Daily Archives: December 15, 2020

2020-12-15: News Headlines

John Pilger (2020-12-15). The Most Lethal Virus is Not COVID. It is War. counterpunch.org In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Boris Johnson has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defence spending — a figure that would restore the under-resourced NHS many times over.

Global Research News (2020-12-15). Selected Articles: The Most Lethal Virus Is Not COVID. It Is War. globalresearch.ca By In ruling the NSA's mass surveillance program illegal, the court noted the indispensable role Snowden played in enabling the protection of Americans' …

Mustafa Abu Sneineh (2020-12-15). No, an Israeli company can't hack into Signal on your phone. middleeasteye.net No, an Israeli company can't hack into Signal on your phone | Cellebrite said its product can crack the messaging app, but its technology is not 'groundbreaking' according to experts | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 14: 24 | Grafitti urging people to use Signal, a highly encrypted messaging app, is spray-painted on a wall during a protest in Berkeley, California, 1 February 2017 (AFP) | Journa…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-12-14). Julian Assange: COVID Risks and Campaigns for Pardon. counterpunch.org Before the January 4 ruling of District Judge Vanessa Baraitser in the extradition case of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks publisher will continue to endure the ordeal of cold prison facilities while being menaced by a COVID-19 outbreak. From November 18, Assange, along with inmates in House Block 1 at Belmarsh prison in south-east London, were

Alan Macleod (2020-12-14). Left and Right Unite in Calls for Snowden Pardon Amid Speculation of a Trump Decision. mintpressnews.com While the idea of pardoning one of the most prolific whistleblowers of our era drew together an alliance of those on the left and right, the centrist establishment reacted with predictable vitriol to the idea.

MEE and agencies (2020-12-14). US removes Sudan's designation as state sponsor of terrorism. middleeasteye.net US removes Sudan's designation as state sponsor of terrorism | Move comes amid reports Khartoum threated to pull out of normalisation deal with Israel if process not completed by year's end | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 09: 28 | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, is seen with with Sudan Sovereign Council Chair General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Khartoum in August (AFP) | The United States on Mo…

Megan Sherman (2020-12-14). Julian Assange Is a Conscientious Objector. Time Will Vindicate Him. globalresearch.ca Julian Assange today, but the press is united in wilful ignorance of his plight. The dearth of stories about his show trial in a kangaroo court in London is evident. It has never been easier …

WSWS (2020-12-14). UN rapporteur Nils Melzer demands Assange's immediate release after ten years' arbitrary detention. wsws.org Melzer's statement was issued amid a major coronavirus outbreak in Belmarsh Prison, that threatens the WikiLeaks publisher's life, and in the lead-up to a ruling on his extradition to the United States.

Bay Action 2 Free Assange (2020-12-14). Thursday 12/17: FREE ASSANGE Stand for US HR 1175/1162: Drop Charges Against Assange & Snowden. indybay.org Vineyard Shopping Center -Grass Area- in Morgan Hill…

Labor Video Project (2020-12-14). Actions in SF, Oakland & San Jose To Demand Dropping Of Charges Against Assange/Snowden. indybay.org Speak-outs were held at the Congressional offices of Congresswomen Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren and the home of Nancy Pelosi on December 10 /11 to call for support for Congressional Resolutions 1175 and 1162 which called for dropping the charges against Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. A statement was already read by fomer OSHA WPP Investigator and lawyer Darrell Whitman representing Whistleblowers United.

_____ (2020-12-14). Max Blumenthal Meets Rafael Correa In Venezuela. popularresistance.org Max Blumenthal interviews former Ecuador President Rafael Correa, who was in Venezuela to observe its legislative elections and show support to a government under sustained economic and political attack by the US. | Correa addresses issues ranging from the repression in his country under the watch of its outgoing neoliberal president, Lenin Moreno, to the persecution of Julian Assange and the role of a CIA contractor in targeting him and the Wikileaks founder. | Blumenthal and Correa also discuss the prospect of a left-wing victory in Ecuador's upcoming national elections, and what the US-backed government is doi…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-12-14). Assange's Partner Decries 'Atrocious' Prison Conditions in Appeal for Australian Intervention. commondreams.org "The Australian government should just pick up the phone and speak to its closest allies and show its concern and secure his safe release," said Stella Morris. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/free_assange_extradition_0.jpg

sputniknews (2020-12-14). Foreigners and US Presidential Pardons: Julian Assange Could be the Latest in a Distinguished Line. sputniknews.com Australian MP George Christensen is seeking clemency for Julian Assange who has been charged for publishing classified material and faces a prison sentence of nearly 175 years. Assange is currently detained in the UK's Belmarsh Prison, awaiting a final decision on his extradition to the United States.

teleSUR (2020-12-14). Brazil's Supreme Court Demands a COVID-19 Vaccination Calendar. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Supreme Court judge Ricardo Lewandowski Sunday gave President Jair Bolsonaro's administration 48 hours to publish details of the national vaccination campaign against the new coronavirus. | RELATED: | His decision comes after the Executive presented a vaccination plan that did not specify the dates for the beginning and the closure of a national campaign nor the steps for ensuring the vaccination of 70 percent o…

commondreams (2020-12-14). ACLU Comment on Supreme Court Action on Kansas Voting Lawsuit. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Orinoco Tribune (2020-12-14). Venezuelan Gold Seized by the Bank of England: British Court Accepts Guaidó's Appeal. globalresearch.ca Thursday December 10 the British Supreme Court accepted the appeal issued by the lawyers of the opposition for exiting deputy Juan Guaidó, and ruled in favor of hearing his appeal regarding control of Venezuela's gold reserves, valued at $1.3 …

Staff (2020-12-14). The 126 GOP House Reps Who Tried to Overthrow Democracy Must Not Be Seated. truthout.org Merriam-Webster defines the word "treason" as "the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance." There are 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives who did just that in broad daylight last week. | Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's absurd attempt to overthrow the 2020 elections was flatly rejected on Friday night by the Supreme Court. Coming hard after that court's equally unequivocal dismissal of a Pennsylvan…

Jake Johnston (2020-12-14). What's in Haiti's New National Security Decrees: An Intelligence Agency and an Expanded Definition of Terrorism. cepr.net On November 26, 2020, the Haitian government published two decrees on national security. The first creates a new national intelligence agency, while the second greatly expands the definition of terrorism. Haitian president Jovenel Moise has been ruling by decree since January when the terms of parliament expired, and has used that power to consolidate the …

Max Blumenthal (2020-12-13). Rafael Correa on Venezuela, Assange, and 'preventing the total destruction of our homeland'. thegrayzone.com Max Blumenthal interviews former Ecuador President Rafael Correa, who was in Venezuela to observe its legislative elections and show support to a government under sustained economic and political attack by the US. Correa addresses issues ranging from the repression in his country under the watch of its outgoing neoliberal president, Lenin Moreno, to the persecution of Julian Assange and the role of a CIA contractor in targeting him and the Wikileaks founder. Blumenthal and Correa also discuss the prospect of …

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-12-13). GOP Lawmaker Claims 'Trump Is Listening to the Many of Us Who Are Urging Him to #PardonSnowden'. commondreams.org The NSA whistleblower has used his platform to pressure the president to pardon someone other than himself: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11753045951.jpg

Stephen Lendman (2020-12-13). US Supreme Court Backs "Grand Theft" Election 2020. globalresearch.ca On Friday, the Supreme Court declined to hear arguments in what may be remembered one day as the most significant political dispute in US history. | Texas et al v. Pennsylvania et al was the judicial equivalent of Hollywood's Godzilla v. …

Eric J Topol (2020-12-12). [Perspectives] Is my cough COVID-19? thelancet.com Imagine that even if you have no symptoms of COVID-19, the sound of your forced cough transmitted to your smartphone or smart speaker, processed by an algorithm, could provide a 98 ∑5% accurate diagnosis. That's what a study involving more than 4000 people suggested might be possible. And it could be done anytime, free of charge, with immediate turnaround of results. It's one of many proposed uses of artificial intelligence (AI) for COVID-19. However, such technology will clearly require further research and independent replication to be refined, accepted, or implemented.

Andrea Germanos (2020-12-04). "You Alone Can Save His Life": Snowden Urges Trump to Pardon Assange. theantimedia.com He's right, you know..

2020-12-15: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

The Most Lethal Virus is Not COVID. It is War
John Pilger | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-15
In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Boris Johnson has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defence spending — a figure that would restore the under-resourced NHS many times over.
counterpunch.org/2020/12/15/the-most-lethal-virus-is-not-covid-it-is-war/

No, an Israeli company can't hack into Signal on your phone
Mustafa Abu Sneineh | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-15
No, an Israeli company can't hack into Signal on your phone | Cellebrite said its product can crack the messaging app, but its technology is not 'groundbreaking' according to experts | Mustafa Abu Sneineh | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 14: 24 | Grafitti urging people to use Signal, a highly encrypted messaging app, is spray-painted on a wall during a protest in Berkeley, California, 1 February 2017 (AFP) | Journa…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/signal-israel-intelligence-cannot-hack-phone

Julian Assange: COVID Risks and Campaigns for Pardon
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-14
Before the January 4 ruling of District Judge Vanessa Baraitser in the extradition case of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks publisher will continue to endure the ordeal of cold prison facilities while being menaced by a COVID-19 outbreak. From November 18, Assange, along with inmates in House Block 1 at Belmarsh prison in south-east London, were…
counterpunch.org/2020/12/14/130999/

Max Blumenthal Meets Rafael Correa In Venezuela
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-12-14
Max Blumenthal interviews former Ecuador President Rafael Correa, who was in Venezuela to observe its legislative elections and show support to a government under sustained economic and political attack by the US. | Correa addresses issues ranging from the repression in his country under the watch of its outgoing neoliberal president, Lenin Moreno, to the persecution of Julian Assange and the role of a CIA contractor in targeting him and the Wikileaks founder. | Blumenthal and Correa also discuss the prospect of a left-wing victory in Ecuador's upcoming national elections, and what the US-backed government is doi…
popularresistance.org/max-blumenthal-meets-rafael-correa-in-venezuela/

John Pilger: The Most Lethal Virus Is Not COVID. It Is War
John Pilger | mintpressnews.com | 2020-12-14
In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Britain has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defense spending.
mintpressnews.com/john-pilger-lethal-virus-not-covid-war/273597/

Left and Right Unite in Calls for Snowden Pardon Amid Speculation of a Trump Decision
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-12-14
While the idea of pardoning one of the most prolific whistleblowers of our era drew together an alliance of those on the left and right, the centrist establishment reacted with predictable vitriol to the idea.
mintpressnews.com/left-right-unite-calls-for-snowden-pardon/273604/

Venezuelan Gold Seized by the Bank of England: British Court Accepts Guaidó's Appeal
Orinoco Tribune | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-14
Thursday December 10 the British Supreme Court accepted the appeal issued by the lawyers of the opposition for exiting deputy Juan Guaidó, and ruled in favor of hearing his appeal regarding control of Venezuela's gold reserves, valued at $1.3 …
globalresearch.ca/venezuelan-gold-seized-bank-england-british-court-accepts-guaido-appeal/5732135

Brazil's Supreme Court Demands a COVID-19 Vaccination Calendar
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-14
Brazil's Supreme Court judge Ricardo Lewandowski Sunday gave President Jair Bolsonaro's administration 48 hours to publish details of the national vaccination campaign against the new coronavirus. | RELATED: | President Luis Arce Travels to Brazil for Medical Check-up | His decision comes after the Executive presented a vaccination plan that did not specify the dates for the beginning and the closure of a national campaign nor the steps for ensuring the vaccination of 70 percent o…
telesurenglish.net/news/Brazils-Supreme-Court-Demands-a-COVID-19-Vaccination-Calendar-20201214-0006.html

The 126 GOP House Reps Who Tried to Overthrow Democracy Must Not Be Seated
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-14
Merriam-Webster defines the word "treason" as "the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance." There are 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives who did just that in broad daylight last week. | Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's absurd attempt to overthrow the 2020 elections was flatly rejected on Friday night by the Supreme Court. Coming hard after that court's equally unequivocal dismissal of a Pennsylvan…
truthout.org/articles/the-126-gop-house-reps-who-tried-to-overthrow-democracy-must-not-be-seated/

ACLU Comment on Supreme Court Action on Kansas Voting Lawsuit
commondreams.org | 2020-12-14
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/14/aclu-comment-supreme-court-action-kansas-voting-lawsuit?cd-origin=rss

Assange's Partner Decries 'Atrocious' Prison Conditions in Appeal for Australian Intervention
Brett Wilkins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-12-14
"The Australian government should just pick up the phone and speak to its closest allies and show its concern and secure his safe release," said Stella Morris. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/free_assange_extradition_0.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/12/14/assanges-partner-decries-atrocious-prison-conditions-appeal-australian-intervention?cd-origin=rss

Yankee Detectives Are Always on the TV
sputniknews.com | 2020-12-14
On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, including Pastor Mark Burns announcing on Twitter the pardoning of Julian Assange by President Trump, the Electoral College counting votes for the President, and the Washington Post announcing Russia's alleged hacking of US agencies.
sputniknews.com/radio-the-backstory/202012141081460687-yankee-detectives-are-always-on-the-tv/

UN rapporteur Nils Melzer demands Assange's immediate release after ten years' arbitrary detention
wsws.org | 2020-12-14