Senator Richard Burr: a Longtime Fan of Torture
Consortiumnews.com | consortiumnews.com | 2018-08-11
Newly released declassified documents prove once and for all that CIA Director Gina Haspel oversaw torture in Thailand, which the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee knew all along, as Ray McGovern explains. By Ray McGovern Special to Consortium News… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/08/11/senator-richard-burr-a-longtime-fan-of-torture/

Holding the Bag: Manafort, Trump and All That Dirty Money
Anton Woronczuk | truthout.org | 2018-08-11

|

| The word "bagman" has fallen out of common usage over the years, which is a damned shame. It's a perfect word for the era: According to Merriam-Webster, a "bagman" is defined as "a person who on behalf of another collects or distributes illicitly gained money; an intermediary in an illicit or unethical transaction." | Sound like anyone you've seen in the news lately? | So long as corruption has existed in the human hive, there have been bagmen to do the dirty work and move the money. If you were a contractor in ancient Rome looking to get a piece of the action on that new Coliseum deal, some version for the age — a hominis bulgae, if you will –would grease the skids…
truthout.org/articles/holding-the-bag-manafort-trump-and-all-that-dirty-money/

You Know Who's Paying Very, Very Close Attention to the Manafort Trial? President Trump
Lucian K. Truscott IV, Salon | alternet.org | 2018-08-11
It may not be the trial of the century, but Mueller & Trump, the stake-holders outside the courtroom, are watching | Do you remember the first job you ever had? I'm not talking about cutting lawns, or babysitting the neighbor's kids, or lifeguarding at the municipal pool. I'm talking about the job you probably got after you graduated from college or finished your military service. A job you had to apply and interview for. A job at a company downtown in a. . .
alternet.org/you-know-whos-paying-very-very-close-attention-manafort-trial-president-trump

Here's Why Trump's Most Rabid Fans Need the Madness of the QAnon Conspiracy Theory
Joshua Holland, Raw Story | alternet.org | 2018-08-11
Put yourself in their shoes (I know it's unpleasant). | If you want to really understand QAnon, the ludicrous mish-mash of conspiracy theories premised on the idea that Donald Trump has been working in cahoots with Robert Mueller and senior military officials — and also maybe JFK, Jr. , who faked his death in a 1999 plane crash to thwart. . .
alternet.org/heres-why-trumps-most-rabid-fans-need-madness-qanon-conspiracy-theory

South Korean government begins phony reform of military intelligence agency
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-08-11
The basic framework of a police state will remain in place regardless of the cosmetic changes made by Moon Jae-in's administration.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/08/11/skor-a11.html

Declassified cables sent by CIA Director Gina Haspel reveal extreme torture of al-Qaeda suspect
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-11
The extreme torture of a suspected al-Qaeda terrorist, including waterboarding, forced nudity and a "walling technique," have been detailed in newly declassified cables sent by a current CIA director Gina Haspel.
rt.com/usa/435735-gina-haspel-cia-torture/

Neocons Concoct Threat Of "Iranian Hackers" To Justify Preemptive "Counterattack" Against Iran
Whitney Webb | iranian.com | 2018-08-10
Recent warnings of an imminent Iranian cyberattack on the U.S. are dubious at best — aimed at ending the U.S.' isolation through dishonest intelligence, while justifying a U.S. "preemptive counterattack" on Iran's infrastructure in a bid to further destabilize the nation. [dropcap]S[/dropcap]everal reports in both American and Israeli media have recently been circulating the claim that Iran is increasingly […] | The post Neocons Concoct Threat Of "Iranian Hackers" To Justify Preemptive "Counterattack" Against Iran appeared…
iranian.com/2018/08/09/iranian-hackers-threat/

Neocons Concoct Threat of "Iranian Hackers" to Justify Preemptive "Counterattack" Against Iran
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2018-08-10
Recent warnings of an imminent Iranian cyberattack on the U.S. are dubious at best — aimed at ending the U.S.' isolation through dishonest intelligence, while justifying a U.S. "preemptive counterattack" on Iran's infrastructure in a bid to further destabilize the nation. | The post Neocons Concoct Threat of "Iranian Hackers" to Justify Preemptive "Counterattack" Against Iran appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/neocons-hype-threat-of-iranian-hackers-to-justify-preemptive-counterattack/247369/

Newly Released Cables Reveal Cruelty and Pointlessness of CIA Torture Under Gina Haspel
Matthew Chapman, AlterNet | alternet.org | 2018-08-10
Trump's CIA director played a role in Bush-era torture of terror suspects. Newly released cables reveal more information. | When Trump nominated Gina Haspel to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, she was confirmed despite public outrage over her involvement with Bush-era CIA torture operations at a black site prison i. . .
alternet.org/news-amp-politics/cables-reveal-cia-torture-under-gina-haspel

Jury Backs Man Who Says Roundup Herbicide Caused Cancer
Staff | truthdig.com | 2018-08-10
The San Francisco panel orders agribusiness giant Monsanto to pay $289 million to a former school groundskeeper, saying the company's popular weed killer contributed to his disease. | The post Jury Backs Man Who Says Roundup Herbicide Caused Cancer appeared first on Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News, Provocative Columnists.
truthdig.com/articles/jury-backs-man-who-says-roundup-weed-killer-caused-cancer/

Banning Alex Jones and Infowars
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2018-08-10
He is treated as the bogeyman of conspiracy entertainment, and Alex Jones has become a prominent figure for advancing a host of unsavoury views. High on his list of incendiaries is the claim that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting never took place and was the work of paid fantasists, with the victims' parents being…
counterpunch.org/2018/08/10/banning-alex-jones-and-infowars/

On the Iraqi Protests, Now in Their Second Month
Mundher Al Adhami | counterpunch.org | 2018-08-10
Friends keep asking for comments on the continuous popular protests in the Iraqi southern provinces. It feels unsafe for activists in the Iraqi Anti-Occupation movement to give a worthy account of events on the ground. Less so to analyze their significance and potential beyond recognizing that a huge psychological shift is underway amongst the youth.
counterpunch.org/2018/08/10/on-the-iraqi-protests-now-in-their-second-month/

Here's How Toxic Tap Water Can Send You Scrambling for Something Safe to Drink — and Why It Might Become the New Normal
Bill Walker, Emily Wathen, Independent Media Institute | alternet.org | 2018-08-10
Toledo was the first large U. S. city where toxic algae blooms made tap water unsafe to drink. But it may not be the last. | TOLEDO, Ohio — In the middle of a muggy summer night, Keith Jordan got an urgent text: Toledo's tap water wasn't safe to drink. "I thought it was a joke," said Jordan, who works with at-risk youth in Toledo's inner city. He went back to sleep. When he got up a few hours later, he took a shower and had a cup of coffee, then t. . .
alternet.org/environment/algal-blooms-are-spreading-threatening-drinking-water-wildlife-and-ecosystems-across-us

Cables From Secret CIA Black Site Read Like Gina Haspel's Torture Journal
Jessica Corbett | mintpressnews.com | 2018-08-10
Critics say this "detailed account" of the CIA director's role "in horrendous acts of torture" further confirms "that she is totally unfit to lead the agency." | The post Cables From Secret CIA Black Site Read Like Gina Haspel's Torture Journal appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/gina-haspel-torture/247476/

Roger Stone Aide Faces Contempt Charges After Refusing Grand Jury Subpoena in Mueller Probe
Mark Sumner, Daily Kos | alternet.org | 2018-08-10
He could be sent to jail until he agrees to testify. | The Washington Post reports that Andrew Miller, a longtime aide to Trump adviser Roger Stone, has refused to appear before the grand jury serving in the special counsel investigation of the 2016 election. Miller went to court rather than appear when first called. . .
alternet.org/news-amp-politics/roger-stone-aide-faces-contempt-charges-after-refusing-grand-jury-subpoena-mueller

Who is Missing the President?
David Yearsley | counterpunch.org | 2018-08-10
Anderson Valley Advertiser News Service… An arrest warrant has been filed by the U. S. Department of Justice for American organist and music historian David Yearsley, long-time columnist for the radical Northern California weekly the Anderson Valley Advertiser, as well as for the leftist website, CounterPunch. After being subpoenaed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Yearsley found…
counterpunch.org/2018/08/10/who-is-missing-the-president/

Arrest of Republican congressman on corruption charges heightens political conflict in Washington
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-08-10
The prosecution of Chris Collins is a political shot by the US intelligence agencies across Trump's bow.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/08/10/coll-a10.html

Jury orders Monsanto to pay California man $289mn in 'probably carcinogenic' Roundup trial
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-10
A groundskeeper who developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after using Monsanto's weed-killers for years is entitled to $39 million in compensation and $250 million in punitive damages, a California jury has decided.
rt.com/usa/435693-monsanto-roundup-cancer-trial/

The Bonfire of Humanity
Paul Edwards | counterpunch.org | 2018-08-09
What's the difference between an alcoholic or a junkie… and the American Deep State War Machine? Nothing. There isn't any. Both are deep in the grip of addictions. Neither can exist without its drug of choice. Alcohol or Heroin for the addict; money for the War Machine. Each will do anything for the fix it…
counterpunch.org/2018/08/09/the-bonfire-of-humanity/

Primary results show rightward shift of both Republican and Democratic parties
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-08-09
The congressional primaries confirmed the headlong move to the right by the Democratic Party signaled by the rise of a cadre of former military and intelligence operatives running as Democratic candidates for Congress.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/08/09/prim-a09.html

Assange should secure immunity before taking risk of testifying to Senate — whistleblower Kiriakou
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-09
Julian Assange should ensure he's granted immunity from prosecution before testifying to the Senate Intelligence Committee, former CIA officer John Kiriakou told RT, citing previous US attempts to charge those who did testify.
rt.com/usa/435543-assange-senate-testimony-kiriakou/

Julian Assange reportedly asked to give secret interview to US Senate Intelligence Committee
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-08-09
WikiLeaks said it received a request for Assange to answer questions about supposed "Russian interference" in the 2016 election.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/08/09/jass-a09.html

The demise of another Bernie Sanders fraud
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-08-09
The latest effort by Sanders–with the assistance of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez–to give a "progressive" gloss to the corporate-controlled Democratic Party has reached its predictable end in Michigan and Kansas.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/08/09/sand-a09.html

PayPal closes pro-Palestinian group's account in collusion with Israeli government
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-08-09
PayPal's action is part of a broader censorship drive by US technology and social media giants, working closely with US and Israeli intelligence agencies.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/08/09/payp-a09.html

VIPS Asks Twitter to Restore Van Buren's Account
Consortiumnews.com | consortiumnews.com | 2018-08-08
The Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity in a memo to the Twitter board of directors questions its decision to suspend the account of one of its members without due process. August 8, 2018 TO: Twitter Board of Directors FROM: Veteran… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/08/07/vips-asks-twitter-to-restore-van-burens-account/

Do Historic Victories & Tight Races in Primaries Mean Dems Could Retake Senate & House in November?
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-08-08
Voters headed to the polls Tuesday for a special election in Ohio and primaries in Michigan, Kansas, Missouri and Washington. A special election in Ohio's 12th Congressional District remains too close to call, but Republican Troy Balderson has already claimed victory over Democrat Danny O'Connor to serve the remainder of former Republican Congressmember Pat Tiberi's term. Balderson leads by just 1,754 votes, and thousands of absentee and provisional ballots still need to be counted. O'Connor is hoping to pull off a major upset. President Trump won the district in 2016 by a margin of more than 11 percent. In Michi…
www.democracynow.org/2018/8/8/do_historic_victories_tight_races_in

Notorious Ferguson Prosecutor Ousted in a Night of Victories and Disappointments for Insurgent Candidates
Ryan Grim | theintercept.com | 2018-08-08
Progressive activists came away from Tuesday with a slew of wins and a handful of losses, with some too close to call. | The post Notorious Ferguson Prosecutor Ousted in a Night of Victories and Disappointments for Insurgent Candidates appeared first on The Intercept.
theintercept.com/2018/08/08/primary-results-kansas-michigan-missouri/

Assange's Senate testimony could 'destroy conspiracy theory that Russia hacked DNC' — journalist
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-08
If he accepts the Senate's request to testify, Julian Assange may provide evidence that would upend allegations that Russia hacked the DNC, putting to rest two years of Russiagate hysteria, journalist Patrick Henningsen told RT.
rt.com/usa/435463-assange-senate-testimony-destroy-russiagate/

US Senate Intelligence Committee calls Julian Assange to testify – WikiLeaks
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-08
The US Senate Intelligence Committee has requested that persecuted WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange testify before committee staff. The committee is investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
rt.com/usa/435433-us-senate-intelligence-committee-calls/

SPLC releases new Intelligence Report, including special section on 'Confronting Hate'
splcenter.org | splcenter.org | 2018-08-07
In this issue of the Intelligence Report, we shine a light on those facing hate who are often overlooked in our special section Confronting Hate.
splcenter.org/news/2018/08/07/splc-releases-new-intelligence-report-including-special-section-confronting-hate

VIPS Plead for Humanitarian Asylum for Julian Assange
Consortiumnews.com | consortiumnews.com | 2018-08-07
Memorandum for: The US Embassies of Ecuador and the United Kingdom, and the U.S. State Department From: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity Subject: Humanitarian Asylum for Julian Assange For six years, WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange has been effectively imprisoned without… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/08/06/vips-plead-for-humanitarian-asylum-for-julian-assange/

Pilger Excoriates Media on Assange Silence
Consortiumnews.com | consortiumnews.com | 2018-08-07
Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and investigative reporter John Pilger takes the gloves off on the continuing attempts to upend WikiLeaks and arrest its founding publisher, Julian Assange, in this interview with Dennis Bernstein and Randy Credico. Pilger talks about Assange's deteriorating… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/08/07/pilger-excoriates-media-on-assange-silence/

'Impostor!' Voters baffled as Ron Estes faces Ron Estes in Kansas primary
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-07
Kansas voters who haven't done their research might regret it when they go to vote in the state's 4th Congressional District Republican primary today and find two candidates named Ron Estes listed on the same ballot.
rt.com/usa/435359-ron-estes-kansas-ballot/

Pompeo vows to 'enforce' Iran sanctions as 90-day grace period ends
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-06
A part of US sanctions on Iran has kicked in after Washington gave businesses there 90 days to wind down their activities. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said they would be rigorously enforced as the period expired on Monday.
rt.com/usa/435179-iran-sanctions-pompeo-enforce/

'Not Good for a Democracy'
Bill Lueders | progressive.org | 2018-08-01
James Clapper, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under George H. W. Bush and Director of National Intelligence under President Barack Obama speaks out against the current President.
progressive.org/magazine/not-good-for-a-democracy-james-clapper/