Julian Assange's bail request denied despite coronavirus risk
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
Judge Vanessa Baraitser's refusal came amid mounting calls for the release of vulnerable, low-risk prisoners from the UK's overcrowded and woefully unprepared prison systems during the coronavirus crisis.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/assa-m26.html

Trump's State of Denial, Not the Deep State, Kept Us Unprepared for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Nick Licata | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-26
President Donald Trump prides himself on being optimistic no matter how dire the situation. That is not necessarily a bad trait; it helps to get by in hard times. But deniability of past or repeated behavior when it results in harm to yourself or others, is not a positive trait. In fact, as president of…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/26/trumps-state-of-denial-not-the-deep-state-kept-us-unprepared-for-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Johnson's "herd immunity" strategy and the London Conference on Intelligence whitewash: Britain's ruling class and eugenics
wsws.org | 2020-03-26
Innumerable posts on social media have drawn the connection between the reactionary ideology of eugenics and the British government's criminally delayed and negligent response to the pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/26/euge-m26.html

The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier to Get Away With Discrimination
Elie Mystal | thenation.com | 2020-03-26
The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier to Get Away With Discrimination…
thenation.com/article/society/scotus-comcast-discrimination/

US Propaganda: Iran Rounding Up Whistleblowers Trying To Expose Real COVID-19 Death Toll
Zero Hedge | iranian.com | 2020-03-26
The State Department now seems to be leveling new accusations against Iran and China on a near-daily basis related to their role in facilitating the spread of the deadly coronavirus. On Monday Mike Pompeo issued '5 facts' detailing Iran's recklessness regarding the virus, including the charge Tehran spread it "to at least five countries," and on Wednesday …
iranian.com/2020/03/25/us-propaganda-iran-rounding-up-whistleblowers-trying-to-expose-real-covid-19-death-toll/

Now Is the Time to Cancel Sanctions on Iran
Brian Cloughley | iranian.com | 2020-03-26
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has often declared that he considers himself to be a devout evangelical Christian, and in November 2019 told the New York Times Magazine that the Bible "informs everything I do." Given that his religious convictions are based on the Bible, he is doubtless familiar with the command from Philippians 2: 4 that everyone should "look not …
iranian.com/2020/03/25/now-is-the-time-to-cancel-sanctions-on-iran/

British Court Refuses Julian Assange's Bail Plea
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-25
The founder of Wikileaks Julian Assange will not be let out of a London Prison amid the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the British court announced on Wednesday. | RELATED: | Assange Could Be Released on Bail Over the COVID-19 Outbreak | The Westminster Magistrates' Court in London has rejected a plea from the Assange defense team that called on the British authorities to release the Wikileaks founder from the high-security Belmarsh prison. | Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who is overlooking the Assang…
telesurenglish.net/news/British-Court-Refuses-Julian-Assanges-Bail-Plea–20200325-0005.html

Calls Grow for Sen. Burr to Resign After He Sold $1.7 Million in Stocks & Downplayed COVID-19 Risks
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-25
Calls are growing for Republican Senator Richard Burr to resign after he reportedly sold up to $1.7 million worth of stocks after receiving privileged briefings about the coronavirus's threat to the global economy. ProPublica reports Burr, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, unloaded his holdings on February 13 in 33 separate transactions. At the time, he had access to classified information about the coronavirus and was receiving daily intelligence briefings. The stock market began plummeting a week after Burr's sales and has since lost about 30% of its value. We speak with Derek Willis of ProPublica…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/25/senator_richard_burr_stocks_coronavirus

Pompeo's focus on blaming China for coronavirus derails joint G-7 statement
rt.com | 2020-03-25
G-7 leaders reportedly balked at US insistence that Covid-19 be called the 'Wuhan virus' and blaming China for a "disinformation campaign" about it, letting the group's conference call end without a joint statement. | Following the hours-long teleconference with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK

The Staggering Collapse of U.S. Intelligence on the Coronavirus
Scott Ritter | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-25
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the United States unlike any other event in recent history, proving to be far more disruptive to American society, and far most damaging to the U.S. economy, than even the events of 9/11. | The U.S. …
globalresearch.ca/staggering-collapse-u-s-intelligence-coronavirus/5707525

Turkey Prosecutor Indicts Saudi Suspects for Khashoggi Killing
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-25
Istanbul prosecutors said Wednesday they had prepared an indictment against 20 suspects over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, including a close aide to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a former deputy head of general intelligence. | RELATED: | Saudi Arabia Sentences 5 to Death Over Jamal Khashoggi's Murder | The indictment accuses former deputy head of Saudi Arabia's general intelligence Ahmed al-Asiri and former royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani…
telesurenglish.net/news/Turkey-Prosecutor-Indicts-20-Saudi-Suspects-for-Khashoggi-Killing-20200325-0020.html

Deflection: Pompeo Issues '5 Facts' Claiming Iran Exported COVID-19 To "At Least 5 Countries"
Zero Hedge | iranian.com | 2020-03-25
As even Britain is urging its close US ally to moderate its stance on Iran sanctions as the Mideast country's death toll surges from the coronavirus pandemic, the Washington-Tehran tit-for-tat exchanges and blame game over Covid-19 continues unabated. Yesterday Pompeo issued a new list of five allegations of how Iran's leaders have handled the outbreak. Notably, this featured the …
iranian.com/2020/03/24/deflection-pompeo-issues-5-facts-claiming-iran-exported-covid-19-to-at-least-5-countries/

US government threatens families of Int'l Criminal Court staff if they try Americans for war crimes
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-20
The International Criminal Court approved an investigation into US war crimes in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded by…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/20/us-threatens-families-international-criminal-court/

Pompeo and Netanyahu paved a path to war with Iran, and they're pushing Trump again
Gareth Porter | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-20
Though it narrowly averted war with Iran this January, the Trump administration is still pushing for all-out military conflict. The…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/20/pompeo-netanyahu-war-iran-trump/

Senator Dumped Up to $1.7 Million of Stock After Reassuring Public About Coronavirus Preparedness
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-03-20
Soon after he offered public assurances that the government was ready to battle the coronavirus, the powerful chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr, sold off a significant percentage of his stocks, unloading between $628,000 and $1.72 million of his holdings on Feb. 13 in 33 separate transactions. As the head of the intelligence …
truthdig.com/articles/senator-dumped-up-to-1-7-million-of-stock-after-reassuring-public-about-coronavirus-preparedness/

Extradition of Assange Would Set a Dangerous Precedent
Marjorie Cohn | zcomm.org | 2020-03-02
The Trump administration is seeking extradition of WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, to the United States for trial on charges carrying 175 years in prison…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/extradition-of-assange-would-set-a-dangerous-precedent/