Dangerous Detention: Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2019-10-03
Much ink has been spilt in textbooks describing situations where autocratic states can behave badly. They abuse rights; they ignore international law and they ride roughshod over conventions. Liberal democracies may boast that they follow matters to the letter of the law, and make sure that citizens are given their fair and just cause in…
counterpunch.org/2019/10/03/dangerous-detention-julian-assange-in-belmarsh-prison/

The Impeachment Crisis Just Got Worse for the GOP
Joan Walsh | thenation.com | 2019-10-03
Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to bring Pompeo and Pence down with him.
thenation.com/article/impeachment-trump-pompeo-pence/

'Is It a Crime to Expose Crimes Already Committed?'
Katharine Gun | thenation.com | 2019-10-03
'Is It a Crime to Expose Crimes Already Committed?'…
thenation.com/article/trump-snowden-whistleblower/

Snowden rips MSM & US politicians for hypocrisy in 'supporting whistleblowers'
rt.com | 2019-10-03
Surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden took a shot at US politicians, and the media outlets covering them, for failing to consistently support those who come forward with claims of official corruption or wrongdoing. | The famed ex-National Security Agency analyst sent out the criticism in a tweet on Wednesday, arguing that a deluge of recent statements from lawmakers on the virtues of whistleblowing rang hollow in the face of their poor records on the issue. He singled out the ongoing legal case of analyst-turned-leaker Daniel Hale. | "Unbelievable that in a moment where politicians are making daily media s…
rt.com/usa/470089-snowden-msm-politicians-whistleblower/

Snowden Knows Exactly Why No One Wants to Be a Whistleblower
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-10-03
Far too many of whistleblowers are vilified, persecuted and prosecuted for their courageous acts, just ask one of the most famous ones alive.
truthdig.com/articles/edward-snowden-knows-exactly-why-no-one-wants-to-be-a-whistleblower/

Activists Hoist Giant Jeff Bezos Head on Whole Foods' Roof, Protest Criminal Animal Abuse
DXE | indybay.org | 2019-10-03
Thirty-seven animal activists arrested protesting Jeff Bezos, Amazon, and Whole Food in San Francisco. Activists' letter asks Bezos to disavow prosecution of factory-farm whistleblowers.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/10/02/18826999.php

'For futur of you're famly': FBI seeks to recruit 'Russian spies' with hilariously inept Facebook ad
rt.com | 2019-10-03
The FBI has sought to recruit "Russian spies" in Washington, DC through a series of Facebook ads — suggesting a degree of desperation when it comes to counter-intelligence assets, but also a serious lack of copy editing talent. | "The FBI obtains the best intelligence to combat threats through information provided by the public. If you have information that can help the FBI, visit us," the three ads launched on September 11 urge in English. They are accompanied by stock photos with trite captions in Russian. | "Time to build Bridges," says one, over a drawing of a man crossing a bridge. | "Isn't it time…
rt.com/usa/470088-fbi-russia-facebook-ads/

Trump triumphant as New York Times report reveals 'whistleblower' spoke to 'Shifty Schiff' before filing complaint
rt.com | 2019-10-02
The CIA agent accusing President Donald Trump of a quid pro quo with Ukraine spoke to House intel chief Adam Schiff's staff before filing his whistleblower complaint, sources say — and Trump believes the collusion goes deeper. | The "whistleblower" spoke to a House Intelligence Committee staffer about his concerns, gleaned from secondhand knowledge of a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, that the president was abusing his power — and that staffer shared the information with Schiff — before the still-anonymous CIA officer filed his complaint, according to the Ne…
rt.com/usa/470078-whistleblower-schiff-trump-complaint-scandal/

Trump's War on Whistleblowers
Melvin Goodman | counterpunch.org | 2019-10-02
Donald Trump, campaigning in Iowa in 2015, said that "I've had a lot of wars of my own. I'm really good at war. I love war…." Well, for the past three years, we have witnessed Trump's wars on governance, science, national security policy, and public service. For the past several days, we have witnessed a…
counterpunch.org/2019/10/02/trumps-war-on-whistleblowers/

Schiff Makes Clear All Trump Efforts to Obstruct House Inquiry Will Be Added to Articles of Impeachment
Charles P. Pierce | commondreams.org | 2019-10-02
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., joined by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. (Photo: Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1173113122.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2019/10/02/schiff-makes-clear-all-trump-efforts-obstruct-house-inquiry-will-be-added-articles?cd-origin=rss

'Pssst… Don't tell anyone, but we surely will': Putin pokes fun at question of whether Russia plans to meddle in 2020 US election
rt.com | 2019-10-02
It seems Vladimir Putin has become so tired of Russian meddling claims that he 'secretly' told an NBC journalist that Moscow will surely influence the 2020 US vote. The confession was made in front of a laughing audience though. | Autumn of 2020 — the time when the US will choose their president — is nearing and there is no dying down of Russiagate, it seems. So NBC's Keir Simmons, who came to Moscow to moderate the Energy Week forum, tried to get some information on the everlasting issue. | "Is Russia as [special prosecutor] Robert Mueller alleged attempting to influence the 2020 election in the US?
rt.com/usa/470072-putin-us-meddling-election-joke/

Peruvian Prosecutors To Identify More Odebrecht's List Pen Names
telesurenglish.net | 2019-10-02
A special Lava Jato team from the Peruvian Public Prosecutor's Office began this Wednesday in Curitiba, Brazil, a new interrogation of Jorge Barata, former owner of the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã | RELATED: | Brazil: Supreme Court Paves Way to Overturn Lava Jato Sentences | "We expect that the process will run smoothly and that we will be…
telesurenglish.net/news/peruvian-prosecutors-to-identify-more-odebrecht-list-pen-names-20191002-0024.html

How Laws Targeting Clinics Could End Abortion Access
aclu.org | 2019-10-02
Abortion could become inaccessible in entire states even without an explicit abortion ban. | Abortion rights captured the nation's attention earlier this year when seven states passed early abortion bans. With the changes in the Supreme Court, and President Trump's promise to appoin…
aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/abortion/how-laws-targeting-clinics-could-end-abortion-access

Labour Party Annual Conference Interrupted By Supreme Court's Decision On Boris Johnson's Suspension Of Parliament
Kenneth Surin | counterpunch.org | 2019-10-02
I was attending the 2019 Labour Party conference as a member-delegate when proceedings on the third day of the conference were interrupted at 10.30am by the televised announcement of the UK's Supreme Court decision on Boris Johnson's suspension of parliament. The Supreme Court heard this case the week before. The hearing was occasioned by the…
counterpunch.org/2019/10/02/labour-party-annual-conference-interrupted-by-supreme-courts-decision-on-boris-johnsons-suspension-of-parliament/

'Unbelievable': Snowden Calls Out Media for Failing to Press US Politicians on Inconsistent Support of Whistleblowers
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-10-02
Exiled National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden declared on Twitter Wednesday it is "unbelievable that in a moment where politicians are making daily media statements about 'supporting whistleblowers,' the media is not pressing them on the case of Daniel Hale." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/snowden_3_0.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2019/10/02/unbelievable-snowden-calls-out-media-failing-press-us-politicians-inconsistent?cd-origin=rss

Dangerous Detentions: Julian Assange and Remaining in Belmarsh
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-10-01
Much ink has been spilled in textbooks describing situations where autocratic states can behave badly. They abuse rights; they ignore international law and they ride roughshod over conventions. Liberal democracies may boast that they follow matters to the letter of the law, and make sure that citizens are given their fair and just cause in …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/dangerous-detentions-julian-assange-and-remaining-in-belmarsh/

To Impeach or Not to Impeach? Chris Hedges & John Bonifaz Debate What Congress Should Do Next
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-10-01
House Democrats subpoenaed President Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani Monday, seeking documents related to his work in Ukraine. Last week, Guliani admitted on television that he had urged the Ukrainian government to investigate Trump's political rival and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. This comes as House Democrats continue to build their case for impeaching the president, following a whistleblower complaint focused on a phone call in which Trump asked the Ukranian president to do him a "favor" investigating the actions of Democrats, including Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Meanwhile, Trump…
www.democracynow.org/2019/10/1/trump_impeachment_inquiry_debate

How the Trump Admin Used a Secret Livestream to Spy on Julian Assange
Jimmysllama | mintpressnews.com | 2019-09-30
Working directly with Ecuador's corrupt government, the U.S. government abandoned all sense of legality and moral decency by spying on Assange twenty-four hours a day via an illegal livestream surveillance operation set up by a private security firm and approved by Ecuador's president.
mintpressnews.com/us-complicit-julian-assange-surveillance-operation-ecuadorian-embassy/262131/

Democratic establishment belatedly embraces 'whistleblowers'…but only the 'safe' kind
rt.com | 2019-09-30
MoveOn, a major advocacy group fine-tuned to the needs of Democratic Party, has finally found a whistleblower it can support — the CIA agent whose complaint triggered an impeachment inquiry against US President Donald Trump. | MoveOn, which describes itself as the largest independent progressive advocacy group in the US, hailed the still-anonymous whistleblower for taking on "great personal risk to defend our democracy" by revealing Trump's call with Ukraine that this person only knew of second-hand. | The organization, sponsored by many Democratic donors including billionaire George Soros, implored its…
rt.com/usa/469953-moveon-support-whistleblowers-hypocrisy-trump/

Florida: Terminate Public Funds for Charter Schools
Shawgi Tell | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-30
Nearly 10 county school boards in Florida recently took collective action to pursue a case against privately-operated-owned charter schools in the Florida Supreme Court. These public school systems that serve tens of thousands of students oppose the dreaded HB 7069 legislation, which the neoliberal governor of Florida, Rick Scott, signed into law in 2017. The …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/florida-terminate-public-funds-for-charter-schools/

Headlines for September 30, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-30
Facing Threats from Trump, Anonymous Whistleblower to Testify on Capitol Hill, Trump Warns Impeachment Could Lead to Civil War, Calls Critics "Savages", Pompeo Subpoenaed over Ukraine; Trump Envoy for Ukraine Resigns, More Than 2 Million Take Part in Global Climate Strike, Nearly 70 Arrested at New Hampshire Coal Plant Protest, Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration Effort to Indefinitely Detain Migrant Children, Low Turnout Reported on Election Day in Afghanistan, Egyptian Dissident Alaa Abd El-Fattah Arrested Amid Growing Crackdown, Houthis Claim to Have Killed 500 Saudi Soldiers in August Attack, El País: S…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/30/headlines

Whistleblower Edward Snowden on Trump, Obama & How He Ended Up in Russia to Avoid U.S. Extradition
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-30
We conclude our interview with NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who has just published his memoir titled "Permanent Record." In 2013, after quitting his job at the NSA, Snowden attempted to fly from Hong Kong to Latin America in order to avoid being extradited to the United States. But the U.S. revoked his passport when he stopped through Russia, effectively stranding him there. Snowden has lived as an exile in Moscow ever since. He tells us his story.
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/30/how_edward_snowden_avoided_extradition_to

Snowden Reveals How He Secretly Exposed NSA Criminal Wrongdoing Without Getting Arrested
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-30
Edward Snowden talks about his decision to leak documents to journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras rather than WikiLeaks, and the issues with the U.S. government's response to whistleblower disclosures. His recently published memoir, "Permanent Record," tells the story of his decision to expose the system of mass surveillance. "I think it's so obvious that no harm to national security has resulted from this process of disclosure. And yet, the same criticisms, the same allegations are made to me as have been every other whistleblower," Snowden says. "What we need to understand here is not my model of publi…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/30/whistleblower_edward_snowden_permanent_record_nsa

Edward Snowden: Private Contractors Play Key Role in U.S. Intelligence's "Creeping Authoritarianism"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-30
As a whistleblower complaint against President Trump rocks Washington, Democrats begin an impeachment inquiry and Trump threatens "big consequences" for the person who came forward, we continue our conversation with one of the world's most famous whistleblowers: Edward Snowden, now in exile in Russia. Six years ago, he shocked the world when he leaked a trove of secret documents about how the United States had built a massive surveillance apparatus to collect every single phone call, text message and email, and pry into the private lives of every person on Earth. He has just published a memoir titled "Permanent R…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/30/edward_snowden_us_surveillance_corporate_america

Edward Snowden's Julian Assange is an Unfamiliar Julian Assange
Patrick Anderson | mintpressnews.com | 2019-09-27
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks' former editor Julian Assange have a complicated relationship. On the one hand, they share important similarities: both are perceived as dangerous enemies by the United States government, and both have been documentary subjects of filmmaker Laura Poitras. On the other hand, they clearly disagree when it comes to the means of achieving government transparency and accountability. After all, if Snowden had agreed with Assange a…
mintpressnews.com/edward-snowden-julian-assange-unfamiliar-permanent-record/262103/

James Risen: Whistleblower Complaint Shows "Trump Is a Habitual Criminal" Abusing His Office
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-27
Democrats are ramping up efforts to impeach President Trump for pressing the president of Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Nearly 90% of House Democrats now support impeachment. On Thursday, a declassified version of a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower was released, detailing his concerns about Trump's July phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky. In the complaint, the unnamed whistleblower — who has been identified as a CIA official — accused the president of "using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 202…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/27/trump_impeachment_inquiry_james_risen

Headlines for September 27, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-27
Whistleblower Warned White House Tried to "Lock Down" Ukraine Call Details, Acting DNI Maguire Says Whistleblower "Acted in Good Faith", Trump Suggests Whistleblower Should Get Death Sentence for Treason, Global Youth-Led Strikes Demand Action on Climate Crisis, Study Finds Climate Crisis May Threaten 60% of World's Wheat Crop by 2100, States Challenge Trump's Rollback of Endangered Species Act, Senate Advances Confirmation of Ex-Monsanto Executive to Lead Wildlife Agency, EPA Chief Blames California's Homeless Population for Poor Water Quality, Protesters Defy Security Crackdown in Egypt, Demanding Ouster of Pre…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/27/headlines

Kentucky's Abortion Law Forces Me to Humiliate My Patients
aclu.org | 2019-09-26
H.B. 2 is cruel, offensive, and the Supreme Court should strike it down. | I'm a doctor at the only abortion clinic in Kentucky. Providing safe, compassionate medical care has been my life's calling, and my patients' well-being is always my first priority. But Kentucky politicians — determined as usual to interfere with access to reproductive healthcare — are trying to force me to harm and humili…
aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/abortion/kentuckys-abortion-law-forces-me-humiliate-my-patients

"Financial Censorship Is Still Censorship": Edward Snowden Slams Justice Dept. Lawsuit Against Him
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
As a whistleblower complaint filed against President Trump rocks Washington and threatens Trump's presidency, one of the world's most famous whistleblowers, Edward Snowden, joins us from Moscow, Russia. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Snowden alleging that his newly released memoir, "Permanent Record," violates the nondisclosure agreements he signed with the federal government when he was a National Security Agency employee. The Justice Department also argued that they are entitled to all of Snowden's book profits. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan González speak with Sno…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_memoir_permanent_record

Edward Snowden Condemns Trump's Mistreatment of Whistleblower Who Exposed Ukraine Scandal
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
Responding to news of a whistleblower's complaint at the center of an impeachment inquiry filed against President Trump this week, famed whistleblower Edward Snowden speaks about his own decision to leak classified documents in 2013. The House Intelligence Committee has released the declassified whistleblower complaint, which details a July phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president. The White House is trying "to make the conversation not about the allegations," Snowden told Democracy Now! "They want to talk about the whistleblower rather than the government's own wrongdoing."
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_on_writing_his_memoir

Permanent Record: Why NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Risked His Life to Expose Surveillance State
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
Six years ago, Edward Snowden leaked a trove of secret documents about how the United States had built a massive surveillance apparatus to spy on Americans and people across the globe. Snowden was then charged in the U.S. for violating the Espionage Act and other laws. As he attempted to flee to Latin America, Snowden became stranded in Russia after the U.S. revoked his passport. He has lived in Moscow ever since. Snowden just published his memoir, "Permanent Record," in which he writes about what led him to risk his life to expose the U.S. government's system of mass surveillance. From Moscow, he speaks to Democ…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_trump_whistleblower_impeachment

They're Murdering My Son: Father of Julian Assange Tells of Pain and Anguish
Finian Cunningham | mintpressnews.com | 2019-09-25
John Shipton, the father of imprisoned whistleblower Julian Assange, says that if his son is extradited to the US, "They will murder Julian one way or the other."
mintpressnews.com/theyre-murdering-my-son-father-of-julian-assange-tells-of-pain-and-anguish/262063/

Billy Bragg: What the U.K. Supreme Court's Historic Ruling Against Boris Johnson Means for Brexit
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-25
The U.K. Parliament has reconvened after the country's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had unlawfully suspended Parliament in order to push through Brexit with or without a deal. Johnson made the unprecedented move late last month, asking the queen to prorogue Parliament in order to limit debate on leaving the European Union, which the U.K. is scheduled to do by October 31. Calls for Johnson's resignation are mounting since the news broke, with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn calling for a general election and demanding Johnson apologize to the queen and to the country. For mo…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/25/brexit_british_parliament_billy_bragg

Rift Exposed: A Desertion Robbed League of the South of Its Longtime Headquarters and Hints that a Member Chose His Real Estate Holdings over Southern Culture
Brett Barrouquere | splcenter.org | 2019-09-04
League of the South (LOS), a neo-Confederate organization that advocates for Southern secession, has been roiled by a key defection that resulted in the group losing its headquarters in Wetumpka, Alabama, about 20 miles north of Montgomery.
splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2019/rift-exposed-desertion-robbed-league-south-its-longtime-headquarters-and-hints-member-chose