Daily Archives: March 6, 2020

2020-03-06: News Headlines

The Canary (2020-03-06). Police raided innocent family's home because they got the time zone wrong. thecanary.co Police raided the home of an innocent family after recording the wrong time zone during a child abuse probe, according to a watchdog.The "serious error" occurred when officers confused Greenwich Mean Time with British Summer Time, as they tried to track who was uploading and sharing indecent images on public WiFi, a report from the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPC) said.The mix-up put the information in the investigation out by one hour and led to the warrant mistakenly being carried out at the address.The body, set up in 2017 to scrutinise spying powers used by police, intelligence agencies and other publi…

WSWS (2020-03-06). As anger mounts over Assange's persecution, former foreign minister Carr calls for moral appeals to Australian government. wsws.org Veteran Labor leader Bob Carr is attempting to divert the growing movement for the release of Assange into dead-end appeals to the Australian parliament.

Kevin Gosztola (2020-03-06). Espionage Act Reform Bill Would Protect Journalists Like Julian Assange. mintpressnews.com Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Ro Khanna introduced a bill to reform the Espionage Act, the archaic piece of legislation used to prosecute Julian Assange and other Whistleblowers.

Daniel Warner (2020-03-06). Will COVID-19 Finally Bring Down Trump's Virtual Presidency? counterpunch.org The "pussy grab video" didn't do it. The Stormy Daniels's revelations didn't do it. The Mueller investigation didn't do it. The impeachment trial didn't do it. The cruel handling of children and the desperate at the border didn't do it. The unrevealed tax returns didn't do it. Will Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus epidemic

Staff (2020-03-06). "Supreme Inequality": Author Adam Cohen on the Supreme Court's 50-Year Battle Against Justice. democracynow.org The makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court has come under intense criticism in recent years after two Trump-nominated justices joined the bench. Senate Republicans confirmed Neil Gorsuch in 2017 after having refused to consider President Barack Obama's nominee in his final year in office, and they confirmed Brett Kavanaugh a year later despite multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against the judge. During the 2020 Democratic presidential contest, several candidates floated the idea of "packing the court" — appointing more than nine justices — in order to counter the court's rightward drift. But while t…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-03-06). 'Don't Look Away. This Nation Is So… Cruel': Rights Advocates Decry Execution of Nathaniel Woods by Alabama. commondreams.org The state of Alabama on Thursday executed Nathaniel Woods—who was pronounced dead at 9: 01pm local time—after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a temporary stay of execution that was later lifted and Republican Gov. Kay Ivey declined to exercise her powers of commutation or reprieve despite widespread public outcry, doubts about Woods' guilt, and concerns about the legal proceedings that led to his death sentence. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/woods.jpg

sputniknews (2020-03-06). Pompeo Claims 'Imperfect Coronavirus Data' From China Has Put US 'Behind the Curve'. sputniknews.com The novel coronavirus disease was first detected in Wuhan in China's Hubei province in late December 2019 and has since spread worldwide. The number of people infected globally has surpassed 98,700, with more than 3,300 fatalities. Over 55,400 people have recovered.

RT (2020-03-05). What war crimes? Pompeo promises to 'protect' Americans from 'renegade' ICC probe into US military in Afghanistan. rt.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Washington will take "all steps possible" to protect Americans from the International Criminal Court (ICC) approval of a probe into war crimes it allegedly committed in Afghanistan. | Speaking to the media in Washington, Pompeo called the ICC's decision "reckless." The US, he said, will take all measures necessary to protect US citizens "from this renegade, unlawful so-called court." | The ICC, which is not recognized by the US government, approved a probe into alleged war crimes by the US and others on Thursday, in a move that could, for the first time, create potent…

Mnar Muhawesh (2020-03-05). Podcast: Kevin Gosztola Discusses the Latest Developments in the Case Against Julian Assange. mintpressnews.com In this episode of MintCast, independent journalist and editor of ShadowProof Kevin Gosztola discusses the intricacies of the Assange hearings where the former editor of Wikileaks stands accused of 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act, an archaic law that has been used to target whistleblowers.

Aaron Maté (2020-03-05). Exclusive: OPCW whistleblowers confront leadership's attacks, cover-up of Douma deception. thegrayzone.com OPCW leadership tried to discredit two veteran officials who challenged a cover-up of its chemical weapons investigation in Douma, Syria. They…

OffGuardian (2020-03-05). The Skripal Case — Two Years On. globalresearch.ca It's been two years to the day since disgraced former military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia, were allegedly found on a park bench in Salisbury, near unconscious and apparently very unwell. | A lot has been …

Staff (2020-03-05). The New Poll Tax? Long Lines, Closed Polling Stations Hurt Black, Latinx & Student Voters in TX, CA. democracynow.org Long wait times plagued polling places in Texas throughout Super Tuesday, especially in districts with high numbers of black and Latinx voters and college students. Many voters reported waiting in line for more than three hours to cast a ballot. At least 750 Texas polling sites have been shuttered since 2013, when the Supreme Court slashed federal oversight of Texas and other Southern states under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. There were long lines, too, in Los Angeles, where many polling places reported problems with a brand-new $300 million voting system. The Sanders campaign sued to keep polling places open a…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-03-05). Thousands urge Supreme Court: Protect reproductive choice—and access. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—For Molly Duane, the right to reproductive choice, and access to it, is "a family passion." The young woman from Denver, whose sign declared "Abortion is kosher," was one of thousands of people massed outside the U.S. Supreme Court on March 4 to urge the justices to preserve reproductive choice and, as importantly, the ability …

Staff (2020-03-05). Long Lines, Closed Polling Places Hurt Black, Latinx and Student Voters. truthout.org Long wait times plagued polling places in Texas throughout Super Tuesday, especially in districts with high numbers of Black and Latinx voters and college students. Many voters reported waiting in line for more than three hours to cast a ballot. At least 750 Texas polling sites have been shuttered since 2013, when the Supreme Court slashed federal oversight of Texas and other Southern states under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. There were long lines, too, in Los Angeles, where many polling places repor…

Anya Parampil (2020-03-03). Inside the Assange courtroom: Kevin Gosztola explains the US-UK assault on press freedom. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with journalist Kevin Gosztola about the trial of Julian Assange. Gosztola was inside the…

Ashoka Mukpo (2020-03-03). TRAP Laws are the Threat to Abortion Rights You Don't Know About. aclu.org This week, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a case | that will have wide-reaching consequences for reproductive freedom and abortion | rights in America. It's the first time the Court has weighed those rights since | gaining a new conservative majority with the appointments of Justices Neil | Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. And the stakes are high. | The case that the court will | hear, June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, | is being argued by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CCR), and it involves a | law in Louisiana known as a "TRAP" — Targeted Restriction on Abortion | Providers. The detai…

Staff (2020-03-02). Julian Assange Lawyer: What's at Stake in Extradition Case Is Freedom of the Press. democracynow.org British Judge Vanessa Baraitser has suspended the extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange until mid-May. This comes after four days of intense deliberations last week between Assange's legal team and attorneys representing the United States government. Assange faces 18 charges of attempted hacking and breaches of the Espionage Act for his role in publishing classified documents exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. He could be sentenced to up to 175 years in prison. Assange has been held in London's Belmarsh prison since last April, when he was removed from the embassy by British poli…

Staff (2020-03-02). Headlines for March 2, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Sees First 2 Coronavirus Deaths in Washington as Cases Worldwide Mount, U.S. and Taliban Sign Deal Aimed at Ending 18-Year War, Joe Biden Claims Decisive South Carolina Victory, Buttigieg & Steyer Drop Out Ahead of Super Tuesday, North Korea Fires Projectiles as It Carries Out Military Drill, Study Reveals No Fraud in 2019 Bolivian Election That Ousted Evo Morales, Voters in Israel Go to Polls for 3rd Time in Under a Year, Greece Attacks Refugees After Turkey Loosens Restrictions on Border, Assange Extradition Hearings Suspended Until May, Wet'suwet'en Chiefs in Talks with Canadian Ministers as Fight Against…

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

RT (2020-03-01). Assange Hearing Descends from Tragedy to Farce — George Galloway. dissidentvoice.org Attorneys for WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange are citing a 20-year-old extradition treaty between the US and UK at day four of the embattled journalist's extradition hearing. The treaty prohibits extradition for political offenses. Former UK MP and friend of Julian Assange George Galloway discusses the implications.

Staff (2020-02-28). Headlines for February 28, 2020. democracynow.org California Monitoring 8,400 People for Coronavirus as Fears of Pandemic Grow, Syrian Airstrike Kills 33 Turkish Soldiers in Idlib, Escalating Tensions, New Justice Department Task Force Seeks to Strip Naturalized Immigrants of Citizenship, Joe Biden's Campaign Walks Back False Claims of Arrest in 1970s South Africa, Democratic Superdelegates Overwhelmingly Oppose Bernie Sanders Campaign, Mike Bloomberg Refuses to Apologize for Spying on Muslims, As NYC Mayor, Mike Bloomberg Called for Cuts to Social Security "Ponzi Scheme", ProPublica: Mike Bloomberg Advised Billionaire Sackler Family on Opioid Crisis, Emails Sho…

John Pilger (2020-02-27). John Pilger: Llegó el momento para que Julian Assange sea liberado, no traicionado. thegrayzone.com La verdad es que Australia podía haber rescatado a Julian Assange, y todavía puede. Los líderes de su tierra natal…

Eva Lopez (2020-02-27). Defending Immigrants' Rights and Reproductive Freedom in the U.S. Supreme Court. aclu.org The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a number of cases this term that will have a crucial impact on civil rights and civil liberties — from LGBTQ equality to reproductive freedom and immigrants' rights. Earlier in the term, the ACLU had two cases asking whether workers can be fired for being LGBTQ. On March 2, we will be arguing a case on immigrants' rights, and we have filed or will file friend-of-the-court briefs in major cases involving reproductive freedom, contraceptive access, and religious freedom. | We sat down with David | Cole, the ACLU's national legal director, to discuss what's in store for the…

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.

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

2020-03-06: Social Media Postees

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

Espionage Act Reform Bill Would Protect Journalists Like Julian Assange
Kevin Gosztola | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-06
Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Ro Khanna introduced a bill to reform the Espionage Act, the archaic piece of legislation used to prosecute Julian Assange and other Whistleblowers.
mintpressnews.com/espionage-act-reform-bill-protect-journalists-like-julian-assange/265516/

As anger mounts over Assange's persecution, former foreign minister Carr calls for moral appeals to Australian government
wsws.org | 2020-03-06
Veteran Labor leader Bob Carr is attempting to divert the growing movement for the release of Assange into dead-end appeals to the Australian parliament.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/06/carr-m06.html

Will COVID-19 Finally Bring Down Trump's Virtual Presidency?
Daniel Warner | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-06
The "pussy grab video" didn't do it. The Stormy Daniels's revelations didn't do it. The Mueller investigation didn't do it. The impeachment trial didn't do it. The cruel handling of children and the desperate at the border didn't do it. The unrevealed tax returns didn't do it. Will Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus epidemic…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/06/will-covid-19-finally-bring-down-trumps-virtual-presidency/

Police raided innocent family's home because they got the time zone wrong
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-03-06
Police raided the home of an innocent family after recording the wrong time zone during a child abuse probe, according to a watchdog.The "serious error" occurred when officers confused Greenwich Mean Time with British Summer Time, as they tried to track who was uploading and sharing indecent images on public WiFi, a report from the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPC) said.The mix-up put the information in the investigation out by one hour and led to the warrant mistakenly being carried out at the address.The body, set up in 2017 to scrutinise spying powers used by police, intelligence agencies and other publi…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2020/03/06/police-raided-innocent-familys-home-because-they-got-the-time-zone-wrong/

"Supreme Inequality": Author Adam Cohen on the Supreme Court's 50-Year Battle Against Justice
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-06
The makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court has come under intense criticism in recent years after two Trump-nominated justices joined the bench. Senate Republicans confirmed Neil Gorsuch in 2017 after having refused to consider President Barack Obama's nominee in his final year in office, and they confirmed Brett Kavanaugh a year later despite multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against the judge. During the 2020 Democratic presidential contest, several candidates floated the idea of "packing the court"

'Don't Look Away. This Nation Is So… Cruel': Rights Advocates Decry Execution of Nathaniel Woods by Alabama
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-06
The state of Alabama on Thursday executed Nathaniel Woods—who was pronounced dead at 9: 01pm local time—after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a temporary stay of execution that was later lifted and Republican Gov. Kay Ivey declined to exercise her powers of commutation or reprieve despite widespread public outcry, doubts about Woods' guilt, and concerns about the legal proceedings that led to his death sentence. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/woods.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/06/dont-look-away-nation-so-cruel-rights-advocates-decry-execution-nathaniel-woods?cd-origin=rss

Pompeo Claims 'Imperfect Coronavirus Data' From China Has Put US 'Behind the Curve'
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-06
The novel coronavirus disease was first detected in Wuhan in China's Hubei province in late December 2019 and has since spread worldwide. The number of people infected globally has surpassed 98,700, with more than 3,300 fatalities. Over 55,400 people have recovered.
sputniknews.com/us/202003061078494563-pompeo-claims-imperfect-coronavirus-data-from-china-has-put-us-behind-the-curve/

Podcast: Kevin Gosztola Discusses the Latest Developments in the Case Against Julian Assange
Mnar Muhawesh | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-05
In this episode of MintCast, independent journalist and editor of ShadowProof Kevin Gosztola discusses the intricacies of the Assange hearings where the former editor of Wikileaks stands accused of 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act, an archaic law that has been used to target whistleblowers.
mintpressnews.com/podcast-kevin-gosztola-julian-assange-extradition/265504/

Exclusive: OPCW whistleblowers confront leadership's attacks, cover-up of Douma deception
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-05
OPCW leadership tried to discredit two veteran officials who challenged a cover-up of its chemical weapons investigation in Douma, Syria. They…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/05/opcw-whistleblowers-attacks-cover-up-douma-deception/

What war crimes? Pompeo promises to 'protect' Americans from 'renegade' ICC probe into US military in Afghanistan
rt.com | 2020-03-05
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Washington will take "all steps possible" to protect Americans from the International Criminal Court (ICC) approval of a probe into war crimes it allegedly committed in Afghanistan. | Speaking to the media in Washington, Pompeo called the ICC's decision "reckless." The US, he said, will take all measures necessary to protect US citizens "from this renegade, unlawful so-called court." | The ICC, which is not recognized by the US government, approved a probe into alleged war crimes by the US and others on Thursday, in a move that could, for the first time, create potent…
rt.com/usa/482421-war-crimes-afghanistan-pompeo-icc/

Thousands urge Supreme Court: Protect reproductive choice–and access
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-03-05
WASHINGTON–For Molly Duane, the right to reproductive choice, and access to it, is "a family passion." The young woman from Denver, whose sign declared "Abortion is kosher," was one of thousands of people massed outside the U.S. Supreme Court on March 4 to urge the justices to preserve reproductive choice and, as importantly, the ability …
peoplesworld.org/article/thousands-urge-supreme-court-protect-reproductive-choice-and-access/

Long Lines, Closed Polling Places Hurt Black, Latinx and Student Voters
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-05
Long wait times plagued polling places in Texas throughout Super Tuesday, especially in districts with high numbers of Black and Latinx voters and college students. Many voters reported waiting in line for more than three hours to cast a ballot. At least 750 Texas polling sites have been shuttered since 2013, when the Supreme Court slashed federal oversight of Texas and other Southern states under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. There were long lines, too, in Los Angeles, where many polling places repor…
truthout.org/video/long-lines-closed-polling-places-hurt-black-latinx-and-student-voters/

The New Poll Tax? Long Lines, Closed Polling Stations Hurt Black, Latinx & Student Voters in TX, CA
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-05
Long wait times plagued polling places in Texas throughout Super Tuesday, especially in districts with high numbers of black and Latinx voters and college students. Many voters reported waiting in line for more than three hours to cast a ballot. At least 750 Texas polling sites have been shuttered since 2013, when the Supreme Court slashed federal oversight of Texas and other Southern states under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. There were long lines, too, in Los Angeles, where many polling places reported problems with a brand-new $300 million voting system. The Sanders campaign sued to keep polling places open a…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/5/air_berman_voting_delays_super_tuesday

Inside the Assange courtroom: Kevin Gosztola explains the US-UK assault on press freedom
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-03
Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with journalist Kevin Gosztola about the trial of Julian Assange. Gosztola was inside the…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/03/inside-the-assange-courtroom-kevin-gosztola-explains-the-us-uk-assault-on-press-freedom/

TRAP Laws are the Threat to Abortion Rights You Don't Know About
Ashoka Mukpo | aclu.org | 2020-03-03
This week, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a case | that will have wide-reaching consequences for reproductive freedom and abortion | rights in America. It's the first time the Court has weighed those rights since | gaining a new conservative majority with the appointments of Justices Neil | Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. And the stakes are high. | The case that the court will | hear, June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, | is being argued by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CCR), and it involves a | law in Louisiana known as a "TRAP"

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/

Julian Assange Lawyer: What's at Stake in Extradition Case Is Freedom of the Press
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-02
British Judge Vanessa Baraitser has suspended the extradition hearing for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange until mid-May. This comes after four days of intense deliberations last week between Assange's legal team and attorneys representing the United States government. Assange faces 18 charges of attempted hacking and breaches of the Espionage Act for his role in publishing classified documents exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. He could be sentenced to up to 175 years in prison. Assange has been held in London's Belmarsh prison since last April, when he was removed from the embassy by British poli…
www.democracynow.org/2020/3/2/julian_assange_extradition_case_uk

Headlines for February 28, 2020
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-02-28
California Monitoring 8,400 People for Coronavirus as Fears of Pandemic Grow, Syrian Airstrike Kills 33 Turkish Soldiers in Idlib, Escalating Tensions, New Justice Department Task Force Seeks to Strip Naturalized Immigrants of Citizenship, Joe Biden's Campaign Walks Back False Claims of Arrest in 1970s South Africa, Democratic Superdelegates Overwhelmingly Oppose Bernie Sanders Campaign, Mike Bloomberg Refuses to Apologize for Spying on Muslims, As NYC Mayor, Mike Bloomberg Called for Cuts to Social Security "Ponzi Scheme", ProPublica: Mike Bloomberg Advised Billionaire Sackler Family on Opioid Crisis, Emails Sho…
www.democracynow.org/2020/2/28/headlines

John Pilger: Llegó el momento para que Julian Assange sea liberado, no traicionado
John Pilger | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-27
La verdad es que Australia podía haber rescatado a Julian Assange, y todavía puede. Los líderes de su tierra natal…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/26/john-pilger-julian-assange-liberado-traicionado/

Defending Immigrants' Rights and Reproductive Freedom in the U.S. Supreme Court
Eva Lopez | aclu.org | 2020-02-27
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a number of cases this term that will have a crucial impact on civil rights and civil liberties

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

DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director’s Role in Russiagate