2020-02-23: News Headlines

Kim Petersen (2020-02-23). Trudeau's Demand: "the barricades must come down" dissidentvoice.org Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau has called the imbroglio between the Wet'suwet'en nation and Canada a matter to be decided by the rule of law.1 However, the Wet'suwet'en have refused to back down and have defied the British Columbia Supreme Court injunction allowing pipeline work to continue. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were sent …

RT (2020-02-22). Govt wants 'what looks like a free press', not 'dissidents': Eno, Westwood & others speak about fighting for Assange's freedom. rt.com Prominent public figures like designer Vivienne Westwood and musician Brian Eno, joined mass protesters against Julian Assange's extradition, saying his fate will have impact on press freedom and holding governments accountable. | "Julian is the Trojan horse. If he knocks a crack in that wall, we can get government to do all the other things they need to be doing, which they are doing the opposite of [right now]," British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood told RT. Thousands took to the streets near the British Parliament to protest the imprisonment of the WikiLeaks founder ahead of a hearing next week to dete…

Staff (2020-02-22). Ahead of Extradition Hearing, Hundreds March for Assange in London. truthdig.com LONDON—Hundreds of supporters of Julian Assange marched through London on Saturday to pressure the U.K. government into refusing to extradite the WikiLeaks founder to the United States to face spying charges. | Famous Britons, including Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood joined the crowd protesting the U.S. espionage charges against the founder of the secret-spilling website. An extradition hearing for Assange is due to begin in a London court on Monday. | WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson told a rally outside Parliament that the prosecuti…

RT (2020-02-22). 'Totally sane': Dems can't make up their minds about who is a supposed 'Russian agent'. Trump? Bernie? Or… both? rt.com Former presidential candidate Eric Swalwell performed mental gymnastics on CNN to defend Bernie Sanders over alleged help from Russia, claiming Moscow does it in order to help its 'agent' Donald Trump. | The Democrats' overuse of Russian collusion conspiracy theories appears to be collapsing in on itself. First Trump supposedly worked with the country to meddle in the 2016 presidential election — something there is still no actual proof of, despite the extensive Mueller investigation — and now even Dems like Sanders are facing accusations of getting help from Moscow. | Thanks to a Washington Post <...

Eric Zuesse (2020-02-22). How Bernie Sanders Will Destroy the Deep State if He Becomes President. dissidentvoice.org Joe Lauria at Consortium News headlined on February 21st, "Apparent US Intel Meddling in US Election With 'Report' Russia is Aiding Sanders", and he noted that, If the story is true and if intelligence agencies are truly committed to protecting U.S. citizens, the Sanders campaign would have been quietly informed and shown evidence to back …

Tom Coburg (2020-02-22). Bid to free Manning launched as explosive new evidence threatens to end Assange extradition. thecanary.co Lawyers acting on behalf of imprisoned whistleblower Meanwhile, more evidence has emerged to further the argument that the extradition hearings should end on th…

WSWS (2020-02-22). Demonstration to free Julian Assange this Monday in Montreal. wsws.org "This case is tremendously important and holds serious implications for journalism, free speech and human rights around the world," demonstration organizer Elizabeth Leier told the WSWS.

WSWS (2020-02-22). European legal team will seek asylum for Julian Assange in France. wsws.org Members of imprisoned WikiLeaks journalist Julian Assange's legal team, together with Assange's father John Shipton, held a press conference on Thursday in Paris.

teleSUR (2020-02-22). 'Don't Extradite Assange' is the Shout at London's Streets. telesurenglish.net In London, hundreds of free speech activists Saturday marched from the Australia House to Parliament Square in support of RELATED: | Beginning Feb. 24, London's Woolwich Crown Court will…

WSWS (2020-02-22). New conflict of interest evidence against UK judge in charge of Assange extradition process. wsws.org Fresh evidence has emerged that the chief magistrate overseeing the extradition trial of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has received financial benefits from organizations connected to the UK Foreign Office.

WSWS (2020-02-22). U.S. Intelligence agencies meddle in Nevada primary to sabotage Sanders. wsws.org On the eve of Nevada Democratic caucuses, the Washington Post reported that "US officials" told Sanders the Russian government was working to aid his campaign.

Staff (2020-02-22). State Supreme Courts See Progress on Diversity but Still Fall Short. truthout.org Tamika Montgomery-Reeves made history last fall when she was confirmed as the first Black justice on the Delaware Supreme Court. It was a small step toward improving diversity on state supreme courts nationwide, but it also highlights a glaring problem. | Her appointment is unusual, yet it shouldn't be — especially in a state where 23 percent of the population is Black. A lack of diversity among judges undermines public faith in the justice system, and it limits the perspectives available to inf…

RT (2020-02-21). 'Hoax!' Trump hits back at latest claims that Russia will 'aid' his 2020 campaign. rt.com US President Donald Trump has slammed the recently reported (but unsubstantiated) claims that Russia will interfere to help him win the 2020 presidential election, saying the rumors are just "another misinformation campaign." | The New York Times and other media reported on Thursday that Moscow is "aiding" Trump in the upcoming election, citing only anonymous intelligence officials. | Cable networks like MSNBC and CNN instantly amplified the unverified claims, setting in motion another round of 'Russiagate' conspiracy theorizing, almost eleven months after the two-year-long Mueller investigation found no evide…

WSWS (2020-02-21). Veteran "Four Corners" journalist Andrew Fowler denounces Australian government's refusal to defend Assange. wsws.org "The persecution of Assange is an attack on anyone who speaks out against the power and authority of the United States. It is a warning to every journalist: 'Pull your head in. Shut up. Don't question.'"

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-02-21). "Leave Our Bloke Alone": Australian Politicians, A Little Mission for Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca "I think that now it is time that the government I am a part of needs to be standing up and saying to both the UK and the US: 'enough is enough, leave our bloke alone and let him come …

Dr. Leon Tressell (2020-02-21). Defend Journalist Julian Assange from Extradition to the United States. globalresearch.ca On Wednesday Wikileaks editor Julian Assange appeared at a Westminster court for his final case management hearing before his extradition hearing which begins on 24 February. | The U.S. government will present its case arguing for Assange's extradition to face 17 …

Chris Agee (2020-02-21). Julian Assange's Attorney Speaks Out on the Hopes and Hazards of His Upcoming Trial in London on Feb. 24. globalresearch.ca Assange's legal advisor Renata Avila joins Gray Zone investigative reporter Max Blumenthal, Black Agenda Report founder Glen Ford, and Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins in Randy Credico's acclaimed radio series, "Assange: Countdown to Freedom" — hosted by CovertAction Magazine …

WSWS (2020-02-21). UK Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell visits Julian Assange in Belmarsh Prison. wsws.org McDonnell described the Assange case as "one of the most important and significant political trials of this generation," but made clear that his party will do nothing to mobilise the immense popular support that exists for the WikiLeaks publisher.

Renee Parsons (2020-02-21). Why Renew the "Ultra Secret" Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court? globalresearch.ca As the emerging Quantum World continues to shake reality as we once knew it, it is no coincidence that the ultra-secret FISA Court has been unwittingly thrust into the public spotlight of the FBI Russiagate scandal — exactly where it …

Staff (2020-02-21). Five Palestinian Detainees' Homes to be Demolished. imemc.org The Israeli Supreme Court today gave the go-ahead on Wednesday for the military to demolish the family homes of five Palestinian detainees allegedly involved in the killing of a settler in late August 2019. All five are from the Ramallah area, and are serving long terms in Israeli prison camps. …

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-02-21). Drop Charges and Extradition Pursuit of Assange, Says Amnesty International, Denouncing US Govt's "Full-Scale Assault on the Right to Freedom of Expression" commondreams.org "The potential chilling effect on journalists and others who expose official wrongdoing by publishing information disclosed to them by credible sources could have a profound impact on the public's right to know what their government is up to." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/amnesty-drop-charges-assange.jpg

pip.hinman (2020-02-21). New push on cyber 'security' laws. greenleft.org.au

Staff (2020-02-20). Headlines for February 20, 2020. democracynow.org Democratic Contenders Take Aim at Billionaire Michael Bloomberg in Nevada Debate, Protesters Interrupt Nevada Debate to Demand Immigration Discussion, Michael Bloomberg Made Transphobic Remarks in 2019, Bloomberg Campaign NDAs Could Prevent Reporting of Abuses, U.N. Warns of Unfolding Humanitarian Catastrophe in Syria's Idlib, German Far-Right Gunman Kills 10 in Frankfurt Suburb, China Expels Wall Street Journal Reporters over "Racist" Op-Ed, Trump Taps Ally Richard Grenell as Director of National Intelligence, As Roger Stone Faces Sentencing in Federal Court, Trump Hints at Pardon, Julian Assange's Lawyers: Trum…

The Canary (2020-02-20). John McDonnell visits Julian Assange and slams his 'political persecution'. thecanary.co Shadow chancellor John McDonnell visited McDonnell said of Assange's case: I think this is one of the most important and significant political trials of this generation, in fact longer. … | The way in which a person is being persecuted for political reasons, for simply exposing the truth for what went on in relation to recent wars. | And he stressed: We don't believe that extradition should be used for political purposes. And all the evidence… demonstrates that this is a political trial, and we're hoping…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-02-20). "Leave Our Bloke Alone": A Little Mission for Julian Assange. dissidentvoice.org I think that now it is time that the government I am a part of needs to be standing up and saying to both the UK and the US: 'enough is enough, leave our bloke alone and let him come home.' — George Christensen, Australian conservative MP, Sydney Morning Herald, February 19, 2020 An odd …

Nicky Vogt (2020-02-20). The Supreme Court Will Decide Whether Asylum Seekers Receive Their Day in Court. aclu.org In March, we will be in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to defend the right to a day in court for asylum seekers and other vulnerable noncitizens. That decision w…

pip.hinman (2020-02-20). Barrister says 'democracy at stake' in Assange trial. greenleft.org.au

pip.hinman (2020-02-19). New blow to media freedom, whistleblowers. greenleft.org.au

Alexander Rubinstein (2020-02-18). While demanding Assange, US refuses to extradite CIA agent who killed British teen. thegrayzone.com High-ranking CIA agent Anne Sacoolas is charged with killing a teenage British citizen. While the US demands Julian Assange's extradition,…

John Pilger (2020-02-18). John Pilger: It is time for Julian Assange to be saved, not betrayed. thegrayzone.com The truth is that Australia could have rescued Julian Assange and can still rescue him. Leaders of his homeland who have…

Staff (2020-02-18). Journalist: Harvey Weinstein's Defense Team Is Waging a War Against the #MeToo Movement. democracynow.org A jury of seven men and five women meet today in New York Supreme Court to begin deliberations on whether to find disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein guilty of sexual assault. The case has drawn international attention amid the #MeToo movement. If the jurors find Weinstein guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women but in this case faces five charges based on evidence relating to two main accusers. One woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, alleges she was raped by Weinstein in a New York hotel, for which he has been charged wit…

Susan Price (2020-02-18). John Pilger: Julian Assange must be freed, not betrayed. greenleft.org.au People will carry pictures of the Australi…

pip.hinman (2020-02-18). Protest Julian Assange's extradition. greenleft.org.au The United States government wants to extradite the journalist and whis…

Jason Ditz (2020-02-17). DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director's Role in Russiagate. theantimedia.com The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

Neema Singh Guliani (2020-02-12). Deadline Looming, Strongest Surveillance Reform Bill Yet Emerges. aclu.org Congress has just five weeks to decide the fate of key foreign | intelligence surveillance powers — forcing a showdown between surveillance | reformers and defenders. And now, a group of Republicans and Democrats have | unveiled the strongest comprehensive reform proposal that we have seen | yet. | The Safeguarding Americans' Private Records Act of 2020, introduced by a

CounterSpin (2020-01-17). Chip Gibbons on FBI vs. 1st Amendment. fair.org Media…