(2020-09-28). As his extradition trial drags on, media and rights groups are still ignoring Julian Assange. mronline.org 
Many mainstream rights groups and media organizations have a mixed history when it comes to opposing Washington's agenda. The case of Julian Assange has been no exception.
(2020-09-28). More evidence of management spying on Amazon workers' political activities. wsws.org A whistleblower inside Amazon sent a message last week to a number of internal company listservs, warning fellow workers that the company is monitoring opposition on those forums.
(2020-09-28). Free Julian Assange! The political issues confronting educators in the fight for freedom of information. wsws.org "Teachers and educators are among those owing a debt to Assange and to the whistleblowers who courageously decided to leak classified information in the public interest."
(2020-09-28). Report: Julian Assange Hearing. popularresistance.org It is hard to believe, but Judge Baraitser on Friday ruled that there will be no closing speeches in the Assange extradition hearing. She accepted the proposal initially put forward by counsel for the US government, that closing arguments should simply be submitted in writing and without an oral hearing. This was accepted by the defence, as they need time to address the new superseding indictment in the closing arguments, and Baraitser was not willing for oral argument to take place later than 8 October. By agreeing to written arguments only, the defence gained a further three weeks to put together the closing of…
(2020-09-28). Assange on Trial: Elections, Cracking Passwords and Failures of Proof. counterpunch.org 
September 25. Central Criminal Court, London. On this Friday, the Assange trial moved into the rarefied realm of computer hacking and the less than rarefied world of when final arguments will be made. The WikiLeaks publisher is confronting the prospect of extradition to the United States for 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and
(2020-09-28). Artist Ai Weiwei stages silent protest against Julian Assange extradition. thecanary.co 
Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei has staged a silent protest against the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange because "all the words we want to say are already there".Assange's case has attracted the support of high-profile figures including fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, actor Pamela Anderson, and rapper MIA, who have spoken out in various forms for the Free Assange campaign.The former journalist is fighting being sent to the US on charges relating to leaks of classified documents exposing war crimes and abuse.Outside the Old Bailey in London, where his ongoing trial is taking place, Weiwei…
(2020-09-28). The Guardian's Deceit-Riddled New Statement Betrays Both Julian Assange and Journalism. counterpunch.org 
In my recent post on the current hearings at the Old Bailey over Julian Assange's extradition to the United States, where he would almost certainly be locked away for the rest of his life for the crime of doing journalism, I made two main criticisms of the Guardian. A decade ago, remember, the newspaper worked closely in
(2020-09-28). How "Extremist" Amy Coney Barrett Could Reshape the Supreme Court & Hand Trump the Election. democracynow.org 
As President Trump nominates conservative federal judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat, we look at how an emboldened 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court could dramatically loosen gun laws, hurt immigrant communities and play a possibly central role in deciding a close presidential election. "Her religious conservatism is not what's extreme about her. It's her actual judicial opinions," says Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation. "She does not use her religion to guide her through her decisions; she uses her extremist conservative views."
(2020-09-28). Planned Parenthood CEO: Trump's SCOTUS Pick Could Overturn Roe v. Wade & Kill Obamacare. democracynow.org 
President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court could threaten reproductive rights across the U.S., according to Planned Parenthood president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson. Barrett, who once called abortion "always immoral," would give conservatives a decisive 6-3 advantage on the top court if she is confirmed by the Senate, and President Trump has openly promoted her nomination by suggesting she would help overturn the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion in the U.S. Barrett "would be a huge threat to reproductive rights" on the Supreme Court, says McGill Johnson. "R…
(2020-09-28). Trump's Extremist Supreme Court Pick Could Hand Him the Election. truthout.org As President Trump nominates conservative federal judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat, we look at how an emboldened 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court could dramatically loosen gun laws, hurt immigrant communities and play a possibly central role in deciding a close presidential election. "Her religious conservatism is not what's extreme about her. It's her actual judicial opinions," says Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation. "She does not…
(2020-09-28). Supreme Court: Trump seeks to lock in ultra-right supermajority with Barrett nomination. liberationnews.org 
Frantic efforts in the Senate are underway to install far right appeals court judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. After a short search period, Donald Trump announced Barrett's nomination in a speech at the White House on Saturday. Trump touted her commitment to "our religious liberty, our public safety" and noted "Law and …
(2020-09-28). The Real Threat to Democracy: Concentrated Wealth. counterpunch.org 
A White House that muses openly about not counting votes. A Senate rushing to cement in place a fiercely conservative Supreme Court. We have plenty of reasons these days to despair for our democracy. The Commission on Presidential Debates has just added another. This independent blue-ribbon panel has produced every presidential debate since 1988. The
(2020-09-28). Accepting Israeli prize in 2018, RBG never mentioned Palestinians. mronline.org 
The recent death of U.S. Supreme Court judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg (known popularly as 'RBG') has brought accolades from all over the world, especially from progressives who hailed her positions.
(2020-09-28). Trump Nominates Right-Wing Ideologue for Supreme Court of the United States. globalresearch.ca On Saturday, Trump nominated US 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett for SCOTUS. | If confirmed by the GOP-controlled Senate as expected pre-November elections, it'll shift the High Court to a far-right 6 — 3 majority, potentially for …
(2020-09-28). The Supreme Court Has Never Been Liberal. counterpunch.org In the hours after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, shocked Americans speculated about whether or not Republican Senator Mitt Romney would oppose a Senate confirmation vote just weeks before the election. After all, Romney had emerged as the highest-profile Republican lawmaker critical of the president and was the lone senator from his party
(2020-09-28). The Fickle Finger of Fate Points; Republicans React. counterpunch.org These excerpts come from the New York Times website at 9: 30 p.m. local time, on Thursday, September 24, 2020: "On Wednesday, Mr. Trump merged the two story lines involving the court and the legitimacy of the election. He said he expected voting disputes to be decided by the Supreme Court and urged a swift confirmation
(2020-09-28). Discredited Russian Bounty Story Exposes Media's Role In Status Quo. popularresistance.org It is an old journalistic trope: no one reads the correction … or the retraction. No matter how serious the error or profound the implications of the misreporting. Like, let's say the entire range of mainstream media took the word of unnamed intelligence sources as gospel and reported that the only other nuclear superpower — which supposedly rigged our last election, and runs our current president as an "asset" — had been offering Afghan militants bounties for the scalps of dead American soldiers.
(2020-09-28). US Sanctions Opposition Parties In Venezuela Ahead Of Elections. popularresistance.org Elections for Venezuela's National Assembly are fast approaching. But the United States does not want them to go ahead at all. Sanctions on Venezuela are nothing new. But yesterday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took the unusual step of sanctioning leaders of local opposition parties in an attempt to pressure them to pull out of the contest in December. | Remarkably, considering the well-documented flaws with the same problems in the U.S., Pompeo's statement dubiously claimed that Venezuelan voting machines are unreliable, that millions of voters remain unregistered, and that the country's supreme electoral counc…
(2020-09-28). US, Greece call for peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in east Mediterranean. yenisafak.com The United States and Greece called on Monday for a peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in the east Mediterranean as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began a two-day trip to Greece amid increased regional tension over energy resources.NATO allies Greece and Turkey, at loggerheads on a range of issues, have agreed to resume exploratory talks over contested maritime claims following weeks of tensions."The United States and Greece … reaffirmed their belief that maritime delimitation issues should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law," the United States and Greece, also NATO allies, s…
(2020-09-27). Progressives Demand Outside Supreme Court: 'No Confirmation Before Inauguration'. commondreams.org "The people demand that OUR NEEDS ARE MET before the Senate entertains the idea of confirming a new justice days before the most important presidential election of our lifetime." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/scotus-rally-oppose-barrett.jpg …
(2020-09-27). Assange's Fourteenth Day at the Old Bailey: Elections, Cracking Passwords and Failures of Proof. dissidentvoice.org September 25. Central Criminal Court, London. On this Friday, the Assange trial moved into the rarefied realm of computer hacking and the less than rarefied world of when final arguments will be made. The WikiLeaks publisher is confronting the prospect of extradition to the United States for 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and …
(2020-09-27). Assange Hearing: Testimonies Undermine US Indictment, Provide Grounds For Dismissal. popularresistance.org Week three of the hearings at the Old Bailey for Julian Assange's extradition to the US heard testimony from a computer security expert that may prove to be critical. That testimony could be used to undermine the first indictment raised against the WikiLeaks founder and therefore weaken the entire case. | Other testimonies may form the basis by which the US extradition request could be dismissed. Computer forensic expert Patrick Eller was formerly lead digital forensics examiner with the US Army's Criminal Investigation Command in Virginia.
(2020-09-27). Assange extradition court hears explosive testimonies that undermine US indictment and provide grounds for dismissal. thecanary.co Week three of the hearings at the Old Bailey for Other testimonies may form the basis by which the US extradition request could be dismissed. | No Assange-Manning conspiracy: | Compute…
(2020-09-27). Democrats Rip Into Judge Barrett's Supreme Court Nomination. sputniknews.com The intention by US President Donald Trump to fill in the vacancy in the Supreme Court opened after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last week drew harsh condemnation from Democrats, who insist that the vacancy should not be filled until after the US presidential election.
(2020-09-27). Senate Judiciary Committee Reveals Amy Barrett Confirmation Hearing Details. sputniknews.com Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump announced Amy Barrett as his Supreme Court nomination pick, in a move to fill the vacancy opened by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
(2020-09-27). From a Justice for Gender Equality to a "Justice" for Gender Oppression. truthout.org Amy Coney Barrett and Ruth Bader Ginsburg could not be more different when it comes to their respective notions of justice. Ginsburg, a pioneer in the protection of gender equality, spent her entire career, including 27 years on the Supreme Court,
(2020-09-27). The First 2020 Presidential Debate Needs to Address Wealth and Income Inequality. truthout.org White House that muses openly about not counting votes. A Senate rushing to cement in place a fiercely conservative Supreme Court. We have plenty of reasons these days to despair for our democracy. The Commission on Presidential Debates has just added another. | This independent blue-ribbon panel has produced every presidential debate since 1988. The 2020 debate series will launch this coming Tuesday, and the Commission has now announced the six topics that will each get 15 minutes at the…
(2020-09-27). New Documents Further Unveil Democrat's 'Russiagate'. popularresistance.org A number of recent document releases shine new lights on 'Russiagate'. That conspiracy theory, peddled by the Obama administration, the Democratic Party aligned media and 'deep state' actors opposed to President Trump, alleged that Trump was in cahoots with Russia. The disinformation campaign had the purpose of sabotaging his presidency. | To some extent it has worked as intended. But due to the legal investigation of the whole affair much more is now known about those who conspired against Trump. Some of them are likely to end up in legal jeopardy.
(2020-09-27). NYC 'Under Assault Like Never Before': CIA Insider Claims China Has Over 100 Spies Operating in City. sputniknews.com In the wake of last Monday's arrest of a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer charged with spying for Beijing, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a New York Post interview on Wednesday accused the Chinese consulate in NYC of "crossing the line from normal diplomacy", describing the embassy as an espionage hot spot on US soil.
(2020-09-26). Julian Assange: Press Shows Little Interest in Media 'Trial of Century'. commondreams.org Protestors wear "#FREEASSANGE" face masks outside Belmarsh prison prior to Julian Assange's extradition hearing on February 24, 2020 in London. (Photo: Leon Neal/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trial-of-century-ignored-media.jpg …
(2020-09-26). Decision on Assange's extradition set for next year. wsws.org Accepting the defence's argument that any dramatic change in the facts surrounding the case before November 13 would have to be taken into account, Baraitser asked, "What impact on your case, say you, will the American elections have?"
(2020-09-26). Assange Hearing: Judge Grants Defense Four Weeks To Prepare Final Argument. popularresistance.org 5: 49 am EDT: Judge Vanessa Baraitser has granted the defense four weeks to prepare it closing argument, saying that her decision would come after the Nov. 4 U.S. election one way or the other. She had been previously reluctant to give more than a week to the defense. | Baraitser set the date of final arguments for Nov. 16. Fitzgerald had told the judge that: | "It seems unlikely for you to make a judgement before Nov. 3 and you would have to bear in mind that the future is uncertain. Much of what we say about Trump is because this proceeding was initiated by Trump,….and some elements of the case would be worse…
(2020-09-26). The Extradition Trial of Julian Assange. zcomm.org The whole principle of the right to be free journalists is at stake…
(2020-09-26). "We demand the immediate release of Julian Assange" zcomm.org PI Council Members support the freedom of Julian Assange against the unlawful and dangerous extradition trial against him currently taking place in London.
(2020-09-26). Leaked Docs Expose Massive Syria Propaganda Operation Waged by Western Govt Contractors and Media. strategic-culture.org 
Western government-funded intelligence cutouts trained Syrian opposition leaders, planted stories in media outlets from BBC to Al Jazeera, and ran a cadre of journalists. A trove of leaked documents exposes the propaganda network. | Ben NORTON | Leaked documents show how UK government contractors developed an advanced infrastructure of propaganda to stimulate support in the West for Syria's political and armed opposition. | Virtually every aspect of the Syrian opposition was cultivated and marketed by Western government-backed public relations firms, from their political narratives to their branding, from what th…
(2020-09-26). 'I'm deleting Twitter': Morning Joe shares 'deceptively edited' video clip of Amy Coney Barrett, runs with tail between his legs. rt.com 
'Morning Joe' host Joe Scarborough has vowed to "delete Twitter" from his phone after being accused of "lying" for sharing a debunked clip of potential Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett. | In a now-deleted tweet, Scarborough shared a clip of Barrett appearing to suggest that she opposed nominating Supreme Court judges in a presidential election year for fear they may "flip the balance of the court." Barrett made the comments in question after Barack Obama had nominated Merrick Garland to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. | "Amy Coney Barrett opposed Merrick Garland…
(2020-09-26). Trump nominates Judge Amy Coney Barrett so Supreme Court will hand him the election. therealnews.com 
Barrett, a hardline conservative, could be instrumental in deciding who wins the 2020 election, and could vote to end Roe v. Wade, the Affordable Care Act, protections for the LGBTQ community, unions, and legislation required to fight climate change.
(2020-09-26). Reports: Trump to name Judge Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court. therealnews.com Barrett, a hardline conservative, could be instrumental in deciding who wins the 2020 election, and could vote to end Roe v. Wade, the Affordable Care Act, protections for the LGBTQ community, unions, and legislation required to fight climate change.
(2020-09-26). Trump to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett so Supreme Court will hand him the election. therealnews.com Barrett, a hardline conservative, could be instrumental in deciding who wins the 2020 election, and could vote to end Roe v. Wade, the Affordable Care Act, protections for the LGBTQ community, unions, and legislation required to fight climate change.
(2020-09-26). 'She's a F***ing Nut': Bill Maher Rips Trump's Likely SCOTUS Pick Barrett. sputniknews.com Earlier, reports emerged suggesting that US President Donald Trump would be nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett, of the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, to fill the seat of late Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
(2020-09-26). Trump Announces Amy Barrett as His Supreme Court Nomination Pick. sputniknews.com A vacancy in the US Supreme Court opened following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last week at the age of 87. US President Donald Trump has been eager to fill the vacancy before the presidential election, a desire met with criticism by Democrats.
(2020-09-26). Ginsburg's Legal Victories for Women Led to Landmark Anti-Discrimination Rulings for the LGBTQ Community, Too. commondreams.org An RBG flag is flown in front of the U.S. Supreme Court for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg September 21, 2020 in Washington, D.C. Justice Ginsburg died Sept. 18 from complications of pancreatic cancer at the age of 87. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/rbg-women-lgbtq.jpg …
(2020-09-26). NEA: Americans Deserve a Voice in Selection of Next Supreme Court Justice. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-09-26). Muslim Advocates: Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court Nomination Threatens Democracy. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-09-26). National Abortion Federation (NAF) on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-09-26). Popular Democracy PAC Denounces Trump's Supreme Court Nomination. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-09-26). Diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks helped CIA torture victim get justice. peoplesdispatch.org Wikileaks strengthened the case of Khalid El-Masri in the European Human Rights Court which handed first ever punishment to CIA operatives involved in rendition in 2012.
(2020-09-26). Erdogan says Turkey's Teknofest will foster innovations. yenisafak.com Groundbreaking innovations, from artificial intelligence (AI) to blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT), will take root and grow at Teknofest, Turkey's biggest aerospace and technology event, the nation's president said on Saturday.Teknofest is a place for young people who want to show their abilities in technological fields such as rockets, robotic, and aerospace, Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed at the event, held in the southeastern metropolis of Gaziantep.Technology's most important capital is productive brains, and Turkey needs successful young people to reach its goals, he added.He also said that while in…
(2020-09-25). Assange's Thirteenth Day at the Old Bailey: Mental Health, Managed Risk and Publication Chronologies. dissidentvoice.org September 24. Central Criminal Court, London. The lion's share of today's Old Bailey proceedings in Julian Assange's extradition trial was spent on battles over mental health and dire risk. The prosecution continued its attempt to minimise the dangers facing Assange were he to be extradited to the United States for 17 charges under the US …
(2020-09-25). Assange on Trial: Mental Health, Managed Risk and Publication Chronologies. counterpunch.org The lion's share of today's Old Bailey proceedings in Julian Assange's extradition trial was spent on battles over mental health and dire risk. The prosecution continued its attempt to minimise the dangers facing Assange were he to be extradited to the United States for 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and one under the