Monthly Archives: December 2020

2020-12-31: News Headlines

The Jimmy Dore Show (2020-12-31). #ForceTheVote Pressure Growing from Inside. dissidentvoice.org Force The Vote! We demand that every progressive in Congress refuse to vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House until she publicly pledges to bring Medicare for all to the floor of the House for a vote in January: forcethevote.org/

Staff (2020-12-31). "America's Moment of Reckoning": Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor & Cornel West on Uprising Against Racism. democracynow.org Scholars Cornel West and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor respond to the global uprising against racism and police violence following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. "We're seeing the convergence of a class rebellion with racism and racial terrorism at the center of it," said Princeton professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. "And in many ways, we are in uncharted territory in the United States."

Staff (2020-12-31). The Freedom Struggle in 2020: Angela Davis on Protests, Defunding Police & Toppling Racist Statues. democracynow.org In a Democracy Now! special, we revisit our June 2020 interview with the legendary activist and scholar Angela Davis about the uprising against police brutality and racism launched in May after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The protests have helped dramatically shift public opinion on policing and systemic racism, as "defund the police" became a rallying cry of the movement. Davis is professor emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz. For half a century, she has been one of the most influential activists and intellectuals in the United States and an icon of the Black liberation mov…

Eds. (2020-12-31). When Bolivians defeated U.S. imperialism with democracy. mronline.org The resounding victory of the MAS presidential ticket in the elections held on October 18 came after a year of struggle against the U.S.-backed coup regime.

Staff (2020-12-31). US Has Entered Uncharted Territory in Uprising Against Racism. truthout.org Scholars Cornel West and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor respond to the global uprising against racism and police violence following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. "We're seeing the convergence of a class rebellion with racism and racial terrorism at the center of it," said Princeton professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. "And in many ways, we are in uncharted territory in the United States." | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy…

_____ (2020-12-31). The Death Of Democracy In Brazil. popularresistance.org The dismantling of Brazil's democracy, which culminated in the jailing of former president Lula Da Silva as he looked certain to be reelected, is the subject of a new English-language investigative podcast. | Cícero Ezequiel Filho lay beneath the sweltering sun of Brazil's capital, Brasilia. He wore khaki shorts, John Lennon glasses and a long white beard, which stretched far below his chin and over a red long-sleeved shirt with the face of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the front. | When I met him in August 2018, Cícero had been outside Brazil's Supreme Court for two weeks. He refused to eat until…

Amanda Mills (2020-12-31). Eco-advocacy group urges Biden to reverse Trump environmental rollbacks. nationofchange.org "By undoing the Trump administration's rollbacks of environmental protections, the Biden administration will be able to protect our natural landscapes and give Americans cleaner air, cleaner water and a more livable climate."

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-12-31). 2020 California State Capitol – Racism in the Farm to Fork Capitol. indybay.org Our 22nd Annual, 2020 California State Capitol Kwanzaa continues a special tradition in the seat of authority of our Great State of California, Farm to Fork Capitol of America, where "Racism" is officially a Public Health Crisis throughout the Capitol Region.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-12-31). Critics Warn Repeal of Section 230 'Would Be Devastating for Human Rights, Social Movements, and Marginalized People'. commondreams.org Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is trying to tie the repeal to proposed $2,000 coronavirus relief checks. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12935079211.jpg

Ethan Winter (2020-12-31). Republican Voters Don't Know Anything About Their Party. That's Very Bad for American Democracy. commondreams.org For politics to rebalance at a healthier outcome where voters are actually able to assign the correct positions to the parties, we will need a new kind of reporting, one that doesn't flinch from assigning policy views to the parties or drawing out the implications of these ideas in clear and materially-grounded terms. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/fight_for_15_3.jpg

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Democrats relying on Latino vote in key Georgia Senate elections. laprensalatina.com By Marcelo G. Wheelock Atlanta, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- Democrats want to repeat the formula that led them to victory in the Nov. 3 presidential election in Georgia and they are relying on the local Hispanic vote in the crucial runoffs for the state's two US Senate seats in early January, races that will decide which …

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Thai authorities detain 14 suspected pro-democracy protesters. laprensalatina.com Bangkok, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Thai authorities on Thursday arrested 14 suspected members of the pro-democracy movement that in recent months has staged a wave of mass protests calling for political and royal reforms. The NGO Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said on Twitter that the detainees were accused of breaching the emergency law banning street …

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy back in jail again. laprensalatina.com Hong Kong, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Hong Kong's top court on Thursday remanded pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai in custody again after allowing prosecutors to appeal against his bail in a national security law case. The Court of Final Appeal granted an interim order to detain the 73-year-old founder of Apple Daily until a hearing on …

Dan Cohen (2020-12-30). Meet the pseudo-left imperialists fighting against universal healthcare. mronline.org Since comedian Jimmy Dore called on progressive members of Congress to pressure Nancy Pelosi to hold a floor vote on Medicare For All, a collection of media personalities have launched vicious attacks against him while deflecting from his overwhelmingly popular argument.

Staff (2020-12-30). "This Is How Black People Get Killed": Dr. Susan Moore Dies of COVID After Decrying Racist Care. democracynow.org ‚Ä®As the United States reports record deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the final days of 2020, we look at how the pandemic that ravaged the country this year has shone a stark new light on racism in medical care. In a viral video recorded by Black physician Dr. Susan Moore, she describes racist treatment by medical staff at a hospital in Indianapolis and says they did not respond to her pleas for care, despite being in intense pain and being a doctor herself. In the video, Dr. Moore says she had to beg to receive pain medication and the antiviral drug remdesivir, and accuses a doctor a…

Aaron Maté (2020-12-30). Stephen F. Cohen on Russia's democratization and how US meddling undermines it. thegrayzone.com Pushback rounds out 2020 by airing an unpublished interview with Stephen F. Cohen, the eminent Russia historian and scholar who passed away in September at the age of 81. In an interview recorded one year before his death, Stephen F. Cohen discusses local elections and protests in Russia; opposition leader Alexei Navalny; as well as the state of Russia's post-Soviet democratization and how US meddling undermines it. Guest: Stephen F. Cohen. Professor emeritus of Russian studies at New York University …

Staff (2020-12-30). "Say Her Name: Dr. Susan Moore." Black Female Doctors Condemn Racial Disparities in Healthcare. democracynow.org When Black doctor Susan Moore died from COVID-19 after posting a video from her hospital bed describing racist treatment by medical staff, her chilling message was compared to the video of George Floyd begging for his life as he was killed by Minneapolis police. We speak to two leading Black women doctors fighting racial disparities in healthcare who wrote The Washington Post opinion piece, "Say her name: Dr. Susan Moore." "It is a typical and ongoing devaluation of our lives and distrust of our word," says Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones, a family physician and former president of the American Public Health Association…

Staff (2020-12-30). "The Truth in Black and White": The Kansas City Star Apologizes for History of Racist Coverage. democracynow.org In a historic step, The Kansas City Star, one of the most influential newspapers in the Midwest, has apologized for the paper's racist history. The paper's top editor, Mike Fannin, admitted the Star and a sister paper had reinforced segregation, Jim Crow laws and redlining, and "robbed an entire community of opportunity, dignity, justice and recognition" with its biased coverage over many decades. We speak with Fannin and Mará Rose Williams, a longtime education writer at the paper who led the effort to examine the newspaper's coverage of the Black community following the police killing of George Floyd and the na…

John Wojcik (2020-12-30). Republican Sen. Hawley to tie up Jan. 6 Electoral College certification. peoplesworld.org In yet another attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri announced Wednesday he will object on Jan. 6 to the certification of the Electoral College vote. Both houses of Congress meet that day to carry out their constitutional duty of certifying the Electoral College results …

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-12-30). Sound Grammar: the 25 Best Recordings of 2020. counterpunch.org Pedernal Susan Alcorn Quintet (Relative Pitch) Fetch the Bolt Cutters Fiona Apple (Epic) Pursuance: the Coltranes Lakecia Benjamin (Bandcamp) Quarantine Tapes Dean & Britta (Bandcamp) The Unraveling Drive-By Truckers (ATO) Ghosts of West Virginia Steve Earle & The Dukes (New West) The Lost Berlin Tapes Ella Fitzgerald (Verve) America at War Joel Harrison (Sunnyside) Budapest

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Biden blasts Trump for delays on vaccine distribution. laprensalatina.com Washington, Dec 29 (efe-epa).- President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday lambasted President Donald Trump for delays in the distribution of the vaccine against Covid-19 and promised that, when he takes office on Jan. 20, 2021, he will use a law dating back to the Cold War to force the private sector to accelerate the process. "The …

Kevin Ryan (2020-12-30). The New Film "Seven". Scientific Study of WTC Building 7. globalresearch.ca The new film

teleSUR (2020-12-30). Yemen: At Least 27 Killed As Explosions Target New Government. telesurenglish.net The ministers were not injured, and an Al Arabiya correspondent indicated that the explosion was accompanied by subsequent gunfire. | Yemeni Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani stated through his personal Twitter account that "the cowardly terrorist attack" was carried out by "the Iranian-backed Huthian militia." | RELATED: | For its part, Sky News Arabia quotes its correspondent and reports that two explosions…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-12-30). Attempting to Cement 'Mythology' of Stolen Election, Hawley Announces He Will Contest Electoral College Results. commondreams.org Republican Sen. Josh Hawley was accused of attempting to "overthrow democracy" and catering to his own political ambitions on Wednesday after he announced he plans to contest the Electoral College vote on January 6, when the U.S. Congress convenes to certify the election results. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1230067433_1.jpg

Julie A. Burkhart (2020-12-30). We Can Take Our Democracy Back. Here's How. commondreams.org First, we need to stop pretending that voters don't support abortion rights. They do. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1230251604.jpg

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-12-30). Biden to Take Aim at Trump's Midnight Regulations on Day One of New Administration. commondreams.org A transition spokesperson said the freeze will apply to regulations as well as guidance documents that "can have enormous consequences on the lives of the American people." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/biden_7_0.jpg

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Biden complains of roadblocks to transition placed by Trump administration. laprensalatina.com Washington, Dec 28 (efe-epa).- President-elect Joe Biden on Monday complained of "roadblocks" to the transition of power process he said are being placed by the outgoing Donald Trump administration, and specifically in the way of his picks for top Pentagon and Office of Management and Budget posts. "We've encountered roadblocks with the political leadership at …

Noam Chomsky (2020-12-29). Trump Has Revealed the Extreme Fragility of American Democracy. zcomm.org I think both Trump and Trumpism will remain with us for a long time, both the individual himself and the poisonous currents he has unleashed…

Carter Lum (2020-12-29). Family and community members suspect foul play regarding death of Anthony Harris. liberationnews.org Liberation News spoke with Anthony Harris's aunt, Tonja Daniels, about the circumstances surrounding his death on November 25.

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-12-29). When Bolivians defeated US imperialism with democracy. peoplesdispatch.org [Peoples Dispatch brings you a series of articles and videos on 2020, a momentous year that saw humanity face unprecedented challenges. The beacon of hope remained the historic resistance mounted by people's movements, and the care and solidarity they epitomized, proving yet again that our collective struggles alone can dismantle and end oppression] | As 2019 ended, Bolivia faced the grim reality of life under a US-backed coup d'état, the advances of over a decade under threat. However, within a year, with their firm conviction and tireless resistance, millions of Bolivians defeated imperialism with democracy in…

Melvin Goodman (2020-12-29). An Open Letter to Biden: Selecting a CIA Director. counterpunch.org I'm assuming that you and your team are still debating the selection of a director for the Central Intelligence Agency. I hope that you don't think me presumptuous for making some suggestions. I'm doing this on the basis of my 24 years of experience as a CIA intelligence analyst as well as my candid testimony before the Senate intelligence committee several decades ago regarding the confirmation process.

Ralph Nader (2020-12-29). Recidivist Criminal and Constitutional Outlaw Trump Rushes to Pardon Criminal Lawbreakers. counterpunch.org Serial lawbreaker Donald J. Trump is embarking on the most sordid presidential pardon spree in American history. He has already pardoned convicted crooks, thieves, and violent outlaws. Trump's pardon lawyers are frantically assembling more MAGA besotted individuals and groups to be pardoned wholesale. The number may climb into the hundreds. The queue is long. Trump

teleSUR (2020-12-29). China Beefs up Anti-COVID-19 Measures as Local Cases Emerge. telesurenglish.net Beijing has expanded its nucleic acid testing and tightened COVID-19 prevention measures following new reports of local COVID-19 infections. | RELATED: | "The city faces a grim and complicated situation with risks of further infections still present," Beijing municipal government spokesperson Xu Hejian said. | Several locally transmitted cases have recently emerged in Chaoyang, Xicheng and Shunyi districts of Beijing…

Marjorie Cohn (2020-12-29). Biden's Victory Does Not Guarantee a Progressive Agenda. We Must Fight for It. zcomm.org Progressives must hold Biden's feet to the fire and demand that he govern for the 99 percent and not the 1 percent…

Thomas Knapp (2020-12-29). Why Not Take Congressional Proxy Voting All the Way? counterpunch.org The Hill reports that US House Republicans, who made a show earlier this year of opposing remote and proxy voting in Congress, are warming to the latter practice. US Representative Paul Mitchell (R-MI) gave his proxy to US Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) in early December, declaring by tweet that "I will not risk my family's

Common Dreams staff (2020-12-29). McConnell Objects as Sanders, Senate Democrats Attempt to Force Vote on $2,000 Checks. commondreams.org "Working families need help now. Not next year, now," said Sen. Bernie Sanders. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mcconnell_25.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-12-29). Citing Violation of Federal Law, Judge Halts Voter Purges in Rural Georgia Counties Ahead of Senate Runoffs. commondreams.org Officials in two rural counties in Georgia late Monday were ordered by a U.S. District judge to stop invalidating voter registrations due to so-called "unreliable" change of address information, in a ruling that could protect more than 4,000 Georgia residents from voter suppression. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/georgia_0_0_1_0.jpg

Staff (2020-12-29). Bernie Sanders Vows to Filibuster Military Budget to Force Vote on $2,000 Checks. truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders is

Jim Sleeper (2020-12-29). Are the Trumpers headed for history's dumpster? Don't count on it. salon.com Even as elected Republicans turn against Trump, the forces that gave him power remain intact. Beware the future…

Igor Derysh (2020-12-29). Biden confirms his transition team's been hit with "obstruction" from Trump's White House, Pentagon. salon.com Many security agencies have "incurred enormous damage" under Trump, he said. "Many have been hollowed out"

_____ (2020-12-29). Biden Chooses Tom "Mr. Monsanto" Vilsack As Agriculture Secretary. popularresistance.org After weeks of rumors, President-elect Joe Biden confirmed last week that he has picked Tom Vilsack as his secretary of agriculture. Vilsack previously held the position under the Obama administration, from 2009 to 2017. This decision has disappointed many progressive Democrats who were hoping Biden's cabinet picks would include a more diverse coalition and signal a push to the left. Vilsack, on the contrary, is quite literally more of the same: a wealthy white man and establishment Democrat with countless corporate interests and an atrocious record on climate change and civil rights. | We should not be surprised…

Yifat Susskind (2020-12-29). A Feminist Blueprint for Saving Democracy in the U.S.—and Beyond. zcomm.org Feminists know that building transnational solidarity is often crucial when trying to counter domestic oppression…

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-12-29). America—and the Democrats—Won't Have a Future If Joe Biden Adopts a Centrist Agenda. zcomm.org Biden needs to reshape himself into a left-wing populist, and he can do so without explicitly labeling himself as such. The future of the nation and planet depend on it…

Editors of ODR (2020-12-29). What happened to democracy in 2020? We ask our contributors. zcomm.org We ask experts from around the world: what happened to democracy in 2020 – and what comes next? Here are their reflections…

RT (2020-12-28). Sacrificing freedom for the environment? German MP suggests restrictions 'similar' to Covid-19 lockdowns to fight climate change. rt.com Humanity should sacrifice "personal freedom" just as many nations did during the Covid-19 pandemic in order to successfully fight climate change, a German MP has said, adding that there will "never" be a vaccine against CO2. | Germany had barely started its coronavirus vaccination campaign when a Social Democratic MP, Karl Lauterbach, warned that his compatriots need to brace themselves for yet another challenge: global warming. | "We need measures to deal with climate change that are similar to the restrictions on personal freedom [imposed] to combat the pandemic," the professor of health economics and epidem…

Staff (2020-12-28). "I Just Felt Like I Had No Control Over My Body": Survivors of Alleged ICE Medical Abuse Speak Out. democracynow.org Dozens of immigrant women detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia have joined a class-action lawsuit against ICE over allegations they were subjected to nonconsensual and invasive gynecological procedures and surgeries that were later found to be unnecessary, and in some cases left them unable to have children. The lawsuit cites sworn testimony from at least 35 women about their treatment by Mahendra Amin, a physician in Ocilla, Georgia, and describes retaliation and threats of deportation for speaking out. "We have more than 40 women who filed sworn testimo…

MEE staff (2020-12-28). Biden adviser slams Saudi sentencing of rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul. middleeasteye.net Biden adviser slams Saudi sentencing of rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul | Jake Sullivan calls nearly six-year sentence handed down to women's rights activist 'unjust and troubling' | Mon, 12/28/2020 – 20: 04 | "> | US President-elect Joe Biden's national security adviser has condemned Saudi Arabia over its sentencing of women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul on terrorism c…

sputniknews (2020-12-28). Biden Says US Needs Coalition for Confronting China. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US President-elect Joe Biden earlier said that he would not immediately end the trade war with China and remove trade duties imposed by US President Donald Trump. During a press briefing on Monday, Biden addressed US-China relations, a COVID-19 relief package and transition problems with the Trump administration.

Prof. Joseph H. Chung (2020-12-28). The Political Economy of Corruption in Korea: Corruption Kills People, Ruins the Economy, Violates Human Rights. globalresearch.ca The whole world is facing the deepening and widening corruption which challenges the very survival of the free democracy and the free market economy. | Korea has been suffering for last 70 years from the corruption culture. But owing to courageous …

Laura Wells (2020-12-28). Propositions Won or Lost because of Money, Media, and Meaning, Solutions 2021 are Needed. indybay.org California delivered a landslide for a Democratic president, and yet gave majorities to Republican positions on state propositions. Why?>

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-12-28). Biden Already Facing Pressure to Tackle Backlog of 'Unfunded' Toxic Waste Sites Threatened by Climate Crisis. commondreams.org More broadly, campaigners are calling on the incoming president to deliver on the environmental justice promises he made as a candidate.

Staff (2020-12-28). Rep. Ro Khanna Won't Vote to Override Trump Veto on Defense Bill. truthout.org Congress is set to override President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, the $740 billion annual defense policy bill that funds the U.S. military. Trump vetoed the legislation last week over objections to liability protections for social media companies and because he did not want to rename military bases currently named for Confederate generals. Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna says Trump's reasons for vetoing the bill are "disingenuous," but that he will not be voting to override the…

2020-12-30: News Headlines

Alan Macleod (2020-12-30). Fingers Point to US-Backed Gov't in Colombia's Ninetieth Massacre of the Year. mintpressnews.com "The Trump administration waged a full scale campaign to undermine Colombia's peace accords. We must not waste our time hoping the Biden administration might reverse course, we must demand it." — James Jordan, Alliance for Global Justice…

Dan Cohen (2020-12-30). Meet the pseudo-left imperialists fighting against universal healthcare. mronline.org Since comedian Jimmy Dore called on progressive members of Congress to pressure Nancy Pelosi to hold a floor vote on Medicare For All, a collection of media personalities have launched vicious attacks against him while deflecting from his overwhelmingly popular argument.

Staff (2020-12-30). "Say Her Name: Dr. Susan Moore." Black Female Doctors Condemn Racial Disparities in Healthcare. democracynow.org When Black doctor Susan Moore died from COVID-19 after posting a video from her hospital bed describing racist treatment by medical staff, her chilling message was compared to the video of George Floyd begging for his life as he was killed by Minneapolis police. We speak to two leading Black women doctors fighting racial disparities in healthcare who wrote The Washington Post opinion piece, "Say her name: Dr. Susan Moore." "It is a typical and ongoing devaluation of our lives and distrust of our word," says Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones, a family physician and former president of the American Public Health Association…

Staff (2020-12-30). "This Is How Black People Get Killed": Dr. Susan Moore Dies of COVID After Decrying Racist Care. democracynow.org ‚Ä®As the United States reports record deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the final days of 2020, we look at how the pandemic that ravaged the country this year has shone a stark new light on racism in medical care. In a viral video recorded by Black physician Dr. Susan Moore, she describes racist treatment by medical staff at a hospital in Indianapolis and says they did not respond to her pleas for care, despite being in intense pain and being a doctor herself. In the video, Dr. Moore says she had to beg to receive pain medication and the antiviral drug remdesivir, and accuses a doctor a…

Aaron Maté (2020-12-30). Stephen F. Cohen on Russia's democratization and how US meddling undermines it. thegrayzone.com Pushback rounds out 2020 by airing an unpublished interview with Stephen F. Cohen, the eminent Russia historian and scholar who passed away in September at the age of 81. In an interview recorded one year before his death, Stephen F. Cohen discusses local elections and protests in Russia; opposition leader Alexei Navalny; as well as the state of Russia's post-Soviet democratization and how US meddling undermines it. Guest: Stephen F. Cohen. Professor emeritus of Russian studies at New York University …

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-12-30). Sound Grammar: the 25 Best Recordings of 2020. counterpunch.org Pedernal Susan Alcorn Quintet (Relative Pitch) Fetch the Bolt Cutters Fiona Apple (Epic) Pursuance: the Coltranes Lakecia Benjamin (Bandcamp) Quarantine Tapes Dean & Britta (Bandcamp) The Unraveling Drive-By Truckers (ATO) Ghosts of West Virginia Steve Earle & The Dukes (New West) The Lost Berlin Tapes Ella Fitzgerald (Verve) America at War Joel Harrison (Sunnyside) Budapest

Staff (2020-12-30). "The Truth in Black and White": The Kansas City Star Apologizes for History of Racist Coverage. democracynow.org In a historic step, The Kansas City Star, one of the most influential newspapers in the Midwest, has apologized for the paper's racist history. The paper's top editor, Mike Fannin, admitted the Star and a sister paper had reinforced segregation, Jim Crow laws and redlining, and "robbed an entire community of opportunity, dignity, justice and recognition" with its biased coverage over many decades. We speak with Fannin and Mará Rose Williams, a longtime education writer at the paper who led the effort to examine the newspaper's coverage of the Black community following the police killing of George Floyd and the na…

John Wojcik (2020-12-30). Republican Sen. Hawley to tie up Jan. 6 Electoral College certification. peoplesworld.org In yet another attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri announced Wednesday he will object on Jan. 6 to the certification of the Electoral College vote. Both houses of Congress meet that day to carry out their constitutional duty of certifying the Electoral College results …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Biden blasts Trump for delays on vaccine distribution. laprensalatina.com Washington, Dec 29 (efe-epa).- President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday lambasted President Donald Trump for delays in the distribution of the vaccine against Covid-19 and promised that, when he takes office on Jan. 20, 2021, he will use a law dating back to the Cold War to force the private sector to accelerate the process. "The …

Kevin Ryan (2020-12-30). The New Film "Seven". Scientific Study of WTC Building 7. globalresearch.ca The new film

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Democrats relying on Latino vote in key Georgia Senate elections. laprensalatina.com By Marcelo G. Wheelock Atlanta, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- Democrats want to repeat the formula that led them to victory in the Nov. 3 presidential election in Georgia and they are relying on the local Hispanic vote in the crucial runoffs for the state's two US Senate seats in early January, races that will decide which …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Biden complains of roadblocks to transition placed by Trump administration. laprensalatina.com Washington, Dec 28 (efe-epa).- President-elect Joe Biden on Monday complained of "roadblocks" to the transition of power process he said are being placed by the outgoing Donald Trump administration, and specifically in the way of his picks for top Pentagon and Office of Management and Budget posts. "We've encountered roadblocks with the political leadership at …

Marjorie Cohn (2020-12-29). Biden's Victory Does Not Guarantee a Progressive Agenda. We Must Fight for It. zcomm.org Progressives must hold Biden's feet to the fire and demand that he govern for the 99 percent and not the 1 percent…

Philip Giraldi (2020-12-29). A Pardoning Time of Year. Julian Assange and Edward Snowden? globalresearch.ca The resistance to the apparent election of Joe Biden as President of the United States is continuing to play out. Current President Donald Trump is continuing to fight against the presumed results of the November national election with his final …

Noam Chomsky (2020-12-29). Trump Has Revealed the Extreme Fragility of American Democracy. zcomm.org I think both Trump and Trumpism will remain with us for a long time, both the individual himself and the poisonous currents he has unleashed…

Melvin Goodman (2020-12-29). An Open Letter to Biden: Selecting a CIA Director. counterpunch.org I'm assuming that you and your team are still debating the selection of a director for the Central Intelligence Agency. I hope that you don't think me presumptuous for making some suggestions. I'm doing this on the basis of my 24 years of experience as a CIA intelligence analyst as well as my candid testimony before the Senate intelligence committee several decades ago regarding the confirmation process.

Carter Lum (2020-12-29). Family and community members suspect foul play regarding death of Anthony Harris. liberationnews.org Liberation News spoke with Anthony Harris's aunt, Tonja Daniels, about the circumstances surrounding his death on November 25.

Ralph Nader (2020-12-29). Recidivist Criminal and Constitutional Outlaw Trump Rushes to Pardon Criminal Lawbreakers. counterpunch.org Serial lawbreaker Donald J. Trump is embarking on the most sordid presidential pardon spree in American history. He has already pardoned convicted crooks, thieves, and violent outlaws. Trump's pardon lawyers are frantically assembling more MAGA besotted individuals and groups to be pardoned wholesale. The number may climb into the hundreds. The queue is long. Trump

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-12-29). When Bolivians defeated US imperialism with democracy. peoplesdispatch.org [Peoples Dispatch brings you a series of articles and videos on 2020, a momentous year that saw humanity face unprecedented challenges. The beacon of hope remained the historic resistance mounted by people's movements, and the care and solidarity they epitomized, proving yet again that our collective struggles alone can dismantle and end oppression] | As 2019 ended, Bolivia faced the grim reality of life under a US-backed coup d'état, the advances of over a decade under threat. However, within a year, with their firm conviction and tireless resistance, millions of Bolivians defeated imperialism with democracy in…

teleSUR (2020-12-29). China Beefs up Anti-COVID-19 Measures as Local Cases Emerge. telesurenglish.net Beijing has expanded its nucleic acid testing and tightened COVID-19 prevention measures following new reports of local COVID-19 infections. | RELATED: | "The city faces a grim and complicated situation with risks of further infections still present," Beijing municipal government spokesperson Xu Hejian said. | Several locally transmitted cases have recently emerged in Chaoyang, Xicheng and Shunyi districts of Beijing…

Thomas Knapp (2020-12-29). Why Not Take Congressional Proxy Voting All the Way? counterpunch.org The Hill reports that US House Republicans, who made a show earlier this year of opposing remote and proxy voting in Congress, are warming to the latter practice. US Representative Paul Mitchell (R-MI) gave his proxy to US Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) in early December, declaring by tweet that "I will not risk my family's

Common Dreams staff (2020-12-29). McConnell Objects as Sanders, Senate Democrats Attempt to Force Vote on $2,000 Checks. commondreams.org "Working families need help now. Not next year, now," said Sen. Bernie Sanders. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mcconnell_25.jpg

_____ (2020-12-29). Biden Chooses Tom "Mr. Monsanto" Vilsack As Agriculture Secretary. popularresistance.org After weeks of rumors, President-elect Joe Biden confirmed last week that he has picked Tom Vilsack as his secretary of agriculture. Vilsack previously held the position under the Obama administration, from 2009 to 2017. This decision has disappointed many progressive Democrats who were hoping Biden's cabinet picks would include a more diverse coalition and signal a push to the left. Vilsack, on the contrary, is quite literally more of the same: a wealthy white man and establishment Democrat with countless corporate interests and an atrocious record on climate change and civil rights. | We should not be surprised…

Jim Sleeper (2020-12-29). Are the Trumpers headed for history's dumpster? Don't count on it. salon.com Even as elected Republicans turn against Trump, the forces that gave him power remain intact. Beware the future…

Igor Derysh (2020-12-29). Biden confirms his transition team's been hit with "obstruction" from Trump's White House, Pentagon. salon.com Many security agencies have "incurred enormous damage" under Trump, he said. "Many have been hollowed out"

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-12-29). Citing Violation of Federal Law, Judge Halts Voter Purges in Rural Georgia Counties Ahead of Senate Runoffs. commondreams.org Officials in two rural counties in Georgia late Monday were ordered by a U.S. District judge to stop invalidating voter registrations due to so-called "unreliable" change of address information, in a ruling that could protect more than 4,000 Georgia residents from voter suppression. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/georgia_0_0_1_0.jpg

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-12-29). America—and the Democrats—Won't Have a Future If Joe Biden Adopts a Centrist Agenda. zcomm.org Biden needs to reshape himself into a left-wing populist, and he can do so without explicitly labeling himself as such. The future of the nation and planet depend on it…

Yifat Susskind (2020-12-29). A Feminist Blueprint for Saving Democracy in the U.S.—and Beyond. zcomm.org Feminists know that building transnational solidarity is often crucial when trying to counter domestic oppression…

Editors of ODR (2020-12-29). What happened to democracy in 2020? We ask our contributors. zcomm.org We ask experts from around the world: what happened to democracy in 2020 – and what comes next? Here are their reflections…

Staff (2020-12-29). Bernie Sanders Vows to Filibuster Military Budget to Force Vote on $2,000 Checks. truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders is

RT (2020-12-28). Sacrificing freedom for the environment? German MP suggests restrictions 'similar' to Covid-19 lockdowns to fight climate change. rt.com Humanity should sacrifice "personal freedom" just as many nations did during the Covid-19 pandemic in order to successfully fight climate change, a German MP has said, adding that there will "never" be a vaccine against CO2. | Germany had barely started its coronavirus vaccination campaign when a Social Democratic MP, Karl Lauterbach, warned that his compatriots need to brace themselves for yet another challenge: global warming. | "We need measures to deal with climate change that are similar to the restrictions on personal freedom [imposed] to combat the pandemic," the professor of health economics and epidem…

Staff (2020-12-28). "I Just Felt Like I Had No Control Over My Body": Survivors of Alleged ICE Medical Abuse Speak Out. democracynow.org Dozens of immigrant women detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Irwin County Detention Center in Georgia have joined a class-action lawsuit against ICE over allegations they were subjected to nonconsensual and invasive gynecological procedures and surgeries that were later found to be unnecessary, and in some cases left them unable to have children. The lawsuit cites sworn testimony from at least 35 women about their treatment by Mahendra Amin, a physician in Ocilla, Georgia, and describes retaliation and threats of deportation for speaking out. "We have more than 40 women who filed sworn testimo…

Staff (2020-12-28). "The Priorities Are Wrong": Rep. Ro Khanna Says He Won't Vote to Override Trump Veto on Defense Bill. democracynow.org Congress is set to override President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, the $740 billion annual defense policy bill that funds the U.S. military. Trump vetoed the legislation last week over objections to liability protections for social media companies and because he did not want to rename military bases currently named for Confederate generals. Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna says Trump's reasons for vetoing the bill are "disingenuous," but that he will not be voting to override the veto. "The bottom line is $740 billion is way too much defense spending," says Khanna. "The priorities ar…

MEE staff (2020-12-28). Biden adviser slams Saudi sentencing of rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul. middleeasteye.net Biden adviser slams Saudi sentencing of rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul | Jake Sullivan calls nearly six-year sentence handed down to women's rights activist 'unjust and troubling' | Mon, 12/28/2020 – 20: 04 | "> | US President-elect Joe Biden's national security adviser has condemned Saudi Arabia over its sentencing of women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul on terrorism c…

sputniknews (2020-12-28). Biden Says US Needs Coalition for Confronting China. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US President-elect Joe Biden earlier said that he would not immediately end the trade war with China and remove trade duties imposed by US President Donald Trump. During a press briefing on Monday, Biden addressed US-China relations, a COVID-19 relief package and transition problems with the Trump administration.

Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich (2020-12-28). Health Imperialism and Discriminatory International Laws. globalresearch.ca "Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promise, for never intending to go beyond promise costs nothing." — Edmund Burke | Joe Biden's statements on resuscitating the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has also reignited an old …

Prof. Joseph H. Chung (2020-12-28). The Political Economy of Corruption in Korea: Corruption Kills People, Ruins the Economy, Violates Human Rights. globalresearch.ca The whole world is facing the deepening and widening corruption which challenges the very survival of the free democracy and the free market economy. | Korea has been suffering for last 70 years from the corruption culture. But owing to courageous …

Laura Wells (2020-12-28). Propositions Won or Lost because of Money, Media, and Meaning, Solutions 2021 are Needed. indybay.org California delivered a landslide for a Democratic president, and yet gave majorities to Republican positions on state propositions. Why?>

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-12-28). Biden Already Facing Pressure to Tackle Backlog of 'Unfunded' Toxic Waste Sites Threatened by Climate Crisis. commondreams.org More broadly, campaigners are calling on the incoming president to deliver on the environmental justice promises he made as a candidate.

Staff (2020-12-28). Rep. Ro Khanna Won't Vote to Override Trump Veto on Defense Bill. truthout.org Congress is set to override President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, the $740 billion annual defense policy bill that funds the U.S. military. Trump vetoed the legislation last week over objections to liability protections for social media companies and because he did not want to rename military bases currently named for Confederate generals. Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna says Trump's reasons for vetoing the bill are "disingenuous," but that he will not be voting to override the…

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-27). Ilhan Omar censures Trump's Blackwater pardons. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 27 (MNA) — US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has slammed Trump's pardoning the US security contractors convicted of the 2007 killing of 14 Iraqi civilians, including two children, in Baghdad.

Joe Piette (2020-12-27). What prisons are like during COVID lockdown: interview with a Pennsylvania incarcerated worker. workers.org Philadelphia Since the start of November 2020, more than 3,000 incarcerated workers and at least 1,200 guards and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PA DOC). Since last March, at least 58 people behind DOC bars have died from the pandemic, the majority of . . . |

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-27). Trump accused of temper tantrums, conspiracy theories. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 27 (MNA) — Republican congressman has accused Trump of temper tantrums and conspiracy theories.

sputniknews (2020-12-26). 'Common Sense Please': Trump Slams Democrat-Run States' Lockdowns Over Surge in COVID-19 Cases. sputniknews.com As California's biggest city, Los Angeles has emerged as the epicenter of the US COVID-19 pandemic that is apparently getting out of control in the final days of 2020.

Thomas Magstadt (2020-12-26). Dairyland in denial: Red states & the myth of the real American. nationofchange.org Unless or until progressives start to recognize the cost of losing the underpopulated red states in Middle America, ultra-right-wing Republicans will continue to have power in Washington all out of proportion to the popular will.