2020-10-14: News Headlines

Megan Sherman (2020-10-14). The Show Trial of Julian Assange Is an Attack on the Right to Dissent. globalresearch.ca Wikileaks' ascendancy has led to a revolution in publishing and politics that has been felt across the world, and was synonymous with the hope of the Arab spring. But a crackdown is now in full swing. The sudden, shocking ascendancy …

Staff (2020-10-14). Dahlia Lithwick: Amy Coney Barrett May Claim Neutrality, But Her Record Is "Extremely Conservative" democracynow.org In the second day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, the federal judge's refusal to answer basic questions on voter intimidation and whether a president can delay elections did her "no favors" and was part of an aim to "present herself as neutral; she's an open book; whatever she was before, whatever she ruled on the bench before, is immaterial," says Dahlia Lithwick, senior legal correspondent and Supreme Court reporter for Slate.com. "There are some issues that don't need to be approached with an open mind. … She could have allayed a lot of fears."

Staff (2020-10-14). Headlines for October 14, 2020. democracynow.org White House Pursuing "Herd Immunity" Strategy Condemned by WHO as "Unethical", Trump Holds Packed Campaign Rallies in Defiance of Social Distancing Orders, "Potential Safety Concern" Halts Clinical Trial of Eli Lilly Antibody Treatment, Amy Coney Barrett Won't Commit to Recusing Herself If 2020 Election Is Decided by SCOTUS, FBI Says Far-Right Anti-Government Group Plotted to Kidnap Virginia Governor, More Witnesses Corroborate Claims of Extrajudicial Killing by U.S. Marshals, Trailing in Polls, Trump Appeals to White Suburban Women and Farmers, Supreme Court Will Allow Trump Admin to Halt Census Count a Month Ea…

Staff (2020-10-14). Can Trump Delay Election or Reject Peaceful Transition of Power? Amy Coney Barrett Refuses to Say. democracynow.org Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett faced 11 hours of questioning in the Senate Tuesday but refused to provide clarity about her views on the Affordable Care Act, Roe v. Wade, voting rights and even if President Trump could delay the election. Republicans are racing to confirm the 48-year-old federal judge before Election Day, which would give conservatives a commanding 6-3 majority on the high court. We air highlights from the marathon session.

Staff (2020-10-14). Making the Supreme Court Safe for Democracy: Samuel Moyn on Reforming an Undemocratic Institution. democracynow.org As Republicans race to confirm President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett prior to Election Day and cement a conservative majority on the top court for a generation or more, calls are growing for Joe Biden to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court if elected president. But Yale legal scholar Samuel Moyn argues that beyond "packing the court" and other measures commonly proposed to rebalance the Supreme Court's ideological makeup, the institution as a whole must be weakened in order to safeguard democracy. "This country was founded on minority rule and the rejection of democracy, and t…

Melvin Goodman (2020-10-14). Trump's Weaponization of the National Security State. counterpunch.org Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump's most vocal loyalist and a serial violator of the Hatch Act, carried out the president's order to release Hillary Clinton's emails sent through her home server between 2009 and 2012. Trump said that he was "not happy" with the way the secretary was "running the State Department" and that he should "get them out." Pompeo immediately announced he would do so on Trump's network, Fox News.

RT (2020-10-14). Merriam-Webster labels 'sexual preference' OFFENSIVE after uproar over LGBTQ terminology during SCOTUS confirmation hearing. rt.com Merriam-Webster has been accused of politicizing its dictionary after it flagged the term 'sexual preference' as offensive, mirroring a complaint leveled against Amy Coney Barrett during her SCOTUS confirmation hearing. | The curious edit was spotted hours after Barrett was lambasted for using the phrase "sexual preference" to refer to LGBTQ Americans' sexual orientations as she answered questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. | Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono berated the conservative Supreme Court nominee for using the term, claiming that it was "offensive and outdated." The senator alleged…

James O'Neill (2020-10-14). Controversy Over the Alleged Abortion Views of Amy Coney Barrett Misses Wider Issues. dissidentvoice.org The nomination to the United States Supreme Court of Amy Coney Barrett has raised again the issue of access to abortion, legalised in the United States in the decision in Roe v Wade 410 US 113 (1973) 47 years ago. If Ms Barrett is confirmed as a member of the Supreme Court it will make …

_____ (2020-10-14). Packing the Court: Why Joe Biden Can't Commit. strategic-culture.org The latest issue roiling the U.S. presidential race is the Supreme Court and what to do if it bucks the wishes of the ruling party. The reason is the Amy Coney Barrett nomination, which, assuming it goes through, could result in a 6-3 conservative majority lasting well into the 2030s. | Since this would spell doom for a Biden-Harris administration, Democrats have come up with what they think is a perfect solution. It's called packing the court, and it entails expanding "the Supremes" from nine to fifteen members in order to fill the ranks with liberals guaranteed to toe the party line. | It's neat, clean, and con…

_____ (2020-10-14). Two Massive New Leaks Show Dirty Underbelly Of Empire. popularresistance.org Most Americans don't know reality. | They know their personal reality, but unfortunately their reality is thoroughly detached from real pure, uncut reality. For example, do they know that police across the country work with corporations to criminalize journalism? Do they know that large PR companies created a false reality to justify U.S. intervention in Syria? Do they know the word "intervention" acts as a euphemism for "cold-blooded murder under false pretenses"? | Americans don't know these aspects of reality. You and I wouldn't know either if it weren't for leaks and whistleblowers.

Staff (2020-10-13). Packing the Courts: How Republicans Spent Decades Installing Judges to Cement Minority Rule. democracynow.org Amid Senate confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, we look at how conservatives have used dark money to push to seat her on the Supreme Court before the November 3 election, following a decades-long project by conservatives to install right-wing judges across the federal judiciary. "There's no doubt that what we're facing is, increasingly, rule by a minority," says former Senate Judiciary Committee staffer Lisa Graves, executive director of True North Research. "When people say that the court needs to be packed, it really needs to be unpacked."

MEE staff (2020-10-13). Leading Democrat urges Biden to appoint Muslim federal judges if elected. middleeasteye.net Leading Democrat urges Biden to appoint Muslim federal judges if elected | Representative Grace Meng's call comes amid Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, whose form of Catholicism has been a point of contention among Democrats | Tue, 10/13/2020 – 15: 55 | Representative Grace Meng is using her influence among Democrats to push for the appointment of Muslim judges to the federal bench (AFP) | The vi…

ACLU (2020-10-13). The Race for Arizona State House District 20. aclu.org The outcome of the race for the House in Arizona District 20 could determine important policies during the next legislative session., , If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, abortion could become illegal in Arizona., , Judy Schwiebert pledged to support legislation that keeps abortion safe and legal. Shawnna Bolick and Anthony Kern pledged to vote to prohibit abortion care except in rare cases. | IssueShawnna BolickJudy SchwiebertAnthony Kern | Has pledged to support legislation that keeps abortion safe and legal. | No | Yes | No |

Source: Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona C…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-13). Senate Dems raise threat to health care as Barrett hearings open. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—-The latest Republican dog-and-pony show, officially called Senate committee hearings on Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, opened Oct. 12 with the panel's Democrats stating should she join the other justices, health care for at least 130 million people would be changed for the worse or killed. That threat to the 10-year-old …

ACLU (2020-10-13). The Race for Arizona State House District 23. aclu.org The outcome of the race for the House in Arizona District 23 could determine important policies during the next legislative session., , If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, abortion could become illegal in Arizona. , , Eric Kurland pledged to support legislation that keeps abortion safe and legal. John Kavanagh and Joseph Chaplick pledged to vote to prohibit abortion care except in rare cases. | IssueEric, KurlandJoseph, ChaplickJohn, Kavanagh | Has pledged to support legislation that keeps abortion safe and legal. | Yes | No | No | Source: Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona Candida…

MEE staff (2020-10-13). Palestinian leaders call for Israel to release prisoner on 80th day of hunger strike. middleeasteye.net Palestinian leaders call for Israel to release prisoner on 80th day of hunger strike | The Israeli Supreme Court rejected Maher al-Akhras' petition for release on Tuesday, as right groups warn he is 'on the verge of death' | Tue, 10/13/2020 – 12: 54 | Maher al-Akhras with one of his children before his arrest in July by Israeli forces (Screengrab)
| Several Palestinian political figures have raised the ala…

Anand Naidoo (2020-10-13). The Heat: Supreme Court battle and US presidential race. america.cgtn.com The US Supreme Court battle begins in Washington. Judge Amy Coney Barrett appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee to formally introduce herself to the American people.

Nick Licata (2020-10-13). Democrats Have Been a Minority on the Supreme Court Since 1970. counterpunch.org National polls have shown that most citizens do not wish her, or anyone, to be appointed until after the presidential election. A few Democrats have argued that if Barrett is appointed, seats should be added to the Supreme Court to balance its philosophical views. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both asked their Democratic opponents

_____ (2020-10-13). Scheer Intelligence: Wrestling Back Privacy From The Jaws Of Big Tech. popularresistance.org Over the course of just a few decades, technology has come to play a role in nearly every single aspect of our lives. While there have been undeniable benefits to technological advances, one of the main concerns that has grown alongside its presence in daily life is how tech companies collect, use and profit from our data in ways we're often unaware of. James Steyer, a professor at Stanford University and the founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, a leading consumer advocacy group that promotes safe media and technology for families, joins Robert Scheer on this week's installment of "Scheer Intelligence" to discu…

WSWS (2020-10-13). Democrats silent on Trump's election coup plans as confirmation hearings begin on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. wsws.org Besides her potential role in an election coup d'etat, Barrett will shift the Supreme Court further to the right, gutting abortion rights, reversing protections for gays, attacking the separation of church and state, lifting restrictions on guns and blocking federal regulation of business.

Nusrat Choudhury (2020-10-13). The Supreme Court to Decide Whether Chicago Can Keep Cars Locked Up When Debtors File for Bankruptcy. aclu.org

Staff (2020-10-13). Protests at Amy Coney Barrett Hearing Rail Against GOP Power Grab. truthout.org Image Credit: Twitter: @CPDAction | Hundreds protested outside the Senate Monday against the confirmation hearing for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. At least 21 were arrested after staging a sit-in to oppose the Senate pushing through Barrett's nomination in the middle of the presidential election. Senate Democrats warn the federal judge's record suggests she would overturn the Affordable Care Act and threaten reproductive rights if she takes the seat left vacant by the l…

Staff (2020-10-13). Amy Coney Barrett Refuses to Answer If Trump Can Delay the Election or Not. truthout.org During confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee to sit on the Supreme Court, refused to answer a question regarding the president's ability to unilaterally delay federal elections set to commence next month. | When asked by the committee's ranking chair, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), whether "the Constitution gives the president of the United States the authority to unilaterally delay an election un…

Common Dreams staff (2020-10-13). Civil Rights Advocates Warn Supreme Court Order—a Victory for Trump—Will Result in 'Irreversible Damage to 2020 Census'. commondreams.org Justice Sonya Sotomayor issued a dissent warning the "harms caused by rushing this year's census count are irreparable" and that "respondents will suffer their lasting impact for at least the next 10 years." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/census_0_1.jpg

WSWS (2020-10-13). Democratic Party House antitrust report calls for breakup of big tech monopolies. wsws.org The Democrats have mounted their antitrust initiative as a means of persuading the tech firms to work more closely with their faction of the political and intelligence establishment.

Fidel Narváez (2020-10-12). El 'juicio del siglo' contra Julian Assange: 10 razones para salvar el futuro del periodismo. thegrayzone.com El ex diplomático ecuatoriano que le dio asilo político a Julian Assange informa sobre la audiencia de extradición del periodista de WikiLeaks, y explica por qué es "el caso más importante contra la libertad de expresión de toda una generación". Por Fidel Narváez Read this article in English here. Nota del editor: Fidel Narváez fue el consul de Ecuador en el Reino Unido entre 2010 y 2018. Ayudó a darle el asilo político a Julian Assange, y se comunicaba regularmente …

Stephen Sefton (2020-10-12). On How Julian Assange Is Made Invisible. telesurenglish.net Over thirty years ago, the moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre noted that an inability to engage competing rationalities critically disables the proponents of the moral and intellectual tradition failing to do so. That kind of fundamental, banal critical failure has always characterized the societies of the Western imperialist powers, in every sphere of intellectual and moral life. | RELATED: | It may have been les…

Fidel Narváez (2020-10-12). Julian Assange faces the 'trial of the century': 10 reasons why it threatens freedom of speech. thegrayzone.com The Ecuadorian diplomat who gave Julian Assange political asylum reports from the extradition hearing against the WikiLeaks journalist, and explains why it is "the most important case against the freedom of expression in an entire generation." By Fidel Narváez Translated by Ben Norton Puedes leer este artículo en español aquí. Editor's note: Fidel Narváez served as Ecuador's consul in the UK from 2010 until July 2018. He helped get Julian Assange political asylum, and regularly communicated with the WikiLeaks publisher …

Ron Ridenour (2020-10-12). The Tortured Trial of Julian Assange. counterpunch.org Most people might be excused for not knowing it, because the story is mainly ignored, or is shamelessly misreported in the corporate media when it does get any attention. A courageous Australian journalist, abandoned by his own country, is being railroaded by a British court towards extradition to the US where he could face life

Staff (2020-10-12). Indigenous Children Could Be in Danger With an Amy Coney Barrett Nomination. truthout.org President Donald Trump's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, is raising red flags for supporters of a federal law designed to preserve Native American families and culture. | The Indian Child Welfare Act is not currently before the nation's top court, but there is a very real possibility it could end up there. | The constitutionality of the 1978 law — which aims to keep Native American children from being adopted or placed in foster care outside their families, t…

Sameena Rahman (2020-10-12). Barrett confirmation hearings begin: Far right looks to lock in stranglehold over Supreme Court. liberationnews.org Today marks the beginning of the confirmation hearings of President Trump's nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett before the Senate Judiciary Committee headed by Republican Lindsey Graham. This nomination for the Supreme Court position, recently vacated by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, comes less than a month away from the presidential election and a potentially …

Staff (2020-10-12). Trump's narcissism has become a monster Republicans can't control. therealnews.com Jim Zogby talks about the impact of Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis on the Supreme Court, the stimulus package, and potential violence leading up to the election.

RT (2020-10-12). White House Chief of Staff Meadows bashed for refusing to speak to press with a mask on in hectic exchange. rt.com Amid multiple confirmed cases of Covid-19 inside the White House, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was blasted online for taking off his face mask and then refusing to speak to reporters in an overall frantic encounter. | Mark Meadows was approached by Capitol reporters on Monday, just outside Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing. | In a somewhat hectic exchange with the press Meadows decided to "pull away" the stationary microphone to supposedly get "more than ten feet away" from the reporters and be able to more safely speak to them without a face mask. | A disapproving "Oh" could be heard…

Matthew M. Heidtmann (2020-10-12). Howard Zinn Was Right: We Need To Stop Obsessing Over The Supreme Court. dissidentvoice.org The death of Supreme Court Justice and liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg left a gaping hole on America's highest court. The question over her replacement has quickly become a hotly contested issue which will define the coming weeks and perhaps even months. Mere days after Ginsburg's death, Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a federal judge …

teleSUR (2020-10-12). US Senate Hearing for Trump's Supreme Court Nominee Kicks Off. telesurenglish.net The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday began a confirmation hearing for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, as Republicans push for a final floor vote amidst a raging partisan battle over the open seat at the high court. | RELATED: | The Republican leader nominated the conservative federal appellate judge last month to replace late Justice Ruth Bader Gi…

Women's March (2020-10-12). Saturday 10/17: Alameda: Women's March for Saving the Supreme Court Seat Now! indybay.org Alameda City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Ave, Alameda, CA 94501 | NOTE: Masks and Social Distancing…

sputniknews (2020-10-12). Over 20 Arrested During Demonstrations Held Amid Barrett's Confirmation Hearings – Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – More than 20 demonstrators were arrested in Washington DC during the Senate judiciary committee's confirmation hearings of US President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, Fox News reports.

sputniknews (2020-10-12). Netizens Clash Online as Senate Confirmation Hearings for Barrett Go On. sputniknews.com As netizens proceeded to express their opinions on Barrett's nomination, issues like the fate of the Affordable Care Act and even the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court ended up being brought into the equation.

Staff (2020-10-12). Protesters Block the Entrance to Senate Building During First Barrett Hearing. truthout.org Dozens of demonstrators blocked the entrance to the Hart Senate Office Building Monday morning to protest the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee's decision to hold the first confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's right-wing Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett with less than a month to go before the pivotal November election. | Chanting "Whose court? Our court!" and "Let the people decide," the protesters gathered minutes before Barrett's first confirmation hearin…

Rania Khalek (2020-10-11). Aaron Maté On Western Countries Attacking OPCW Syria Testimony At The UN. thealtworld.com OPCW whistleblower Ian Henderson and former OPCW director José Bustani, who testified before the UN Security Council, were attacked by the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany during two UN Security Council meetings in which they provided testimony. | Bustani was blocked from reading his prepared statement on the OPCW's cover-up of what they uncovered when investigators examined the scene of an alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria, in April 2018. | Henderson was accused of being part of a "disinformation exercise," even though he was personally involved as an investigator, and physicist Ted Posto…

Staff (2020-10-11). Assange Faces Extradition for Exposing US War Crimes. truthout.org Three weeks of testimony in Julian Assange's extradition hearing in London underscored WikiLeaks's extraordinary revelation of U.S. war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay. But the Trump administration is seeking to extradite Assange to the United States to stand trial for charges under the Espionage Act that could cause him to spend 175 years in prison. | Assange founded WikiLeaks during the Bush administration's "war on terror," which was used as a pretext to start two illegal wars and carry out a wides…

RT (2020-10-11). 'Our region is not Switzerland,' Israeli minister says amid concerns Qatar may buy F-35 jets from US. rt.com Israel will oppose any deal to sell US-made F-35 fighter jets to Qatar, the country's intelligence minister said. Doha has reportedly already submitted a formal request to Washington to greenlight such a deal. | Speaking to Israeli Army Radio on Sunday, Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said Tel Aviv would firmly oppose the sale of the 5th-generation stealth jets to the Gulf state. | "Our security and military superiority in the region are the most significant things for us," Cohen stressed. | Our region has still not turned into Switzerland. | Qatar's formal request for the jets was reported on Wednesday by Reu…

Abdel Bari Atwan (2020-10-11). The Saudi campaign against the Palestinians. thealtworld.com A concerted effort is underway to prepare public opinion for normalization with Israel | In June 2006, about a week after Israel's assault on Lebanon began, a Saudi delegation visited Washington and met with President George Bush Jr., who made an exception to receive them at the White House on a Sunday. The delegation was led by the then foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, and included the national security advisor and former ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar bin-Sultan, and the serving ambassador and ex-intelligence chief, Prince Turki al-Faisal. | The day after that meeting, the three princes sent a…

Staff (2020-10-11). Several GOP State Legislators Up for Reelection Have Nice Words for the KKK. truthout.org QAnon — the far-right conspiracy theory that falsely claims President Trump is battling "deep state" Satan-worshiping pedophiles who are running a global child sex-trafficking ring and plotting against him — made headlines recently when adherent Marjorie Taylor Greene