Daily Archives: January 2, 2020

2020-01-02: News Headlines

Massoud Nayeri (2020-01-03). Assange and Manning: The Slow Execution of the Voices of Freedom. globalresearch.ca Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning have exposed corrupt officials and criminal politicians | Assange and Manning are prisoners of conscience | How to free Assange and Manning? | Be the Voice of Assange and Manning in your community by any needs necessary. | ***…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-01-02). Hypersonic Putin and Gonzo Weaponry. counterpunch.org Weapons of dazzling murderousness have always thrilled military industrial establishments. They make money; they add to the accounts; and they tickle the pride of States who manufacture them. From time to time, showy displays of restraint through arms limitation agreements are made. These can apply to either the offensive element of such weapons, or their More

Stephen Lendman (2020-01-02). Trump Regime Torture and Abuse of Chelsea Manning. globalresearch.ca In March 2019, Manning was imprisoned for invoking her constitutional right of silence. | She courageously refused to be part of the Trump regime's effort to frame and imprison Julian Assange longterm for the "crime" of truth-telling investigative journalism the way …

teleSUR (2020-01-02). Gaza Officials Claim PA Helped Israel Kill Islamic Jihad Chief. telesurenglish.net Gaza officials made public Thursday a recording of a phone call allegedly between a Palestinian Authority (PA) intelligence officer and Israel, accusing the PA of having assisted Israel in the killing of senior Islamic Jihad leader Bahaa Abu al-Ata in November. | RELATED: | On the Road to Gaza: The Freedom Flotilla Will Sail Again | In the recording,…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-01-02). Federal appeals courts give workers some wins. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court hasn't taken, much less tackled, workers' rights cases in the last six months, but the federal appeals courts have—and they've given workers some wins. That's not to say the appellate victories would immediately set precedents and lay down the law, so to speak, for workers nationwide. That's what the U.S. Supreme …

Staff (2020-01-02). 2 Democrats Join Republicans to Ask Top Court to Overturn Roe v. Wade. truthdig.com This article was originally published on Common Dreams. | Reproductive rights advocates on Thursday seized on an amicus brief signed by more than 200 members of Congress, including two conservative Democrats, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to consider overturning Roe vs. Wade. | The brief was signed by 168 members of the House and 39 senators. The two House Demo…

Gaither Stewart (2020-01-02). Our Nazis: the Gehlen Org. counterpunch.org In February 2019 Germany opened a brand new intelligence complex in the city of Berlin. The new headquarters of the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst or Federal Intelligence Service) occupies a huge space—by the way, much as STASI or State Security Service once did in East Berlin the former German Democratic Republic—and supposedly employs a total of over More

RT (2020-01-01). Post-Iraq war US intel report predicting 2020 looks 'eerily prescient' only compared to agencies' political blunders. rt.com A 15-year-old intel report predicting the world of 2020 has been hailed for its accuracy, but much of the future it describes was already underway in 2004. Could today's hyper-politicized intelligence community see even that much? | Rolling out a list of "eerily prescient" predictions in order to brag about their accuracy — no flying cars here! — the National Intelligence Council (NIC) report is just what one might expect from an intel community desperate to…

RT (2020-01-01). Not the bees! Pentagon wants to use swarms of AI-powered drones for 'rescue' missions. rt.com The Pentagon is combing the AI developer community to try to build a self-starting swarm of AI-enabled drones capable of recognizing and tracking a target — ostensibly for search and rescue, but potentially for search and destroy. | The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) issued a request (RFI) late in December seeking the latest and greatest in AI and drone swarm tech — and looking for clever ideas on how to combine th…

teleSUR (2020-01-01). Google System Could Improve Breast Cancer Detection. telesurenglish.net A series of research made by Alphabet Inc's DeepMind AI unit together with Google Health has shown the potential of artificial intelligence in the early detection of women breast cancer, according to an article published Wednesday in the journal Nature. | RELATED: | Brazil Fines Facebook US$1.6m in Cambridge Analytica Case | The study is the latest to prove the accuracy of screening for the pathology that affects one in eight females globally. Radiologists miss about 20 percent of th…

Staff (2020-01-01). UN Expert Describes Detention of Chelsea Manning as "Amounting to Torture" truthout.org United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer shared on social media Tuesday a letter he sent to the United States government last month expressing concerns that the continued detention of whistleblower Chelsea Manning amounts to torture. | The Geneva-based expert tweeted in the early hours of Tuesday: | #USGovt of 1 Nov 2019 explaining why continued detention of IMEMC & Agencies (2020-01-01). Netanyahu's Eligibility to Form Government Considered by Supreme Court. imemc.org On Tuesday morning, the Israeli Supreme Court opened a special session to consider the petition against the eligibility of Benjamin Netanyahu, the interim Israeli Prime Minister, in forming a government, in light of criminal charges against him, the Palestine News Network reported. The Hebrew newspaper "Yediot Aharonot" said that "a …

Juan Cole (2020-01-01). Pompeo Slashed Security Funding, Took no Preventive Steps in wake of US Airstrikes. zcomm.org An Iranian spokesperson made fun of Trump, saying it was rich for the US to blame Iran for an Iraqi reaction to being attacked by the US.

RT (2019-12-31). 'US is torturing Chelsea Manning': Top UN official says her treatment is 'cruel and degrading'. rt.com Chelsea Manning is being subjected to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, constituting torture by the US government over her refusal to testify against whistleblower website WikiLeaks, a top United Nations official has said. | UN special rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer accused the government of torturing Manning in a November letter, which was just released on Tuesday. In the letter, Melzer wrote that Manning is suffering "an open-ended, progressively severe measure of coercion…

WSWS (2019-12-31). Australian teachers' defence of Julian Assange welcomed by WikiLeaks supporters. wsws.org US comedian Jimmy Dore discussed the initiative on the December 19 edition of his "Jimmy Dore Show Podcast."

RT (2019-12-31). Assange Said, "I'm slowly dying here" dissidentvoice.org WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange claims he's 'slowly dying' in a UK jail and is often tranquilized and kept in solitary confinement 23 hours a day. He made the disturbing revelations in a phone call to his friend Vaughan Smith on Christmas Eve. | Read more: on.rt.com/a85u

Shane Dixon Kavanaugh (2019-12-31). US Interfered in Elections of at Least 85 Countries Worldwide Since 1945. globalresearch.ca This article was first published by Sott.net and Global Research in December 2016. | The simmering tit-for-tat has kept the issue of election meddling burning bright in the national spotlight, fueled even further by the belief among U.S. intelligence agencies that …

RT (2019-12-30). 'Strikes successful, other options discussed': Esper & Pompeo brief Trump on 'anti-Iran' raids in Iraq & Syria. rt.com Top national security advisers told President Donald Trump that the air raids against Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria were a total success — and briefed him on 'other' ways to punish Iran for the alleged attacks on US interests. | "We will not stand for the Islamic Republic of Iran to take actions that put American men and women in jeopardy," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared, standing beside Defense Secretary Mark Esper at a press event at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. | Also on rt.com | | US strikes Kataib Hezbollah HQ in Iraq, Syria | The…

Samuel D. Finkelstein (2019-12-30). The spooks' choice: Coup plotters and CIA agents fill Pete Buttigieg's list of national security endorsers. thegrayzone.com Why are so many intelligence veterans throwing their weight behind a young Indiana mayor with such a thin foreign policy…

Alan Macleod (2019-12-27). Wikileaks Still Holding Powerful to Account as Founder Julian Assange "Slowly Dies" in Prison. mintpressnews.com Julian Assange is dying inside Belmarsh Prison in London. Those are his own words, relayed through English journalist Vaughan Smith, who revealed that the Wikileaks founder called him on Christmas Eve to share his greetings. Smith also divulged that Assange told him he is kept in solitary confinement 23 hours per day and is often sedated. | His treatment has elicited protests around the world, from journalists, news organizations, human rights groups and celebrities. Last week a group of Australian doctors asked Foreign Minister Marise Pay…

Lillian House (2019-12-26). Supreme Court allows Kentucky anti-abortion law to stand. liberationnews.org The Kentucky law was among a set of anti-abortion laws that have reached the Supreme Court this term.

Alan MacLeod (2019-12-21). Corporate Media Find All the Wrong Lessons for US Left in Corbyn's Defeat. fair.org Conservative leader Boris Johnson swept to power in the UK's December 12 elections, winning 365 of a possible 650 seats. Labour's socialist leader Jeremy Corbyn announced his resignation, after a bitterly disappointing night for his party. | Across the spectrum, corporate media all came to the same conclusion regarding the election: Corbyn's loss spells the end for the US left and a "crushing defeat" (New York, 12/13/19) of the discredited policie…

Leila Rafei (2019-12-20). Four Lawyers. Four Projects. One Non-Stop Year. aclu.org It isn't news that the Trump administration has kept ACLU attorneys working at breakneck speed for the past three years. In 2019 alone, we saw historic moments and victories—from defeating the citizenship question on the 2020 census and bringing the first trans civil rights case to the Supreme Court, to blocking a wave of abortion bans and many of the administration's attempts to dismantle the asylum system. To name a few. | Here are some of our attorneys' takes on 2019 and the year ahead—what's changed for the better and for the worse, and how the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will a…

The Canary (2019-12-19). Julian Assange lawyers will challenge the 'political' framing of charges against him. thecanary.co WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team will argue he should not be extradited to the US because his alleged offences are being framed as "political" in nature, a court heard. | His lawyers believe that a 2007 extradition treaty agreed between the UK and US offers the 48-year-old protection. | Assange appeared via video-link at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 November for a case management hearing to set the timetable leading up to a full extradition hearing in February. | He's being…

The Canary (2019-12-19). Queen's Speech unveils Boris Johnson's hardline plans to curtail Britain's democracy. thecanary.co Boris Johnson has unveiled a Queen's Speech with measures to toughen up criminal justice, limit parliamentary democracy and potentially weaken the scrutiny of government. | The government will look at whether the Official Secrets Act needs overhauling, which determines what protections and punishments whistleblowers are given. Whistleblowers are a critical check on power. It will also consider whether there is a case for updating the treason laws. | Work will be taken forward to repeal the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act — a move which would enable the prime minister to call an election without the consent of pa…

ACLU (2019-12-19). 10 LGBTQ Moments that Defined 2019. aclu.org 1. Aimee Stephens goes to the Supreme Court: | In October, the Supreme Court heard its first trans civil rights case ever. The case was brought by our client Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job at a funeral home solely for being transgender. That's sex discrimination and it violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. | We have yet to see whether the Supreme Court will uphold the civil rights of trans people. But no matter what, history has already been made. | "I'll never forget the feeling of coming out of the Supreme Court and seeing a crowd of trans people and allies chanting to Aim…

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-15). US Threatens To Attack Iran Over Rockets Fired In Iraq & Assange Blocked From Seeing Key Evidence. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/14/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-07). US Claims "Fresh Intelligence" Of Iran Attacks Yet Provides Zero Evidence — MSM Blindly Regurgitates. thelastamericanvagabond.com Here we go again with "fresh intelligence" to justify the continued sanctions and destabilization of Iran. It's a plan that has been well documented even by their own writings (See Which Path to Persia? — 2009). Of course, complicating U.S. foreign policy is the involvement of Israel. The Last American Vagabond covers the latest political posturing, distortion, and general …

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-05). CNN Says US Has "Fresh Intelligence" Of Iran Prepping Attack But Can't Show It & More NYT Propaganda. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/4/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Lucas Koerner (2019-12-04). TIAR Countries Blacklist Top Venezuelan Officials as US Slaps New Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Venezuela of "hijacking" mass anti-neoliberal protests in "our own backyard."

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-03). Pompeo Says US Will "Help Prevent" Protests For "Legitimate" Governments & US Bombs Afghan Family. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/2/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Marjorie Cohn (2019-12-02). Civil Rights Are on the Chopping Block in New Supreme Court Term. zcomm.org Hello, A very small proportion of ZNet content is available only to Sustainers. You can become a sustainer for a small repeating donation – monthly or yearly via the links for Sustaining, or Donating, available on the top page of ZNet.

Christine Harrison (2019-11-16). Weekend Read: The importance of documenting racism in the White House. splcenter.org Earlier this week, the SPLC's Intelligence Project released the first two installments of an explosive four-part series examining more than 900 leaked emails between White House senior adviser Stephen Miller and an editor at the Breitbart News Network, a far-right website that its co-founder once dubbed the "platform for the alt-right."

John Pilger (2019-10-24). Julian Assange's Extradition Case is a Show Trial. zcomm.org Interview on the lack of mainstream media coverage of Julian's persecution, his health and conditions in Belmarsh prison, CIA spying on Julian Assange and more…

2020-01-02: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Assange and Manning: The Slow Execution of the Voices of Freedom
Massoud Nayeri | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-03
Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning have exposed corrupt officials and criminal politicians | Assange and Manning are prisoners of conscience | How to free Assange and Manning? | Be the Voice of Assange and Manning in your community by any needs necessary. | ***…
globalresearch.ca/the-slow-execution-of-the-voices-of-freedom/5699292

Trump Regime Torture and Abuse of Chelsea Manning
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
In March 2019, Manning was imprisoned for invoking her constitutional right of silence. | She courageously refused to be part of the Trump regime's effort to frame and imprison Julian Assange longterm for the "crime" of truth-telling investigative journalism the way …
globalresearch.ca/trump-regime-torture-abuse-chelsea-manning/5699375

Hypersonic Putin and Gonzo Weaponry
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-02
Weapons of dazzling murderousness have always thrilled military industrial establishments. They make money; they add to the accounts; and they tickle the pride of States who manufacture them. From time to time, showy displays of restraint through arms limitation agreements are made. These can apply to either the offensive element of such weapons, or their…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/02/hypersonic-putin-and-gonzo-weaponry/

Our Nazis: the Gehlen Org
Gaither Stewart | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-02
In February 2019 Germany opened a brand new intelligence complex in the city of Berlin. The new headquarters of the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst or Federal Intelligence Service) occupies a huge space–by the way, much as STASI or State Security Service once did in East Berlin the former German Democratic Republic–and supposedly employs a total of over…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/02/our-nazis-the-gehlen-org/

Our Nazis: the Gehlen Org
Gaither Stewart | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-02
In February 2019 Germany opened a brand new intelligence complex in the city of Berlin. The new headquarters of the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst or Federal Intelligence Service) occupies a huge space–by the way, much as STASI or State Security Service once did in East Berlin the former German Democratic Republic–and supposedly employs a total of over…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/02/our-nazis-the-gehlen-org/

Gaza Officials Claim PA Helped Israel Kill Islamic Jihad Chief
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
Gaza officials made public Thursday a recording of a phone call allegedly between a Palestinian Authority (PA) intelligence officer and Israel, accusing the PA of having assisted Israel in the killing of senior Islamic Jihad leader Bahaa Abu al-Ata in November. | RELATED: | On the Road to Gaza: The Freedom Flotilla Will Sail Again | In the recording,…
telesurenglish.net/news/Gaza-Releases-Record-Says-PA-Helped-Israel-Kill-Islamic-Jihad-Chief-20200102-0011.html

2 Democrats Join Republicans to Ask Top Court to Overturn Roe v. Wade
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-02
This article was originally published on Common Dreams. | Reproductive rights advocates on Thursday seized on an amicus brief signed by more than 200 members of Congress, including two conservative Democrats, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to consider overturning Roe vs. Wade. | The brief was signed by 168 members of the House and 39 senators. The two House Demo…
truthdig.com/articles/two-democrats-join-republicans-to-ask-top-court-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/

Federal appeals courts give workers some wins
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-01-02
WASHINGTON–The U.S. Supreme Court hasn't taken, much less tackled, workers' rights cases in the last six months, but the federal appeals courts have–and they've given workers some wins. That's not to say the appellate victories would immediately set precedents and lay down the law, so to speak, for workers nationwide. That's what the U.S. Supreme …
peoplesworld.org/article/federal-appeals-courts-give-workers-some-wins/

Not the bees! Pentagon wants to use swarms of AI-powered drones for 'rescue' missions
rt.com | 2020-01-01
The Pentagon is combing the AI developer community to try to build a self-starting swarm of AI-enabled drones capable of recognizing and tracking a target — ostensibly for search and rescue, but potentially for search and destroy. | The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) issued a request (RFI) late in December seeking the latest and greatest in AI and drone swarm tech — and looking for clever ideas on how to combine th…
rt.com/usa/477239-pentagon-ai-drone-swarms-bees/

Google System Could Improve Breast Cancer Detection
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-01
A series of research made by Alphabet Inc's DeepMind AI unit together with Google Health has shown the potential of artificial intelligence in the early detection of women breast cancer, according to an article published Wednesday in the journal Nature. | RELATED: | Brazil Fines Facebook US$1.6m in Cambridge Analytica Case | The study is the latest to prove the accuracy of screening for the pathology that affects one in eight females globally. Radiologists miss about 20 percent of th…
telesurenglish.net/news/google-system-could-improve-breast-cancer-detection-20200101-0010.html

Post-Iraq war US intel report predicting 2020 looks 'eerily prescient' only compared to agencies' political blunders
rt.com | 2020-01-01
A 15-year-old intel report predicting the world of 2020 has been hailed for its accuracy, but much of the future it describes was already underway in 2004. Could today's hyper-politicized intelligence community see even that much? | Rolling out a list of "eerily prescient" predictions in order to brag about their accuracy — no flying cars here! — the National Intelligence Council (NIC) report is just what one might expect from an intel community desperate to…
rt.com/usa/477284-intelligence-community-predictions-accuracy-fail/

Netanyahu's Eligibility to Form Government Considered by Supreme Court
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-01-01
On Tuesday morning, the Israeli Supreme Court opened a special session to consider the petition against the eligibility of Benjamin Netanyahu, the interim Israeli Prime Minister, in forming a government, in light of criminal charges against him, the Palestine News Network reported. The Hebrew newspaper "Yediot Aharonot" said that "a …
imemc.org/article/netanyahus-eligibility-to-form-government-considered-by-supreme-court/

Pompeo Slashed Security Funding, Took no Preventive Steps in wake of US Airstrikes
Juan Cole | zcomm.org | 2020-01-01
An Iranian spokesperson made fun of Trump, saying it was rich for the US to blame Iran for an Iraqi reaction to being attacked by the US.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/pompeo-slashed-security-funding-took-no-preventive-steps-in-wake-of-us-airstrikes/

Assange Said, "I'm slowly dying here"
RT | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-31
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange claims he's 'slowly dying' in a UK jail and is often tranquilized and kept in solitary confinement 23 hours a day. He made the disturbing revelations in a phone call to his friend Vaughan Smith on Christmas Eve. | Read more: on.rt.com/a85u
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/assange-said-im-slowly-dying-here/

Australian teachers' defence of Julian Assange welcomed by WikiLeaks supporters
wsws.org | 2019-12-31
US comedian Jimmy Dore discussed the initiative on the December 19 edition of his "Jimmy Dore Show Podcast."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/31/dore-d31.html

'US is torturing Chelsea Manning': Top UN official says her treatment is 'cruel and degrading'
rt.com | 2019-12-31
Chelsea Manning is being subjected to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, constituting torture by the US government over her refusal to testify against whistleblower website WikiLeaks, a top United Nations official has said. | UN special rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer accused the government of torturing Manning in a November letter, which was just released on Tuesday. In the letter, Melzer wrote that Manning is suffering "an open-ended, progressively severe measure of coercion…
rt.com/usa/477228-chelsea-manning-torture-melzer/

US Interfered in Elections of at Least 85 Countries Worldwide Since 1945
Shane Dixon Kavanaugh | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
This article was first published by Sott.net and Global Research in December 2016. | The simmering tit-for-tat has kept the issue of election meddling burning bright in the national spotlight, fueled even further by the belief among U.S. intelligence agencies that …
globalresearch.ca/us-interfered-in-elections-of-at-least-85-countries-worldwide-since-1945/5601481

The spooks' choice: Coup plotters and CIA agents fill Pete Buttigieg's list of national security endorsers
Samuel D. Finkelstein | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-30
Why are so many intelligence veterans throwing their weight behind a young Indiana mayor with such a thin foreign policy…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/30/coup-plotters-cia-agents-mayor-pete-endorsers/

'Strikes successful, other options discussed': Esper & Pompeo brief Trump on 'anti-Iran' raids in Iraq & Syria
rt.com | 2019-12-30
Top national security advisers told President Donald Trump that the air raids against Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria were a total success — and briefed him on 'other' ways to punish Iran for the alleged attacks on US interests. | "We will not stand for the Islamic Republic of Iran to take actions that put American men and women in jeopardy," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared, standing beside Defense Secretary Mark Esper at a press event at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. | Also on rt.com | | US strikes Kataib Hezbollah HQ in Iraq, Syria | The…
rt.com/usa/477075-esper-iraq-syria-strikes-trump/

Wikileaks Still Holding Powerful to Account as Founder Julian Assange "Slowly Dies" in Prison
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-27
Julian Assange is dying inside Belmarsh Prison in London. Those are his own words, relayed through English journalist Vaughan Smith, who revealed that the Wikileaks founder called him on Christmas Eve to share his greetings. Smith also divulged that Assange told him he is kept in solitary confinement 23 hours per day and is often sedated. | His treatment has elicited protests around the world, from journalists, news organizations, human rights groups and celebrities. Last week a group of Australian doctors asked Foreign Minister Marise Pay…
mintpressnews.com/wikileaks-publishing-state-secrets-julian-assange-slowly-dies-prison/263775/

Supreme Court allows Kentucky anti-abortion law to stand
Lillian House | liberationnews.org | 2019-12-26
The Kentucky law was among a set of anti-abortion laws that have reached the Supreme Court this term.
liberationnews.org/supreme-court-allows-kentucky-anti-abortion-law-to-stand/

Four Lawyers. Four Projects. One Non-Stop Year
Leila Rafei | aclu.org | 2019-12-20
It isn't news that the Trump administration has kept ACLU attorneys working at breakneck speed for the past three years. In 2019 alone, we saw historic moments and victories–from defeating the citizenship question on the 2020 census and bringing the first trans civil rights case to the Supreme Court, to blocking a wave of abortion bans and many of the administration's attempts to dismantle the asylum system. To name a few. | Here are some of our attorneys' takes on 2019 and the year ahead–what's changed for the better and for the worse, and how the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will a…
aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/four-lawyers-four-projects-one-non-stop-year

Julian Assange lawyers will challenge the 'political' framing of charges against him
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-19
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team will argue he should not be extradited to the US because his alleged offences are being framed as "political" in nature, a court heard. | His lawyers believe that a 2007 extradition treaty agreed between the UK and US offers the 48-year-old protection. | Assange appeared via video-link at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 November for a case management hearing to set the timetable leading up to a full extradition hearing in February. | He's being…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/19/julian-assange-lawyers-will-challenge-the-political-framing-of-charges-against-him/

Queen's Speech unveils Boris Johnson's hardline plans to curtail Britain's democracy
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-19
Boris Johnson has unveiled a Queen's Speech with measures to toughen up criminal justice, limit parliamentary democracy and potentially weaken the scrutiny of government. | The government will look at whether the Official Secrets Act needs overhauling, which determines what protections and punishments whistleblowers are given. Whistleblowers are a critical check on power. It will also consider whether there is a case for updating the treason laws. | Work will be taken forward to repeal the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act — a move which would enable the prime minister to call an election without the consent of pa…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/19/queens-speech-unveils-boris-johnsons-hardline-plans-to-curtail-britains-democracy/

10 LGBTQ Moments that Defined 2019
aclu.org | 2019-12-19
1. Aimee Stephens goes to the Supreme Court: | In October, the Supreme Court heard its first trans civil rights case ever. The case was brought by our client Aimee Stephens, who was fired from her job at a funeral home solely for being transgender. That's sex discrimination and it violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. | We have yet to see whether the Supreme Court will uphold the civil rights of trans people. But no matter what, history has already been made. | "I'll never forget the feeling of coming out of the Supreme Court and seeing a crowd of trans people and allies chanting to Aim…
aclu.org/news/lgbt-rights/10-lgbtq-moments-that-defined-2019

US Threatens To Attack Iran Over Rockets Fired In Iraq & Assange Blocked From Seeing Key Evidence
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-15
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/14/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/us-threatens-to-attack-iran-over-rockets-fired-in-iraq-assange-blocked-from-seeing-key-evidence/

US Claims "Fresh Intelligence" Of Iran Attacks Yet Provides Zero Evidence — MSM Blindly Regurgitates
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-07
Here we go again with "fresh intelligence" to justify the continued sanctions and destabilization of Iran. It's a plan that has been well documented even by their own writings (See Which Path to Persia? — 2009). Of course, complicating U.S. foreign policy is the involvement of Israel. The Last American Vagabond covers the latest political posturing, distortion, and general …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/tdwu-clips/us-claims-fresh-intelligence-iran-attacks-yet-provides-zero-evidence-msm-blindly-regurgitates/

CNN Says US Has "Fresh Intelligence" Of Iran Prepping Attack But Can't Show It & More NYT Propaganda
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-05
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/4/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/cnn-says-us-has-fresh-intelligence-of-iran-prepping-attack-but-cant-show-it-more-nyt-propaganda/

TIAR Countries Blacklist Top Venezuelan Officials as US Slaps New Sanctions
Lucas Koerner | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-12-04
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Venezuela of "hijacking" mass anti-neoliberal protests in "our own backyard."
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14737

Pompeo Says US Will "Help Prevent" Protests For "Legitimate" Governments & US Bombs Afghan Family
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-03
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/2/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/pompeo-says-us-will-help-prevent-protests-for-legitimate-governments-us-bombs-afghan-family/

Civil Rights Are on the Chopping Block in New Supreme Court Term
Marjorie Cohn | zcomm.org | 2019-12-02
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zcomm.org/zmagazine/civil-rights-are-on-the-chopping-block-in-new-supreme-court-term/