(2020-12-07). Civil Rights Lawyer Bryan Stevenson Wins "Alternative Nobel" for Work Against Mass Incarceration. democracynow.org 
Civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, who founded the Equal Justice Initiative, was one of four human rights defenders to win this year's Right Livelihood Award on December 3. "I work in a country that has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. I work against a system that treats you better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent," he said in accepting the honor. "We work to overturn this horrific era of mass incarceration in America that has been brought about by the politics of fear and anger." We feature his full acceptance speech of the Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the…
(2020-12-07). Black Voters Matter: Group Sues Georgia for Purging 200,000 Voters Ahead of 2020 Election. democracynow.org 
On the voter registration deadline for Georgians who want to vote in two Senate runoff elections on January 5, we speak with Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive director of Black Voters Matter, about why the state is "ground zero" for Republican voter suppression efforts. Black Voters Matter has filed a federal lawsuit alleging Georgia's current secretary of state improperly removed nearly 200,000 voters from the rolls. Those voters "were purged illegally" ahead of the 2020 election and almost certainly affected the results, says Albright. "At the end of the day, this election … should not have even been c…
(2020-12-07). Georgia Runoffs: Democrats Aim to Take Senate as Republicans Back Trump Attack on Election Integrity. democracynow.org 
Two Georgia Senate runoff elections on January 5 will decide who controls the upper chamber and whether the Biden administration will be able to pass its ambitious policy agenda. If Democrats succeed in unseating Georgia's two senators, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, the Senate will be split 50-50, with incoming Vice President Kamala Harris able to cast tie-breaking votes. In two debates Sunday night, Perdue skipped his debate with challenger Jon Ossoff, who took the stage opposite an empty podium, and Loeffler faced off against Reverend Raphael Warnock. We play excerpts and host a discussion with author and Em…
(2020-12-07). Should the left care about blockchain technology? mronline.org 
Despite its utopian promises of digital democracy, Thomas Redshaw argues socialists should be wary of embracing blockchain technology.
(2020-12-07). Stuck In A Lift With John Pilger — 'News And How To Use It' by Alan Rusbridger. zcomm.org Pilger tells the unfiltered, uncompromised truth about the foundations of power. His focus is on speaking up for the victims of power, not on serving power…
(2020-12-07). Biden's Iran Deal Faces Iran's 'Red Pill'. strategic-culture.org Biden says he wants — through diplomacy — And now, four years on, the prospect of failure seems assured — firstly by the hostages to…
(2020-12-07). The Most Dangerous Thing About Marijuana. counterpunch.org I'm writing this column as an open letter to my state's US Senators (Republicans Marco Rubio and Rick Scott). I encourage you to write to yours as well, and if you like any of the language herein, feel free to "steal" it. Dear Senators Rubio and Scott, On December 4, the US House of Representatives
(2020-12-07). Biden Rebuild Must Include Race. progressive.org Our President-elect seems to genuinely see racism and racial inequality as the moral and economic threat it is.
(2020-12-07). American Democracy Is a Fiction & Who Do Republicans Represent? thealtworld.com As my article this morning on this 79th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor illustrates | , governments use deception to bring people in agreement with the agendas of those who control government. The cost of such deceptions usually exceed the benefits. Ruinous wars result, and the unity required to cement a country together can be destroyed. | I believe the latter has happened with the stolen US presidential election. It is cer…
(2020-12-07). Biden's Iran Deal Faces Iran's 'Red Pill'. thealtworld.com Does Biden's Team 'A' believe that a limited strike on Iran's nuclear facilities is realistic, without triggering wider war? | Biden says he wants — through diplomacy —
(2020-12-07). Sixth worker dies from COVID-19 at FCA's Warren Truck plant. wsws.org Warren Truck has been the deadliest plant among the Detroit Three's factories in the US during the pandemic, based on the limited data available on workers' deaths.
(2020-12-07). Citing 'Historic Abuse' of Judicial Process, Over 1,500 Attorneys Call for Sanction of Trump Campaign's Legal Team. commondreams.org "Every attorney, including the organized bar and disciplinary authorities, should disavow lawyers who trample the truth and undermine democracy through their false statements." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12299184751.jpg …
(2020-12-07). Political Crisis under the Guise of a Health Crisis: Face Masks, Social Distancing and Limit on Gatherings: Colorado Diner Defies Lockdown. globalresearch.ca It comes as no surprise that simultaneous with President Donald Trump's declaration that the voter fraud election of 2020 was a coordinated Democratic jihad, the next '
(2020-12-07). Republican Senator Tries to Prevent the US from an Alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood. globalresearch.ca
(2020-12-07). If Biden wants to unite the country, one thing is clear: Dump the corporate lobbyists. salon.com Americans are divided and polarized, yes. But large majorities want to curb corporate influence in government…
(2020-12-07). DR Congo: Political tensions, armed attacks, displacement and COVID threats continue. news.un.org There is a critical need for State institutions in the Democratic Republic of the‚ÄØCongo‚ÄØ(DRC) to provide more stability and safety for citizens facing multiple threats, the head of the UN mission there told the Security Council on Monday.
(2020-12-07). Group Sues Georgia for Purging 200,000 Voters Ahead of 2020 Election. truthout.org On the voter registration deadline for Georgians who want to vote in two Senate runoff elections on January 5, we speak with Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive director of Black Voters Matter, about why the state is "ground zero" for Republican voter suppression efforts. Black Voters Matter has filed a federal lawsuit alleging Georgia's current secretary of state improperly removed nearly 200,000 voters from the rolls. Those voters "were purged illegally" ahead of the 2020 election and almost ce…
(2020-12-06). Trump Exits Somalia. dissidentvoice.org These are things that might have been done earlier. During the last, flickering days of the Trump administration, activity is being witnessed across countries which have a US troop presence. Numbers are being reduced. Security wonks are getting the jitters. Is the imperium shrinking? Will President elect Joe Biden wake up and reverse the trend? …
(2020-12-06). Jim Crow Joe. counterpunch.org 
It was the days of purple haze and…
(2020-12-06). Review of Hensman's 'Indefensible'. zcomm.org Defense of the Easily Defensible By Dave Markland In 2018 Haymarket Books published Rohini Hensman's Indefensible: Democracy, Counter-revolution and Anti-imperialist Rhetoric. Its focus is on left journalists and analysts like John Pilger and the late Edward S. Herman who have committed the inexcusable sin of being overly suspicious of United States foreign policy. Many readers
(2020-12-06). PSUV Vice President Diosdado Cabello: Elections "Satisfactory" telesurenglish.net The first vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Diosdado Cabello, urged people to vote as he cast his vote at "Rafael María Baralt" Basic School in Monagas state. | RELATED: | "No one should stay at home; voting today is an instrument of rebellion against imperialism, of raising the voice of Venezuelans and clearly expressing their political preference, that's how it is in democracy, and that'
(2020-12-06). Millions of Venezuelans are set to vote today in historic National Assembly elections. peoplesdispatch.org The election for the 277-member National Assembly is vital considering how sections of the legislature were in the forefront of coup attempts against the democratically elected government of Nicolás Maduro…
(2020-12-06). Bless Joe Biden for bringing pets (and compassion!) back to the White House. salon.com Biden fractured his foot while playing with his dog Major and reminded us what normalcy looked like in the process…
(2020-12-06). Protesting Farmers 'Are Being Misled'. Really? zcomm.org From how the Green Revolution actually harmed farmers from Punjab and Haryana to what needs to be done now, farmers seem pretty well-versed with their agriculture. New farm laws are feared to be leading to a 'corporatisation' of rural India…
(2020-12-06). Democracy 'Has To Be Defended': It Is Possible and Necessary, Critics Say, To Stop Trump From Running in 2024. commondreams.org "In a society fully committed to democracy, Congress would use this lame-duck period to impeach, convict, and disqualify Donald Trump from pursuing public office in the future, as the Constitution allows." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_georgia2.jpg …
(2020-12-06). Ecuador's Democracy Threatened by Efforts to Exclude Popular Presidential Candidate Andrés Arauz. indybay.org "It is important to understand the goals of the current government in regards to the election. First, they want to stop our presidential ticket from being on the ballot…removing us from the ballot would set a disastrous precedent for all of our Americas," said Andres Arauz, leading candidate for President of the Union for Hope. | Photo credit: @ecuarauz Twitter…
(2020-12-06). Bryan Cranston is breaking bad in familiar ways for Showtime's dark thriller "Your Honor" salon.com The actor's new Showtime series casts him as a character very much like the one in his old AMC series…
(2020-12-05). US Congresswoman Betty McCollum denounces Israel's 'state-sponsored killing' of Palestinian child. middleeasteye.net 
US Congresswoman Betty McCollum denounces Israel's 'state-sponsored killing' of Palestinian child | US lawmakers Betty McCollum and Rashida Tlaib have denounced the fatal shooting of Ali Abu Aalya, 15, by Israeli forces | Sat, 12/05/2020 – 19: 43 | Israeli forces shot Ali Abu Aalya in the stomach during protest near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank (Supplied) | US Congresswoman Betty McCollum denounced the fata…
(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…
(2020-12-05). The Road to a More Just Society Runs Through Congress. commondreams.org Think about all the dreams for a better world that could come to be realized if our elected officials worked for the big majority of Americans instead of for Big Business interests. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/congress_5.jpg …
(2020-12-05). Ecuador's Democracy Threatened by Efforts to Exclude Popular Presidential Candidate Andrés. indybay.org "It is important to understand the goals of the current government in regards to the election. First, they want to stop our presidential ticket from being on the ballot…removing us from the ballot would set a disastrous precedent for all of our Americas," said Andres Arauz, leading candidate for President of the Union for Hope. | Photo credit: @ecuarauz Twitter…
(2020-12-05). Corporations Paying Lawmakers to Outlaw Protest Is a Crime Against Democracy. commondreams.org More communities are standing up to pipelines. The fossil fuel industry wants to make that a felony. We need to push for "Protesters' Bills of Rights" in state legislatures to codify the right to protest. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/line3_protest.jpg …
(2020-12-05). Biden's Young Hawk: The Case Against Jake Sullivan. popularresistance.org Harry Truman. That's who Jake Sullivan listed as his "political hero/inspiration," in a Time Magazine "40 Under 40" profile. Fed a question so vague that he could've chosen anyone from Cleopatra to Clinton, that Sullivan selected a consummate product of Kansas City's backroom "machine" politics, and liberal hawk exemplar, is more than instructive — it's downright disturbing. "Give 'em Hell" Harry unnecessarily dropped two atomic bombs on babies, and bombastically blundered into a Cold War that nearly ended the world on more than one occasion.
(2020-12-05). Trump Demands Names of 27 Congressional Republicans Who Acknowledged Biden's Victory. commondreams.org Two right-wing lawmakers insist Trump won the election, while 220 GOP members of the House and Senate—roughly 88 percent of congressional Republicans—refuse to say either way. "Send me a list," Trump tweeted, "of the RINOs" who recognize Biden as the winner. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_melania.jpg …
(2020-12-05). As Biden Considers Climate Nominations, He Must Go Beyond an Obama-Era Reboot. truthout.org The Biden campaign won on a slogan to "build back better." But when it comes to tackling the climate crisis, the next administration seems to think "better" simply means hitting rewind. The world needs more than an Obama era reboot to be saved from climate chaos. | So far, a bevy of the leading contenders for key climate and energy nominees are holdovers from the Obama administration. The fact that former Secretary of State John Kerry has already been tapped for a key international post [mdas…
(2020-12-05). Journalism Lesson for Ron Elving at NPR's Weekend Edition: You Don't Know What Republican Members of Congress "Think" About Aid to State and Local Governments. cepr.net I'm not sure why it is so hard for reporters to just tell us what politicians say and do, instead of telling us what they think and believe. This may be news for reporters, but politicians don't always believe the things they say. For example, almost 90 percent of the Republicans in Congress will not …
(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.
(2020-12-05). US House of Representatives votes to decriminalise cannabis at federal level. thecanary.co The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives has approved a bill to decriminalise and tax marijuana in the US at the federal level. | HISTORIC MOMENT: The U.S. House of Representatives just passed the MORE Act to comprehensively reform our federal marijuana laws! | — Marijuana Policy Project (@MarijuanaPolicy) Opponents of the bill mocked Democrats for bringing it up at a time when thousands of Americans are dying from the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. But Democrats said they can work…
(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.
(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 …
(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…