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2020-07-14: News Headlines

Lawrence Wittner (2020-07-14). Humanity is an Endangered Species. dissidentvoice.org Have you noticed recently that things are collapsing? Sure, the right-wing, nationalist rulers of many countries never stop telling us that they have made their nations "great" again. But we would have to be dislocated from reality not to notice that something is wrong‚Äïvery wrong. After all, the world is currently engulfed in a coronavirus pandemic that has …

Eds. (2020-07-14). The parlous state of poverty eradication. mronline.org The world is at an existential crossroads involving a pandemic, a deep economic recession, devastating climate change, extreme inequality, and an uprising against racist policies. Running through all of these challenges is the longstanding neglect of extreme poverty by many governments, economists, and human rights advocates.

Reds in Ed (2020-07-14). Teachers demand COVID-19 containment before return to campuses. liberationnews.org "I think I need to draw the line at dying."

Eds. (2020-07-14). Collective care is our best weapon against COVID-19. mronline.org As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps around the world, statist and capitalist structures predictably continue to fail us in many ways. Underlying that failure is the stress on individual responses: stockpile, isolate, and care for yourself.

Sue Davis (2020-07-14). Supreme Court rules for religious right, against health care. workers.org After signing three progressive decisions in June, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts revealed his true conservative stripes July 8. Not only did he sign one ruling supporting so-called "religious rights," he signed two. Reproductive justice s outside SCOTUS to uphold access to contraception. March 23. The one potentially . . . |

Jonathan Cook (2020-07-14). 'Cancel Culture' Letter is About Stifling Free Speech, Not Protecting It. counterpunch.org An open letter published by Harper's magazine, and signed by 150 prominent writers and public figures, has focused attention on the apparent dangers of what has been termed a new "cancel culture". The letter brings together an unlikely alliance of genuine leftists, such as Noam Chomsky and Matt Karp, centrists such as J K Rowling and Ian

Patrick Cockburn (2020-07-14). Boris Johnson Should not be Making New Global Enemies When His Country is in a Shambles. counterpunch.org Antagonising China may not be wise, particularly as it's clear that dysfunctional leaders like Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro could not control an outbreak of acne.

Paul Street (2020-07-14). Sorry, the Chicago Blackhawks Need to Change Their Name and Logo. counterpunch.org "Fast Getting Rid of Those Demons in Human Shape" The great Sauk warrior Black Hawk, called Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak ("Black Sparrow Hawk") in the Algonquian language of his people, was born in 1767 in the glorious village of Saukenuk in the northwestern section of what later became the state of Illinois. In 1829, Black Hawk's Sauk band

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-07-14). India Should Not Participate in Washington-led Anti-China Coalition. globalresearch.ca For years, the US, Japan and India have maintained Malabar military exercises on an annual basis. As the US and Japan are absolutely aligned countries and India is a Washington regional strategic partner, the common objective of the three participants …

Steven Salaita (2020-07-14). Should We Cancel "Cancel Culture"? counterpunch.org Many champions of free speech are less into civil liberties than the preservation of a certain view of modernity. "Free speech," in its discursive form (the form it takes as a rhetorical ideal), can be a mechanism to discipline people who have long been voiceless. Beyond its legal dynamics, the term often reifies capitalist principles

John Feffer (2020-07-14). The Global Rushmore of Autocrats. counterpunch.org Donald Trump would dearly like to add his face to Mt. Rushmore as the fifth presidential musketeer. His fireworks-and-fury extravaganza on July 3 was the next best thing. Trump's dystopian speech was almost beside the point. Much more important was the photo op of his smirking face next to Abraham Lincoln's. More fitting, however, would

C. Douglas Lummis (2020-07-14). Pillar of Sand in Okinawa. counterpunch.org On 23 June, the House Subcommittee on Readiness passed its draft of H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY21. It included the following words: [T]he committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to the House Committee on Armed Services, not later than December 1, 2020, on the Futenma Replacement

Richard C. Gross (2020-07-14). The Crackdown on Foreign Students. counterpunch.org There must be something unusually cruel amid a worldwide plague in trying to force international students to take possibly dangerous in-person higher education classes or face losing their U.S. visas or being deported. Colleges and universities are considering online courses for the fall because of a rampant COVID-19 that won't recede. The Trump administration, as

Anthony DiMaggio (2020-07-14). Canceling the Cancel Culture: Enriching Discourse or Dumbing it Down? counterpunch.org To what extent do we as a society have a responsibility to entertain absurd claims, and how do we benefit from engaging in debates with bad-faith actors whose end goal is to obscure basic facts and truths? In such situations, engaging in extended debates doesn't enrich discourse — it makes people dumber by popularizing misinformation and ignorance. And that's exactly the point.

Frank Joyce (2020-07-14). Lift From the Bottom? Yes. counterpunch.org Some time ago, Rev. William Barber II, leader of the Poor People's Campaign, made a stunning point about the minimum wage: it has taken 400 years for it to go from $0/hour to $7.25/hour. Op Ed columnist Thomas Edsall recently wondered in the New York Times, Why Do We Pay So Many People So Little Money?

Dan Bacher (2020-07-14). California Regulators Approve 12 New Permits for Chevron to Frack in Kern County. counterpunch.org As Tribes, conservationists and environmental justice advocates were celebrating a federal ruling temporarily halting operations by the owners of the Dakota Access Pipeline, anti-fracking s in California were disturbed that California regulators are continuing to approve new permits for fracking in the San Joaquin Valley. The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CALGEM), the oil and gas

B. Nimri Aziz (2020-07-14). Soft Power: Americans in Its Grip at Home Must Face the Mischief It Wields by BNimri Aziz July 11/2020. counterpunch.org I suspect most Americans would approve of what they understand to be this nation's global cultural reach as expressed through its 'soft power'. A term coined by an American political scientist, soft power "involves shaping the preferences of others through appeal and attraction". Contrasted with coercive measures, it's achieved largely through cultural means, although nevertheless

Cesar Chelala (2020-07-14). What was lost when Ringling Bros. Left the Circus. counterpunch.org The business of America is show business, as the saying goes. Show business has slowly crept up into American politics creating a boundary difficult to define. After all, American show business is a greater manifestation of imperialism than the American military. And there was no better show in the United States than the Ringling Bros.

Tom Tomorrow (2020-07-14). America Is Headed Off a Cliff. thenation.com America Is Headed Off a Cliff…

Sonia Shah (2020-07-14). To Survive this Pandemic, We Will Need a New Language of Contagion. thenation.com To Survive this Pandemic, We Will Need a New Language of Contagion…

Leana Wen (2020-07-14). "We need to be doing this safely" zcomm.org As COVID Infections Soar, Trump Attacks Dr. Fauci, CDC & Pushes Schools to Reopen at All Costs…

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). Penatgon to hide realities behind warship incident. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 14 (MNA) — American analyst Stephen Lendman said that the realities behind USS Bonhomme Richard incident will never be determined as the the Pentagon is a lying machine like the White House, Congress, and press agent media.

Freedom Socialist Party (2020-07-14). Sunday 7/19: s of Color Speak Out on Systemic Racism in the Era of COVID-19. indybay.org Online. To register: http: //bit.ly/Demand-New-Normal…

RT (2020-07-14). California governor Newsom sends #RecallGavin2020 trending after new lockdown order shutters bars & restaurants. rt.com California Governor Gavin Newsom has kicked off a storm of criticism with a new statewide shutdown order, mandating that bars and restaurants, among other businesses, halt indoor operations amid a surge in coronavirus infections. | Announced at a press conference on Monday, the new order requires that bars across California shut down altogether, while restaurants, movie theaters, zoos, museums and a number of other establishments must suspend all business activities indoors. In a number of counties on the state's "monitoring list," gyms, places of worship, salons, malls and other facilities deemed non-critical…

RT (2020-07-14). Trump in the moon, but no sight of nursing homes: Cuomo stirs up controversy with bizarre poster hailing NY pandemic response. rt.com New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has rolled out a coronavirus-inspired poster to symbolize the state's battle against the pandemic, but the eccentric artwork — designed by the gov himself — soon became a source of mockery online. | The governor showed off the new poster during a press briefing on Monday, a busy image modeled after 19th century political cartoons, peppered with references to the virus and centered on a mountain symbolizing the state's "111 Days of Hell." Emblazoned across the top is a quote from none other than Cuomo himself, exclaiming "Wake Up America! Forget the Politics, Get Smart…

RT (2020-07-14). Bad hair day? Seattle business owner pressured into chopping dreadlocks following cries of 'cultural appropriation'. rt.com A small business owner in Seattle has been shamed into a makeover and a long public apology after an internet mob deemed her dreadlocks a form of 'cultural appropriation' — a charge some have dismissed as literal fashion policing. | In an Instagram post on Monday, Rachel Marshall, founder of Rachel's Ginger Beer in Seattle, penned a lengthy mea culpa apologizing for her "harmful" hairstyle, explaining she is now aware that African Americans are "discriminated against and mistreated for having dreadlocks" while vowing to lop off her own. | Selling good-tasting product is only half the win, says Rachel Mar…

The Canary (2020-07-14). Beijing accuses US of sowing discord with South China Sea comments. thecanary.co China has described the US's rejection of its maritime claims in the South China Sea as completely unjustified and accused America of attempting to sow discord between China and the Southeast Asian countries with which it has territorial disputes.The Chinese Embassy in Washington said on Tuesday that a statement issued by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deliberately distorts the facts and disregards the efforts of China and the others to achieve and stability in the South China Sea."The United States is not a country directly involved in the disputes. However, it has kept interfering in the issue," the em…

The Canary (2020-07-14). Stargazers urged to take in comet that will not return for 68 centuries. thecanary.co Stargazers have been urged to marvel at a newly discovered comet which is visible to the naked eye this month as it will not be coming back for another 6,800 years.The mountain-sized Neowise comet made its closest approach to the sun on 3 July and is now shining brightly in the night skies.PA news agency photographer Owen Humphreys captured images of the comet lined up with St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, at around 12.45am on Tuesday.The noctilucent clouds were a bonus for the photographer (Owen Humphreys/PA)He said: "It was a lot brighter than I thought it would be, and you could see it clea…

The Canary (2020-07-14). Pandemic has boosted support for Welsh independence, Plaid Cymru leader says. thecanary.co The coronavirus crisis has been a "game changer" in the argument for Welsh independence, Plaid Cymru's leader has said.Adam Price said a new "national consciousness" had been boosted by the Welsh government's contrasting pandemic response to the UK government.A motion has been tabled by Plaid in the Welsh Parliament to debate whether Welsh ministers should be given the right to call a referendum on independence in future, with permission currently needed from Westminster.Price said the motion, to be heard on Wednesday, was prompted by growing self-confidence in the nation due to its Covid-19 divergence from Engla…

The Canary (2020-07-14). Retailers and police urged to ensure shoppers in England wear face coverings. thecanary.co Retailers and police must both play a role in enforcing the use of face coverings by shoppers in England, a Cabinet minister has said after officers warned the law would be unenforceable.Environment secretary George Eustice also defended the delay in introducing the measure to combat the spread of coronavirus as the UK relaxes the lockdown.Health secretary Matt Hancock will announce in the Commons on Tuesday afternoon that anyone failing to comply with the order in England from 24 July could face a fine of up to £100.Ken Marsh, chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file offi…

Electromagnetic Sense Ireland (2020-07-14). "Thank You for Calling" Documentary: Unspoken Health Impacts of the Worldwide Mobile Phone Industry. globalresearch.ca Mobile telephony has quickly established itself worldwide as an irreplaceable communication technology. Similar to smoking, however, possible fatal consequences can only become apparent after decades of constantly increased exposure to radiation. | The documentary THANK YOU FOR CALLING by Klaus Scheidsteger …

Jo-Shing Yang (2020-07-14). The New "Water Barons": Wall Street Mega-Banks are Buying up the World's Water. globalresearch.ca Mega-banks and investing powerhouses such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, UBS, Deutsche Bank, the Blackstone Group, Allianz, and HSBC Bank, among others, are consolidating their control over water.

Michael Snyder (2020-07-14). "Tsunami of Job Losses": U.S. Economy Hasn't Experienced Anything Like This Since the 1930s Great Depression. globalresearch.ca The recession of 2008 and 2009 was bad, but it was nothing like this. Even though this new economic downturn is only a few months old, we are already seeing numbers that we haven't seen since the worst parts of …

Ali Salam (2020-07-14). Israeli Army Razes Land in Hebron, Bethlehem, Order Seizure of Land in Salfit. imemc.org The Israeli occupation authorities, on Monday, bulldozed large areas of Palestinian-owned cultivated land as well as an agricultural structure in al-Baq'ah area in Hebron, southern West Bank, the Palestinian Information Center reported. According to local sources, Israeli bulldozers accompanied by soldiers, razed three dunams of land planted with vegetables and …

Ali Salam (2020-07-14). Structures Demolished in Tulkarem, Demolition Orders Issued for Homes, Barns in Hebron. imemc.org Israeli bulldozers, Monday, demolished several Palestinian structures in Izbit Shufa neighborhood, southeast of Tulkarem city, in the northern occupied West Bank, the Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. An owner of one of the structures, Amer Hamed, told WAFA that Israeli forces accompanied a bulldozer into the neighborhood, and proceeded to …

Dean Baker (2020-07-14). It's Going to Be a Long and Harsh Recession: NYT Warns of Skills Gap. cepr.net When the unemployment rate goes up, a standard theme in the media is that workers don't have the right skills. We saw that yesterday in the New York Times when an article told us "The Pandemic Has Accelerated Demands for a More Skilled Workforce." It tells us how the growth of telecommuting in response to …

Fight Back (2020-07-14). Cop tells man he's about to kill, 'You're about to die, my friend'. fightbacknews.org Salt Lake City, UT – ers gathered in front of Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill's office, July 8, to demand justice for Bryan Valencia and Chad Breinholt and all victims of police violence. ers chanted, "Justice for Chad Breinholt!" and "Justice for Bryan Valencia," as posters with the same demands were hung on the DA's office building. | Utah Against Police Brutality (UAPB) called the rally to bring attention to these two local cases that have not had the same spotlight as some other local and national police killings. | Breinholt was killed by West Valley City police inside of West Valle…

Nan Levinson (2020-07-14). More Veterans in Congress Could Mean Fewer Wars. thenation.com More Veterans in Congress Could Mean Fewer Wars…

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). 'UN expert's report on Lt. Gen Soliemani arouses US wrath'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 14 (MNA) — Iranian FM Zarif said on Tuesday that the UN rapporteur report which described the assassination of Lieutenant General Soleiman as 'unlawful' move by the US, has provoked America's wrath.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). Iran records 2,521 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 14 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,521 people in Iran in the past 24 hours, said Iran's Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari on Tuesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). Only solution to Yemeni crisis to be political. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 14 (MNA) — Iranian FM Zarif and FM of Yemen's National Salvation Government Hisham Sharaf Abdullah hold talks via videoconference on regional and Yemeni issues, where Zarif said the only solution to the Yemeni crisis is political.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). Find the (best) Persian Restaurants in Toronto. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 14 (MNA) — As we see more and more Iranians migrating to Canada and Toronto, we should expect the number of Iranian entertainment venues, especially Persian Restaurants, to increase.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). CIA spy executed: Iran Judiciary. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 14 (MNA) — Iran's Judiciary Spokesman Gholam Hossein Esmaeili said that an individual, a Defense Ministry retiree, was executed last week due to his spying for the CIA.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). Iran, Russia discuss customs coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 14 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali held talks with Deputy Head of Federal Customs Service of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Ivin on the customs cooperation through videoconference.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). Ancient artifacts to be returned from Austria. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 14 (MNA) — Iran's head of International Affairs of Police and Director General of Interpol said on Tuesday that some Iranian ancient artifacts have been delivered to Iran's representative at the country's embassy in Vienna.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). Iran's human medicine production vol. hits 39% growth. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 14 (MNA) — Statistics of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade showed that human medicine production volume hit a 39.1 percent growth.

Mehr News Agency (2020-07-14). VIDEO: US Navy battles to save burning San Diego warship. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 14 (MNA) — Hundreds of firefighters battled through a second day from the air, land and water to save USS Bonhomme Richard, a ship at the US Naval base in San Diego which has caught fire on July 12.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-07-14). Prepare now for winter COVID-19 peak, warn infectious disease experts. imperial.ac.uk The UK must prepare now for a potential new wave of coronavirus infections this winter, says a new Academy of Medical Sciences report.

Labor Video Project (2020-07-14). Healthcare Workers, Covid & Black Lives Matter with Luci Riley NNU CNA Alta Bates Hospital. indybay.org WorkWeek interviews NNU CNA Peralta Bates nurse Luci Riley about the Covid-19 pandemic and the effect on Blacks and other minorities. She discusses the systemic racism in healthcare and the healthcare crisis.

Speak Out Now (2020-07-14). Saturday 7/25: COVID-19: A Natural Event But a Human Made Catastrophe (Online). indybay.org Online meeting, see website for details…

2020-07-13: News Headlines

Gerald Sussman (2020-07-13). The Russiagate Spectacle: Season 2? counterpunch.org If it's an election year, there must be a Russiagate story. The Clintons and their neoliberal progeny, including the current standard bearer for corporate liberalism, have turned the Democratic Party into a branch office of the Deep State Inc., whose propaganda drones, the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, and MSNBC act like hired guns for the Office of War Information.

Aaron Maté (2020-07-13). Max Blumenthal: 'Cancel Culture' hypocrites cancel open debate and foreign countries. thegrayzone.com Max Blumenthal says that signatories of the "Cancel Culture" letter fail to practice what they preach, while fueling an internecine…

Anya Parampil (2020-07-13). Exclusive: Bill Richardson undertakes private mission after State Dept abandons families of mercenaries detained in Venezuela invasion. thegrayzone.com The brother of Luke Denman, a former Green Beret detained after a failed invasion of Venezuela told The Grayzone ex-US…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-07-13). LancetGate: "Scientific Corona Lies" and Big Pharma Corruption. Hydroxychloroquine versus Gilead's Remdesivir. globalresearch.ca The campaign against HCQ is carried out through slanderous political statements, media smears, not to mention an authoritative peer reviewed "evaluation" published on May 22nd by The Lancet, which was based on fake figures and test trials.

Mitch Jones (2020-07-13). Better-Than-Before Climate Plans Still Aren't Good Enough. commondreams.org Sunrise Movement campaigners call on Democratic House members to back a Green New Deal. (Photo: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/covid-crisis-gnd_0.jpg

Howard Lisnoff (2020-07-13). Remembering the Nuclear Freeze Movement and Its Futility. counterpunch.org It's ironic that something that so much effort went into in the early 1980s came to amount to less than nothing. The problem with the movement to reverse the global arms race was that while it raised consciousness about nuclear war and nuclear proliferation, it made no demands on power. It was like a gigantic

Mike Whitney (2020-07-13). Children's Rights: Stop Fu**ing Around and Open the G**Damn Schools! globalresearch.ca Countries around the world are ignoring the media's fearmongering and starting to reopen their schools. This is a positive development which shows that the Coronavirus's psychic-grip on the population is gradually loosening. Once again, people are asserting control over their …

W. T. Whitney (2020-07-13). Oil Comes First in Peru, Not Coronavirus Danger, Not Indigenous Rights. counterpunch.org As of July 7, 10,772 people had died of COVID 19 infection in Peru, which is the 8th most severely affected country in the world. The actual toll is probably far greater, especially in Peru's Amazonian region. Indigenous inhabitants there, isolated from medical care, suffer from the pandemic and from an environment poisoned by oil extraction. Canadian oil company Frontera

Ishmael Reed (2020-07-13). Lin-Manuel Miranda's Perry Mason Moment. counterpunch.org We challenged Lin-Manuel Miranda's depiction of slave owners and brokers as abolitionists in his billion dollar plus musical "Hamilton, The Revolution," with our play, "The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda," in which Miranda is taught the truth by slaves, Native-Americans and others whose views are not represented in "Hamilton." The reviews of our play were mixed,

Jamal Rich (2020-07-13). The right to be radical: Uplifting the life of Claudia Jones. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The Claudia Jones School for Political Education and Black Women Radicals came together virtually on the evening of July 3rd to co-host an event uplifting the life and work of Black Communist Claudia Jones. Over 300 attendees from around the world attended the event, including scholars and s from Kenya, Toronto, London, Brazil, the Caribbean, …

Staff (2020-07-13). What's Behind Brazil's COVID-19 Disaster? therealnews.com Indigenous, poor, and working-class communities in Brazil are all under threat from COVID-19. One man is largely to blame for the country's pandemic disaster: President Jair Bolsonaro, who has just tested positive for the virus.

Raghav Kaushik — Arun Gupta (2020-07-13). On Coronavirus and the Anti-Police-Brutality Uprising. counterpunch.org An investigative reporter, Arun Gupta has been consistently ahead of the news. In September 2011, he founded The Occupy Wall Street Journal with the help of the Yes Men to help build support for the fledgling occupation in Zuccotti Park. During the 2016 presidential campaign, he warned that if elected Trump would carry out "the

Victor Grossman (2020-07-13). Has Germany finally had enough of U.S. bullying and militarism? peoplesworld.org BERLIN — Despite concern here about the continuing coronavirus danger, some still have an eye or an ear for new dangers on the international relations front. If they look and listen hard they are hearing an unusual tearing sound. It could be emanating from a recent development, the yet inconclusive but undeniable ripping apart of …

Ralph Nader (2020-07-13). The Enduring Case for Demanding Trump's Resignation. counterpunch.org Today's New York Times headline boldly exclaimed, "PRESIDENT IS 'NOT ABOVE THE LAW,' JUSTICES DECIDE." But then the Supreme Court majority found a way not to apply the law to Trump's defiance of Congress. Didn't this question get decided in 1776 and more formally in 1787 by our Founders? In obtaining information for overseeing the

Albert Bender (2020-07-13). Supreme Court's earthshaking decision: Eastern Oklahoma is still Indian Country. peoplesworld.org On Thursday, July 9, the U.S. Supreme Court fulfilled its legal duty and moral obligation and returned three million acres of eastern Oklahoma to the Muscogee Creek Nation (MCN). This is the area comprised of the original boundaries of the Nation under the Treaty of 1866. This is a gigantic legal step forward for Indigenous people not just in Oklahoma …

John Hawkins (2020-07-13). Mirror, Mirror on the World Who's the Darkest of Them All? dissidentvoice.org Dunbar's number, the famous estimate of how many relationships you can meaningfully maintain in life, is just 150. — Edward Snowden, Permanent Record (2019) I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together — The Beatles, "I Am The Walrus," (1967) Dot-Dash. Here-Gone. Off-On. In-Out/Out-In. One-Zero. 2B or …

Michael Berkowitz (2020-07-13). New documentary film on Congresswoman Barbara Lee: She speaks for me! peoplesworld.org On September 14, 2001, three days after New York City's Twin Towers were leveled by two hijacked airliners, with the building ruins still smoldering, 3000 dead, over 6000 injured, Congress met to consider President George W. Bush's request to wage war against the perpetrators. On the floor of Congress, speaker after speaker echoed the hurt, …

The Canary (2020-07-13). Sturgeon accuses UK Government of 'full-scale assault on devolution'. thecanary.co Nicola Sturgeon has accused Boris Johnson's government of launching a "full-scale assault on devolution" over plans for Westminster to regulate state subsidies after Brexit.Scotland's first minister warned that if decision-making powers over state aid were reserved to Westminster, it would be a "blatant move to erode the powers of the Scottish Parliament".But Downing Street said it has always considered "the regulation of state aid to be a reserved matter". | Make no mistake, this would be a full scale assault on devolution — a blatant move to erode the powers of the Scottish Parliament in key areas. If the…

Staff (2020-07-13). Headlines for July 13, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. & World Mark Record Number of New COVID-19 Cases, Trump Accuses CDC of Lying & Attacks Dr. Anthony Fauci , COVID-19 Death Toll at San Quentin State Prison Reaches Nine, JBS Meat Processing Workers Stage Wildcat Strike, 300 Workers Infected, 4 Die at Los Angeles Apparel Factory, Mexico's COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 35,000, Surpassing Italy as World's Fourth Highest, India, Hong Kong, Colombia Reimpose Lockdowns Amid New Surges, Trump & DeVos Threaten to Cut Funding If Schools Stay Closed During Pandemic, Trump Commutes Sentence of Friend & Adviser Roger Stone, Washington Rdskns to Change Name; Will the Chiefs Be…

Staff (2020-07-13). As COVID Infections Soar, Trump Attacks Dr. Fauci, CDC & Pushes Schools to Reopen at All Costs. democracynow.org As the world and the United States shatter the daily records of COVID-19 infections, President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos continue to push for public schools to reopen in the fall without a plan to adhere to CDC guidelines. "We need to be doing this safely," responds emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen. "We've already seen what happens when we use shortcuts." Meanwhile, the White House continues to attack the nation's top infectious disease specialist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Wen says, "I fear that at this point we are not even seeing the peak of this epidemic."

Staff (2020-07-13). Disability Rights s Take On Twin Pandemics of Racist Police Brutality & COVID-19. democracynow.org Two months after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked an international uprising, we look at the underreported but devastating impact police violence has on people with disabilities, especially Black disabled people. According to at least one study, up to one-half of people killed by law enforcement in the U.S. have a disability. "People with disabilities have always been attacked by police. And people with disabilities and poor people have our own answers," says Leroy Moore, a Black disabled and artist, POOR Magazine co-founder and founder of the Krip-Hop Nation. "Our own answer is t…

Staff (2020-07-13). Attempted Lynching in Indiana. No Arrests? Meet the Survivor: Human Rights Commissioner Vauhxx Booker. democracynow.org We go to Bloomington, Indiana, to speak with the African American human rights commissioner for Monroe County, Vauhxx Booker, who says he survived an attempted lynching when a group of white men pinned him against a tree over the Fourth of July weekend. "You have to be aware of George Floyd and how many other Black folks in our history have heard their executions spoken before them in real time," Booker recalls. "I felt myself want to cry out 'I can't breathe' with these men on top of me, and I just couldn't say the words." Police were called, but no arrests were made. "These men remain loose in my community," sa…

pip.hinman (2020-07-13). Guard tests COVID-19 positive at refugee detention hotel. greenleft.org.au

_____ (2020-07-13). Chris Hedges: Don't Be Fooled By The Cancel Culture Wars. popularresistance.org The cancel culture — the phenomenon of removing or canceling people, brands or shows from the public domain because of offensive statements or ideologies — is not a threat to the ruling class. Hundreds of corporations, nearly all in the hands of white executives and white board members, enthusiastically pumped out messages on social media condemning racism and demanding justice after George Floyd was choked to death by police in Minneapolis. Police, which along with the prison system are one of the primary instruments of social control over the poor, have taken the knee, along with Jamie Dimon, the ch…

RT (2020-07-13). Donald Trump Jr is lambasted on Twitter for his book cover — and it's not the title, 'Liberal Privilege,' that did it, but a TYPO. rt.com The US president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, has triggered Democrats once again. But not, as you might think, with the title of his new book, 'Liberal Privilege,' but over what looks to be a glaring typo on its cover. | "Joe Biden and the Democrat's Defense of the Indefensible," reads the subtitle of the book, an image of which the author shared online over the weekend. | Unless Trump Jr is using "Democrat" to refer solely to Biden, or the political party as a category, the apostrophe should come at the end of the word, as a possessive plural — as legions of detractors on social media were quick to poi…

RT (2020-07-13). NBA blasted after viral video shows ban on custom 'FREE HONG KONG' jerseys but no ban on other contentious messages. rt.com The NBA is once again being accused of bowing to China, after a viral video revealed its website does not allow custom jerseys with the phrase "Free Hong Kong," but has no problem with plenty of other disruptive messages. | "The NBA bans you, the fan, from putting #freehongkong on customized league jerseys even as they allow players to wear customized jerseys," journalist Clay Travis tweeted on Sunday. | Travis Included a video actually showing the merchandising section of the website rejecting the phrase. Numerous people took to social media to give other firsthand accounts of the site not allowing the messag…

RT (2020-07-13). 'You should be ashamed': Obama's ex-adviser slammed for celebrating NYC triumph over Covid 'from the epicenter to zero deaths!'. rt.com A former adviser to Barack Obama is being slammed for a "ghoulish" tweet celebrating the "short term sacrifices" New York City made to go from the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic to having a day with no new recorded deaths. | "From the epicenter to zero deaths. Short term sacrifice saves lives!!!" Valerie Jarrett tweeted on Saturday evening, in reaction to a story declaring the fact that the previous day included no new coronavirus deaths in New York City. | From the epicenter to zero deaths. Short term sacrifice saves lives!!!

RT (2020-07-13). 'Everyone is lying': Outrage after Trump retweets TV host who said there's a Covid-19 conspiracy to make him lose election. rt.com TV personality Chuck Woolery ignited uproar after claiming there was a conspiracy afoot to distort the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in order to make Donald Trump lose November's election, a tweet the president then reposted. | "The most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19," the game-show host tweeted on Sunday, adding that "everyone is lying" about the pandemic. | According to Woolery, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Democratic Party, the media and "most" doctors are all in on the anti-Trump conspiracy. By exaggerating the direness of the pandemic, they are trying to "keep…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-07-13). "No Return to the 'Old Normal' for Foreseeable Future," Warns WHO Chief. commondreams.org "If the basics aren't followed, there is only one way this pandemic is going to go. It's going to get worse and worse and worse." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/who_coronavirus-no-returning-normal.jpg

_____ (2020-07-13). Trump Is Trying to Hide U.S. and Israeli War Crimes by Attacking the International Criminal Court. strategic-culture.org Marjorie COHN | A war crimes

RT (2020-07-13). First federal execution in US in 17 years STOPPED by judge hours before being carried out. rt.com A judge in Washington DC has ordered a delay in the execution of convicted murderer Daniel Lewis Lee. It would have been the first federal execution carried out in the US in more than 17 years, had it gone ahead. | Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled on Monday to postpone the executions of several death row inmates until further notice to allow legal challenges to the lethal injection procedure, which is used for federal executions. | Read more | | Le…

The Canary (2020-07-13). The hopes of equal marriage rights in Russia crushed by constitutional amendment. thecanary.co Same-sex couples in Russia are frustrated by a recent constitutional amendment stipulating that marriage is between a man and a woman.The 1 July decision by voters to approve a series of constitutional proposals means they will not be allowed rights common for married couples.These include the right to refuse to give evidence against their partner in court, the right to inherit from each other automatically, and the right to see each other in hospitals that only allow visits by family members.One couple, Irina and Anastasia Lagutenko, held their own personal same-sex ceremony. They have a son Dorian, who was born…

Ali Salam (2020-07-13). MADA: 58 Violations Against Palestinian Media Freedoms in June. imemc.org June 2020 witnessed a surge of violations against media freedoms in Palestine, most of which were committed by the Israeli authorities and its military forces, Palestinian News Network reported. The Palestinian Center for Development & Media Freedoms "MADA" has documented a total of 58 infringements, 48 of which were committed …

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-13). China and Iran Deepening Bilateral Ties. A 25-Year Strategic Partnership. globalresearch.ca In contrast to endless US war on humanity, China, Russia, Iran, and other nonbelligerent nations on its target list for regime change pursue cooperative relations with other countries — hostility toward none. | For some time, China and Iran have been …

Seymour M. Hersh (2020-07-13). Remember My Lai: GIs Call Viet Killings 'Point-Blank Murder'. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published on cleveland.com in November 2009, updated in January 2019. | Three American GIs who participated in March 1968 attack on "Pinkville" said in interviews released yesterday that their Army combat unit perpetrated, in the words of …

WSWS (2020-07-13). Far-right Vox party to launch fascist trade union in Spain. wsws.org Vox intends to exploit the reactionary role played by Spain's main unions, which support the austerity policies of the ruling Podemos and Socialist parties.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-13). Progressive youth in Frankfurt honor memory of victims of right-wing violence. peoplesdispatch.org The commemoration was held on the second anniversary of the verdict in the case of the racist murders committed by the neo-nazi group, National Socialist Underground (NSU), in Germany…

Fight Back (2020-07-13). Texas s demand: 'Junk Philippine terror law'. fightbacknews.org Houston, TX – On July 8, s with Malaya-Texas and Bayan, U.S.-based Filipino organizations, held events across the state of Texas against the repressive legislation enacted in the Philippines – the Republic Act 1147, also called Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. | In Houston, s publicly spoke against the measure and handed out flyers condemning Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte's July 3 signing of the law. The organizers, along with allies of the Philippine struggle for social and national liberation, including from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), then dropped a banner from Montrose bri…

Freedom Socialist Party (2020-07-13). Sunday 7/19: s of Color Speak Out on Systemic Racism in the Era of COVID-19. indybay.org Online. To register: http: //bit.ly/Demand-New-Normal…

The Canary (2020-07-13). Asda begins Supreme Court equal pay fight with supermarket staff. thecanary.co Asda bosses have begun a Supreme Court equal pay fight with supermarket workers. More than 30,000 Asda store workers, most of whom are women, have brought equal pay claims. They follow complaints that staff working in distribution depots unfairly get more money. | Five Supreme Court justices on Monday 13 July began to consider whether Asda supermarket staff were entitled to compare themselves to distribution staff for equal pay purposes. | Comparable roles, disparity in pay: | In 2016, an Employment Tribunal judge decided that supermarket staff were entitled to compare themselves. That decision was upheld…

yenisafak (2020-07-13). Indian court declines to restrict Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir. yenisafak.com Amid the surge in coronavirus cases and deaths, the Indian Supreme court on Monday declined to restrict Hindu pilgrimage in Indian-administered Kashmir."Whether pilgrimage is held should be left with the local administration to decide and not for the court. Undoubtedly any decision arrived must be based on law and all relevant statutory provisions," ruled a three-member bench of the apex court.The plea seeking restrictions on the entry of devotees in view of the current pandemic situation was filed by Shri Amarnath Barfani Langars Organization, a non-profit association engaged in providing various services during…

WSWS (2020-07-13). Special Forces commander admits Australian troops committed war crimes in Afghanistan. wsws.org The systematic killings and other abuses are the inevitable product of the colonial-style invasions and occupations mounted by the US and its allies.

Deborah James (2020-07-13). Digital Trade Rules: a Disastrous New Constitution for the Global Economy Written by and for Big Tech. counterpunch.org The largest corporations in the history of the world ― Amazon, Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft ― are seeking to use "trade" rules to rig the rules of the global (digital) economy to enable them to collect more data, exercise more control over our lives and over their workers, and amass ever more profit. More

Sam Pizzigati (2020-07-13). Will the Biden-Sanders Economic Task Force Rattle the Rich? counterpunch.org How much more unequal has the United States become in the Trump years? We don't exactly know. We have some juicy anecdotal data — billionaires, for instance, have increased their net worth by $600 billion or so just since mid-March — but broader national stats won't be available until well into 2021. The more pressing

Sam Pizzigati (2020-07-13). Will the Biden-Sanders Economic Task Force Report Rattle the Rich? zcomm.org Wish-lists of progressive public policies never change the world. But they sometimes do excite the people who can…

Leonardo Flores (2020-07-13). VenezolanosConBiden and MAGAzuela: Two sides of the same coin. mronline.org The Biden campaign recently held an event outlining the presidential hopeful's "vision for Venezuela." Spoiler alert: it barely differs from President Trump's.

John Buell (2020-07-13). Unless We Take Urgent Action, Covid-19 Won't Be the Last Virus That Jumps From Animals to Humans. commondreams.org With tens of billions of nonhuman animals either hunted or farmed in the world's current world system of food production, future pandemics are all but certain. (Photo: Tim Geers/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/5378570040_e5f811f068_b-2_0.jpg

WSWS (2020-07-13). US Catholic Church received at least $1.4 billion through "small business" loan program. wsws.org Special provisions in the CARES Act as well as executive exceptions allowed the largest religious organization in the world to receive government funds.

Andy Rowell (2020-07-13). As the Arctic Burns, Trump Bailouts Fossil Fuel Industry with Billions. globalresearch.ca The Arctic is once again on fire. And the extremely warm temperatures in the region — and concurrent wildfires — are another urgent reminder that we need to divest from fossil fuels as soon as possible. | They are a pressing …

Peter Bolton (2020-07-13). Trump's latest move shows that the US government is degenerating into a glorified crime family. thecanary.co US President Donald Trump recently