Daily Archives: March 19, 2020

2020-03-19: News Headlines

Adam Hochschild (2020-03-19). When "Fake News" Was Banned: an America Trump Would Have Loved. counterpunch.org Every month, it seems, brings a new act in the Trump administration's war on the media. In January, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo exploded at National Public Radio reporter Mary Louise Kelly when he didn't like questions she asked — and then banned a colleague of hers from the plane on which he was leaving

WSWS (2020-03-19). Doctors condemn Australian government's refusal to defend Julian Assange. wsws.org Doctors4Assange has restated its demand that the Australian government immediately fulfil its obligations to Assange, under conditions in which his life is imperilled by the coronavirus pandemic.

RT (2020-03-19). Israel's Supreme Court hears challenge to coronavirus cellphone monitoring. rt.com Civil liberties activists asked Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday to suspend cellphone monitoring put in place under emergency regulations to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Surveillance began this week after the government approved special orders that circumvented customary parliamentary oversight and enabled the Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency to tap into cellular location data, Reuters reported. | The Association of Civil Rights in Israel, Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights – and the Joint List of Arab parties petitioned the court to freeze the monitoring. "The government canno…

sputniknews (2020-03-19). Top Secret No Longer: MI5 Confirms Existence of Previously Unheard of CounterIntelligence Unit. sputniknews.com The unit is said to be based at Thames House in London, home to the UK's domestic counterintelligence and security agency, MI5.

Jefferson Morley (2020-03-18). Exposing a Biden Staffer's Connections to Troubled Israeli Spyware Firm. counterpunch.org After Sunday night's Democratic presidential debate, Anita Dunn, senior adviser to Joe Biden's campaign, defended the vice president's performance in a briefing with reporters. Last year, Dunn, who served as communications director in Barack Obama's White House, did a similar duty for NSO, the spyware firm founded by former Israeli intelligence officers. The NSO Group

Ali Salam (2020-03-18). Members of US Congress Call for Action Against Israeli Policy of Forced Displacement. imemc.org A letter signed by 64 members of the US Congress on Tuesday addressed to Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, urged the Trump administration to oppose Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, and to reject further US funding, Palestine News Network reported. The letter stated, "We are …

teleSUR (2020-03-18). Furious at Probe Into US War Crimes Pompeo Threatens ICC Staff. telesurenglish.net Amnesty International condemned Wednesday United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's comments threatening the International Criminal Court (ICC) 's staff and their family members for investigating alleged war crimes committed by the U.S. in Afghanistan. | RELATED: | "Threats against family members of ICC staff who are seeking justice is a new low, even for this administration," said Amnesty Internationa…

The Canary (2020-03-18). Facebook hit by software bug which marked coronavirus posts as spam. thecanary.co Facebook has confirmed a bug in its spam filter removed posts incorrectly from the social network, including legitimate news articles about coronavirus. | Multiple users reported receiving alerts from Facebook saying their posts — often news stories from trusted sources about the spread of Covid-19 — had been marked as spam by the site and taken down. | Facebook's Guy Rosen then confirmed on Twitter that the problem was "a bug in an anti-spam system". | He denied suggestions the fault had been caused by Facebook relying more on artificial intelligence and automation for content moderation after it sen…

commondreams (2020-03-18). Pompeo's Remarks on the International Criminal Court Are Callous and Punitive. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-03-18). Bashing Probe of US War Crimes, Pompeo Threatens Family of ICC Staff With Consequences. commondreams.org "If there remained any doubt that the Trump administration's hostility towards the court is fundamentally punitive and callous in nature, these doubts have now been dispelled." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pompeo-threaten-family-icc.jpg

Whitney Webb (2020-03-17). U.S. Intel Agencies played unsettling role in classified and "9/11-like" Coronavirus response plan. mronline.org As the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis comes to dominate headlines, little media attention has been given to the federal government's decision to classify top-level meetings on domestic coronavirus response and lean heavily "behind the scenes" on U.S. intelligence and the Pentagon in planning for an allegedly imminent explosion of cases. |

Aaron Maté (2020-03-12). Exclusive: New OPCW whistleblower slams 'abhorrent mistreatment' of Douma investigators. thegrayzone.com A fourth OPCW whistleblower has emerged to defend the two veteran inspectors who challenged a cover-up of the chemical weapons…

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…

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…

2020-03-19: Social Media Postees

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

Doctors condemn Australian government's refusal to defend Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2020-03-19
Doctors4Assange has restated its demand that the Australian government immediately fulfil its obligations to Assange, under conditions in which his life is imperilled by the coronavirus pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/19/assa-m19.html

Doctors condemn Australian government's refusal to defend Julian Assange
wsws.org | 2020-03-19
Doctors4Assange has restated its demand that the Australian government immediately fulfil its obligations to Assange, under conditions in which his life is imperilled by the coronavirus pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/19/assa-m19.html

When "Fake News" Was Banned: an America Trump Would Have Loved
Adam Hochschild | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-19
Every month, it seems, brings a new act in the Trump administration's war on the media. In January, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo exploded at National Public Radio reporter Mary Louise Kelly when he didn't like questions she asked

Israel's Supreme Court hears challenge to coronavirus cellphone monitoring
rt.com | 2020-03-19
Civil liberties activists asked Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday to suspend cellphone monitoring put in place under emergency regulations to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Surveillance began this week after the government approved special orders that circumvented customary parliamentary oversight and enabled the Shin Bet counter-terrorism agency to tap into cellular location data, Reuters reported. | The Association of Civil Rights in Israel, Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights – and the Joint List of Arab parties petitioned the court to freeze the monitoring. "The government canno…
rt.com/newsline/483516-israel-supreme-cyber-monitoring/

Top Secret No Longer: MI5 Confirms Existence of Previously Unheard of CounterIntelligence Unit
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-19
The unit is said to be based at Thames House in London, home to the UK's domestic counterintelligence and security agency, MI5.
sputniknews.com/uk/202003191078624668-top-secret-no-longer-mi5-confirms-existence-of-previously-unheard-of-counterintelligence-unit/

Furious at Probe Into US War Crimes Pompeo Threatens ICC Staff
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-18
Amnesty International condemned Wednesday United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's comments threatening the International Criminal Court (ICC) 's staff and their family members for investigating alleged war crimes committed by the U.S. in Afghanistan. | RELATED: | Israel Confident Friendly ICC Members Will Block Palestine Probe | "Threats against family members of ICC staff who are seeking justice is a new low, even for this administration," said Amnesty Internationa…
telesurenglish.net/news/Furious-at-Probe-Into-US-War-Crimes-Pompeo-Threatens-ICC-Staff-20200318-0024.html

Furious at Probe Into US War Crimes Pompeo Threatens ICC Staff
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-18
Amnesty International condemned Wednesday United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's comments threatening the International Criminal Court (ICC) 's staff and their family members for investigating alleged war crimes committed by the U.S. in Afghanistan. | RELATED: | Israel Confident Friendly ICC Members Will Block Palestine Probe | "Threats against family members of ICC staff who are seeking justice is a new low, even for this administration," said Amnesty Internationa…
telesurenglish.net/news/Furious-at-Probe-Into-US-War-Crimes-Pompeo-Threatens-ICC-Staff-20200318-0024.html

Members of US Congress Call for Action Against Israeli Policy of Forced Displacement
Ali Salam | imemc.org | 2020-03-18
A letter signed by 64 members of the US Congress on Tuesday addressed to Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, urged the Trump administration to oppose Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, and to reject further US funding, Palestine News Network reported. The letter stated, "We are …
imemc.org/article/members-of-us-congress-call-for-action-against-israeli-policy-of-forced-displacement/

Pompeo's Remarks on the International Criminal Court Are Callous and Punitive
commondreams.org | 2020-03-18
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/03/18/pompeos-remarks-international-criminal-court-are-callous-and-punitive?cd-origin=rss

Exposing a Biden Staffer's Connections to Troubled Israeli Spyware Firm
Jefferson Morley | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-18
After Sunday night's Democratic presidential debate, Anita Dunn, senior adviser to Joe Biden's campaign, defended the vice president's performance in a briefing with reporters. Last year, Dunn, who served as communications director in Barack Obama's White House, did a similar duty for NSO, the spyware firm founded by former Israeli intelligence officers. The NSO Group…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/18/exposing-a-biden-staffers-connections-to-troubled-israeli-spyware-firm/

Facebook hit by software bug which marked coronavirus posts as spam
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-03-18
Facebook has confirmed a bug in its spam filter removed posts incorrectly from the social network, including legitimate news articles about coronavirus. | Multiple users reported receiving alerts from Facebook saying their posts

Bashing Probe of US War Crimes, Pompeo Threatens Family of ICC Staff With Consequences
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-03-18
"If there remained any doubt that the Trump administration's hostility towards the court is fundamentally punitive and callous in nature, these doubts have now been dispelled." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pompeo-threaten-family-icc.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/03/18/bashing-probe-us-war-crimes-pompeo-threatens-family-icc-staff-consequences?cd-origin=rss

U.S. Intel Agencies played unsettling role in classified and "9/11-like" Coronavirus response plan
Whitney Webb | mronline.org | 2020-03-17
As the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis comes to dominate headlines, little media attention has been given to the federal government's decision to classify top-level meetings on domestic coronavirus response and lean heavily "behind the scenes" on U.S. intelligence and the Pentagon in planning for an allegedly imminent explosion of cases. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/17/u-s-intel-agencies-played-unsettling-role-in-classified-and-9-11-like-coronavirus-response-plan/

Exclusive: New OPCW whistleblower slams 'abhorrent mistreatment' of Douma investigators
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-03-12
A fourth OPCW whistleblower has emerged to defend the two veteran inspectors who challenged a cover-up of the chemical weapons…
thegrayzone.com/2020/03/12/opcw-whistleblower-mistreatment-douma-investigators/

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/

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