2021-02-04: News Headlines

Juan Cole (2021-02-04). After Years of Outrage Politics, RepubliQans have surrendered to the Neo-Nazi Conspiracy Theorists. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — From Sarah Palin's alarmist and mendacious charge of death panels in the Affordable Health Act to Benghazi, where the smarmy Mike Pompeo tried to hang a terrorist attack around the neck of secretary of state Hillary Clinton (who was not in charge of military or intelligence decisions), the brand of …

Pip Hinman (2021-02-04). Surveillance, encryption, security and Huawei. greenleft.org.au Whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed back in 2013 the breadth and scale of the United States government's internet surveillance program. Ernst Merkenich argues that it is only increasing.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-03). Philippines apex court kicks off hearings on anti-terror law. peoplesdispatch.org The Supreme Court has begun hearing oral arguments on over three dozen petitions filed against the Anti-Terror Act passed by the Rodrigo Duterte government in July 2020…

Edward Curtin (2021-02-03). Indonesian Slaughter, Allen Dulles, and the Assassination of JFK. dissidentvoice.org Before I digress slightly, let me state from the outset that the book by Greg Poulgrain that I am about to review is extraordinary by any measure. The story he tells is one you will read nowhere else, especially in the way he links the assassination of President Kennedy to former CIA Director Allen Dulles …

RT (2021-02-03). Supreme Court pauses Trump immigration cases, as Biden plans to overturn Trump policies & orders a review of 'kids in cages'. rt.com The US Supreme Court has canceled arguments on two Trump-era immigration and border security cases, as President Joe Biden eases Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" policies. However, the controversial detention of minors continues. | The cases related to Trump's use of military funding to build his long-promised wall on the US-Mexico border, and his "remain in Mexico" asylum policy that required Central American migrants to wait in Mexico while their US asylum claims were processed. Both cases had been challenged by lower courts, and the Supreme Court was preparing to hear oral arguments in their favor until the…

Melvin Goodman (2021-02-03). How to Question William Burns, Biden's Pick to Head the CIA. counterpunch.org In virtually all previous confirmation hearings, there were virtually no probing questions on CIA transgressions or the purpose, role, and even necessity of the CIA in…

Ralph Nader (2021-02-03). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. commondreams.org Allowing the Trumpian half of his brain to overpower his judgment and vote to acquit Dangerous Donald would spell disaster for the Republican Party (assuming the Democratic Party doesn't go to sleep as it did after Obama's win in 2008). | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/mcconnell_biden_0.jpg

Simon Davis-Cohen, Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin (2021-02-02). Biden's Executive Order on Climate Crisis Exposes Need for Constitutional Change. commondreams.org Demands to abolish the Electoral College and restructure the U.S. Supreme Court can be pegged to substantive constitutional change. It's the role of movements to demand and make changes to the "applicable law," and its interpretation. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/biden_drilling_fossil_fuels.jpg

Cassandra Stubbs (2021-02-02). Atrocities of the Federal Death Penalty. aclu.org In just six months, the federal government conducted an unprecedented, unjust, and unlawful execution spree, taking the lives of 13 people. The record of injustice in those cases — the compelling claims for mercy and legal relief by those executed and the denial without fair consideration by the executive branch or by the Supreme Court — underscores the urgency for President Biden to grant row-wide clemency to the 49 people on the federal death row. | Although it was William Barr and Donald Trump who scheduled and pushed these executions amidst a deadly pandemic, it was the U.S. Supreme Court that fac…

Steph Black (2021-02-02). Reproductive Rights: The Nationwide State of Play. progressive.org Between a pro-choice President and a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, there are many factors that could change domestic and global abortion rights.

Jon Skolnik (2021-02-02). Trump still has access to classified intelligence briefings. Biden's White House could cut him off. salon.com "It's something, obviously, that's under review," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said of Trump's…

news.un (2021-02-02). The decision to designate the Houthis (Ansar Allah) a foreign terrorist organization, and how it's impacting the United Nations. news.un.org On 10 January, the former United States Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, announced the designation of the Houthis (Ansar Allah) as a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist entity. The designation entered into effect on 19 January.

Grant Molen (2021-02-02). White or Wealth Supremacy? realprogressives.org The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 authorized the dissemination of US state department propaganda to foreign nations deemed a threat to American democracy. This act has been a useful tool for intelligence operatives who have repeatedly sought to stamp out populist revolutions in countries with access to valuable natural resources. Through the spread of propaganda and the arming of US aligned insurgency groups, the US has been able to foment confusion and discord in foreign populations resulting in unwinnable political battles, power struggles and weak leadership representing the working people's interests. In the pow…

_____ (2021-02-01). Afghanistan War Exposed: An Imperial Conspiracy. popularresistance.org The perpetual occupation of Afghanistan has become so normalized and mostly serves as background noise to Americans -it's even jokingly referred to as the "forever war" – accepted as just a constant reality. A soldier dies now and again. A couple dozen civilians get killed in another bombing. It's never enough to stir the population to pressure Washington to stop it. The endless war drags on. | Abby Martin covers the whole truth about the Afghanistan War, from the CIA construct of the 80's through today's senseless stalemate. Two decades, three administrations, tens of thousands of lives; it's time to #EndTheFore…

Mustafa Abu Sneineh (2021-02-01). Chinese investment in Haifa port could compromise US-Israel intelligence sharing: Report. middleeasteye.net Chinese investment in Haifa port could compromise US-Israel intelligence sharing: Report | A pro-Israel think tank expressed concern over Chinese investment in Israel, including proximity of Chinese company to US Sixth Fleet in Haifa | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 14: 15 | A general view of the city of Haifa and an Israeli military ship sailing in the Mediterranean Sea on 17 July 2019 (AFP)…

Conor Monighan (2021-02-01). General Warrants to Hack Computers Unlawful: Privacy International v IPT. ukhumanrightsblog.com In Privacy International v Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the Divisional Court held that s.5 Intelligence Services Act 1994 does not permit the government to issue general warrants to engage in computer network exploitation ("CNE") — more commonly known as computer hacking. The court also offered valuable guidance on warrants and what is required to make them lawful. …

yenisafak (2021-02-01). Uganda's presidential election challenged in court. yenisafak.com Recent presidential elections in Uganda, won by President Yoweri Museveni, have been challenged in the country's top court by opposition leader Bobi Wine.Ugandan pop music star Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, Monday challenged the recent presidential elections in Supreme Court.The East African country's Electoral Commission on Jan. 16 announced Yoweri Museveni as the winner in the elections held on Jan. 14 followed by Bobi Wine, who refused to concede defeat.His legal team comprising over 10 lawyers is led by Medard Ssegona and Anthony Wameri.Briefly addressing the media outside the court, Medard…