(2019-08-18). How Washington Is Meddling in the Affairs of Hong Kong. globalresearch.ca While there has been growing coverage of the unrest in Hong Kong, there has been minimal coverage of what may lie behind the pro-democracy protests. Even Donald Trump has entered the fray with this tweet which clearly condemns China's actions …
(2019-08-18). Russia and China Divided over Kashmir Crisis. globalresearch.ca Kashmir issue has been internationalized and Pakistan sought the meeting of UNSC and with China's backing, UNSC is convening after 50 years on Kashmir issue. Russia seems to be backing Indian claims while China went all out in Pakistan's favor….
(2019-08-18). Canada Oil Pipeline Contract Threatens Integrity of Mother Earth's Native Peoples. globalresearch.ca In a law school dictionary the definition of a Philadelphia Lawyer is, "A very sly, crafty, shrewd lawyer who is an expert in the exploitation of legal technicalities". No where more evident can this be seen than in Northern British …
(2019-08-17). VIDEOS show Antifa attacking bus, cornering right-wing protesters as Portland rally turns violent. rt.com 
Footage has emerged of several violent attacks by Antifa on right-wing demonstrators in Portland, Oregon. The new clashes come as US President Trump threatened to designated the left-wing movement as an "organization of terror."
(2019-08-17). VIDEOS show Antifa attacking bus, cornering right-wing protesters as Portland rally turns violent. rt.com Footage has emerged of several violent attacks by Antifa on right-wing demonstrators in Portland, Oregon. The clashes come as President Donald Trump threatened to designate the left-wing movement as an "organization of terror."
(2019-08-17). Antifa may be branded 'organization of terror,' Trump warns, ahead of Portland right-left showdown. rt.com 
Portland, Oregon, is bracing itself for a major right-wing rally — an event previously marred by clashes with anti-fascists. Warning any would-be violent counter-protesters, Donald Trump said events will be "watched very closely."
(2019-08-17). Shell Union Coerced into Attending Trump Speech, or Lose Pay. telesurenglish.net Union workers at a Royal Dutch Shell manufacturing plant were put between a rock and a hard place, threatened with loss of pay if they refused to attend U.S. President Donald Trump's speech on Tuesday at the company's Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex in Monaca, Pennsylvania. | RELATED: | 'May God Ruin Him': Rashida Tlaib's Grandma on Trump | According to the Pittsburgh Gazette, union leaders received a letter from their contractor at first informing them their attendance at the even…
(2019-08-17). State of siege in Kashmir: A warning to the international working class. wsws.org Western governments and media have maintained virtual silence over the police state crackdown against 13 million Kashmiris.
(2019-08-17). Blackwater mercenary Nicholas Slatten sentenced to life in prison for initiating 2007 Nisour Square Massacre. wsws.org Eight months after being found guilty a third time for first-degree murder, Slatten was sentenced Wednesday for his role in the notorious massacre in Baghdad during the height of the US occupation of Iraq.
(2019-08-17). US Issues Arrest Warrant for Iranian Tanker Leaving Gibraltar. telesurenglish.net The United States issued a warrant to seize Iran's Grace 1 oil tanker before it leaves Gibraltar's waters in what appears to be a last ditch effort to prevent the vessel from continuing its journey into the Mediterranean. | RELATED: | UK Snubs Trump, Orders Release of Iranian Oil Tanker | A U.S. federal court issued the warrant this week to seize the Grace 1 in Gibraltar, along with all of its contents, which include the oil it carries and nearly US$1 million. | "A network of front comp…
(2019-08-17). Questions continue over Russian nuclear accident. wsws.org The dangers associated with the rapidly accelerating global arms race are clear, even as questions remain over the nature of the nuclear explosion that occurred in Russia's far north last week.
(2019-08-17). Steele dossier 'pumped myths' into the US justice system — former Trump adviser Carter Page. rt.com 
The former MI6 agent credited with launching Russiagate concocted dangerous lies and myths that made a mockery of the US justice system and misled the American people, former Donald Trump campaign adviser Carter Page has told RT.
(2019-08-17). Mississippi raid shows ICE = unionbusters for the capitalist class. liberationnews.org 
There have also been previous allegations that ICE was serving as a private army for the capitalists.
(2019-08-17). Trump's contempt for working-class expressed in new expanded public charge rule. nationofchange.org This week the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially published regulations that radically expand the definition of an archaic immigration law term, public charge, to include various non-cash benefits that supplement earnings and other income, but are impossible to live on in the absence of other income. The people most impacted include millions of working-class and middle-class US citizens who plan to marry or are married to foreign nationals. | Under the longstanding law and policy that existed before the new regulati…
(2019-08-17). Trump's Immigration Crackdown Is Quietly Targeting Labor Protections. truthout.org | | New Orleans — Martha came to the United States from Mexico to work in a seafood processing facility in the Gulf South on a temporary labor visa, but it's unclear if all of her fellow laborers were similarly documented. Her boss allegedly threatened to call immigration authorities and have workers deported if didn't they finish high volumes of work on time. | Workplace retaliation is against the law, regardless of where workers come from. Having attended know-your-rights trainings with labo…
(2019-08-17). States Sue Trump Administration for Going After Low-Income Green Card Holders. truthout.org | | In November 2018, as the Trump administration ramped up plans to radically change public charge rules—which deem whether an immigrant or would-be immigrant is likely to end up a cash-burden to the state and thus be ineligible for permanent residency—the city of Baltimore sued the administration to prevent the change and protect its immigrant population. Three months later, the administration sought to g…
(2019-08-17). Venezuelan military court jails union official as working-class opposition grows. wsws.org The indictment of Rubén González is part of an attempt to criminalize growing social opposition among workers and the impoverished masses.
(2019-08-17). Sudanese protesters sign transition deal with army. thecanary.co 
Sudan's army and the country's pro-democracy movement have signed a final powersharing deal at a ceremony in the capital Khartoum.The move paves the way for a transition to civilian-led government following the overthrow of president Omar al-Bashir in April.Sealing the deal established a joint military and civilian council to rule for a little over three years until elections can be held.A military leader will head the 11-member council for the first 21 months, followed by a civilian leader for the following 18.Pro-democracy supporters headed to the capital Khartoum to celebrate (AP)The agreement will also establ…
(2019-08-17). Sudan Reach Final Power-Sharing Agreement. telesurenglish.net The Sudanese political crisis might be reaching its final stages following an agreement between the main opposition coalition and the ruling military council on Saturday. | RELATED: | Sudan Factions Sign Pact Ushering in Transitional Government | According to a statement from the Transitional Military Council (TMC) on Saturday, a final power-sharing agreement has been reached with the main opposition opposition alliance, Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), after strenuous negoti…
(2019-08-17). Jeremy Corbyn vows to reverse 'depressing' decline of town centres. thecanary.co 
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said there is "nothing more depressing" than seeing town centres decline as shoppers turn to out-of-town warehouses for online deliveries.He wants councils to have the power to reopen abandoned shops which have been left vacant for 12 months or more and bring back into use some of the estimated 29,000 physical retail units abandoned.Under Labour's plan, local authorities will be able to turn vacant shops over to start-ups, co-operative businesses and community projects.Mr Corbyn was joined by local Labour group leader Linda Thomas, right, and Bolton West candidate Julie Hilling for…
(2019-08-17). Outrage as Colorado police returned to duty after shooting 19-year-old in the back. wsws.org The officers involved in the murder of De'Von Bailey, the 537th person killed by police in the US this year, have already been returned to active duty.
(2019-08-17). After 10 years, federal executions set to resume. workers.org 
Attorney General William Barr is moving the United States backward. He is taking hard-fought civil rights gains to the dumpster. Just like President Donald Trump, he has nothing but racist contempt for people caught up in the so-called criminal justice system. Barr suddenly announced in a Department of Justice press . . . | Continue reading After 10 years, federal executions set to resume at Workers.org
(2019-08-17). Bini's Lawyer: Ecuador Prosecutor's Still Have no Evidence. telesurenglish.net The lawyer to Swedish expert in open software development, Ola Bini, said Friday that the Ecuadorean government still has no evidence to support its claim that Bini has hacked any state computer systems. | RELATED: | Ecuador: Ola Bini's NGO Office Sacked, Tech Equipment Stolen | For over two months, Ecuador's administration under President Lenin Moreno held Bini in detention, claiming he tried to "hack" computers belonging to presidential of…
(2019-08-17). Hong Kong teachers' rally kicks off another weekend of protests. thecanary.co 
School teachers in Hong Kong are marching to the official residence of the city leader as another weekend of protests got under way.An overflow crowd rallied at a public square in the financial district before setting off for Government House, carrying signs that read "Protect the next generation" and umbrellas to ward off intermittent downpours.Teachers say they want to show their support for the protesters, many of whom are students.Pro-democracy protesters wait to cross a road during a march (Vincent Yu/AP)They said the government should answer the protesters' demands and stop using what they called police vio…
(2019-08-17). Carnegie Library workers vote to Join United Steelworkers. fightbacknews.org Pittsburgh, PA – Workers at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh voted overwhelmingly to join the United Steelworkers (USW) union, August 14, after launching their organizing campaign in June. They are seeking a collective bargaining agreement that would cover employees across 19 branches and the library support center. | The United Library Workers began discussing unionization last summer in hopes of gaining a voice when it comes to making decisions that affect the library, the people they serve and their own working environment. | "I am so excited for us to start this next chapter and look forward to working tow…
(2019-08-17). Media Blackout on Brazil's Anti-Bolsonaro Protests – Why are New York Times and Guardian downplaying resistance to Brazil's far-right president? fair.org 
by Brian Mier August 13 protest against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Belo Horizonte, one of 211 cities where demonstrations took place (photo: Dowglas Silva). | Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets of 211 cities on August 13 to protest far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's austerity cuts and privatization plans for the public university system. It was the third in series of national education strikes, dubbed "the Educat…
(2019-08-17). Pentagon to name new facility after Curtis 'Bombs Away' LeMay. rt.com 
The US Strategic Command, which oversees America's nuclear arsenal, plans to name a new facility after the legendary but controversial bomber General Curtis LeMay, who notoriously said there are 'no innocent civilians.'
(2019-08-17). "One By One, They're Dying": Activists Protest Tennessee's Fifth Execution in a Year. theintercept.com 
Stephen West was killed in the electric chair on August 15, and abolitionists are vowing to step up the pressure to stop executions in Tennessee.
(2019-08-17). Senior Tory says Boris Johnson's rhetoric has led directly to death threats. thecanary.co 
A Tory former attorney general has accused Boris Johnson of "behaving like a demagogue" and said the Prime Minister's rhetoric has led directly to him receiving death threats.Remain-supporter Dominic Grieve insisted he wanted to stay in the Conservative Party to "save" it from the likes of Mr Johnson — who he claimed was "hijacking" it.The Beaconsfield MP lambasted the PM's "tub-thumping populism", which he said had led "straightforwardly" to the death threats he has received.Mr Grieve, who said someone was arrested in respect of a death threat against him recently, told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland progr…
(2019-08-17). Northwest grocery workers prepare to strike. workers.org 
Aug. 2 — "Are you aware that Fred Meyer pays $3.53 more per hour to male workers than to female workers?" A United Steelworkers' member posed this question to a Fred Meyer grocery store shopper. Shoppers were shocked and stopped to listen. Most took flyers showing the facts and figures, . . . | Continue reading Northwest grocery workers prepare to strike at Workers.org
(2019-08-17). Media Blackout on Brazil's Anti-Bolsonaro Protests. commondreams.org "The issue of under-reporting and ignoring protests by Brazil's so-called 'organized left'—the labor unions and popular social movements that make up the traditional support base for the Workers Party—is a historic problem," Mier writes. (Photo: Douglas Silva) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-17). Playing Role of Pesticide 'Cheerleader,' EPA Rebukes California with Ban on Warning Labels for Roundup. globalresearch.ca President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency was accused of being a pesticide "cheerleader" last week after the agency said it would not approval labels that say that glyphosate—the active ingredient in Roundup and other weedkillers—is known to cause cancer. | In …
(2019-08-17). According to the Federal Government, 19 Million Acres of Farmland Were Not Planted with Crops this Year. globalresearch.ca If that headline sounds really bad to you, that is because the situation that we are facing is really bad. Over the past few months, I have written article after article about the unprecedented crisis that U.S. farmers are facing …
(2019-08-17). Open Arms Allowed to Land 27 Minors at the Lampedusa Port. telesurenglish.net Defeated by international pressure and pressured by divisions in the far-right ruling class, Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini authorized on Saturday morning the landing of 27 "unaccompanied minors" from the Open Arms ship to the Lampedura port. | RELATED: | 'Situation On Board is Dramatic', Open Arms Says | "Against my will and in another example…
(2019-08-17). Japan-South Korea conflict intensifies. wsws.org South Korea announced this week that it has removed Japan from a list of countries that qualify for accelerated supply of South Korean products, after Japan had imposed a similar measure against South Korea on August 2.
(2019-08-17). Facial recognition technology and identity politics. wsws.org The Democrats are seeking to channel mass opposition to the wholesale invasion of privacy into a campaign to regulate and "equalize" facial recognition technology.
(2019-08-17). The Dangerous New US Consensus on China and the Future of US-China Relations. truthout.org | | The trade war and technological competition with China are symptomatic of a much larger issue: a dangerous gridlock in US-China relations that may become permanent, with dire consequences not just for the two countries' economies but also for the global economy and quite possibly East Asia's and international security. Martin Wolf, Financial Times columnist, is right to conclude: "Across-the-board rivalry wit…
(2019-08-17). ALEC fails to denounce dangerous and racist views of its leaders and members. nationofchange.org It has been a banner week for extremist politicians linked to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). | ALEC's Washington State Chair, Rep. Matt Shea, promoted and maintained close ties to an extremist group training children and young men for battle in a "Biblical warfare" while schooling them in the "biblical teachings" of racist preacher John Weaver, according to a new exposé published by The Guardian. The revelations come just weeks after the W…
(2019-08-17). Weekend Read: Slavery shaped America's pathology on race and whiteness. splcenter.org Four hundred years ago this month, the White Lion, a warship commanded by English privateers, docked at Point Comfort in the colony of Virginia.
(2019-08-17). UK: Record £9.2 billion of NHS budget handed to private firms. wsws.org A third of hip replacements carried out in the NHS are now done privately and community health and mental health provision have seen five years of continual gains by the private sector.
(2019-08-17). Private Prisons Face 87.4 Percent Financing Gap as Banks Continue to Flee. truthout.org | | As of August 2019, eight banks — JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, SunTrust, BNP Paribas, Fifth Third Bancorp, Barclays, and PNC — have publicly committed to ending their future financing relationships with the private prison industry, including CoreCivic and GEO Group. Together these eight banks represent an estimated $2.35 billion — or 87.4% — of the credit lines and term loans that are central to these companies' operations. | Notably, all of the banks t…
(2019-08-17). To Fight White Supremacist Violence, Let's Not Repeat the Mistakes of the War on Terror. theintercept.com 
National security experts are calling for a war on terror akin to the fight against Al Qaeda and ISIS. But that campaign has been a disaster.
(2019-08-17). Terrorism survivors: 'I lived in fear that I would be killed'. un.org To mark the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism this coming Wednesday, UN News travelled to Chad and the Far North region of Cameroon in West Africa to interview people who have personal stories to tell about how terrorism has shattered their lives.
(2019-08-17). 'Bolton Is Desperate to Start a War': US Issues Warrant to Seize Iranian Oil Tanker. commondreams.org "Perfectly illustrates the U.S. trying to impose its domestic laws on the rest of the world. It should provoke worldwide outrage." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-08-17). Tlaib agrees to Israeli terms, then reverses herself on West Bank visit. wsws.org The events of the past two days have provided a fresh demonstration of the cowardice of the Democratic Party and the absence within it of any principled opposition to Donald Trump's authoritarian agenda.
(2019-08-17). The Plot to Attack Iran:‚Ä® How the CIA and the Deep State Have Conspired to Vilify Iran. indybay.org NPML, 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (just North of Alcatraz Ave.)…
(2019-08-17). #CloseTheCamps: Protest by Public Health & Healthcare Workers for Migrant Rights. indybay.org Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 630 Sansome St, San Francisco 94111…
(2019-08-17). #CloseTheCamps: Protest by Healthcare & Harm Reduction Workers for Migrant Rights. indybay.org Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), | 630 Sansome St, San Francisco 94111…
(2019-08-17). Jewish Activists and Allies Confront Amazon for Profiting Off ICE Terror. indybay.org More than 1,000 Jewish activists and allies gathered at an Amazon book store in New York City on Sunday to protest the online retail behemoth's collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which swept up nearly 700 people last week in what was reportedly one of the agency's largest-ever raids.
(2019-08-17). Haight Ashbury Peace Vigil. indybay.org Corner of Masonic and Fell at the Golden Gate Park Panhandle…
(2019-08-17). APTP Monthly Membership Meeting: Scott Morris on Santa Rita Jail. indybay.org East Side Arts Alliance | 2277 International Blvd. | Oakland, CA 94606…
(2019-08-17). Trump's 'Deal of the Century': A plan for peace, or destruction? uwidata.com 
Trump's 'Deal of the Century' bills itself as an effort at establishing peace between Israel and Palestine, but in reality aims at advancing Israel's interests, and fundamentally altering the geopolitical balance of the Middle East. THE US' TRUE MOTIVATIONS The US established a new strategy in the Middle East after the end of World War …
(2019-08-17). Milwaukee VA workers fight union busting. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Fifty Veterans Affairs workers and supporters rallied outside the Zablocki VA hospital August 12 to protest union-busting, attacks on high-quality public veteran healthcare, and bad faith bargaining by the VA administration. | The rally was organized by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3 and supported by the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, Milwaukee Area Labor Council, Veterans for Peace and elected leaders including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin. | AFGE members and representatives detailed shocking accounts of the ex…
(2019-08-16). Palestine: Dangerous Bill in US Congress to Crush the PLO and the PA. globalresearch.ca A bipartisan US bill currently being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee puts at stake the ability of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to engage diplomatic and legal channels to support Palestinian national aspirations and to seek accountability through international …
(2019-08-16). Israel Fears a Visit by Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. counterpunch.org On July 16, Somali-American Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, together with Representatives John Lewis and Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib, introduced bill HR-496 which is meant to affirm Americans' "right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution". Though not explicitly mentioned, HR-496 is at least More
(2019-08-16). Israel Reverses Ban on US Congresswoman Tlaib. telesurenglish.net Israel has decided to reverse the ban on U.S. congresswoman Rashida Tlaib Friday after she agreed to just visit her family in the occupied West Bank on humanitarian grounds. | RELATED: | Israel Confirms Banning Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib from Visiting Palestine Over BDS Support | Tlaib, a critic of Israeli policy towards Palestinians, has agreed to respect the restrictions imposed on her during the occupied West Bank trip and will not promote the Boyco…
(2019-08-16). Rashida Tlaib Blasts Israel for 'Oppressive Conditions'. telesurenglish.net U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib blasted Israel on Friday for imposing "oppressive conditions" on her visit to the occupied West Bank. | RELATED: | Israel Reverses Ban on US Congresswoman Tlaib | Israel, who was conditionally allowing Tlaib to visit the occupied West Bank, issued a list of demands for the U.S. congresswoman that prohibited her from promoting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) during her stay. | The U.S. congresswoman, in turn, said she would not visit her family there…
(2019-08-16). Rashida Tlaib Blasts Israel for 'Oppressive Conditions'. telesurenglish.net U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib blasted Israel on Friday for imposing "oppressive conditions" on her visit to the occupied West Bank. | RELATED: | Israel Reverses Ban on US Congresswoman Tlaib | Israel, who was conditionally allowing Tlaib to visit the occupied West Bank, issued a list of demands for the U.S. congresswoman that prohibited her from promoting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) during her stay. | The U.S. congresswoman, in turn, said she would not visit her family there…
(2019-08-16). A Wave of Solidarity With Kashmir Is Spreading Across the Globe. truthout.org | | Tragedy is unfolding in Kashmir. Split between India and Pakistan, the state has been under military occupation as a result of the partition of the subcontinent in 1947 and a war between the two powers the following year. On August 5, however, the right-wing Bha…
(2019-08-16). Trump starves Venezuela, Democrats are silent. mronline.org 
The Trump administration is intensifying its economic warfare on the people of Venezuela with a crippling embargo—and facing no resistance from the Democratic Party. | Source
(2019-08-16). It's No Wonder the Military likes Violent Video Games, They Can Help Train Civilians to Become Warriors. counterpunch.org 
Following the recent massacres in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, the bestselling author Keith Boykin tweeted: Trump is on TV blaming the Internet, social media, video games and mental health for the mass shootings. Nonsense! Every country has Google, Facebook, video games and people with mental health issues. What they don't have is More
(2019-08-16). Poetry selections for the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre. peoplesworld.org 
Percy Bysshe Shelley's lifetime was defined by the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and severe political repression in England and elsewhere in Europe. In contrast to other European countries, the power of the bourgeoisie in England had been consolidated in their own revolutionary period in the 17th century. Therefore, the ruling class in England had …
(2019-08-16). Trump, el capitalismo incitan tiroteos masivos. workers.org 
Entre el 31 de julio y el 3 de agosto, tres terroristas hombres de raza con blanca mataron e hirieron a docenas de personas en Gilroy, California; El Paso, Texas; y Dayton, Ohio. Tres tiroteos masivos en los Estados Unidos en una semana. Los locutores de televisión expresaron que esto . . . | Continue reading Trump, el capitalismo incitan tiroteos masivos at Workers.org
(2019-08-16). US Trained Honduran Police Get Medieval as Political Prisoner Edwin Espinal Released. mintpressnews.com The Honduran corruption canard keeps the focus on police resources and individuals rather than on the pangs of privatization, and so it is often the line favored by the U.S. State Department.
(2019-08-16). Iran's Dangerous Deterrence Policy: Trading Tankers and Another Partial Withdrawal from the JCPOA. globalresearch.ca The UK acknowledged its first defeat by Iran when it released the Iranian super tanker "Grace 1" captured by 30 Royal Navy commandos in the first week of July in response to a US request, as the Spanish Foreign …
(2019-08-16). Trump worsens threat of nuclear catastrophe with Russia. thegrayzone.com MIT professor Ted Postol warns that Trump's withdrawal from the INF treaty threatens nuclear 'catastrophe.' Guest: Theodore Postol, award-winning Professor…
(2019-08-16). How Obama helped Trump escalate nuclear tensions with Russia. thegrayzone.com The Trump administration has dangerously withdrawn from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). MIT professor emeritus Ted Postol explains how…
(2019-08-16). Dead Man's Hand: The Impeachment Gambit. counterpunch.org 
The two-year Mueller investigation of Donald Trump's alleged collusion ("largely synonymous with conspiracy") with Russia is over. Nothingburger. The 448-page Mueller Report has been published in full, and made into a dramatic hour-and-twenty-minute stage performance adapted by a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright with a cast of Hollywood stars. Yawn. Then there was the seven hours of More
(2019-08-16). US Waging Wars on Multiple Fronts: Cold Wars, Hot Wars, Economic Wars, Propaganda Wars … globalresearch.ca Supported by both hawkish wings of its war party, the US is waging hot wars, cold wars, economic wars, financial wars, trade wars, anti-social justice wars, anti-human rights wars, anti-democracy wars, propaganda wars, sanctions wars, tariffs wars, protest wars, homeland …
(2019-08-16). Punishing the World with Sanctions. Intended to Cause Real Pain. globalresearch.ca Sanctions are economic warfare, pure and simple. As an alternative to a direct military attack on a country that is deemed to be misbehaving they are certainly preferable, but no one should be under any illusions regarding what they actually …
(2019-08-16). Italy: 'The Situation On Board is Dramatic', Open Arms Says. telesurenglish.net The Spanish flagged vessel Open Arms on Friday called for the evacuation "with the utmost urgency for humanitarian emergency" of all 134 migrants who are still waiting on board for Italian authorities to authorize them to disembark. | RELATED: | Italian PM Blasts Salvini for Being Obsessed with Immigration | "The psychophysical conditions of adults and minors are critical and their safety is very worrying," a medical report prepared by Emergency, an NGO delivering medical care t…
(2019-08-16). Uncle Sam was Born Lethal. counterpunch.org 
One of the occupational and intellectual hazards of being a historian is that current events often seem far less new to oneself than they do to others. Recently a leftish liberal friend told me that the United States under the Donald Trump had "become a lethal society." My friend cited the neofascist Trump's: horrible family separations and concentration camps on the border; openly white-nationalist assaults on four progressive nonwhite and female Congresswomen; real and threatened roundups of undocumented immigrants; fascist-style and hate-filled "Make America Great Again" rallies; encouragement of white suprema…
(2019-08-16). Venezuelans Caught Smuggling Gold into Dominican Republic. telesurenglish.net Six Venezuelans were captured in the Dominican Republic Friday for possible links to a gold smuggling ring, and are now in the process of been extradited. Two Dominican Republic nationals involved in the operation were also captured. | RELATED: | US: Already Interfering in Upcoming Venezuelan Elections | Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced Friday that the criminal gang dedicated to illegally obtaining and smuggling Venezuelan gold into the Dominican Republic h…
(2019-08-16). The Prosecution of Julian Assange Affects Us All. counterpunch.org With the indictment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the imprisonment of whistleblower Chelsea Manning, we are seeing the US government's blatant attack on the First Amendment. This assault now is officially acknowledged by a US federal court, where the judge dismissed a Democratic National Committee (DNC) civil suit against WikiLeaks on the grounds of More
(2019-08-16). With the Boeing 737 MAX Grounded, Top Boeing Bosses Must Testify Before Congress Now. counterpunch.org 
Two Boeing 737 MAX crashes, one in Indonesia last October and one in Ethiopia this past March, took a combined 346 lives. Steady scrutiny by the media reported internal company leaks and gave voice to sidelined ex-Boeing engineers and aerospace safety specialists. These experts have revealed that Boeing's executives are responsible because they chose to use an unstable structural More
(2019-08-16). Catch and Hang Live Chickens for Slaughter: $11 an Hour Possible! counterpunch.org Koch Foods, a giant chicken processor that supplies Burger King, Kroger and Walmart (not affiliated with the Koch brothers) lost no time in replacing the five busloads of undocumented workers taken from its Mississippi plants this month due to an ICE raid. It is already holding "job fairs" to replace the workers. The August ICE More
(2019-08-16). British Rail: A Mass Transport System Is an Essential Public Service Not a Get-Rich-Quick Scheme for Investors. globalresearch.ca Outdated rolling-stock, primitive or no air-conditioning, poor service, unreliable timetables and sky-high fares make Britain's railways the bad joke of Europe. | As millions of commuters are forced to use a rail system near to collapse, it serves a stark warning …
(2019-08-16). Neoliberalism and Environmental Calamity. counterpunch.org 
Current conditions represent a political emergency of sorts, meaning that ways of solving environmental and social problems will either be worked out or circumstances, led by the environment, will assume a life of their own. Given that these conditions are the result of historical processes that were decades and centuries in the making, understanding how More
(2019-08-16). "Bernie is Trump" (and other Corporate Media Bullsh*t). counterpunch.org 
A dead-end street with a lemonade stand Where is the sky in upside down land? That question is hard if you can't see the stars I'm really not sure, ask me tomorrow — Yasiin Bey, "Education" (featured on the album "Bandana" by Freddie Gibbs) Welcome to Bizarro World where up is down, black is white, More
(2019-08-16). The War on Nature. counterpunch.org 
Ancient Greeks, Persians, Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Chinese and Indians respected or worshipped several gods. Those gods were usually forces of nature, which opened the mind, eyes and hearts of human beings to the mysteries, beauty and truth of the natural world. The vast human majorities of the ancient world were peasant farmers and shepherds who cultivated More
(2019-08-16). The Biotech-Industrial Complex Gets Ready to Define What is Human. counterpunch.org 
Fabricating part-human-part-nonhuman animals, with features of both, seemed like something out of Greek mythology until the late 20th century. New research then on "geeps," fully developed, viable mixtures of goats and sheep, showed that constructing such "chimeras" was a real possibility. Still, the warning by H.G. Wells, a century before, in his novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau," that scientific experiments like this could go terribly awry, seemed fantastical. But this will soon change. At the end of July, it was reported that the biologist Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte, director of a laboratory at the Salk Insti…
(2019-08-16). The Vanity Cinema of Quentin Tarantino. counterpunch.org 
After being sorely disappointed by Quentin Tarantino's last two films— "The Hateful Eight" and "Django Unchained" —I decided to wait for a studio screener of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" in November. This is when I customarily get freebies from studio publicists hoping to influence my vote in NYFCO's awards meeting in early December. More
(2019-08-16). Have They No Decency? counterpunch.org 
Before lightening and the Electoral College struck, making Donald Trump president, he famously boasted that he could walk out onto Fifth Avenue, shoot somebody, and become even more popular than he already was with his base. He was probably right — literally, even back then, before the Trump-induced accelerated degradation of the ambient political culture More
(2019-08-16). People's Music for the Soul. counterpunch.org 
Folk music can mean many things. It can be songs one learned as a child from a record or a musical relative. The songs can be classic tunes with words as old as the songs themselves or the songs can be old tunes with brand new words. Or the entire tune can be a new More
(2019-08-16). 'Today We Seek Those Fish in Discovery Channel'. counterpunch.org 
"It's past 11.40 this morning, so next comes an update on speed," announces A. Yashwanth on the Kadal Osai radio station. "For the last one week, or even a month or so, kachaan kaathu [the south wind] was very strong. The speed was as high as 40 to 60 [kilometres per hour]. Today, as if More
(2019-08-16). Is White Supremacism a Mental Illness? counterpunch.org 
"The most noxious element of neoliberalism is the reduction of all social issues to personal responsibility." —Henry A. Giroux "Violence is one of the most fun things to watch." — Quentin Tarantino Have you ever wondered why we [women] are not just in armed combat against you? It's not because there's a shortage of kitchen More
(2019-08-16). Kind of Blue at 60. counterpunch.org 
Miles Davis' Kind of Blue was released on August 17, 1959—sixty years ago tomorrow. That was ten years after, and ten degrees cooler, than the little big band of Miles' Birth of the Cool. With Kind of Blue the baby had grown up: sleeker, more earnest, now distrustful of irony, and also cagier, suspicious without wanting to show anything that might suggest defensiveness. Its icy hauteur sets the standard for art that draws you in by pretending it doesn't need anyone or anything but itself. More
(2019-08-16). Council withdraws threat of legal action against cyclists at cafe. thecanary.co 
The threat of legal action against cyclists gathering at a cafe in a small hamlet has been dropped.Velolife was set up on the site of an old pub as a cafe and bike workshop in 2016 by entrepreneur Lee Goodwin in Warren Row in Berkshire.The cafe was championed by the likes of former Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman and Team Ineos rider Chris Lawless after it was slapped with restrictions on cycle meets following noise complaints.Local cycling clubs were threatened with enforcement action by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead for allegedly using the cafe's car park as a starting point for meets. | A joint st…
(2019-08-16). "Proletarian billionaire" act wears thin: Trump's war on workers. peoplesworld.org 
The U.S. working class has received special attention from the Trump campaign's first days; since his election, it has been singled out for special assault. "America First" was portrayed as making working-class America first; "Make America Great Again" meant reawakening the greatness of the American working class. But the Trump agenda as thus marketed had …
(2019-08-16). 'Fefu and Her Friends': Fornés's feminist odyssey at the Odyssey. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES—Originality is among those attributes I admire and cherish most in the arts, and Maria Irene Fornés's (1930-2018) Fefu and Her Friends is singular on several fronts. First of all, the Cuban-born, Obie Award-winning playwright's characters are eight females. This is far less common than mixed-gender or all-male casts, such as in Jason Miller's …
(2019-08-16). 'Expanding Empire' — in 1969 and today. workers.org 
The following excerpt from "Expanding Empire — The global war drive of big business and the forces that will stop it" was written in 1969 during the Vietnam War. The author, Vince Copeland, was a founding member of Workers World Party and had been a militant steel worker fired in . . . | Continue reading 'Expanding Empire' — in 1969 and today at Workers.org
(2019-08-16). Modern medicine declares war on loneliness with drugs & bots, threatening introverts with extinction. rt.com 
With pharmaceutical and even robotic "cures" in the works for loneliness – a condition once considered part of the normal human emotional range but now framed as a health risk – we risk losing the ability to be alone at all.
(2019-08-16). Brazil: Supreme Court Judges Sergio Moro's Lack of Impartiality. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Supreme Court (STF) will judge the lack of impartiality of former judge Sergio Moro in conducting trials against former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has remained a political prisoner since April 7, 2018. | RELATED: | Students Strike, Protest Across Brazil as Moro Orders Crackdown | From August 16 to August 22, the STF judges w…
(2019-08-16). Did the US really intend to destroy the Soviet Union with its nuclear monopoly? nationofchange.org 74 years ago by the United States dropped the only two atomic bombs exploded in war on cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, recalling those events, remember that the US still refuses to renounce a strategy of first-strike use of its nuclear arsenal. This has me pondering two questions that should raise enormous doubts in …
(2019-08-16). 'Brazil to Leave Mercosur if Cristina Wins', Minister Guedes. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Economic Minister Paulo Guedes threatened Thursday to leave Mercosur if Alberto Fernandez and Cristina Fernandez win the second round of the Argentinean presidential elections on October 27. | RELATED: | Bolsonaro Cites Trump's Discourse, Says Mercosur No Longer Seeks Chavez's 'Great Homeland' | "Mercosur is, of cours…
(2019-08-16). Warnings, Ancient and Modern. counterpunch.org The wise priest Laocoà∂n, old legends say, vainly warned against the famous "Trojan horse". A hostile god sent giant serpents which strangled him and the big wooden present was opened. The soldiers hidden inside opened Troy's gates so the Greek battalions could rush in, kill the men, enslave the women and destroy the city. Its More
(2019-08-16). Tit For Tat: Baltimore Takes Another Hit, This Time From Uruguay. counterpunch.org I imagine that however a Baltimorean feels when their city is attacked by the barbarian in the White House it has to be worse when the city is slighted by Uruguay, one of the world's most progressive countries. On August 5th the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning to Uruguayans traveling to the More
(2019-08-16). That Debacle at the Border is Genocide. counterpunch.org Prepared text for at talk at Cornbread and Beans, Norman, Oklahoma. (August 9, 2019.) I'm grateful for the invitation to speak to you. I'm a Democrat and the child of Democrats, and lately, I'd vote for the yellow dog. I believe that what I'm going to talk about today is central to our mission and values More
(2019-08-16). Myanmar 'Ready' for Repatriation of Rohingya Refugees Next Week. telesurenglish.net The Myanmar government said Friday it was prepared for Bangladesh to repatriate more than 3,600 Rohingya refugees who fled violence in the western state of Rakhine two years ago after a military-led crackdown against the Muslim minority. | RELATED: | At Least 18 Killed in Landslide at Jade Mine in Myanmar | The director-general of the international organization and economic department at Myanmar's foreign ministry, U Chan Aye, said his country was ready to start the process next Thurs…
(2019-08-16). Fewer Banks in African American Neighborhoods Contribute to the U.S. Racial Wealth Gap. globalresearch.ca A new study published by McKinsey & Co on Tuesday found that one of the contributing factors to the U.S. racial wealth gap is the lack of banks in predominantly African American communities. Lack of access to mainstream financial services …
