputniknews (2020-11-22). 'You Can Lie Remotely': Russian MFA Spokeswoman Zakharova Piques NYT Headhunt in Moscow. sputniknews.com Around a week ago, The New York Times posted a "legendary" job offer, seeking a daredevil who would cover Russia – a country that, according to the outlet, "has its cyber agents sow chaos and disharmony in the West to tarnish its democratic systems, while promoting its faux version of democracy".

_____ (2020-11-21). Ten Foreign Policy Fiascos Biden Can Fix On Day One. popularresistance.org Donald Trump loves executive orders as a tool of dictatorial power, avoiding the need to work through Congress. But that works both ways, making it relatively easy for President Biden to reverse many of Trump's most disastrous decisions. Here are ten things Biden can do as soon as he takes office. Each one can set the stage for broader progressive foreign policy initiatives, which we have also outlined. | 1)End the U.S. role in the Saudi-led war on Yemen and restore U.S. humanitarian aid to Yemen.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-21). "Total Reset" is Wishful Thinking: The Daunting Task of Reordering US Foreign Policy. dissidentvoice.org A new term has imposed itself on the conversation regarding the impending presidency of US President-elect, Joe Biden: "The Total Reset". Many headlines have already promised that the Biden Presidency is ready to 'reset' US foreign policy across the globe, as if the matter is dependent solely on an American desire and decision. While a …

Dean Baker (2020-11-21). How Many Lives Would Have Been Saved if We Had Collaborated on Vaccines With China? cepr.net We know that Republican office holders are not allowed to say that Joe Biden won the election. Apparently there is a similar ban in place for news outlets when it comes to the question of the United States collaborating with China, and other countries, in developing vaccines against the pandemic. In recent days, there have …

sputniknews (2020-11-21). Councilman, Parents File Lawsuit to Reopen NYC Schools After de Blasio's Announcement. sputniknews.com The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the US hardest of all, with over 12Mln confirmed cases to date. Initially the Big Apple took the brunt of the virus, although later the daily number of new cases dropped significantly. With numbers now almost doubling in the last two weeks, Mayor Bill de Blasio has again shuttered all the schools within the city.

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-11-21). iLaw's US-Funded Charter Proposal REJECTED. thealtworld.com Funded by the US government via the notorious National Endowment for Democracy (NED) — iLaw set about petitioning the Thai government to have the nation's entire constitution rewritten and rewritten in such a way as to make it easier for US-backed opposition parties to get into power. | The Thai parliament flatly rejected the proposal in part because of growing public awareness of iLaw's foreign funding and the massive conflict of interest this represents — not to mention the assault on Thailand's political independence it constitutes. | Hopefully this is the first step toward Thailand reviewing its…

Editor (2020-11-21). The Imperative to Achieve Medicare for All. scheerpost.com By Dr. Margaret Flowers / Popular Resistance Health care will be a major issue early in the new Biden/Harris administration. Unemployment is still high with over a million people applying for unemployment benefits last week and 42.6% of working age people without a job. In the United States, losing employment often means losing health insurance. On top of the 30 million people who are already… |

Protest Facebook Coalition (2020-11-21). Saturday 11/21: Wake the ZUCK up! We won't let Facebook destroy our democracy. indybay.org Please join us outside Mark Zuckerberg's house in San Francisco. Facebook needs to stop election lies from running rampant on its platform. 3450 21st Street, San Francisco, CA 94110…

Riva Enteen (2020-11-21). Don't [Mourn] Celebrate, Organize! commondreams.org The same "injustice" system that unlawfully locked up the Central Park Five will continue unabated with Biden and his "top cop" sidekick. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1284773174_1.jpg

WSWS (2020-11-21). Fascist Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse released after posting $2 million bail. wsws.org The bail money was raised by defense attorneys and generously supported by Republican party donors.

Ted Rall (2020-11-20). Why The Democrats Keep Losing. counterpunch.org Why, Democrats have been asking, do so many poor white people vote for a Republican Party that doesn't care about or do anything for them? The most common reply is: Democrats are snobby coastal elites who talk down to them. Classic example, courtesy of Obama: "They [voters in the Rust Belt] get bitter, they cling to

Lee Camp (2020-11-20). Despite Media Blackout — The Elections Proved Americans Are Done With The Drug War. counterpunch.org Something seismic happened in this election and it has nothing to do with Joe Biden winning. And yes, Joe Biden did indeed win. I'm sorry for those of you Trump fans who believe the election was rigged against him. It simply wasn't. Yes, millions of Americans were indeed purged from the voter rolls — but

Mark Gruenberg (2020-11-20). 22 million jobless, Senate Republicans go home for Thanksgiving without passing aid. peoplesworld.org &nbsp…

Staff (2020-11-20). "A Huge Blow to Civil Society": Egypt Arrests Leading Human Rights Monitors in Latest Crackdown. democracynow.org In Egypt, the executive director of the country's leading human rights group has been arrested as part of an unprecedented crackdown on activists and journalists. Gasser Abdel-Razek was arrested at his home just days after two other staffers for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights were also arrested. The move signals a major escalation of repression from the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has imprisoned thousands of people since he came to power after the 2013 overthrow of former President Mohamed Morsi. "These arrests are a huge blow to civil society in Egypt," says Sharif Abdel Kouddo…

John Davis (2020-11-20). The Nation's New Crime Boss. counterpunch.org In this time of a recalcitrant lame duck who, it is widely proclaimed, threatened and continues to threaten 'democracy' – the fig leaf of respectability under which the nation's criminality festers – liberal triumphalism is shadowed by a residual anguish that rises to fever pitch when confronted by criticisms of Biden, or suggestions raised, in the enclaves of the enlightened, that he is not the savior whom we all seek.

Stephen Lendman (2020-11-20). A Preview of How a Biden/Harris Regime May Operate. "Hired Guns" and the Role of "Registered Lobbyists" globalresearch.ca What's coming if Biden/Harris succeed Trump begins with regime appointees. | According to the Wall Street Journal, the Biden/Harris transition team includes "at least 40 registered lobbyists" — hired guns for special interests. | Bringing them onboard is one of many examples …

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-11-20). Ilhan Omar to President-elect Biden: Seize 'Once-in-a-Generation' Chance to End Disastrous US Foreign Policy. commondreams.org In an op-ed at The Nation, the Minnesota Democrat explains how the Biden White House can forge a path "toward justice." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ilhan-omar-biden-foreign-policy.jpg

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-11-20). 'Monstrous Behavior': Mnuchin Slammed for Biden 'Snub' That Could Sabotage US Economic Recovery. commondreams.org On his way out the door, said one Nobel-winning economist, "Mnuchin is effectively trying to create a financial crisis.' | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mnuchin-relief-programs-cut.jpg

Dave Lindorff (2020-11-20). Trump and Giuliani Go Full IS in Attack on Biden and Democrats. counterpunch.org It's often been noted that countries that go to war tend to adopt the behaviors of their enemies in fighting them, and then bring that war and the techniques they have appropriated home where they begin to apply them domestically. For at least two decades, since the US in 2001 launched its so-called "War" on

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-11-20). 'Looks Like the Crazy Lady Has Logged On': Rep. Ilhan Omar Welcomes QAnon Conspiracy Theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene to Congress. commondreams.org The incoming congresswoman attacked Omar for sparring with GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who faces a runoff election in Georgia this January. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cd_omar_file_photo_0.png

Dan Cohen (2020-11-20). How Joe Biden Plans to Make The American Empire Great Again. mintpressnews.com Behind his rhetoric, Joe Biden will seek nothing less than global supremacy, escalating a new and even more dangerous arms race that risks the destruction of humanity, what he calls "decency" and "normalcy."

Common Cause (2020-11-20). Thursday 12/3: What's Next for Civil Rights: Democracy in the 117th Congress Town Hall w/ Common Cause. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Common Cause (2020-11-20). Thursday 12/10: 2021 Planned Actions at State Level & Post Census Redistricting Town Hall w/ Common Cause. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Derek Royden (2020-11-20). After Trump: Can the GOP sell itself as the party of the working class? nationofchange.org "The future of the [Republican] party is based on a multiethnic, multiracial working class coalition." and that, "…the free market exists to serve our people. Our people don't exist to serve the free market."

_____ (2020-11-20). Over 235 Organizations Call On Biden To Cancel Student Debt. popularresistance.org Washington, D.C. — Over 235 organizations sent a letter to President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris, calling on them to use executive authority to cancel federal student debt on day one of their administration. | In the letter, 238 nonprofit and community organizations highlight that cancelling student debt would stimulate the economy, help reduce the racial wealth gap, and could have a positive impact on health outcomes. The groups write that "executive action is one of the few available tools that could immediately provide a boost to upwards of 44 million borrowers and the economy…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-11-20). New 'No Corporate Cabinet' Campaign Pushes Biden to Pick People Who Will Advance Public Good. commondreams.org "Joe Biden should not let corporate interests run the government—and, if needed, senators must hold him accountable." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12296454581.jpg

David Rosen (2020-11-20). Will Biden's New FCC End the Digital Divide? progressive.org A critical first step for the President-elect to achieve universal broadband will depend on whom he selects as the new chairperson.

WSWS (2020-11-20). The Endless Trench: Hiding for decades from the Spanish fascists. wsws.org The film fictionally treats an actual phenomenon, the dozens or more of left-wing opponents of Franco, known as "moles," who concealed themselves in their own homes for 30 years following the defeat of the Republican forces in 1939.

_____ (2020-11-20). Trump Plans Series Of Actions Against China Before Biden Inauguration. popularresistance.org The Trump administration is planning a series of hardline actions against China with the aim of making it politically untenable for a Biden administration to reverse the moves, administration officials told Axios. | According to the officials, the administration plans to sanction or restrict trade with Chinese companies, officials, and government entities. The actions will be related to alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, so-called threats to US national security, and China's fishing industry.

Uriel Araujo (2020-11-20). US Under Joe Biden Will Pursue Policy of "Countering" and "Encircling" Russia. globalresearch.ca On Sunday, there were new street demonstrations in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. Last week, two British diplomats were declared "persona non grata" by the Belarusian government. They are accused of conducting "destructive activities" — most probably related to aiding …

Lynda Carson (2020-11-20). John Harris donates fabulous guitar collection to San Francisco Conservatory of Music. indybay.org The Harris Guitar Collection:…

Jim Sleeper (2020-11-20). Corporate capital and Trump's coup: Will business elites take a stand?>. salon.com Trump's war on democracy is clearly bad for business — but the leaders of corporate America helped create this mess…

Amanda Marcotte (2020-11-20). Republicans aren't scared of the Trump & Rudy show — they love this stuff. salon.com Republicans aren't staying quiet because they fear Trump — this clown-car coup has nothing but upside for them…

Quanah Brightman (2020-11-20). Monday 11/23: Demand the US GSA formally recognize Biden as president elect now! indybay.org

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-11-20). 'Utterly Inexcusable': Sen. Perdue of Georgia Profited From Defense Contractor's Stock While Overseeing Naval Spending. commondreams.org "He is blatantly exploiting his office to line his own pockets," said Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/perdue_ga.jpg

Refuse Fascism Bay Area (2020-11-20). Saturday 11/21: Trump: You're Fired. Now Get the Hell OUT! indybay.org Castro & Market, San Francisco…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-11-20). 'In Breaking the Senate, We Are Abandoning Our People': Watch AOC Excoriate McConnell on House Floor. commondreams.org "He broke the Senate as there are thousands of people in Texas lined up for food lines. He broke the Senate while hospitals no longer have beds to house the sick." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-11-20_at_16.42.15.png

Bryant Arroyo (2020-11-19). COVID-19 protocols: Recipe for disaster in Pennsylvania prisons. workers.org Bryant Arroyo (left) with Joe Piette of WWP Prisoners Solidarity Committee. Incarcerated workers across Pennsylvania are demanding that Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel reverse his disastrous decision to begin mass transfers of prisoners at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following commentary is from jailhouse organizer and environmentalist . . . |

Jeff Cohen (2020-11-19). Time for Biden to Follow the Science. counterpunch.org One of the keys to Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump was his constant and accurate accusation that Trump "refuses to follow the science" on COVID-19 — that "he won't listen to the scientists." It proved to be a winning campaign theme. Indeed, it's sobering to realize that without COVID — both Trump's mishandling of

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2020-11-19). Biden will likely be worse than Obama. The left must lead the backlash, or the right will. mronline.org It looks like a safe bet that Joe Biden will be sworn in on January 20th after successfully campaigning on returning the murderous and oppressive Orwellian US empire back to its pre-Trump "normal".

splcenter (2020-11-19). Neo-Nazi, Klan Leader Thomas Metzger Dies in California. splcenter.org Thomas Linton Metzger, a neo-Nazi former Ku Klux Klansman who later formed the White Aryan Resistance, died early this month, according to his website.

Glen Ford (2020-11-19). Black "Misleaders" Back Susan Rice as Top Diplomat. Black Democrats See Her a Role Model. globalresearch.ca Genocide in Congo and militarization of the African continent are Susan Rice's specialties, but Black Democrats see her as a "role model." | "Rice cultivated relations with every pro-U.S. warlord in Africa." | No one in high levels of U.S. government …

commondreams (2020-11-19). Joe Biden Must Keep Anti-Social Security Bruce Reed Far Away From His Administration. commondreams.org ______________________________…