Daily Archives: December 10, 2018

2018-12-10: News Headlines

Consortiumnews (2018-12-10). Watch Vigil for Assange. consortiumnews.com Consortium News broadcast the latest vigil for Julian Assange as the publisher comes under new pressure to be expelled from Ecuador's London embassy, while charges await him in the United States. The broadcast was Friday night. With Ray McGovern, Chris… Read more →

Shared by Hezvo Mpunga (2018-12-10). George H.W. Bush: War Criminal, CIA Spy, Oil Tycoon, Embodiment of US Elite. therealnews.com President George H. W. Bush was an elite custodian of capitalism and empire, with countless victims, from Iraq to Panama. The former oil tycoon and CIA director paved the way for Trumpism

Democracy Now! (2018-12-10). Marcy Wheeler: Mueller Probe Could Lead to Indictment of the Trump Organization. democracynow.org Federal prosecutors have accused President Trump of committing a federal crime by directing illegal hush money to two women during the presidential election. The accusation was revealed Friday in filings made public by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, including a damning sentencing memo for Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, who has admitted to paying adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal during the campaign in order to prevent them from speaking to the media about their alleged affairs with Trump. The sentencing memo was made public along with…

Edu Montesanti (2018-12-10). Extradiàßà£o de Assange Seria Ilegal, 'Jornalista Fazendo Seu Trabalho': John Kiriakou. globalresearch.ca Enquanto se acredita que o Equador extradite Assange aos EUA, John Kiriakou, "denunciante relutante" considerado o primeiro oficial de inteligência dos EUA a revelar informaàßàµes sobre o uso de técnicas de tortura pela comunidade de inteligência norte-americana, comenta o caso …

Shared by Samantha Borek (2018-12-10). Mueller Probe Could Lead to Indictment of the Trump Organization. truthout.org Federal prosecutors have accused President Trump of committing a federal crime by directing illegal hush money to two women during the presidential election. The accusation was revealed Friday in filings made public by the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, including a damning sentencing memo for Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, who has admitted to paying adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal during the campaign in order to prevent them from speaking to the media about their alleged affairs with Trump. The sentencing memo was made public along with…

Eric Zuesse (2018-12-10). How Big Brother Grips American Minds to Support Foreign Invasions. mintpressnews.com For decades now, Gallup polling has shown that the most respected of all institutions by the American people is the nation's military — more than the church, more than the Presidency, more than the U.S. Supreme Court, more than the press, more than the schools, more than anything. America is invasion-nation.

Bill Blum (2018-12-10). Will the Supreme Court Change the Rules of Double Jeopardy to Benefit Trump and Manafort? progressive.org "No person shall be…subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb…"—the Fifth Amendment.

RT (2018-12-10). Blackmailed to lie? Roger Stone associate sues Mueller, intel agencies for $350mn. rt.com Conspiracy theory buff Jerome Corsi has sued Robert Mueller and a handful of federal agencies for allegedly attempting to blackmail him into lying about being a middle man between Wikileaks and the Trump campaign.

Stefania Maurizi (2018-12-09). The Trials of Julian Assange. Why Washington Sees Wikileaks as an Existential Threat. globalresearch.ca Stefania Maurizi is an investigative journalist working for the Italian daily La Repubblica. She has worked on all WikiLeaks releases of secret documents and partnered with Glenn Greenwald to reveal the Snowden Files about Italy. She has authored two books—Dossier …

Shared by Hezvo Mpunga (2018-12-09). Roger Waters: Neoliberalism Is Fueling the Flames of Fascism (Pt 2/2). therealnews.com Roger Waters condemns the Ecuadorian Government's treatment of Julian Assange and its concessions to Big Oil

Consortiumnews (2018-12-09). Kwiatkowski Gets 2018 Sam Adams Award. Read the Citation and Her Acceptance Speech Here. consortiumnews.com Here is Karen Kwiatowski's acceptance speech for the 2018 Sam Adams Award at a ceremony in Washington on Saturday night, preceded by the citation, that was read by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern. Citation Karen Kwiatkowski "If you see… Read more →

Federico Pieraccini (2018-12-09). Seven Days of Failures for the American Empire. globalresearch.ca On November 25, two artillery boats of the Gyurza-M class, the Berdiansk and Nikopol, one tugboat, the Yany Kapu, as well as 24 crew members of the Ukrainian Navy, including two SBU counterintelligence officers, were detained by Russian border forces. …

stuart_m (2018-12-08). How George HW Bush's 1989 invasion of Panama set the stage for US wars to come. greenleft.org.au The death of George H.W. Bush has dominated the U.S. news for days, but little attention has been paid to the defining event of Bush's first year in office: the invasion of Panama. On December 19, 1989, Bush Sr. sent tens of thousands of troops into Panama, ostensibly to execute an arrest warrant against its leader, Manuel Noriega, on charges of drug trafficking. General Noriega was once a close ally to Washington and on the CIA payroll. | In a nationally televised address, Bush claimed the invasion was needed to defend democracy in Panama. During the attack, the U.S. unleashed a force of 24,000 troops equipped w…

James Risen (2018-12-08). How George H.W. Bush Rode a Fake National Security Scandal to the Top of the CIA. theintercept.com The killing of a CIA agent in Greece was used to thwart reforms as Bush became the first openly partisan director of the spy agency in 1976.

Paul Street (2018-12-07). The McCain and Bush Death Tours: Establishment Rituals in How to be a Proper Ruler. counterpunch.org The prolonged nationally televised commemorations of the racist, corporatist, and imperialist killers John McCain and George H.W. Bush — both privileged sons of the United States military industrial complex — have been nauseating for any decent and historically knowledgeable human being to behold. But the national rituals attached to the deaths of these monstrous butchers More

Jennifer Matsui (2018-12-07). Dead of Night Redux: A Zombie Rises, A Spook Falls. counterpunch.org Instead of participating in a televised gathering of un-dead presidents and plutocrats for a Deep State funeral, we should be watching 'Dead of Night' (1974). It's hard to think of another film that so precisely (and presciently) envisioned the unintended consequences of war, namely its pox on casualties and survivors alike. So just what does More

Shared by Hezvo Mpunga (2018-12-07). Ecuadorian Ex-Diplomat: Report Claiming Assange Met Manafort Is False. therealnews.com The Guardian report claiming WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange met with Paul Manafort is fake news, says the former consul in Ecuador's London embassy, Fidel Narváez. But it is true that Trump's ex-campaign chairman met with new Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno to discuss handing Assange over to the US.

ACLU (2018-12-07). No Relief: William Barr Is as Bad as Jeff Sessions — if Not Worse. aclu.org Barr's record suggests he will continue the former attorney general's worst policies while promoting a sweeping view of executive power. | Donald Trump's nomination of William Barr to succeed Jeff Sessions as attorney general ought to raise alarm bells across the country. Barr is as bad as Sessions was on the full range of civil rights issues that fall with the Justice Department's purview. And he's a longstanding advocate of expansive executive power. | It's almost certainly the latter view that attracted President Trump, whose own power is likely to be called into question should the Mueller investigation…

Binoy Kampmark (2018-12-07). The Bomb that Did Not Detonate: Julian Assange, Manafort and The Guardian. counterpunch.org "This is going to be one of the most infamous news disasters since Stern published the 'Hitler Diaries.'" — WikiLeaks, Twitter, Nov 27, 2018 Those at The Guardian certainly felt they were onto something. It would be a scoop that would have consequences on a range of fronts featuring President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul More

peter_b (2018-12-07). Jury fails to agree on verdict in trial of Kurdish journalist. greenleft.org.au NSW Supreme Court judge Lucy McCallum discharged the jury on December 6 after it failed to agree on a verdict in the trial of Kurdish journalist Renas Lelikan on "foreign fighter" charges under Australia's draconian "anti-terrorism" laws. | Lelikan denied this charge, insisting he was not a combatant but a journalist reporting on the Kurdish liberation struggle. | A February 15 hearing will be told if the prosecution intends to ask for a re-trial. Lelikan remains free on bail, with relaxed conditions. | The case had been going on for nine weeks, four of which have been taken up with the jury's deliberation. | Phi…

Democracy Now! (2018-12-06). Headlines for December 6, 2018. democracynow.org Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rise to Record High in 2018, WHO Says Meeting Paris Climate Goal Would Save Millions of Lives, Quebec Youth Sue Canada, Citing Gross Negligence on Climate Change, Barclays Customers Demand Divestment from Tar Sands Pipelines, George H.W. Bush Remembered at Washington National Cathedral, Canada Arrests Huawei Executive for Extradition to U.S., Trump Praises Chinese Death Penalty for Drug Dealers, Wisconsin Republicans Complete Legislative Power Grab, Michigan Republicans Move to Limit Power of Incoming Democratic Leaders, NYT: Paul Manafort Discussed Deal to Seize Julian Assange, Sa…

Sam Biddle (2018-12-06). Artificial Intelligence Experts Issue Urgent Warning Against Facial Scanning With a "Dangerous History" theintercept.com Facial recognition has quickly shifted from techno-novelty to fact of life for many, with millions around the world at least willing to put up with their faces scanned by software at the airport, their iPhones, or Facebook's server farms. But researchers at New York University's AI Now Institute have issued a strong warning against not only ubiquitous facial recognition, but its more sinister cousin: so-called affect recognition, technology that claims it can find hidden meaning in the shape of your nose, the contours of your mouth, and the way you smile. If that sounds like something dredged up from the 19th cen…

Consortiumnews (2018-12-05). Trump's Timidity is Letting Comey Off the Hook. consortiumnews.com With just a few days left before Congress adjourns, House Republicans, like their President, have pretty much let the clock run out. There's little chance now in "taking on the intelligence community," says Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern Special to… Read more →

Democracy Now! (2018-12-05). Headlines for December 5, 2018. democracynow.org Senators Say Crown Prince Is Guilty in Khashoggi Murder After CIA Briefing, Mueller Not Seeking Jail Time for Flynn, Cites "Substantial Assistance", Politico: NRCC Emails Hacked in 2018 Midterms, Georgia Voters Elect Republican Secretary of State, Congressmembers Call for Labor Sec. Acosta Probe over Epstein Plea Deal, DOJ Senior Official Allowed to Get Away with Sexual Assault, Federal Gov. Shuts Down for Nat'l Day of Mourning, Somalia: U.S. Reopens Permanent Diplomatic Presence, Pompeo Gives Russia 60 Days to Comply with Nuclear Treaty, West Bank: Israeli Forces Kill Disabled Palestinian in Overnight Raid, Moro…

Democracy Now! (2018-12-04). Ariel Dorfman: George H.W. Bush Is Alive in His Many Victims Across the Globe, Including Me. democracynow.org George H.W. Bush was the only president in U.S. history to serve as CIA director, a role that would come to define his career and politics. He once described the intelligence agency as "part of my heartbeat." Bush Sr. was at the helm of the CIA from January 1976 to January 1977. We speak with Ariel Dorfman, best-selling author, playwright, poet and activist, who teaches at Duke University. In 1973, he served as a cultural adviser to Chilean President Salvador Allende's chief of staff. He says George H.W. Bush was "presiding over the CIA when Pinochet, the dictator of Chile, had concentration camps open. They were…

Consortiumnews (2018-12-04). The Guardian's Vilification of Julian Assange. consortiumnews.com The Guardian did not make a mistake in vilifying Assange without a shred of evidence. It did what it is designed to do, says Jonathan Cook. By Jonathan Cook Johanthan-Cook.net It is welcome that finally there has been a little… Read more →

Democracy Now! (2018-12-04). Headlines for December 4, 2018. democracynow.org Wisconsin: Protesters Take to the Capitol to Oppose GOP Power Grab, North Carolina Investigating Election Fraud in Congressional Race, Trump Praises Stone for Refusal to Testify in Mueller Probe, CIA Director Haspel to Brief Top Senators on Khashoggi Murder, Spain: Far-Right Vox Party Makes Gains in Regional Elections, France: Fuel Tax Hikes Suspended Amid Growing Unrest, Qatar Withdraws from OPEC, Mexico's AMLO Creates Truth Commission over 2014 Student Disappearance, Philippines: Indicted Rappler Editor Posts Bail, Vows to Keep Reporting, Reports: U.S Admiral in Middle East Died by Suicide, Texas: Calls Grow to…

Democracy Now! (2018-12-04). Greg Grandin: George H.W. Bush's 1989 Invasion of Panama Set the Stage for U.S. Wars to Come. democracynow.org The death of George H.W. Bush has dominated the U.S. news for days, but little attention has been paid to the defining event of Bush's first year in office: the invasion of Panama. On December 19, 1989, Bush Sr. sent tens of thousands of troops into Panama, ostensibly to execute an arrest warrant against its leader, Manuel Noriega, on charges of drug trafficking. General Noriega was once a close ally to Washington and on the CIA payroll. In a nationally televised address, Bush claimed the invasion was needed to defend democracy in Panama. During the attack, the U.S. unleashed a force of 24,000 troops equipped wit…

Democracy Now! (2018-12-03). Mehdi Hasan on George H.W. Bush's Ignored Legacy: War Crimes, Racism and Obstruction of Justice. democracynow.org George H.W. Bush died in Houston on Friday night at the age of 94. Bush was elected the 41st president of the United States in 1988, becoming the first and only former CIA director to lead the country. He served as Ronald Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989. Since Bush's death, the media has honored the former president by focusing on his years of service and his call as president for a kinder, gentler America. But the headlines have largely glossed over and ignored other parts of Bush's legacy. We look at the 1991 Gulf War, Bush's pardoning of six Reagan officials involved in the Iran-Contra scandal and ho…

Alan MacLeod (2018-12-03). Misreporting Manafort: A Case Study in Journalistic Malpractice. fair.org The Guardian ( 11/27/18) added "sources say" to the headline after publication. | In what has been described as potentially the biggest story of the year, the Guardian's Luke Harding ( 11/27/18) reported last week that Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, he…

Yanis Varoufakis (2018-11-29). On Julian Assange and the Political Economy & future of Europe. zcomm.org Interview on the socio-economic transformations taking place within the core of the European Union and how much time is left until it disintegrates…

Chris Hedges (2018-11-26). Crucifying Julian Assange. zcomm.org Chris Hedges and Joe Lauria, journalist and editor-in-chief, Consortium, discuss efforts to force #WikiLeaks publisher, #JulianAssange, out of the Ecuador Embassy in London and extradite him to the USA to stand trial.

2018-12-10: Social Media Postees

Extradiàßà£o de Assange Seria Ilegal, 'Jornalista Fazendo Seu Trabalho': John Kiriakou
Edu Montesanti | globalresearch.ca | 2018-12-10
Enquanto se acredita que o Equador extradite Assange aos EUA, John Kiriakou, "denunciante relutante" considerado o primeiro oficial de inteligência dos EUA a revelar informaàßàµes sobre o uso de técnicas de tortura pela comunidade de inteligência norte-americana, comenta o caso … | The post Extradiàßà£o de Assange Seria Ilegal, 'Jornalista Fazendo Seu Trabalho': John Kiriakou appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/extradicao-de-assange-seria-ilegal-jornalista-fazendo-seu-trabalho-john-kiriakou/5662361

George H.W. Bush: War Criminal, CIA Spy, Oil Tycoon, Embodiment of US Elite
Shared by Hezvo Mpunga | therealnews.com | 2018-12-10
President George H. W. Bush was an elite custodian of capitalism and empire, with countless victims, from Iraq to Panama. The former oil tycoon and CIA director paved the way for Trumpism | The post George H.W. Bush: War Criminal, CIA Spy, Oil Tycoon, Embodiment of US Elite appeared first on The Real News Network.
therealnews.com/stories/george-h-w-bush-war-criminal-cia-spy-oil-tycoon-embodiment-of-us-elite

Marcy Wheeler: Mueller Probe Could Lead to Indictment of the Trump Organization
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-12-10
Federal prosecutors have accused President Trump of committing a federal crime by directing illegal hush money to two women during the presidential election. The accusation was revealed Friday in filings made public by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, including a damning sentencing memo for Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, who has admitted to paying adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal during the campaign in order to prevent them from speaking to the media about their alleged affairs with Trump. The sentencing memo was made public along with…
www.democracynow.org/2018/12/10/marcy_wheeler_mueller_probe_could_lead

Watch Vigil for Assange
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2018-12-10
Consortium News broadcast the latest vigil for Julian Assange as the publisher comes under new pressure to be expelled from Ecuador's London embassy, while charges await him in the United States. The broadcast was Friday night. With Ray McGovern, Chris… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/12/10/watch-vigil-for-assange/

Mueller Probe Could Lead to Indictment of the Trump Organization
Shared by Samantha Borek | truthout.org | 2018-12-10
Federal prosecutors have accused President Trump of committing a federal crime by directing illegal hush money to two women during the presidential election. The accusation was revealed Friday in filings made public by the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, including a damning sentencing memo for Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, who has admitted to paying adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal during the campaign in order to prevent them from speaking to the media about their alleged affairs with Trump. The sentencing memo was made public along with…
truthout.org/video/mueller-probe-could-lead-to-indictment-of-the-trump-organization/

Will the Supreme Court Change the Rules of Double Jeopardy to Benefit Trump and Manafort?
Bill Blum | progressive.org | 2018-12-10
"No person shall be…subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb…"–the Fifth Amendment.
progressive.org/dispatches/double-jeopardy-SCOTUS-Gamble-181210/

How Big Brother Grips American Minds to Support Foreign Invasions
Eric Zuesse | mintpressnews.com | 2018-12-10
For decades now, Gallup polling has shown that the most respected of all institutions by the American people is the nation's military — more than the church, more than the Presidency, more than the U.S. Supreme Court, more than the press, more than the schools, more than anything. America is invasion-nation. | The post How Big Brother Grips American Minds to Support Foreign Invasions appeared first on MintPress News.
mintpressnews.com/how-big-brother-grips-american-minds-to-support-foreign-invasions/252701/

Blackmailed to lie? Roger Stone associate sues Mueller, intel agencies for $350mn
RT | rt.com | 2018-12-10
Conspiracy theory buff Jerome Corsi has sued Robert Mueller and a handful of federal agencies for allegedly attempting to blackmail him into lying about being a middle man between Wikileaks and the Trump campaign. | …
rt.com/usa/446081-corsi-sues-mueller-wikileaks-trump/

Kwiatkowski Gets 2018 Sam Adams Award. Read the Citation and Her Acceptance Speech Here
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2018-12-09
Here is Karen Kwiatowski's acceptance speech for the 2018 Sam Adams Award at a ceremony in Washington on Saturday night, preceded by the citation, that was read by former CIA analyst Ray McGovern. Citation Karen Kwiatkowski…
consortiumnews.com/2018/12/09/karen-kwiatkowski-receives-2018-sam-adams-award-read-her-acceptance-speech-here/

Seven Days of Failures for the American Empire
Federico Pieraccini | globalresearch.ca | 2018-12-09
On November 25, two artillery boats of the Gyurza-M class, the Berdiansk and Nikopol, one tugboat, the Yany Kapu, as well as 24 crew members of the Ukrainian Navy, including two SBU counterintelligence officers, were detained by Russian border forces. … | The post Seven Days of Failures for the American Empire appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/seven-days-of-failures-for-the-american-empire/5662315

The Trials of Julian Assange. Why Washington Sees Wikileaks as an Existential Threat
Stefania Maurizi | globalresearch.ca | 2018-12-09
Stefania Maurizi is an investigative journalist working for the Italian daily La Repubblica. She has worked on all WikiLeaks releases of secret documents and partnered with Glenn Greenwald to reveal the Snowden Files about Italy. She has authored two books–Dossier … | The post The Trials of Julian Assange. Why Washington Sees Wikileaks as an Existential Threat appeared first on Global Research.
globalresearch.ca/the-trials-of-julian-assange-why-washington-sees-wikileaks-as-an-existential-threat/5662304

Roger Waters: Neoliberalism Is Fueling the Flames of Fascism (Pt 2/2)
Shared by Hezvo Mpunga | therealnews.com | 2018-12-09
Roger Waters condemns the Ecuadorian Government's treatment of Julian Assange and its concessions to Big Oil | The post Roger Waters: Neoliberalism Is Fueling the Flames of Fascism (Pt 2/2) appeared first on The Real News Network.
therealnews.com/stories/roger-waters-neoliberalism-is-fueling-the-flames-of-fascism-pt-2-2

How George HW Bush's 1989 invasion of Panama set the stage for US wars to come
stuart_m | greenleft.org.au | 2018-12-08
The death of George H.W. Bush has dominated the U.S. news for days, but little attention has been paid to the defining event of Bush's first year in office: the invasion of Panama. On December 19, 1989, Bush Sr. sent tens of thousands of troops into Panama, ostensibly to execute an arrest warrant against its leader, Manuel Noriega, on charges of drug trafficking. General Noriega was once a close ally to Washington and on the CIA payroll. | In a nationally televised address, Bush claimed the invasion was needed to defend democracy in Panama. During the attack, the U.S. unleashed a force of 24,000 troops equipped w…
greenleft.org.au/content/how-george-hw-bush%E2%80%99s-1989-invasion-panama-set-stage-us-wars-come

How George H.W. Bush Rode a Fake National Security Scandal to the Top of the CIA
James Risen | theintercept.com | 2018-12-08
The killing of a CIA agent in Greece was used to thwart reforms as Bush became the first openly partisan director of the spy agency in 1976. | The post How George H.W. Bush Rode a Fake National Security Scandal to the Top of the CIA appeared first on The Intercept.
theintercept.com/2018/12/08/george-hw-bush-cia-director/

Ecuadorian Ex-Diplomat: Report Claiming Assange Met Manafort Is False
Shared by Hezvo Mpunga | therealnews.com | 2018-12-07
The Guardian report claiming WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange met with Paul Manafort is fake news, says the former consul in Ecuador's London embassy, Fidel Narváez. But it is true that Trump's ex-campaign chairman met with new Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno to discuss handing Assange over to the US. | The post Ecuadorian Ex-Diplomat: Report Claiming Assange Met Manafort Is False appeared first on The Real News Network.
therealnews.com/stories/ecuadorian-ex-diplomat-report-claiming-assange-met-manafort-is-false

The Bomb that Did Not Detonate: Julian Assange, Manafort and The Guardian
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2018-12-07
"This is going to be one of the most infamous news disasters since Stern published the 'Hitler Diaries.'" — WikiLeaks, Twitter, Nov 27, 2018 Those at The Guardian certainly felt they were onto something. It would be a scoop that would have consequences on a range of fronts featuring President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul…
counterpunch.org/2018/12/07/the-bomb-that-did-not-detonate-julian-assange-manafort-and-the-guardian/

The McCain and Bush Death Tours: Establishment Rituals in How to be a Proper Ruler
Paul Street | counterpunch.org | 2018-12-07
The prolonged nationally televised commemorations of the racist, corporatist, and imperialist killers John McCain and George H.W. Bush — both privileged sons of the United States military industrial complex — have been nauseating for any decent and historically knowledgeable human being to behold. But the national rituals attached to the deaths of these monstrous butchers…
counterpunch.org/2018/12/07/the-mccain-and-bush-death-tours-establishment-rituals-in-how-to-be-a-proper-ruler/

No Relief: William Barr Is as Bad as Jeff Sessions — if Not Worse
ACLU | aclu.org | 2018-12-07
Barr's record suggests he will continue the former attorney general's worst policies while promoting a sweeping view of executive power. | Donald Trump's nomination of William Barr to succeed Jeff Sessions as attorney general ought to raise alarm bells across the country. Barr is as bad as Sessions was on the full range of civil rights issues that fall with the Justice Department's purview. And he's a longstanding advocate of expansive executive power. | It's almost certainly the latter view that attracted President Trump, whose own power is likely to be called into question should the Mueller investigation…
aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/no-relief-william-barr-bad-jeff-sessions-if-not-worse

Dead of Night Redux: A Zombie Rises, A Spook Falls
Jennifer Matsui | counterpunch.org | 2018-12-07
Instead of participating in a televised gathering of un-dead presidents and plutocrats for a Deep State funeral, we should be watching 'Dead of Night' (1974). It's hard to think of another film that so precisely (and presciently) envisioned the unintended consequences of war, namely its pox on casualties and survivors alike. So just what does…
counterpunch.org/2018/12/07/dead-of-night-redux-a-zombie-rises-a-spook-falls/

Spare Me the American Tears for the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi
Robert Fisk | counterpunch.org | 2018-12-07
Can I be the only one — apart from his own sycophants — to find the sight of America's finest Republicans and Democrats condemning the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia for murdering Jamal Khashoggi a bit sickening? "Crazy". "Dangerous". A "wrecking ball". A "smoking saw". These guys are angry. CIA director Gina Haspel, who was…
counterpunch.org/2018/12/07/spare-me-the-american-tears-for-the-murder-of-jamal-khashoggi/

Jury fails to agree on verdict in trial of Kurdish journalist
peter_b | greenleft.org.au | 2018-12-07
NSW Supreme Court judge Lucy McCallum discharged the jury on December 6 after it failed to agree on a verdict in the trial of Kurdish journalist Renas Lelikan on "foreign fighter" charges under Australia's draconian "anti-terrorism" laws. | Lelikan denied this charge, insisting he was not a combatant but a journalist reporting on the Kurdish liberation struggle. | A February 15 hearing will be told if the prosecution intends to ask for a re-trial. Lelikan remains free on bail, with relaxed conditions. | The case had been going on for nine weeks, four of which have been taken up with the jury's deliberation. | Phi…
greenleft.org.au/content/jury-fails-agree-verdict-trial-kurdish-journalist

Artificial Intelligence Experts Issue Urgent Warning Against Facial Scanning With a "Dangerous History"
Sam Biddle | theintercept.com | 2018-12-06
Facial recognition has quickly shifted from techno-novelty to fact of life for many, with millions around the world at least willing to put up with their faces scanned by software at the airport, their iPhones, or Facebook's server farms. But researchers at New York University's AI Now Institute have issued a strong warning against not only ubiquitous facial recognition, but its more sinister cousin: so-called affect recognition, technology that claims it can find hidden meaning in the shape of your nose, the contours of your mouth, and the way you smile. If that sounds like something dredged up from the 19th cen…
theintercept.com/2018/12/06/artificial-intellgience-experts-issue-urgent-warning-against-facial-scanning-with-a-dangerous-history/

Trump's Timidity is Letting Comey Off the Hook
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2018-12-05
With just a few days left before Congress adjourns, House Republicans, like their President, have pretty much let the clock run out. There's little chance now in "taking on the intelligence community," says Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern Special to… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/12/04/trumps-timidity-is-letting-comey-off-the-hook/

Ariel Dorfman: George H.W. Bush Is Alive in His Many Victims Across the Globe, Including Me
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-12-04
George H.W. Bush was the only president in U.S. history to serve as CIA director, a role that would come to define his career and politics. He once described the intelligence agency as "part of my heartbeat." Bush Sr. was at the helm of the CIA from January 1976 to January 1977. We speak with Ariel Dorfman, best-selling author, playwright, poet and activist, who teaches at Duke University. In 1973, he served as a cultural adviser to Chilean President Salvador Allende's chief of staff. He says George H.W. Bush was "presiding over the CIA when Pinochet, the dictator of Chile, had concentration camps open. They were…
www.democracynow.org/2018/12/4/ariel_dorfman_george_hw_bush_is

Greg Grandin: George H.W. Bush's 1989 Invasion of Panama Set the Stage for U.S. Wars to Come
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-12-04
The death of George H.W. Bush has dominated the U.S. news for days, but little attention has been paid to the defining event of Bush's first year in office: the invasion of Panama. On December 19, 1989, Bush Sr. sent tens of thousands of troops into Panama, ostensibly to execute an arrest warrant against its leader, Manuel Noriega, on charges of drug trafficking. General Noriega was once a close ally to Washington and on the CIA payroll. In a nationally televised address, Bush claimed the invasion was needed to defend democracy in Panama. During the attack, the U.S. unleashed a force of 24,000 troops equipped wit…
www.democracynow.org/2018/12/4/greg_grandin_george_hw_bushs_1989

The Guardian's Vilification of Julian Assange
Consortiumnews | consortiumnews.com | 2018-12-04
The Guardian did not make a mistake in vilifying Assange without a shred of evidence. It did what it is designed to do, says Jonathan Cook. By Jonathan Cook Johanthan-Cook.net It is welcome that finally there has been a little… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2018/12/03/the-guardians-vilification-of-julian-assange/

Mehdi Hasan on George H.W. Bush's Ignored Legacy: War Crimes, Racism and Obstruction of Justice
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-12-03
George H.W. Bush died in Houston on Friday night at the age of 94. Bush was elected the 41st president of the United States in 1988, becoming the first and only former CIA director to lead the country. He served as Ronald Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989. Since Bush's death, the media has honored the former president by focusing on his years of service and his call as president for a kinder, gentler America. But the headlines have largely glossed over and ignored other parts of Bush's legacy. We look at the 1991 Gulf War, Bush's pardoning of six Reagan officials involved in the Iran-Contra scandal and ho…
www.democracynow.org/2018/12/3/mehdi_hasan_on_george_hw_bushs

On Julian Assange and the Political Economy & future of Europe
Yanis Varoufakis | zcomm.org | 2018-11-29
Interview on the socio-economic transformations taking place within the core of the European Union and how much time is left until it disintegrates…
zcomm.org/zvideo/on-julian-assange-and-the-political-economy-future-of-europe/

Crucifying Julian Assange
Chris Hedges | zcomm.org | 2018-11-26
Chris Hedges and Joe Lauria, journalist and editor-in-chief, Consortium, discuss efforts to force #WikiLeaks publisher, #JulianAssange, out of the Ecuador Embassy in London and extradite him to the USA to stand trial.
zcomm.org/zvideo/1015019/