(2018-09-25). Tensions Grow as China, Russia and Iran Lead the Way Towards a New Multipolar World Order. mintpressnews.com Military and economic tensions are increasing due to the ramped up warlike stance of the US establishment. The impossibility of halting the shifting world order in favour of prolonging the unipolar moment has left the US deep state reaching for any available weapon at hand, taking no heed of the dangers and consequences of such a reckless foreign policy.
(2018-09-25). European Union Agrees To Develop Payment Channel To Facilitate Iran's Exports. iranian.com The EU hopes the new framework will keep firms doing business with Iran. European businesses have already pulled out and the currency has plummeted as the threat of US sanctions looms. [dropcap]E[/dropcap]uropean Union will set up a legal entity to facilitate legitimate financial transactions with Iran to allow continued trade, EU High Representative for Foreign […]
(2018-09-25). The Path to World War III? globalresearch.ca The minimal U.S. press coverage accorded to last Monday's shooting down of a Russian intelligence plane off the coast of Syria is, of course, a reflection both of lack of interest and of Israel's involvement in the incident. If one …
(2018-09-25). Destroying Yemen as Humanely as Possible. counterpunch.org 
What a relief to learn that even though Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are bombing the crap out of Yemen, they are doing so humanely. On September 12, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, pursuant to the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 ("NDAA"), certified that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are "undertaking demonstrable actions to reduce the risk of harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure" in their war on Houthi rebels in Yemen. More
(2018-09-25). Marcy Wheeler: Rosenstein's Ouster Would Not Necessarily Signal End of Mueller Investigation. democracynow.org 
Drama unfolded Monday when Axios reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein verbally resigned over the weekend amid mounting tension over the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election. Last week, Rosenstein and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly met at the White House hours after The New York Times reported Rosenstein had suggested secretly recording Trump in the White House and discussed recruiting Cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office for being unfit. But on Monday, Trump confirmed Rosenstein still has a j…
(2018-09-25). As Rosenstein Stays, What Can Manafort Give Mueller? therealnews.com 
After widespread speculation that he was on the outs, Rod Rosenstein is still on the job. The uncertainty over his future comes amid a flurry of activity in the Mueller probe that he oversees, including the plea deal of Paul Manafort. Author Craig Unger joins Aaron Maté to discuss Rosenstein's plight and whether Manafort's lobbying…
(2018-09-25). US spy agencies come to Northern Virginia Community College. wsws.org On September 26, NOVA will host a job and internship fair aimed at recruiting college students at its Annandale campus to the CIA, DHS, NSA and FBI.
(2018-09-25). Massachusetts: Lawrence residents speak out on the Columbia Gas explosions. wsws.org What should be basic human rights—safe housing, hot water, and cooking facilities—have been replaced with a militarized force and unsafe appliances.
(2018-09-25). Guardian newspaper condemned for publishing "deliberate lies" about Julian Assange. wsws.org Former British whistleblower Craig Murray linked the newspaper's allegations directly to the Mueller investigation in the United States.
(2018-09-25). Amid media frenzy, Rosenstein to meet with Trump on Thursday. wsws.org The deputy attorney general, who supervises the Russia investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, has denied plotting Trump's removal via the 25th Amendment.
(2018-09-25). The Fate of Rod Rosenstein Will Impact Every Branch of Government. truthout.org So that happened. | If one unexpurgated example were needed to show how severely Donald Trump's presidency has overheated the national engine, yesterday's lunchtime four-valve blowout would serve nicely. Some breathlessly slipshod reporting, a pair of dueling leaks and a deliberate two-year White House campaign to keep the country's RPM dial deep in the red came together to produce sound, fury and, for the moment, nothing at all. | The paroxysm began before noon with an Axios headline that read, "Exclusive: Rod Rosenstein Is Resigning." Rosenstein, of course, is the embattled deputy attorney general who has been overseeing Robert Mueller's ongoing Russian collusion investigation after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself. Trump has been growling at Rosenstein from the beginning, threatening to fire him with drearily metronomic regularity. | Removing Rosenstein without due cause is fraught with political and legal ramifications for…
(2018-09-24). Headlines for September 24, 2018. democracynow.org Feinstein Calls for Postponing Kavanaugh Nomination Process After Second Woman Speaks Out, Trump Questions Blasey Ford's Attempted Rape Claim, Trump Admin to Deny Green Cards to Immigrants Who Collect Public Assistance, NYT: Rosenstein Suggested Secretly Recording President Trump, Iran Blames U.S. & Gulf States After 29 Die in Attack on Military Parade, Giuliani: The Overthrow of Iran's Government Is "Going to Happen", Coal Ash Spill Reported in Cape Fear River in North Carolina, Pompeo Warns U.S. Preparing "Series of Actions" Targeting Venezuela, 20,000 March in Switzerland for Equal Pay for Women, Cruz and O'Ro…
(2018-09-24). Trump Administration Pledges Fresh 'Action' Against Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Pompeo wasn't specific on which actions would be used "to increase the pressure level against the Venezuelan leadership."
(2018-09-24). Rosenstein hasn't been fired — yet. Here's a look at some of his most controversial moments. rt.com 
Rumors of the impending firing of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein flooded the internet today — but the controversial figure has survived to see another day as the man responsible for overseeing the Mueller investigation.
(2018-09-24). 'We're going to win!' Pompeo vows China trade war will last until Americans get what they 'deserve'. rt.com 
As the latest US and Chinese tit-for-tat tariffs are about to take effect, Mike Pompeo has reassured Americans that any inconveniences they might suffer in the trade war are temporary, before they emerge victorious and prosperous.
(2018-09-23). This Blessed Plot: Art Untangles Conspiracy at the Met Breuer. theintercept.com 
Mark Lombardi would have had a field day. If the American conceptual artist, who took his own life in 2000, had lived a little longer, he would have witnessed Bush versus Gore, with its lawyer armies and hanging chads; and of course the September 11 attacks and launch of the so-called war on terror, which would have fed even further his obsessional interest in the nefarious networks that structure our lives. | Scouring the newspapers to document the plots of his time — the savings and loan scandal, Whitewater, the Vatican bank — and filling thousands of index cards, Lombardi produced large, elegant drawings, all circles and arced lines, with precise notations in red and black pencil. It was data art for the late-analog age, literally connecting the dots: who transacted with whom, who was linked by hierarchy or common allegiance. In part,…
(2018-09-21). Headlines for September 21, 2018. democracynow.org Dr. Christine Blasey Ford Offers to Testify About Kavanaugh Attempted Rape Allegations, Republican Congressman Jokes That Abraham Lincoln Groped Ruth Bader Ginsburg, State Department Specialists Opposed Pompeo's Decision to Keep Backing Saudi Assault in Yemen, Dozens of Undocumented Immigrants Arrested While Trying to Retrieve Children in Custody, Trump Admin Diverts $266 Million from Social Programs to Pay for Detaining Children, One Year After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico Remains in Crisis, Trump Reportedly Asked Spain to Build 3,000-Mile Wall Across Sahara Desert, At Least 100 Die After Ferry Capsizes in Tanza…
(2018-09-21). State Department Team Led by Former Raytheon Lobbyist Pushed Mike Pompeo to Support Yemen War Because of Arms Sales. theintercept.com The former lobbyist's team said a $2 billion sale of Raytheon missiles to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates could be imperiled.
(2018-09-21). Pompeo promises a 'series of actions' against Venezuela in the 'coming days'. rt.com 
Washington has promised to increase pressure on Venezuela in the coming days, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowing to take a "series of actions" against the government of Nicolas Maduro in the "best interest" of Venezuelans.
(2018-09-21). Michael Cohen praises own 'integrity & veracity' during Mueller probe in 'accidental' tweet. rt.com 
In a bizarre blunder, Michael Cohen has praised own patriotism and trumpeted the crucial role he plays in the notorious Mueller investigation, in a tweet that was allegedly meant to be sent from his lawyer's account.
(2018-09-20). Monsanto asks judge to overturn $289m cancer verdict, claims dying man presented lack of evidence. rt.com 
Agrochemical giant Monsanto has appealed to a California judge to throw out a $289 million jury verdict awarded to a man who claimed that the Bayer-owned company's glyphosate-based weed-killers, including Roundup, gave him cancer.
(2018-09-20). Grammar fail! Pompeo annoyed with State Dept's inappropriate use of commas, staff given lessons. rt.com 
There's undoubtedly a lot going on in Mike Pompeo's head at any time, from Syria to North Korea. But the secretary of state apparently still has time to be a stickler for grammar, with his staff sending out memos on comma usage.
(2018-09-20). To protect arms sales, Pompeo favors sole voice backing renewed support of Saudis in Yemen — report. rt.com 
Mike Pompeo certified that Saudi Arabia was reducing civilian casualties in Yemen, against the majority opinion in the State Department, siding with a minority report which warned US arms sales would be in jeopardy if he didn't. |
(2018-09-20). US slaps Chinese arms procurer with sanctions for buying advanced Russian weapons. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has authorized the addition of 33 Russian defense and intelligence officials and entities to the ever-growing US sanctions list and also targeted a Chinese military entity for buying Russian arms.
(2018-09-19). Trump Is Unshackling America's Drones Thanks to Obama's Weakness. aclu.org Obama didn't do enough to curtail America's drones. Now expansion under Trump could have devastating consequences. | The piece was originally published by The Guardian. | For more than a decade, the worst-kept secret in the world has been the fact that the Central Intelligence Agency owns and operates lethal drones outside of recognized battlefields abroad. Newspapers blare it from their (2018-09-19). "A Matter of Life and Death": Trump Admin Slashes Refugee Cap to Historic Low, Imperiling Thousands. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration has once again slashed the number of refugees allowed to resettle in the United States. On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the new cap on refugees would be a historic low of just 30,000 next year, down from the current level of 45,000. The actual number of refugees allowed in to the country is expected to be even lower than the 30,000 cap. Monday's announcement represents the lowest ceiling any president has imposed on the U.S. refugee program since its creation in 1980. Under President Obama, the refugee cap reached 110,000. For more on the Trump administration's refugee…
(2018-09-19). US can spy on journalists domestically using FISA warrants, declassified guidelines show. rt.com 
Newly declassified Department of Justice memos show guidelines for the US government spying on journalists and their sources using FISA warrants — the same method used to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
(2018-09-18). '71 yrs of spying & regime change': CIA tweets about birthday, gets trolled in comments. rt.com 
The CIA has tweeted a GIF marking its 71st birthday — and while some folks on Twitter took the opportunity to express their sincere thanks to the intelligence agency for the work it does, others were, let's just say, not so kind.
(2018-09-13). Headlines for September 13, 2018. democracynow.org Millions Along East Coast Brace for Arrival of Hurricane Florence, Toxic Waste Sites and Nuclear Plants Lie in Path of Hurricane Florence, Puerto Rican Officials Slam Trump for Claiming Response to Maria Was "Success" | , NYT: More Migrant Children Are Detained Than at Any Other Time in U.S. History | , Parents Forcibly Separated from Children Win Second Chance to Apply for Asylum | , NYT: Scott Pruitt in Talks to Work as Consultant to Coal Tycoon, Pompeo Certifies Saudi-Led Coalition Taking Steps to Protect Yemeni Civilians, Despite Evidence, Guatemala Protests President's Effort to Shut Down U.N.-Backed Anti-Co…