(2019-01-06). A Tough Time to Be a Spy, NPR Reports – Current and former CIA officials are only sources for story on espionage getting harder. fair.org 
by Belén Fernández NPR ( 1/3/19) reports on the CIA finding it harder to sneak into other countries to commit espionage. | Imagine, for a moment, that a prominent media outlet in Iran decided to produce a story about the trials of being an Iranian spy in this technological day and age—in which the all-pervasiveness of surveillance mechanisms and social media complicates slightly the process of entering other countries under false identities. | It's safe to assume that the United State…
(2019-01-06). FBI-CIA Collaboration Reveals Blatant Illegitimacy of Guantánamo Trials. truthout.org Earlier last month, lawyers for Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, a Yemeni citizen who's been detained in Guantánamo since January 16, 2002, petitioned the Supreme Court to review his case. His legal team argues that the US government lacks the authority to detain al-Alwi under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force and that indefinite detention is illegal. Previously, the district and circuit courts den…
(2019-01-06). Capitalism means Crisis and Trade War. indybay.org Capitalism contains crisis as rainclouds contain rain, said Jean Jaures, 19th-century French socialist. Big Pharma, Big Wall Street, and Big Military Industrial Complex have armies of lobbyists. False concepts that financial markets are efficient and tend to equilibrium still rule economics. We the People should govern and politics should control economics. Fighting poverty should be part of public interest.
(2019-01-06). Fed Gov Shutdown & SF Hunters Point Treasure Island Whistleblowers Face Cover-up/Corruption. indybay.org KPFA WorkWeek radio covers the government shutdown and threats to our public services and health and safety in the air transportation system. Next it looks at the growing scandal and cover-up of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and Treasure Island cleanup. Over $1 billion has been spent to supposedly remediate the sites but there continue to be dangerous radioactive contamination and Tetra Tech and Test American fired OSHA and health and safety whistleblowers. The program looks at the failure of the San Francisco Department of Public Health and California State Department of Public Health that will now be run by…
(2019-01-05). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Issues Statement Following Supreme Court's Decision to Rehear Gerrymandering Cases. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-01-05). Partisan Gerrymandering Back at the Supreme Court. commondreams.org The Court has announced that oral argument will be held during its March argument session, which falls in the latter half of the month. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/supreme_court.png…
(2019-01-05). Ecuador unveils "special examination" of Julian Assange's asylum. wsws.org The Moreno government's investigation into the granting of the WikiLeaks founder's asylum and Ecuadorian citizenship is clearly designed to repudiate both.
(2019-01-05). NBC journalist resigns, blasting media as "defender of Washington and the system" wsws.org William Arkin, a veteran reporter and security consultant for NBC, delivered a scathing critique of the corporate media as stenographer and apologist for the military-intelligence apparatus.
(2019-01-04). Watch the 11th Online Vigil for Julian Assange. consortiumnews.com Consortium News broadcast the 11th Unity4J vigil for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange on Friday night. You can watch it here. Ecuador tries to find a legal way out of its commitment to Assange's asylum in its London embassy, while Trump lawyer… Read more →
(2019-01-04). Elizabeth Warren and the Military Industrial Complex. mintpressnews.com Warren's views on countries in the crosshairs of the US State Department largely conform to those of her colleagues on Capitol Hill: Iran is a "bad actor," Russia and China "are working to undermine the basic human rights we hold dear," and so on.
(2019-01-04). Surprise Ruling Opens New Avenue for Mumia to Win New Trial on his Murder Conviction. counterpunch.org In a surprise order signed Dec. 27, a Philadelphia Common Pleas supervising judge has offered a new chance for Mumia Abu-Jamal to challenge his 1982 conviction for the murder of white Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. Specifically, Judge Leon Tucker has ordered the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reconsider four Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA) hearings More
(2019-01-04). Rhode Island Supreme Court Allows Unfairly Shutdown Strip Club to Reopen. aclu.org Providence's licensing board, we argue, violated the club's rights when it was shut down based solely on allegations of solicitation of prostitution. | Imagine a symphony orchestra barred by the state from performing again because a musician was found to have sold marijuana to a colleague backstage. Imagine a bookstore being shuttered by the government because peace activists planned acts of civil disobedience in a backroom. Imagine a movie theater permanently closed because an employee assaulted a patron. | In Providence, Rhode Island, you don't have to imagine it, because it happened to a strip club c…
(2019-01-04). In Bid to 'Get Big Money Out of Politics,' House Lawmakers Introduce Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United. commondreams.org In a bid to loosen the stranglehold corporate money has on the American political process and "restore democratic power to the American people," a bipartisan group of House lawmakers on Thursday introduced a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's deeply unpopular 2010 Citizens United decision. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/citizens_united.jpg…
(2019-01-04). Democrats in Congress Unveil Ambitious Plan to Fix Our Election System. commondreams.org Most of the reforms have been proposed by Democratic lawmakers to counter abuses pioneered or deployed this century by Republicans—whether extreme gerrymanders, voter suppression, or stealth financing—or rulings from the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court that have deregulated campaigning. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/yup_3.jpeg…
(2019-01-04). Recent court rulings provide mostly positive results for workers — so far. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON —The U.S. Supreme Court hasn't issued any major rulings yet in its current term, which began in October. But that doesn't mean the federal courts ignored workers' issues. Instead, the load, as usual, fell on the federal appeals courts during the last six months of 2018, with mostly positive results for workers so far, …
(2019-01-04). AI Should Improve Quality of Life, Not Make Capitalists Rich — Lester Earnest on RAI (5/5). therealnews.com 
Artificial Intelligence can make the world better or be a tool for war — says Lester Earnest, founder of the Artificial Intelligence Lab at Stanford, on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
(2019-01-04). Silence follows Trump attorney's statement that Julian Assange did nothing "wrong" wsws.org Not a word about Rudy Giuliani's Fox News interview has been said by the political and media establishment in the US, Europe or Australia.
(2019-01-03). US Secretary of State Pompeo Enlists Allies to 'Return Democracy' to Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com US allies Brazil and Colombia have repeatedly voiced support for regime change efforts.
(2019-01-03). Has Trump Been Outmaneuvered on Syria Troop Withdrawal? consortiumnews.com Trump's possible backtracking on withdrawal from Syria means he may have been once again outmaneuvered by the Deep State, says Virginia State Senator Dick Black. Following the outcry after President Donald Trump's announcement that he was pulling U.S. troops from Syria,… Read more →
(2019-01-02). Headlines for January 2, 2019. democracynow.org Brazil Swears In Far-Right President Jair Bolsonaro, Gov't Shutdown Enters 12th Day, Causing Chaos for Workers, Border Agents Tear-Gas Migrants at U.S.-Mexico Border, Texas: Activists Block Access to Tornillo Youth Immigration Jail, AZ: Prosecutors to Investigate Child Abuse at Immigrant Prison, Sec. of State Pompeo Reaffirms U.S. Military Relationship with Israel, Israeli PM: Bolsonaro Pledged to Move Brazilian Embassy to Jerusalem, Gaza: Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Man at Protest, U.S. and Israel Formally Leave UNESCO, North Korea: Kim Jong-un Offers Both Threats and Peaceful Overtures to U.S., Netflix Pull…
(2019-01-02). Five Weeks After The Guardian's Viral Blockbuster Assange-Manafort Scoop, No Evidence Has Emerged — Just Stonewalling. theintercept.com 
The U.S. media is very adept at being outraged when they're denounced as "fake news." They should think more about why that attack resonates for so many.
(2019-01-02). Billionaires Shouldn't Control Artificial Intelligence — Lester Earnest on RAI (4/5). therealnews.com 
"Patents block progress" — says Lester Earnest, founder of the Artificial Intelligence Lab at Stanford, on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay
(2018-12-31). Giuliani Says Assange Should Not Be Prosecuted. consortiumnews.com Donald Trump's lawyer said on Monday that WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange should not be prosecuted and he compared WikiLeaks publications to the Pentagon Papers. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for President Donald Trump, said… Read more →
(2018-12-31). UAE: Rights Defender's Conviction Upheld. hrw.org 
| | Ahmed Mansoor speaks to Reuters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 30, 2011. | © 2011 Reuters | The United Arab Emirates Federal Supreme Court, the country's court of last resort in state security cases, on December 31, 2018, upheld a 10-year sentence for Ahmed Mansoor, an award-winning human rights activist, Human Rights Watch said today. | In May, an Abu Dhabi court sentenced Mansoor to 10 years in prison for "defaming" the UAE on s…
(2018-12-28). Watch Replay of 10th Online Vigil for Julian Assange. consortiumnews.com Consortium News on Friday night broadcast live the 10th online vigil for WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. Among the guests was Francis Boyle, a University of Illinois international law professor, who spoke about his experiences with the U.S.-British extradition treaty. Other guests… Read more →
(2018-12-28). A Path to Freedom? Journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal Wins Chance to Reargue Appeal in 1981 Police Killing. democracynow.org 
Former Black Panther and award-winning journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted of the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner but has always maintained his innocence. On Thursday, a Philadelphia judge ruled Abu-Jamal can reargue his appeal in the case before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The judge cited then-Chief Justice Ronald Castille's failure to recuse himself from the case due to his prior role as Philadelphia district attorney when Abu-Jamal was appealing. We get an update from Johanna Fernández, professor of history at Baruch College-CUNY and one of the coordinators of the Campaign t…
(2018-12-27). "RBG": As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Recovers from Surgery, a Remarkable Film Charts Her Trajectory. democracynow.org 
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital following surgery that removed two malignant growths in her left lung. Doctors called the surgery a success and said there's no sign that Ginsburg's cancer has spread. The health of the liberal 85-year-old justice—the oldest sitting justice on the Supreme Court bench—has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. In November, she was hospitalized after a fall that resulted in three fractured ribs. She previously fractured two ribs in 2012 and has twice survived cancer—pancreatic cancer in 2009 and colon cancer in…
(2018-12-21). SPLC statement on Supreme Court's denial of Trump administration's request to immediately enforce asylum ban. splcenter.org …
(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…
(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…
(2018-12-04). With INF Ultimatum, Trump's Maximalist Approach Strikes Again. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — December 4, 2018 — In response to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's announcement that the U.S. will formally announce its intention to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 60 days if Russia does not come into compliance with the treaty by then, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy […]
(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…
(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.