Daily Archives: October 16, 2018

2018-10-16: News Headlines

ZeroHedge (2018-10-16). Pompeo Took 12-Hour Flight To Saudi Arabia For '15 Minute Meeting' With King Salman. mintpressnews.com It's looking more likely that neither the US nor the rest of the Western world will do much to punish the world's most important oil exporter, which can "weaponize" the oil market seemingly on a whim.

Kent Paterson (2018-10-16). Fifty Years of Mexican October. counterpunch.org In understanding contemporary Mexican politics and society, the careful observer might well draw a line before and after October 2, 1968. That was the day when Mexican soldiers killed, wounded and detained hundreds of students and civilians who had peacefully assembled in the Tlatelolco section of Mexico City to demand a more democratic government and More

teleSUR (2018-10-16). Draconian Ecuadorean Rules on Assange's Prison-Like Embassy Stay: Document. telesurtv.net Ecuador's London embassy issues strict rules on Julian Assange who will have to pay for mandatory medical check-ups or risk being kicked out.

Pierre-Henri Bunel (2018-10-16). Al Qaeda: The Data Base. globalresearch.ca Osama bin Laden with Zbigniew Brzezinski, 1979 (source unconfirmed) | Global Research Editor's Note | This article originally published by Global Research in 2005 sheds light on the nature of Al Qaeda, an intelligence construct used by Washington to destabilize and destroy …

wsws (2018-10-16). Amazon whistleblower Shannon Allen: Celebrated $15 base pay represents pay cut for some workers. wsws.org Amazon workers have reported to the International Amazon Workers Voice that the pay changes have been accompanied by a general "tightening up" of the tyrannical internal regime in the warehouses.

WorkWeek Radio (2018-10-16). OSHA Investigator/Lawyer Darrell Whitman, OSC, Culture Of Corruption, GAP & The Democrats. indybay.org Federal OSHA Whistleblower Protection Program investigator and lawyer Darrell Whitman discusses his effort to defend fellow workers at OSHA WPP. He also discusses the systemic effort to cover-up the retaliation of OSHA whistleblowers from companies like FedEx, Wells Fargo, PG&E, Test American and Lockheed Martin. He reports that he went to many politicians including Diane Feinstein and Congresswoman Barbara Lee about these conditions not only at OSHA about violations of civil rights including the murder of Alan Blueford. He learned that not only were OSHA officials and the Department of Labor DOL Secretary Tom Pe…

Gene Ruyle (2018-10-16). Kavanaugh. indybay.org NPML, 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (just North of Alcatraz Ave.)…

wsws (2018-10-16). Washington state Supreme Court strikes down death penalty as "arbitrary and racially biased" wsws.org The ruling invalidating the state's 37-year-old death penalty law makes Washington the latest in a string of states in recent years to abandon capital punishment.

TCADP Supporter (2018-10-16). A Common Thread Of Cruelty By Ted Cruz In His Supreme Court Cases. indybay.org Ted Cruz has chosen cruel and unusual punishment over and over again in his legal history.

Russell Mokhiber (2018-10-15). Sarah Chayes Calls on West Virginians to Write In No More Manchins. counterpunch.org There are Democrats in West Virginia who are going to vote for Senator Joe Manchin — no matter that he's a corporate Democrat, no matter that he supports Big Pharma and the fossil fuel industry, no matter that he was the only Democratic Senator to vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. More

Karen J. Greenberg (2018-10-15). How Guantánamo Laid the Groundwork for Kavanaugh's Confirmation. thenation.com How Guantánamo Laid the Groundwork for Kavanaugh's Confirmation…

Matthew Chapman, AlterNet (2018-10-15). Florida Supreme Court Just Thwarted the Republican Governor's Underhanded and Desperate Plot to Grab Power. alternet.org Rick Scott thought he had a failsafe to preserve GOP power in case Democrats won the governor's mansion. The state supreme court just threw cold water on it. | This year, Florida has very good odds of electing Andrew Gillum, the charismatic, progressive Tallahassee mayor, as their next governor. But outgoing GOP governor Rick Scott thought he had a. . .

INA (2018-10-15). Supreme Court Freezes Deportation of Detained American Student. imemc.org The Israeli Supreme Court froze, on Sunday, deportation measures against American student Lara al-Qasem, who was barred entry to Israel over alleged ties to the BDS movement. The court will convene on Wednesday, to determine whether or not it will grant Al-Qasem permission to file an appeal against her detention […]…

Matthew Chapman, AlterNet (2018-10-15). West Virginia Courts in Chaos After GOP Impeachment of Chief Justice Is Ruled Illegal. alternet.org West Virginia has plunged headlong into a constitutional crisis. | Earlier this year, Republicans in the West Virginia legislature took the extraordinary action of impeaching every single member of the state Supreme Court. But the entire process has blown up in Republicans' face. The state courts are now in a full-blown constitutional crisis, because the impeachment of Democra. . .

Justin T. McPhee (2018-10-15). Uberrima Fides? Witness K, East Timor and the Economy of Espionage. counterpunch.org "There is an air of unreality about this stated case. It has the appearance of a Law School moot based on an episode taken from the adventures of Maxwell Smart". It was with some levity that Justice Mason described the Australian Secret Intelligence Service's botched training session at the Sheraton Hotel, Melbourne, in November 1983. More

RT (2018-10-15). Trump sending Mike Pompeo to meet Saudi King 'immediately' over missing journalist. rt.com US President Donald Trump is sending Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet with King Salman of Saudi Arabia after the king denied having any knowledge about the disappearance of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. |

wsws (2018-10-15). Ecuador to partially restore Julian Assange's access to communications and visitors. wsws.org Ecuador's decision does not end the danger Assange faces or his effective imprisonment inside the small embassy building in London.

Heather Digby Parton, Salon (2018-10-15). Here's the Real Reason Conservatives Are 'Terrified' of the So-Called Left-Wing 'Mob'. alternet.org Trump voting right-wingers are not actually afraid. They're playing the victim to own the libs. | I hear that the angry mob is on the march getting ready to take to the streets and destroy everything that God-fearing Real Americans care about. Again. This latest iteration of the perennial right-wing fear-mongering began when survivors and women's rights activists came to Washington to protest the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. These frightening revolutiona. . .

Shared by Samantha Borek (2018-10-15). How Guantánamo Set the Stage for the Kavanaugh Hearings. truthout.org Amid the emotional hubbub over the predictable confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, there has been a largely overlooked casualty: the American judiciary. It's not the end result alone — his addition to the highest bench in the land where he will sit for life — that promises to damage the country, but the unprofessional, procedurally irresponsible way his circus-like hearings were held that dealt a blow to the possibilities for justice in America, a blow from which it may prove hard to recover. | Senator Susan Collins acknowledged the damage the hearings wrought, even if she misunderstood the cause. Delive…

Shared by therealnews (2018-10-14). How Obama Paved the Way for the Kavanaugh Appointment. therealnews.com Eoin Higgins of The Intercept argues that had Obama investigated and prosecuted Bush administration officials, Brett Kavanaugh would probably never have made it to the Supreme Court

RT (2018-10-14). It's not 'light v dark' if Obama and Trump Supreme Court picks agree 93% of the time — Lee Camp. rt.com Lee Camp delves into 50 shades of darkness as he explains why Obama and Trump's Supreme Court picks vote shockingly similarly and why the Pentagon didn't actually believe in the triumph of democracy in Syria.

Shared by Jocelyn Dombroski (2018-10-14). How Obama Paved the Way for the Kavanaugh Appointment. therealnews.com Eoin Higgins of The Intercept argues that had Obama investigated and prosecuted Bush administration officials, Brett Kavanaugh would probably never have made it to the Supreme Court

Paul Street (2018-10-12). For Popular Sovereignty, Beyond Absurdity. counterpunch.org Troubling as the noxious Kavanaugh's personal history and untruthfulness are, however, it was even more depressing to see the highly personalized soap opera over his past behavior trump momentous questions of law and policy (including sexist and patriarchal law and policy) — abortion rights, presidential immunity from prosecution, torture, and more in his nomination fight. More

splcenter (2018-10-12). Weekend Read: For immigrant survivors of sexual assault, support is off the books. splcenter.org President Trump has now appointed two men to the Supreme Court. During an oral argument this week, one of them, Justice Neil Gorsuch, seemed concerned about the expansive use of government power to detain immigrants.

David Rosen (2018-10-12). Packing the Supreme Court in the 21stCentury. counterpunch.org The Senate hearings on the nomination and appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court was a classic "show trial" — that almost got derailed by Christine Blasey Ford's unexpected and courageous testimony. If recalled at all, "show trials" were well-choreographed trials instigated by Joseph Stalinbetween 1936 and 1938 against those who represented challenges to his increasing autocratic control over More

Brian Cloughley (2018-10-12). Trump's Threats of Death and Destruction. counterpunch.org The squalid charade in the US Senate over the appointment of Supreme Court Judge Kavanaugh and the comic opera performance by President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly in September were deeply embarrassing for many Americans — but far from all Americans, because substantial numbers support the flawed Court appointee and strongly endorse Trump's More

aclu (2018-10-12). Supreme Court Enables Mass Disenfranchisement of North Dakota's Native Americans. aclu.org A restrictive law will make it hard to vote for people who live on reservations in rural areas and don't have street addresses. | On Tuesday, the Supreme Court chose to stand by and allow the war against voting to continue. Just a little less than a month before midterm elections that will determine control of Congress, the court decided not to block North Dakota's restrictive voter ID law, which will make it harder for people in that state to cast their ballots. | Republicans in the state legislature insist that the l…

RT (2018-10-12). Brooklyn 'witches' want to stop Justice Kavanaugh with 'occult magic'. rt.com After unproven rape allegations and street protests failed, a group of self-described 'witches' plan on stopping Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh the only way they know how: with magic spells and witchcraft. Really. |

RT (2018-10-12). 'Entire Middle East' should look like Israel — Pompeo. rt.com Israel is everything the US wishes the Middle East would be, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared in a speech, while bashing the Obama administration's approach to Iran as resembling a "Disney movie." |

aclu (2018-10-11). Washington Supreme Court Abolishes the Death Penalty. aclu.org Washington is now the 20th state to abolish capital punishment as the public continues to sour on the barbaric practice. | On Oct. 11, the Washington State Supreme Court unanimously struck down the death penalty as unconstitutional, ruling the "death penalty is invalid because it is imposed in an arbitrary and racially biased matter" and "it fails to serve any legitimate penological goal." The death penalty is a punishment that is as flawed as it is final, and as the Washington high court acknowledges, one plagued by racial bias and arbitrariness.

Start Making Sense, Jon Wiener (2018-10-11). Women's Anger—and Kavanaugh's Rage. thenation.com Women's Anger—and Kavanaugh's Rage…

Calvin Trillin (2018-10-11). The FBI/White House Supplemental Background Check on Brett Kavanaugh. thenation.com The FBI/White House Supplemental Background Check on Brett Kavanaugh…

RT (2018-10-11). US won't give 'one single dollar' for Syria reconstruction until Iranian forces are out — Pompeo. rt.com The US will spend no more money on the reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria if it does not see off Iranian troops, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. The US previously said it would stay in Syria as long as Iran is there.

RT (2018-10-11). Washington Supreme Court rules death penalty unconstitutional, changes death sentences to life. rt.com Washington State's Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty is unlawful under the state constitution and has converted all eight current death sentences to life in prison.

Shared by Aaron Maté (2018-10-11). Is the U.S. Complicit in Saudi Journalist's Disappearance? therealnews.com President Trump says the US is pressing Saudi Arabia for answers on the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But new questions are being raised about the US role after a Washington Post report that U.S. intelligence intercepted communications of Saudi officials discussing a plan to capture and "lay hands on" Khashoggi. We speak to…

Shared by Jocelyn Dombroski (2018-10-11). Is the U.S. Complicit in Saudi Journalist's Disappearance? therealnews.com President Trump says the US is pressing Saudi Arabia for answers on the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But new questions are being raised about the US role after a Washington Post report that U.S. intelligence intercepted communications of Saudi officials discussing a plan to capture and "lay hands on" Khashoggi. We speak to…

RT (2018-10-11). Pompeo complained that North & South Korea talk peace without him — South FM. rt.com The US Secretary of State expressed "discontent" with peaceful negotiations between North and South Korea, which signed a military pact during last month's summit without consulting him.

RT (2018-10-11). First ever 'Chinese spy' extradited to stand trial in US. rt.com A man the US claims is a Chinese intelligence officer stood before a court on Wednesday, after being flown to the US from Belgium in an "unprecedented" extradition.

John Nichols (2018-10-10). The Supreme Court Is Broken. Here's How to Fix It. thenation.com The Supreme Court Is Broken. Here's How to Fix It.

Janine Jackson (2018-10-09). 'With Kavanaugh on the Court, Checking and Balancing Is Not Going to Happen'. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed Marjorie Cohn about the Brett Kavanaugh nomination for the October 5, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Democracy Now! (2018-10-09). Headlines for October 9, 2018. democracynow.org Hurricane Michael Kills 13 in Central America, Approaches U.S. Coast, Trump Apologizes to Kavanaugh During Ceremonial SCOTUS Swearing-In, Beijing Strikes Hostile Tone at Pompeo Visit Amid U.S.-China Tensions, China Detains Interpol Police Chief, Accusing Him of Corruption, NYT: Ex-Trump Campaign Aide Rick Gates Was In Touch with Israeli Psy-Group, Turkey Searching for Van in Case of Missing Saudi Journalist, Social Network Google+ to Shut Down After Massive Data Breach, NYC Vigil Held for Uber Driver Who Died by Suicide, Owner of Company Behind Deadly NY Limo Crash Was FBI Informant, New York Governor Cuomo, Pres…

splcenter (2018-10-09). On the far right, neo-Nazis, racists hail Brett Kavanaugh's elevation to Supreme Court as open season on women, minority rights in America. splcenter.org To neo-Nazi-in-hiding Andrew Anglin, the elevation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court is a milestone, one that he hopes will result in an end to women's rights across the country.

Democracy Now! (2018-10-09). 2017 Nobel Peace Laureate: Amid Talks with North Korea, It's Time for U.S. to Abandon Nukes, Too. democracynow.org Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang over the weekend in talks meant to further steps toward nuclear disarmament. Pompeo hailed the meeting as a success, saying both sides were "pretty close" to agreeing to details for a second summit between Kim and President Donald Trump. He also told reporters Kim has agreed to let international inspectors into a North Korean missile engine test facility and nuclear testing site where the country conducted its six nuclear tests. However, Pompeo did not say whether North Korea would allow inspectors to visit a site where the count…

Democracy Now! (2018-10-08). Where Does #MeToo Go from Here? Women Are "On Fire" with Rage as Kavanaugh Joins Supreme Court. democracynow.org Thousands of women protested outside the U.S. Capitol and across the country on Saturday as Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, just hours after the Senate voted to confirm him. "I hope that it is deep enough that it is forming a strong, cohesive movement among people that will resonate through this country and change the culture," says Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CodePink, who joined the protests. We also speak with longtime feminist activist and writer Soraya Chemaly, author of the new book, "Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger." She says conservat…

Democracy Now! (2018-10-08). "They Did Not Care": How the GOP Dismissed Assault Accusations & Confirmed Kavanaugh. democracynow.org Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, just hours after the Senate voted to confirm him amid massive protests outside the Capitol. He will begin hearing cases Tuesday and could vote as early as Tuesday or Wednesday on a case that tests how much power courts would wield over the executive branch. His nomination came under intense public scrutiny after accusations of attempted rape and sexual assault surfaced. We begin our coverage with Jodi Jacobson, president and editor-in-chief of Rewire, who wrote a piece this weekend headlined "A 'Titanic Fraud': Susan…

Democracy Now! (2018-10-08). Headlines for October 8, 2018. democracynow.org Kavanaugh Confirmed and Sworn In to SCOTUS After Bitter Fight, Mass Anti-Kavanaugh Protests Continue, with 164 Arrested in D.C., U.N. Climate Panel: Only 12 Years Left to Mitigate Climate Catastrophe, Indonesia Tsunami Death Toll Tops 1,900 with 5,000 Still Missing, Haiti: 12 Dead, 200 Injured After 5.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Island, Brazil: Far-Right Bolsonaro Wins First Round of Presidential Election, Turkey Believes Missing Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Was Murdered, Afghanistan: 54 People Killed on 17th Anniversary of U.S. Invasion, Israeli Forces Kill 3 as Palestinians Protest Near Gaza Barrier, Sara N…

Consortiumnews (2018-10-07). Five Reasons Why the GOP Rushed to Confirm Kavanaugh. consortiumnews.com After Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, Trump and the GOP leadership mounted a full-court press to ram through his confirmation before October 1, the first day of the Court's new term, for five good reasons, says… Read more →

Consortiumnews (2018-10-06). The Fifth Online Vigil for Julian Assange. consortiumnews.com As the crisis over Julian Assange continues to mount, the fifth online vigil for Assange was broadcast live on Saturday by Consortium News. You can watch the entire event here. The isolation of Julian Assange, publisher of WikiLeaks, continues unabated… Read more →

Adam Lee (2018-10-06). Brett Kavanaugh confirmed to the US Supreme Court. naacp.org On Saturday, October 6, 2018, NAACP-opposed Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed by the full U.S. Senate to serve a lifetime appointment. He was sworn in later that evening. The final vote was 50 yeas to 48 nays. For a complete listing of how each Senator voted, please see the attached Action Update. […]

Aba Blankson (2018-10-06). Statement on Kavanaugh Senate Confirmation. naacp.org NAACP President Calls Kavanaugh Confirmation "Devasting Blow" Move Signals Dark Days Ahead for Civil Rights Communities — America Deserves Better BALTIMORE (October 6, 2018)—NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson released the following remarks regarding the Senate confirmation of nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The U.S. Senate's decision today to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme […]

2018-10-16: Social Media Postees

Pompeo Took 12-Hour Flight To Saudi Arabia For '15 Minute Meeting' With King Salman
ZeroHedge | mintpressnews.com | 2018-10-16
It's looking more likely that neither the US nor the rest of the Western world will do much to punish the world's most important oil exporter, which can "weaponize" the oil market seemingly on a whim. | The post Pompeo Took 12-Hour Flight To Saudi Arabia For '15 Minute Meeting' With King Salman appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/pompeo-took-12-hour-flight-to-saudi-arabia-for-15-minute-meeting-with-king-salman/250786/

Al Qaeda: The Data Base
Pierre-Henri Bunel | globalresearch.ca | 2018-10-16
Osama bin Laden with Zbigniew Brzezinski, 1979 (source unconfirmed) | Global Research Editor's Note | This article originally published by Global Research in 2005 sheds light on the nature of Al Qaeda, an intelligence construct used by Washington to destabilize and destroy … | The post Al Qaeda: The Data Base appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/al-qaeda-the-database-2/24738

Draconian Ecuadorean Rules on Assange's Prison-Like Embassy Stay: Document
teleSUR | telesurtv.net | 2018-10-16
Ecuador's London embassy issues strict rules on Julian Assange who will have to pay for mandatory medical check-ups or risk being kicked out.
www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Draconian-Ecuadorean-Rules-on-Assanges-Prison-Like-Embassy-Stay-Document-20181015-0008.html

Kavanaugh
Gene Ruyle | indybay.org | 2018-10-16
NPML, 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (just North of Alcatraz Ave.)…
indybay.org/newsitems/2018/10/14/18818210.php

A Common Thread Of Cruelty By Ted Cruz In His Supreme Court Cases
TCADP Supporter | indybay.org | 2018-10-16
Ted Cruz has chosen cruel and unusual punishment over and over again in his legal history.
indybay.org/newsitems/2018/10/16/18818232.php

Amazon whistleblower Shannon Allen: Celebrated $15 base pay represents pay cut for some workers
wsws | wsws.org | 2018-10-16
Amazon workers have reported to the International Amazon Workers Voice that the pay changes have been accompanied by a general "tightening up" of the tyrannical internal regime in the warehouses.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/10/16/amaz-o16.html

Washington state Supreme Court strikes down death penalty as "arbitrary and racially biased"
wsws | wsws.org | 2018-10-16
The ruling invalidating the state's 37-year-old death penalty law makes Washington the latest in a string of states in recent years to abandon capital punishment.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/10/16/wash-o16.html

OSHA Investigator/Lawyer Darrell Whitman, OSC, Culture Of Corruption, GAP & The Democrats
WorkWeek Radio | indybay.org | 2018-10-16
Federal OSHA Whistleblower Protection Program investigator and lawyer Darrell Whitman discusses his effort to defend fellow workers at OSHA WPP. He also discusses the systemic effort to cover-up the retaliation of OSHA whistleblowers from companies like FedEx, Wells Fargo, PG&E, Test American and Lockheed Martin. He reports that he went to many politicians including Diane Feinstein and Congresswoman Barbara Lee about these conditions not only at OSHA about violations of civil rights including the murder of Alan Blueford. He learned that not only were OSHA officials and the Department of Labor DOL Secretary Tom Pe…
indybay.org/newsitems/2018/10/15/18818221.php

Sarah Chayes Calls on West Virginians to Write In No More Manchins
Russell Mokhiber | counterpunch.org | 2018-10-15
There are Democrats in West Virginia who are going to vote for Senator Joe Manchin — no matter that he's a corporate Democrat, no matter that he supports Big Pharma and the fossil fuel industry, no matter that he was the only Democratic Senator to vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.
counterpunch.org/2018/10/15/sarah-chayes-calls-on-west-virginians-to-write-in-no-more-manchins/

West Virginia Courts in Chaos After GOP Impeachment of Chief Justice Is Ruled Illegal
Matthew Chapman, AlterNet | alternet.org | 2018-10-15
West Virginia has plunged headlong into a constitutional crisis. | Earlier this year, Republicans in the West Virginia legislature took the extraordinary action of impeaching every single member of the state Supreme Court. But the entire process has blown up in Republicans' face. The state courts are now in a full-blown constitutional crisis, because the impeachment of Democra. . .
alternet.org/news-amp-politics/west-virginia-supreme-court-margaret-workman-impeachment-illegal

How Guantánamo Laid the Groundwork for Kavanaugh's Confirmation
Karen J. Greenberg | thenation.com | 2018-10-15
How Guantánamo Laid the Groundwork for Kavanaugh's Confirmation…
thenation.com/article/how-guantanamo-laid-the-groundwork-for-kavanaughs-confirmation/

Uberrima Fides? Witness K, East Timor and the Economy of Espionage
Justin T. McPhee | counterpunch.org | 2018-10-15
"There is an air of unreality about this stated case. It has the appearance of a Law School moot based on an episode taken from the adventures of Maxwell Smart". It was with some levity that Justice Mason described the Australian Secret Intelligence Service's botched training session at the Sheraton Hotel, Melbourne, in November 1983.
counterpunch.org/2018/10/15/uberrima-fides-witness-k-east-timor-and-the-economy-of-espionage/

Supreme Court Freezes Deportation of Detained American Student
INA | imemc.org | 2018-10-15
The Israeli Supreme Court froze, on Sunday, deportation measures against American student Lara al-Qasem, who was barred entry to Israel over alleged ties to the BDS movement. The court will convene on Wednesday, to determine whether or not it will grant Al-Qasem permission to file an appeal against her detention …

Supreme Court Freezes Deportation of Detained American Student

Florida Supreme Court Just Thwarted the Republican Governor's Underhanded and Desperate Plot to Grab Power
Matthew Chapman, AlterNet | alternet.org | 2018-10-15
Rick Scott thought he had a failsafe to preserve GOP power in case Democrats won the governor's mansion. The state supreme court just threw cold water on it. | This year, Florida has very good odds of electing Andrew Gillum, the charismatic, progressive Tallahassee mayor, as their next governor. But outgoing GOP governor Rick Scott thought he had a. . .
alternet.org/election-03918/florida-supreme-court-rick-scott-appointments

Trump sending Mike Pompeo to meet Saudi King 'immediately' over missing journalist
RT | rt.com | 2018-10-15
US President Donald Trump is sending Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet with King Salman of Saudi Arabia after the king denied having any knowledge about the disappearance of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
rt.com/usa/441288-trump-pompeo-saudi-king/

Here's the Real Reason Conservatives Are 'Terrified' of the So-Called Left-Wing 'Mob'
Heather Digby Parton, Salon | alternet.org | 2018-10-15
Trump voting right-wingers are not actually afraid. They're playing the victim to own the libs. | I hear that the angry mob is on the march getting ready to take to the streets and destroy everything that God-fearing Real Americans care about. Again. This latest iteration of the perennial right-wing fear-mongering began when survivors and women's rights activists came to Washington to protest the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. These frightening revolutiona. . .
alternet.org/heres-real-reason-conservatives-are-terrified-so-called-left-wing-mob

How Guantánamo Set the Stage for the Kavanaugh Hearings
Shared by Samantha Borek | truthout.org | 2018-10-15
Amid the emotional hubbub over the predictable confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, there has been a largely overlooked casualty: the American judiciary. It's not the end result alone — his addition to the highest bench in the land where he will sit for life — that promises to damage the country, but the unprofessional, procedurally irresponsible way his circus-like hearings were held that dealt a blow to the possibilities for justice in America, a blow from which it may prove hard to recover. | Senator Susan Collins acknowledged the damage the hearings wrought, even if she misunderstood the cause. Delive…
truthout.org/articles/how-guantanamo-set-the-stage-for-the-kavanaugh-hearings/

Ecuador to partially restore Julian Assange's access to communications and visitors
wsws | wsws.org | 2018-10-15
Ecuador's decision does not end the danger Assange faces or his effective imprisonment inside the small embassy building in London.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/10/15/assa-o15.html

It's not 'light v dark' if Obama and Trump Supreme Court picks agree 93% of the time — Lee Camp
RT | rt.com | 2018-10-14
Lee Camp delves into 50 shades of darkness as he explains why Obama and Trump's Supreme Court picks vote shockingly similarly and why the Pentagon didn't actually believe in the triumph of democracy in Syria.
rt.com/news/441222-redacted-tonight-garland-kavanaugh/

How Obama Paved the Way for the Kavanaugh Appointment
Shared by Jocelyn Dombroski | therealnews.com | 2018-10-14
Eoin Higgins of The Intercept argues that had Obama investigated and prosecuted Bush administration officials, Brett Kavanaugh would probably never have made it to the Supreme Court | The post How Obama Paved the Way for the Kavanaugh Appointment appeared first on The Real News Network.
therealnews.com/stories/how-obama-paved-the-way-for-the-kavanaugh-appointment

For Popular Sovereignty, Beyond Absurdity
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2018-10-12
Troubling as the noxious Kavanaugh's personal history and untruthfulness are, however, it was even more depressing to see the highly personalized soap opera over his past behavior trump momentous questions of law and policy (including sexist and patriarchal law and policy) — abortion rights, presidential immunity from prosecution, torture, and more in his nomination fight.
counterpunch.org/2018/10/12/for-popular-sovereignty-beyond-absurdity/

Packing the Supreme Court in the 21stCentury
David Rosen | counterpunch.org | 2018-10-12
The Senate hearings on the nomination and appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court was a classic "show trial" — that almost got derailed by Christine Blasey Ford's unexpected and courageous testimony. If recalled at all, "show trials" were well-choreographed trials instigated by Joseph Stalinbetween 1936 and 1938 against those who represented challenges to his increasing autocratic control over…
counterpunch.org/2018/10/12/packing-the-supreme-court-in-the-21stcentury/

Supreme Court Enables Mass Disenfranchisement of North Dakota's Native Americans
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-12
A restrictive law will make it hard to vote for people who live on reservations in rural areas and don't have street addresses. | On Tuesday, the Supreme Court chose to stand by and allow the war against voting to continue. Just a little less than a month before midterm elections that will determine control of Congress, the court decided not to block North Dakota's restrictive voter ID law, which will make it harder for people in that state to cast their ballots. | Republicans in the state legislature insist that the l…
aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/supreme-court-enables-mass-disenfranchisement-north-dakotas-native-americans

Trump's Threats of Death and Destruction
Brian Cloughley | counterpunch.org | 2018-10-12
The squalid charade in the US Senate over the appointment of Supreme Court Judge Kavanaugh and the comic opera performance by President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly in September were deeply embarrassing for many Americans — but far from all Americans, because substantial numbers support the flawed Court appointee and strongly endorse Trump's…
counterpunch.org/2018/10/12/trumps-threats-of-death-and-destruction/

Weekend Read: For immigrant survivors of sexual assault, support is off the books
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2018-10-12
President Trump has now appointed two men to the Supreme Court. During an oral argument this week, one of them, Justice Neil Gorsuch, seemed concerned about the expansive use of government power to detain immigrants.
splcenter.org/news/2018/10/12/weekend-read-immigrant-survivors-sexual-assault-support-books

'Entire Middle East' should look like Israel — Pompeo
RT | rt.com | 2018-10-12
Israel is everything the US wishes the Middle East would be, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared in a speech, while bashing the Obama administration's approach to Iran as resembling a "Disney movie."
rt.com/usa/441041-pompeo-middle-east-like-israel/

Brooklyn 'witches' want to stop Justice Kavanaugh with 'occult magic'
RT | rt.com | 2018-10-12
After unproven rape allegations and street protests failed, a group of self-described 'witches' plan on stopping Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh the only way they know how: with magic spells and witchcraft. Really.
rt.com/usa/441085-stop-kavanaugh-witchcraft-brooklyn/

Women's Anger–and Kavanaugh's Rage
Start Making Sense, Jon Wiener | thenation.com | 2018-10-11
Women's Anger–and Kavanaugh's Rage…
thenation.com/article/womens-anger-and-kavanaughs-rage/

Washington Supreme Court Abolishes the Death Penalty
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-11
Washington is now the 20th state to abolish capital punishment as the public continues to sour on the barbaric practice. | On Oct. 11, the Washington State Supreme Court unanimously struck down the death penalty as unconstitutional, ruling the "death penalty is invalid because it is imposed in an arbitrary and racially biased matter" and "it fails to serve any legitimate penological goal." The death penalty is a punishment that is as flawed as it is final, and as the Washington high court acknowledges, one plagued by racial bias and arbitrariness.
aclu.org/blog/capital-punishment/racial-disparities-and-death-penalty/washington-supreme-court-abolishes

The FBI/White House Supplemental Background Check on Brett Kavanaugh
Calvin Trillin | thenation.com | 2018-10-11
The FBI/White House Supplemental Background Check on Brett Kavanaugh…
thenation.com/article/the-fbi-white-house-supplemental-background-check-on-brett-kavanaugh/

First ever 'Chinese spy' extradited to stand trial in US
RT | rt.com | 2018-10-11
A man the US claims is a Chinese intelligence officer stood before a court on Wednesday, after being flown to the US from Belgium in an "unprecedented" extradition.
rt.com/usa/440929-chinese-spy-aviation-secrets-extradited/

Pompeo complained that North & South Korea talk peace without him — South FM
RT | rt.com | 2018-10-11
The US Secretary of State expressed "discontent" with peaceful negotiations between North and South Korea, which signed a military pact during last month's summit without consulting him.
rt.com/usa/440933-pompeo-pouts-korean-peace/

Washington Supreme Court rules death penalty unconstitutional, changes death sentences to life
RT | rt.com | 2018-10-11
Washington State's Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty is unlawful under the state constitution and has converted all eight current death sentences to life in prison.
rt.com/usa/441027-washington-state-death-penalty/

Is the U.S. Complicit in Saudi Journalist's Disappearance?
Shared by Aaron Maté | therealnews.com | 2018-10-11
President Trump says the US is pressing Saudi Arabia for answers on the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But new questions are being raised about the US role after a Washington Post report that U.S. intelligence intercepted communications of Saudi officials discussing a plan to capture and "lay hands on" Khashoggi. We speak to… | The post Is the U.S. Complicit in Saudi Journalist's Disappearance?
therealnews.com/stories/is-the-u-s-complicit-in-saudi-journalists-disappearance

US won't give 'one single dollar' for Syria reconstruction until Iranian forces are out — Pompeo
RT | rt.com | 2018-10-11
The US will spend no more money on the reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria if it does not see off Iranian troops, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said. The US previously said it would stay in Syria as long as Iran is there.
rt.com/usa/440946-pompeo-iran-troops-withdrawl-reconstruction/

The Supreme Court Is Broken. Here's How to Fix It
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2018-10-10
The Supreme Court Is Broken. Here's How to Fix It.
thenation.com/article/the-supreme-court-is-broken-heres-how-to-fix-it/

On the far right, neo-Nazis, racists hail Brett Kavanaugh's elevation to Supreme Court as open season on women, minority rights in America
splcenter | splcenter.org | 2018-10-09
To neo-Nazi-in-hiding Andrew Anglin, the elevation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court is a milestone, one that he hopes will result in an end to women's rights across the country.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/10/09/far-right-neo-nazis-racists-hail-brett-kavanaughs-elevation-supreme-court-open-season-women

'With Kavanaugh on the Court, Checking and Balancing Is Not Going to Happen'
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2018-10-09
Janine Jackson interviewed Marjorie Cohn about the Brett Kavanaugh nomination for the October 5, 2018, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/with-kavanaugh-on-the-court-checking-and-balancing-is-not-going-to-happen/

2017 Nobel Peace Laureate: Amid Talks with North Korea, It's Time for U.S. to Abandon Nukes, Too
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-09
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang over the weekend in talks meant to further steps toward nuclear disarmament. Pompeo hailed the meeting as a success, saying both sides were "pretty close" to agreeing to details for a second summit between Kim and President Donald Trump. He also told reporters Kim has agreed to let international inspectors into a North Korean missile engine test facility and nuclear testing site where the country conducted its six nuclear tests. However, Pompeo did not say whether North Korea would allow inspectors to visit a site where the count…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/9/2017_nobel_peace_laureate_amid_talks

"They Did Not Care": How the GOP Dismissed Assault Accusations & Confirmed Kavanaugh
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-08
Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, just hours after the Senate voted to confirm him amid massive protests outside the Capitol. He will begin hearing cases Tuesday and could vote as early as Tuesday or Wednesday on a case that tests how much power courts would wield over the executive branch. His nomination came under intense public scrutiny after accusations of attempted rape and sexual assault surfaced. We begin our coverage with Jodi Jacobson, president and editor-in-chief of Rewire, who wrote a piece this weekend headlined "A 'Titanic Fraud': Susan…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/8/they_did_not_care_how_the

Where Does #MeToo Go from Here? Women Are "On Fire" with Rage as Kavanaugh Joins Supreme Court
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-08
Thousands of women protested outside the U.S. Capitol and across the country on Saturday as Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, just hours after the Senate voted to confirm him. "I hope that it is deep enough that it is forming a strong, cohesive movement among people that will resonate through this country and change the culture," says Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CodePink, who joined the protests. We also speak with longtime feminist activist and writer Soraya Chemaly, author of the new book, "Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger." She says conservat…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/8/where_does_metoo_go_from_here

Five Reasons Why the GOP Rushed to Confirm Kavanaugh
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2018-10-07
After Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, Trump and the GOP leadership mounted a full-court press to ram through his confirmation before October 1, the first day of the Court's new term, for five good reasons, says… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/10/06/five-reasons-why-the-gop-rushed-to-confirm-kavanaugh/

Brett Kavanaugh confirmed to the US Supreme Court
Adam Lee | naacp.org | 2018-10-06
On Saturday, October 6, 2018, NAACP-opposed Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed by the full U.S. Senate to serve a lifetime appointment. He was sworn in later that evening. The final vote was 50 yeas to 48 nays. For a complete listing of how each Senator voted, please see the attached Action Update. […] | The post Brett Kavanaugh confirmed to the US Supreme Court appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/brett-kavanaugh-confirmed-us-supreme-court/

The Fifth Online Vigil for Julian Assange
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2018-10-06
As the crisis over Julian Assange continues to mount, the fifth online vigil for Assange was broadcast live on Saturday by Consortium News. You can watch the entire event here. The isolation of Julian Assange, publisher of WikiLeaks, continues unabated… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/10/06/the-fifthonline-vigil-for-julian-assange/

Eve Ensler to White Women Supporting Kavanaugh: Stand with Survivors & Fight This Nomination
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-05
Opposition to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is growing across the country as the Senate prepares to vote on his nomination, just one day after senators were given their first chance to see the FBI's new investigation into Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's claims that Kavanaugh attempted to rape her when she was a teenager. More than 300 protesters were arrested Thursday during a massive sit-in on Capitol Hill against Kavanaugh, who has been accused of sexual assault and misconduct by multiple women. The Senate is planning to hold a key procedural vote on his confirmation Friday morning. A final vote on Kavanaug…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/5/eve_ensler_to_white_women_supporting

Marjorie Cohn on Brett Kavanaugh, Neil DeMause on Amazon
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2018-10-05
Media…
fair.org/home/marjorie-cohn-of-brett-kavanaugh-neil-demause-on-amazon/

The Mark Judge We Knew
The Progressive Magazine | progressive.org | 2018-10-04
Writing for us back in the 1980s, Judge, now a key figure in the Kavanaugh drama, displayed a concern for social justice, and a progressive vision for the world.
progressive.org/dispatches/the-mark-judge-we-knew-181004/

Lift Us Up: Meet the Activists on the Front Lines of the Battle for Educational Justice in America
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-03
As Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh objects to being held accountable for his behavior in high school, we look at the criminalization of black and brown students that has led to what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline. We speak with a roundtable of community activists engaged in the fight to save schools and push for alternatives to punishment and privatization. Their voices are highlighted in a new book titled "Lift Us Up, Don't Push Us Out! Voices from the Front Lines of the Educational Justice Movement.": liftusupmovement.org In Chicago, we speak with ‚Ä®Jitu Brown, the nation…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/3/lift_us_up_meet_the_activists

Mental Health Experts Demand Psychological Assessment of Kavanaugh for Drinking, Instability
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-03
Donald Trump openly mocked Dr. Christine Blasey Ford at a rally Tuesday, casting doubt on her claims that Brett Kavanaugh had tried to rape her in high school, just days after calling her a very credible witness. As the FBI continues its investigation into Dr. Blasey Ford's claims, a group of mental health experts are calling for Kavanaugh to undergo a full psychological and substance abuse assessment before the Senate votes on his confirmation. We speak with Dr. Bandy Lee of the Yale School of Medicine, the lead author of a letter titled "Mental Health Experts Urge Examination Based on Warning Signs in Kavanaugh…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/3/mental_health_experts_demand_psychological_assessment

Is Donald Trump Mentally Fit to Be President? Dr. Bandy Lee Questions Trump's Capacity to Govern
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-03
As questions swirl around Brett Kavanaugh's eligibility to join the Supreme Court, some are asking if President Donald Trump should have had the power to nominate him in the first place. We speak with Dr. Bandy Lee, forensic psychiatrist on the faculty of Yale School of Medicine, about Trump's mental state and the possibility of removing him from office using the 25th Amendment. Dr. Lee is an internationally recognized expert on violence. She is the editor of the best-selling book, "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President."
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/3/is_donald_trump_mentally_fit_to