(2018-09-06). India, Russia And The Post-American Century. iranian.com India's impending purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system has come to be the leitmotif of the "2+2" dialogue of the foreign and defence ministers of India and the United States due to take place in New Delhi on September 6. However, the issue here is not about a single defence transaction, either. There are […]
(2018-09-06). In Senate hearing, Facebook pledges to replace "bad speech" with "alternative facts" wsws.org Wednesday's hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee made one thing clear: there is not an inch of daylight between Facebook and the spy agencies in the drive to censor the internet.
(2018-09-06). Pentagon has 'zero intelligence' on Syrian militants' chemical weapons capabilities — Mattis. rt.com 
Despite having a "fairly good penetration" of the Syrian opposition groups, the US has not seen any evidence suggesting that the militants in Idlib are capable of staging a chemical attack, the US defense secretary claimed. |
(2018-09-05). Sheryl Sandberg Misled Congress About Facebook's Conscience. theintercept.com Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg draped herself in the star-spangled banner of American principles before today's Senate Select Intelligence Committee hearing on social media. Sandberg proclaimed that democratic values of free expression were integral to the company's conscience. "We would only operate in a country where we could do so in keeping with our values," she went on. Either this was a lie told under oath, or Facebook has some pretty lousy values."We would only operate in a country where we could do so in keeping with our values." | Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., questioned Sandberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey about the fact that they are both ostensibly American companies, but also firms with users around the world — including in countries with legal systems and values that differ drastically from the United States. Rubio cited various governments that crack down…
(2018-09-05). Israel Plans to Sell Freedom Flotilla Boats, Give Money to Illegal Settlers. mintpressnews.com 
Israel plans to sell four boats seized while sailing towards the besieged Gaza Strip and distribute the funds among two settlers families. | Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported yesterday that the move came in response to the Israeli Central Court's decision following a request filed by the families. | Israel has in recent weeks confiscated four boats coming from Europe in an effort to break the Israeli navy blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip. | According to the paper, the court has heard the opinion of senior navy and intelligence officials who said the boats' ownership would have been transferred to Hamas if it had reached Gaza. | The Israeli army announced that it is holding the boats in the port of Ashdod in central Israel. | One of the two families, the Gavish family says three of its members were killed in a…
(2018-09-05). U.K. Charges Two Suspected Russian Intelligence Agents in Nerve Agent Attack. theintercept.com Two suspected Russian spies were charged on Wednesday with smuggling a Novichok nerve agent into Britain in March and using it to poison a former spy.
(2018-09-05). Ellsberg Says Assange, as a Journalist, Can't Be Tried Under Espionage Act. consortiumnews.com In an interview with Consortium News Editor-in-Chief Joe Lauria, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg says the Espionage Act, under which he was indicted, cannot apply to Julian Assange because he is a journalist. Speaking during an online vigil for Assange… Read more →
(2018-09-05). Daniel Ellsberg: Julian Assange, as a Journalist, Can't Be Tried Under Espionage Act. mintpressnews.com "Julian is not a whistle blower per se, but a facilitator of whistleblowing," Ellsberg said, "…the point being that as a journalist, he can not fairly be tried under the Espionage Act."
(2018-09-05). Mueller Subpoenas Conspiracy Theorist Trump Contacted for Information on Obama's Birth Certificate. alternet.org 
Corsi currently works with fellow conspiracy theorist Alex Jones at Infowars. | The New York Times reports that special counsel Robert Mueller has subpoenaed conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi. He was contacted by President Donald Trump for information about former President Barack Obama's birth certificate during his birther campaign.
(2018-09-05). US whistleblower Chelsea Manning defies ban to speak in Australia. wsws.org "Once you're immersed in a war zone, you realise that it isn't statistics anymore. These were human lives and flaws and all of the vulnerabilities that people have."
(2018-09-04). What Does The Intercept's NSA Leak Say About Russian Vote Hacking? therealnews.com 
With Reality Winner sentenced to five years behind bars, The Intercept's Jim Risen joins Aaron Maté to discuss the NSA leaker's harsh sentence and what the document she revealed actually says. Is there solid evidence of Russian vote hacking?
(2018-09-04). New York University president receives base pay of $1.3 million. wsws.org Andrew Hamilton's total pay, including compensation and bonuses, would be roughly $2 million, placing him tenth on the list for highest-compensated university administrators.
(2018-09-04). Fuel tanker smashes into bridge in Japan during massive typhoon (VIDEO). rt.com 
A hulking tanker ship smashed right into a bridge linking Osaka Kansai airport with the Japanese mainland. The collision happened as Japan is being battered by the largest typhoon in 25 years. |
(2018-09-04). No more science for you: Liquid nitrogen experiment fail caught on camera (VIDEO). rt.com 
The Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, Arkansas is beloved by locals and known for its hands-on approach to science education. However, things got a little out of hand at a recent event combining magic and science.
(2018-09-03). Economic Update: Capitalism's Problems Provoke Opposition. therealnews.com 
This week: Updates on Missouri vote for union position; the irrationality of student debt; economic sanction of Iran isolates and costs U.S. for Trump political gains; Monsanto puts profits over cancer risks; Louisiana legislature punishes big banks for lending to assault rifle producers; special guest: Troy Walcott, a Spectrum Cable technician on strike in New…
(2018-09-03). The Truths That Won't be Told: How Israel Spies on US Citizens. counterpunch.org An investigative documentary by Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera scheduled for broadcast earlier this year was expected to cause a sensation. Its four 50-minute episodes centred on the young and personable James Anthony Kleinfeld, British, Jewish, an Oxford graduate who speaks six languages including Dutch and Yiddish and is well-informed about Middle East conflicts — seemingly More
(2018-09-02). Desperate for collusion proof, FBI 'tried & failed to recruit Russian oligarchs' — report. rt.com 
FBI agents tried to turn Russia's once-richest man into a US mole, according to an explosive NYT report. It claims that Oleg Deripaska was one of six oligarchs targeted for information in a Russiagate-related intelligence flop.
(2018-09-01). An Online Vigil in Defense of Julian Assange With Daniel Ellsberg, Craig Murray, Bill Binney and Ray McGovern. consortiumnews.com Joe Lauria, editor-in-chief of Consortium News, on Saturday helped moderate a daylong chain of interviews in defense of WikiLeaks and its publisher Julian Assange, including a discussion with Daniel Ellsberg. A #Unity4J online vigil was held on Saturday to defend the WikiLeaks… Read more →
(2018-08-31). US has already drafted list of targets for potential strike in Syria — report. rt.com 
The US military and intelligence have already compiled a list of preliminary targets they would strike in response to another chemical-weapons incident in Syria, CNN reported, citing US administration officials. |
(2018-08-31). Trump legal team to challenge Mueller probe legitimacy in counter-report. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump's legal team, led by his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, is working on a comprehensive report intended as a response to the conclusions of the "Russia collusion" probe, which are yet to be released.
(2018-08-31). Nicaragua: In its attempt to avoid international scrutiny, government makes apparent its responsibility for human rights violations. amnesty.org Following the decision of President Daniel Ortega's government to expel the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights mission one day after the presentation of its report "Human Rights Violations and Abuses in the Context of the Protests in Nicaragua", on the serious crisis which the country has been facing since 18 April of this year, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International, said…
(2018-08-30). Eswatini: Forced evictions expose flawed land laws as hundreds face homelessness. amnesty.org The Eswatini government must halt forced evictions which have left hundreds of people homeless and pushed them deeper into poverty, Amnesty International said in a new report today. | | They don't see us as people: security of tenure and forced evictions in Eswatini details forced evictions in two areas of the country that resulted in more than 200 people, most of them subsistence farmers, being made homeless and without access to land where they could continue farming. | Although the evictions involved a long legal process, they were carried out in the absence of adequate notice, genuine consultation and without adequate compensation, in…
(2018-08-29). Trump adviser who President 'allowed to cooperate' with Mueller to step down. rt.com 
White House Counsel Don McGahn is to step down this fall, President Trump has announced. News of McGahn's departure comes after it was revealed he was questioned by Robert Mueller's 'Russiagate' investigation. |
(2018-08-28). Media Continues Writing Premature Obituaries for the Democratic Left. fair.org 
US News ( 8/8/18): "A band of far-left candidates have suffered a string of defeats in Democratic primaries this year." | The insurgent left wing of the Democratic Party, sometimes self-identified as democratic socialists and exemplified by rising star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and associated with groups like Bernie Sanders' Our Revolution, the Justice Democrats and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), took some losses in primaries on August 7. These included high-profile candidates like Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate for Michigan governor and Brent Welder in Kansas's 2nd district, along with losses by Cori Bush in Missouri's 1st district. Following the losses, corporate media outlets were quick to declare the Democratic left wing dead in the water: | "Bernie and His Army Are Losing 2018" (Politico, 8/8/18) | "Down Goes Socialism" (Politico, 8/8/18) | "Democratic Party's Liberal Insurgency Hits…
(2018-08-28). How the Department of Homeland Security Created a Deceptive Tale of Russia Hacking US Voter Sites. consortiumnews.com The narrative about Russian cyberattacks on American election infrastructure is a self-interested abuse of power by DHS based on distortion of evidence, writes Gareth Porter. By Gareth Porter Special to Consortium News The narrative of Russian intelligence attacking state and… Read more →
(2018-08-28). Headlines for August 28, 2018. democracynow.org U.N. Accuses U.S.-Backed, Saudi-led Coalition of Possible War Crimes in Yemen, North Korea Warns Denuclearization Talks in Jeopardy, Federal Court Strikes Down North Carolina's Gerrymandered Voting Map, U.S. Student Loan Watchdog Accuses Trump Administration of Siding with Predatory Lenders, Facebook Bans Burmese Army Commander-in-Chief After U.N. Genocide Report, U.S. and Mexico Reach Agreement to Revise Portions of NAFTA | , Trump Breaks Near-Silence on Death of Sen. John McCain, Study Links Air Pollution to Reduction in Intelligence, Bloomberg Reassigns Journalist Who Exposed Wells Fargo's Ties to Gun Industry…
(2018-08-24). James Risen: Reality Winner's Sentence Is One of the Worst Miscarriages of Justice in Recent History. democracynow.org 
NSA whistleblower Reality Winner was handed the longest sentence ever imposed in federal court for leaking government information to the media Thursday. She is the first person to be sentenced under the Espionage Act since President Trump took office. Winner was arrested by FBI agents at her home in Augusta, Georgia, on June 3, 2017, two days before The Intercept published an exposé revealing Russian military intelligence conducted a cyberattack on at least one U.S. voting software company just days before the U.S. presidential election. The exposé was based on a classified NSA report from May 5, 2017, that shows…
(2018-08-24). Mother of NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner: My Daughter Was "Nailed to the Door" by the Trump Admin. democracynow.org 
NSA whistleblower Reality Winner has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison—the longest sentence ever imposed in federal court for leaking government information to the media. Twenty-six-year-old Reality Winner is the first person to be sentenced under the Espionage Act since President Trump took office. Her sentencing Thursday came after she pleaded guilty in June to transmitting a top-secret document to a news organization. She had faced up to 10 years in prison. We speak with her mother, Billie Winner-Davis.
(2018-08-24). Headlines for August 24, 2018. democracynow.org Yemen: 31 Reportedly Killed in U.S.-Backed Airstrikes, Including 22 Children, National Enquirer Executives Had Safe Containing Dirt on Trump, New York City Prosecutor Opens Criminal Probe into Trump Organization, GOP Senators Give Trump Green Light to Fire AG Jeff Sessions, Rep. Duncan Hunter and His Wife Plead Not Guilty to Looting Campaign Funds, Prison Strike Against "Modern-Day Slavery" Spreads Nationwide, NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison, Hawaii: Flooding and Landslides Reported as Hurricane Lane Strikes, South Africa Rejects Trump Claim of "Large Scale Killing" of Farmers, A…
(2018-08-24). Distorting Past and Present: Reuters on Nicaragua's Armed Uprising. fair.org 
From April 18 until late July 2018, an armed insurrection in Nicaragua left hundreds of people dead. The uprising, backed enthusiastically by private media outlets in Nicaragua (in particular one of its largest circulating newspapers, La Prensa, and the TV network 100%Noticias), was also supported by local NGOs funded by the US government through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The Trump administration and others (the EU parliament, UN officials) publicly backed the opposition's version of events, as did Amnesty international and Human Rights Watch. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his supporters were held responsible for the vast majority of the "protest"-related deaths, and Ortega (who had been re-elected in 2016) was pressured at first to resign outright, and later to hold "early elections." | I examined 45 Reuters news articles