Daily Archives: August 6, 2019

2019-08-06: News Headlines

WSWS (2019-08-06). Jailed Sri Lankan writer Shakthika Sathkumara defends Julian Assange. wsws.org "The system that has put Assange behind bars is the same system responsible for putting me behind bars in Sri Lanka."

WSWS (2019-08-06). Sri Lanka: Colombo University students call for release of Julian Assange. wsws.org "American imperialism is now seeking its revenge against Assange because he told the truth."

WSWS Repost (2019-08-06). 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.

WSWS (2019-08-06). US Secretary of State demands greater Australian involvement in war drive against China. wsws.org The support for Pompeo's aggressive remarks in Canberra is a warning that behind its back, the Australian population has been placed on the frontline of a confrontation with China that threatens a catastrophic nuclear war.

Labor Video Project (2019-08-06). 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.

Micah Lee (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.

Aaron Maté (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…

Editor (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

splcenter (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.

Staff (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…

Trevor Aaronson (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.

Whitney Webb (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.

ACLU (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…

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (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.

ACLU (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…

Paul Dobson (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.

2019-08-06: Social Media Postees

Jailed Sri Lankan writer Shakthika Sathkumara defends Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2019-08-06
"The system that has put Assange behind bars is the same system responsible for putting me behind bars in Sri Lanka."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/06/shak-a06.html

Assange's father speaks to the WSWS: "Julian's resolve is fierce"
WSWS Repost | indybay.org | 2019-08-06
John Shipton tells the World Socialist Web Site: ordinary people can take a stand in the defence of his son, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/05/18825220.php

Sri Lanka: Colombo University students call for release of Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2019-08-06
"American imperialism is now seeking its revenge against Assange because he told the truth."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/06/assl-a06.html

US Secretary of State demands greater Australian involvement in war drive against China
wsws.org | 2019-08-06
The support for Pompeo's aggressive remarks in Canberra is a warning that behind its back, the Australian population has been placed on the frontline of a confrontation with China that threatens a catastrophic nuclear war.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/06/ausm-a06.html

Press Freedom, Whistleblowers & The Case Of Assange, Manning & Carmody
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2019-08-06
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.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/04/18825203.php

The War on Drugs in Mexico is Also a War on Journalists
Susie Day | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-05
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…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/05/the-war-on-drugs-in-mexico-is-also-a-war-on-journalists/

Mueller time is over, Russia-hate is here to stay
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-08-04
Stephen F. Cohen says that while Robert Mueller has closed up shop, dangerous U.S. fear-mongering about Russia remains. Guest: Stephen…
thegrayzone.com/2019/08/04/mueller-time-is-over-russia-hate-is-here-to-stay/

Mueller and wishful thinking
Editor | workers.org | 2019-08-04
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
workers.org/2019/08/04/mueller-and-wishful-thinking/

The Trump Administration Is Using the Full Power of the U.S. Surveillance State Against Whistleblowers
Micah Lee | theintercept.com | 2019-08-04
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.
theintercept.com/2019/08/04/whistleblowers-surveillance-fbi-trump/

Weekend Read: The SPLC fights an internal threat to our democracy
splcenter.org | 2019-08-03
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.
splcenter.org/news/2019/08/03/weekend-read-splc-fights-internal-threat-our-democracy

US Withdrawal from INF Treaty Creates Greater Nuclear Instability
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-02
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…
therealnews.com/stories/us-withdrawal-from-inf-treaty-creates-greater-nuclear-instability

Trump's Pick for Top Intelligence Job Bragged of Experience as Terror Prosecutor — But He Doesn't Have Any
Trevor Aaronson | theintercept.com | 2019-07-30
Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe has long exaggerated his role in the Holy Land prosecution as a way of bolstering his national security bona fides.
theintercept.com/2019/07/30/john-ratcliffe-director-of-national-intelligence/

MintCast Interviews Doug Valentine, Author of The Phoenix Program and The CIA as Organized Crime
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2019-07-29
Douglas Valentine joins the MintCast to discuss his extensive work investigating CIA covert operations and current CIA efforts to undermine independent media.
mintpressnews.com/mintcast-interviews-doug-valentine-expert-on-cia-covert-operations/260810/

Supreme Court Order No 'Big Victory' For Trump's Border Wall. The Fight Continues
aclu.org | 2019-07-29
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…
aclu.org/blog/national-security/supreme-court-order-no-big-victory-trumps-border-wall-fight-continues

Venezuela: 'Progress' Reported in Gov't-Opposition Talks as US Sanctions Counter-Intelligence Agency
Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-07-12
The agenda of the talks has not been disclosed but the topic of elections is reportedly being left for last.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14584

Pompeo's New 'Human Rights' Commission is Up To No Good
aclu.org | 2019-07-12
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…
aclu.org/blog/human-rights/pompeos-new-human-rights-commission-no-good