(2019-02-04). Make Venezuela Great Again? counterpunch.org Have we not learned a thing? As the crisis in Venezuela continues to unfold, we are witnessing yet another blatant US regime-change operation "for the Venezuelan people." Of course, it would make sense to dissuade the main operators—Trump, Secretary of State Pompeo, National Security Advisor John Bolton, Senator Marco Rubio, or the recently appointed Special More
(2019-02-04). The U.S. Is Orchestrating a Venezuelan Coup in Plain Sight. truthdig.com Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and more appear bent on appeasing American oil interests, even if it means violating international law.
(2019-02-04). Trump Will Increase Iran Intelligence Gathering From Iraq. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Saturday he considers it important to keep some military forces in Iraq to watch Iran closely. | RELATED: | Iranian President Criticizes US Hegemonic Tactics in Venezuela | Trump expressed his regret for the "endless wars" held in Afghanistan and Syria. He also commented on his intention to reduce costly U.S. military presence in those countries, during a CBS interview. | However, the bellicose attitude adopted by his administration toward…
(2019-02-04). Video: How Crack Cocaine Funded a CIA War: Gary Webb Interview on the Contras and Ronald Reagan (1996). globalresearch.ca 1996 C-SPAN interview with Gary Webb | Gary Webb died mysteriously in his Carmichael home on December 10, 2004, with two gunshot wounds to the head. His death was ruled a suicide by the Sacramento County coroner's office. | Investigative journalist …
(2019-02-04). Britain's secret propaganda "Integrity Initiative" targets Russia. wsws.org The Institute for Statecraft and Integrity Initiative's work is overseen by military intelligence operatives and run in service to the Ministry of Defence on behalf of a network of pro-British and US imperialist outfits.
(2019-02-04). The Supreme Court Is Considering Whether the Government Can Dodge the First Amendment by Outsourcing Its Power. aclu.org A case about a video banned from public access cable TV could have important implications for our constitutional rights. | The First Amendment bars the government from censoring speech that it doesn't like. That rule also goes for a private organization that takes on a government role. But when exactly is an organization considered a stand-in for the government? The Supreme Court will soon hear a case to decide. | Before smartphones, the internet, and digital cameras, it wasn't easy to get your videos in front of…
(2019-02-04). Ana Maria Archila, Who Confronted Sen. Jeff Flake, Will Be Ocasio-Cortez's SOTU Guest. theintercept.com Ana Maria Archila, the Queens woman who famously confronted Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake in a Capitol Hill elevator, will be Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's State of the Union guest on Tuesday. | Archila, a longtime community organizer and co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy Action, was one of two women who shared their stories of sexual assault for the first time with the senator in an emotional encounter during the debate over Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. With a CNN camera broadcasting live right behind the wo…
(2019-02-04). David Cox' Assange + Putin + Paglen. indybay.org Other Cinema, 992 Valencia St.
(2019-02-04). Neomi Rao, Nominee to Replace Brett Kavanaugh, Heads Agency That's Been Stalling Sexual Harassment Guidance. theintercept.com Neomi Rao has been tapped for the D.C. Circuit, and is already on the GOP shortlist for a future Supreme Court spot.
(2019-02-04). Google Hired Gig Economy Workers to Improve Artificial Intelligence in Controversial Drone-Targeting Project. theintercept.com 
Millions of gig economy workers around the world now earn a living on so-called crowd worker websites — work that falls under the umbrella of crowdsourcing, or dividing up tasks into minuscule portions to spread over a large number of people. The sites pay as little as $1 an hour for individuals to perform short, repetitive tasks, such as identifying images seen in pictures and churning out product reviews. | Some of these crowd workers were unknowingly helping to build out the Pentagon's battlefield drone capability. | The work was done as part of a Defense Department initiative called Project Maven. Last…
(2019-02-04). Biohazard Suit Protest Inside SF Costco After $331,000 Restitution Ruling Against Animal Activists. indybay.org Activists demand Costco "tell the truth" as factory farm whistleblowers face potential bankruptcy…
(2019-02-03). CN Radio: Australian Ambassador Tony Kevin's Plan to Free Assange. consortiumnews.com Tony Kevin, a former Australian ambassador, defends Julian Assange & WikiLeaks & reveals a plan to get him safely from Ecuador's London embassy back to Australia. He is interviewed by CN Editor Joe Lauria for Unity4J. Read more →
(2019-02-02). John Pilger to speak at March 3 Sydney rally to defend Julian Assange. wsws.org As well as John Pilger, the Sydney rally will be addressed by SEP National Secretary James Cogan. Cogan will also be the main speaker at the demonstration in Melbourne on March 10.
(2019-02-01). Watch 15th Vigil for Assange. consortiumnews.com Consortium News webcast the 15th Unity4J online vigil on Friday. Watch the replay here. Guests: Brian Becker, Cathy Vogan, Gareth Porter, Lee Stranahan and Tony Kevin. Read more →
(2019-02-01). Elliott Abrams: A Human Rights Horror Show in Three Acts. counterpunch.org Last Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Elliott Abrams would once again be returning to government, this time as President Donald Trump's special envoy to help "fully restore democracy and prosperity" to Venezuela. Abrams, 71, is best known for abetting dictators and genocide in Latin America and for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal during More
(2019-02-01). Trump endangers peace by cancelling nuclear arms deal with Russia. peoplesworld.org 
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who came to the Trump administration from the Tea Party wing of the Republicans, announced today that the president is suspending U.S. participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and is beginning the process of total U.S. withdrawal in six months. Trump himself accused Russia today of covertly developing and …
(2019-02-01). Trump Explodes at CIA over Iran: "Naive and Passive," "Go Back to School!" mintpressnews.com Ann Arbor ( Informed Comment) — Our great leader has delivered himself of some weighty pronouncements about Iran, about which he knows not a single little thing, likely even where exactly it is. He called the US intelligence agencies "passive and naive" on Iran, said that Tehran had become less active since Trump violated the 2015 nuclear deal, said Iran's economy is crashing, and urged Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and CIA director Gina Haspel to "go back to school." | The Intelligence people seem to be extremely pass…
(2019-02-01). Mueller Accuses Roger Stone of Lying and Bullying—but Not Collusion. thenation.com Mueller Accuses Roger Stone of Lying and Bullying—but Not Collusion…
(2019-02-01). Sudan's Game of Catch and Release. hrw.org 
| | Sudanese protesters chant slogans during an anti-government demonstration in the capital Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman on January 31, 2019. | © 2019 Stringer/AFP/Getty Images | Salah Abdalla "Gosh," director of Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), announced the release this week of 186 so-called "protest" detainees, but said nothing about the fate of the hundreds still locked up in the wake of the bloody, and ongoing, crackdown. | Since mid-December, when protests started across the c…
(2019-02-01). "Go Back to School!": Trump Slams US Intelligence Chiefs as "Passive and Naive" on Iran. theantimedia.com 
(MEE) — US President Donald Trump has called US intelligence chiefs "extremely passive and naive" regarding Iran, a day after they contradicted his views during congressional testimony. During a hearing on global threats on Tuesday, the leaders of several US intelligence agencies told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Iran is not taking steps towards making a nuclear …
(2019-02-01). Russia, China on Defense and No Iranian Nuclear Bomb — US Intelligence Report. therealnews.com 
Russia and China are responding to "perceived US unilateralism and interventionism" — Paul Jay joins Taya Graham to analyze the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community
(2019-02-01). Russia Threatens Retaliation as US Officially Pulls Out of Nuclear Arms Treaty. theantimedia.com 
(ZH) — Update: As we previewed below, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that the US will withdraw from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces treaty immediately, prompting threats of a Russian "response" from Moscow. Pompeo said the US could return to compliance with the treaty if Moscow meets Washington's demands within the next 180 days. …
(2019-01-31). EU Launches INSTEX To Facilitate Trade, Bypass US Sanctions on Iran. mintpressnews.com Secretary of State Mike Pompeo previously warned of "swift punishment" for countries doing business with Iran, thus INSTEX is seen as a first small step toward greater European economic independence.
(2019-01-31). Judge Denies Request to Unseal Assange Criminal Complaint Saying There is No Proof it Exists. consortiumnews.com Judge Leonie Brinkema has denied an application from the Reporters' Committee for Freedom of the Press to unseal the U.S. government's complaint against WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News A U.S. federal judge has ruled… Read more →
(2019-01-31). Headlines for January 31, 2019. democracynow.org Venezuela: U.S. Urges Military to Back Guaidó as Protesters Take to Streets, Reuters: UAE Hired Ex-NSA Agents to Spy on Opponents and Critics, Congress Reintroduces War Powers Resolution to End War on Yemen, Trump Hits Back After Intelligence Chiefs Contradict Him on Iran, N. Korea, Israeli Forces Kill Teenage Palestinian Girl at West Bank Checkpoint, Israel: Thousands of Israeli Ethiopians Protest Racism, Police Brutality, Migrants: Scores Killed in 2 Boat Wrecks Off Djibouti Coast, Humanitarian Ship Docks in Italy After European Nations Agree to Process Migrants, Colombia: 2 Community Leaders Killed Amid Mounti…
(2019-01-31). "RBG" Documentary Nominated for Academy Award as Supreme Court Justice Recovers from Lung Surgery. democracynow.org 
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recently missed oral arguments as she continues to recover after having two tumors removed from her lung last month. But the Supreme Court has said she is cancer-free and that the 85-year-old, now three-time cancer-surviving justice, has been reviewing arguments and weighing in on cases from home. Meanwhile, the documentary "RBG" about her life has been nominated for an Academy Award. At the Sundance Film Festival, we speak with Julie Cohen, one of the film's directors.
(2019-01-30). Headlines for January 30, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. Hands Over Assets to Guaidó as Venezuela Restricts His Travel, Intelligence Community Contradicts Trump on Iran, N. Korea, ISIS, Trump Immigration Rule Forces 1st Asylum Seeker Out of U.S., Back into Mexico, Pentagon to Send "Several Thousand" More Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border, Honduras: Rights Groups Slam Guilty Verdict for Opposition Critic María Luisa Borjas, Brazil: 5 Arrested in Dam Collapse That Killed 65, Devastating Environment, Mexico: Tens of Thousands Strike as 27 Factories Reach Deals for Pay Raises, U.K. Lawmakers Order PM Theresa May to Reopen Brexit Negotiations, Cameroon: Security Forces Arre…
(2019-01-29). Mike Pompeo's Deranged Foreign Policy. consortiumnews.com The U.S. secretary of state is a Christian zealot who sees the U.S. as incapable of doing ill, writes Lawrence Davidson. By Lawrence Davidson TothePointAnalysis.com U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo started out the new year—the date was Jan. 10—preaching… Read more →
(2019-01-29). Headlines for January 29, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Venezuela in Latest Challenge to Maduro, White House Raises Specter of Military Intervention in Venezuela, CBO: Gov't Shutdown Caused $3 Billion Permanent Loss to Economy, Joshua Tree Damage from Shutdown Could Take 300 Years to Recover, DOJ Charges Huawei with Bank Fraud, Seeks CFO's Extradition, Yemen: Attack on Camp Kills 8 Civilians as Ceasefire Is Delayed, Polar Vortex Hits Midwest, Bringing Dangerous Conditions, Senate Advances Anti-BDS Bill, Acting AG: Mueller Probe "Close to Being Completed", Virginia Teachers Protest for Fair Wages and Education Funding, Immigrant Rights Activis…
(2019-01-28). Regime Change Is Not the Answer: Rep. Ro Khanna Speaks Out Against U.S.-Backed Coup in Venezuela. democracynow.org 
More information has come to light about the direct U.S. role in an attempted coup in Venezuela. The Wall Street Journal reports Vice President Mike Pence called opposition leader Juan Guaidó on the night before he declared himself to be president, pledging U.S. support for his actions. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused the United States of attempting to wage a coup. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has named Elliott Abrams to be his special envoy to Venezuela. Abrams is a right-wing hawk who was convicted in 1991 for lying to Congress during the Iran-Contra scandal, but he was later p…
(2019-01-22). SPLC statement on Supreme Court's decision to lift injunctions against Trump's transgender military ban. splcenter.org The U.S. Supreme Court's decision today to temporarily lift injunctions against the Trump administration's ban on open service by transgender Americans is just that: temporary.
(2019-01-16). Was that the Onion or Reuters Quoting Mike Pompeo on Venezuela? zcomm.org This Reuters article says "The Maduro regime is illegitimate and the United States will work diligently to restore a real democracy to that country," Pompeo told reporters in Abu Dhabi, where he is on a tour of Middle East countries. " [emphasis added] The Onion might have simply changed "countries" above to "dictatorships" or, Read more…
(2019-01-10). Farewell to bblum6. zcomm.org Bill Blum passed away early last month in Virginia. Many Z Net readers will know his canonical book, Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since WWII, or remember his regular newsletter Anti-Empire Report. My first contact with Bill came in 1995 when I wrote him about something he had written on the Cold War. Read more…
(2019-01-07). Venezuelan Ex-Magistrate Flees to Miami, Pledges to 'Collaborate' with US Authorities. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuela's Supreme Court claims Christian Zerpa fled a sexual harassment investigation.
(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.
(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.