Monthly Archives: October 2020

2020-10-31: News Headlines

Staff (2020-10-31). Social Movements Can Win Even With a Hostile Supreme Court. truthout.org With the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, how will the Supreme Court decide future cases? Most people will probably think of it as a

_____ (2020-10-31). Draft Debacle: Bellingcat Smears OPCW Whistleblower, Journalists With False Letter, Farcical Claims. strategic-culture.org Bellingcat claimed to have uncovered a letter that disproves OPCW inspectors and journalists who challenged the censorship of a Syria chemical weapons probe. But in one of many falsehoods, Bellingcat's "letter" was in fact only a draft that was never sent — and only further exposes the cover-up. | Aaron MATÉ | Bellingcat, the NATO member state-funded website that has participated in a propaganda effort to accuse Syria of a chemical weapons attack in April 2018 and justify the US-led bombing that followed, has published a new falsehood-ridden attack on an OPCW whistleblower whose suppressed findings exposed…

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-31). The US Alliance with India: Bipartisan Issue of Strategic Importance. globalresearch.ca The US' alliance with India will remain a mainstay of its grand strategy regardless of who wins next week's elections since it's a bipartisan issue of the highest importance for its permanent military, intelligence, and diplomatic bureaucracies ("deep state"). | ***…

_____ (2020-10-30). Scheer Intelligence: Tracing America's Brutal Imperialist History. popularresistance.org The United States has the largest number of military installations in the world, with about 5,000 bases in total and at least 600 overseas, according to the Pentagon. Although the Department of Defense is not forthcoming with the exact numbers, even these estimates reveal a truth about the country's standing in the world that many Americans often fail to recognize: the U.S. has built one of the most extensive empires in modern history. On this week's installment of Scheer Intelligence, David Vine, the author of the books Base Nation and The United States of War, talks to host Robert Scheer about…

Virginia Rodino (2020-10-30). Why I'm Voting Green in 2020. globalresearch.ca Author's note: Kevin and I worked on this article together right before his untimely passing on September 6. I met Kevin during Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign. Throughout the years since, I appreciated seeing his anti-imperialist and eco-socialist arguments strengthen …

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-10-30). Begging Outrage: British Journalists for Assange. globalresearch.ca Even that title strikes an odd note. It should not. The Fourth Estate, historically reputed as the chamber of journalists and publishers keeping an eye on elected officials, received a blast of oxygen with the arrival of WikiLeaks. This was …

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-30). Will Trump Surprise Pollsters and Hostile Media by Defeating Biden? globalresearch.ca The NYT is notably unrelenting in pushing fake news of Russian US election meddling to help Biden defeat Trump. | Despite claiming otherwise, the US intelligence community has no evidence suggesting foreign interference in the US election process this year or …

_____ (2020-10-30). Britain's Profiteering Spymasters Ignored the Country's Biggest Threats. strategic-culture.org While spinning the revolving doors, they have endangered the public by neglecting bigger security threats, like coronavirus and climate change, write Matt Kennard and Mark Curtis. | Matt KENNARD and Mark CURTIS | Almost all of Britain's former spy chiefs are personally profiting from working for cyber security and energy companies after retiring from the U.K.'s major intelligence agencies. | In May, Declassified UK revealed that since 2000, nine out of 10 former chiefs of MI6, MI5 and GCHQ have taken jobs in the cyber security industry, a sector they promoted while in office as key to defending the U.K. from the…

sputniknews (2020-10-30). US Intelligence Alleges Iranian Hackers Behind Intimidation Emails Accessed Voter Data. sputniknews.com Iranian hackers who reportedly sent threatening emails to thousands of Americans earlier this month also allegedly accessed US voter data, US intelligence officials revealed late Friday.

commondreams (2020-10-29). Demand Justice Launches New TV Ad Campaign to Make Case for Expanding the Supreme Court. commondreams.org ______________________________…

sputniknews (2020-10-29). Judge Denies Canadian Government Motion to Dismiss Part of Meng's Arguments. sputniknews.com TORONTO (Sputnik) – A British Columbia Supreme Court judge denied the Canadian government's motion to dismiss part of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou's arguments in her US extradition case.

Staff (2020-10-29). "Drop Your Ballot Off": Supreme Court Rulings on Mailed Ballots Sow Doubt on Which Votes Will Count. democracynow.org A record 76 million people have already voted in the U.S. election, but the battle over the counting of mail-in ballots continues, with the Supreme Court issuing rulings on how long after Election Day ballots can be counted in the battleground states of Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. We speak with Mother Jones senior writer Ari Berman, author of "Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America," who says the Supreme Court could yet decide who wins the presidency if a close result leads to legal challenges. "My message to voters in these states and other states is drop your ballot…

D.D. Guttenplan, The Nation (2020-10-29). The Supreme Court Has Never Been on the Side of Working People. thenation.com The Supreme Court Has Never Been on the Side of Working People…

Alicia Garza (2020-10-29). Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Alicia Garza on GOP's Supreme Court Power Grab. zcomm.org The rushed confirmation shows that the Supreme Court "is not a neutral body — it is incredibly political."

Jon Rappoport (2020-10-29). The Virus-story: Breaking the Chains of Medical Civilization. "Mind Control par Excellence" globalresearch.ca In the same way the CIA invented foreign enemies which required us to go to war, there are people who have invented stories of fearful germs that demand medical treatment and prevention. The story tellers know that among the public, …

Rod Driver (2020-10-29). Elephants in the Room: US Military and CIA Interventions since World War II. globalresearch.ca "Since the end of the Second World War the United States has attempted to overthrow more than 50 foreign governments and to crush more than 30 populist- nationalist movements struggling against intolerable regimes. In the process, the US has caused …

teleSUR (2020-10-28). US: Supreme Court Denies Attempt to Limit Mail Ballot Extension. telesurenglish.net The decision means that the court would not consider the decision until after Election day, even though the court's three most conservative members declared they would prefer to decide even sooner. | Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who took the bench for the first time Tuesday, did not take part in considering the case. | RELATED: | Conservative justice Samuel Alito joined two of his colleagues in stating: "I reluctantly conclude that there…

Jules Lobel (2020-10-28). Incensed Over Amy Coney Barrett's Confirmation? Don't Mourn—Organize and Vote. commondreams.org Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on October 14, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/acb_2.jpg

Jasmine Norden (2020-10-28). Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation threatens the future of liberal America. thecanary.co Amy Coney Barrett has been confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, marking a notable shift to the right for the US's ultimate judiciary. | Coney Barrett was Republican senator Susan Collins voted against Coney Barrett's appointment, citing concerns th…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-28). Colorado's Sen. Bennet: Barrett on High Court good for the exploitative 1%. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Elevation of federal judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court is not just bad news for workers, Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., says. It's good news—and another chapter—in the crusade of the 1% and the corporate/political elite that has schemed to rule the republic, and the rest of us, ever since the U.S. was …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-28). Senate tossups: Maine was predicted; Iowa, Kansas and Alaska weren't. peoplesworld.org PORTLAND, Maine—U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has, unintentionally, put veteran Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in the race of her life. That was predicted and predictable. Collins, seeking her fifth six-year term, blew her carefully cultivated independent image out of the water by providing the key vote last year to confirm Kavanaugh, GOP Oval Office …

Andrew Corbley (2020-10-28). Congress Will Say Anything About Syria These Days. globalresearch.ca In a recent letter written to Secretary of State Pompeo, a number of Congressmen led by Eliot Engel (D—NY) and Michael McCaul (R—TX) expressed their "deep concern" as "strong supporters of the Syrian people" that various countries are attempting …

sputniknews (2020-10-28). Pompeo Adds Stop in Vietnam to Indo-Pacific Tour. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has added a stop in Vietnam to his tour of the Indo-Pacific, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

_____ (2020-10-28). Whistleblower Sues EPA Over Retaliation. popularresistance.org An Environmental Protection Agency whistleblower, whose disclosures ultimately led to former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt's resignation, filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging his free speech and due process rights were violated. | The lawsuit [PDF] says Kevin Chmielewski was a political appointee and worked as Pruitt's deputy chief of staff for operations. He faced a retaliatory investigation from the EPA's Office of the Inspector General that "falsely accused" him of "not having a security clearance and covering up a past arrest."

2020-10-30: News Headlines

Leonard C. Goodman (2020-10-30). The Scary Truth is Many Senate Dems Share the Same Corporate Agenda as Amy Coney Barrett. counterpunch.org On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland for the U.S. Supreme Court to succeed Antonin Scalia, who had died one month earlier. But Senate Republicans blocked his nomination on the grounds that it was too close to the presidential election, which was then seven months away. Four and a half years later,

Stephen Lendman (2020-10-30). Will Trump Surprise Pollsters and Hostile Media by Defeating Biden? globalresearch.ca The NYT is notably unrelenting in pushing fake news of Russian US election meddling to help Biden defeat Trump. | Despite claiming otherwise, the US intelligence community has no evidence suggesting foreign interference in the US election process this year or …

_____ (2020-10-30). Scheer Intelligence: Tracing America's Brutal Imperialist History. popularresistance.org The United States has the largest number of military installations in the world, with about 5,000 bases in total and at least 600 overseas, according to the Pentagon. Although the Department of Defense is not forthcoming with the exact numbers, even these estimates reveal a truth about the country's standing in the world that many Americans often fail to recognize: the U.S. has built one of the most extensive empires in modern history. On this week's installment of Scheer Intelligence, David Vine, the author of the books Base Nation and The United States of War, talks to host Robert Scheer about…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-10-30). Begging Outrage: British Journalists for Assange. dissidentvoice.org Even that title strikes an odd note. It should not. The Fourth Estate, historically reputed as the chamber of journalists and publishers keeping an eye on elected officials, received a blast of oxygen with the arrival of WikiLeaks. This was daring, rich stuff: scientific journalism in the trenches, news gathering par excellence. But what Julian …

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-10-30). Begging Outrage: British Journalists for Assange. globalresearch.ca Even that title strikes an odd note. It should not. The Fourth Estate, historically reputed as the chamber of journalists and publishers keeping an eye on elected officials, received a blast of oxygen with the arrival of WikiLeaks. This was …

_____ (2020-10-30). Britain's Profiteering Spymasters Ignored the Country's Biggest Threats. strategic-culture.org While spinning the revolving doors, they have endangered the public by neglecting bigger security threats, like coronavirus and climate change, write Matt Kennard and Mark Curtis. | Matt KENNARD and Mark CURTIS | Almost all of Britain's former spy chiefs are personally profiting from working for cyber security and energy companies after retiring from the U.K.'s major intelligence agencies. | In May, Declassified UK revealed that since 2000, nine out of 10 former chiefs of MI6, MI5 and GCHQ have taken jobs in the cyber security industry, a sector they promoted while in office as key to defending the U.K. from the…

Virginia Rodino (2020-10-30). Why I'm Voting Green in 2020. globalresearch.ca Author's note: Kevin and I worked on this article together right before his untimely passing on September 6. I met Kevin during Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign. Throughout the years since, I appreciated seeing his anti-imperialist and eco-socialist arguments strengthen …

D.D. Guttenplan, The Nation (2020-10-29). The Supreme Court Has Never Been on the Side of Working People. thenation.com The Supreme Court Has Never Been on the Side of Working People…

Staff (2020-10-29). "Drop Your Ballot Off": Supreme Court Rulings on Mailed Ballots Sow Doubt on Which Votes Will Count. democracynow.org A record 76 million people have already voted in the U.S. election, but the battle over the counting of mail-in ballots continues, with the Supreme Court issuing rulings on how long after Election Day ballots can be counted in the battleground states of Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. We speak with Mother Jones senior writer Ari Berman, author of "Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America," who says the Supreme Court could yet decide who wins the presidency if a close result leads to legal challenges. "My message to voters in these states and other states is drop your ballot…

Alicia Garza (2020-10-29). Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Alicia Garza on GOP's Supreme Court Power Grab. zcomm.org The rushed confirmation shows that the Supreme Court "is not a neutral body — it is incredibly political."

commondreams (2020-10-29). Demand Justice Launches New TV Ad Campaign to Make Case for Expanding the Supreme Court. commondreams.org ______________________________…

sputniknews (2020-10-29). Judge Denies Canadian Government Motion to Dismiss Part of Meng's Arguments. sputniknews.com TORONTO (Sputnik) – A British Columbia Supreme Court judge denied the Canadian government's motion to dismiss part of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou's arguments in her US extradition case.

Jon Rappoport (2020-10-29). The Virus-story: Breaking the Chains of Medical Civilization. "Mind Control par Excellence" globalresearch.ca In the same way the CIA invented foreign enemies which required us to go to war, there are people who have invented stories of fearful germs that demand medical treatment and prevention. The story tellers know that among the public, …

Rod Driver (2020-10-29). Elephants in the Room: US Military and CIA Interventions since World War II. globalresearch.ca "Since the end of the Second World War the United States has attempted to overthrow more than 50 foreign governments and to crush more than 30 populist- nationalist movements struggling against intolerable regimes. In the process, the US has caused …

Jasmine Norden (2020-10-28). Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation threatens the future of liberal America. thecanary.co Amy Coney Barrett has been confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, marking a notable shift to the right for the US's ultimate judiciary. | Coney Barrett was Republican senator Susan Collins voted against Coney Barrett's appointment, citing concerns th…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-28). Senate tossups: Maine was predicted; Iowa, Kansas and Alaska weren't. peoplesworld.org PORTLAND, Maine—U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has, unintentionally, put veteran Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in the race of her life. That was predicted and predictable. Collins, seeking her fifth six-year term, blew her carefully cultivated independent image out of the water by providing the key vote last year to confirm Kavanaugh, GOP Oval Office …

Jules Lobel (2020-10-28). Incensed Over Amy Coney Barrett's Confirmation? Don't Mourn—Organize and Vote. commondreams.org Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on October 14, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/acb_2.jpg

Mark Gruenberg (2020-10-28). Colorado's Sen. Bennet: Barrett on High Court good for the exploitative 1%. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Elevation of federal judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court is not just bad news for workers, Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., says. It's good news—and another chapter—in the crusade of the 1% and the corporate/political elite that has schemed to rule the republic, and the rest of us, ever since the U.S. was …

teleSUR (2020-10-28). US: Supreme Court Denies Attempt to Limit Mail Ballot Extension. telesurenglish.net The decision means that the court would not consider the decision until after Election day, even though the court's three most conservative members declared they would prefer to decide even sooner. | Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who took the bench for the first time Tuesday, did not take part in considering the case. | RELATED: | Conservative justice Samuel Alito joined two of his colleagues in stating: "I reluctantly conclude that there…

Aaron Maté (2020-10-28). Draft debacle: Bellingcat smears OPCW whistleblower, journalists with false letter, farcical claims. thegrayzone.com Bellingcat claimed to have uncovered a letter that disproves OPCW inspectors and journalists who challenged the censorship of a Syria chemical weapons probe. But in one of many falsehoods, Bellingcat's "letter" was in fact only a draft that was never sent — and only further exposes the cover-up. Bellingcat, the NATO member state-funded website that has participated in a propaganda effort to accuse Syria of a chemical weapons attack in April 2018 and justify the US-led bombing that followed, has …

_____ (2020-10-28). Whistleblower Sues EPA Over Retaliation. popularresistance.org An Environmental Protection Agency whistleblower, whose disclosures ultimately led to former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt's resignation, filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging his free speech and due process rights were violated. | The lawsuit [PDF] says Kevin Chmielewski was a political appointee and worked as Pruitt's deputy chief of staff for operations. He faced a retaliatory investigation from the EPA's Office of the Inspector General that "falsely accused" him of "not having a security clearance and covering up a past arrest."

Andrew Corbley (2020-10-28). Congress Will Say Anything About Syria These Days. globalresearch.ca In a recent letter written to Secretary of State Pompeo, a number of Congressmen led by Eliot Engel (D—NY) and Michael McCaul (R—TX) expressed their "deep concern" as "strong supporters of the Syrian people" that various countries are attempting …

sputniknews (2020-10-28). Pompeo Adds Stop in Vietnam to Indo-Pacific Tour. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has added a stop in Vietnam to his tour of the Indo-Pacific, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

Dr. Jack Rasmus (2020-10-27). Barrett Confirmed by US Senate: Post-Election Chaos Now Inevitable. globalresearch.ca Today Mitch McConnell's Republican Senate confirmed its third ultra conservative Supreme Court nominee, Amy Barrett, as Supreme Court Justice. Coming in the midst of America's current dual crisis—economic and Covid health—both now worsening, the Barrett appointment ensures the emergence …

sputniknews (2020-10-27). US Senate Confirms Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court, Establishes Firm Conservative Majority. sputniknews.com The US Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Monday, making her the fifth woman to serve on the high court and giving conservatives a 6-3 majority there.

jamanetwork (2020-10-27). The Physician's Responsibility. jamanetwork.com The recent decision of the Supreme Court of Nebraska, abstracted in the Medicolegal department of The Journal last week, is of importance and interest to practicing physicians, and especially to health officers…. The plaintiff, while stopping at a small hotel, consulted a local physician, the defendant, regarding some sores that had appeared on his body. After an examination, the physician told the plaintiff—his patient—that he believed the disease to be syphilis, but that it was impossible to make a positive diagnosis without a Wassermann test, for which he had no equipment. The defendant physician…

Marlee Kokotovic (2020-10-27). McConnell caught trying to sabotage Covid Relief agreement in order to prioritize Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation. nationofchange.org The window to hash out any details of a coronavirus relief deal is coming to an end as Election Day approaches even though there is a huge need for one.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-10-27). 'We. Will. Vote. Her. Out.': Maine Progressives Not Fooled Even a Little Bit by Susan Collins' Cynical Vote on Barrett. commondreams.org Progressives in Maine and across the U.S. on Tuesday urged Sen. Susan Collins' constituents to reject her latest attempt to cast herself as a moderate Republican after the four-term senator voted against Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1181029825_1.png

Staff (2020-10-27). Barrett's confirmation threatens fair election, healthcare, and women's rights. therealnews.com Hundreds at the White House celebrated the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court—just one month after her nomination became a COVID-19 superspreader event that infected the president and at least three dozen others.

Elie Mystal (2020-10-27). Republicans Have Confirmed Amy Coney Barrett—and Officially Captured the Supreme Court. thenation.com Republicans Have Confirmed Amy Coney Barrett—and Officially Captured the Supreme Court…

Jack Rasmus (2020-10-27). Barrett Confirmed, Post-Election Chaos Will Ensue. counterpunch.org Yesterday Mitch McConnell's Republican Senate confirmed its third ultra conservative Supreme Court nominee, Amy Barrett, as Supreme Court Justice. Coming in the midst of America's current dual crisis—economic and Covid health—both now worsening, the Barrett appointment ensures the emergence of historic political instability in the USA. The dual crisis is about to become a triple

Arvind Dilawar (2020-10-27). The Very Human Labor That Powers Artificial Intelligence. thenation.com The Very Human Labor That Powers Artificial Intelligence…

Andrew Korybko (2020-10-27). The China-Russia "Threat to America": Biden's Intriguing "Attempt" to Unite Democrat and Republican Foreign Policy Hawks. globalresearch.ca Biden's description of Russia as "the biggest threat to America" and China as its "biggest competitor" is an intriguing attempt to unite the anti-Russian and anti-Chinese factions of America's permanent military, intelligence, and diplomatic bureaucracies ("deep state") even if it's …

Ralph Nader (2020-10-27). Don't Rush to Declare Victory: Implementing a Two-Week Grace Period After November 3rd So All Voters Can Be Counted. commondreams.org With such large stakes for our fragile democracy, we cannot afford to bypass such a course of action that will assure a peaceful transition in accord with the rule of law. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/early.jpg

WSWS (2020-10-27). Facebook deploying teams with advanced censorship tools in advance of the US election. wsws.org Citing concerns over election-related "chaos" and "violence," Facebook is preparing—in collaboration with the US intelligence state—advanced software tools for implementing a censorship regime during November 3 and its aftermath.