Daily Archives: February 5, 2020

2020-02-05: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these ‘POSTEES’ on social media!

The Circus Comes to Iowa
Kurt Nimmo | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
The Dem circus rolled into Iowa with an app to tabulate caucus results. It failed, miserably, and by the time I read the news this morning, there were zero results. I had a good chuckle over that one, especially after …
globalresearch.ca/circus-comes-iowa/5702…

The Democratic Party’s “Civil War”: Socialists vs. Centrists. Sabotaging Sanders
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
The shady developments surrounding the Iowa Caucus prove beyond any reasonable doubt that there’s a civil war raging in the Democrat Party between socialists and centrists, one that’s so fierce that it recently saw party insiders indirectly sabotaging what could …
globalresearch.ca/the-democratic-partys-…

After Iowa, Does Bernie Have What It Takes?
Peter A. LaVenia | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
In his most famous work, The Prince, Machiavelli compared the behavior of a successful new prince to a fox and a lion: “The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.” Cersei Lannister, whom…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/after-iowa-d…

Live From the Iowa Caucuses: In Search of Lost Time and Votes
Matthew Stevenson | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
One of quirks of the caucuses is that the locations of the votes can and do change, even at the last minute. Talk to a group of Iowans about their “voting experience”, and the first thing they will describe is how at the last minute the location of their caucus changed–American democracy as a variation on Three-card Monte.
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/live-from-th…

Retail Politics, Iowa Style
Tom Crofton | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
While watching the travesty in Washington the last few weeks I decided that my best action was to volunteer for change. The closest and most immediate opportunity was working for Bernie in Iowa. I signed up for canvassing in nearby Dubuque for caucus day. I received a request from a Bernie staff person on the…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/retail-polit…

After Iowa, Does Bernie Have What It Takes?
Peter A. LaVenia | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
For Bernie Sanders supporters, the true debacle of the Iowa caucus meltdown was not the failure of the Shadow app, but rather their candidate’s failure to claim victory when he had the chance. Instead he unwisely ceded that role to the corporate candidate extraordinaire, Pete Buttigieg. It stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump, who for all his faults would not have hesitated to declare victory, and who would have energized his supporters with the statement and cowed the party establishment.
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/after-iowa-d…

Russians did it! Democratic congresswoman finally says what Russiagaters have all been thinking about Iowa caucus fail
rt.com | 2020-02-05
A Texas congresswoman has suggested that Russians were responsible for the problems with the Democratic Party’s Iowa caucus app and suggested the party call in the FBI to investigate. How did this take so long? | Rep. Sheila Jackson (D) called on Iowa Democrats to bring the FBI in to investigate Russian involvement in the malfunctioning of the vote-reporting app that threw the first vote of the 2020 election season into disarray. She made the comment during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on FBI oversight on Wednesday, but shrewd observers of Democratic behavior had predicted it almost immediately after th…
rt.com/usa/480176-democratic-congresswom…

‘Pete Buttigieg is the Juan Guaido of America’: Lee Camp calls out conspiracy of ‘intentional chaos’ by Dem establishment
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Democratic Party insiders bankrolled the defective vote-counting app that has delayed the reporting of Iowa caucus totals so as to deny likely winner Bernie Sanders a ‘bump’ and let Pete Buttigieg claim victory, Lee Camp told RT. | The party’s establishment wing and its mainstream media stenographers are colluding to memory-hole the disastrous Iowa caucus vote and prop up their preferred candidates, muscling Sanders out of the way to position Buttigieg as the front-runner, Camp said on his Moment of Clarity podcast on Tuesday. | Describing the exhaustive establishment links to the faulty vote-reporting app…
rt.com/usa/480083-camp-sanders-buttigieg…

The Iowa caucuses debacle
wsws.org | 2020-02-05
All the filth and corruption of capitalist politics is being poured into the 2020 elections to counter the shift to the left among youth and working people.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/05/pers…

Elections 2020: Iowa Dems release partial Caucus results
Al Neal | peoplesworld.org | 2020-02-05
Across the nation, all eyes and ears piqued with curiosity for the Monday night, Feb. 3, Iowa Democratic caucus results. The results itself would be either a bellwether for change, showing voters supporting more progressive presidential candidates, or a continuation of the status quo–a “traditional” liberal, center-left, “safe” candidate. This year’s caucuses were slightly different …
peoplesworld.org/article/elections-2020-…

A Working Theory of What Went Wrong in Iowa
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-05
Nearly two days after the caucus, we’re still waiting for final results. Officials warned us this might happen if its technology failed.
truthdig.com/articles/a-working-theory-o…

Developer of Faulty Iowa Caucus App Was Entrenched in Democratic Establishment
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-05
The final results of Monday’s Democratic Iowa caucuses remain unknown, with 71% of precincts reporting the final tallies of the first 2020 presidential contest. Senator Bernie Sanders is leading in the popular vote, while former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has a narrow lead of 26.8% of precincts

Journalist/Politician/Corporate Coziness on Display at Snowflake Garden Brunch
Julie Hollar | fair.org | 2020-02-05
Every now and then, reporters pull back the curtain a bit and reveal the incestuousness of the Beltway media/politician nexus. The New York Times’ Michael Grynbaum ( 2/3/20) did this in his piece this week, “The National Media Mob Descends on Iowa,” describing the charity brunch thrown by a “Washington impresario,” the Iowa version of an annual event that Grynbaum describes as “a required stop for reporters, editors, network news anchors and political operatives.” The New…
fair.org/home/journalist-politician-corp…

Retail Politics, Iowa Style
Tom Crofton | zcomm.org | 2020-02-05
Bernie has said repeatedly that we need to build a movement, elections by themselves are not enough. He is absolutely right about that…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/retail-politics-io…

Duh, Jared! So Who Built the PA as a ‘Police State’?
Jonathan Cook | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
Maybe something good will come out of the Trump plan, after all. By pushing the Middle East peace process to its logical conclusion, Donald Trump has made crystal clear something that was supposed to have been obscured: that no US | …
globalresearch.ca/duh-jared-who-built-pa…

Duh, Jared! Who built the PA as a Police State?
Jonathan Cook | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-05
Maybe something good will come out of the Trump plan, after all. By pushing the Middle East peace process to its logical conclusion, Donald Trump has made crystal clear something that was supposed to have been obscured: that no US administration has ever really seen peace as the objective of its “peacemaking”. The current White …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/duh-jared-who…

The Trump Plan is Just a Cover for Israel’s Final Land Grab
Jonathan Cook | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-05
The Trump “Vision for Peace” will never be implemented

The Israel-Palestine “Peace Deal” Is an Apartheid Proposal
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-05
Janine Jackson: The lead in the New York Times’ January 28 report was “President Trump on Tuesday unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan with a flourish, releasing a proposal that would give Israel most of what it has sought over decades of conflict while offering the Palestinians the possibility of a state with limited sovereignty.” | There are a number of problems in that sentence, one of them being the paper’s uncritical…
truthout.org/audio/the-israel-palestine-…

Democrats’ Wimpy Impeachment Has Made Trump Stronger Than Ever
Ted Rall | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
“Many Democrats fear that Trump may be laying an impeachment trap,” Stephen Collins wrote for CNN last May.
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/democrats-wi…

Guaidó, Soleimani and the Middle East: Trump State of the Union
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
From immigration policies to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan… U.S. President Donald Trump’s main talking points on international policy during his third annual presidential report, known as “The State of the Union,” were part of his narcissistic speech to kick off his reelection campaign. | US President Trump Impeached By Democratic-led House of Reps | Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday in front of Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of t…
telesurenglish.net/news/guaido-soleimani…

Guaido, Soleimani and the Middle East: Trump State of the Union
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
From immigration policies to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan… U.S. President Donald Trump’s main talking points on international policy during his third annual presidential report, known as “The State of the Union,” were part of his narcissistic speech to kick off his reelection campaign. | US President Trump Impeached By Democratic-led House of Reps | Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday in front of Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of t…
telesurenglish.net/news/guaido-soleimani…

Teflon Lies and Mowing Lawns: The Afghanistan Papers
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
Afghanistan is a famous desert for empires, a burial ground which has consumed those in power who thought that extra fortification and trading most might benefit them. It remains a great, and somewhat savage reminder about those who suffer hubris, overconfidence and eagerness in pursuing their agendas. But the country has also served another purpose:…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/teflon-lies-…

Afghan media outlets accuse authorities of curtailing access to information
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Afghanistan’s media watchdog urged the government on Wednesday to heed a demand for more media freedoms after 30 local media outlets said that authorities were increasingly curtailing their access to information. | Sayed Ikram Afzali, the head of Integrity Watch Afghanistan, said there is a good law in place guaranteeing the media’s ability to work and access information. However, the government has failed to provide enough funding and institutional support to implement the law, the official added. | Authorities concur that access to information remains a pervasive challenge for Afghanistan and justify existin…
rt.com/newsline/480127-afghan-media-acce…

Teflon Lies and Mowing Lawns: The Afghanistan Papers
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-05
Afghanistan is a famous desert for empires, a burial ground which has consumed those in power who thought that extra fortification and trading most might benefit them. It remains a great, and somewhat savage reminder about those who suffer hubris, overconfidence and eagerness in pursuing their agendas. But the country has also served another purpose: …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/teflon-lies-a…

As Houthis Close in on Al-Qaeda in Yemen, US Drone Strikes Target its Leaders
Ahmed Abdulkareem | mintpressnews.com | 2020-02-05
MARIB, YEMEN

SOTU: Democratic “Resistance” Give Trump’s Venezuela Aggression a Standing Ovation
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-02-05
Perhaps the loudest applause heard during Trump’s State of the Union Address was reserved for Venezuala’s Juan Guaidó, as Democrats and Republicans rose as one to salute the self-declared president.
mintpressnews.com/state-of-the-union-dem…

News flash: Billionaires don’t like socialism
Alan MacLeod | mronline.org | 2020-02-05
Big news, everyone! Billionaires don’t like socialism. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/02/05/news-flash-billi…

UN rapporteur Nils Melzer exposes British government attempts to obstruct his defence of Assange
wsws.org | 2020-02-05
That the British government is simultaneously stonewalling Melzer’s inquiries, and apparently conducting a behind-the-scenes campaign against him, underscores the flagrant illegality of the entire US-led vendetta against Assange.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/05/melz…

US Policy Vs. Iran: Apex Desperation
Tony Cartalucci | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
In Washington’s losing battle to maintain hegemony in the Middle East at the expense of the actual people and nations that exist there

US Blockade to Affect Medical Treatment of Venezuelan Children
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
The Latin American Foundation for Human Rights and Social Development ( Fundalatin) denounced Tuesday the suspension of medical treatments for children who have undergone transplants, due to the financial blockade imposed by the United States on Venezuela. | RELATED: | Russian FM to Visit Venezuela to Help Counteract Sanctions | The organization explained that the affected children, who are being treated in Italy and Argentina, will rece…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Blockade-to-A…

Mesa and Camacho vs. Añez: Feud Between Coup Leaders Begins
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
An internal feud between coup leaders keeps growing in Bolivia, as both Carlos Mesa and Luis Fernando Camacho accused, interim President Jeanine Añez, for abusing her position to benefit her political ambitions, ahead of May 3 presidential elections. | RELATED: | Bolivia De Facto Govt Reestablishes Diplomatic Ties With Israel | On the one hand, the presidential candidate for Community Citizen, Carlos Mesa, complained about the unequal standings of the contestants, “inevitably,…
telesurenglish.net/news/mesa-and-camacho…

Free Bolivian political prisoner Facundo Molares!
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-05
Bolivia suffered a vicious coup d’état on November 10, 2019 that was provoked by right-wing gangs rampaging in the street, traitorous police and military officers, the old guard political elite, and, of course, supported by the United States Embassy. As soon as Evo Morales was elected to a fourth term as president of Bolivia on October 20, with almost 47% of the vote, right-wing elements, centered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, started a campaign to destabilize the progressive government headed by Evo. | Directly after the results announcing that Morales won in the first round of the presidential election, reactiona…
fightbacknews.org/2020/2/5/free-bolivian…

The Dramatic Fall of Chile as Latin America’s Neoliberal Role Model
Ariela Ruiz Caro | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
After the outbreak of the most intense and massive social protests ever recorded in the history of Chile, on November 16 the government and most political parties signed an agreement to restore peace and public order and initiate a process to draft a new constitution. The protests, triggered by the rise in subway fares on…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/the-dramatic…

Preserve the Sacred Lands of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
George Wuerthner | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
Wilderness designation preserves many values. Designated wilderness is a storehouse for carbon and insurance against climate change. Wilderness preserves critical wildlife habitat and wildlife corridors. Wilderness provides for clean water and clean air. And, of course, designated wilderness protects the scenery and ecosystem integrity that supports Montana’s economy. However, there is yet another value preserved…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/preserve-the…

Take up the fight for international socialism! Join the IYSSE!
wsws.org | 2020-02-05
One month into 2020, the crisis of capitalism threatens youth with the danger of nuclear war, authoritarianism, climate catastrophe and worsening inequality. International socialism is the answer.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/05/auiy…

Despite her climate-protest conviction, an Anglican priest vows to keep offending
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-05
An Anglican priest has said she will continue to offend to try to tackle the climate emergency, despite being convicted of refusing to obey a police banning order during Extinction Rebellion protests. | Reverend Sue Parfitt had denied breaching the order preventing protesters from demonstrating at Oxford Circus and Waterloo Bridge in London in April last year. The 77-year-old from Bristol had said she should not be found guilty because not demonstrating would have caused further deaths and destruction to the planet. | But deputy district judge Br…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/20…

VIDEO: The “Lock Step” Simulation Scenario: “A Coronavirus-like Pandemic that Becomes Trigger for Police State Controls”
Helen Buyniski | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
By now, those following the novel coronavirus epidemic are familiar with Event 201, the pandemic simulation staged by Johns Hopkins University in conjunction with the World Economic Forum, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, and other ruling-class …
globalresearch.ca/all-sectors-us-establi…

Putin Praises China’s Measures to Stop Novel Coronavirus
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Wednesday China’s actions to fight the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) during the ceremony of credentials presentations by ambassadors of 23 countries, the Chinese representative among them. | RELATED: | Baby Born in Wuhan is Diagnosed With Coronavirus | Putin highlighted that Chinese authorities are taking “decisive and vigorous” measures in order to stop the epidemic, adding that “China and all of us are co…
telesurenglish.net/news/putin-enhanced-c…

telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
The new Coronavirus, first discovered in the Chinese city of Wuhan, does not yet have a unique name for all media and organizations to identify it equally. Meanwhile, American scientists dedicated to the study of disease names are evaluating possible alternatives. | RELATED: | Factbox: What We Know About the New Coronavirus in China | So far, most sources have…
telesurenglish.net/news/a-fast-outbreak-…

A Fast Outbreak But Not A Definitive Name For New Coronavirus
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
The new Coronavirus, first discovered in the Chinese city of Wuhan, does not yet have a unique name for all media and organizations to identify it equally. Meanwhile, American scientists dedicated to the study of disease names are evaluating possible alternatives. | RELATED: | Factbox: What We Know About the New Coronavirus in China | So far, most sources have…
telesurenglish.net/news/a-fast-outbreak-…

Baby Born in Wuhan is Diagnosed With Coronavirus
teleSUR- age | telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
Doctors at Wuhan Children’s Hospital in China reported on Wednesday that the coronavirus 2019-nCoV can be transmitted from a mother to her baby during pregnancy. | Related: | Factbox: What We Know About the New Coronavirus in China | The specialists reached this conclusion after an infected patient gave birth on February 2 and, 30 hours later, her baby was confirmed to be carrying the virus. | This is the first case of infection due to pregnancy. On February 3, another woman was adm…
telesurenglish.net/news/first-case-of-mo…

Disappearing act: Suspected coronavirus patient ESCAPED from quarantine in Salzburg
rt.com | 2020-02-05
A 31-year-old female patient with a suspected coronavirus infection fled the isolation ward at Salzburg University Hospital overnight. A police manhunt was immediately launched to find the woman and return her to quarantine. | A nurse raised the alarm at approximately 3am on Wednesday morning when she discovered the patient’s bed was empty. After a large-scale police operation in the city, the woman was eventually found back in her apartment at 10: 30am local time and returned to quarantine. | “The woman was admitted to the isolation ward of the university hospital for security reasons,” a Salzburg city spokesp…
rt.com/news/480125-coronavirus-patient-e…

Hong Kong imposes 14-day quarantine on travelers arriving from mainland China
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Hong Kong will close two cruise terminals and put anyone coming from mainland China into compulsory quarantine for 14 days, its leader Carrie Lam said on Wednesday. The move is part of a fresh clampdown on contagion. | Lam said the measures were aimed at curbing the cross-border flow of people to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus, which originated on mainland China. Some medical staff have been on strike for the past three days, demanding a full border closure. There have been 21 confirmed cases in Hong Kong, according to Lam. | Passengers and crew on a cruise liner that docked in Hong Kong on Wednesday…
rt.com/newsline/480116-hong-kong-travele…

Coronavirus outbreak disrupts global auto industry as carmakers shut down production in China
wsws.org | 2020-02-05
The shutdown of the auto industry in China due to the coronavirus outbreak is expected to have a major impact on the world economy, with no real timeline in sight for the resumption of production.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/05/cvau…

Honduran Women Murdered by Their Partners at Alarming Rates
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
Every 23 hours, a woman violently loses her life in Honduras, said on Tuesday, the director of the Violence Observatory of the National Autonomous University, Migdonia Ayestas. | RELATED: | Progressives Condemn Murder of Peasant Leader in Honduras | In the first month of 2020, there were more than 31 victims, and their partners killed 55 percent, said the researcher, quoted by Proceso Digital. | Ayestas explained that the fact that their partners committed the murders shows an “and…
telesurenglish.net/news/Honduran-Women-M…

“Where’s my Roy Cohn?”
Winslow Myers | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
At one point when he felt under siege by possible indictments and impeachable offenses, the president whined petulantly, “Where’s my Roy Cohn?” The question became the title of a documentary on Cohn’s life and career that made one feel after viewing like taking a long hot shower. Cohn blithely represented a number of high-ranking organized…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/wheres-my-ro…

Trump Gets Away With It: Senate Votes Against Impeachment
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
President Donald Trump was acquitted on Wednesday in his U.S. Senate impeachment trial, saved by fellow Republicans who rallied to protect him nine months before he asks voters in a deeply divided America to give him a second White House term. | RELATED: | Guaidó, Soleimani and the Middle East: Trump State of the Union | The businessman-turned-reality tv star-turned-politician, 73, survived only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history – just lik…
telesurenglish.net/news/Trump-Gets-Away-…

‘The best is yet to come’? Defiant Trump doubles down in campaign rally-style State of the Union speech
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Teased as “low key,” US President Donald Trump’s annual address to Congress was anything but, with several unprecedented symbolic gestures and a powerful assertion of American triumphalism that put his critics on the back foot. | Trump did not mention impeachment once in the 90-minute speech on Tuesday evening. Instead, he turned his persuasion skills up to eleven, painting a picture of America with a booming economy and infinite opportunities brought about by his administration, and contrasting that with Democrat proposals such as socialized healthcare and sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. | Amid the standa…
rt.com/usa/480089-trump-state-union-addr…

Split Senate Acquits Trump of Impeachment
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-05
WASHINGTON

The New York Times’ Impeachment Coverage Is a Total Farce
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-05
Watching the actions of the Trump administration through the lens of the newspaper of record is by turns disheartening and infuriating.
truthdig.com/articles/the-new-york-times…

Sea of salty memes from Troll-in-Chief Trump & his Twitter army adds insult to #Resistance post-impeachment injury
rt.com | 2020-02-05
With the Senate voting down both articles of impeachment against US President Donald Trump, he and his supporters had a lot to celebrate on Wednesday and they did so in expected fashion

The facts about Ukraine that no one mentioned during the impeachment trial
David Cavendish | peoplesworld.org | 2020-02-05
As the Senate impeachment trial comes to its preordained conclusion, we need to keep a number of points in mind that no Democrat or Republican has been talking about during all these weeks and months of political drama–points related to the matter of Ukraine. The overwhelming majority of Americans would not question the competence, honesty, …
peoplesworld.org/article/the-facts-about…

Romney to Vote to Impeach Trump, Cites ‘Appalling Abuse of Public Trust’
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-05
The senator and 2012 GOP presidential nominee makes emotional announcement ahead of the president’s assumed acquittal by the Senate.
truthdig.com/articles/romney-to-vote-to-…

‘The best is yet to come’? Defiant Trump doubles down in campaign rally-style State of the Union speech
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Teased as “low key,” US President Donald Trump’s annual address to Congress was anything but, with several unprecedented symbolic gestures and a powerful assertion of American triumphalism that put his critics on the back foot. | Trump did not mention impeachment once in the 90-minute speech on Tuesday evening. Instead, he turned his persuasion skills up to eleven, painting a picture of America with a booming economy and infinite opportunities brought about by his administration, and contrasting that with Democrat proposals such as socialized healthcare and sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. | Amid the sta…
rt.com/usa/480089-trump-state-union-addr…

Impeachment over: Senate votes to acquit Trump
rt.com | 2020-02-05
The US Senate has voted to acquit President Donald Trump of impeachment charges brought by the House Democrats, ending the attempt to oust him from the White House ahead of the November 2020 elections. | The final vote on the first charge (abuse of power) was 52-48, with Mitt Romney (R-Utah) crossing the aisle to vote “guilty” alongside the Democrats. The vote on the second charge (obstruction of Congress) was 53-47, with Romney returning to the fold. It would have taken 67 votes to convict Trump on either count. | “Donald John Trump, president of the United States, is hereby acquitted,” Chief Justice of the U…
rt.com/usa/480169-senate-acquits-trump-i…

Rosneft inks deal with India’s top refiner on up to 2 MILLION tons of crude supplies
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Russia’s energy giant Rosneft and state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) have agreed deliveries of 40,000 barrels of crude per day to India via the port of Novorossiysk by the end of this year. | The signing took place during Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin’s visit to New Delhi‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã. | “This is just the beginning,” said India’s Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after meeting with Sechin. | Under the contract with Rosneft, Indian Oil will exercise its option to buy Russian grade Urals oil, an IOC source told Reuters. Indian state refiners typically buy Russian o…
rt.com/business/480110-rosneft-india-oil…

Russian armor turret STARS at Indian arms expo, watch it IN ACTION during field test
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Among the advanced weapon systems on display at DefExpo India 2020 is the Russian 57-mm gun turret. Action video of the shell-spewing death machine, which can target low-flying drones, was published by the producer. | The turret, or Automatic Artillery Weapon System AU-220M as the manufacturer prefers to call it, is a remotely controlled module armed with a 57mm main gun and a 7.62mm machine gun, full of sensors, stabilizer devices and other equipment. | The developer, a research subsidiary of Uralvagonzavod, says its product will be put on Russia’s future infantry fighting vehicles and other light armor to…
rt.com/russia/480124-russian-armor-turre…

Overstaying his welcome? Trump spotlights Venezuela’s Guaido in cringeworthy reminder of year-long ‘interim presidency’
rt.com | 2020-02-05
US President Donald Trump shone an awkward spotlight on self-styled Venezuelan ‘interim president’ Juan Guaido sitting in his SOTU audience over a year of daydreaming about replacing Nicolas Maduro as the only ‘legitimate leader.’ | Trump introduced an embarrassed-looking Guaido to the SOTU audience as “a very brave man who carries with him the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of all Venezuelans.” Declaring him the “true and legitimate president of Venezuela,” Trump contrasted the fidgety self-appointed statesman to “socialist dictator” President Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela denounces ‘interventionist rhetoric’ of ‘arrogant charlatan’ Trump
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Foreign minister of Venezuela Jorge Arreaza called US President Donald Trump an “arrogant charlatan” and denounced the “interventionist rhetoric” in his State of the Union speech. | In the joint address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump denounced the government in Caracas as an “illegitimate dictatorship” of President Nicolas Maduro and brought his challenger, self-styled “interim president” Juan Guaido as a guest in the gallery. | Trump is scheduled to meet with Guaido on Wednesday and discuss how the US can “expedite a democratic transition in Venezuela,” the White House said. Though the US and 58 other countrie…
rt.com/newsline/480168-venezuela-trump-i…

Iran Diplomacy and Brazil’s Sharp Turn to the Right
Celso Amorim | zcomm.org | 2020-02-05
Interview on the enormous effort Brazil put into securing a nuclear deal with Iran, how it was ignored, and how current president Bolsonaro is following an extreme right agenda…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/iran-diplomacy-and…

Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Teen as Tension Rise Over US Plan
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian teenager during clashes Wednesday in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. | RELATED: | Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Trump’s Peace Plan Will ‘Die Soon’ | “Mohammed al-Haddad, 17, was killed by a bullet that penetrated his heart,” the ministry said in a statement. | According to Israel’s military spokesman’s office, soldiers “identified a Palestinian who hurled a Molotov cocktail at them [and] responded…
telesurenglish.net/news/Israeli-Forces-K…

‘Deal of the Century’ will die before Trump does, Iran’s Khamenei tweets, dubbing the arrangement an ‘American plot’
rt.com | 2020-02-05
US President Donald Trump’s much-touted peace plan for Israel and Palestine will not outlive him, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said, after the deal was widely rejected throughout the Muslim world. | “The American plot of the ‘Deal of the Century’ will die before Trump dies,” Khamenei wrote on his official Twitter account on Wednesday. | The American plot of the ‘Deal of the Century’ will die before Trump dies.– Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) February 5, 2020 | Khamenei vowed that Iran will continue “standing…
rt.com/news/480114-deal-century-dies-tru…

Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Trump’s Peace Plan Will ‘Die Soon’
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Middle East will “die soon.” | RELATED: | Iran Keeps Ukraine’s Plane Crash Investigation International | Using his official Twitter account, the Iranian Supreme Leader tweeted on Tuesday, “Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ will die earlier than Trump himself.” | Trump recently unveiled his plan promising to keep Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital, and proposes an indepen…
telesurenglish.net/news/Irans-Supreme-Le…

Passenger Plane Crash lands in Istanbul Amid Poor Weather
teleSUR-age | telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
A Pegasus Airlines passenger plane went off the runway, caught fire and broke in two today at Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, with no victims reported. | Related: | Iran Keeps Ukraine’s Plane Crash Investigation International | There were 177 passengers on board the aircraft, none of whom died as a result of the incident, according to the Turki…
telesurenglish.net/news/a-passenger-plan…

Trump Says War With Iran Was “Closer Than You Thought” Last Month
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-05
Trump told reporters that the U.S. came “closer than you thought” to war with Iran last month.

Trump Says War With Iran Was “Closer Than You Thought” Last Month

Trump’s SOTU ‘Red Meat’ Speech: US Political Crisis Now Deepens
Dr. Jack Rasmus | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
Donald Trump delivered a State of the Union speech that revealed his election 2020 strategy, designed to roil and mobilize his political base, and to declare to the Democrats that his political war with them …
globalresearch.ca/trumps-sotu-red-meat-s…

Dems and GOP Draw From Same Playbook on Immigration and Foreign Policy
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-05
President Trump delivered his 2020 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. The speech reprised many of the themes of Trump’s 2016 campaign, including demonization of immigrants. We continue our discussion with Lee Fang, investigative journalist at The Intercept, and Roberto Lovato, author of the forthcoming book Unforgetting: A Memoir of Revolution and Redemption. About 10 Democrats skipped the speech and a few more walked out while it was in progress, but Lovato says the…
truthout.org/video/dems-and-gop-draw-fro…

In a Time of Increasing Polarization in Kashmir, Evoke Those Scholars and Saints Who Symbolized Pluralism
Nyla Ali Khan | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
On the annual Urs (birth anniversary) of Ameer-e-Kabir Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, I am reminded of those whose unshakable faith in providence provides them with an anchor in challenging times. I sincerely hope that I imbibe the faith with which my father reveres Ameer-e-Kabir, who is an integral part of the Kashmiri culture that I…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/in-a-time-of…

Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas dead at 103
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Kirk Douglas, legendary actor from the golden age of Hollywood, has passed away at the age of 103, his son and fellow actor Michael has announced. | “To the world, he was a legend,” the younger Douglas said in a statement on Wednesday. “But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad.” | Born Issur Danielovitch Demsky to impoverished jewish immigrants from Russia, Douglas worked a variety of odd jobs before making it big in Hollywood. He is perhaps best known to modern audiences for his titular role in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Spartacus’ (1960), but film connoisseurs remember him for a range of roles, fro…
rt.com/newsline/480183-actor-kirk-dougla…

Selected Article: Trump Ups Nuclear Ante with ‘Mini-Nukes’
Global Research News | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
A future without independent media leaves us with an upside down reality where according to the corporate media “NATO deserves a Nobel Peace Prize”, and where “nuclear weapons and wars make us safer” | | | If, like us, this is a …
globalresearch.ca/selected-article-trump…

Trump Ups Nuclear Ante with ‘Mini-Nukes’ Deployed on Subs to “Deter Russia”
Zero Hedge | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
The United States has added a ‘low yield’ nuclear weapon to its submarine arsenal in a controversial first in decades, after the Trump administration called for its deployment as part of the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review in order to “deter …
globalresearch.ca/trump-ups-nuclear-ante…

The US Is ‘in Denial’ About Levels of Poverty: Ocasio-Cortez
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) testified Wednesday before her House committee about the United States government’s intentional denial to acknowledge how many U.S. citizens are living in poverty. | RELATED: | 500M People Worldwide Struggle to Find Adequate Work: Study | AOC joined several anti-poverty campaigners in testifying at a hearing on the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies on child poverty, hunger, homelessness, and healthcare. | She called on the…
telesurenglish.net/news/The-US-Is-in-Den…

Trump and Balfour Compared
James J. Zogby | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
Much has already been written about the Trump administration’s release of its long-awaited plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. I will not repeat the criticisms. Instead, I will focus on what I found to be the striking and disturbing parallels between this …
globalresearch.ca/trump-balfour-compared…

EU Rejects Trump Middle East Peace Plan, Annexation
Telesur | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
The European Union rejected Tuesday some of the proposals outlined by U.S. President Donald Trump for the Middle East, prompting an angry response from Israel, which has actively supported the U.S. plan. | Following deliberations of the 27 members, the European …
globalresearch.ca/eu-rejects-trump-middl…

Greenpeace protesters block BP headquarters on new boss’s first day
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-05
Greenpeace members have blocked BP’s headquarters with solar panels and oil barrels to mark the first day of the oil giant’s new chief executive.Around 100 environmental activists took 500 solar panels to the central London building at 3am on Wednesday as Bernard Looney prepared to take up his new role.Some protesters sat underneath the solar panels after they were prevented from installing them on the pavements and roads near the office.Others locked themselves to oil barrels bearing the BP logo in front of the six doors around the building to stop staff from entering.Protesters blocked six entrances to BP’s HQ…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/20…

Unist’ot’en Day 31: We’re Not Leaving
UnistotenCamp | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-05
We’re not leaving. As Canada prepares to violently invade our lands, we have no fear. We are peacefully living on our lands and upholding our laws, as we always have. 31 days after Coastal Gaslink was evicted from Wet’suwet’en territory, RCMP helicopters circle the Unist’ot’en healing center several times a day. Busloads of police have …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/unistoten-day…

280+ Protests Planned Across US as Senate GOP Prepares to Acquit Trump
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-05
With the Senate expected to vote largely along party lines to acquit President Donald Trump on Wednesday, thousands of people are planning to take part in demonstrations at more than 270 locations across the U.S. to condemn Republican senators for turning what was supposed to be a trial into a “cover-up” by refusing to allow witnesses and additional documentary evidence. | The “Reject t…
truthout.org/articles/280-protests-plann…

Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’: Old Israeli Demands in a New Package
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2020-02-05
Consisting of 80 pages, 50 of which are entirely dedicated to the plan’s economic component, Trump’s Deal of the Century is little more than a rehash of previous Israeli proposals that have already been rejected by Palestinians, writes Ramzy Baroud.
mintpressnews.com/trump-deal-of-the-cent…

“Defender Europe 2020” Against Russia: Cold Siege Against Kaliningrad
Lucas Leiroz de Almeida | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
The announcement of the Defender-Europe 2020 gave the world, but especially Russia, a new and strange perspective on the future of international security. The drills seem to be the largest military exercises in Europe in 25 years. The countries elected …
globalresearch.ca/defender-europe-2020-a…

Western anti-Russia sanctions proved to be ineffective, France’s special envoy says
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Europe’s economic penalties against Russia have had no impact on the growth of the country’s economy, French politician Jean-Pierre Schevenman said, adding that the idea of ‚Äã‚Äãisolating Russia turned out to be wrong. | Russia has pivoted to Asian countries as a result of the economic sanctions, he said during a meeting of the French Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and the Armed Forces. | The country has reoriented its international trade, in particular towards China, the special envoy said, while noting Moscow’s trade ties with Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Indi…
rt.com/business/480148-russia-eu-sanctio…

Russian FM Lavrov Starts Latin America Tour in Cuba
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Cuba as part of a Feb. 5 to 8 tour of Latin America that will include visits to Mexico and Venezuela. | RELATED: | Russia and Venezuela Sign Agriculture Cooperation Agreement | Lavrov’s meeting with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez will take place in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zajarova said. | The spokeswoman also said that among the issues to be discussed between…
telesurenglish.net/news/Russian-FM-Start…

FIFA have ‘no update’ on Russia ‘notification’ reports on BAN from 2022 World Cup – spokesperson to RT
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Unverified reports that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had notified Russia of a ban on competing at the Qatar 2022 World Cup have not been confirmed by FIFA, a spokesperson has informed RT. | On Tuesday, Qatari sports network beIN Sports reported – citing an unnamed correspondent – that WADA had notified Russia of their exclusio…
rt.com/sport/480117-russia-world-cup-202…

US Deploys Dangerous Nuclear Weapon for First Time Ever
teleSUR, age | telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
The United States announced on Tuesday the deployment, for the first time, of a low-powered nuclear weapon on board a submarine, with the intention of dissuading Russia from using similar weapons. | Related: | US Suspends Compliance on Nuclear Weapons Treaty with Russia | In this context, marked by the alarm of a large-scale conflict between the U.S.
telesurenglish.net/news/the-united-state…

Lavrov tours Latin America as Pentagon brands Russia, China as “malign actors”
wsws.org | 2020-02-05
Lavrov’s three-nation visit to Latin America comes on the heels of a tour of former Soviet republics by US Secretary of State Pompeo dedicated to denouncing Russia and China.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/05/lavr…

Snow Rugby – Russia’s latest sports craze aiming for Red Square (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Snow rugby is Russia’s latest sporting craze and the sport’s chiefs Moscow have high ambitions for the quintessentially crazy sport – to play the annual tournament finals on Red Square. That’s if they can find snow to play on. | READ MORE: ‘I want to make rugby top-3 sport in Russia’ – National Team Captain Vasily Artemyev | At last year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan, Russia crashed out of the tournament without winning a single game, despite a valiant 30-10 losing effort in the opening match against the hosts – seen by 20…
rt.com/sport/480059-snow-rugby-russia-ch…

US Space Force conducts first ICBM launch after Moscow warned of threat of renewed arms race (PHOTOS)
rt.com | 2020-02-05
The newly-created US Space Force has test-fired a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time as Russia blasted it for “lowering the bar” on using nuclear weapons. | The unarmed land-based missile was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California shortly after midnight on Wednesday. It was the first such development test since the facility became part of the US Space Force, which was established as an independent military branch in late December. The US previously test-fired a missile of this type in October. | The Minuteman missiles are the key component of the US’ land-…
rt.com/usa/480132-us-minuteman-icbm-test…

Good news for the gilded: Study shows Moscow is among world’s cheapest cities for luxury
rt.com | 2020-02-05
Are you filthy rich but still looking for bang for your buck? Well then, Moscow might just be the place for you. A new study shows the Russian capital is one of the most affordable cities for the world’s wealthiest consumers. | …
rt.com/russia/480137-moscow-luxury-goods…

Erdogan Threatens to Use Force Against Syrian Military in Idlib
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-05
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to use force against the Syrian military if they do not withdraw their troops from the vicinity of Turkey’s observation posts in Syria’s Idlib province. | RELATED: | Erdogan Says Turkey Bombed Syrian Troops in Idlib | The Turkish leader warned the Syrian military that if they choose to ignore his call, he will authorize the use of force against their troops inside the Idlib province. | Shelling by Syrian government forces killed eight…
telesurenglish.net/news/Erdogan-Threaten…

Libya is being torn apart by outsiders
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2020-02-05
Ghassan Salamé is the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. He took over this job in 2017, six years after the catastrophic NATO war on Libya. What Salamé inherited was a country torn into shreds, two governments in place–one in Tripoli and one in Tobruk–and one civil war that had too many […] | Source…
mronline.org/2020/02/05/libya-is-being-t…

Libya Is Being Torn Apart by Outsiders
Vijay Prashad | zcomm.org | 2020-02-05
It is impossible for the UN to move an agenda if two important Western states who drove the NATO war against Libya in 2011 end up backing both sides; in fact, it is wrong to say that they back both sides, because by blocking condemnation of Haftar’s war, they back Haftar…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/libya-is-being-tor…

A murderous system is being created before our very eyes
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-02-05
A made-up rape allegation and fabricated evidence in Sweden, pressure from the UK not to drop the case, a biased judge, detention in a maximum security prison, psychological torture–and soon extradition to the U.S., where he could face up to 175 years in prison for exposing war crimes. For the first time, the UN Special […] | Source…
mronline.org/2020/02/04/a-murderous-syst…

US Deploys New Low-Yield Nuclear Submarine Warhead
William M Arkin | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
The US Navy has now deployed the new W76-2 low-yield Trident submarine warhead. The first ballistic missile submarine scheduled to deploy with the new warhead was the USS Tennessee (SSBN-734), which deployed from Kings Bay Submarine Base in Georgia during …
globalresearch.ca/us-deploys-new-low-yie…

Exxon’s Exploitative Oil Deal in Guyana Will Deprive the Country of Up to $55 Billion
Global Witness | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-05
Exxon’s exploitative oil deal with Guyana will cause the country to lose up to US$55 billion, according to a new Global Witness investigation based on an OpenOil analysis. | The new report, Signed Away, shows how the oil major used | …
globalresearch.ca/exxon-exploitative-oil…

The Shame of Child Poverty in the Age of Trump
Rajan Menon | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
The plight of impoverished children anywhere should evoke sympathy, exemplifying as it does the suffering of the innocent and defenseless. Poverty among children in a wealthy country like the United States, however, should summon shame and outrage as well. Unlike poor countries (sometimes run by leaders more interested in lining their pockets than anything else),…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/the-shame-of…

Left Election Strategy: Lesser Evil or Independent Left?
Howie Hawkins | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
A Response to Michael Albert’s “Battle Strategically Everywhere” Michael Albert’s safe states strategy says the Green presidential candidate should go into the battleground states to campaign for the Green program but then say vote for the Democratic ticket. Most people who hear that will wonder why the Greens are even bothering to campaign if they…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/left-electio…

How the World Ends: a Story
John Stanton | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
I’m writing this letter to myself. I need to talk to someone, even it is only my own self. I need to believe that what happened was real. All that I know of the past was learned by word-of-mouth histories from those who came before me and those few historians who remain now. Some matters…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/how-the-worl…

In the Gloaming
Elliot Sperber | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
In the Gloaming The East River Seahorse is 18 feet long And black as a chess piece A knight

Bolton’s Battle With Government Censorship
Melvin Goodman | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-05
Former national security adviser John Bolton is about to learn that the government’s pre-publication review process is little more than a violation of the First Amendment’s free speech rights. Bolton’s book, “The Room Where It Happened,” which exposes the perfidy of the Trump administration’s orchestrated extortion of the Ukrainian government, is scheduled for release in…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/05/boltons-batt…

Trump is Moving us Closer to Nuclear Midnight
Michael Slager | zcomm.org | 2020-02-05
Source: Informed Comment In 1983, Stanislav Petrov, a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet Air Defense Forces, saw something shocking on his computer. The United States had launched a nuclear missile, and it was heading toward Moscow. Petrov said that he…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/trump-is-moving-us…

Brazil’s Workers Party advances austerity policies in unity with Bolsonaro
wsws.org | 2020-02-05
The PT, which promotes itself as a representative of the “left”, in fact constitutes one of the greatest threats to the Brazilian working class, alongside Bolsonaro.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/05/braz…