2019-10-24: News Headlines

Manuel García, Jr. (2019-10-24). I Rebel, Therefore We Exist. counterpunch.org When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke of her origins and family today (19 October 2019), I remembered my own story because they are so similar. My mother, too, is a lovely Puertorriqueña; I too was born in the Boogie-Town island stolen from the American Indians (Manhattan); we too lived in Parkchester, in the Bronx, in a basement More

The Canary (2019-10-24). Father of woman killed fighting against terrorists in Syria launches campaign to bring her body home. thecanary.co The father of the first British woman to die fighting against Daesh (Isis/Isil) in Syria has launched a campaign to bring his daughter's remains back to the UK.Dirk Campbell's daughter Anna travelled to Syria via Lebanon in 2017 to join Kurdish forces fighting in the north west city of Afrin.In March 2018, Campbell died after she was hit during Turkish air strikes while fighting with an all-female brigade of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).Anna Campbell (Family handout/PA)The 26-year-old was the eighth British citizen to die in the country but the first woman.Her father, a musician from Lewes in East…

The Canary (2019-10-24). Boris Johnson pulling out of appearance before senior MPs is 'unacceptable'. thecanary.co The prime minister's decision to pull out of an appearance before senior MPs with less than 24 hours' notice has been described as "extraordinary".Boris Johnson had been due to face questioning by the Commons Liaison Committee — made up of select committee chairmen — at Westminster on 24 October.But in a handwritten note to the chairwoman, Sarah Wollaston, he asked for a new date to be arranged for "five or six months" on from when he became prime minister.Wollaston said the public would have to "draw their own conclusions" on whether he refused because he is running scared. | Appalling that the PM is r…

Eric A. Gordon (2019-10-24). Los Angeles Master Chorale features 'Oceana' with lyrics by Pablo Neruda. peoplesworld.org LOS ANGELES—Two monuments of choral composition comprised the opening weekend of concerts in the Los Angeles Master Chorale's 2019-20 season. I attended the first of two performances, on Saturday, October 19. The two works were the Anton Bruckner Mass No. 3 in F minor, whose composition dates from 1867-68, an hour-long interpretation of the Roman …

Emile Schepers (2019-10-24). With conviction of president's brother, protest in Honduras reaches boiling point. peoplesworld.org Since the re-election of Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández of the right-wing National Party in 2017, mass protests have been ongoing in the streets of Honduran cities. That election was considered fraudulent by many, but now a court decision in the United States has added to the anger against Hernández, a close ally of the …

Jordan Davidson (2019-10-24). Trump air quality deregulation translates into more deaths. peoplesworld.org Tweeting that the U.S. has the cleanest air in the world does not make it so. Not only do we rank 10th, but a new study says that after steady improvement during the Obama-era, air pollution has gotten worse while Donald Trump has been president. The report issued by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that fine particle air pollution, known as PM2.5, …

Sara Flounders (2019-10-24). U.S. 'democracy' for $ale: Hong Kong protesters in NYC unmasked. workers.org 'Rally in a box' being unpacked, Oct. 13, New York City. I watched as a prefab "rally in a box" about Hong Kong opened up here on Oct. 13. I don't know if this rally was funded directly by the notorious U.S. National Endowment for Democracy, a congressionally funded agency . . . | Continue reading U.S. 'democracy' for $ale: Hong Kong protesters in NYC unmasked at Workers.org

Monica Moorehead (2019-10-24). LeBron James and the Hong Kong debate. workers.org Los Angeles Laker icon LeBron James received a major amount of criticism from bourgeois pundits for his Oct. 14 statements on a controversial Oct. 4 tweet from white general manager of the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey. As the Rockets, the Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets were in . . . | Continue reading LeBron James and the Hong Kong debate at Workers.org

RT (2019-10-24). Pence blasts US corporations for bowing to China — says they should bow to Washington instead. rt.com US corporations "should stand up for American values," but instead they are "wholly owned" by the "authoritarian regime" in China, Vice President Mike Pence said in a speech, singling out Nike and the NBA for criticism. | China has been trying to export its domestic censorship by playing on corporate greed and pressuring corporate America to toe the party line, the VP argued, in a speech on US-China relations on Thursday. As examples, he brought up the basketball league penalizing a manager after comments made in support of protesters in Hong Kong, at which Chinese authorities were offended. | "Some of the NBA…

Monica Moorehead (2019-10-24). New York forum / 'End sanctions on China & Zimbabwe!'. workers.org A Workers World Party forum on "Resisting Sanctions & U.S. Economic Warfare, from China to Zimbabwe" was held in New York City on Oct. 17, featuring two speakers. Omowale Clay, Oct. 17. Omowale Clay, a longtime leader of the December 12th Movement, has been a main organizer in building solidarity . . . | Continue reading New York forum / 'End sanctions on China & Zimbabwe!' at Workers.org

Staff (2019-10-24). Conflict Between Trump and Military-Diplomatic Establishment Is Full of Hypocrisy. therealnews.com We are living in a political world that seems turned on its head, with Democrats voting to stay in Syria and Republicans wanting to get out—but neither side is getting it right.

Eds. (2019-10-24). Syria: exposing western radical collaboration with imperialism. mronline.org Western radicals must take a consistent anti-imperialist position despite the internal contradictions or problems that exist within a state in the Global South. | Source

Sara Flounders (2019-10-24). U.S. anti-war movement should stay focused on getting U.S. out of Syria. workers.org Oct. 20 — The author visited Syria in 2014 and 2015 in small International Action Center solidarity delegations. At that time, no road in the country was safe and one-third of the population was displaced — taking refuge inside Syria or in surrounding countries. The schools, mosques, churches and community . . . | Continue reading U.S. anti-war movement should stay focused on getting U.S. out of Syria at Workers.org

Andre Vltchek (2019-10-24). The Last Moments of Indonesia as We Know It. dissidentvoice.org Student protests, West Papua independence struggle, monstrous forest fires, an assassination attempt against Coordinating Minister, sinking capital city, earthquakes and a collapsing economy — the increasingly religiously fundamentalist Indonesia is suddenly facing too many disasters. It cannot cope with any of them. ***** Nothing seems to be going well for Indonesia these days. People in …

Tim Libretti (2019-10-24). Trump needs to be brought to UN on charges of genocide. peoplesworld.org While the Turkish continue to deny this history to this day, in 1915 the nation of Turkey engaged in a genocide of the Armenian people. The mass killing reduced the Armenian population from two million to 400,000. The denial of genocide, of course, is nothing new; it has a long tradition at home in the …

teleSUR (2019-10-24). AOC Grills Facebook's Zuckerberg for 'Far-right Dinner Parties'. telesurenglish.net Facebook Inc CEO Mark Zuckerberg was grilled by progressive U.S. lawmakers asking questions on election interference, free speech, hate groups and fake news. | RELATED: | teleSUR English Removed From Facebook for Second Time | "In order for us to make decisions about Libra, I think we need to kind of dig into your past behavior and Facebook's past behavior with respect to our democracy," New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, before asking Zuckerberg when he had first…

Tom Anderson (2019-10-24). Turkey accused of spreading misinformation to force people out of their homes in northern Syria. thecanary.co Turkey has been accused of spreading misinformation aimed at forcing people to flee from their homes in northern Syria (aka Rojava). | Turkish-led forces invaded Rojava on 9 October. The NATO member has faced accusations of ethnic cleansing a…

Lynda Carson (2019-10-24). Activist claims CITES exemption for finished musical instruments may set a bad precedent. indybay.org The handmade guitar made by the author of this story around 34 years ago is partially made of East Indian rosewood and Brazilian rosewood. It would be confiscated by government officials if it was taken across an international border.

Robert C. Koehler (2019-10-24). Clinton, Stein, Gabbard, and the Deconstruction of RussiaGate. commondreams.org Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at Georgetown University September 27, 2019 in Washington, DC .Clinton delivered remarks before recognizing the winners of the 2019 Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards for Advancing Women in Peace and Security. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/clinton_gabbard_russiagate.jpg

Michael Jansen (2019-10-24). Lebanon Protest Movement: Demanding Total Change of State's Political Framework. globalresearch.ca Hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets and squares across Lebanon to call for the fall of the country's political class, which they accuse of looting the country. They also demand an end to the sectarian …

Stephen Lendman (2019-10-24). Tulsi a Russian Asset? Censored by Google and YouTube. globalresearch.ca Time and again, clear evidence proves democracy in America is pure fantasy — how it's been from inception, notably today under its money-controlled system, most politicians bought like toothpaste. | One-party rule with two extremist right wings serves privileged interests exclusively …

Andrew Korybko (2019-10-24). Bangladesh's Neo-Colonial Bondage to India Is at Risk of Breaking. asia-pacificresearch.com

Larry Romanoff (2019-10-24). History of Chinese Inventions. The Present and the Future. Recent Chinese State of the Art Innovations. globalresearch.ca China as a nation has the longest and by far the most vast record of inventions in the history of the world. It is now reliably estimated that more than 60% of all the knowledge existing in the world today …

Joseph Thomas (2019-10-24). US Agitators in Asia "United" over Hong Kong Chaos. globalresearch.ca Despite the chaos created across Hong Kong, the vast majority of the region's inhabitants do not support the growing violence nor do they benefit from it in any way. | As is typical in other regions of the world the US …

Staff (2019-10-24). Trump Brings the Troops Home… to Iraq. truthout.org "He does what he says he is going to do." This is the line I've heard time and again from Donald Trump's supporters in their seemingly endless quest to defend the indefensible. "He keeps his promises." | Unpacking this kind of enforced self-delusion is usually a challenge, given the fervency with which Trump's people cling to their cognitive dissonance regarding the man and his behavior. In the matter of Syria, the troops and the truth, however, Trump has lied in a way that even his most devout believers should find difficult to st…

teleSUR (2019-10-24). President Maduro Arrives for Non-Aligned Movement in Azerbaijan. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived Thursday in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to participate in the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which kicks off today and Friday. | RELATED: | NAM To Study Sanctions Effects by World Powers: Arreaza | Upon arriving, President Maduro said that "Venezuela is standing, vi…

Sara Flounders (2019-10-24). U.S. Anti-war Movement Should Stay Focused on Getting U.S. Out of Syria. globalresearch.ca Oct. 20 — The author visited Syria in 2014 and 2015 in small International Action Center solidarity delegations. At that time, no road in the country was safe and one-third of the population was displaced — taking refuge inside Syria …

Party for Socialism and Liberation (2019-10-24). Study Group "A New Phase in the Syrian War" indybay.org A'Roma Roasters Coffee, 95 5th St., Santa Rosa…

WSWS (2019-10-24). No to the German-European security zone in Syria! wsws.org The call by German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer for an international security zone in northern Syria marks a new stage in the revival of German militarism.

Staff (2019-10-24). Syria Says Turkish-Led Forces Attacked Its Troops. truthdig.com BEIRUT — Turkish forces and their allies attacked Syrian government troops in northeastern Syria on Thursday, killing some of them, and they also clashed with Kurdish-led fighters, the state news agency in Damascus and a war monitoring group said. | The fighting underscored the risks of violence as multiple and often opposing armed forces jostle for new positions in the tight quarters of the northeastern border zone. | Most worrisome has been the prospect of a collision between forces of the Syrian government and those backed by Turkey, which include Syrian rebel fighters and Islamic extremists opposed to P…

Staff (2019-10-24). Trump: The Job of Our Military Is Not to Police the World. truthdig.com In a statement on U.S. military operations in Syria, the president says, "We're getting out. Let someone else fight over this long blood-stained sand."

Staff (2019-10-24). Turkish Invasion of Syria Is Latest Chapter in History of US Betraying Kurds. truthout.org Janine Jackson: As we record on October 17, Turkey continues its offensive in northern Syria, a move seen as greenlighted by Donald Trump's early October removal of some US troops from the area. Trump's acti…

Pepe Escobar (2019-10-24). Vladimir Putin, Syria's Pacifier-in-Chief. globalresearch.ca The negotiations in Sochi were long — over six hours — tense and tough. Two leaders in a room with their interpreters and several senior Turkish ministers close by if advice was needed. The stakes were immense: a road map …

United Nations (2019-10-24). Security Council: UN welcomes efforts to de-escalate crisis in northeast Syria. un.org The United Nations welcomes efforts to de-escalate the crisis in northeastern Syria in the wake of Turkey's incursion, a senior official with responsibility for the region told the Security Council on Thursday.

Staff (2019-10-24). How the Reckless Use of US Military Power Caused Today's Syrian Kurdish Crisis. truthout.org President Trump has announced sanctions will be lifted on Turkey as a ceasefire remains in place in northern Syria, where Turkey invaded earlier this month after Trump withdrew U.S. troops. On Tuesday Turkey reached an agreement with Russia that would force Syrian Kurdish forces to retreat from a wide swath of the Syrian-Turkish border. The United Nations is reporting Turkey's offensive in northern Syria has displaced over 176,000 people, including nearly 80,000 children. The Turkish assault al…

Staff (2019-10-24). Why Did Republicans Storm a Closed Impeachment Hearing? truthout.org Republican lawmakers stormed a closed hearing room Wednesday, disrupting the House impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump and delaying a Pentagon official's testimony. In an extraordinary chain of events, dozens of Republican congressmembers pushed into a secure hearing room as Laura Cooper, the U.S. defense official who oversees Ukraine and Russia matters, was due to testify. A five-hour stand-off ensued. The spectacle unfolded one day after Tuesday's explosive testimony by William Taylor, the top U.S…

Philip A Farruggio (2019-10-24). Apocalypse Now? "War is Profitable" globalresearch.ca Every high school and college student, and all their parents and grandparents should watch Francis Ford Cappola's Apocalypse Now Redux. This is the 2001 re-cut and extended version of his 1979 classic of the same name. Set in Vietnam at …

WSWS (2019-10-24). Newly-inaugurated Indonesian president appoints notorious ex-general as defence minister. wsws.org Former special forces general Prabowo Subianto has a long history of human rights abuses and was intimately connected to the bloody Suharto dictatorship that ruled Indonesia for three decades.

United Public Workers For Action (2019-10-24). SF Solidarity Meeting For Iranian Workers. indybay.org Bernal Library | Community Room | 500 Cortland St. | San Francisco…

David Giesen (2019-10-24). Juggling Flaming Piranhas, or The Accidental Death of Leftie Politics: the walking tour. indybay.org the American Youth Hostel | 312 Mason Street | San Francisco | (meet in the lobby)…

Steve Rutchinski (2019-10-24). Canada's Seizure, Sale and Disbursement of Iranian Assets Are Acts of a Hooligan and Wrecker of International Law. globalresearch.ca Documents recently filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice reveal that some $30 million realized from the seizure and sale of Iranian government assets in Canada have been transferred to American families who filed for compensation under the Justice …

Manlio Dinucci (2019-10-24). Erdogan Wants the Bomb. globalresearch.ca "Some countries have nuclear missiles, but the West insists that we cannot have them. This is unacceptable": this statement by President Erdogan reveals that the crisis goes beyond that which began with the Turkish offensive in Syria. In Turkey, during …

Fred_F (2019-10-24). Australia must cut military ties with Turkey. greenleft.org.au international solidarity Zerebar KarimiIssue 1242 Australia Rojava Turkey SyriaOctober 24, 2019A few years ago the world was horrified when…

Anthony DiMaggio (2019-10-24). Don't Call it Ethnic Cleansing: Erasing Turkey's State Terrorism in Syria. counterpunch.org Turkey's incursion into northern Syria is a continuation of its longstanding policy of ethnic cleansing against the Kurds. This policy dates back decades, and is pursued in the name of fighting the "terrorism" of Kurdish nationalists who seek an independent Kurdistan. But Turkey's policies amount to a vicious form of state terrorism and collective punishment against an entire people. More

Staff (2019-10-24). Ending Endless War: Andrew Bacevich on How Reckless Use of U.S. Military Power Caused Today's Crisis. democracynow.org President Trump has announced sanctions will be lifted on Turkey as a ceasefire remains in place in northern Syria, where Turkey invaded earlier this month after Trump withdrew U.S. troops. On Tuesday Turkey reached an agreement with Russia that would force Syrian Kurdish forces to retreat from a wide swath of the Syrian-Turkish border. The United Nations is reporting Turkey's offensive in northern Syria has displaced over 176,000 people, including nearly 80,000 children. The Turkish assault also led to a number of former ISIS fighters escaping from jail in northern Syria. We speak with Andrew Bacevich, co-founde…

Staff (2019-10-24). GOP Lawmakers Disrupt Impeachment Hearing As More Damaging Details Emerge About Trump's Misconduct. democracynow.org Republican lawmakers stormed a closed hearing room Wednesday, disrupting the House impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump and delaying a Pentagon official's testimony. In an extraordinary chain of events, dozens of Republican congressmembers pushed into a secure hearing room as Laura Cooper, the U.S. defense official who oversees Ukraine and Russia matters, was due to testify. A five-hour stand-off ensued. The spectacle unfolded one day after Tuesday's explosive testimony by William Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. Taylor told congressional lawmakers that the Trump administration held up $…

Staff (2019-10-24). Headlines for October 24, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Lifts Sanctions on Turkey, Citing Ceasefire Agreement, Republican Lawmakers Disrupt Closed-Door Impeachment Hearing, Trump's Lawyer Argues the President Can't Be Prosecuted for Murder, Death Toll in Chile Protests Rises to 18 as Human Rights Groups Allege Torture, Spain Removes Remains of Francisco Franco from National Mausoleum, Julian Assange Appears Frail and Confused in London Court Hearing, 39 Bodies Found in Tractor-Trailer in Southeast England, Honduran Woman's Lawsuit Claims Years of Sexual Assault by ICE Agent, Immigrant Worker Injured in New Orleans Hotel Collapse Arrested by ICE, California Utili…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-10-24). 'Utterly Disqualifying': Pete Buttigieg Panned for Praising Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. commondreams.org Progressives on Thursday piled on Pete Buttigieg—the mayor of South Bend, Indiana and a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate—for praising former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in an interview with Cosmopolitan. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pete_buttigieg_0_0.jpg

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-10-24). "That's Not How We Defeat Trump": Biden Campaign, Reversing Course, Will Work With Super PACs. commondreams.org "The former Vice President has been unable to generate grassroots support, and now his campaign is endorsing an effort to buy the primary through a super PAC that can rake in unlimited cash from billionaires and corporations." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/biden_iraq.jpg

Andre Vltchek (2019-10-23). India is Confused: where does it go from here? dissidentvoice.org At J. Nehru University, most students know about China and Russia only from the BBC, Reuters and other Western media outlets. Even those individuals who claim they belong to the left are not immune; influenced mainly by the British propaganda. ***** It has been like this for years: usual confusion, all around India: tough nationalistic, …