House Judiciary Committee Sham Ukrainegate Hearings
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-07
Following House Intelligence Committee sham hearings, Judiciary Committee Dems began their own on Wednesday, the witch-hunt to continue days longer in the run-up to the yearend holiday break. | Wednesday’s hearing featured four law professors — three supporting the Ukrainegate scam, …
globalresearch.ca/house-judiciary-commit…
France Shut Down by Nationwide Strike Action for Social Justice
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-07
On Thursday, hundreds of thousands of French workers, youths and others protested over former Rothschild banker/French President Macron’s pension reform scheme that’s all about further eroding social justice by slashing vital benefits. | Most rail, other public transportation, and many flights …
globalresearch.ca/france-shut-down-natio…
How the US Tortures. Report
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-07
Torture is a longstanding US policy, notably by the CIA and its henchmen. | The policy continues at secret global black sites under its new director Gina Haspel — earlier involved in running an offshore black site, notorious for torture during …
globalresearch.ca/report-how-us-tortures…
Towards “NATO-Exit”? Shift in the Structure of Military Coalitions. Turkey’s Alliance with Russia, China and Iran?
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-07
Contemporary developments point to a historical shift in the structure of military alliances which indelibly contributes to weakening US hegemony as well as creating conditions which could result in the breakup of NATO.
globalresearch.ca/towards-nato-exit-shif…
NATO Spending Pushes Europe from Welfare to Warfare
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-07
First published in April 2019 | After a recent anti-NATO conference in Florence, we spoke with Michel Chossudovsky about the alliance’s problems. ‘NATO’s unspoken aim has been to implement a de facto “military occupation” of Western Europe, in all but name.’…
globalresearch.ca/nato-spending-pushes-e…
Why Not Also Go With “The Kitchen Table” Impeachable Offenses for Removal?
Ralph Nader | commondreams.org | 2019-12-07
President Donald Trump arrives to pose for a family photo with participants of the G7 summit during the Summit of the Heads of State and of Government of the G7 on May 27, 2017 in Taormina, Sicily. (Photo: Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/07/why-no…
House Passes “Historic” Bill to Restore and Expand Voting Rights
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-07
Just one Republican–Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania–joined a united House Democratic caucus on Friday to pass what rights groups hailed as ” historic” legislation to restore and expand voter protections that were gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013. | L…
truthout.org/articles/house-passes-histo…
Bolivia: MAS Appoints Morales as Director of its 2020 Campaign
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-07
At a national meeting that brought together hundreds of militants in Cochabamba, Bolivia, the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) Saturday designated former President Evo Morales as its campaign director for the 2020 elections. | RELATED: | Bolivia: Chamber of Deputies Approves “Guarantees Law” | “I am surprised by the great meeting held by the ‘Process of Change’ organiza…
telesurenglish.net/news/Bolivia-MAS-Appo…
Australian governments reject calls for removal of armed police from Aboriginal settlements
wsws.org | 2019-12-07
With about 30 percent of its population being indigenous, the Northern Territory is Australia’s most heavily-policed state or territory.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/07/yued…
The Centuries-Long History of Extractive Greed
Josue De Luna Navarro | commondreams.org | 2019-12-07
Any “climate action that doesn’t connect the historic links between the carbon economy, colonialism, capitalism and ecological destruction would be oppressive to Indigenous communities,” the author writes. (Photo: Joe Brusky/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/07/centur…
Colombia: Social Unrest Against Duque Begins 3er Week in a Row
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-07
Colombia’s National Paro Committee has called for a new protest on Saturday, which includes a vigil at night. For two weeks, Colombians have been protesting in rejection of President Ivan Duque’s policies and in defense of the peace process. | RELATED: | Indigenous People Reaffirm Support for Protests in Colombia | Concentrations enlivened by cultural performances, dances, pot-banging and even a “cycle path of resistance” are some of the initiatives that have taken place throughou…
telesurenglish.net/news/Colombia-Social-…
70th NATO Anniversary Shows Alliance Is More Divided than Ever
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-07
When U.S. President Donald Trump cancels a NATO press conference because the other NATO leaders are mocking him, you know that something is wrong. At the historic NATO Summit to commemorate 70 years of NATO earlier this week, the …
globalresearch.ca/70th-nato-anniversary-…
Uber Reports Over 3,000 Sexual Assaults on 2018 Rides
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-07
SAN FRANCISCO–Uber, as part of a long anticipated safety report, revealed that more than 3,000 sexual assaults were reported during its U.S. rides in 2018. | That figure includes 235 rapes across the company’s 1.3 billion rides last year. The ride-hailing company noted that drivers and riders were both attacked and that some assaults occurred between riders. | The Thursday report, which the company hailed as the first of its kind, provides a rare look into the traffic deaths, murders and reported sexual assaults that took place during…
truthdig.com/articles/uber-reports-over-…
France: Workers Paralyze Transport to Reject Pension Reform
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-07
For the third consecutive day, France is protesting against a pension reform through a nationwide general strike that keeps public transport paralyzed on Saturday. | RELATED: | French Police Fire Tear Gas at Workers Protesting Macron Reform | This is the result of the joint action of the workers of the national state-owned railway company SNCF and the workers of the public transport company in Paris RATP, who announced that their strike would continue until Dec. 9. | Last Thu…
telesurenglish.net/news/France-Workers-P…
WikiLeaks editor Kristinn Hrafnsson speaks at Melbourne forum in defence of Assange
wsws.org | 2019-12-07
In an indication of growing support for Assange, the forum was attended by over 100 people and addressed by two prominent lawyers and an academic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/07/wiki…
Corbyn dismisses controversy surrounding leaked NHS documents as ‘nonsense’
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-07
Jeremy Corbyn has dismissed as “nonsense” the controversy surrounding the source of leaked documents used by Labour as proof the Tories are planning to sell the NHS.The Labour leader insisted the dossier was real after social media platform Reddit claimed the documents were disclosed as “part of a campaign that has been reported as originating from Russia”.Corbyn used the leaked papers as evidence that the government was at an advanced stage of negotiations with the US to open up the health service to American pharmaceutical companies. Asked about the claims during a campaign visit to Barry, South Wales Corbyn to…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/07/corbyn-d…
Nobel science laureates stress urgency of addressing the climate crisis
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-07
Three of this year’s Nobel Prize laureates have said addressing the climate crisis is of great importance.Winners of the prizes in physics, chemistry and economics issued the warning at a news conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm ahead of next week’s presentation of the awards.Their remarks came as a global summit on climate chaos was taking place in Madrid.Nobel physics laureate Didier Queloz (Jonas Ekstromer/TT News Agency/AP)Didier Queloz, who shared the physics prize for discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a sunlike star, took issue with people who shrug off climate breakdown on the…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2019/12/0…
NATO is “Brain Dead”. Institutionalized Killing as the “New Normal”
Peter Koenig | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-07
NATO has institutionalized killing as the new normal. And in order to maintain this ‘eternal war on terror’ that sustains the US economy, we need ever-so-often a ‘fake’ terror attack — to keep the fear alive, to keep the arms flowing, …
globalresearch.ca/nato-is-brain-dead-ins…
Federally Funded Health Researchers Report Millions in Conflicts of Interest
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-07
The database of disclosures reported to the National Institutes of Health, which has not been made public before, details the financial relationships of researchers at universities, hospitals and nonprofit organizations. These outside interests range from stock holdings in companies that may benefit from the outcome of research to payments for royalties, consulting work and speaking engagements. The total value of the conflicts is likely much higher than $188 million, in part because 44% of…
truthout.org/articles/federally-funded-h…
SEP (UK) candidate Chris Marsden speaks on Kashmir and Palestine at Sheffield mosque hustings
wsws.org | 2019-12-07
Marsden told the attentive audience, “Kashmir has been a terrible victim of the partition of India on religious and communal lines.”
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/07/kash…
Trump Has Built a Bureaucratic Wall to Keep Out Immigrants He Says He Wants
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-07
This story was originally published by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit news organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more at revealnews.org and subscribe to the Reveal podcast, produced with PRX, at revealnews.org/podcast. | Samir came to the United States from India in 2006 as a graduate student. He got a master’s degree in environmental engineering, and af…
truthout.org/articles/trump-has-built-a-…
Dear Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook Is an Engine of Anti-Muslim Hate the World Over. Don’t You Care?
Mehdi Hasan | theintercept.com | 2019-12-07
What happened to the guy who told his Muslim employees in 2015 that he would “fight to protect your rights and create a peaceful and safe environment”?
theintercept.com/2019/12/07/facebook-mar…
Under Left and Right-Wing Leaders, the Amazon Has Burned. Can Latin America Reject Oil, Ranching, and Mining?
Alexander Zaitchik | theintercept.com | 2019-12-07
The social gains of the pink tide were real, and striking. But they were ephemeral, and the cost to the environment was high.
theintercept.com/2019/12/07/amazon-latin…
Body of Palestinian Teen ‘Arrested’ by Israel Returned Home After 355 Days
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-07
Tareq Hajjaj for Middle East Eye Mystery surrounds the death of Emad Khalil Ibrahim Shahin, 17, who was arrested on November 4, 2018, for breaching the Israeli fence between Gaza and Israel. Having slipped through Israel’s security fence, Emad Khalil Ibrahim Shahin and his friends sneaked into an abandoned barracks …
imemc.org/article/body-of-palestinian-te…
New Orleans Activists Clash With Sheriff Over Jail Expansion
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-07
New Orleans — Back in 2010, New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman asked the city government for a 6,000-bed jail to replace buildings damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The proposal faced backlash in a city notorious for the conditions in its jail and the brutality of its criminal legal system. In 2015, a new jail opened with only 1,438 beds. | Gusman continues to push for a bigger jail, and the backlash continues. After receiving a proposal from Gusman earlier this year that would have significantly increased…
truthout.org/articles/new-orleans-activi…
Belgian Trade Delegation to Israel Cancelled
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-07
The trade mission would have taken place from the 8th to the 11th of December, will not go forward, due to criticism from the political opposition and several activist organizations, leading to its discontinuation, the Palestine News Network (PNN) reported. The delegation would have consisted of representatives from the Walloon …
imemc.org/article/belgian-trade-delegati…
The Origins of Democratic Socialism: Robert Owen and Worker Cooperatives
Edward J. Martin | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-07
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) — and its two predecessor organizations, the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC) and the New American Movement (NAM) — emerged in the early 1970s, during a long-term rightist movement in the United States. The DSA’s contribution to the American Left was its new founded identity as a radical organization born …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/the-origins-o…
US farmer suicides on the rise as Trump’s trade war, extreme weather hit hard
wsws.org | 2019-12-07
Farm debt in the US stands at a combined $416 billion, which is an all-time high, and more than half of all farmers have lost money every year since 2013.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/07/farm…
Bankrupt PG&E Makes $13.5 Billion Deal With California Wildfire Victims
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-07
LOS ANGELES–Pacific Gas and Electric announced Friday it has reached a tentative $13.5 billion settlement resolving all major claims related to the deadly, devastating Northern California wildfires of 2017-2018 that were blamed on its outdated equipment and negligence. | The utility says the deal, which still requires court approval, represents a key step in leading it out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. | The deal is expected to resolve all claims arising from a series of deadly 2017 Northern California wi…
truthdig.com/articles/bankrupt-pge-makes…
Appalachia Has a Rich History of Women-Led Social Movements
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-07
After the 2016 presidential election, many people in the United States sought to understand the rise of Trump through stories of rural America. Books like “Hillbilly Elegy” and “Strangers in Their Own Land” examined conservative communities as a way to explain the rise in right-wing politics. | But for historian Jessie Wilkerson, who grew up in eastern Tennessee, there is something important missing from the stories that gained a spotlight after Donald Trump’s election. Wilkerson studies women’s history, part…
truthout.org/articles/appalachia-has-a-r…
Fastest-Growing Washington Lobbying Firms Benefit From Trump Ties
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-07
For many well-connected Washington lobbying firms, business is booming after President Donald Trump’s 2016 election. | At least 22 lobbying firms saw revenue more than double in the Trump era compared to the previous three years, with many signing high-dollar contracts with big-name clients, an OpenSecrets analysis found. | The reasons for the revenue spikes vary. Some lobbying firms simply received a bigger check fr…
truthout.org/articles/fastest-growing-wa…
Some False Statements Made in the Trump-Impeachment Hearings
Eric Zuesse | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-07
In the December 4th statement that was made by Stanford University law professor Pamela Karlan was this: We have become the shining city on a hill. We have become the nation that leads the world in understanding what democracy is. One of the things we understand most profoundly is it’s not a real democracy, it’s …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/some-false-st…
White House to shun hearing suggesting Trump knows he’s likely to be impeached
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-07
The White House has said it will not participate in the House Judiciary Committee’s next impeachment hearing, in another sign Donald Trump has accepted he is likely to be impeached by the House.The decision came in a letter from White House counsel Pat Cipollone ahead of a deadline set by the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York.The two-paragraph letter did not expressly state the White House’s refusal to participate. But a senior administration official told the Associated Press after the two-paragraph letter was released that that was the point it was intende…
thecanary.co/us/us-news-us/2019/12/07/wh…
Who Is the Audience for the Judiciary Committee Hearing?
Jeffrey C. Isaac | commondreams.org | 2019-12-07
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler (D-NY) speaking with the press Wednesday after the committee’s hearing on the impeachment inquiry of President Trump. (Screengrab: C-Span) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/07/who-au…
CPEC and Pakistan’s “Pivot To Africa”
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-07
Last week’s Africa Envoys’ Conference in Islamabad saw Pakistani diplomats brainstorming the best ways for their country to pivot to the eponymous continent, with the key takeaways being to prioritize military diplomacy and entrepreneurial engagement along what could prospectively be …
globalresearch.ca/military-diplomacy-ent…
Turkey’s Military Drones: An Export Product that’s Disrupting NATO
Dan Gettinger | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-07
Just over a decade ago, the prototype of an unmanned aircraft that would become the Bayraktar TB2 took off for its maiden flight at Sinop Airport on the Black Sea. There were few signs then that the mid-sized, twin-boom aircraft …
globalresearch.ca/turkey-military-drones…
Islamic Organization Criticizes Israel’s Settlement Plans in Hebron
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-07
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has condemned a controversial plan by Israel to build a new settlement in the heart of the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron, the Palestine News Network reported. Naftali Bennett, right-wing Israeli minister of military affairs, said on Sunday, that the new settlement, to …
imemc.org/article/islamic-organization-c…
Palestinian President Commends US Congress for Support
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-07
The Palestinian Presidency applauded the US Congress, on Friday, for supporting the two-state solution and rejecting the annexation of occupied Palestinian land, the Palestinian News and Info Agency reported. President Abbas praised congress for their solidarity against Israel’s settlement policy, the fait accompli, and for recognizing the aspirations of the …
imemc.org/article/palestinian-president-…
A Just Society Doesn’t Criminalize Girls
Ayanna Pressley, Monique W. Morris | commondreams.org | 2019-12-07
First-grader Khatona Miller, right, investigates a circled location on a world globe with other classmates August 22, 2000 at Chicago’s Stewart Elementary School. (Photo: Tim Boyle/Newsmakers) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/07/just-s…
The Sun Never Sets on the Canadian Military
Yves Engler | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-07
Most Canadians would be surprised to learn that the sun never sets on the military their taxes pay for. This country is not formally at war yet more than 2,100 Canadian troops are sprinkled across the globe. According to the Armed Forces, these soldiers are involved in 28 international missions. There are 850 Canadian troops …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/the-sun-never…
Celebrating WTO+20 and Looking Forward in Seattle
Heather Day, David Solnit | commondreams.org | 2019-12-07
People take over the intersection in front of the WA State Convention Center on the 20 year anniversary of the WTO Shutdown. (Photo: Heather Day) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/07/celebr…
The way forward for the mass strike in France
wsws.org | 2019-12-07
The working class faces a fight to bring down the Macron government, drawing into struggle ever broader layers of workers and youth in France and internationally.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/07/pers…
‘We Were Proven Right,’ Says AOC After Amazon Expands in New York Without Taking Billions in Public Cash
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-07
“Maybe the Trump admininistration should focus more on cutting public assistance to billionaires instead of poor families.” | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/news/2019/12/07/we-were…
Sound familiar? Reddit says US-UK trade deal leaks may be tied to Russia, citing speculation from… of course, Atlantic Council
rt.com | 2019-12-07
A trove of secret papers cited by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in attacking the Tories may have links to Moscow, Reddit has announced. The proof? The US-UK-NATO-funded Atlantic Council says it isn’t sure but it might be true. | The leaked documents, which were shared on the discussion site several weeks ago, point to evidence that the United States would demand a market share in the UK’s National Health Service in any trade talks after Brexit. In a statement, Reddit said that it believed that the accounts that had shared the documents were “part of a campaign that has been reported as originating from Russia.”
rt.com/news/475264-reddit-leaks-atlantic…
US Claims “Fresh Intelligence” Of Iran Attacks Yet Provides Zero Evidence — MSM Blindly Regurgitates
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-07
Here we go again with “fresh intelligence” to justify the continued sanctions and destabilization of Iran. It’s a plan that has been well documented even by their own writings (See Which Path to Persia? — 2009). Of course, complicating U.S. foreign policy is the involvement of Israel. The Last American Vagabond covers the latest political posturing, distortion, and general …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/tdwu-clips/u…
‘I had a sombrero on’: Andy Ruiz explains HUGE weight difference ahead of Anthony Joshua rematch
rt.com | 2019-12-07
Ahead of the fight of his life on Saturday night against Anthony Joshua, Andy Ruiz has been forced to address concerns about his weight but blames his increased mass on, among other things, the sombrero he wore on the scales. | Ruiz will become the heaviest man to fight in a heavyweight world title fight since 7ft tall Russian Nikolai Valuev when the first bell sounds in Riyadh but has been forced to allay concerns as to his weight after registering a considerable 283lbs during Friday’s weigh-in – some 15lbs heavier than in their first meeting. | However, the Mexican-American fighter isn’t blaming his balloone…
rt.com/sport/475294-andy-ruiz-weigh-in-s…
Establishment would ‘never accept’ Russia in NATO, but why would Russia join anyway, even if invited?
rt.com | 2019-12-07
What if Russia became part of NATO upon Trump’s invite? Sounds unthinkable given the Western elites’ mentality, but that’s how a German paper sees warming up ties with Moscow — and sends “a signal of despair,” analysts told RT. | Never free of discord, relations between Moscow and the North Atlantic bloc are now at their lowest point in decades. Since the 2014 Ukrainian crisis, NATO has singled out Russia as one of its official adversaries, and not a single month passes without reports on NATO making power moves in Eastern Europe — to which Russia responds in kind. | It seems that the animosity will…
rt.com/news/475290-russia-join-nato-repo…
WATCH Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers engage in head-spinning dogfight over Urals
rt.com | 2019-12-07
Russian Air Force pilots were caught on film while flying their heavy Su-34 jets over the snow-covered countryside near Chelyabinsk, in the Urals. The exercise was to hone their flying and missile-launching techniques. | Wearing winter fatigues and helmets, the pilots are filmed doing pre-flight briefings before climbing to the cockpit. Once cleared for take-off, the Su-34s roll towards the runway and disappear into the air. | | © Russian Ministry of Defense | A while later, the crews are seen flying at low-altitude over the desolate countryside outside the city of Chelyabinsk. At some point, cameras in…
rt.com/news/475268-russian-fighters-ural…
My broken nose has helped, says Yana ‘Foxy’ Kunitskaya as Russian UFC star aims to build title shot momentum
rt.com | 2019-12-07
Russian bantamweight Yana ‘Foxy’ Kunitskaya says the gruesome broken nose she suffered in her last bout has helped preparations for her contest against Aspen Ladd at UFC Fight Night in Washington DC on Saturday. | Kunitskaya arrives in DC on a two-fight win streak, the latter of those coming against Marion Reneau via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 146 back in March. | Busted up: Yana Kunitskaya suffers badly broken nose in UFC Wichita win | ‘Foxy’ had to overcome a badly broken nose to see o…
rt.com/sport/475274-ufc-dc-yana-kunitska…
‘Nuke aimed at Iran’? Tehran raises alarm after Israel test-fires mystery rocket in broad daylight
rt.com | 2019-12-07
As the world is abuzz with speculation over Israel’s shadowy “rocket propulsion system” test, Tehran bluntly claimed that the projectile it fired from a base south of Tel Aviv was actually a nuclear-capable missile aimed at Iran. | “Israel today tested a nuke-missile, aimed at Iran,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested in a tweet posted on Friday evening.
rt.com/news/475258-iran-israel-nuclear-t…
‘People are flushing toilets 10 times’: Trump mulls pouring conservation rules down the drain & Twitter cannot hold it
rt.com | 2019-12-07
President Donald Trump is taking aim at water efficiency laws, arguing that they paradoxically encourage waste due to weak water pressure. He vowed to seek “commonsense” solutions to America’s toilet troubles. | Despite ongoing Democratic impeachment efforts in Washington, a trade row with Beijing and another war of words heating up with Iran, the president took time on Friday to address a problem much closer to home — perhaps lurking in your very own bathroom. | “We have a situation where we’re looking very strongly at sinks and showers, and other elements of bathrooms,” the president said. “You turn on…
rt.com/usa/475256-trump-toilet-flushing-…
Iran swaps American scholar tried on espionage charges for its scientist held by US
rt.com | 2019-12-07
An Iranian scientist arrested in the US for violating sanctions and an American Princeton scholar held on espionage charges by the Islamic Republic each returned home as part of a prisoner swap between Tehran and Washington. | Both sides rejoiced at the return of their citizens earlier on Saturday, shortly after the news broke. “Glad that Professor Massoud Soleimani and Mr. Xiyue Wang will be joining their families shortly,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. | The diplomat later posted a photo of him and Soleimani — a stem cell scientist detained in Chicago last year for trying to buy…
rt.com/newsline/475279-iran-us-prisoners…
‘We can make a deal together’: Trump thanks Iran for ‘very fair negotiation’ that led to prisoner swap
rt.com | 2019-12-07
In a reprieve from the usual bellicose rhetoric, President Donald Trump thanked the leaders of Iran for swapping an American prisoner with a detained Iranian scientist. Senior officials, however, told a different story. | Princeton scholar Xiyue Wang left Iran for the US on Saturday morning, while Iranian Scientist Massoud Soleimani returned to Tehran from America. Wang had been in Iranian custody since 2016 and was serving a ten-year term on espionage charges, while Soleimani was arrested in Chicago last year for sanctions violations and was awaiting trial. | The prisoner exchange came after weeks of negotiat…
rt.com/usa/475297-trump-thanks-iran-pris…
Getting salty? Media digs into Trump’s BIGLY salt & pepper shakers
rt.com | 2019-12-07
Amid ongoing impeachment efforts, the American press has uncovered a damning scandal in the White House: President Donald Trump uses bigger salt and pepper shakers than his guests. Surely the president is finished now. | The mainstream media that dropped such bombshells as “Donald Trump eats KFC with a fork and knife like a true maniac” and “Trump gets 2 scoops of…
rt.com/usa/475285-trump-salt-pepper-shak…
Raining on their parade: Ruiz vs Joshua venue in Saudi hit by downpour amid fears of disruption to blockbuster boxing event
rt.com | 2019-12-07
The blockbuster boxing event featuring the heavyweight rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua could face disruption as rain hit the venue in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. | The card is already underway at the purpose-built 15,000-seater stadium, and while the ring is covered spectators are largely exposed to the elements. | Fans are taking cover under umbrellas as the rain falls, while there is reportedly a high chance that it wi…
rt.com/sport/475296-rain-ruiz-joshua-sau…
Pensacola shooter ‘held mass-shooting dinner party’ where fellow Saudi students watched disturbing videos — report
rt.com | 2019-12-07
The Saudi gunman who killed three people at a US naval base in Florida on Friday had reportedly held a dinner party days earlier, at which guests watched video footage of mass shootings. | At least ten Saudi military students were being held at Naval Air Station Pensacola and several more were “unaccounted for” after the Friday shooting that left at least three dead and eight injured, an anonymous US official told AP on Saturday. | While the gunman was shot on the spot, the source said that another student videotaped the scene of the shooting on Friday, while another two watched from inside a car. All three ar…
rt.com/usa/475298-pensacola-student-mass…
‘One of the greatest individual goals you will see’: South Korean star Son Heung-min scores SENSATIONAL solo goal (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2019-12-07
Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min scored a sensational solo goal as he dribbled from his own 18-yard box to slot home against Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday. | The South Korean forward collected the ball deep in his own half before setting off at pace, slaloming through a mass of claret shirts before finishing coolly past Burnley ‘keeper Nick Pope to put Spurs 3-0 up. | The effort was declared an instant goal of the season winner on social media, where pundit Gary Lineker hailed it as “one of the greatest individual goals you will ever see.” | Wow. Son has just scored one of the greatest individu…
rt.com/sport/475289-watch-son-heung-min-…
‘It’s something which is in the air’: Barca boss Valverde gives warning over Messi retirement
rt.com | 2019-12-07
Barcelona and the wider footballing world will need to start coming to terms with the fact that Lionel Messi will not be playing for too much longer, according to the Catalan giants’ head coach, Ernesto Valverde. | Messi, 32, was recently crowned Ballon d’Or winner for a record sixth time, but spoke at the ceremony in Paris about how he was approaching the tail end of his glittering career. | “I enjoy these moments so much because I know that retirement is approaching. Time flies,” the Argentine said. | Also on…
rt.com/sport/475272-messi-retirement-is-…
Satanic Temple members say ‘HELL NO’ to discrimination after American Airlines forces woman to change ‘HAIL SATAN’ shirt
rt.com | 2019-12-07
Backers of the Satanic Temple are raising hell after American Airlines forced a Florida woman to change out of a shirt proclaiming “Hail Satan,” threatening to remove her from the flight over its “offensive” message. | Key West resident Swati Runi Goyal was awaiting takeoff aboard a flight headed for Las Vegas on the day before Halloween — known in some regions as “Devil’s Night” — when an American Airlines crew member approached her demanding an immediate wardrobe change. | “The gentleman asked me if I understood what ‘offensive’ meant,” Goyal told the New York Post. “I said, ‘I’m a foreign-born min…
rt.com/usa/475253-hail-satan-shirt-airli…
The oppressive state is a macho rapist
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2019-12-07
On 25 November 1960, three of four of the Mirabal sisters — María Teresa, Minerva, and Patria — of the Dominican Republic were assassinated for their resistance against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. The youngest of the three — María Teresa — said before her death, ‘Perhaps what we have most near is death, but […] | Source…
mronline.org/2019/12/07/the-oppressive-s…
The Oppressive State Is a Macho Rapist
Vijay Prashad | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-07
On 25 November 1960, three of four of the Mirabal sisters — María Teresa, Minerva, and Patria — of the Dominican Republic were assassinated for their resistance against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. The youngest of the three — María Teresa — said before her death, ‘Perhaps what we have most near is death, but …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/the-oppressiv…
Terror Links Probed in Florida Naval Base Shooting; 10 Saudi Students Held
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-07
The student who killed 3 people in Pensacola had watched videos of mass shootings with three others earlier in the week, U.S. official says.
truthdig.com/articles/naval-base-shootin…
Saudi airman kills four at US Naval Base in Florida
wsws.org | 2019-12-07
The mass shooting at the base in Pensacola was the second such incident at a US Navy facility in the space of barely 48 hours.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/07/saud…
US: Four Dead in a Shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Base
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-07
A Saudi Air Force second lieutenant Friday killed three people and wounded eight others in a shooting rampage at the U.S. Navy base at Pensacola, Florida. | RELATED: | US House Passes Resolution Breaking with Trump on Israel Policy | Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan informed the attacker was shot down by officers who were at the base, which is currently closed. | The shooting occurred in a two-story classroom. Among the hurt are two agents from the Escambia County Sheriff…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-four-dead-in-…
Kerry’s Endorsement of Biden Fits: Two Deceptive Supporters of the Iraq War
Norman Solomon | indybay.org | 2019-12-07
Character and Experience… in Mass Slaughter…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/07/1882871…
SF Climate Strike at BlackRock and March to Senator Feinstein’s Office
Leon Kunstenaar | indybay.org | 2019-12-07
Photos: Leon Kunstenaar, Pro Bono Photo | Message of climate urgency delivered where most needed in day of world wide protests…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/07/1882869…
‘No Spiritual Surrender: A Dedication to the Standing Rock Movement’ Photos of Resilience
Brenda Norrell | indybay.org | 2019-12-07
Photojournalist Ryan Vizzions photos of Standing Rock Water Protectors in the camps and on the frontlines have appeared around the world. Vizzions’ new book chronicles the resilience and resistance of Water Protectors and the militarized police they faced, with forwards by Joye Braun, Cheyenne River Lakota, and Pte San Wastewin, Hunkpapa Lakota.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/06/1882867…
Eyewitness Iran: Uncovering the Media Lies
Party for Socialism and Liberation | indybay.org | 2019-12-07
2969 Mission St., near 26th St.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/05/1882863…
Chuck Herrick Peace and Freedom Memorial Park
DARIN | indybay.org | 2019-12-07
Clearly Indybay media should also topic Anarcho-Geography* as well as Anarcho-Urban Studies**. Berkeley, California. Consider this to be under the topical influence of Urban Direct Action within a their-storical contemplative premise. [*For more on this topic see Prof. Simon Springer.] [**On this topic I would personally field any inquiry.]…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/05/1882863…
Matunda Ya Kwanza: Our “California Grown” Pan African Celebration of Life
Khubaka, Michael Harris | indybay.org | 2019-12-07
In Dr. Maulana Karenga’s own words he says, “The origin of Kwanzaa on the African continent are in the agricultural celebrations called the ‘first fruits’ celebrations and to a lesser degree the full or general harvest celebration. 2019 Sacramento Kwanzaa and California State Capitol Kwanzaa continues our journey toward expanding California Pan African Global Trade and Investment.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/05/1882864…
2019 Sacramento Kwanzaa: A Special Karamu Celebration
Khubaka, Michael Harris | indybay.org | 2019-12-07
The notion of “potluck” Kwanzaa in the 21st Century is a challenging local tradition that should not be a salient notion or limiting factor toward embracing Umoja year round and throughout the Kwanzaa season, Matunda ya Kwanza.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/05/1882865…
Grace Blakeley: The World Must be Saved from Financialization
Bryan Bowman | indybay.org | 2019-12-07
Even when times are good, the many have been largely excluded from the success enjoyed by the few. Where many see a strong economy today, Grace Blakeley sees not only the early indicators of an inevitable recession, but the “death throes” of an entire economic model that is crumbling before our eyes. She warns of a bleak future but also offers a hopeful alternative vision.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/06/1882867…
Ukrainian Neo-Nazis Flock to the Hong Kong Protest Movement
Ben Norton | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-06
Ukrainian fascists who previously fought in a US-backed neo-Nazi militia joined the anti-China protests in Hong Kong, sharing their tactics and showing off their tattoos. | *** | Neo-Nazis from Ukraine have flown to Hong Kong to participate in the anti-Chinese insurgency, …
globalresearch.ca/ukrainian-neo-nazis-fl…
Hong Kong: Pure Western Insanity
Peter Koenig | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-06
The impunity with which the US aggresses Hong Kong is insane. Equally or more insane is western media coverage of what is going on in Hong Kong. Not one word on how the incredible “pro-democracy” vote of the rather unimportant District Council Elections was achieved. Of the 18 District Councils, 452 of 479 seats (71%) …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/hong-kong-pur…
Bolivia’s Coup Government: a Far-Right Horror Show
Forrest Hylton | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-06
Since coming to power on November 12, Bolivia’s right-wing coup government, led by interim president Jeanine Añez, has quickly consolidated power and achieved international legitimacy. So far, the Añez government has succeeded in calling elections for 2020; persecuting journalists, political opponents, and human rights activists; and, following two massacres of unarmed, mainly indigenous protesters that…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/06/bolivias-cou…
The Supreme Court Case That Made Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Possible — and Doomed Kamala Harris
Jon Schwarz | theintercept.com | 2019-12-06
Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California suspended her presidential campaign on Tuesday. Why? Because, she said, she did not “have the financial resources we need to continue. I’m not a billionaire. I can’t fund my own campaign.” | Meanwhile, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who definitely is a billionaire, has spent at least $57 million of his own money since he jumped into the race on Novem…
theintercept.com/2019/12/06/kamala-harri…
Bolivia’s New Right-Wing Gov’t Targets Foreigners With “Anti-Terror” Death Squads
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-06
The new move creating an unaccountable armed security force directly aimed at foreign terror will do little to quash fears that Bolivia is heading down the road to a totalitarian dictatorship.
mintpressnews.com/bolivia-right-wing-gov…
Bolivia: Chamber of Deputies Approves “Guarantees Law”
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-06
The Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia announced Friday the approval of the Law of Guarantees for the Full Exercise of Constitutional Rights, a project that seeks to avoid persecution and indiscriminate judicial prosecution against social leaders who staged protests against the coup d’état last Nov. 10. | RELATED: | Crimes Against Humanity Reported in Bolivia: Int’l Delegation | The president of the Chamber, Sergio Choque of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) declared that the project complies…
telesurenglish.net/news/Bolivia-Chamber-…
With People in the Streets Worldwide, Media Focus Uniquely on Hong Kong
Alan MacLeod | fair.org | 2019-12-06
Unlike protests against US client states, the Hong Kong demonstrations were frequently given the approving “pro-democracy” label (CNN, 8/30/19). | 2019 may be remembered as the year of the protest, as demonstrations are engulfing the world. From the Yellow Vests in France to demonstrations in Lebanon, Gaza, Chile, Ecuador and Haiti, sustained movements all over the planet have taken to the street demanding change. Yet US corporate media have been disproportionately interested in only one: the Hong Kong protests.
fair.org/home/with-people-in-the-streets…
Ukraine: Three-year-old boy killed in attempted political assassination by the far right
wsws.org | 2019-12-06
The killing of a three-year-old demonstrates that far-right forces in Ukraine are being given free rein to carry out targeted political assassinations.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/07/ukra…
Colombian trade unions working with President Duque to shut down national strike movement
wsws.org | 2019-12-06
Despite brutal police repression, tens of thousands carried out a third national strike on Wednesday in Colombia.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/06/colo…
Why the Douma Chemical Attack Wasn’t a ‘Managed Massacre’
Jefferson Morley | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-06
In the long-running nightmare of the Syrian civil war, the attack at Douma was a déjà vu atrocity with big consequences in Washington. On April 7, 2018, a working-class neighborhood in greater Damascus suffered a chemical attack that killed at least 43 people. Six days later, President Trump ordered a cruise missile attack on a…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/06/why-the-doum…
Chilean Mothers Perform Feminist Dance Act to Protest “Historic Abuse”
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-06
About ten thousands of Chilean senior women took part Wednesday in the “Un violador en tu camino” campaign (“A rapist in your way”), a made-in-Chile dance routine that has spread worldwide as a powerful tool of protest against “historic abuse suffered by women in a patriarchal system.” | RELATED: | Chile: Municipalities Call Citizens to Independent Consultation | Organized by the women’s group “Las Tesis Senior” at the gates of the National Stadium — located in Santiago’s…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chilean-Mothers-…
Kerry’s Endorsement of Biden Fits: Two Deceptive Supporters of the Iraq War
Norman Solomon | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-06
On Thursday afternoon, the Washington Post sent out a news alert headlined “John Kerry Endorses Biden in 2020 Race, Saying He Has the Character and Experience to Beat Trump, Confront the Nation’s Challenges.” Meanwhile, in Iowa, Joe Biden was also touting his experience. “Look,” Biden said as he angrily lectured an 83-year-old farmer at a campaign stop,…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/06/kerrys-endor…
Of Course John Kerry Endorsed Joe Biden
Norman Solomon | truthdig.com | 2019-12-06
Both have repeatedly lied about their support for the war in Iraq. Is it any surprise that the one is now backing the other for president?
truthdig.com/articles/of-course-john-ker…
Why Are Some of the World’s Biggest Polluters Sponsoring UN Climate Summit?
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-06
A group of climate activists walked out of a panel at the U.N. climate summit in Madrid on Thursday to protest the presence of Shell, BP and Chevron. Representatives from the oil companies were taking part in an event organized by the International Emissions Trading Association. This comes as the Spanish government is facing criticism for reaching out to Endesa, Spain’s biggest corporate greenhouse gas polluter, to sponsor the U.N. climate talks. We speak with Pascoe Sabido, a researcher and campai…
truthout.org/video/why-are-some-of-the-w…
COP25: Thousands Raise Their Voice Against Climate Change
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-06
Thousands of people demonstrated in Madrid, in a festive environment, to warn the politicians and powerful men that despite their attempt to “silence” the cry against climate change is an irreversible fact. | RELATED: | UN: Human Health Still at Stake Because of Climate Change | Summoned by more than 850 civil and environmental organizations, the protesters spoke out about the destruction of the planet and the future of humanity launched a unitary message to the public leaders who m…
telesurenglish.net/news/madrid-thousands…
Soldiers Seriously Injure A Palestinian Teen Near Hebron
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-06
Israeli soldiers shot and seriously injured, Friday, a Palestinian teen in Beit Ummar town, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, after the army invaded the town, and attacked Palestinians protesting the invasion. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said its medics provided the essential treatment to the …
imemc.org/article/soldiers-seriously-inj…
Algeria: Thousands Hold Last Rally Before Presidential Election
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-06
Thousands marched in different cities of Algeria to demand the presidential election scheduled for Dec. 12 to be canceled. They took to the streets on the 42nd consecutive Friday of protests against the “shadowy” ruling elite, which has been controlling Algeria since its independence in 1962. | RELATED: | Tens of Thousands of Algerians March To Cancel Election | “Down with the military regime!”, “We want a civil state and a true transition!” and “No to the elections as long as the maf…
telesurenglish.net/news/Algeria-Thousand…
The Plot to Discredit and Destroy Julian Assange
Robert Scheer | truthdig.com | 2019-12-06
A day after dozens of doctors around the world released a statement about their mounting concerns regarding Julian Assange’s health as he’s detained in a British prison, Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer spoke with Tariq Ali, a renowned British journalist and co-editor of a recent collection of essays titled ” In Defense of Julian Assange.” To Scheer, Ali and the book’s many contributors, the case agains…
truthdig.com/articles/the-plot-to-discre…
Chernobyl, Lies and Messianism in Russia
Monika Zgustova | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-06
“How much are these lies going to cost?” asks the nuclear physicist Legasov, as played by Jared Harris in the American series Chernobyl. This HBO series, broadcast a few months ago and based partly on Svetlana Alexievich’s book Voices from Chernobyl, reveals how the Soviet state tried to cover up the lethal explosion of the…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/06/chernobyl-li…
The new Belorussian film ‘Debut’: Crime and punishment and art therapy
Ed Rampell | peoplesworld.org | 2019-12-06
Anastasiya Miroshnichenko’s well-made, touching documentary Debut provides viewers with a rare glimpse behind the “Iron Curtain.” By this I’m not merely referring to the fact that this 80-minute film was shot in Belarus, formerly known as Byelorussia or Belorussia and, like Ukraine, an erstwhile Soviet republic. Rather, more to the point, Debut was largely filmed …
peoplesworld.org/article/the-new-belorus…
Syndicalism for the Twenty-First Century: From Unionism to Class-Struggle Militancy
Torsten Bewernitz — Gabriel Kuhn | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-06
The capitalism we grew up in has collapsed. Its democratic mask has become transparent and its social pretensions hollow. In times of crisis, capitalism resembles a wounded predator and attacks indiscriminately. Crises also open up new possibilities for workers’ resistance, but this needs organizations that can sustain it. The last decade has painfully shown that…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/06/syndicalism-…
Rise in Caribbean children displaced by storms shows climate crisis is a child rights issue: UNICEF
news.un.org | 2019-12-06
The number of Caribbean children displaced by storms has risen approximately six-fold in the past five years, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals in a new report released on Friday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1…
UN agency hails Brazil ‘milestone’ decision over Venezuelan refugees
news.un.org | 2019-12-06
Brazil’s move to recognize thousands of refugees from crisis-wracked Venezuela through a new accelerated procedure, has been welcomed by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1…
Study Reveals How UK Intelligence Works with Media to Smear Jeremy Corbyn
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-06
The United Kingdom goes to the polls December 12 in a pivotal vote that will decide the future of the country. Like in 2017, the Labour Party, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, is surging towards the ruling Conservative Party in the last weeks of campaigning. But he will not become Prime Minister if the UK’s security services have anything to do with it. Corbyn, frequently compared to Bernie Sanders in terms of ideology, spent decades in the political wilderness, a lonely leftist voice among a party embracing neol…
mintpressnews.com/new-study-reveals-uk-i…
Bernie Sanders Joins Des Moines Climate Strike, Young People In 20 States Begin Sit-Ins Demanding Green New Deal Support From Establishment Dems
commondreams.org | 2019-12-06
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commondreams.org/newswire/2019/12/06/ber…
From Caesar’s Last Breath to Ours
Manuel García, Jr. | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-06
Human Life is a sexually transmitted planetary disease, Climate Change is the disinfectant that will cure it. (I’ll explain myself on this later.) Sam Kean’s concluding 5 paragraphs, on CO2 in the atmosphere, from his book Caesar’s Last Breath (And Other True Tales of History, Science, and the Sextillions of Molecules in the Air Around…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/06/from-caesars…
Why Do We Punish the Peacemakers?
Linda Pentz Gunter | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-06
You’re liable to run into trouble if you try to suggest there is a greater threat to planetary survival than climate change. But there is. It’s called nuclear war. Granted — and thank goodness — climate change is finally all the rage now. Rage has taken over, and rightly so, especially among the young whose…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/06/why-do-we-pu…
goodman climate refugees teaser
James Goodman | progressive.org | 2019-12-06
Climate change, pollution, and violence drive people to the U.S. border, even with no promise of a path to citizenship.
progressive.org/dispatches/fleeing-not-m…