(2020-10-05). Regression as a National Theme. counterpunch.org 
Going Backwards Led by a reactionary, autocratic faction of the Republican Party, the United States has taken another step backward in terms of social progress. This comes with Donald Trump's nomination of a religiously motivated conservative, Amy Coney Barrett, to the Supreme Court. Barrett, a devout Catholic and presently a federal appeals court judge, was
(2020-10-05). The Supreme Court's War on Equality. thenation.com 
In Supreme Inequality, Adam Cohen offers a damning indictment of Supreme Court jurisprudence, reminding us of just how political the country's highest court is.
(2020-10-05). Ginsburg Institute for Justice Needed for Our Depleted Democracy. counterpunch.org Jean Monnet — a founder of the European Union once said: "Nothing is possible without men, but nothing is lasting without institutions." I'm reminded of his observation each time our country loses a "just" Supreme Court Justice. So, what will follow after the few days of prominent encomiums at memorial events and editorial praise of
(2020-10-05). A Public Letter to Supreme Court Nominee Amy Barrett. zcomm.org Does a promise that ours is a government "of the people, by the people and for the people?" correspond to the kind of economic system that is currently running our country?>
(2020-10-05). Today Marks the Start of a Truly Terrifying Supreme Court Term. thenation.com Today Marks the Start of a Truly Terrifying Supreme Court Term…
(2020-10-05). Leaked FBI report warns of far-right "Boogaloo" violence in advance of election. wsws.org The leaked report follows earlier intelligence assessments that far-right militia violence remains the greatest domestic terrorist threat.
(2020-10-04). The call to free Julian Assange echoes around the world. peoplesdispatch.org Ahead of and during the extradition hearings for Julian Assange, political leaders, activists, journalists and lawyers across the world have condemned the prosecution and demanded the dropping of charges…
(2020-10-04). FBI Seized Legally Privileged Materials From Julian Assange. popularresistance.org The FBI in the United Kingdom enlisted the Ecuador government's help in seizing legally privileged materials from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after he was arrested and expelled from their embassy in London on April 11, 2019. | According to Gareth Peirce, one of Assange's attorneys, that day she "made immediate contact with the embassy in regard to legally privileged material, an issue of huge concern." Assange wanted the material—in addition to "confidential medical data"—"identified and released to his lawyers."
(2020-10-04). On Contact: Assange Extradition Hearing. popularresistance.org Chris Hedges discusses with former British ambassador Craig Murray the hearing that just adjourned in London to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States. Murray's exhaustive reporting, which can be found at craigmurray.org.uk, has become one of the few sources of reliable information about the hearing, which has become notoriously difficult to cover due to court restrictions imposed on the press, and is being ignored by most mainstream news organizations.
(2020-10-04). John Pilger: Eyewitness To The Agony Of Julian Assange. popularresistance.org The prevailing atmosphere has been shocking. I say that without hesitation; I have sat in many courts and seldom known such a corruption of due process; this is due revenge. Putting aside the ritual associated with 'British justice', at times it has been evocative of a Stalinist show trial. One difference is that in the show trials, the defendant stood in the court proper. In the Assange trial, the defendant was caged behind thick glass, and had to crawl on his knees to a slit in the glass, overseen by his guard, to make contact with his lawyers.
(2020-10-04). Senate Democrats' leader Schumer slams idea of virtual hearing for SCOTUS pick – but not all the other virtual Senate hearings. rt.com 
"A virtual hearing is virtually no hearing at all," the New York Senator says, suggesting the decision on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett should be postponed, despite Senate already using the practice throughout pandemic. | "If it's not safe for the Senate to meet in session, it's not safe for the hearings to go forward," Chuck Schumer said at a Sunday press conference. | The Senate has already cancelled meetings this week due to several senators, including two on the judiciary committee, revealing they are positive for Covid-19. | The idea of virtual hearings has been suggested, but Democrats have bee…
(2020-10-04). Senate Democrats' leader Schumer slams idea of virtual hearing for SCOTUS pick — but not all the other virtual Senate hearings. rt.com "A virtual hearing is virtually no hearing at all," the New York Senator says, suggesting the decision on Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett should be postponed, despite Senate already using the practice throughout pandemic. | "If it's not safe for the Senate to meet in session, it's not safe for the hearings to go forward," Chuck Schumer said at a Sunday press conference. | The Senate has already cancelled meetings this week due to several senators, including two on the judiciary committee, revealing they are positive for Covid-19. | The idea of virtual hearings has been suggested, but Democrats have bee…
(2020-10-04). Senate Minority Leader Schumer Urges Delay of Supreme Court Hearing Over COVID-19 Outbreak Among GOP. sputniknews.com Politicians close to the White House have been infected or fear being infected with coronavirus after attending meetings held by President Donald Trump, who, among other officials, has also tested positive for COVID-19.
(2020-10-04). Amy Coney Barrett Would Ensure an Anti-Worker Supreme Court. truthout.org
(2020-10-03). Julian Assange's Extradition Trial and the War on Journalism. thealtworld.com WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team called their last witness in the extradition trial, which has unfolded over the past four weeks at the Old Bailey Courthouse in London. The defense and prosecution will file closing submissions to the magistrate court, and a decision on extradition is expected in January 4, 2021. | Throughout the extradition trial, independent media have led the way in defying a blackout by corporate media institutions around the world. They have worked to focus on the substance of testimony from witnesses instead of trivial moments that establishment reporters have turned into sensat…
(2020-10-03). Julian Assange's Extradition Hearing: The Only Just Outcome Is His Freedom. popularresistance.org The testimony portion of the extradition hearing of Julian Assange, taking place in the United Kingdom, concluded after four weeks. Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who presided over the hearing, will not announce her decision until January. Until then, Assange will remain in detention in Belmarsh Prison. | Under conditions that violated Assange's rights and his ability to defend himself, his legal team made a clear case that for multiple reasons why the only just solution is to free Assange. However, Judge Baraitser has not ruled favorably for him in her past decisions or even in this hearing.
(2020-10-03). 'Postpone the Hearing': Democrats Demand Delay in Barrett's Confirmation Process After Third GOP Senator Tests Positive for Covid-19. commondreams.org Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocates demanded on Friday and into Saturday that the Senate Judiciary Committee postpone Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing for the U.S. Supreme Court after at least three Republican senators tested positive for the coronavirus. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1228810906_1.jpg …
(2020-10-03). The Politician and the Pandemic. commondreams.org Former Trump campaign official Michael Caputo arrives at the Hart Senate Office building to be interviewed by Senate Intelligence Committee staffers on May 1, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/michael_caputo.jpg …
(2020-10-02). Assange on Trial: Abuse of Power, Breaching Attorney-Client Privilege and Adjournment. counterpunch.org October 1, 2020. Central Criminal Court, London. The Old Bailey has been the venue for a trial that should never have taken place. But during the course of these extradition proceedings against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder accused by the US Department of Justice for violating the US Espionage Act (17 charges) and one under
(2020-10-02). Assange's Eighteenth Day at the Old Bailey: Abuse of Power, Breaching Attorney-Client Privilege and Adjournment. globalresearch.ca The Old Bailey has been the venue for a trial that should never have taken place. But during the course of these extradition proceedings against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder accused by the US Department of Justice for violating the …
(2020-10-02). Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 21. globalresearch.ca I really do not know how to report Wednesday's events. Stunning evidence, of extreme quality and interest, was banged out in precis by the lawyers as unnoticed as bags of frozen chips coming off a production line. | The court that …
(2020-10-02). Embassy Espionage, Contemplated Poisoning And Proposed Kidnapping. popularresistance.org Today will be remembered as a grand expose. It was a direct, pointed accusation at the intentions of the US imperium which long for the scalp of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. For WikiLeaks, it was a smouldering triumph, showing that the entire mission against Assange, from the start, has been a political one. The Australian publisher faces the incalculably dangerous prospect of 17 charges under the US Espionage Act and one under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Stripped to its elements, the indictment is merely violence kitted out in the vestment of sham legality. The rest is politics.
(2020-10-02). Assange Trial: US And UK Militaries Back Key Prosecution Witness. popularresistance.org Dr Nigel Blackwood, a Reader in forensic psychiatry at King's College London (KCL), told the extradition hearing in London last week that Julian Assange was suffering only "moderate" depression. | Giving evidence as an expert witness for the US prosecution, Dr Blackwood rebutted other experts' findings on the seriousness of Assange's condition, adding his suicide risk was "manageable". He told the court: "Mr Assange has proved himself to be a very resilient and very resourceful man and he has underplayed that".
(2020-10-02). U.S. Intelligence Sources Discussed Poisoning Julian Assange. strategic-culture.org Robert WENZEL | At Julian Assange's extradition hearing, bombshell allegations involving US private citizen Sheldon Adelson are being made in conjunction with activities of US intelligence agencies. | Plans to poison or kidnap Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy were discussed between sources in US intelligence and a private security firm that spied extensively on the WikiLeaks co-founder, a court has been told,
(2020-10-02). Andrew Wilkie on Julian Assange extradition trial: 'It should put all Australians on notice'. greenleft.org.au …
(2020-10-02). Eyewitness to the Agony of Julian Assange. counterpunch.org 
John Pilger has watched Julian Assange's extradition trial from the public gallery at London's Old Bailey. He spoke with Timothy Erik Strà∂m of Arena, Australia: Q: Having watched Julian Assange's trial firsthand, can you describe the prevailing atmosphere in the court? The prevailing atmosphere has been shocking. I say that without hesitation; I have sat in many
(2020-10-02). With Focus on Assange, Belmarsh Tribunal Puts 'US War Crimes on Trial'. commondreams.org "It is time to take action," Progressive International activists say, "and it is time to demand justice" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/mosul2_2.jpg …
(2020-10-02). Noam Chomsky tells court that Julian Assange has 'exposed power to sunlight'. thecanary.co On 30 September, distinguished academic and public intellectual Extraterritorial reach: | Chomsky had previously appeared on Democracy Now! to denounce: the extraterritorial reach of the United States, which is shocking. Why should the United States… have the power to control what others are doing elsewhere in the world?… It's [an] outlandish situation. It goes on all the time. | "We have to silence this voice" — Chomsky on the obvious, prima…
(2020-10-02). Two Years After Khashoggi's Murder, Why is America Still An Accomplice to MBS's Crimes? counterpunch.org 
Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered on October 2, 2018 by agents of Saudi Arabia's despotic government, and the CIA concluded they killed him on direct orders from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Eight Saudi men have been convicted of Khashoggi's murder by a Saudi court in what the Washington Post
(2020-10-02). Mossad chief holds talks with Bahrain as ties with Israel deepen. middleeasteye.net 
Mossad chief holds talks with Bahrain as ties with Israel deepen | Yossi Cohen reported to have discussed 'mutual interests' with his Bahraini counterparts during visit | Fri, 10/02/2020 – 11: 16 | Mossad chief Yossi Cohen pictured in 2017 (AFP) | Israel's top spy chief Yossi Cohen has held talks with Bahrain's intelligence services following the two countries recent normalisation of relat…
(2020-10-02). Parkland shooting victim's parents reanimate son's image via AI urging viewers to vote for gun control – 'because he can't'. rt.com 
The parents of Parkland school shooting victim Joaquin Oliver have reanimated their son on video using AI to urge people to vote for pro-gun-control politicians, but many viewers have disputed the ethics behind such move. | The 17-year-old Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victim was brought back to life digitally via artificial-intelligence software on Friday to promote voting for politicians who support gun control legislation, with the help of his parents – a reincarnation some felt was in questionable taste. | In 2018, Joaquin Oliver was shot and killed in the Parkland school shooting. | His pa…
(2020-10-02). What does justice for Jamal Khashoggi look like? middleeasteye.net 
What does justice for Jamal Khashoggi look like? | UN's Agnes Callamard talks to Middle East Eye about finding justice for murdered journalist | Fri, 10/02/2020 – 18: 34 | If elected, Joe Biden should release US intelligence community's findings on Khashoggi's murder, Callamard says (AFP) | Two years after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, justice for the slain journalist remains elusive with geopolitical interests…
(2020-10-02). Scheer Intelligence: In A Time Of Mortal Crisis. popularresistance.org There's no denying there's been a renewed wave of interest in socialism in the United States, thanks in large part to Bernie Sanders. While the Vermont senator gained support across the country for his rallying cry against inequality and for promoting equitable policies like Medicare for All, Rabbi Michael Lerner, a lifelong progressive and author of the new book Revolutionary Love: A Political Manifesto to Heal and Transform the World, believes there was something missing from Sanders' socialist message.
(2020-10-02). The Law That Sent a Man to Prison for Life for Stealing a Pair of Hedge Clippers — and What Prosecutors Can do About It. aclu.org Last month, the Louisiana Supreme Court
(2020-10-02). Common Cause Response to Supreme Court Granting Cert. Petition in FCC v. Prometheus. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-02). The Supreme Court Rulings You're Not Hearing About. aclu.org This past June, many breathed a sigh of relief when the U.S. Supreme Court rose above partisanship in controversial cases involving abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, the rights of DREAMERS, and the president's tax returns. In those cases, conservative justices relied on legal reasoning, rather than party loyalty, to guide their decisions., , But lurking in the shadows is a concerning new trend in the Supreme Court to grant an unprecedented number of emergency orders with little transparency and no opportunity for recourse. These cases comprise the court's aptly named "shadow docket." And under the Trump administration,…
(2020-10-02). The Vatican Does Not Grant Pompeo an Audience With Pope Francis. telesurenglish.net The Vatican announced that it had denied U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's request to meet with Pope Francis during his visit to Rome this week. | RELATED: | "The Pope had already clearly said that political figures are not received in electoral periods," State Secretary Cardinal Pietro Parolin said. | Vatican officials also expressed concern about Pompeo's alleged attempts to drag the Catholic Church into the U.S. po…
(2020-10-02). The Hysteria of Identity Politics is Devolving Into Violence. dissidentvoice.org If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. — Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to Colonel Charles Yancey, January 6th, 1816 As the tech monopolies, the military industrial complex, the medical industrial complex, and other powerful corporate entities accumulate unprecedented …
(2020-10-02). Two Years After Khashoggi's Murder. popularresistance.org Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered on October 2, 2018 by agents of Saudi Arabia's despotic government, and the CIA concluded they killed him on direct orders from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Eight Saudi men have been convicted of Khashoggi's murder by a Saudi court in what the Washington Post characterized as sham trials with no transparency. The higher ups who ordered the murder, including MBS, continue to escape responsibility.
(2020-10-02). Drug ring smashed in Khorasan Razavi by intelligence forces. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 02 (MNA) — Iran's intelligence forces busted a drug ring in the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi.
(2020-10-02). Pompeo Says Confident Croatia, European Countries Will Keep China Away From 5G Networks. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed confidence after meeting Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic that Croatia and other European countries will act to prevent China from accessing their citizens' private data via 5G networks.
(2020-10-02). Ottawa Taps Ex-Intelligence Official to Lead Forensic Team Investigating Downing of PS752. sputniknews.com TORONTO (Sputnik) – Ottawa is tapping former top intelligence official to lead the forensic team looking into the circumstances surrounding the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in Tehran earlier this year, Global Affairs Canada said in a statement.
(2020-10-02). Will COVID Knock Out Trump's Campaign? truthout.org F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." The entirety of the Trump administration to date has been the unceasing experience of being simultaneously astonished and not at all surprised. | These two phenomena, like twirling planes in the air show of the mind, finally clipped wings in midair early this morning and went pinwheeling to the ground in a ball of fire and dus…
(2020-10-01). Assange's Seventeenth Day at the Old Bailey: Embassy Espionage, Contemplated Poisoning and Proposed Kidnapping. dissidentvoice.org September 30. Central Criminal Court, London. Today will be remembered as a grand expose. It was a direct, pointed accusation at the intentions of the US imperium which long for the scalp of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. For WikiLeaks, it was a smouldering triumph, showing that the entire mission against Assange, from the start, …
(2020-10-01). Lawyers, Politicians and Diplomats for Assange. globalresearch.ca Since brutally dragged from Ecuador's London embassy in April last year, confined to maximum security imprisonment, and subjected to guilt by accusation extradition hearings, establishment media have been largely silent about his state-sponsored crucifixion for the "crime" of truth-telling journalism….
(2020-10-01). Assange on Trial: Embassy Espionage, Contemplated Poisoning and Proposed Kidnapping. counterpunch.org September 30. Central Criminal Court, London. Today will be remembered as a grand expose. It was a direct, pointed accusation at the intentions of the US imperium which long for the scalp of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. For WikiLeaks, it was a smouldering triumph, showing that the entire mission against Assange, from the start,
(2020-10-01). Letter from London: The Surreal US Case Against Assange. globalresearch.ca The fox is guarding the henhouse and Washington is prosecuting a publisher for exposing its own war crimes. Alexander Mercouris diagnoses the incoherence of the U.S. case for extradition. | *** | Following the Julian Assange case as it has progressed through …
(2020-10-01). Reportback: Julian Assange Hearing On Tuesday September 29. popularresistance.org Tuesday has been another day on which the testimony focused on the extreme inhumane conditions in which Julian Assange would be kept imprisoned in the USA if extradited. The prosecution's continued tactic of extraordinary aggression towards witnesses who are patently well informed played less well, and there were distinct signs that Judge Baraitser was becoming irritated by this approach. The totality of defence witnesses and the sheer extent of mutual corroboration they provided could not simply be dismissed by the prosecution attempting to characterise all of them as uninformed on a particular detail, still les…
(2020-10-01). UC Global Employee Thwarted Plan To Spy On Assange. popularresistance.org An IT expert who worked for UC Global, the Spanish security company which engaged in an espionage operation against Julian Assange while he was in the Ecuador embassy, refused to install numerous microphones and camera systems with "streaming capabilities" because they believed it was illegal. | UC Global director David Morales was told Assange would discover the cameras were streaming in order to "restrain Morales." | "I did not want to collaborate in an illegal act of this magnitude," the IT expert referred to as "Witness #2" told a British magistrates' court during Assange's extradition trial.
(2020-10-01). National Security Journalism Is On Trial. popularresistance.org Few American media organizations seem to have noticed, but the U.S. Justice Department has spent the past few weeks trying to persuade the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales to extradite Julian Assange to the United States to face charges under the 1917 Espionage Act. The hearing is scheduled to wind down at the end of this week. At this point Assange has alienated pretty much everyone, including many erstwhile supporters, and few people on this side of the Atlantic seem troubled by his indictment or by the possibility that he will be extradited, tried, convicted, and imprisoned.