Daily Archives: December 3, 2020

2020-12-03: News Headlines

Margaret Kimberley (2020-12-03). Censorship in the Biden Era. globalresearch.ca The corporate media have joined the incoming administration in deciding what we can and cannot see and hear. | Ever since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016 the country has been warned about the dangers of fascism. It isn't difficult …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-03). Palestinian student activist released from Israeli prison after 15 months. peoplesdispatch.org 23-year-old Mays Abu Ghosh, a student of Birzeit university, was arrested by the Israeli security forces on charges of being a member of the Democratic Progressive Student Pole, a student group affiliated to the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)…

Staff (2020-12-03). Indian Farmers Lead Historic Strike & Protests Against Narendra Modi, Neoliberalism & Inequality. democracynow.org As COVID rages through India, which has the second-highest number of reported cases worldwide, hundreds of thousands of farmers are converging on the capital New Delhi to demand the government repeal new laws that deregulate agricultural markets, saying the reforms give major corporations power to set crop prices far below current rates and devastate the livelihoods of farmers. Agriculture is the leading source of income for more than half of India's 1.3 billion people. The farmer revolt comes as some 250 million workers across the country took part in the largest strike in history against the Modi government's n…

Staff (2020-12-03). A Massacre in Lagos: Nigerian Military Forced to Admit It Fired Live Rounds at Peaceful Protesters. democracynow.org A CNN investigation has exposed the Nigerian Army's role in a deadly attack on protesters in the capital city of Lagos in October, when soldiers opened fire on protesters gathered at Lekki toll gate, a key roadway and protest site. At least 12 people were killed in the massacre, which the Army initially denied, and capped weeks of demonstrations against the notorious Nigerian police unit known as the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS. Senior CNN international correspondent Nima Elbagir says the massacre "had a chilling effect" on the protest movement and enraged many Nigerians. "We kept hearing from these famil…

Staff (2020-12-03). Ethnic Cleansing Feared as Ethiopia Wages War on Tigray Region Amid Communication Blackout. democracynow.org The United Nations has reached a deal with Ethiopia's government to allow humanitarian access to the northern Tigray region and start providing aid. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched military action against regional forces one month ago, setting off a bloody conflict and adding to the already alarming number of displaced people and refugees in the country and neighboring nations. Ethiopia has declared victory after announcing it took control of the capital of Tigray, but the Tigray People's Liberation Front says they are continuing to fight. CNN senior international correspondent Nima Elbagir says what…

Stephen Lendman (2020-12-03). Is Trump Right? Was Election 2020 Rigged? globalresearch.ca Rigged Election 2020 wasn't the first time it happened in America. | Throughout US history, it occurred time and again at the federal, state and local levels. | "Democracy" by duopoly rule eliminates competition from independent candidates, debauching the process, assuring democracy …

Jacob G. Hornberger (2020-12-03). Election Fraud: Where's the Independent Press? The Mainstream Press Has Failed America. globalresearch.ca While President Trump continues to maintain that the presidential election was marred by massive fraud, the mainstream press continues to maintain that Trump's charges are "false" and "baseless" and that his allegations are damaging trust in America's democratic electoral system. …

_____ (2020-12-03). A New Peru, Struggling To Be Born? popularresistance.org While November saw two Peruvian presidents removed in a week and the emergence of a grassroots movement to defend democracy, there are no clear answers yet as to who will benefit in the long term. | It is not the first time that Plaza San Martín, one of the major squares in Lima's historic centre, has been surrounded by police and filled with protestors demonstrating against the country's political elite, but this time something felt different. | The week beginning 9 November saw a series of major demonstrations pop up around Lima, and across Peru, in condemnation of the removal of President Martín Vizcarra from…

_____ (2020-12-03). Eisenhower's Ghost Haunts Biden's Foreign Policy Team. popularresistance.org In his first words as President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said, "we have to proceed with equal measures of humility and confidence." Many around the world will welcome this promise of humility from the new administration, and Americans should too. | Biden's foreign policy team will also need a special kind of confidence to confront the most serious challenge they face. That will not be a threat from a hostile foreign country, but the controlling and corrupting power of the Military-Industrial Complex…

Nicolas J. S. Davies (2020-12-03). Eisenhower's Ghost Haunts Biden's Foreign Policy Team. globalresearch.ca In his first words as President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of State,

Bradley Thomas (2020-12-03). Biden's COVID "Supply Commander" Is Bad Medicine. globalresearch.ca Included in his plans to fight the coronavirus, presumptive president-elect Joe Biden has

People for the American Way (2020-12-03). Thursday 12/3: Power to the People: How to Win Back Our Democracy w/ PFAW. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Staff (2020-12-03). Sanders Slams McConnell for Pushing Tax Deductions for CEOs in COVID Relief. truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday blasted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for pushing a coronavirus relief measure that contains a 100% tax deduction for business meals — a "Mitch McConnell's…

Quanah Brightman (2020-12-03). United Native Americans Victory over GSA to Formally Recognize Joe Biden. indybay.org United Native Americans Victory over GSA to Formally Recognize Joe Biden as the President Elect…

RT (2020-12-02). Supply of vaccine doses not enough to stem Covid surges over next 3-6 months — WHO's Ryan. rt.com There may not be enough doses of coronavirus vaccines until May 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, amid a flurry of activity among drug-makers and governments to get various jabs authorized and distributed. | "We are not going to have sufficient vaccination in place to prevent another surge of cases for at least another three-to-six months," the chief of the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, Michael Ryan, said during a live-streamed Q&A event on Wednesday. | Before mass inoculation is possible, Ryan said that the number of cases will "bounce back up," even in countries that are currently "

Staff (2020-12-02). Where Are the Progressives? Briahna Joy Gray on Neera Tanden & Other Biden Picks for Economic Team. democracynow.org President-elect Joe Biden announced his top economic advisers this week, setting the tone for his administration's recovery plan, including Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress think tank, as head of the Office of Management and Budget. While Tanden would be the first woman of color and the first South Asian woman in the role, critics oppose her organization's cozy relationship with corporate funders, her record of antagonizing and undermining progressive Democrats, and her aggressive foreign policy positions. Briahna Joy Gray, former national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders 2020 pre…

Monica Moorehead (2020-12-02). Black activists demand Biden make a down payment on reparations NOW! workers.org On Nov. 27, a People's Webinar entitled, "Post Election Fight for Reparations Now!" was organized by the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based December 12th Movement to demand that President-Elect Joe Biden issue an executive order to make a down payment of at least $500 billion on the debt owed to the descendants of . . . |

Staff (2020-12-02). "The Dead Are Arising": New Biography on Malcolm X's Childhood, Killing & Secret Meeting with KKK. democracynow.org We speak with the co-author of a major new biography of Malcolm X, "The Dead Are Arising," which recently won the 2020 National Book Award for Nonfiction and offers a sweeping account of Malcolm X's life by weaving together hundreds of interviews with Malcolm X's family, friends, colleagues and enemies. The book is based on decades of research by Les Payne, who died in 2018, and finished by his daughter, Tamara Payne. "The reason why he admired Malcolm is because Malcolm was dealing with the conditions that Black people are facing even internally and how we viewed ourselves in this situation," she says, and descr…

David Rosen (2020-12-02). Covid-19, Schools and the Digital Divide. counterpunch.org On November 19th, Mayor Bill de Blasio closed New York's public schools. He has been joined by other mayors and education officials throughout the country struggle over whether to keep their local schools open for in-class or offer only remote learning. The Covid-19 pandemic has entered yet another wave and, as of mid-November, over 11

David Rosen (2020-12-02). Covid-19, Schools and the Digital Divide. counterpunch.org On November 19th, Mayor Bill de Blasio closed New York's public schools. He has been joined by other mayors and education officials throughout the country struggle over whether to keep their local schools open for in-class or offer only remote learning. The Covid-19 pandemic has entered yet another wave and, as of mid-November, over 11

David Rosen (2020-12-02). Covid-19, Schools and the Digital Divide. counterpunch.org On November 19th, Mayor Bill de Blasio closed New York's public schools. He has been joined by other mayors and education officials throughout the country struggle over whether to keep their local schools open for in-class or offer only remote learning. The Covid-19 pandemic has entered yet another wave and, as of mid-November, over 11

David Rosen (2020-12-02). Covid-19, Schools and the Digital Divide. counterpunch.org On November 19th, Mayor Bill de Blasio closed New York's public schools. He has been joined by other mayors and education officials throughout the country struggle over whether to keep their local schools open for in-class or offer only remote learning. The Covid-19 pandemic has entered yet another wave and, as of mid-November, over 11

Nicolas J.S. Davies (2020-12-02). Eisenhower's Ghost Haunts Biden's Foreign Policy Team. dissidentvoice.org In his first words as President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said, "we have to proceed with equal measures of humility and confidence." Many around the world will welcome this promise of humility from the new administration, and Americans should too. Biden's foreign policy team will also need a special kind of confidence to confront the most serious …

Stephen Lendman (2020-12-02). Disputed Election 2020 Results in Key Swing State Pennsylvania. globalresearch.ca Brazen Election 2020 fraud in Pennsylvania and other key swing states rigged things for Biden/Harris over Trump. | If he's out and they're inaugurated on January 20, the events of that day will be an epitaph for open, free, and fair …

Philip Giraldi (2020-12-02). Tony Blinken Replaces Mike Pompeo. globalresearch.ca I for one am getting really excited by the staff that Honest Joe Biden is pulling together for the White House. When I first heard the name Tony Blinken during the Obama kleptocracy I assumed that he was one of …

sputniknews (2020-12-02). North Korean Hackers Reportedly Conduct Attacks on COVID-19 Vaccine Makers Across the World. sputniknews.com Stories of North Korea-affiliated hacker groups attacking firms and laboratories involved in the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments for the disease have been circulating for months. Pyongyang always dismisses the allegations, claiming that no evidence of malign cyber activity has been produced.

Staff (2020-12-02). Bernie Sanders Calls Betsy DeVos Worst Education Secretary US History. truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders late Tuesday called Betsy DeVos "the worst education secretary in the history of America" and made abundantly clear that he's not mourning her imminent departure after the billionaire school privatization zealot lashed out at "What do you call a bi…

People for the American Way (2020-12-02). Thursday 12/3: Power to the People: How to Win Back Our Democracy w/ PFAW. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (2020-12-02). Now Is the Time to Make Good on the Promise of Justice for All. thenation.com Now Is the Time to Make Good on the Promise of Justice for All…

John Grant (2020-12-02). Joe Biden and the American Shame of War. counterpunch.org Sadly, my generation had to relearn the lessons of Vietnam in Iraq and Afghanistan. But in coming to terms with our defeat, we have a chance to ensure that we do not sacrifice future generations to such folly. — Timothy Kudo, Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, from a NYC op-ed I'm sure President-Elect Joe Biden had some

sputniknews (2020-12-02). Put Your Wallets in Hand. sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, including the latest on Kamala Harris and the downing of the MH17 plane.

Quanah Brightman (2020-12-02). United Native Americans Victory over GSA to Formally Recognize Joe Biden. indybay.org United Native Americans Victory over GSA to Formally Recognize Joe Biden as the President Elect…

Elise Swain (2020-12-02). Joe Biden's Silence on Ending the Drone Wars. The So-called "Targeted Killings" globalresearch.ca President-elect Joe Biden has maintained silence for years on the controversial and continued use of so-called targeted killings — lethal strikes by drones, cruise missiles, and occasionally military special operations raids. Biden has never publicly disavowed or criticized former President …

Nicolas J S Davies (2020-12-02). Eisenhower's ghost haunts Biden's foreign policy team. nationofchange.org The most serious challenge facing President-elect Biden's foreign policy team, which is not a threat from a hostile country, but the corruption of U.S. policy by powerful corporate interests, is the "unwarranted influence" of the Military-Industrial Complex.

Staff (2020-12-02). Bernie Sanders Calls Betsy DeVos Worst Education Secretary in US History. truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders late Tuesday called Betsy DeVos "the worst education secretary in the history of America" and made abundantly clear that he's not mourning her imminent departure after the billionaire school privatization zealot lashed out at "What do you call a bi…

Haymarket Books (2020-12-02). Friday 12/4: Teachers on Strike Are Still Teaching: Union Power & the Fight for Democracy. indybay.org Online event…

commondreams (2020-12-02). Rahm Emanuel's Failures Should Disqualify Him From Any Position in Biden's Administration. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Dean Baker (2020-12-02). Lessons for Steve Rattner from Folks Who Actually Remember the 1990s. cepr.net Steve Rattner used his NYT column to tell progressives that they should not try to pressure President-Elect Biden to implement progressive policies with noisy protests. He argues that compromise with the Republicans is necessary and argues that the Clinton presidency after the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress is a good model. "Progressive history has not …

Amanda Marcotte (2020-12-02). Mitch McConnell's dark pivot: Wreck the economy — and sabotage Biden's presidency. salon.com Trump is still pretending he'll be president next year, but McConnell has moved on to his plot to ruin Biden…

Dean Obeidallah (2020-12-02). Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat: Trump's coup is not over; his enablers aren't done. salon.com Author of "Strongmen": We're in a dangerous "state of exception," and it's too early to say democracy will hold…

_____ (2020-12-02). Is the U.S. Actually a 'Police State'? strategic-culture.org Eric ZUESSE | Is the phrase "police state" anything more than propaganda that a government uses against a foreign government that it wants to overthrow — such as the U.S. did against Iraq before invading it in 2003, and against Libya and Syria since 2011, and against Venezuela since 2012, and against Ukraine since 2013, and in all instances destroyed those countries, allegedly to 'bring democracy and human rights and the rule of law, and fight against corruption' there (as if that were honestly the intention)? | The phrase "police state" is used propagandistically to denigrate a foreign nation that one's ow…

sputniknews (2020-12-01). GOP Congressman Asks US Supreme Court to Block Pennsylvania Move to Perfect Election Certification. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Republican US Congressman Mike Kelly has filed a request to the US Supreme Court for an emergency injunction to prevent election authorities in Pennsylvania from taking any additional action to perfect the certification of the November election results, a court filing has revealed.

John Pilger (2020-12-01). "I spoke to impoverished families in 1975 and little has changed since then" dissidentvoice.org A British family from the film Smashing Kids, 1975. Photograph: John Garrett John Pilger interviewed Irene Brunsden in Hackney, east London about only being able to feed her two-year-old a plate of cornflakes in 1975. Now he sees nervous women queueing at foodbanks with their children as it's revealed 600,000 more kids are in poverty …

Staff (2020-12-01). "Part of the Solution": Meet the Black Doctor Who Joined a Vaccine Trial After Her Dad Died of COVID. democracynow.org As the drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna seek emergency approval for their coronavirus vaccines, public health bodies and regulators are weighing how to distribute the vaccines and who will get access to them. The pandemic is disproportionately impacting African American, Latinx and Indigenous communities, exposing long-standing inequities and systemic racism in the U.S. healthcare system. These same communities are underrepresented in the clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines, due in part to centuries of abusive treatment at the hands of medical researchers. We speak with Dr. Chris Pernell, a public health physician…

Staff (2020-12-01). "Part of the Solution": Meet the Black Doctor Who Joined a Vaccine Trial After Her Dad Died of COVID. democracynow.org As the drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna seek emergency approval for their coronavirus vaccines, public health bodies and regulators are weighing how to distribute the vaccines and who will get access to them. The pandemic is disproportionately impacting African American, Latinx and Indigenous communities, exposing long-standing inequities and systemic racism in the U.S. healthcare system. These same communities are underrepresented in the clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines, due in part to centuries of abusive treatment at the hands of medical researchers. We speak with Dr. Chris Pernell, a public health physician…

Staff (2020-12-01). Vaccine Ethics: Doctor Warns Against Paying People to Get COVID Vaccine as U.S. Preps Distribution. democracynow.org As distribution of coronavirus vaccines draws near, a recent poll suggests that 42% of Americans are reluctant to take the vaccine. In response, some, including former Maryland congressmember and presidential candidate John Delaney, are pushing to pay people to get vaccinated, a move being discouraged by many, including Dr. Monica Peek, a physician, associate professor of medicine and health disparities researcher at the University of Chicago. She says there are major concerns about how to ensure at-risk groups get vaccinated while overcoming public doubts about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, but paying…

Staff (2020-12-01). Cabinet of the living dead. therealnews.com Neera Tanden? Rahm Emanuel? Here's the deal, Jack: President-elect Joe Biden's cabinet picks and top candidates so far comprise a who's who of neoliberal ghouls from the Obama and Clinton eras. We speak with political consultant Adriel Hampton and Jacobin staff writer Branko Marcetic about whether the battle lines have been drawn between progressives and establishment Dems.

Staff (2020-12-01). Vaccine Ethics: Doctor Warns Against Paying People to Get COVID Vaccine as U.S. Preps Distribution. democracynow.org As distribution of coronavirus vaccines draws near, a recent poll suggests that 42% of Americans are reluctant to take the vaccine. In response, some, including former Maryland congressmember and presidential candidate John Delaney, are pushing to pay people to get vaccinated, a move being discouraged by many, including Dr. Monica Peek, a physician, associate professor of medicine and health disparities researcher at the University of Chicago. She says there are major concerns about how to ensure at-risk groups get vaccinated while overcoming public doubts about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, but paying…

Staff (2020-12-01). World AIDS Day Is Grim Reminder of an Ongoing Epidemic, with 700,000 Dead from HIV/AIDS in 2019. democracynow.org December 1 is World AIDS Day, and as the world waits on an effective vaccine for COVID-19, we look at the ongoing AIDS epidemic and how the coronavirus has threatened treatment for those living with HIV. Author and journalism professor Steven Thrasher says the coronavirus has amplified racial, class and other disparities, just as AIDS has done for decades, and that treatments must have an antiracist and anti-capitalist foundation in order to be successful. "HIV/AIDS has continued to kill way too many people. Almost 700,000 people died last year," says Thrasher. "The problem is not just the drugs. It's the conditi…

Ron Jacobs (2020-12-01). We Know Joe. counterpunch.org We know this man Joe Biden. We know the politics he champions. We know his corporate and financial backers. We know what we're up against. Barack Obama and the Clintons operated in the same neoliberal and essentially reactionary sphere. The faces in power may be female, Black, Latino and gay, but the policies are designed to keep the power from the people, the money from the vast numbers of working people, and the war machine's troops around the globe. We cannot afford to get fooled again.

Anand Naidoo (2020-12-01). The Heat: Biden and China. america.cgtn.com China – U.S. relations: What can we expect from the Biden Administration? And how will China react?

Editor (2020-12-01). Biden Appointee Spread Russian Hacker Conspiracy. scheerpost.com By Glenn Greenwald / substack The announcement that Joe Biden intends to nominate Neera Tanden as his Director of the Office of Management and Budget — a critical position overseeing U.S. economic and regulatory policy — triggered a wide range of mockery, indignation and disgust from both the left and the right. That should not be surprising: though a thoroughly mediocre and ordinary D.C. |

Abdel Bari Atwan (2020-12-01). Kushner's 'farewell' Gulf tour. thealtworld.com Why is Trump's son-in-law visiting Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the dying weeks of their administration? | One of the best things about Joe Biden's election as US president is that we will no longer have to see the face of the avaricious Jared Kushner, or at least not for the next four years. Whatever we may think of the incoming US administration and its policies, this disciple of Benjamin Netanyahu, orchestrator of normalisation and plunderer of Arab coffers should hopefully disappear from the limelight. | Kushner, who has spent the past four years exploiting his position as son-in-law of the most pro-Zionist and…

sputniknews (2020-12-01). US Senate Republicans Urge Democrats to Swiftly Adopt Consensus COVID-19 Relief Package. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Republicans in the US Senate on Tuesday called on fellow Democrats to adopt coronavirus relief measures they can agree on before the year ends.

Amanda Marcotte (2020-12-01). Don't be fooled: Trump's conspiracy theories won't discourage Georgia Republicans. salon.com Republican voters aren't fooled by Trump's lies about "rigged" elections — they think they're in on the con…

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-01). Iranian envoy submits credentials to FM of Congo. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 01 (MNA) — The new Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran presented a copy of his credentials to the Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday.

repost (2020-12-01). Kamala Harris' Prosecutors Sent This Innocent Man to Prison for Murder. Now He's Talking. indybay.org In a New York Times op-ed published in January, University of San Francisco law professor Lara Bazelon described various instances when Harris, either as district attorney or state attorney general, vigorously defended cases in which prosecutors were accused of fabricating testimony or withholding potentially exculpatory evidence—stacking the deck against the accused. | "My issue with [Harris] is the way she characterizes herself and her record. If she were just straightforward, it wouldn't be a problem."—Lara Bazelon…

Ryan Lattanzio (2020-12-01). UK government asks Netflix to make it clear "The Crown" is fictional. salon.com Cultural Secretary Oliver Dowden suggests a disclaimer to quell concerns around Season 4's portrayal of events…

John Kendall Hawkins (2020-12-01). What Are We Gonna Do Now to Save Our Democracy? counterpunch.org "Are you done with that dumpling?" — Words Trump is said to have whispered in Obama's ear about Angela Merkel, during the presidential transition period of 2016 Now that polls have closed and the votes have been counted and the only thing left to do is wait for Donald J. Trump to concede defeat, and

sputniknews (2020-12-01). Barack Obama Reveals He Would Have Run For a Third Term. sputniknews.com The 44th president made the statement while promoting his book titled "A Promised Land". In his memoir, the Democrat talks about his political career from the moment he became a state senator for Illinois to becoming the first African American president of the United States.

teleSUR (2020-11-30). US Sanctions Chinese Tech Firm for Having Ties With Venezuela. telesurenglish.net The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday sanctioned China Corporation of Electronic Imports and Exports (CEIEC) for allegedly supporting Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro to "undermine democracy" in his country. | RELATED: | An official statement argues that the Chinese technology company would give the Bolivarian government software to restrict citizens' access to the Internet and monitor their actions on the netw…

Staff (2020-11-30). Trump Races to Kill Lisa Montgomery In First Federal Execution of a Woman in Almost 70 Years. 18.224.45.15 We look at one of the most shocking cases in the slew of federal executions the Trump administration has scheduled in its final months: Lisa Montgomery, who was convicted in 2007 for a gruesome murder of a pregnant woman, is set be the first woman to be executed by the federal government in 70 years if her January 12 execution goes forward. Advocates say Montgomery suffers from mental illnesses caused by a life of abuse and sexual assault, and that she deserves clemency. "She is profoundly mentally ill," Cornell law professor Sandra Babcock says. "Why the rush to execute someone like Lisa Montgomery among all of…

Staff (2020-11-30). A Trap? Why Assassination of Top Iranian Nuclear Scientist Could Tie Biden's Hands in Future Talks. democracynow.org Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated Friday while driving on a highway outside Tehran. Iran accuses Israel of orchestrating the killing, which is the latest in a string of assassinations targeting scientists involved with Iran's nuclear program. Between 2010 and 2012, four Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated, and analysts say Fakhrizadeh's death was designed to make it harder for President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran when he takes office. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. "Israel has always denied…

_____ (2020-11-30). Flight From Reality: Airlines Demanding 'Vaccine Passports' Signals the Death Knell of Democracy. strategic-culture.org Dozens of airlines are pushing for a system that proves passengers have "complied with health requirements," whether in the form of a test or a future vaccine. And with passengers weary of lockdowns, they just may get their draconian wish. But this is just a sampling of horrors to come as the global elite enact their 'great reset.' | Soon, international travelers may be required to carry an additional passport aside from the one showing their nationality. The big three alliances, Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam, which represent 58 airlines, are looking to the so-called CommonPass digital health passport syste…

Brian Slodysko, Richard Lardner (2020-11-30). Cashing in on coronavirus? Georgia Sen. Perdue's stock trades raise suspicions. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (AP)—As the ravages of the novel coronavirus forced millions of people out of work, shuttered businesses, and shrank the value of retirement accounts, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged to a three-year low. But for Sen. David Perdue, a Georgia Republican, the crisis last March signaled something else: a stock buying opportunity. And for the second …

Staff (2020-11-30). Firing Squads, Poison Gas, Electric Chair: Trump Moves to Expand Ways to Kill Prisoners. 18.224.45.15 Sister Helen Prejean, one of the world's best known anti-death-penalty activists, says the spate of federal executions carried out by the Trump administration reflect a "fundamental flaw" in the law, which does not set limits on use of the death penalty. "When you give absolute power over life and death to government officials, they can really do what they want," she says.

Jonathan Cook (2020-11-30). The Planet Cannot Heal Until We Rip the Mask Off the West's War Machine. counterpunch.org Making political sense of the world can be tricky unless one understands the role of the state in capitalist societies. The state is not primarily there to represent voters or uphold democratic rights and values; it is a vehicle for facilitating and legitimating the concentration of wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands.

Staff (2020-11-30). A Trap? Why Assassination of Top Iranian Nuclear Scientist Could Tie Biden's Hands in Future Talks. democracynow.org Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated Friday while driving on a highway outside Tehran. Iran accuses Israel of orchestrating the killing, which is the latest in a string of assassinations targeting scientists involved with Iran's nuclear program. Between 2010 and 2012, four Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated, and analysts say Fakhrizadeh's death was designed to make it harder for President-elect Joe Biden to rejoin the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran when he takes office. Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. "Israel has always denied…

John Feffer (2020-11-30). Who Needs Zombies When We Have Republicans? counterpunch.org The 2017 film Bushwick begins like a lot of zombie flicks. An unsuspecting couple is walking through a subway station in the working-class neighborhood of Bushwick in Brooklyn. The station is eerily empty. They hear gunfire outside. The boyfriend goes out to investigate, and you know from the conventions of a zombie film that this

Medea Benjamin (2020-11-30). Trump risks war again: Will the world condemn the murder of Iran's top nuclear scientist?>. salon.com Israel wouldn't have killed Mohsen Fakhrizadeh without Trump's say-so. Now Biden and the UN must lower tensions…

Alejandra Garcia (2020-11-30). Hostilities Won't Stop Venezuela's Upcoming Elections. telesurenglish.net The international campaign of discredit against the Venezuelan electoral process, encouraged by the U.S. and the European Union (EU), gains strength one week ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for December 6. | RELATED: | "Chavism won't guarantee biosecurity measures," "The voting machines will fail," "Maduro seeks to settle his government after the parliamentary elections," are some headlines shown by the Miami-Bogota-Ma…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-11-30). Biden's Promise: America is Back(wards). counterpunch.org With President Donald Trump all but conceding to the transition team that will take over after January next year, interest now shifts to President-elect Joe Biden's choices for cabinet. On the national security front, the imperial-military lobby will have reasons to be satisfied. If Trump promised to rein in, if not put the brakes on

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-11-30). Calls for Diplomacy—Not War—as Scientist's Assassination, Trump Impede Biden's Path to Iran Engagement. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/no-war_with_iran_0_0.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-11-30). 'Another World Is Possible': Ocasio-Cortez Uses Video Gaming Platform to Raise $200,000 for Fight Against Hunger, Evictions. commondreams.org The congresswoman was joined by Canadian progressive leader Jagmeet Singh, who spoke about bold, far-reaching policies in Canada. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1282573903.png

commondreams (2020-11-30). Over 80 Organizations Urge Biden to Prioritize Ending U.S. Involvement in Yemen War. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Scott Ritter (2020-11-30). Israel's Gift to Joe Biden, 52 Days Before He Even Takes Office: War with Iran. globalresearch.ca The assassination of Tehran's top nuclear scientist is a ploy by Israel to compel the likely US president-elect to reject diplomacy and choose military action to deal with Iran's nuclear ambition. Which option will he choose? | Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was the …

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-11-30). 'A Moral and Legal Obligation': 80+ Groups Urge Biden to End US Complicity in Saudi-Led Assault on Yemen. commondreams.org "American involvement in this brutal catastrophe is shameful and must come to an end." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/payoff-alqaeda-ap_1.jpg

WSWS (2020-11-30). New York City schools to reopen amid explosion of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, deaths. wsws.org Mayor Bill de Blasio's announcement is a warning to the working class in the United States and internationally that even as numerous coronavirus vaccines are nearing completion, workers and youth will continue to be sent into workplaces and schools to needlessly get sick and die.

commondreams (2020-11-30). Sierra Club Statement on President-Elect Biden's Nomination of Janet Yellen for Treasury Secretary. commondreams.org ______________________________…

_____ (2020-11-30). 'We Will Defend Democracy In Ecuador'. popularresistance.org In countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, and Chile, popular movements have risen to express their discontent and demand a new economic model — only to be met with street violence, government repression, and coup d'etats. | In Ecuador, the rise of authoritarianism can be seen in the actions against the electoral opposition. In August — less than 24 hours after the National Electoral Council (CNE) officially called elections — the governing forces attempted illegally and unconstitutionally to eliminate the Movimiento Fuerza Compromiso Social, list 5 that had sheltered the political force of t…

commondreams (2020-11-30). Close the Big Tech Revolving Door, 32 Groups Tell Biden. commondreams.org ______________________________…

teleSUR (2020-11-30). US Elections: Wisconsin's Ballots Recount Reaffirms Biden's Win. telesurenglish.net President-elect Joe Biden's win in Wisconsin was reaffirmed Sunday after two of the state's largest counties finished the recount of ballots with little change in the tally. | RELATED: | Biden leads over incumbent President Donald Trump in the key swing state grew by 87 votes, after Trump gained 45 votes in the Dane County recount and Biden got a 132-vote net gain in the Milwaukee county recount. The statewide…

NIAC Action (2020-11-30). The Assassination of Iranian Nuclear Scientist. Setting the Stage for War? globalresearch.ca Ryan Costello, Policy Director of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), issued the following statement on reports of the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who led Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program until it was shelved in …

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-30). Biden's win threatens Macron's project of more independence. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 30 (MNA) — France is going to have a harder time selling "strategic autonomy" without the foil of the Trump administration to drive it.

commondreams (2020-11-30). Patriotic Millionaires Statement on Biden Economic Team, Treasury Secretary Announcement. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Ethan Yang (2020-11-30). New Study Highlights Alleged Accounting Error Regarding COVID Deaths. globalresearch.ca At the time of this writing, the United States currently maintains the

Sophia Tesfaye (2020-11-30). Has consummate insider Tony Blinken, Biden's nominee for State, learned from his mistakes?>. salon.com Blinken backed every failed foreign intervention of the last 25 years. At least there's hope he has evolved…

_____ (2020-11-29). On Contact: Fascism — America's DNA. popularresistance.org On the show this week, Chris Hedges talks to Gabriel Rockhill about the undercurrents of fascism in America's DNA, and the US role in internationalizing fascism after World War II through clandestine activities such Operation Paperclip and Operation Gladio. | Rockhill is a Franco-American philosopher and the founding Director of the Critical Theory Workshop and Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University. His books include Counter-History of the Present: Untimely Interrogations into Globalization, Technology, Democracy, Interventions in Contemporary Thought: History, Politics, Aesthetics, Radical History &#03…

Paul Rosenberg (2020-11-29). Congress can wait: How Biden can reshape our future with executive action. salon.com Congressional deadlock doesn't have to mean total paralysis. Biden can change America without passing new laws…

Jeff Jurgens (2020-11-20). Warnock For Congress. peaceaction.org Peace Action Endorses Rev. Raphael Warnock Sign up to phonebank for Rev. Warnock Donate to Rev. Raphael Warnock While the presidential race is thankfully over, control of the Senate remains at stake, and will comedown to the results of a special election this January in Georgia. The Senate has been a graveyard for pro-peace legislation …