Daily Archives: July 1, 2020

2020-07-01: News Headlines

Mark Gruenberg (2020-07-01). Teachers: High Court opens way for taxpayer dollars for religious schools. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court's 5-4 decision allowing Montanans tax credits to pay for tuition at private — read "religious" — schools will cut dollars available to public schools and kids, the nation's two big teachers unions say. And the June 30 ruling, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, just re-emphasizes the importance of courts — …

commondreams (2020-07-01). US Supreme Court Ruling that Children of Asylum-Seekers Must be Released from Detention Lacks Necessary Provisions for Parents; Risks Further Family Separation. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Alan Macleod (2020-07-01). Afghan Bounty Scandal Comes at Suspiciously Important Time for US Military Industrial Complex. mintpressnews.com The latest scandal, like others before it, is based on scant testimony by anonymous officials and has had the effect of pushing liberal opinion on US foreign policy into a far more hawkish direction.

_____ (2020-07-01). Four Giant Reasons To Remove The Statues. popularresistance.org I'm a descendant of General Robert E. Lee. | My family also descends from George Washington and John Marshall, the fourth chief justice of the Supreme Court. (The oligarchy was a rather small club back in the day.) And I, along with many other Lee descendants, say: Remove the statues. | Yet, this week President Donald Trump has made it his mission to catch and prosecute those who have taken down statues. I'm positive he's not doing it out of any racist ideology, although it doesn't help that he also retweeted a white power message soon afterwards. | With that said, here are four exceedingly stupid reasons to keep…

DJCFPD (2020-07-01). Wednesday 7/1: The Fight for Reproductive Rights: A Supreme Court Briefing. indybay.org Online via Zoom & livestream…

_____ (2020-07-01). Three Glaring Problems With the Russian Taliban 'Bounty' Story. strategic-culture.org There seems to be a lack of sourcing and a big whiff of politics, say former intelligence officers. | Barbara BOLAND | Abombshell The article alleges that GRU, a top-secret unit of Russian military intelligence, offered the bounty in payment for every…

RT (2020-07-01). Career CIA officer made 'the right call' not to brief Trump on 'Russian bounties' — NSA O'Brien. rt.com A career CIA officer decided not to brief President Donald Trump about intelligence speculation that Russia was paying bounties for deaths of US troops in Afghanistan, his national security adviser Robert O'Brien has revealed. | "She made that decision because she didn't have the confidence in the intelligence that came up," O'Brien told reporters on Wednesday. "She made that call and you know what? She made the right call. And knowing the facts I know now, I stand behind that call," he added. | The New York Times published a story last week, sourced to anonymous intelligence officials, claiming that the "asse…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-30). Supreme Court tosses Louisiana anti-abortion law, drawing cheers. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—By a 5-4 margin, with GOP-named Chief Justice John Roberts casting the deciding vote, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 29 threw out a restrictive Louisiana anti-abortion law. That drew cheers from pro-choice and women's rights groups, who warned, however, that the fight over the right to choose continues, both in the courts and at …

Heather L. Weaver (2020-06-30). Taxpayers Shouldn't Have to Fund Religious Education: How Today's Supreme Court Decision Further Erodes the Separation of Church and State. aclu.org Today, in an unprecedented decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Montana must provide funding for religious education as part of its school voucher tax credit program — despite the fact that the Montana Constitution forbids government aid for religious education and activities. The court's

Candice Yanez (2020-06-30). A win for women's rights at the Supreme Court. liberationnews.org On June 29, the Supreme Court overturned an abortion restriction law in its decision in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo. The case posed a direct threat to abortion rights in the United States, and the decision is a win for women's rights. Although the court has a conservative, anti-abortion majority, this decision was no …

Candice Yanez (2020-06-30). A win for women's rights win at the Supreme Court. liberationnews.org On June 29, the Supreme Court overturned an abortion restriction law in its decision in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo. The case posed a direct threat to abortion rights in the United States, and the decision is a win for women's rights. Although the court has a conservative, anti-abortion majority, this decision was no …

Staff (2020-06-30). "Moment of Elation": In 1st Big Abortion Case of Trump Era, SCOTUS Strikes Down Strict Louisiana Law. democracynow.org In the first big ruling on abortion in the Trump era, the Supreme Court has struck down a restrictive abortion law in Louisiana that would have left the state with just one abortion clinic. The 2014 law required doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic, an onerous requirement that often made it impossible for abortion providers to continue to operate. "It was a moment of elation," says Lakeesha Harris, director of reproductive health and justice at Women with a Vision, a women's rights organization based in New Orleans. "Many of us have been working…

_____ (2020-06-30). The Russia-Afghanistan Story Is Western Propaganda At Its Most Vile. popularresistance.org All western mass media outlets are now shrieking about the story The New York Times first reported, citing zero evidence and naming zero sources, claiming intelligence says Russia paid out bounties to Taliban-linked fighters in Afghanistan for attacking the occupying forces of the US and its allies in Afghanistan. As of this writing, and probably forevermore, there have still been zero intelligence sources named and zero evidence provided for this claim. | As we discussed yesterday, the only correct response to unsubstantiated claims by anonymous spooks in a post-Iraq invasion world is to assume that they are lyi…

yenisafak (2020-06-30). Pompeo: US told Taliban not to attack Americans. yenisafak.com US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo had a video conference with Taliban Deputy and chief negotiator Mullah Baradar, the State Department said Tuesday.The two men discussed Monday the implementation of the US-Taliban peace agreement, according to a statement by spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus."The Secretary made clear the expectation for the Taliban to live up to their commitments, which include not attacking Americans," said Ortagus, who did not provide information about reports of Russian payments to Taliban militants for targeting American troops in Afghanistan.The New York Times reported late last week that a Russ…

sputniknews (2020-06-30). DoD Doesn't Know, But 'Unnamed Sources' Do? Officials Say Trump Knew About Bounty Claims for a Year. sputniknews.com Last Friday's New York Times piece citing anonymous intelligence officials on an alleged Russian plot to offer rewards to Taliban-linked militants to kill US and coalition troops in Afghanistan has been criticized and condemned from all sides, with Moscow, the White House and even the Taliban itself dismissing the newspaper's claims.

Staff (2020-06-30). Trump Is Either Lying or Out of the Loop on Afghanistan. Both Are Bad. truthout.org The corporate media has been straining at its collective leash since the weekend, firing a volley of barks our way about Russian intelligence agents paying the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers, and my God, did Donald Trump know? The high dudgeon in these reports is unmistakable; one CNN It's a story that has everything, if you l…

Staff (2020-06-30). Stir Crazy! Episode #61: COVID & Cops: We Are Under Attack. therealnews.com On today's show: Activist and recording artist Eze Jackson and TRNN Executive Producer Lisa Snowden-McCray. Hosted by Kim Brown. If you have questions/comments/suggestions for the show email us at stircrazy@therealnews.com

IADL (2020-06-30). IADL Calls on UK Court to Grant Bail to Julian Assange, Ill and Vulnerable to COVID-19. globalresearch.ca The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) is a non-governmental organization with consultative status in ECOSOC and UNESCO. Founded in 1946 to promote the goals of the United Nations Charter, IADL and its affiliated organizations throughout the world have consistently …

Binoy Kampmark (2020-06-30). The Kafkaesque Imperium: Julian Assange and the Second Superseding Indictment. dissidentvoice.org The Kafkaesque Imperium has taken yet another absurd step towards mean absurdity with another superseding indictment against Julian Assange. This move by the US Department of Justice seems to have surprised those involved in his extradition proceedings. Mark Summers QC, one of the members of the Assange legal team, did not conceal his astonishment at …

Fight Back (2020-06-30). Iran issues arrest warrant for Trump and his accomplices. fightbacknews.org According to Iran's authoritative FARS News Agency, arrest warrants have been issued, June 29, for U.S. President Trump and 35 others implicated in the assassination of Iran's top general Qassem Soleimani. | Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Baharvand said, "Our intelligence and security forces have identified nearly 40 Americans who have ordered, assisted and collaborated in the assassination, and a number of others – including the U.S. drone operators, that have conducted the attack – are yet to be identified, which will be done soon," | Lieutenant General Soleimani was killed by a U.S. drone strike on Bag…

yenisafak (2020-06-30). US urges UN to extend Iran arms embargo. yenisafak.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to extend Tuesday an arms embargo against Iran and warned that ending it would risk stability in the Middle East."Iran will hold a sword of Damocles over the economic stability of the Middle East, endangering nations like Russia and China that rely on stable energy prices," Pompeo told a virtual UNSC session.The ban on arms transactions with Iran is set to expire Oct. 18, under terms of a 2015 nuclear deal.Pompeo said Iran could directly move to buy Russian fighter jets and upgrade its submarine fleet if the embargo expires and Tehran would be…

_____ (2020-06-30). This Russia-Afghanistan Story Is Western Propaganda at Its Most Vile. strategic-culture.org It really is funny how the most influential news outlets in the western world will uncritically parrot whatever they're told to say by the most powerful and depraved intelligence agencies on the planet, and then turn around and tell you without a hint of self-awareness that Russia and China are bad because they have state media.

Nino Pagliccia (2020-06-29). Is the Deep State Attempting a Hybrid War in Mexico? counterpunch.org An important article by journalist Ben Norton appeared on the online outlet The Grayzone describing the content of a leaked document that consists "of an executive summary of 'Project BOA,' outlining what it calls a 'plan of action' — a blueprint of concrete steps the opposition alliance will take to unseat AMLO." AMLO is Mexican

commondreams (2020-06-29). US Supreme Court Ruling on HIV/AIDS Funding Undermines Health and Human Rights. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2020-06-29). NARAL Pro-Choice America Responds to Supreme Court Decision in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo. commondreams.org ______________________________…

RT (2020-06-29). Louisiana abortion clinic restrictions struck down in surprise Supreme Court ruling. rt.com The US Supreme Court has quashed a Louisiana law that would have jeopardized all but one of the state's abortion clinics, ruling the requirement that providers have hospital admitting privileges was an unconstitutional burden. | Five out of nine justices agreed on Monday that the law imposed an undue burden on women seeking access to abortions and was thus unconstitutional. Chief Justice John Roberts referenced a similar case in Texas in the much-anticipated decision, siding with the liberal judges on the court to declare that, like the burden "imposed by the Texas law" struck down in 2016, "Louisiana's law ca…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-06-29). Undermining Human Rights and Global Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Supreme Court Affirms Anti-Prostitution Pledge. commondreams.org Critics called the ruling "a step back for human rights and public health." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-112472056111.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-06-29). As Supreme Court Blocks Louisiana's Anti-Choice Law, Reproductive Rights Groups Breathe Sigh of Relief—and Prepare for Continued Fight. commondreams.org Reproductive rights groups on Monday expressed relief after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a restrictive anti-choice law in Louisiana, the latest state regulation blocking access to abortion care to be rejected by the high court. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/stop_war_on_women_1_1.jpg

sputniknews (2020-06-29). 'This Whole Thing is Garbage': Afghan War Vet Dismisses Shaky 'Russian Bounties' Claims. sputniknews.com On Friday, the New York Times reported on a US intelligence report claiming Russian operatives were offering the Taliban bounties to assassinate US soldiers in Afghanistan. However, as US lawmakers demand answers and action, one expert says serious skepticism about the report's veracity is missing, which threatens the increasingly fragile peace.

RT (2020-06-29). WH spokeswoman says 'no intelligence consensus' on Russia bounty story, tells NYT & WaPo to 'return Pulitzers' for misreporting. rt.com The New York Times and the Washington Post should give up their journalistic accolades for selling rumors as scoops, the White House's Kayleigh McEnany said, pointing at holes in their story about Russian bounties for the Taliban. | The secretary has unleashed a scathing rebuke at the media, accusing the Times and the WaPo of peddling scandalous speculations about US President Donald Trump allegedly doing nothing after having been briefed about Russia paying the Taliban to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan. | Speaking at the White House on Monday, McEnany said that her boss had never received a briefing on the i…

_____ (2020-06-29). Chris Hedges On Contact: Julian Assange Extradition Hearing. popularresistance.org Chris Hedges discusses the extradition hearing of Julian Assange with lawyer, author and professor, Marjorie Cohn. | Marjorie Cohn is professor emerita at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where she taught from 1991 to 2016, and a former president of the National Lawyers Guild. | Professor Cohn is the editor of and a contributor to 'The United States and Torture: Interrogation, Incarceration and Abuse', and 'Drones and Targeted Killings: Legal, Moral, and Geopolitical Issues'.

Doctors for Assange (2020-06-29). Doctors for Assange Say UK May be Liable for His Torture. globalresearch.ca In a new letter to the British medical journal The Lancet, Doctors for Assange say that the British government may be held legally responsible for the torture of the imprisoned WikiLeaks publisher. | *** | Here is the doctors' statement followed by …

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-06-29). Only Idiots Believe The CIA, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com ~ | Mainstream media outlets which publish anonymous intelligence claims with no proof are just publishing CIA press releases disguised as news. | ~ | The most influential news outlets in the western world uncritically parrot whatever they're told to say by the most powerful and depraved intelligence agencies on the planet, then tell you that Russia and China are bad because they have state media. | ~ | Imagine if a compulsive liar who you know for a fact constantly deceives people in order to hurt and exploit them told you your neighbor is going to kill you if you don't kill him first, and you go and kill your n…

Leigh Dundas (2020-06-29). Video: The Concept of Social Distancing in Schools. globalresearch.ca Many educators and parents are struggling with the concept of social distancing in schools. Here are some lesser known facts about social distancing and isolation: | ‚Ä¢ It was developed 70 years ago by the CIA to break down enemies of …

_____ (2020-06-29). Update On Assange: The Most Important Press Freedom Case Of This Era. popularresistance.org This past week, just as public sentiment and corporate media attention were shifting in favor of Julian Assange, the United States issued another superseding indictment in his extradition case. The indictment doesn't add any charges, it merely uses public information to smear Assange's reputation and attempt to portray him as a hacker instead of the journalist and publisher that he is. This shows that the US government has a weak case against Assange. Joe Lauria, an investigative journalist and senior editor of Consortium News, explains the new indictment and provides an update on Julian Assange. The Assange case…

_____ (2020-06-29). Spying On Americans: Infamous 1970s White House Plan For Protest Surveillance. popularresistance.org Portions of a long-secret government blueprint for expansive surveillance of domestic protest movements during the Nixon presidency have just been released, more than 50 years after it was drafted. The notorious "Huston Plan" prepared by representatives of the White House and the U.S. intelligence community envisioned a smorgasbord of covert operations that made even FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover queasy. The proposed activities ranged from monitoring domestic dissident groups — notably the Black Panthers — to office break-ins. This is the first time the document has been released on its own and with th…

yenisafak (2020-06-29). Assange surprised by timing of new US indictment. yenisafak.com Julian Assange's lawyer said on Monday he was surprised U.S. authorities issued a new and wider indictment last week against the WikiLeaks founder whom they are seeking to extradite from Britain.Assange is wanted by U.S. authorities to stand trial for 18 offences including conspiring to hack government computers and espionage. Last year, the United States began extradition proceedings after he was dragged from London's Ecuadorean embassy where he had been holed up for almost seven years.The U.S. Department for Justice issued a second, superseding indictment last week which, it said, contained no new charges but b…

RT (2020-06-28). Western conspiracy theories suggesting Covid-19 is man-made & was unleashed deliberately are not backed by evidence — Putin. rt.com Allegations that the coronavirus pandemic was started by design, rather than accident, are not backed by evidence and are ultimately irrelevant, Vladimir Putin has said. He also revealed how often he is tested for Covid-19. | Some US politicians, including President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have claimed that the Covid-19 outbreak started as a leak from a biolab in Wuhan, China — the city where the disease was first recorded in December 2019. Pompeo once even stated that the virus was "man-made," in an apparent slip of the tongue. | "Claiming that [the pandemic] was caused by somebo…

Shane Quinn (2020-06-28). US Plans to Break Up China: CIA Funding for Terrorists, Narco-trafficking and Proxies. globalresearch.ca The "loss" of China in 1949 was perhaps the biggest blow to strike American hegemony in…

yenisafak (2020-06-28). Trump denies being told about Russian bounties to kill US troops in Afghanistan. yenisafak.com The White House on Saturday also denied that Trump was briefed on U.S. intelligence regarding the affair but it did not address the merits of the intelligence. The Director of National Intelligence also said Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were not briefed, and called the Times report inaccurate."Nobody briefed or told me, @VP Pence, or Chief of Staff @MarkMeadows about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an 'anonymous source' by the Fake News @nytimes. Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us," Trump tweeted, calling on the newspaper to…

BAACFJA (2020-06-28). Friday 7/3: Free Julian Assange Global Birthday Vigil. indybay.org BayAction2FreeAssange.org joins #Candles4Assange for Julian Assange's Global Birthday Vigil | Friday, July 3 ≥·µà, Noon-1PM | British Consulate, 1 Sansome St., San Francisco | *Masks & social distancing please | For those w medical conditions/unable to attend : Please follow @Action4assange livestream noted in details…

_____ (2020-06-28). Convenience and Mobile Gaming are More Important for Most Than Liberty. strategic-culture.org Why do we tolerate the government violating our privacy? Because cellphones are useful, and their spying is completely imperceptible.