Daily Archives: December 5, 2020

2020-12-05: News Headlines

Bay Action2 Free Assange (2020-12-05). Thursday 12/10: Nancy Pelosi Support US HR 1175/1162: Drop Charges Against Assange & Snowden. indybay.org Nancy Pelosi's house – contact organizer for details or please show up if you know location…

Harvey Goldberg (2020-12-05). Ecuador's Democracy Threatened by Efforts to Exclude Popular Presidential Candidate Andrés Arauz. zcomm.org The central issue in the election is likely to revolve around neo-liberal economics…

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-05). Iran, Congo discuss expansion of bilateral relations. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 05 (MNA) — The new Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Minister of Industry of the Democratic Republic of Congo conferred on boosting bilateral ties in the field of industry.

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-12-04). Roaming Charges: Let's Get Small. counterpunch.org One of the most useful things about Obama's memoir is that he reminds who some of the people now being recycled into the Biden administration really are. John Kerry, for example, who Obama describes as working assiduously to convince greens to "offer up concessions on subsidies for nuclear power and the opening of addition US coastlines to offshore oil drilled." Obama writes this with gratitude and admiration, naturally, and was probably all the recommendation Biden need to tap Kerry as his "climate czar."

Tina Gerhardt (2020-12-04). How Biden Should Tackle the Climate Crisis. progressive.org The Green New Deal makes social and racial justice inseparable from climate policy, but it's unclear whether Biden will do the same.

Ron Jacobs (2020-12-04). Biographies of a Revolutionary Moment. counterpunch.org Events in the United States over the past four years have brought leftist politics back into the popular conversation. When I say Left, I am not talking about Joe Biden and the centrist Democrats because, after all, no matter how much the extreme right wants US residents to think those Democrats are socialist or communist,

Staff (2020-12-04). Dr. Paul Farmer: Centuries of Inequality in the U.S. Laid Groundwork for Pandemic Devastation. democracynow.org As the United States sets new records for COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, we speak with one of the world's leading experts on infectious diseases, Dr. Paul Farmer, who says the devastating death toll in the U.S. reflects decades of underinvestment in public health and centuries of social inequality. "All the social pathologies of our nation come to the fore during epidemics," says Dr. Farmer, a professor of medicine at Harvard University, chair of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School, and co-founder and chief strategist of Partners in Health.

Joseph Natoli (2020-12-04). Trying to Repair a Room in a House Still Burning. counterpunch.org 74 million Americans voted for Donald J. Trump in the 2020 election with a turnout of close to 67% of all eligible voters, the largest in over a century. Although Biden attracted some 80 million votes it seems clear that the driving passion to come out and vote had Trump at the center. Passionate Trump

John Bachtell (2020-12-04). Unity needed to win post-election fights against GOP obstruction. peoplesworld.org As a nation, we've arrived at what some call an "inflection" point. We face immense, overlapping, and intersecting economic, social, and inequality crises, as well as a climate emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic intensifies all of them. To address them and the ongoing threat to democracy, the broad and diverse coalition of forces and voting blocs …

Ria Tabacco Mar (2020-12-04). The Biden Administration's Women's Rights To-Do List. aclu.org Over the past four years, the Trump administration has gone out of its way to launch attacks on women — including in housing, the workplace, and schools. When President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris take office, their administration and Congress must make it a top priority to not just undo the damage, but to push forward an agenda that will ensure everyone has the freedom to live, work, learn, and serve free from discrimination based on sex., , Here are just a few of the many items that should top the Biden administration's to-do list: , , Assure safe and stable housing for women and famili…

Daniel Warner (2020-12-04). Status Quo Ante and the Return to Normal. counterpunch.org People in Geneva and around the world are hoping that the presidency of Joseph R. Biden Jr. will return the United States to the way it was before the presidency of Donald Trump. According to this popular narrative, multilateralism will flourish with renewed American leadership. The four years of the Trump administration, it is said,

Nicolas J S Davies (2020-12-04). Eisenhower's Ghost Haunts Biden's Foreign Policy Team. counterpunch.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

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-12-04). 155 Years After Abolition, Slavery Is Still Legal in the United States—Democratic Lawmakers Are Trying to Fix That. commondreams.org A joint congressional resolution would close the 13th Amendment's "slavery loophole," from which the prison-industrial complex and businesses big and small profit. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/chain_gang.jpg

_____ (2020-12-04). Venezuela Wins Simply By Holding An Election. popularresistance.org On December 6, the Venezuelan people will vote for a new National Assembly. Ordinarily, there is nothing unusual about this, nor would this be newsworthy outside Venezuela. Ever since the election of Hugo Chávez to the presidency in 1998, the Venezuelan people have been used to more than one national election each year (this legislative election is the 25th in 21 years); these have been the presidential elections, the legislative elections, and the referendums to strengthen the 1999 Constitution. On the surface, this is just another one of these elections that has served to deepen the meaning of democracy in Vene…

Matthew Rozsa (2020-12-04). Nancy Pelosi says Mitch McConnell agreed to attach coronavirus relief to upcoming spending bill. salon.com McConnell has been reticent to work with Democrats on any kind of spending bill; he may be turning about…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-12-04). Ahead of Youth-Led Day of Action, Young Elected Officials Push Biden to Enact National Emergency Climate Plan. commondreams.org In a letter to the president-elect, the officials say they "believe it is imperative we take action on the climate crisis because it is a threat multiplier for water security, deadly disease, and environmental racism." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12894604521.jpg

Rann Miller (2020-12-04). What Biden Must Do for Public Schools. progressive.org With DeVos out, the President-elect can move to end institutional racism in education.

People for the American Way (2020-12-04). Thursday 12/3: Power to the People: How to Win Back Our Democracy w/ PFAW. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

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 …

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 …

sputniknews (2020-12-03). US Adds Four Chinese Companies to Defense Blacklist Over Alleged Military Ties. sputniknews.com Days after the US media called the election for Democratic candidate Joe Biden, US President Donald Trump revealed he'd signed an executive order that would bar Americans from investing in nearly three dozen firms that allegedly do business with the Chinese military.

commondreams (2020-12-03). Statement on Biden's Selection of Brian Deese as Director of the National Economic Council. commondreams.org ______________________________…

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

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…

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. …

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 . . . |

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 "

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

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 …

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 …

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

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…

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 …

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…

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. |

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?

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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

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 …

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.

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…

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

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

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…

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …