Daily Archives: September 28, 2019

2019-09-28: News Headlines

The Canary (2019-09-28). Julian Assange's father to receive award on behalf of his son. thecanary.co Julian Assange's father is to receive an award on behalf of his son on 28 September, after launching a fresh attack on the continued imprisonment of the WikiLeaks founder.John Shipton said Assange was still being kept in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day at top security Belmarsh prison in London, even though he was due to be released earlier this month.He had served time for a bail violation after he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he lived for almost seven years as he fought moves to ex…

The Canary (2019-09-28). Trump's envoy to Ukraine resigns as impeachment gathers pace. thecanary.co Kurt Volker, a former US ambassador to NATO caught in the middle of a whistleblower complaint over President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine, has resigned from his post as special envoy to the Eastern European nation.The move came as House Democrats took their first concrete steps in the impeachment investigation of Trump, issuing subpoenas demanding documents from Mike Pompeo and scheduling legal depositions for other State Department officials.A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Volker told Secretary of State Pompeo on Friday of his decision to leave the job.The move followed disclosur…

Staff (2019-09-28). Impeachment Firestorm Scorches William Barr. truthdig.com WASHINGTON—As Washington plunges into impeachment, Attorney General William Barr finds himself engulfed in the political firestorm, facing questions about his role in President Donald Trump's outreach to Ukraine and the administration's attempts to keep a whistleblower complaint from Congress. | Trump repeatedly told Ukraine's president in a telephone call that Barr and Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani could help investigate Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden, according to a rough transcript of that summertime conversation. Justice Department officials insist Barr was unaware of Trump's comments at the t…

Staff (2019-09-28). Subpoenas Mark First Concrete Steps for Trump Impeachment. truthdig.com House Democrats ask Mike Pompeo and others in State Department to appear and turn over documents; Speaker Pelosi sets no deadline on probe.

WSWS (2019-09-28). Spanish security firm spied on Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy for US intelligence. wsws.org A defense and security firm based in Spain that was hired to protect the Ecuadorian embassy in London provided secret audio and video recordings of Julian Assange to US intelligence.

The Canary (2019-09-28). Details of Donald Trump's calls with foreign leaders 'often concealed'. thecanary.co The White House severely restricted distribution of memos detailing President Donald Trump's calls with foreign leaders, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman, after embarrassing leaks of his conversations early in his tenure, a former White House official said. | The White House's handling of Mr Trump's calls with foreign leaders is at the heart of House Democrats' impeachment inquiry. | A whistleblower alleges the White House tried to "lock down" Mr Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukraine's new president because officials were worried about his request for help investigating h…

Patrick Anderson (2019-09-27). Edward Snowden's Julian Assange is an Unfamiliar Julian Assange. mintpressnews.com NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks' former editor Julian Assange have a complicated relationship. On the one hand, they share important similarities: both are perceived as dangerous enemies by the United States government, and both have been documentary subjects of filmmaker Laura Poitras. On the other hand, they clearly disagree when it comes to the means of achieving government transparency and accountability. After all, if Snowden had agreed with Assange a…

The Canary (2019-09-27). Private security firm spied on Julian Assange for CIA, reports claim. thecanary.co A Spanish private security company hired to protect the Ecuadorian embassy in London when Julian Assange lived there spied on the WikiLeaks founder for the US intelligence service, it has been claimed.A report in Spanish newspaper El Pais said the company, UC Global SL, allegedly handed over audio and video to the CIA of meetings Assange held with his lawyers.The company is being investigated over the claims by Spain's High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, said the report.Assange filed a criminal complaint himself, in which he accused the company of violating his privacy and the secrecy of his client-attorney privi…

Peter Certo (2019-09-27). The Case for Impeachment Goes Far Beyond Ukraine. counterpunch.org "Has Trump finally gone too far?" There's a headline you've seen a thousand times. At last, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says he has. A whistleblower says Trump withheld foreign aid to Ukraine to pressure the country's new president into investigating Joe Biden's son Hunter's past business there. Trump doesn't even really deny it. Pelosi has long More

WSWS (2019-09-27). Release of CIA whistleblower complaint intensifies political civil war in Washington. wsws.org The complaint by the CIA agent assigned to the White House alleges that US President Trump "is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 US election."

Juan Cole (2019-09-27). Witness Intimidation: Unbalanced Trump Seeks Whistleblower Sources, Hints Execution for Espionage. commondreams.org This is the sort of tactic former vice president Richard Bruce Cheney deployed against CIA operative Valerie Plame, to punish her husband Joe Wilson for revealing that there was never any solid evidence that Iraq had purchased uranium from Niger. (Photo: Screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trumpy_1.jpeg

Caitlin Johnstone (2019-09-27). MSM Defends CIA's "Whistleblower" After Ignoring Actual Whistleblowers. theantimedia.com The word "whistleblower" has been trending in news headlines lately, but not for the reasons that any sane person might hope for.

Common Dreams staff (2019-09-27). Citing 'Troubling' Refusal, House Democrats Subpoena Pompeo for Documents as Part of Trump Impeachment Inquiry. commondreams.org The chairmen of three U.S. House committees subpoenaed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday for documents related to President Donald Trump's interaction with Ukraine's president. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pompeo_0.jpeg

Murderville, GA (2019-09-27). Georgia Supreme Court: "Let Justice Be Done" for Devonia Inman. theintercept.com Subscribe to the Murderville podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Radio Public, iHeart Radio, and other platforms. | In an extraordinary rulin…

Binoy Kampmark (2019-09-27). Railroaded by the Judges: Boris Johnson fails in the UK Supreme Court. dissidentvoice.org It delighted Labour supporters and party apparatchiks who had been falling over each other in murderous ceremony at the party conference in Brighton: Prime Minister Boris Johnson would come to the unwitting rescue with his own version of a grand cock-up. This involved a now defeated attempt to circumvent parliamentary scrutiny and interference ahead of …

Staff (2019-09-27). James Risen: Whistleblower Complaint Shows "Trump Is a Habitual Criminal" Abusing His Office. democracynow.org Democrats are ramping up efforts to impeach President Trump for pressing the president of Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Nearly 90% of House Democrats now support impeachment. On Thursday, a declassified version of a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower was released, detailing his concerns about Trump's July phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky. In the complaint, the unnamed whistleblower — who has been identified as a CIA official — accused the president of "using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 202…

Staff (2019-09-27). Headlines for September 27, 2019. democracynow.org Whistleblower Warned White House Tried to "Lock Down" Ukraine Call Details, Acting DNI Maguire Says Whistleblower "Acted in Good Faith", Trump Suggests Whistleblower Should Get Death Sentence for Treason, Global Youth-Led Strikes Demand Action on Climate Crisis, Study Finds Climate Crisis May Threaten 60% of World's Wheat Crop by 2100, States Challenge Trump's Rollback of Endangered Species Act, Senate Advances Confirmation of Ex-Monsanto Executive to Lead Wildlife Agency, EPA Chief Blames California's Homeless Population for Poor Water Quality, Protesters Defy Security Crackdown in Egypt, Demanding Ouster of Pre…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-09-27). Suggesting His Life in Danger, Trump Lawyer Rudy Giuliani Claims He's the "Real Whistleblower" commondreams.org "If I get killed now, you won't get the rest of the story." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/rudy_rudy_rudy.jpg

Jon Queally, staff writer (2019-09-27). Though Plenty of International Crimes and Misdemeanors Between Them, Even Former Bush and Obama Officials Condemn Trump on Ukraine Scandal. commondreams.org If the allegations put forth are accurate, states a letter by national security pro, the president's action "would constitute an unconscionable abuse of power." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pompeo_trump_mnuchin.jpg

James Risen (2019-09-26). Donald Trump's Call With Ukrainian Leader, One Day After Robert Mueller's Congressional Testimony, Shows the President Is a Brazen Criminal. theintercept.com Trump has been acting like a bank robber who beat one rap because of a technicality, and so decides to rob every bank in sight.

Mehdi Hasan (2019-09-26). Democrats, Please Don't Mess This Up. Impeach Trump for All His Crimes, Not Just for Ukraine. theintercept.com Impeaching Trump only for Ukraine would give him a clean bill of health on everything else, like his obstruction of the Mueller investigation.

RT (2019-09-26). Schiff's 're-telling' of Trump phone call with Ukraine head gets mocked as 'unhinged Orange-Man-Bad fan fiction'. rt.com With impeachment efforts against President Donald Trump resting on the content of a single phone call, who could blame Congressman Adam Schiff for embellishing the truth a little, all to sell his "Orange Man Bad" narrative. | Though Trump released a transcript of the call in question on Wednesday, the Democrat-controlled House Intelligence Committee pressed ahead with questioning Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire on Thursday, about his handling of the whistleblower complaint that first thrus…

RT (2019-09-26). House Intelligence Committee releases whistleblower report on Trump-Zelensky call. rt.com The whistleblower complaint that led to the impeachment inquiry against US President Donald Trump has been released. In it, the leaker admits he did not actually hear the phone call at the center of the scandal. | Released by the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday, the complaint details the circumstances surrounding Trump's July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Democrats argue that Trump attempted to pressure Zelensky into reopening a corruption inve…

ACLU (2019-09-26). Kentucky's Abortion Law Forces Me to Humiliate My Patients. aclu.org H.B. 2 is cruel, offensive, and the Supreme Court should strike it down. | I'm a doctor at the only abortion clinic in Kentucky. Providing safe, compassionate medical care has been my life's calling, and my patients' well-being is always my first priority. But Kentucky politicians — determined as usual to interfere with access to reproductive healthcare — are trying to force me to harm and humili…

Staff (2019-09-26). Permanent Record: Why NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Risked His Life to Expose Surveillance State. democracynow.org Six years ago, Edward Snowden leaked a trove of secret documents about how the United States had built a massive surveillance apparatus to spy on Americans and people across the globe. Snowden was then charged in the U.S. for violating the Espionage Act and other laws. As he attempted to flee to Latin America, Snowden became stranded in Russia after the U.S. revoked his passport. He has lived in Moscow ever since. Snowden just published his memoir, "Permanent Record," in which he writes about what led him to risk his life to expose the U.S. government's system of mass surveillance. From Moscow, he speaks to Democ…

Staff (2019-09-26). Edward Snowden Condemns Trump's Mistreatment of Whistleblower Who Exposed Ukraine Scandal. democracynow.org Responding to news of a whistleblower's complaint at the center of an impeachment inquiry filed against President Trump this week, famed whistleblower Edward Snowden speaks about his own decision to leak classified documents in 2013. The House Intelligence Committee has released the declassified whistleblower complaint, which details a July phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president. The White House is trying "to make the conversation not about the allegations," Snowden told Democracy Now! "They want to talk about the whistleblower rather than the government's own wrongdoing."

Staff (2019-09-26). "Financial Censorship Is Still Censorship": Edward Snowden Slams Justice Dept. Lawsuit Against Him. democracynow.org As a whistleblower complaint filed against President Trump rocks Washington and threatens Trump's presidency, one of the world's most famous whistleblowers, Edward Snowden, joins us from Moscow, Russia. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Snowden alleging that his newly released memoir, "Permanent Record," violates the nondisclosure agreements he signed with the federal government when he was a National Security Agency employee. The Justice Department also argued that they are entitled to all of Snowden's book profits. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan González speak with Sno…

RT (2019-09-25). Trump impeachment proceedings based on 'nothing' phone call, but fallout will hurt America long-term. rt.com The transcript of President Donald Trump's phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart shows no pressure or threats to withhold aid. So why are Democrats and media still reading it that way, and invoking it as impeachment grounds? | For over two years, the Democrats pinned their hopes on Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was investigating the claims of "Russian collusion" and obstruction of justice in relation to it — only to come up empty-handed back in May. | Undeterred, the party pushed impeachment anyway, arguing that the report somehow showed obstruction of justice somewhere between the lines, and pr…

Finian Cunningham (2019-09-25). They're Murdering My Son: Father of Julian Assange Tells of Pain and Anguish. mintpressnews.com John Shipton, the father of imprisoned whistleblower Julian Assange, says that if his son is extradited to the US, "They will murder Julian one way or the other."

RT (2019-09-25). DNI did not threaten to resign over Trump-Zelensky call 'whistleblower' – but don't tell the WaPo that. rt.com Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire says he did not threaten to resign over concerns the White House would try to silence his testimony regarding the Trump-Zelensky "whistleblower" as the WaPo reported it. | "At no time have I considered resigning my position since assuming this role on August 16, 2019," Maguire said in a statement released on Wednesday after the Washington Post claimed he had threatened to do just that. | "I have never quit anything in my life and I am not about to start now." | According to "current and former US officials familiar with the matter" cited by…

Daniel Falcone (2019-09-25). Trump's Iran Policy: A Q&A With Richard Falk. thenation.com Legal scholar Richard Falk on Iran, Saudi Arabia, and American interests abroad.

Staff (2019-09-25). Billy Bragg: What the U.K. Supreme Court's Historic Ruling Against Boris Johnson Means for Brexit. democracynow.org The U.K. Parliament has reconvened after the country's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had unlawfully suspended Parliament in order to push through Brexit with or without a deal. Johnson made the unprecedented move late last month, asking the queen to prorogue Parliament in order to limit debate on leaving the European Union, which the U.K. is scheduled to do by October 31. Calls for Johnson's resignation are mounting since the news broke, with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn calling for a general election and demanding Johnson apologize to the queen and to the country. For mo…

Staff (2019-09-25). "We've Reached Critical Mass": Rep. Al Green on Pelosi Vow to Impeach Trump for "Dastardly Deeds" democracynow.org Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump following allegations from an intelligence community whistleblower that Trump sought help from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call to investigate Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden and his son Hunter. On Tuesday, the Republican-controlled Senate unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the Trump administration to release the whistleblower complaint to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. We get response and look at next steps with Congressmember Al Gree…

Staff (2019-09-24). Headlines for September 24, 2019. democracynow.org Greta Thunberg and Youth Activists Take On World Leaders at U.N. Climate Action Summit, Trump Admin Tells U.N. to Drop Term "Reproductive Health and Rights", Trump Ordered Hold on Ukrainian Aid Before Call with President Zelensky About Bidens, U.K. Supreme Court: Boris Johnson's Suspension of Parliament Is Unlawful, U.K., France & Germany Say Iran Responsible for Saudi Oil Attacks as Trump Addresses UNGA, Afghanistan: At Least 40 Civilians Killed by U.S.-Afghan Attack, Haiti: Senator Shoots AP Photographer in Face During Anti-Gov't Protests, Video of Blindfolded Prisoners in Xinjiang Adds to Fears of Mass Human R…

ACLU (2019-09-20). The Supreme Court Considers Mandatory Government Funding of Religious Education. aclu.org A case out of Montana could result in the church-state separation being stripped to the bone. | In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Supreme Court will address a question that would have been unthinkable to ask even until quite recently: Can a state be forced to underwrite religious education with taxpayer dollars? Although the court has previously allowed the government to adopt school-voucher programs that provide indirect government aid to religious schools, it has never suggested that the U.S. Cons…

Aaron Maté (2019-09-19). UK worsens Julian Assange's persecution as US seeks extradition. thegrayzone.com Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of Wikileaks, says that UK authorities are holding Julian Assange in worse conditions than accused terrorists and…

unitedEditor (2019-09-17). Riyadh reaps what it sows: Yemeni drone attack devastates Saudi oil production. uwidata.com Yemen's Ansar Allah has officially claimed responsibility for the drone attacks against ARAMCO oil facilities which resulted in Saudi Arabia's oil production being cut in half. Nonetheless, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, President Donald Trump and Saudi officials are claiming that Iran was actually the one responsible for the attack. The world's largest oil processing …

Brett Barrouquere (2019-09-04). Rift Exposed: A Desertion Robbed League of the South of Its Longtime Headquarters and Hints that a Member Chose His Real Estate Holdings over Southern Culture. splcenter.org League of the South (LOS), a neo-Confederate organization that advocates for Southern secession, has been roiled by a key defection that resulted in the group losing its headquarters in Wetumpka, Alabama, about 20 miles north of Montgomery.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-14). Venezuela's Maduro Reshuffles Cabinet as Supreme Court Strips Three Opposition Lawmakers of Immunity. venezuelanalysis.com The National Constituent Assembly will also evaluate bringing forward legislative elections.

2019-09-28: Social Media Postees

Julian Assange's father to receive award on behalf of his son
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-09-28
Julian Assange's father is to receive an award on behalf of his son on 28 September, after launching a fresh attack on the continued imprisonment of the WikiLeaks founder.John Shipton said Assange was still being kept in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day at top security Belmarsh prison in London, even though he was due to be released earlier this month.He had served time for a bail violation after he was dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he lived for almost seven years as he fought moves to ex…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/09/28/julian-assanges-father-to-receive-award-on-behalf-of-his-son/

Spanish security firm spied on Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy for US intelligence
wsws.org | 2019-09-28
A defense and security firm based in Spain that was hired to protect the Ecuadorian embassy in London provided secret audio and video recordings of Julian Assange to US intelligence.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/28/assa-s28.html

Details of Donald Trump's calls with foreign leaders 'often concealed'
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-09-28
The White House severely restricted distribution of memos detailing President Donald Trump's calls with foreign leaders, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman, after embarrassing leaks of his conversations early in his tenure, a former White House official said. | The White House's handling of Mr Trump's calls with foreign leaders is at the heart of House Democrats' impeachment inquiry. | A whistleblower alleges the White House tried to "lock down" Mr Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukraine's new president because officials were worried about his request for help investigating h…
thecanary.co/breaking-news/2019/09/28/details-of-donald-trumps-calls-with-foreign-leaders-often-concealed/

Trump's envoy to Ukraine resigns as impeachment gathers pace
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-09-28
Kurt Volker, a former US ambassador to NATO caught in the middle of a whistleblower complaint over President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine, has resigned from his post as special envoy to the Eastern European nation.The move came as House Democrats took their first concrete steps in the impeachment investigation of Trump, issuing subpoenas demanding documents from Mike Pompeo and scheduling legal depositions for other State Department officials.A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Volker told Secretary of State Pompeo on Friday of his decision to leave the job.The move followed disclosur…
thecanary.co/us/us-news-us/2019/09/28/trumps-envoy-to-ukraine-resigns-as-impeachment-gathers-pace/

Impeachment Firestorm Scorches William Barr
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-09-28
WASHINGTON–As Washington plunges into impeachment, Attorney General William Barr finds himself engulfed in the political firestorm, facing questions about his role in President Donald Trump's outreach to Ukraine and the administration's attempts to keep a whistleblower complaint from Congress. | Trump repeatedly told Ukraine's president in a telephone call that Barr and Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani could help investigate Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden, according to a rough transcript of that summertime conversation. Justice Department officials insist Barr was unaware of Trump's comments at the t…
truthdig.com/articles/impeachment-firestorm-scorches-william-barr/

Subpoenas Mark First Concrete Steps for Trump Impeachment
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-09-28
House Democrats ask Mike Pompeo and others in State Department to appear and turn over documents; Speaker Pelosi sets no deadline on probe.
truthdig.com/articles/subpoenas-mark-first-concrete-steps-for-trump-impeachment/

Private security firm spied on Julian Assange for CIA, reports claim
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-09-27
A Spanish private security company hired to protect the Ecuadorian embassy in London when Julian Assange lived there spied on the WikiLeaks founder for the US intelligence service, it has been claimed.A report in Spanish newspaper El Pais said the company, UC Global SL, allegedly handed over audio and video to the CIA of meetings Assange held with his lawyers.The company is being investigated over the claims by Spain's High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, said the report.Assange filed a criminal complaint himself, in which he accused the company of violating his privacy and the secrecy of his client-attorney privi…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2019/09/27/private-security-firm-spied-on-julian-assange-for-cia-reports-claim/

Edward Snowden's Julian Assange is an Unfamiliar Julian Assange
Patrick Anderson | mintpressnews.com | 2019-09-27
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks' former editor Julian Assange have a complicated relationship. On the one hand, they share important similarities: both are perceived as dangerous enemies by the United States government, and both have been documentary subjects of filmmaker Laura Poitras. On the other hand, they clearly disagree when it comes to the means of achieving government transparency and accountability. After all, if Snowden had agreed with Assange a…
mintpressnews.com/edward-snowden-julian-assange-unfamiliar-permanent-record/262103/

Witness Intimidation: Unbalanced Trump Seeks Whistleblower Sources, Hints Execution for Espionage
Juan Cole | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
This is the sort of tactic former vice president Richard Bruce Cheney deployed against CIA operative Valerie Plame, to punish her husband Joe Wilson for revealing that there was never any solid evidence that Iraq had purchased uranium from Niger. (Photo: Screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trumpy_1.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/09/27/witness-intimidation-unbalanced-trump-seeks-whistleblower-sources-hints-execution?cd-origin=rss

Release of CIA whistleblower complaint intensifies political civil war in Washington
wsws.org | 2019-09-27
The complaint by the CIA agent assigned to the White House alleges that US President Trump "is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 US election."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/27/lead-s27.html

The Case for Impeachment Goes Far Beyond Ukraine
Peter Certo | counterpunch.org | 2019-09-27
"Has Trump finally gone too far?" There's a headline you've seen a thousand times. At last, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says he has. A whistleblower says Trump withheld foreign aid to Ukraine to pressure the country's new president into investigating Joe Biden's son Hunter's past business there. Trump doesn't even really deny it. Pelosi has long…
counterpunch.org/2019/09/27/the-case-for-impeachment-goes-far-beyond-ukraine/

MSM Defends CIA's "Whistleblower" After Ignoring Actual Whistleblowers
Caitlin Johnstone | theantimedia.com | 2019-09-27
The word "whistleblower" has been trending in news headlines lately, but not for the reasons that any sane person might hope for.

MSM Defends CIA’s “Whistleblower” After Ignoring Actual Whistleblowers

Citing 'Troubling' Refusal, House Democrats Subpoena Pompeo for Documents as Part of Trump Impeachment Inquiry
Common Dreams staff | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
The chairmen of three U.S. House committees subpoenaed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday for documents related to President Donald Trump's interaction with Ukraine's president. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pompeo_0.jpeg
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/27/citing-troubling-refusal-house-democrats-subpoena-pompeo-documents-part-trump?cd-origin=rss

Railroaded by the Judges: Boris Johnson fails in the UK Supreme Court
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-09-27
It delighted Labour supporters and party apparatchiks who had been falling over each other in murderous ceremony at the party conference in Brighton: Prime Minister Boris Johnson would come to the unwitting rescue with his own version of a grand cock-up. This involved a now defeated attempt to circumvent parliamentary scrutiny and interference ahead of …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/09/railroaded-by-the-judges-boris-johnson-fails-in-the-uk-supreme-court/

Georgia Supreme Court: "Let Justice Be Done" for Devonia Inman
Murderville, GA | theintercept.com | 2019-09-27
Subscribe to the Murderville podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Radio Public, iHeart Radio, and other platforms. | In an extraordinary rulin…
theintercept.com/2019/09/27/georgia-supreme-court-let-justice-be-done-for-devonia-inman/

James Risen: Whistleblower Complaint Shows "Trump Is a Habitual Criminal" Abusing His Office
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-27
Democrats are ramping up efforts to impeach President Trump for pressing the president of Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Nearly 90% of House Democrats now support impeachment. On Thursday, a declassified version of a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower was released, detailing his concerns about Trump's July phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky. In the complaint, the unnamed whistleblower — who has been identified as a CIA official — accused the president of "using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 202…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/27/trump_impeachment_inquiry_james_risen

Suggesting His Life in Danger, Trump Lawyer Rudy Giuliani Claims He's the "Real Whistleblower"
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
"If I get killed now, you won't get the rest of the story." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/rudy_rudy_rudy.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/27/suggesting-his-life-danger-trump-lawyer-rudy-giuliani-claims-hes-real-whistleblower?cd-origin=rss

Though Plenty of International Crimes and Misdemeanors Between Them, Even Former Bush and Obama Officials Condemn Trump on Ukraine Scandal
Jon Queally, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-09-27
If the allegations put forth are accurate, states a letter by national security pro, the president's action "would constitute an unconscionable abuse of power." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pompeo_trump_mnuchin.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/09/27/though-plenty-international-crimes-and-misdemeanors-between-them-even-former-bush?cd-origin=rss

Donald Trump's Call With Ukrainian Leader, One Day After Robert Mueller's Congressional Testimony, Shows the President Is a Brazen Criminal
James Risen | theintercept.com | 2019-09-26
Trump has been acting like a bank robber who beat one rap because of a technicality, and so decides to rob every bank in sight.
theintercept.com/2019/09/26/donald-trumps-call-with-ukrainian-leader-one-day-after-robert-muellers-congressional-testimony-shows-the-president-is-a-brazen-criminal/

Democrats, Please Don't Mess This Up. Impeach Trump for All His Crimes, Not Just for Ukraine
Mehdi Hasan | theintercept.com | 2019-09-26
Impeaching Trump only for Ukraine would give him a clean bill of health on everything else, like his obstruction of the Mueller investigation.
theintercept.com/2019/09/26/impeachment-trump-ukraine-democrats/

Schiff's 're-telling' of Trump phone call with Ukraine head gets mocked as 'unhinged Orange-Man-Bad fan fiction'
rt.com | 2019-09-26
With impeachment efforts against President Donald Trump resting on the content of a single phone call, who could blame Congressman Adam Schiff for embellishing the truth a little, all to sell his "Orange Man Bad" narrative. | Though Trump released a transcript of the call in question on Wednesday, the Democrat-controlled House Intelligence Committee pressed ahead with questioning Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire on Thursday, about his handling of the whistleblower complaint that first thrus…
rt.com/usa/469703-schiff-trump-opening-statement/

Congress hears testimony from intel chief on "smoking gun" phone call
John Wojcik | peoplesworld.org | 2019-09-26
The impeachment process now underway in the country continued with dramatic testimony today in the House Intelligence Committee that underlined what the pro-democracy forces in America are up against. Today's hearing confirms that saving democracy in this country will require taking on a Trump-built network that uses government across all of its branches to advance …
peoplesworld.org/article/congress-hears-testimony-from-intel-chief-on-smoking-gun-phone-call/

House Intelligence Committee releases whistleblower report on Trump-Zelensky call
rt.com | 2019-09-26
The whistleblower complaint that led to the impeachment inquiry against US President Donald Trump has been released. In it, the leaker admits he did not actually hear the phone call at the center of the scandal. | Released by the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday, the complaint details the circumstances surrounding Trump's July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Democrats argue that Trump attempted to pressure Zelensky into reopening a corruption inve…
rt.com/usa/469679-trump-zelensky-whistleblower-complaint-released/

Kentucky's Abortion Law Forces Me to Humiliate My Patients
aclu.org | 2019-09-26
H.B. 2 is cruel, offensive, and the Supreme Court should strike it down. | I'm a doctor at the only abortion clinic in Kentucky. Providing safe, compassionate medical care has been my life's calling, and my patients' well-being is always my first priority. But Kentucky politicians — determined as usual to interfere with access to reproductive healthcare — are trying to force me to harm and humili…
aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/abortion/kentuckys-abortion-law-forces-me-humiliate-my-patients

Permanent Record: Why NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden Risked His Life to Expose Surveillance State
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
Six years ago, Edward Snowden leaked a trove of secret documents about how the United States had built a massive surveillance apparatus to spy on Americans and people across the globe. Snowden was then charged in the U.S. for violating the Espionage Act and other laws. As he attempted to flee to Latin America, Snowden became stranded in Russia after the U.S. revoked his passport. He has lived in Moscow ever since. Snowden just published his memoir, "Permanent Record," in which he writes about what led him to risk his life to expose the U.S. government's system of mass surveillance. From Moscow, he speaks to Democ…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_trump_whistleblower_impeachment

Edward Snowden Condemns Trump's Mistreatment of Whistleblower Who Exposed Ukraine Scandal
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
Responding to news of a whistleblower's complaint at the center of an impeachment inquiry filed against President Trump this week, famed whistleblower Edward Snowden speaks about his own decision to leak classified documents in 2013. The House Intelligence Committee has released the declassified whistleblower complaint, which details a July phone call between President Trump and the Ukrainian president. The White House is trying "to make the conversation not about the allegations," Snowden told Democracy Now! "They want to talk about the whistleblower rather than the government's own wrongdoing."
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_on_writing_his_memoir

"Financial Censorship Is Still Censorship": Edward Snowden Slams Justice Dept. Lawsuit Against Him
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-26
As a whistleblower complaint filed against President Trump rocks Washington and threatens Trump's presidency, one of the world's most famous whistleblowers, Edward Snowden, joins us from Moscow, Russia. Earlier this month, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Snowden alleging that his newly released memoir, "Permanent Record," violates the nondisclosure agreements he signed with the federal government when he was a National Security Agency employee. The Justice Department also argued that they are entitled to all of Snowden's book profits. Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Juan González speak with Sno…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/26/edward_snowden_memoir_permanent_record

They're Murdering My Son: Father of Julian Assange Tells of Pain and Anguish
Finian Cunningham | mintpressnews.com | 2019-09-25
John Shipton, the father of imprisoned whistleblower Julian Assange, says that if his son is extradited to the US, "They will murder Julian one way or the other."
mintpressnews.com/theyre-murdering-my-son-father-of-julian-assange-tells-of-pain-and-anguish/262063/

Trump impeachment proceedings based on 'nothing' phone call, but fallout will hurt America long-term
rt.com | 2019-09-25
The transcript of President Donald Trump's phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart shows no pressure or threats to withhold aid. So why are Democrats and media still reading it that way, and invoking it as impeachment grounds? | For over two years, the Democrats pinned their hopes on Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was investigating the claims of "Russian collusion" and obstruction of justice in relation to it — only to come up empty-handed back in May. | Undeterred, the party pushed impeachment anyway, arguing that the report somehow showed obstruction of justice somewhere between the lines, and pr…
rt.com/usa/469626-trump-impeachement-transctript-democrats/

DNI did not threaten to resign over Trump-Zelensky call 'whistleblower' – but don't tell the WaPo that
rt.com | 2019-09-25
Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire says he did not threaten to resign over concerns the White House would try to silence his testimony regarding the Trump-Zelensky "whistleblower" as the WaPo reported it. | "At no time have I considered resigning my position since assuming this role on August 16, 2019," Maguire said in a statement released on Wednesday after the Washington Post claimed he had threatened to do just that. | "I have never quit anything in my life and I am not about to start now." | According to "current and former US officials familiar with the matter" cited by…
rt.com/usa/469625-dni-denies-threatening-resign-ukraine/

Billy Bragg: What the U.K. Supreme Court's Historic Ruling Against Boris Johnson Means for Brexit
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-25
The U.K. Parliament has reconvened after the country's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had unlawfully suspended Parliament in order to push through Brexit with or without a deal. Johnson made the unprecedented move late last month, asking the queen to prorogue Parliament in order to limit debate on leaving the European Union, which the U.K. is scheduled to do by October 31. Calls for Johnson's resignation are mounting since the news broke, with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn calling for a general election and demanding Johnson apologize to the queen and to the country. For mo…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/25/brexit_british_parliament_billy_bragg

"We've Reached Critical Mass": Rep. Al Green on Pelosi Vow to Impeach Trump for "Dastardly Deeds"
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-09-25
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump following allegations from an intelligence community whistleblower that Trump sought help from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call to investigate Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden and his son Hunter. On Tuesday, the Republican-controlled Senate unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the Trump administration to release the whistleblower complaint to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. We get response and look at next steps with Congressmember Al Gree…
www.democracynow.org/2019/9/25/formal_impeachment_inquiry_trump

The Supreme Court Considers Mandatory Government Funding of Religious Education
aclu.org | 2019-09-20
A case out of Montana could result in the church-state separation being stripped to the bone. | In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the Supreme Court will address a question that would have been unthinkable to ask even until quite recently: Can a state be forced to underwrite religious education with taxpayer dollars? Although the court has previously allowed the government to adopt school-voucher programs that provide indirect government aid to religious schools, it has never suggested that the U.S. Cons…
aclu.org/blog/religious-liberty/religion-and-public-schools/supreme-court-considers-mandatory-government

UK worsens Julian Assange's persecution as US seeks extradition
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-09-19
Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of Wikileaks, says that UK authorities are holding Julian Assange in worse conditions than accused terrorists and…
thegrayzone.com/2019/09/19/uk-worsens-julian-assanges-persecution-as-us-seeks-extradition/

Riyadh reaps what it sows: Yemeni drone attack devastates Saudi oil production
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-09-17
Yemen's Ansar Allah has officially claimed responsibility for the drone attacks against ARAMCO oil facilities which resulted in Saudi Arabia's oil production being cut in half. Nonetheless, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, President Donald Trump and Saudi officials are claiming that Iran was actually the one responsible for the attack. The world's largest oil processing …
uwidata.com/5348-riyadh-reaps-what-it-sows-yemeni-drone-attack-devastates-saudi-oil-production/

Rift Exposed: A Desertion Robbed League of the South of Its Longtime Headquarters and Hints that a Member Chose His Real Estate Holdings over Southern Culture
Brett Barrouquere | splcenter.org | 2019-09-04
League of the South (LOS), a neo-Confederate organization that advocates for Southern secession, has been roiled by a key defection that resulted in the group losing its headquarters in Wetumpka, Alabama, about 20 miles north of Montgomery.
splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2019/rift-exposed-desertion-robbed-league-south-its-longtime-headquarters-and-hints-member-chose