(2019-08-05). The War on Drugs in Mexico is Also a War on Journalists. counterpunch.org 
What is press freedom and how do we know what it looks like? While we in the United States are absorbed in Julian Assange-related quandaries about just who is a journalist, and whether leaked information can or should compromise national security, reporters in Mexico are harassed and killed daily for covering a "drug war" launched in More
(2019-08-05). The Artist as Prophet. truthdig.com Where is America headed? As the question is endlessly argued, especially during the presidential campaign, potential answers tend to inhabit political realms. However, Chris Hedges, in this column from May 29, 2017, suggests that we also look elsewhere in seeking answers: to our artists. A new article from Hedges will appear next Monday after he returns from vacation. | The Israeli writer and dissident Uri Avnery asked an Egyptian general how the Egyptians managed to surprise the Israelis when they launched the October 1973 war. The general answered: "Instead of reading the intelligence reports, you should have r…
(2019-08-05). Press Freedom, Whistleblowers & The Case Of Assange, Manning & Carmody. indybay.org On July 20, 2019 a forum was held on Press Freedom, Whistleblowers & the Case of Assange, Manning and Carmody. The panelists discussed these cases and the fight to defend journalists and whistleblowers including the fight in the labor movement.
(2019-08-05). Assange's father speaks to the WSWS: "Julian's resolve is fierce" indybay.org John Shipton tells the World Socialist Web Site: ordinary people can take a stand in the defence of his son, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
(2019-08-05). Assange's father speaks to the WSWS: "Julian's resolve is fierce" wsws.org John Shipton condemned the Australian government's refusal to raise the issue of Assange with the US, or to take any action in his defence, declaring: "Silence is complicity."
(2019-08-04). The Trump Administration Is Using the Full Power of the U.S. Surveillance State Against Whistleblowers. theintercept.com 
An examination of the court filings in all seven leak cases filed under Trump yields a detailed picture of the methods the government uses to unmask confidential sources.
(2019-08-04). Mueller time is over, Russia-hate is here to stay. thegrayzone.com Stephen F. Cohen says that while Robert Mueller has closed up shop, dangerous U.S. fear-mongering about Russia remains. Guest: Stephen…
(2019-08-04). Mueller and wishful thinking. workers.org 
Anyone who clung to the illusion that Robert Mueller's July 22 testimony before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees would put POTUS in a pickle had to be disappointed. Now it should be clear: There will be no shortcut to pushing the president back, let alone smashing his reactionary racist . . . | Continue reading Mueller and wishful thinking at Workers.org
(2019-08-03). A $32mn nothingburger: Justice Dept bill comes due for Russiagate costs. rt.com 
Nearly two years of fruitlessly hunting for collusion between US President Donald Trump's campaign and the Russian government cost the country $31.7 million, the Justice Department has revealed.
(2019-08-03). Weekend Read: The SPLC fights an internal threat to our democracy. splcenter.org In his recent testimony before Congress, Special Counsel Robert Mueller pointedly warned the nation about Russia's ongoing attempts to meddle in our nation's elections.
(2019-08-03). Despite briefing by Julian Assange's lawyer, Australian politicians still refuse to defend him. wsws.org Intensive lobbying in Canberra this week failed to convince any parliamentarian to oppose the Trump administration's bid to extradite the WikiLeaks founder.
(2019-08-02). The Last of the Adults on Trump's National Security Team. counterpunch.org 
The first 24 hours of the Trump presidency were marked by a bizarre inauguration speech ("American Carnage"), frenzied claims of record inauguration crowds, and an unusual appearance at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency where the new president proclaimed his political brilliance. The shock of these 24 hours led pundits and politicians alike to More
(2019-08-02). US Withdrawal from INF Treaty Creates Greater Nuclear Instability. therealnews.com 
Sec. of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US is unilaterally withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which could have been re-negotiated if the US had acknowledged its own responsibility for the treaty's problems…
(2019-07-30). Trump's Pick for Top Intelligence Job Bragged of Experience as Terror Prosecutor — But He Doesn't Have Any. theintercept.com Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe has long exaggerated his role in the Holy Land prosecution as a way of bolstering his national security bona fides.
(2019-07-29). MintCast Interviews Doug Valentine, Author of The Phoenix Program and The CIA as Organized Crime. mintpressnews.com 
Douglas Valentine joins the MintCast to discuss his extensive work investigating CIA covert operations and current CIA efforts to undermine independent media.
(2019-07-29). Supreme Court Order No 'Big Victory' For Trump's Border Wall. The Fight Continues. aclu.org The Supreme Court has not yet decided the case, or given Trump's abuse of emergency powers the stamp of approval. | Late Friday evening, the Supreme Court gave the Trump administration a temporary green light to begin construction of the border wall using military funds Congress denied. The order, while temporary and limited to specific wall projects where fencing already exists, threatens to permanently damage border communities, the environment, and our Constitution's separation of powers. | But it's not the "big victory" President Trump q…
(2019-07-12). Venezuela: 'Progress' Reported in Gov't-Opposition Talks as US Sanctions Counter-Intelligence Agency. venezuelanalysis.com The agenda of the talks has not been disclosed but the topic of elections is reportedly being left for last.
(2019-07-12). Pompeo's New 'Human Rights' Commission is Up To No Good. aclu.org The Trump administration appears to be trying to find new moral footing for the president's discriminatory policies. | This week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo formally announced the creation of a "Commission on Unalienable Rights." Its stated purpose, according to a notice published in the Federal Register in May, is to provide "fresh thinking about human rights discourse where such discourse has departed from our nation's founding principles of natural law and natural rights." | Th…
(2019-06-26). Abrams Welcomes Venezuela's Former Intelligence Chief to the US, Reaffirms Trump's Commitment to Ousting Maduro. venezuelanalysis.com The press conference came as the Venezuelan military called for respect from those looking to fracture it.