Daily Archives: May 13, 2019

2019-05-13: News Headlines

Gareth Porter (2019-05-13). Bolton Is Spinning Israeli 'Intelligence' to Push for War Against Iran. globalresearch.ca John Bolton has gotten away with a dangerous deception. The national security adviser's announcement Sunday that the Pentagon has deployed air and naval forces to the Middle East, which he combined with a threat to Iran, points to a new …

Tom Coburg (2019-05-13). Prosecution of Assange may be severely compromised under English law, agrees barrister. thecanary.co A barrister and adviser to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange argues that any intended prosecution of him by the US or Sweden may have been severely compromised. And as such, that would invalidate any extradition request from either of those countries. | Consequences of US political interference: | Commentary on Assange and WikiLeaks by US politicians has been rife. For example, CIA chief Mike Pompeo described WikiLeaks as a…

commondreams (2019-05-13). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Statement in Response to Supreme Court Ruling Abandoning Precedent in Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt. commondreams.org ______________________________…

RT (2019-05-13). Anti-monopoly App Store lawsuit against Apple gets go-ahead from US Supreme Court. rt.com The US Supreme Court is letting a group of consumers proceed with their antitrust lawsuit against Apple after rejecting the tech behemoth's argument that iOS App Store users aren't really its customers.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2019-05-13). Fears for Roe V. Wade After Supreme Court Issues Decision Overruling a 40-Year Precedent. commondreams.org "Today's decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the Court will overrule next," wrote Justice Bryer in dissent | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sovereign-immunity-roe-wade-scotus.jpg

Philip A Farruggio (2019-05-13). The Taking of America 123. The Deep State Thrives on Money and Power. globalresearch.ca The above title was influenced from Joseph Sargent's 1974 classic The Taking of the Pelham 123. In the film (remade again in 2009, and not bad actually) gunmen hijack a NYC subway train and hold the passengers of one car …

Denis Rogatyuk (2019-05-13). After Assange, Ecuador's Lenin Moreno escalates persecution of critics and perceived foes. thegrayzone.com The US-backed, neoliberal Ecuadorian leader is persecuting Swedish software developer Ola Bini for his political sympathies, censoring critical media, and…

WSWS (2019-05-13). Chelsea Manning restates her refusal to testify against Julian Assange as new grand jury subpoena looms. wsws.org Speaking on CNN's "Reliable Sources" program just three days after being released from federal detention, Manning made clear that she will resist the new grand jury subpoena, even at the cost of being sent back to prison.

Consortiumnews (2019-05-13). Sweden Reopens 9-Year Old Rape Investigation Against Julian Assange; Seeks His Extradition. consortiumnews.com The Swedish prosecuting authority announced at a Stockholm press conference Monday that Sweden would seek Assange's extradition from Britain to face investigation on a nearly decade-old allegation of sexual assault. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News Sweden's deputy director… Read more →

WSWS (2019-05-13). Australia: GetUp's silence over the persecution of Julian Assange. wsws.org The protest group's reaction to the incarceration of Assange signals its complicity and is a political godsend for Australia's political elite.

Robert Mackey (2019-05-13). Sweden Reopens Investigation of Julian Assange for Rape, Complicating U.S. Extradition. theintercept.com If Julian Assange is extradited from Britain to Sweden to face a rape allegation, his extradition to the U.S. could be delayed or even blocked.

Democracy Now! (2019-05-13). Arundhati Roy on Why She Admires WikiLeaks & Opposes Assange's Extradition to the U.S. democracynow.org In Sweden, prosecutors are reopening an investigation into sexual assault allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and are seeking his extradition to face charges in Sweden. Prosecutors had dropped the investigation in 2017 because they said the case could not proceed while Assange was holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he lived for seven years before being forcibly removed by British police last month. Assange has since been sentenced to 50 weeks in jail in Britain for skipping bail in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden. Assange has denied the sexual assault accusations. Assange pr…

teleSUR (2019-05-13). Sweden Requests Assange Be Extradited To Stand Trial. telesurenglish.net Sweden's state prosecutor said on Monday she would reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and seek his extradition from Britain. | RELATED: | Ecuador Agrees to Deliver Assange's Documents, Devices to US: Report | Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue and conclude a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought asAssange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean emba…

WSWS (2019-05-13). London public meeting demands the freedom of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning. wsws.org Speakers included leaders from the Socialist Equality Parties in Britain, Australia, the United States and Germany, with Clara Campos representing the Julian Assange Defence Committee.

Justice for Assange (2019-05-13). The "Swedish Allegations" Concerning Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca The Facts | There is widespread media misreporting about allegations made against Julian Assange in Sweden in 2010. Here are the facts: | First, Assange was always willing to answer any questions from the Swedish authorities and repeatedly offered to do …

Democracy Now! (2019-05-13). Headlines for May 13, 2019. democracynow.org Sweden Reopens Julian Assange Sexual Assault Case, Seeks His Extradition, Pompeo to Discuss Iranian "Threats" in Europe as U.S. Ramps Up Military Presence, Saudi Oil Tankers Damaged in "Sabotage Attack" off UAE Coast, 187 Countries, Not Including the U.S., Agree to Landmark Deal Curbing Plastic Waste, U.S.-China Trade Talks End Without Deal, Increased Sanctions, Pentagon Redirects $1.5 Billion To Fund Border Wall, Afghanistan: Gunmen Kill Ex-Broadcast Journalist and Gov't Adviser Mina Mangal, Pakistan: Attack on Hotel Kills at Least 5, Burkina Faso: Gunmen Kill 6 People, Incl. Priest and Burn Down Church, At Leas…

Eds. (2019-05-13). Trump continues Obama's war on whistleblowers, arrests another alleged Intercept source. mronline.org This outrageous explosion of watchlisting — of monitoring people and racking and stacking them on lists, assigning them numbers, assigning them 'baseball cards,' assigning them death sentences without notice, on a worldwide battlefield — it was, from the very first instance, wrong. | Source

plenglish (2019-05-13). Russia Confirms Lavrov-Pompeo Meeting in Sochi. plenglish.com Moscow, May 13 (Latin Press) Despite the suspension of an initially scheduled stop in Moscow from the visit of US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to this country, the Russian Foreign Ministry has clarified on Monday that all the meetings in Sochi remain full time.

Alastair Crooke (2019-05-13). Pompeo Takes a Page From the Bernard Lewis Playbook on Iran. mintpressnews.com Inspired by his intellectual hero Bernard Lewis, Pompeo, together with Richard Perle's PNAC colleague, John Bolton, seems to be itching to using the Lewis recipe of 'hitting Iran between the eyes with a big stick.

Douglas Valentine (2019-05-13). The CIA: Keepers of the Hit Lists. War Crimes as Policy. globalresearch.ca This article was first crossposted in May 2013. | In February the Guardian and BBC Arabic unveiled a documentary exploring the role of retired Colonel James Steele in the recruitment, training and initial deployments of the CIA advised and funded Special …

Ann Garrison (2019-05-12). Publishing Classified Material: Assange Is Not a Journalist (If Journalists Are Propagandists for the Ruling Class). globalresearch.ca High profile journalists have been jabbering about whether or not Julian Assange is really one of them. If "journalist" is understood to mean "propagandist for the ruling class," then he most certainly is not. | However, if we go by the …

teleSUR (2019-05-12). Ecuador To Deliver Assange's Documents, Devices to US: Report. telesurenglish.net The Attorney general of Ecuador has agreed to deliver all of Julian Assange's personal materials to the United States, according to a report by the Spainish newspaper which says it had seen the official document detailing the agreement. | RELATED: | We Have to Save His Life: Pamela Anderson Visits Assange in Prison | The documents, mobile phones, computer files, memory units, and other devices of the WikiLeaks co-founder are in the Ecuadorean embassy in London where Assange…

Stephen Lendman (2019-05-12). Trump Regime Escalates War on Whistleblowers. globalresearch.ca When governments criminalize truth-telling, on the phony pretext of protecting national security, tyranny replaces freedom. | Revealing vital information in the public interest by whistleblowers and independent investigative journalists deserves high praise, not prosecution. | The 1989 US Whistleblower Protection Act protects …

WSWS (2019-05-11). US indicts whistleblower who exposed Obama's drone assassination program. wsws.org Former US intelligence officer Daniel Hale was indicted and arrested on Thursday on charges of violating the Espionage Act.

RT (2019-05-11). US govt overclassifies docs to prevent public learning about crimes — whistleblower. rt.com The government is trying to prevent whistleblowing and investigative journalism, a former FBI agent told RT speaking on the case of an ex-intelligence analyst facing 50 years in prison for leaking files about the US drone program.

Zach Campbell (2019-05-11). Swarms of Drones, Piloted by Artificial Intelligence, May Soon Patrol Europe's Borders. theintercept.com The EU is funding the development of AI-powered drones that would autonomously patrol Europe's borders. The project's potential for military use can't be ignored.

Whitney Webb (2019-05-10). Another Whistleblower Bites the Dust as The Intercept Adds a Third Notch to Its Burn Belt. mintpressnews.com The Intercept, which has long been associated with the documents shared by whistleblower Edward Snowden, has yet to fire any of the reporters responsible for these breaches that have seen two whistleblowers already imprisoned and third, Daniel Hale, likely to be imprisoned.

ACLU (2019-05-10). The Mueller Report Isn't The Only Thing That William Barr Is Hiding. aclu.org Barr's attempt to block a report detailing how often the government seeks to spy on Twitter's users is inappropriate and dangerous. | Attorney General William Barr recently invoked a powerful, rarely used privilege to withhold information from the public, marking a dramatic turn of events in a battle over the release of a highly contested report. | Only this time, we're talking about a report that would provide much-needed information on the government's spying activities. | For the past five years, Twitter has been trying to make public a transparency report with detailed statistics about how often the U.S. gove…

Democracy Now! (2019-05-10). Trump Steps up War on Whistleblowers: Air Force Vet Daniel Hale Arrested For Leaking Drone War Info. democracynow.org A former U.S. intelligence analyst was arrested Thursday and charged with violating the Espionage Act for allegedly leaking documents about the secretive U.S. drone program. | Daniel Hale, 31, was arrested in Nashville. He faces up to 50 years in prison. Hale is accused of disclosing 11 top secret or secret documents to a reporter. The indictment does not name the reporter but unnamed government sources have told media outlets that the reporter is investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill of The Intercept. In 2015, The Intercept published a special report called the Drone Papers exposing the inner workings of the U…

Mark Gruenberg (2019-05-10). Nadler: Subpoenas needed to stop 'tyrannical' Trump. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Congress must issue and enforce subpoenas against "tyrannical" GOP President Donald Trump — for everything from the entire Mueller report and its background materials to Trump's tax returns — the chair of the committee that would handle impeaching Trump says. In a long interview May 9 on the PBS Newshour, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., stopped …

splcenter (2019-05-10). Weekend Read: Brown v. Board of Education and modern-day segregation. splcenter.org Friday marks the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the unanimous ruling that outlawed racial segregation in public schools as a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Consortiumnews (2019-05-10). One Month in Belmarsh: 29th Vigil for Julian Assange. consortiumnews.com Join us for a discussion online on the latest news about Julian Assange, who has now spent one month behind bars in London. Read more →

Robert Hunziker (2019-05-10). Pompeo's Arctic Shipping Lanes. dissidentvoice.org America's Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking at the prestigious Arctic Council biannual meeting in Finland, christened the Arctic meltdown: "A wonderful economic opportunity for international trade." In a nutshell, here's a critique of the Secretary's advice: An ice-free Arctic reduces travel time for shipping lanes between Asia and the West by three weeks, which …

Robert Hunziker (2019-05-10). Pompeo's Arctic Shipping Lanes. counterpunch.org America's Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking at the prestigious Arctic Council biannual meeting in Finland, christened the Arctic meltdown: "A wonderful economic opportunity for international trade." In a nutshell, here's a critique of the Secretary's advice: An ice-free Arctic reduces travel time for shipping lanes between Asia and the West by three weeks, which qualifies as one of the biggest transport revolutions since cargo planes first crossed the Atlantic in the early 20th century. More

Democracy Now! (2019-05-09). A Constitutional Crisis? House Panel Holds AG Barr in Contempt as Trump Claims Executive Privilege. democracynow.org The House Judiciary Committee has voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress over his refusal to turn over the unredacted Mueller report and the underlying evidence to lawmakers. Meanwhile, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for the unredacted report. This all came after the White House invoked executive privilege to prevent the full report's release to Congress and to bar former White House counsel Don McGahn from providing documents to Congress related to the Mueller probe. We speak with Ian Millhiser, a columnist for ThinkP…

pip.hinman (2019-05-09). Trump ratchets up anti-immigrant campaign. greenleft.org.au While much of the media continues to focus on the Mueller report and the squabbles between the White House and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, US President Donald Trump's real crimes are scarcely addressed or are ignored altogether. | This column will take up one of these crimes, Trump's intensification of his racist war on immigrants. He is not alone on this — the ultra-right throughout Europe and elsewhere have similar anti-immigrant policies. | In recent weeks Trump has appointed new officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Kevin Gosztola (2019-05-09). Trump Administration Charges Drone Whistleblower With Allegedly Violating Espionage Act. shadowproof.com Trump DOJ Charges Drone Whistleblower | *Listen to this story by clicking the above player. | A former language analyst for the United States Air Force, who worked for the National Security Agency, was arrested and charged with violating the Espionage Act and other offenses. | According to the indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Daniel Hale allegedly disclosed eleven classified documents to a reporter…

Betsy Reed (2019-05-09). Statement on the Indictment of Alleged Drone Strike Whistleblower. theintercept.com The Intercept does not comment on matters relating to the identity of anonymous sources. | In an indictment unsealed on May 9, the government alleges that documents on the U.S. drone program were leaked to a news organization. These documents detailed a secret, unaccountable process for targeting and killing people around the world, including U.S. citizens, through drone strikes. They are of vital public importance, and activity related to their disclosure is protected by the First Amendment. The alleged whistleblower faces up to 50 years in prison. No one has ever been held accountable for killing civilians in d…

Aída Chávez (2019-05-08). Sen. Ron Wyden Demands Answers From DHS and Private Intel Firm Over Spying on Anti-Trump Immigration Protests. theintercept.com Homeland Security distributed information about protests collected by spies for hire. An influential senator on surveillance issues wants to know why.

Karen Dolan (2019-05-08). Transgender People's Rights Are in Peril. progressive.org The majority-conservative Supreme Court is poised to review the rules on discriminating against trans people in the workplace.

Democracy Now! (2019-05-08). Headlines for May 8, 2019. democracynow.org Iran to Suspend Part of Nuclear Deal Citing U.S. Sanctions, Pompeo Makes Surprise Visit to Iraq As U.S.-Iran Tensions Mount, UN Rapporteur Slams U.S. For Using Sanctions to Precipitate Humanitarian Disasters, 1 Dead, 8 Injured in Colorado School Shooting Near Columbine, NYT: Trump's Tax Records Show He Lost Over $1 Billion Between 1985 and 1994, House Prepares to Hold Barr in Contempt as Justice Dept. Advises Trump to Invoke Executive Privilege, Georgia Enacts One of Nation's Most Restrictive Abortion Bans, Uber & Lyft Drivers Strike Ahead of Uber's Wall Street Debut, Tens of Thousands of Teachers in Oregon to Wa…

Austyn Ross (2019-05-06). NAACP Opposes Michael Park's Nomination to Second Circuit, Says Failure to Support Brown V. Board is Disqualifying. naacp.org Today, the NAACP announced its opposition to the nomination of Michael Park to the U.S Circuit Court for the Second Circuit. The Senate will vote on Mr. Park's nomination later this week. Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, made the following statement: "Next week, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's seminal decision in …

unitedEditor (2019-05-06). Israeli offensive, North Korean missiles, Venezuela, Assange. uwidata.com Israel offensive On May 4, the Israel Defense Forces announced an air strike on dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip. The office of the Turkish news agency Anadolu in the Gaza Strip was hit in the course of the offensive. Mevlàºt àáavu≈üoƒülu called the incident an example of aggression on the Israeli side, and …

Aaron Maté (2019-05-06). Rachel Maddow endorses regime change in Venezuela to "push Russia back," sympathizes with Bolton and Pompeo. thegrayzone.com The top rated MSNBC host took her trademark brand of liberal militarism to new levels by branding efforts to avert…

unitedEditor (2019-05-05). April 2019 — geopolitical events. uwidata.com Europe Assange arrested On April 11, Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, was arrested in London after Ecuador revoked political asylum earlier granted to the journalist. Since 2012, Assange has been held in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Britain is likely to extradite Assange to the US against Assange's wishes. Assange is accused in …

susan_p (2019-05-03). Venezuela: Another coup fails. greenleft.org.au "Interim President" Juan Guaido and right-wing opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez spearheaded an unsuccessful coup attempt in Caracas on April 30. | The thwarted uprising started in the early morning hours when renegade military and intelligence officers reportedly released Lopez from house arrest. Lopez then joined Guaido and a handful of soldiers on the Altamira overpass in east Caracas, outside the Francisco de Miranda airbase, known as La Carlota. | Lopez and Guaido released videos on social media, call…

Keegan Hankes, Researcher, Intelligence Project (2019-05-02). SPLC: Facebook and Instagram ban far-right and extremist figures, but still have more work to do against hateful content. splcenter.org Facebook and Instagram announced today that they have banned several far-right, antisemitic and extremist figures and organizations for being "dangerous," a sign that they are more aggressively enforcing their hate speech policies under pressure from civil rights organizations, including the SPLC.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-05-01). Venezuelans Hold Rival Marches for Workers' Day as Pompeo Threatens 'Military Action'. venezuelanalysis.com Opposition leader Juan Guaido called for "escalating strikes" following Tuesday's failed military putsch.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-04-15). Venezuela: Canada Imposes Fresh Sanctions as Pompeo Vows to 'Tighten Noose'. venezuelanalysis.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Lima Group have pledged more sanctions against Venezuela.

2019-05-13: Social Media Postees

Bolton Is Spinning Israeli 'Intelligence' to Push for War Against Iran
Gareth Porter | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-13
John Bolton has gotten away with a dangerous deception. The national security adviser's announcement Sunday that the Pentagon has deployed air and naval forces to the Middle East, which he combined with a threat to Iran, points to a new …
globalresearch.ca/bolton-israeli-intelligence-push-war-iran/5677335

Anti-monopoly App Store lawsuit against Apple gets go-ahead from US Supreme Court
rt.com | 2019-05-13
The US Supreme Court is letting a group of consumers proceed with their antitrust lawsuit against Apple after rejecting the tech behemoth's argument that iOS App Store users aren't really its customers. | …
rt.com/usa/459240-supreme-court-apple-app-store/

Fears for Roe V. Wade After Supreme Court Issues Decision Overruling a 40-Year Precedent
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-05-13
"Today's decision can only cause one to wonder which cases the Court will overrule next," wrote Justice Bryer in dissent | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/sovereign-immunity-roe-wade-scotus.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/05/13/fears-roe-v-wade-after-supreme-court-issues-decision-overruling-40-year-precedent?cd-origin=rss

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Statement in Response to Supreme Court Ruling Abandoning Precedent in Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt
commondreams.org | 2019-05-13
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/05/13/lawyers-committee-civil-rights-under-law-statement-response-supreme-court-ruling?cd-origin=rss

The Taking of America 123. The Deep State Thrives on Money and Power
Philip A Farruggio | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-13
The above title was influenced from Joseph Sargent's 1974 classic The Taking of the Pelham 123. In the film (remade again in 2009, and not bad actually) gunmen hijack a NYC subway train and hold the passengers of one car …
globalresearch.ca/the-taking-of-america-123-the-deep-state-thrives-on-money-and-power/5677213

Chelsea Manning restates her refusal to testify against Julian Assange as new grand jury subpoena looms
wsws.org | 2019-05-13
Speaking on CNN's "Reliable Sources" program just three days after being released from federal detention, Manning made clear that she will resist the new grand jury subpoena, even at the cost of being sent back to prison.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/13/mann-m13.html

Arundhati Roy on Why She Admires WikiLeaks & Opposes Assange's Extradition to the U.S
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-13
In Sweden, prosecutors are reopening an investigation into sexual assault allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and are seeking his extradition to face charges in Sweden. Prosecutors had dropped the investigation in 2017 because they said the case could not proceed while Assange was holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he lived for seven years before being forcibly removed by British police last month. Assange has since been sentenced to 50 weeks in jail in Britain for skipping bail in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden. Assange has denied the sexual assault accusations. Assange pr…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/13/arundhati_roy_on_why_she_admires

The "Swedish Allegations" Concerning Julian Assange
Justice for Assange | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-13
The Facts | There is widespread media misreporting about allegations made against Julian Assange in Sweden in 2010. Here are the facts: | First, Assange was always willing to answer any questions from the Swedish authorities and repeatedly offered to do …
globalresearch.ca/swedish-allegations-julian-assange/5677355

Sweden Reopens Investigation of Julian Assange for Rape, Complicating U.S. Extradition
Robert Mackey | theintercept.com | 2019-05-13
If Julian Assange is extradited from Britain to Sweden to face a rape allegation, his extradition to the U.S. could be delayed or even blocked.
theintercept.com/2019/05/13/sweden-reopens-investigation-julian-assange-rape-complicates-u-s-extradition/

After Assange, Ecuador's Lenin Moreno escalates persecution of critics and perceived foes
Denis Rogatyuk | thegrayzone.com | 2019-05-13
The US-backed, neoliberal Ecuadorian leader is persecuting Swedish software developer Ola Bini for his political sympathies, censoring critical media, and…
thegrayzone.com/2019/05/12/lenin-moreno-persecution-ola-bini/

Sweden Reopens 9-Year Old Rape Investigation Against Julian Assange; Seeks His Extradition
consortiumnews.com | 2019-05-13
The Swedish prosecuting authority announced at a Stockholm press conference Monday that Sweden would seek Assange's extradition from Britain to face investigation on a nearly decade-old allegation of sexual assault. By Joe Lauria Special to Consortium News Sweden's deputy director… Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/05/13/sweden-reopens-9-year-old-rape-investigation-against-assange-seeks-his-extradition/

London public meeting demands the freedom of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning
wsws.org | 2019-05-13
Speakers included leaders from the Socialist Equality Parties in Britain, Australia, the United States and Germany, with Clara Campos representing the Julian Assange Defence Committee.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/13/assa-m13.html

Sweden Requests Assange Be Extradited To Stand Trial
telesurenglish.net | 2019-05-13
Sweden's state prosecutor said on Monday she would reopen an investigation into a rape allegation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and seek his extradition from Britain. | RELATED: | Ecuador Agrees to Deliver Assange's Documents, Devices to US: Report | Prosecutor Eva-Marie Persson told a news conference she would continue and conclude a preliminary investigation that was dropped in 2017 without charges being brought asAssange had taken refuge in the Ecuadorean emba…
telesurenglish.net/news/Sweden-Requests-Assange-Be-Extradited-To-Stand-Trial–20190513-0007.html

Prosecution of Assange may be severely compromised under English law, agrees barrister
Tom Coburg | thecanary.co | 2019-05-13
A barrister and adviser to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange argues that any intended prosecution of him by the US or Sweden may have been severely compromised. And as such, that would invalidate any extradition request from either of those countries. | Consequences of US political interference: | Commentary on Assange and WikiLeaks by US politicians has been rife. For example, CIA chief Mike Pompeo described WikiLeaks as a…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2019/05/13/prosecution-of-assange-may-be-severely-compromised-under-english-law-agrees-barrister/

Australia: GetUp's silence over the persecution of Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2019-05-13
The protest group's reaction to the incarceration of Assange signals its complicity and is a political godsend for Australia's political elite.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/13/getu-m13.html

Trump continues Obama's war on whistleblowers, arrests another alleged Intercept source
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-05-13
This outrageous explosion of watchlisting — of monitoring people and racking and stacking them on lists, assigning them numbers, assigning them 'baseball cards,' assigning them death sentences without notice, on a worldwide battlefield — it was, from the very first instance, wrong. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/05/13/trump-continues-obamas-war-on-whistleblowers-arrests-another-alleged-intercept-source/

Russia Confirms Lavrov-Pompeo Meeting in Sochi
plenglish.com | 2019-05-13
Moscow, May 13 (Latin Press) Despite the suspension of an initially scheduled stop in Moscow from the visit of US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to this country, the Russian Foreign Ministry has clarified on Monday that all the meetings in Sochi remain full time.
www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=41903&SEO=russia-confirms-lavrov-pompeo-meeting-in-sochi

Pompeo Takes a Page From the Bernard Lewis Playbook on Iran
Alastair Crooke | mintpressnews.com | 2019-05-13
Inspired by his intellectual hero Bernard Lewis, Pompeo, together with Richard Perle's PNAC colleague, John Bolton, seems to be itching to using the Lewis recipe of 'hitting Iran between the eyes with a big stick.
mintpressnews.com/pompeo-takes-a-page-from-the-bernard-lewis-playbook-on-iran/258421/

The CIA: Keepers of the Hit Lists. War Crimes as Policy
Douglas Valentine | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-13
This article was first crossposted in May 2013. | In February the Guardian and BBC Arabic unveiled a documentary exploring the role of retired Colonel James Steele in the recruitment, training and initial deployments of the CIA advised and funded Special …
globalresearch.ca/the-cia-keepers-of-the-hit-lists-war-crimes-as-policy/5337367

Publishing Classified Material: Assange Is Not a Journalist (If Journalists Are Propagandists for the Ruling Class)
Ann Garrison | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-12
High profile journalists have been jabbering about whether or not Julian Assange is really one of them. If "journalist" is understood to mean "propagandist for the ruling class," then he most certainly is not. | However, if we go by the …
globalresearch.ca/assange-not-journalist-propagandists-ruling-class/5677218

Ecuador To Deliver Assange's Documents, Devices to US: Report
telesurenglish.net | 2019-05-12
The Attorney general of Ecuador has agreed to deliver all of Julian Assange's personal materials to the United States, according to a report by the Spainish newspaper which says it had seen the official document detailing the agreement. | RELATED: | We Have to Save His Life: Pamela Anderson Visits Assange in Prison | The documents, mobile phones, computer files, memory units, and other devices of the WikiLeaks co-founder are in the Ecuadorean embassy in London where Assange…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ecuador-Agrees-to-Deliver-Assanges-Documents-Devices-to-US-Report-20190512-0008.html

Trump Regime Escalates War on Whistleblowers
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-12
When governments criminalize truth-telling, on the phony pretext of protecting national security, tyranny replaces freedom. | Revealing vital information in the public interest by whistleblowers and independent investigative journalists deserves high praise, not prosecution. | The 1989 US Whistleblower Protection Act protects …
globalresearch.ca/trump-regime-escalates-war-whistleblowers/5677226

Swarms of Drones, Piloted by Artificial Intelligence, May Soon Patrol Europe's Borders
Zach Campbell | theintercept.com | 2019-05-11
The EU is funding the development of AI-powered drones that would autonomously patrol Europe's borders. The project's potential for military use can't be ignored.
theintercept.com/2019/05/11/drones-artificial-intelligence-europe-roborder/

US indicts whistleblower who exposed Obama's drone assassination program
wsws.org | 2019-05-11
Former US intelligence officer Daniel Hale was indicted and arrested on Thursday on charges of violating the Espionage Act.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/11/hale-m11.html

US govt overclassifies docs to prevent public learning about crimes — whistleblower
rt.com | 2019-05-11
The government is trying to prevent whistleblowing and investigative journalism, a former FBI agent told RT speaking on the case of an ex-intelligence analyst facing 50 years in prison for leaking files about the US drone program. | …
rt.com/usa/459086-whistleblower-drone-charge-crackdown-dissent/

Another Whistleblower Bites the Dust as The Intercept Adds a Third Notch to Its Burn Belt
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2019-05-10
The Intercept, which has long been associated with the documents shared by whistleblower Edward Snowden, has yet to fire any of the reporters responsible for these breaches that have seen two whistleblowers already imprisoned and third, Daniel Hale, likely to be imprisoned.
mintpressnews.com/daniel-hale-another-whistleblower-bites-the-dust-as-the-intercept-adds-a-third-notch-to-its-burn-belt/258386/

The Mueller Report Isn't The Only Thing That William Barr Is Hiding
aclu.org | 2019-05-10
Barr's attempt to block a report detailing how often the government seeks to spy on Twitter's users is inappropriate and dangerous. | Attorney General William Barr recently invoked a powerful, rarely used privilege to withhold information from the public, marking a dramatic turn of events in a battle over the release of a highly contested report. | Only this time, we're talking about a report that would provide much-needed information on the government's spying activities. | For the past five years, Twitter has been trying to make public a transparency report with detailed statistics about how often the U.S. gove…
aclu.org/blog/executive-branch/mueller-report-isnt-only-thing-william-barr-hiding

Trump Steps up War on Whistleblowers: Air Force Vet Daniel Hale Arrested For Leaking Drone War Info
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-10
A former U.S. intelligence analyst was arrested Thursday and charged with violating the Espionage Act for allegedly leaking documents about the secretive U.S. drone program. | Daniel Hale, 31, was arrested in Nashville. He faces up to 50 years in prison. Hale is accused of disclosing 11 top secret or secret documents to a reporter. The indictment does not name the reporter but unnamed government sources have told media outlets that the reporter is investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill of The Intercept. In 2015, The Intercept published a special report called the Drone Papers exposing the inner workings of the U…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/10/trump_steps_up_war_on_whistleblowers

Nadler: Subpoenas needed to stop 'tyrannical' Trump
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-05-10
WASHINGTON–Congress must issue and enforce subpoenas against "tyrannical" GOP President Donald Trump — for everything from the entire Mueller report and its background materials to Trump's tax returns — the chair of the committee that would handle impeaching Trump says. In a long interview May 9 on the PBS Newshour, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., stopped …
peoplesworld.org/article/nadler-subpoenas-needed-to-stop-tyrannical-trump/

Weekend Read: Brown v. Board of Education and modern-day segregation
splcenter.org | 2019-05-10
Friday marks the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the unanimous ruling that outlawed racial segregation in public schools as a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
splcenter.org/news/2019/05/11/weekend-read-brown-v-board-education-and-modern-day-segregation

One Month in Belmarsh: 29th Vigil for Julian Assange
consortiumnews.com | 2019-05-10
Join us for a discussion online on the latest news about Julian Assange, who has now spent one month behind bars in London. Read more ?…
consortiumnews.com/2019/05/10/one-month-in-belmarsh-29th-vigil-for-julian-assange-live-at-4-pm-edt/

Pompeo's Arctic Shipping Lanes
Robert Hunziker | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-10
America's Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking at the prestigious Arctic Council biannual meeting in Finland, christened the Arctic meltdown: "A wonderful economic opportunity for international trade." In a nutshell, here's a critique of the Secretary's advice: An ice-free Arctic reduces travel time for shipping lanes between Asia and the West by three weeks, which qualifies as one of the biggest transport revolutions since cargo planes first crossed the Atlantic in the early 20th century.
counterpunch.org/2019/05/10/pompeos-arctic-shipping-lanes/

Pompeo's Arctic Shipping Lanes
Robert Hunziker | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-05-10
America's Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking at the prestigious Arctic Council biannual meeting in Finland, christened the Arctic meltdown: "A wonderful economic opportunity for international trade." In a nutshell, here's a critique of the Secretary's advice: An ice-free Arctic reduces travel time for shipping lanes between Asia and the West by three weeks, which …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/05/pompeos-arctic-shipping-lanes/

A Constitutional Crisis? House Panel Holds AG Barr in Contempt as Trump Claims Executive Privilege
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-09
The House Judiciary Committee has voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress over his refusal to turn over the unredacted Mueller report and the underlying evidence to lawmakers. Meanwhile, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for the unredacted report. This all came after the White House invoked executive privilege to prevent the full report's release to Congress and to bar former White House counsel Don McGahn from providing documents to Congress related to the Mueller probe. We speak with Ian Millhiser, a columnist for ThinkP…
www.democracynow.org/2019/5/9/a_constitutional_crisis_house_panel_holds

Trump ratchets up anti-immigrant campaign
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-09
While much of the media continues to focus on the Mueller report and the squabbles between the White House and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, US President Donald Trump's real crimes are scarcely addressed or are ignored altogether. | This column will take up one of these crimes, Trump's intensification of his racist war on immigrants. He is not alone on this — the ultra-right throughout Europe and elsewhere have similar anti-immigrant policies. | In recent weeks Trump has appointed new officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
greenleft.org.au/content/trump-ratchets-anti-immigrant-campaign

Trump Administration Charges Drone Whistleblower With Allegedly Violating Espionage Act
Kevin Gosztola | shadowproof.com | 2019-05-09
Trump DOJ Charges Drone Whistleblower | *Listen to this story by clicking the above player. | A former language analyst for the United States Air Force, who worked for the National Security Agency, was arrested and charged with violating the Espionage Act and other offenses. | According to the indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Daniel Hale allegedly disclosed eleven classified documents to a reporter…
shadowproof.com/2019/05/09/trump-administration-charges-alleged-drone-whistleblower-with-violating-espionage-act/

Statement on the Indictment of Alleged Drone Strike Whistleblower
Betsy Reed | theintercept.com | 2019-05-09
The Intercept does not comment on matters relating to the identity of anonymous sources. | In an indictment unsealed on May 9, the government alleges that documents on the U.S. drone program were leaked to a news organization. These documents detailed a secret, unaccountable process for targeting and killing people around the world, including U.S. citizens, through drone strikes. They are of vital public importance, and activity related to their disclosure is protected by the First Amendment. The alleged whistleblower faces up to 50 years in prison. No one has ever been held accountable for killing civilians in d…
theintercept.com/2019/05/09/statement-on-the-indictment-of-alleged-drone-strike-whistleblower/

Sen. Ron Wyden Demands Answers From DHS and Private Intel Firm Over Spying on Anti-Trump Immigration Protests
Aída Chávez | theintercept.com | 2019-05-08
Homeland Security distributed information about protests collected by spies for hire. An influential senator on surveillance issues wants to know why.
theintercept.com/2019/05/08/family-separation-protests-dhs-spying-wyden/

Transgender People's Rights Are in Peril
Karen Dolan | progressive.org | 2019-05-08
The majority-conservative Supreme Court is poised to review the rules on discriminating against trans people in the workplace.
progressive.org/op-eds/transgender-peoples-rights-in-peril-dolan-190508/

NAACP Opposes Michael Park's Nomination to Second Circuit, Says Failure to Support Brown V. Board is Disqualifying
Austyn Ross | naacp.org | 2019-05-06
Today, the NAACP announced its opposition to the nomination of Michael Park to the U.S Circuit Court for the Second Circuit. The Senate will vote on Mr. Park's nomination later this week. Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, made the following statement: "Next week, we celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Supreme Court's seminal decision in …
naacp.org/latest/naacp-opposes-michael-parks-nomination-second-circuit-says-failure-support-brown-v-board-disqualifying/

Israeli offensive, North Korean missiles, Venezuela, Assange
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-05-06
Israel offensive On May 4, the Israel Defense Forces announced an air strike on dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip. The office of the Turkish news agency Anadolu in the Gaza Strip was hit in the course of the offensive. Mevlàºt àáavu≈üoƒülu called the incident an example of aggression on the Israeli side, and …
uwidata.com/3324-israeli-offensive-north-korean-missiles-venezuela-assange/

Rachel Maddow endorses regime change in Venezuela to "push Russia back," sympathizes with Bolton and Pompeo
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-05-06
The top rated MSNBC host took her trademark brand of liberal militarism to new levels by branding efforts to avert…
thegrayzone.com/2019/05/06/rachel-maddow-endorses-war-venezuela/

April 2019 — geopolitical events
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-05-05
Europe Assange arrested On April 11, Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, was arrested in London after Ecuador revoked political asylum earlier granted to the journalist. Since 2012, Assange has been held in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Britain is likely to extradite Assange to the US against Assange's wishes. Assange is accused in …
uwidata.com/3303-april-2019-geopolitical-events/

Venezuela: Another coup fails
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-03
"Interim President" Juan Guaido and right-wing opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez spearheaded an unsuccessful coup attempt in Caracas on April 30. | The thwarted uprising started in the early morning hours when renegade military and intelligence officers reportedly released Lopez from house arrest. Lopez then joined Guaido and a handful of soldiers on the Altamira overpass in east Caracas, outside the Francisco de Miranda airbase, known as La Carlota. | Lopez and Guaido released videos on social media, call…
greenleft.org.au/content/venezuela-another-coup-fails

SPLC: Facebook and Instagram ban far-right and extremist figures, but still have more work to do against hateful content
Keegan Hankes, Researcher, Intelligence Project | splcenter.org | 2019-05-02
Facebook and Instagram announced today that they have banned several far-right, antisemitic and extremist figures and organizations for being "dangerous," a sign that they are more aggressively enforcing their hate speech policies under pressure from civil rights organizations, including the SPLC.
splcenter.org/news/2019/05/02/splc-facebook-and-instagram-ban-far-right-and-extremist-figures-still-have-more-work-do

Venezuelans Hold Rival Marches for Workers' Day as Pompeo Threatens 'Military Action'
Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-05-01
Opposition leader Juan Guaido called for "escalating strikes" following Tuesday's failed military putsch.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14458

Venezuela: Canada Imposes Fresh Sanctions as Pompeo Vows to 'Tighten Noose'
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-04-15
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Lima Group have pledged more sanctions against Venezuela.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14431