The Road to Disaster?
Carl Boggs | counterpunch.org | 2018-08-20
The monotonously endless anti-Russia crusade serves a number of political agendas for Democrats and the Washington power structure. It rationalizes Hillary Clinton's stunning defeat, delegitimizes and weakens the Trump presidency, sets momentum for impeachment, and helps drive up Pentagon (and intelligence) spending. Often forgotten is a yet another, deeper factor: Russia has long been targeted as an intolerable obstacle to U.S. Eurasian supremacy, years before the Trump phenomenon was on the horizon.
counterpunch.org/2018/08/20/the-road-to-disaster/

Here's Why White House Counsel Don McGahn Has Donald Trump So Worried
Heather Digby Parton, Salon | alternet.org | 2018-08-20
McGahn talked to Robert Mueller's team for 30 hours — that's a huge blow for Trump, and the reasons why run deep. | Reading President Trump's Twitter feed over the past week, it's hard not to conclude that he feels the walls are closing in. It started with his former adviser and fellow reality TV star Omarosa's new book. She accused him of being a racist and, even more unsettlingly, revealed that she has been taping conversations with people in the campaign and. . .
alternet.org/heres-why-white-house-counsel-don-mcgahn-has-donald-trump-so-worried

Trump Rages Against Mueller Probe for Second Straight Day
Staff | truthdig.com | 2018-08-20
The president's tirade follows a report that White House attorney Don McGahn has been cooperating extensively with the special counsel. | The post Trump Rages Against Mueller Probe for Second Straight Day appeared first on Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News, Provocative Columnists.
truthdig.com/articles/trump-rages-against-mueller-probe-for-second-straight-day/

Art & Music Party: Climate March Labor Contingent
Labor for Climate, Jobs & Justice | indybay.org | 2018-08-20
350 Rhode Island Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 | SEIU 1021 Office, enter on Kansas and 17th…
indybay.org/newsitems/2018/08/16/18816945.php

Political warfare deepens as Democrats, ex-spies circle the wagons around Brennan
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-08-20
The intervention by Brennan and other ex-intelligence officials on the Sunday talk shows demonstrates the degree to which the spy agencies have become a dominant political force.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/08/20/trum-a20.html

SF Mayor Breed & DPH Garcia Still Pushing Lennar Hunters Point Project "It's Safe"
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2018-08-20
At a community meeting on August 15, 2018, San Francisco Department of Public Health "Environmental Engineer" Amy Brownell told community residents that the Hunters Point Shipyard is safe and can be further developed. | Brownell whose salary is funded by the developer Lennar has been involved in the criminal cover-up of the falsification of testing in the billion dollar eco-fraud at Hunters Point Shipyard and Treasure Island. Mayor London Breed and DPH director Barbara Garcia are also aware of the criminal retaliation of OSHA health and safety whistleblowers and have colluded with the developers to cover up the m…
indybay.org/newsitems/2018/08/17/18816950.php

Trump Says His White House Counsel Isn't a 'RAT' Like Nixon's
Staff | truthdig.com | 2018-08-19
The president, in a series of angry tweets, denounces a New York Times story that White House counsel Don McGahn has been cooperating with Robert Mueller's team investigating Russian election meddling. | The post Trump Says His White House Counsel Isn't a 'RAT' Like Nixon's appeared first on Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News, Provocative Columnists.
truthdig.com/articles/trump-says-his-white-house-counsel-not-a-rat-like-nixons/

Donald Trump Has A Meltdown Over 'Fake' New York Times Report Even As He Admits McGahn Spoke to Mueller
Hunter, Daily Kos | alternet.org | 2018-08-19
Another day, another Twitter meltdown. | Well, Trump is on a tear again. And it's the fault of the New York Times, which he doesn't read and is dumb and stupid and shut up. @nytimes wrote a Fake piece today implying that because White House Councel Don McGahn was giving hours of testimony to the Special Councel, he must be a John Dean type "RAT. " But I allowed him and all others to testify – I didn't have to. I have nothing to hide. . . . . . [mdas. . .
alternet.org/donald-trump-has-meltdown-over-fake-new-york-times-report-even-he-admits-mcgahn-spoke-mueller

'Truth Isn't Truth': Rudy Giuliani Has Epic Meltdown on Meet The Press
David Edwards, Raw Story | alternet.org | 2018-08-19
During an interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Giuliani complained that special counsel Robert Mueller was taking too long to finish his investigation. | Attorney Rudy Giuliani insisted on Sunday that evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians can not be taken at face value because "truth isn't truth. "During an interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Giuliani complained that special counsel Robert Mueller was taking too long to. . .
alternet.org/truth-isnt-truth-rudy-giuliani-has-epic-meltdown-meet-press

Rick Santorum Tries to Mansplain Why Mueller Should Target Hillary Clinton to Three Women — And Flames Out Spectacularly
David Edwards, Raw Story | alternet.org | 2018-08-19
Santorum launched into a false rant about how Clinton funded the Steele dossier as a means to manufacture an investigation against Trump. | Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum got shot down on Sunday after he tried to convince three women panelists on CNN that special counsel Robert Mueller should be investigating Hillary Clinton instead of Donald Trump. During a panel discussion on Sunday morning, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) no. . .
alternet.org/rick-santorum-tries-mansplain-why-mueller-should-target-hillary-clinton-three-women-and-flames-out

US govt doesn't think people have intelligence to decipher news, hence censorship — Keiser
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-19
As Twitter and Facebook are criticized over censorship and constant finger-pointing at Russia, RT's Max Keiser speaks to the senior editor of the Grayzone Project, Max Blumenthal, who sums up the reality of the situation.
rt.com/usa/436326-us-government-social-media-censorship/

Trump calls Mueller probe 'McCarthyism at its worst' lashing out at 'fake' New York Times
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-19
US President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to launch another scathing attack on the New York Times and Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe, calling it "McCarthyism at its WORST."
rt.com/usa/436330-trump-times-mueller-mccarthy/

The People on Trump's List Aren't Enemies, They Are Witnesses
Lucian K. Truscott IV, Salon | alternet.org | 2018-08-18
The secrets they have aren't secrets anymore. They're evidence. | Have a gander at Trump's enemies list: John Brennan — 25 years in the CIA. Director of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, 2003-2004. Director of Central Intelligence, 2013-2017. James Clapper — 32 years in the Air Force, retired as a three-star general with three Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars, and two Air Medals. Flew 73 combat support missions over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Di. . .
alternet.org/people-trumps-list-arent-enemies-they-are-witnesses

If You Put an Old W. Bush Crony in Charge of Iran Policy, Doesn't It Signal a War-Like Intention?
Juan Cole | globalresearch.ca | 2018-08-18
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has appointed Brian H. Hook, the State Department director of policy planning, to head a coordinated "Iran Action Group." | Hook served in several important posts …
globalresearch.ca/if-you-put-an-old-w-bush-crony-in-charge-of-iran-policy-doesnt-it-signal-a-war-like-intention/5651063

QAnon, Tampa and Trump: Not All Conspiracy Theories Are the Same
Paul Rosenberg, Salon | alternet.org | 2018-08-18
Conspiracy theories motivate voters on both sides of the aisle — but with strikingly different results | On Aug. 3, two days after Trump's Tampa rally served as a kind of "coming out" party for enthusiasts of the QAnon conspiracy ( according to which Trump is totally in control, working secretly with Robert Mueller to put the entire. . .
alternet.org/qanon-tampa-and-trump-not-all-conspiracy-theories-are-same

London: Ecuador embassy vigil marks six years since Julian Assange granted asylum
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-08-18
If forced out, Assange faces arrest by British police and imprisonment on bail infringement charges relating to a case dropped by Sweden over a year ago.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/08/18/assa-a18.html

Former CIA Director John Brennan's brief for dismantling democracy
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-08-18
The view advanced by Brennan, the intelligence agencies and their allies in the Democratic Party can be summed up as: "It is necessary to destroy democracy in order to save it."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/08/18/pers-a18.html

Iran Action Group repeats Pompeo's old CIA gimmicks, won't work either — professor to RT
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-18
The US' creation of the Iran Action Group is a repeat of Mike Pompeo's tired tactics, Foad Izdi, professor of political communication at the University of Tehran, told RT, adding that the US likely won't achieve regime change.
rt.com/news/436253-iran-action-group-pompeo/

NYT reports White House counsel cooperates with 'Russiagate' probe, Trump says he allowed it
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-18
White House counsel Don McGahn has cooperated with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 'Russiagate' investigation into US President Donald Trump, the New York Times reports. Trump says he allowed it for transparency.
rt.com/usa/436297-white-house-counsel-mcgahn-mueller/

Senate intel committee head sees no evidence of Russian collusion, says probe 'frustrating as hell'
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-18
After 19 months of a "frustrating as hell' probe, the Senate Intelligence Committee has found "no factual evidence" of the Trump campaign colluding with Moscow, the chairman, Richard Burr, says.
rt.com/usa/436280-intelligence-burr-russia-probe/

Have British Spies Been Hacking the EU?
Eric Ortiz | consortiumnews.com | 2018-08-17
The European Union has accused British intelligence agencies of disrupting Brexit negotiations–creating a new public dispute that could poison further an already toxic situation, says Annie Machon. By Annie Machon in Brussels Special to Consortium News Just after midnight on… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/08/17/have-british-spies-been-hacking-the-eu/

Angela Davis: Aretha Franklin "Will Forever Animate Our Collective Sense of Desire for Change"
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-08-17
Aretha Franklin became the voice of the civil rights movement in 1967, when her cover of Otis Redding's "Respect" became an international sensation. Franklin was a steadfast supporter of the civil rights movement throughout her long and remarkable career. She sang at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral after his assassination in 1968. The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Franklin anonymously helped fund the movement for decades. He said, "When Dr. King was alive, several times she helped us make payroll. … Aretha has always been a very socially conscious artist, an inspiration, not just an entertainer." For more, we sp…
www.democracynow.org/2018/8/17/angela_davis_icon_aretha_franklin_will

Monsanto Just Lost a Case Linking Its Weed Killer to Cancer
Rene Ebersole | thenation.com | 2018-08-17
Monsanto Just Lost a Case Linking Its Weed Killer to Cancer appeared first on The Nation.
thenation.com/article/monsanto-just-lost-a-case-linking-its-weedkiller-to-cancer/

Pompeo Forms "Iran Action Group" to Coordinate Iran Strategy, Reports Directly to White House
ZeroHedge.com | mintpressnews.com | 2018-08-17
Pompeo told reporters the action group would be "directing, reviewing and coordinating all aspects of the State Department's Iran-related activity." | The post Pompeo Forms "Iran Action Group" to Coordinate Iran Strategy, Reports Directly to White House appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/iran-action-group/247920/

US Announces 'Action Group' To Coordinate Anti-Iran Efforts
Middle East Eye | iranian.com | 2018-08-17
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Thursday the establishment of the Iran Action Group, a task-force to coordinate all of President Donald Trump's efforts against Iran. The group will be led by Brian Hook, a State Department official who served as an adviser to John Bolton in 2006, when the Iran hawk was […] | The post US Announces 'Action Group' To Coordinate Anti-Iran Efforts appeared first on The Iranian.
iranian.com/2018/08/16/us-action-group-anti-iran/

German government places Socialist Equality Party on subversive watch-list
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-08-17
Last month Germany's domestic intelligence agency added the Socialist Equality Party to its official list of "left-wing extremist" organizations subject to state monitoring.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/08/17/germ-a17.html

Fired Tesla employee alleges company spied on workers, knew of drug dealing at plant
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-17
An employee fired from Tesla's 'Gigafactory 1' battery plant has accused the electric-car maker of spying on its staff and failing to investigate reports that a Mexican cartel may be selling drugs inside the facility.
rt.com/usa/436177-musk-tesla-employee-lawsuit/

Kris Kobach, Trump's Top Vote Suppressor, Wins Kansas Primary
Hezvo Mpunga | therealnews.com | 2018-08-16
Kris Kobach is the frontrunner to become the next governor of Kansas after winning the Republican primary. And even though Kobach's vote suppression efforts have faced legal setbacks, Trump's stacking of the Supreme Court may soon hand him another victory, says investigative journalist Greg Palast | The post Kris Kobach, Trump's Top Vote Suppressor, Wins Kansas Primary…
therealnews.com/stories/kris-kobach-trumps-top-vote-suppressor-wins-kansas-primary

Punctured batteries, massive waste: Whistleblower accuses Tesla of sloppy production (PHOTOS)
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-16
A former Tesla technician took to Twitter to detail what he says is extensive evidence of malpractice and waste at the electric carmaker's factories, and potentially deadly battery defects in its cars.
rt.com/usa/436067-tesla-batteries-waste-whistleblower/

Cereal killers: Monsanto weedkiller that can 'probably' cause cancer found in children's breakfasts
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-16
A hearty bowl of oatmeal is a healthy way to start your day, but according to a new study, that bowl of oatmeal can contain dangerous levels of glyphosate, a weed-killing chemical linked to cancer.
rt.com/usa/436069-monsanto-weedkiller-cancer-cereal/

Assange should be given immunity if US wants him to testify — Rand Paul
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-16
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent more than 2,200 days in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, should be granted immunity from prosecution if he agrees to testify in the US, Senator Rand Paul has said.
rt.com/news/436141-assange-rand-paul-immunity/

US creates Iran Action Group to 'change regime's behavior'
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-16
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — a fierce critic of the Tehran leadership — has announced the creation of a so-called Iran Action Group. It comes amid Washington's campaign of economic pressure against Iran and its allies.
rt.com/usa/436153-pompeo-iran-action-group/

328 NSA Documents Reveal "Vast Network" of Iranian Agents, Details of a Key Intelligence Coup, and a Fervor for Voice-Matching Technology
Margot Williams | theintercept.com | 2018-08-15
Highlights from the seventh release of the internal NSA newsletter, SIDtoday. | The post 328 NSA Documents Reveal "Vast Network" of Iranian Agents, Details of a Key Intelligence Coup, and a Fervor for Voice-Matching Technology appeared first on The Intercept.
theintercept.com/2018/08/15/nsa-edward-snowden-whistleblower-document-leaks/

Trump Strikes Back at 'Ringleader' Brennan
Consortiumnews.com | consortiumnews.com | 2018-08-15
At war with current and former intelligence officials since before he was elected, Donald Trump on Wednesday moved to strip Barack Obama's CIA chief of his security clearance, though worse may be in store for John Brennan, says Ray McGovern…. Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/08/15/trump-strikes-back-at-ringleader-brennan/

Hatewatch Headlines 8/16/2018
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2018-08-15
Antifa/alt-right equivalencies plague media reports; Infowars website goes dark; Kobach now Kansas GOP's nominee for governor; and…
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/08/15/hatewatch-headlines-8162018

How Monsanto Plants Stories, Suppresses Science & Silences Dissent to Sell a Cancer-Linked Chemical
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-08-14
As Monsanto comes under scrutiny for allegedly hiding the dangers of its weed killer, Roundup, we talk to a reporter who says the company attempted to censor and discredit her when she published stories on their product that contradicted their business interests. Carey Gillam is a veteran investigative journalist and author of "Whitewash – The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the Corruption of Science."
www.democracynow.org/2018/8/14/how_monsanto_plants_stories_suppresses_science

Historic Ruling Against Monsanto Finds Company Acted with "Malice" Against Groundskeeper with Cancer
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-08-14
California jurors have awarded $289 million in a historic verdict against Monsanto in the case of a school groundskeeper who developed cancer after using its weed killer, Roundup. We speak with Brent Wisner, the lead trial counsel for Dewayne Lee Johnson, who has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Doctors say he is unlikely to live past 2020. Johnson's was the first lawsuit to go to trial alleging glyphosate causes cancer. Filed in 2016, it was fast-tracked for trial due to the severity of his illness.
www.democracynow.org/2018/8/14/historic_ruling_against_monsanto_finds_company

SPLC sues Trump administration for approving Arkansas Medicaid work requirement
splcenter.org | splcenter.org | 2018-08-14
Cesar Ardon was a welder for 15 years before he had surgery last year to remove a baseball-sized tumor over his right ribs.
splcenter.org/news/2018/08/14/splc-sues-trump-administration-approving-arkansas-medicaid-work-requirement

'Hulking muscled guards': CIA cable gives steamy description of 'enhanced' interrogation
RT | rt.com | 2018-08-13
A declassified cable detailing torture at a CIA blacksite in Thailand operated by now-CIA Director Gina Haspel employed hokey language perhaps better suited for an erotic novel — as opposed to documenting the agency's actions.
rt.com/usa/435841-cia-cable-fifty-shades-torture/

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