(2019-02-07). Reading Between the Lines: India Has Sour Grapes over America's Afghan Peace Talks. globalresearch.ca The clearest indication of how the Indian military, intelligence, and diplomatic bureaucracies ("deep state") truly feel about America's Afghan peace talks with the Taliban can be seen in retired Major-General Harsha Kakar's recent article on the topic for "The …
(2019-02-07). Washington Issues Ultimatum to Venezuela over "Humanitarian Aid" Ploy. globalresearch.ca US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued an ultimatum to the Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday, demanding that it throw open its borders to a US-orchestrated scheme to deliver "humanitarian aid." Washington's aim is either to provoke …
(2019-02-07). Trump Withdrawing from Old Wars While Threatening Iran with New One. therealnews.com 
While Trump is withdrawing US troops from Syria and Afghanistan, he is ramping up aggression against Iran — acting both less and more hawkish than his intelligence agencies. Trita Parsi says Washington is violating international law in its campaign to isolate and strangle Tehran
(2019-02-07). Washington issues ultimatum to Venezuela over "humanitarian aid" ploy. wsws.org Behind the cynical pretense of concern over Venezuela's social crisis, the Pentagon and CIA are setting the stage for an armed confrontation on the country's border.
(2019-02-07). Spanish state vs Catalonia: putting a political trial on trial. greenleft.org.au 
On February 12, the trial of 12 Catalan politicians and social movement leaders involved in the October 1, 2017 independence referendum is set to begin in the Spanish Supreme Court. | The leaders face sanctions as harsh as 25 year's jail for their alleged offences — rebellion, sedition and embezzlement of public funds. | It is the first of three trials. Other defendants, including former police chief, José Lluís Trapero, will face the National High Court. Those members of the Catalan parliament who allowed discussion and voting on the referendum enabling law will face the High Court of Justice of Catalonia…
(2019-02-06). How to Shine a Light on U.S. Government Surveillance of Americans. aclu.org Before Congress votes to reauthorize key spying laws, it must demand answers. | This year, Congress must vote on reauthorizing provisions of the Patriot Act that are due to expire — including Section 215, which the government abused for years to illegally collect Americans' phone records in bulk. As this debate gets underway, both Congress and the public need some answers. | In 2015, Congress passed the USA Freedom Act to reform parts of the Patriot Act and make other much-needed changes to the government's surveil…
(2019-02-06). The CIA has Attempted to Assassinate 50 Foreign Leaders Including Hugo Chavez. globalresearch.ca First published by Global Research in March 2013 | The late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was warned by Fidel Castro to be careful of a very specific attack, namely a quick jab from an infected needle. Such a warning coming from …
(2019-02-06). "Liar-in-Chief": Rep. Ilhan Omar Slams Trump's SOTU Remarks on Border, Venezuela, Israel & More. democracynow.org 
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Trump called for bipartisan unity while he attacked Democrats and the Robert Mueller investigation, denounced efforts to expand abortion rights in Virginia and New York, attacked immigrants and reiterated his demand for a border wall—with no mention of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which delayed his address by a week. Women in Congress wore all white to the speech in a nod to the movement for women's suffrage. After the address, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams made history, becoming the first African-Americ…
(2019-02-06). Democrats Launch New Probe of Trump's Finances, Russia Ties. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — The House intelligence committee will launch a broad new investigation looking at Russian interference in the 2016 election and President Donald Trump's foreign financial interests, Chairman Adam Schiff announced Wednesday, moving ahead with the aggressive oversight that Democrats have promised now that they are in the majority. | Schiff said the investigation will include "the scope and scale" of Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential election, the "extent of any links and/or coordination" between Russians and Trump's associates, whether foreign actors have sought to hold leverage over…
(2019-02-06). Ana María Archila: Brett Kavanaugh's Presence at SOTU Represented Failure of U.S. Democracy. democracynow.org 
As we continue to discuss President Trump's State of the Union, we are joined by Ana María Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy. She attended the address as a guest of New York Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In September, Archila made headlines when she, along with another woman, Maria Gallagher, confronted Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona in an elevator after he announced his support for Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Shortly after the confrontation, Sen. Flake called for a delay of the Senate vote pending a limited FBI investigation.
(2019-02-06). Rep. Ilhan Omar Slams Trump's Remarks on Border, Venezuela, Israel. truthout.org In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Trump called for bipartisan unity while he attacked Democrats and the Robert Mueller investigation, denounced efforts to expand abortion rights in Virginia and New York, attacked immigrants and reiterated his demand for a border wall — with no mention of the longest government shutdown in US history, which delayed his address by a week. Women in Congress wore all white to the speech in a nod to the movement for women's suffrage. We're joined by Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, the first Somali American elected to the House of Representatives and…
(2019-02-06). 63% of a British Audience Would Prefer to Cut Ties With Saudi Arabia. theantimedia.com 
(MEMO) — A night of compelling debate at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster on Monday evening concluded with 63 percent of the 1,000-strong audience voting for the motion that "The West should cut ties with Saudi Arabia". The debate was organised by Intelligence Squared and began with a not insignificant 37 percent of those present admitting that …
(2019-02-06). 'Foolish wars, politics & ridiculous probes': Only natural predators that threaten the US 'miracle'? rt.com 
President Donald Trump sees no limits to the miracle of American progress, he told assembled lawmakers during his State of the Union speech, explaining that the only thing that could stand in the way is… the Mueller investigation?
(2019-02-06). Kavanaugh's Presence at SOTU Represented Failure of US Democracy. truthout.org As we continue to discuss President Trump's State of the Union, we are joined by Ana María Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy. She attended the address as a guest of New York Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In September, Archila made headlines when she, along with another woman, Maria Gallagher, confronted Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona in an elevator after he announced his support for Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court. Shortly after the confrontation, Senator Flake called for a delay of the Senate vote pending a limited FBI investiga…
(2019-02-05). Trump To Move US Troops from Syria to Iraq to "Watch" Iran, "Protect Israel" mintpressnews.com WASHINGTON — In a pre-Super Bowl interview on Sunday, President Donald Trump discussed his plan for a troop withdrawal from Syria, which, as it turns out, doesn't involve many troops vacating the Middle East. Instead, Trump said the troops would mostly be "going to our base in Iraq." | CBS's Margaret Brennan held a wide-ranging interview with Trump, in the course of which she asked him about the intelligence community's "concern" that a "vacuum" left by the U.S. pullout could cause a "resurgence of ISIS…
(2019-02-05). Louisiana Tests the New Supreme Court on Abortion. theintercept.com The U.S. Supreme Court will decide this week whether to intervene in a case that could lead to the closure of all but one abortion clinic in Louisiana.
(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). 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). 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…
(2019-02-03). 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 →
(2019-02-01). 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). 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). 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…
(2019-01-31). 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…
(2019-01-16). 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.