2019-10-04: News Headlines

RT (2019-10-04). Shot down? Testimony by Trump's Ukraine envoy seems to skewer Democrats' impeachment narrative. rt.com Another transcript has poked a hole in the narrative of House Democrats trying to impeach President Donald Trump, as former US special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker testified he never pushed Kiev for 'dirt' on former VP Joe Biden. | Volker was grilled for nine hours in a closed-doors session of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight committees on Thursday. Democrats on the committees claimed that he was instrumental in pushing the Ukrainian government to reopen a corruption investigation into Joe Biden's son Hunter's business dealings in Ukraine. | House Intelligence chair Adam Schiff (D-Califor…

The Canary (2019-10-04). Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who's jailed in Iran, to 'send daughter home to UK'. thecanary.co A British-Iranian woman jailed in Iran is to send her daughter home to the UK to start school, it has been reported.Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been visited in prison by five-year-old Gabriella at least once a week for the past three years.The youngster will be back in London before Christmas, according to the Times.Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in April 2016 and sentenced to five years in jail after being accused of spying, which she vehemently denies.Richard Ratcliffe, husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, outside the Iranian Embassy (Jonathan Brady/PA)Her fight for freedom has seen her endure hunger strikes…

John Kendall Hawkins (2019-10-04). Edward Snowden, You Legend! counterpunch.org "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster; when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." — Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil "Are you sure that you can skin griz? — line from film Jeremiah Johnson Edward Snowden's newly-released memoir, More

CounterSpin (2019-10-04). Dana Gold on Whistleblower Protections, Craig Aaron on Net Neutrality Setback. fair.org Media…

David Rosen (2019-10-04). How the U.S. Military Undermines the American Economy. counterpunch.org On January 17, 1961, President Dwight Eisenhower gave his now-famous farewell address, warning the nation: In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let More

True Publica (2019-10-04). What Julian Assange Really Represents. globalresearch.ca Julian Assange is facing extradition to the United States after he was forcibly dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy in London by police mid-April this year. On the 1st May, he was imprisoned for breaching bail conditions. His sentence is now …

Washington's Blog (2019-10-04). The Caliphate Project, Made in America. Declassified U.S. Government Documents Confirm the US Supported the Creation of ISIS. globalresearch.ca Global Research Editor's Note: | First published in May 2015, this article reveals not only that the ISIS is a creation of US intelligence, it also confirms that the Caliphate Project was designed in Washington. | See Screenshots Below from the title …

Staff (2019-10-04). Pelosi Wants to Prosecute Snowden But Protect Trump Whistleblower. truthout.org | | House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was quick to condemn NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden when he revealed the U.S. government's vast surveillance programs. "I think that he should be prosecuted," Pelosi told reporters, just days after Snowden's name became public in June 2013. | Later that month, speaking about Snowden at a Netroots Nation conference, Pelosi rendered…

Staff (2019-10-04). Why Do Black Americans Always Have to Forgive? truthdig.com What follows is a conversation between Lisa Snowden-McCray and The Real News Network. Read a transcript of their conversation below or watch the video at the bottom of…

Derek Royden (2019-10-04). Missed opportunities? Pros and cons of a 'focused' Trump impeachment inquiry. nationofchange.org For almost two weeks, American news has been filled with stories about the possibility and soon enough reality of an impeachment inquiry in the country's House of Representatives. The inquiry comes as a result of a whistleblower complaint filed by a still anonymous source now believed to have come forward in relation to a July 25th phone call that had taken place between the current occupant of the White House and the then newly elected president of the Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. …

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2019-10-04). The Conspiracy Against Trump Is Now Out in the Open. globalresearch.ca I am beginning to wonder if fluoridation hasn't dropped the US IQ by much more than 5 points. | The reports, such as this one, which provide clear evidence that the alleged whistleblower spent a month arranging his complaint with …

Staff (2019-10-04). US Supreme Court to Decide Fate Of Baltimore v. Big Oil Suit. therealnews.com The city sued 26 oil and gas companies over their role in the climate crisis, but the companies have appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the case from proceeding at the state level.

commondreams (2019-10-04). Center for Reproductive Rights Back at U.S. Supreme Court; Identical Abortion Issue Decided in 2016. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2019-10-04). Supreme Court Grants Cert in Louisiana Abortion Case. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-10-04). After US Senator Asks Public to 'Imagine' CIA Interfering in Foreign Elections, Historians Are Like… Uhhh. commondreams.org Australia, of course, is not the only country whose politics the U.S. has meddled in since the creation of the C.I.A. in 1947. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cia_4.jpg

Staff (2019-10-04). Headlines for October 4, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Publicly Calls on Ukraine and China to Investigate the Bidens, Trump Discussed Campaign Rivals in June Call with China's Xi Jinping, FEC Chair: Illegal for Candidates to Solicit Foreign Help in U.S. Elections, Messages Detail How U.S. Officials Pressured Ukraine on Trump's Behalf, IRS Whistleblower: Treasury Official Tried to Interfere with Trump or Pence Tax Audit, Trump Administration to Collect DNA of All Immigrants Jailed in U.S., Iraq Death Toll at 44 as Violent Repression of Protests Continues, Honduran President Denies Narcotrafficking Ties as His Brother Faces U.S. Trial, Protests Rock Ecuador as IM…

Amy Goodman, Denis Moynihan (2019-10-04). Snowden Knows Exactly Why No One Wants to Be a Whistleblower. commondreams.org "Don't we need, as a public, to understand what the government is doing … behind closed doors?" (Photo: Jared Rodriguez / Truthout) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/snowden.png

RT (2019-10-03). Pelosi insists Schiff's falsified 'parody' of fateful Trump-Zelensky call was 'the president's own words'. rt.com House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has claimed intelligence committee head Adam Schiff "was using the president's own words" when he made up what he later claimed was a "parody" script of Trump's call with the Ukrainian president. | Pelosi defended Schiff in an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos after she was asked if it was "right" for the congressman to give "an interpretation" of President Donald Trump's words instead of reading the actual transcript, which included none of the mafioso posturing of Schiff's performance in front of Congress last week. | Okay what Twilight zone have I entered because this is…

RT (2019-10-03). 'For futur of you're famly': FBI seeks to recruit 'Russian spies' with hilariously inept Facebook ad. rt.com 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 (2019-10-03). Snowden rips MSM & US politicians for hypocrisy in 'supporting whistleblowers'. rt.com 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…

Joan Walsh (2019-10-03). The Impeachment Crisis Just Got Worse for the GOP. thenation.com Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to bring Pompeo and Pence down with him.

Fight Back (2019-10-03). Young Lords remember martyrs and march for the future. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – A standing room only crowd filled the Holy Covenant United Methodist Church on September 29 to commemorate Reverend Bruce Johnson and Eugenia Johnson. The reverend and his wife Eugenia were remembered for supporting the Young Lords and their role in the struggle against poverty, war and oppression. They were savagely murdered in their own home 50 years ago, stabbed to death, during a U.S. government campaign of repression known as COINTELPRO or the Counterintelligence Program. | Ministers of the United Methodist Church, the Bishop of Chicago's Episcopal Church and leaders from the Presbyterian McCo…

Katharine Gun (2019-10-03). 'Is It a Crime to Expose Crimes Already Committed?'. thenation.com 'Is It a Crime to Expose Crimes Already Committed?'

teleSUR (2019-10-03). Iran Foils Foreign-Backed Assassination Plot Against General. telesurenglish.net Iran's intelligence services say they have foiled a terrorist plot aimed at assassinating Major General Qassem Soleimani, a figure known for coordinating efforts against the IS group. They say the plot was hatched by Israel and other Arab states. | RELATED: | Wherever US Goes, Terrorism Expands: Rouhani | Intelligence Chief Hossein Taeb says that terrorists were planning to buy a place next to a…

Staff (2019-10-03). Why Do Black People Always Have to Forgive? therealnews.com As Botham Jean's brother makes headlines for "forgiving" Amber Guyger, Real News hosts Jacqueline Luqman and Lisa Snowden-McCray discuss what Christian forgiveness in the face of oppression means.

RT (2019-10-02). Trump triumphant as New York Times report reveals 'whistleblower' spoke to 'Shifty Schiff' before filing complaint. rt.com 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 (2019-10-02). '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 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?

Staff (2019-10-02). Headlines for October 2, 2019. democracynow.org Report: Trump Pushed for Shooting Migrants and Placing Alligators & Snakes Along Border, Trump Claims Impeachment Inquiry Is "Coup" as Pompeo Blocks Officials from Testifying, Sen. Grassley Breaks from Trump to Support Protection of Whistleblower, In "Victory for Black People in America," Dallas Officer Convicted of Murdering Black Man Inside His Own Home, Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Georgia Abortion Law, U.S.-N. Korea Talks to Resume as Pyongyang Carries Out New Missile Test, Hong Kong Protesters Stage Sit-in Outside School of Student Shot by Police, Pretrial Hearings Begin in Netanyahu Corruption Case, Per…

Binoy Kampmark (2019-10-01). Dangerous Detentions: Julian Assange and Remaining in Belmarsh. dissidentvoice.org 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 …

Staff (2019-10-01). To Impeach or Not to Impeach? Chris Hedges & John Bonifaz Debate What Congress Should Do Next. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2019-10-01). Headlines for October 1, 2019. democracynow.org House Democrats Subpoena Giuliani over Ukraine Work, Report: Trump Pressured Australia, Italy & U.K. to Help with Political Probes, Trump Renews Threats Against Schiff and Intelligence Whistleblower, Hong Kong Protests Escalate as Beijing Marks 70th Anniversary of People's Republic of China, Four Die in Ongoing Anti-Government Protests in Haiti, Somali Militants Attack U.S. Drone Base & Italian Military Convoy, Nigerian Journalist Omoyele Sowore Pleads Not Guilty, Remains Locked Up, U.S. Blocks Cuban Health Minister from Attending Regional WHO Meeting in D.C., GOP Congressmember Chris Collins Resigns over Insider…

Jimmysllama (2019-09-30). How the Trump Admin Used a Secret Livestream to Spy on Julian Assange. mintpressnews.com 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.

Staff (2019-09-30). Edward Snowden: Private Contractors Play Key Role in U.S. Intelligence's "Creeping Authoritarianism" democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2019-09-30). Snowden Reveals How He Secretly Exposed NSA Criminal Wrongdoing Without Getting Arrested. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2019-09-30). Whistleblower Edward Snowden on Trump, Obama & How He Ended Up in Russia to Avoid U.S. Extradition. democracynow.org 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.

Staff (2019-09-30). Headlines for September 30, 2019. democracynow.org 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…

Patrick Anderson (2019-09-27). Edward Snowden's Julian Assange is an Unfamiliar Julian Assange. mintpressnews.com 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…

Staff (2019-09-27). James Risen: Whistleblower Complaint Shows "Trump Is a Habitual Criminal" Abusing His Office. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2019-09-27). Headlines for September 27, 2019. democracynow.org 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…

ACLU (2019-09-26). Kentucky's Abortion Law Forces Me to Humiliate My Patients. aclu.org 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…

Staff (2019-09-26). Edward Snowden Condemns Trump's Mistreatment of Whistleblower Who Exposed Ukraine Scandal. democracynow.org 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."

Staff (2019-09-26). "Financial Censorship Is Still Censorship": Edward Snowden Slams Justice Dept. Lawsuit Against Him. democracynow.org 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…

Staff (2019-09-26). Permanent Record: Why NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Risked His Life to Expose Surveillance State. democracynow.org 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…

Finian Cunningham (2019-09-25). They're Murdering My Son: Father of Julian Assange Tells of Pain and Anguish. mintpressnews.com 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."

Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-14). Venezuela's Maduro Reshuffles Cabinet as Supreme Court Strips Three Opposition Lawmakers of Immunity. venezuelanalysis.com The National Constituent Assembly will also evaluate bringing forward legislative elections.