(2019-12-23). Impeachment Indicts Both Parties and Clarifies Our Tasks for 2020. dissidentvoice.org 
The Democratic Party's electoral strategy of impeaching Donald Trump is backfiring. Before impeachment, Trump was losing to each of the leading Democrats, but the latest USA Today/Suffolk University poll finds for the first time Trump defeating all of the leading Democratic candidates. Gallup reports that Trump's approval has risen by six points since the launch of the impeachment inquiry. …
(2019-12-23). Americans Are Ready for a Different Approach to Nuclear Weapons. dissidentvoice.org 
Although today's public protests against nuclear weapons can't compare to the major antinuclear upheavals of past decades, there are clear indications that most Americans reject the Trump administration's nuclear weapons policies. Since entering office in 2017, the Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran, scrapped the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia, and …
(2019-12-23). The vanguard of Chavism has a woman's face: A chronicle of their resistance in 2019. mronline.org 
In the middle of the year, we Venezuelans received a visit from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michel Bachelet, on the occasion of meeting with the different political actors in the country to "evaluate" the complex economic and social environment brought about by the White House's decision. | Source
(2019-12-23). Blood Memory Rising, Book Review of Standing with Standing Rock. indybay.org 'Standing with Standing Rock,' is an encyclopedia of resistance, which chronicles the Water Protector movement from the first run to Washington, and on to the camps, and the surveillance by TigerSwan, to the ultimate international divestment campaign. In its 29 chapters are poetry, essays and discussions of Indigenous rights and Treaties.
(2019-12-23). The Impeachment's Moral Hypocrisy. truthdig.com The impeachment process was a nauseating display of mortal hypocrisy. The sound bites by Republicans and Democrats swiftly became predictable. The Democrats, despite applauding the announcement of the voting results before being quickly silenced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, sought to cloak themselves in gravitas and solemnity. Pelosi's calculated decision to open the impeachment proceedings with the 1954 "under God" version of the Pledge of Allegiance was an appropriate signal given the party's New McCarthyism. The Democrats posited themselves as saviors, the last line of defense between a constitutional democr…
(2019-12-23). Muhammad Ali an activist to help MIAs/POWs in Vietnam. indybay.org Cathy A. Lundy was only around 4 years old when she was aboard the Yacht Sequoia as a guest of former disgraced President Richard Nixon (a.k.a. Tricky Dick). Unfortunately, her father was reported killed in action in Laos during the Vietnam War during 1970. The cruise certificate hangs on the wall of my apartment. Photo by Paulo Kesete…
(2019-12-23). How the Pro-War "Left" Fell for the Kurds in Syria. dissidentvoice.org The October decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw American troops from northeastern Syria did not only precipitate the Turkish offensive, codenamed 'Operation Peace Spring', into Kurdish-held territory which followed. It also sparked an outcry of hysteria from much of the so-called "left" that has been deeply divided during the 8-year long conflict over …
(2019-12-23). Why Did Labour Win in My Hometown, But Lose Across the Rest of the UK? counterpunch.org I live in Canterbury, where the Labour MP Rosie Duffield increased her slim majority tenfold in the general election. Given Labour's defeat in almost all of the rest of the UK, it's worth considering why this happened,. A prime reason Duffield retained her seat is that that Labour had the support of a rickety but More
(2019-12-23). Australian fires bring growing global climate crisis into stark relief. wsws.org The catastrophic fires in Australia follow blazes that have engulfed large areas of California, Siberia, Borneo and the Amazon.
(2019-12-23). In Praise of Home Delivery Culture. counterpunch.org Writing at Reason magazine, Liz Wolfe lauds home delivery culture — the increasing tendency of Americans to Netflix and chill while relying on Amazon Prime, Instacart, Grubhub, and other services to drop the goods we consume off on our front porches. Wolfe nails some of the individual benefits, and beneficiaries, of this "late-stage capitalism" phenomenon. More
(2019-12-23). Buffy Sainte Marie Truthtelling Indigenous Genocide. indybay.org Buffy Sainte Marie described the genocide, slavery, murder and rape of Indigenous Peoples, that the kings and queens, military, churches and banks are responsible for, speaking with AIM West's Tony Gonzales, during the 50th Anniversary of the Occupation of Alcatraz.
(2019-12-23). Climate Strike: SF Bay Area Youth Strike in Oakland. indybay.org Plaza outside Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612…
(2019-12-23). Indo-Pak Nuclear Confrontation: First Use Policy and the Race Towards Armageddon (Part Two). counterpunch.org Click here to read Part One. Quixotic Plans In the background of the persistent attempts to change the NFU policy, one may also focus attention on what may be termed as policies for facing…
(2019-12-23). The Revolution and the Land: Peruvian documentary about agrarian reform in the 1960s and '70s attracts great interest. wsws.org The documentary brings to life the centuries-long exploitation of the indigenous Peruvian peasantry, but fails to provide a coherent political analysis of the rise and fall of Gen. Velasco's regime.
(2019-12-23). Keep Your Head Down; Keep Your Passport Current. counterpunch.org Maybe it's the frontier ethos or lots of consumer goods to buoy our psyches for those who remain on the US left with still-functioning minds and who have learned to produce ever-new scenarios in which the systems we now live under will somehow be reformed and work for the betterment of the [all] species. In More
(2019-12-23). Michael L. Cantor mocks the artwork of the Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates. indybay.org In a shocking email further below, Michael L. Cantor, director of FE Partners LLC, the owner of the former Presidential Yacht Sequoia, mocks the artwork of the Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates with condescension and derision towards the much coveted historical Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates!
(2019-12-23). The 2010 — 2020 UN News Decade in Review, part one. news.un.org The teenage years of the Twenty-First Century are nearly over and, as we prepare to enter the 2020s, UN News takes a look back at some of the big stories on our global patch, that unfolded between 2010 and 2019: welcome to our three-part Decade in Review. | In part one, which takes in the period between 2010 and the end of 2013, we focus on the devastating Haiti earthquake, the beginning of the ongoing Syrian conflict, the inspiring work of Malala Yousafzai in favour of girls' education, and the creation of what has now become "the world's most dangerous UN mission", in Mali.
(2019-12-23). President Trump Authorizes Somalia Debt Relief. indybay.org President Trump signed a year-end spending bill which authorizes the first phase of debt relief for Somalia.
(2019-12-23). 2020 Citizens' Climate Lobby Northern CA Regional Conference, Day 2. indybay.org Oakland Technical High School, 4351 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611…
(2019-12-23). CO2 and Climate Change, Old and New. counterpunch.org How long has science known about CO2-induced climate change, and are we clever enough today to geo-engineer our way out of cooking ourselves to extinction? In brief: a long time, and most likely no. Clive Thompson has written engagingly about the 19th century scientists — Joseph Fourier (1768-1830), Eunice Newton Foote (1819-1888), John Tyndall (1820-1893), More
(2019-12-23). Everything You Wanted to Know about Climate Change, but Were Afraid to Ask. indybay.org Half Moon Bay Library, 620 Correas Street, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019…
(2019-12-23). 2020 Citizens' Climate Lobby Northern California Regional Conference. indybay.org Oakland Technical High School, 4351 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611…
(2019-12-23). The Politics of Trump's Impeachment. counterpunch.org Several features stand out in the impeachment quest against President Donald J. Trump. There is constitutional discourse as mythology and fetish. There is outrage that the executive office could have been used to actually investigate political opponents through foreign agents. There is cattiness over whether the conduct of the president veered into the territory of More
(2019-12-23). In midst of impeachment, Pelosi honors Trump with State of the Union invitation. wsws.org The move makes clear that, despite the bitter foreign policy differences at the heart of the impeachment drive, the two parties of American capitalism are united on fundamental issues.
(2019-12-23). The Democrats' Scarlet Letter Strategy. counterpunch.org House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has evidently decided not to turn over the articles of impeachment to the Senate until Congress resumes its work January 7. Some observers think that's a mistake that will cost Democrats on Election Day. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell seems to think so too, believing the longer the Democrats hold out, More
(2019-12-23). Let the Senate Impeachment Trial be Swift. counterpunch.org The Constitution says that the Senate, "shall have the sole power to try all impeachments." The immediate question before us is when? Speaker Nancy Pelosi initially said that she will hold up delivering their two articles of impeachment to the Senate until the democrats know what the rules will be. Reality is that the rules More
(2019-12-23). In SF, Music Punctuates Enthusiastic Chanting at Rally and March on Eve of Historic Impeachment Vote. indybay.org In San Francisco, lyrics were rewritten to rock classics calling for impeachment and a crowd of thousands chanted for "Trump Pence Out Now!"
(2019-12-23). Why Revolutionaries Should be Atheists. dissidentvoice.org Orientation As one of the co-founders of Planning Beyond Capitalism, you might ask why we would publish an article about atheism? Shouldn't we just stick to political economy and leave people's beliefs about the origin of the universe and our place in it for future generations to figure out? We have many reasons for thinking …
(2019-12-23). German government condemns US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 pipeline. wsws.org The temporary halt to construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has dramatically intensified tensions between the United States and the European powers.
(2019-12-23). Postcard From Paris. counterpunch.org That was the week that was. "For over two years we've been hearing about this pension reform! Two years of 'consultations,' which, cross our hearts, were to be full to the brim with transparency, intelligibility and instruction. Two years enshrouded in a haze — not to say a dense fog — of a strategy which, More
(2019-12-23). Exonerate the Innocent; Incarcerate the Guilty. counterpunch.org The U.S. "justice" system, first and foremost, protects police and prosecutors. The Supreme Court has held that while cops have only limited immunity from lawsuits, prosecutors enjoy what's known as absolute immunity for their conduct under most circumstances. Only in the most extreme cases of abuse — including killings and with bodycam videos as evidence — do police get arrested and prosecuted. Still less are prosecutors prosecuted for questionable, if not illegal, practices. More
(2019-12-23). Turkish aid group says 120,000 fleeing attacks in Syria's Idlib. yenisafak.com The number of Syrians fleeing attacks in the country's northwestern Idlib province and heading towards Turkey has reached 120,000, a Turkish aid group said on Monday, adding it was setting up a camp for some of those uprooted.Syrian and Russian forces have recently intensified their bombardment of targets in Idlib, which Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to recapture, prompting a wave of refugees towards Turkey.President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday Turkey cannot handle a fresh wave of migrants, warning that European countries will feel the impact of such an influx if violence in Syria's northwest is n…
(2019-12-23). Ankara and Moscow to discuss Syrian migrants, Libya conflict. yenisafak.com A Turkish delegation will travel to Moscow on Monday to discuss Syria and Libya, areas where the nations have some opposing views, for talks that President Tayyip Erdogan said would determine Turkey's course of action in the region.Erdogan said on Sunday more than 80,000 civilians were migrating from the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib to Turkey, after Russian and Syrian forces intensified their air strikes in the area. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to recapture Idlib.The Turkish delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, visits Moscow weeks before Russian President Vladimir Putin's p…
(2019-12-23). EU only supports peaceful solution in Libya. yenisafak.com The EU on Monday called on all parties of the Libyan conflict to cease military actions and resume the political dialogue."There is no military solution to the crisis in Libya. The only way to settle it must be a political one, negotiated on the basis of the proposals recently put forward by the United Nations," Peter Stano, the lead spokesperson of the EU's External Action Service pointed out in a statement responding to the recent growing tensions in the African country.Since September, several high-level meetings were held in the German capital to put an end to the conflict ongoing since 2011. The negotiations…
(2019-12-23). SPECIAL REPORT: Iran's leader ordered crackdown on unrest: 'Do whatever it takes to end it'. yenisafak.com After days of protests across Iran last month, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared impatient. Gathering his top security and government officials together, he issued an order: Do whatever it takes to stop them.That order, confirmed by three sources close to the supreme leader's inner circle and a fourth official, set in motion the bloodiest crackdown on protesters since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.About 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest that started on Nov. 15. The toll, provided to Reuters by three Iranian interior ministry officials, included at least 17 teenagers and a…
(2019-12-23). Turkey's Asyaport gets new $12M loan from European Bank. yenisafak.com "Turkey's key trans-shipment hub Asyaport will increase its capacity and improve efficiency with a new $12 million loan by the EBRD," the statement said.It added that the funds will co-finance the acquisition and installation of energy-efficient electric ship-to-shore cranes, electric rubber-tired gantry cranes and terminal tractors.The new equipment will help raise the port's berth and yard capacity during peak hours and drop vessel turnaround times, leading to more efficient handling of regional trans-shipment and domestic container traffic from industrial zones in Turkey's northwestern Tekirdag area.The EBRD's…
(2019-12-23). Soldier killed in military base attack in Venezuela. yenisafak.com Venezuela's defense minister confirmed that one soldier was killed in an attack on a military base in the southeastern Gran Sabana region."In the early morning hours today, a military unit in the south of the country was assaulted by extremist sectors of the opposition, and a batch of weapons was taken from the unit," Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced Sunday on Twitter."From this terrorist attack, an army troop was killed."Padrino added that police and military agents were deployed in the area and managed to capture some of the attackers, as well as the stolen weapons.He said the detainees are providing informatio…
(2019-12-23). Kremlin hopes US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 will not impede construction. yenisafak.com A Kremlin spokesman said on Monday that the sanctions introduced by the United States against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project would not hinder its construction.U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill on Friday that included legislation imposing sanctions on companies laying pipes for Nord Stream 2, which seeks to double gas export capacity along the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline route to Germany.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was too early to talk about reciprocal measures against the United States, but added that the sanctions won't go unanswered.He declined to say when Russia expects th…
(2019-12-23). US pipeline sanctions won't go unanswered: Russia. yenisafak.com Russia will respond in kind to U.S. sanctions against the TurkStream and NordStream II projects, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.Speaking at the upper chamber of the Russian parliament in Moscow, the Council of Federation, Lavrov said preparing a fitting response needs both time and analysis."I assure you that such absolutely unacceptable, rough actions in violation of all norms of international law, all diplomatic and human decency will not remain without reaction," Lavrov said, taking lawmakers' questions.A defense budget passed by the U.S. Congress last week included sanctions on companies involv…
(2019-12-23). Muslim American fired after requesting time off to celebrate Eid al-Adha. yenisafak.com A Muslim American man was fired after he asked his North Carolina company for time off to celebrate an Islamic religious holiday, according to a lawsuit filed last week.Hussein Altaweel, a Muslim who migrated to the U.S. as a refugee in 2013 and was naturalized earlier this year, was hired as a project manager in 2015 at telecommunications contractor Longent LLC.He was fired for "not request(ing) PTO ahead of time for planned events", even though he asked for time off two weeks before the event.Marking the willingness of Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son on God's command, Muslims mark the Eid al-Adha holi…
(2019-12-23). Saudi sentences five to death, three to jail in Khashoggi case. yenisafak.com Saudi Arabia on Monday sentenced five people to death and three more to jail terms totalling 24 years over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October last year.Saudi Deputy Public Prosecutor and spokesman Shalaan al-Shalaan, reading out the verdict in the trial, said the court dismissed charges against the remaining three of the 11 people that had been on trial, finding them not guilty."The investigation showed that the killing was not premeditated … The decision was taken at the spur of the moment," Shalaan said.Khashoggi was a U.S. resident and critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed…
(2019-12-23). China's Xi calls for sustained momentum in N.Korea-US talks. yenisafak.com Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday expressed concerns over rising tension between North Korea and the United States, calling for them to maintain the momentum for dialogue, South Korea's presidential office said."There are many people concerned about the tense situation on the Korean peninsula," Xi told South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a summit in Beijing, according to Moon's spokeswoman Ko Min-jung."China and South Korea should gather strength to help North Korea and the United States sustain the momentum for dialogue."
(2019-12-23). 3,000 Billion Dollars into the Bottomless Well of Afghanistan. globalresearch.ca In the London Declaration, the 29 member countries of NATO reaffirmed "the engagement for the security and long-term stability of Afghanistan". One week later, on the basis of the Freedom of Information Act, (used to empty a number of aging …
(2019-12-23). Saudi Arabia sentences 5 people to death over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. rt.com 
A Saudi court has handed death sentences to five suspects charged in connection to the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Three others have received lengthy prison terms for their roles in the killing. | Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor announced the court's ruling on Monday. Apart from the five sentenced to death, three additional suspects will spend 24 years behind bars. The prosecutor said that Saud al-Qahtani, a senior Saudi royal adviser, was investigated, but later released without being charged. The Saudi consul in Turkey was also released. The investigation found that there was no past enmi…
(2019-12-23). Stalled talks with US 'not good' for Pyongyang, S. Korea tells China. rt.com 
Stalled denuclearization talks and a recent flare-up in tension between Washington and Pyongyang are not beneficial for Pyongyang, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday. | North Korea has set a year-end deadline for the US to change what it says is a policy of hostility amid a stalemate in efforts to make progress on their pledge to end the North's nuclear program. | Xi told Moon that China supports South Korea's efforts to improve ties with North Korea and inject new impetus into promoting peace talks, Reuters reported. | Moon is visiting China for a trilate…
(2019-12-23). Taliban attack kills US service member in Afghanistan amid renewed peace talks. rt.com 
An American service member in Afghanistan was killed in an attack carried out by the Taliban, the militant group has said. The Pentagon has confirmed the death, which coincides with a new round of peace talks with the Taliban. | The US military did not provide further details about the service member. More than a dozen foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan in 2019. | The US has resumed peace talks with the Taliban, after negotiations were abruptly cut off in September by Washington. | The war in Afghanistan has dragged on for more than 19 years, making it the longest war in United States history. Ev…
(2019-12-23). 'Avoid rumors & know the truth': India's ruling party kick-starts social media campaign to calm Muslims over citizenship act. rt.com 
Prime Minister Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has launched an awareness-raising campaign on social media to quell misperceptions about the hotly-debated citizenship act that critics say discriminates against Muslims. | The outreach effort, which started this weekend, aims to engage Indian Muslim communities by informing them about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already made an appeal through Twitter "to our Muslim brothers and sisters to first understand the CAA itself and then explain it to others." Responsible citizens…
(2019-12-23). Russia to design 6th-gen long-range UNMANNED strategic bomber — top general. rt.com 
Russia's Aerospace Forces are undergoing a major overhaul, looking forward to welcome a 5th generation subsonic bomber into its fleet as well as a long-range bomber drone, to be developed in the next 20 years, the military said. | Russia's Aerospace Forces (VKS), which marked their 105th birthday on Monday, have been making rapid strides in an effort to upgrade the fleet of long-range bombers and develop new advanced aircraft, Lieutenant-General Sergey Kobylash, chief of Russia's Long-Range Aviation told Russian Moskovsky Komsomolets daily on Sunday. | "Our aircraft and their weapons are subject to constant im…
(2019-12-23). The New Yorker editor & Iraq war peddler gets called out after lamenting Trump supporters do not believe 'facts' about impeachment. rt.com 
The New Yorker's editor has said our planet's future, no less, depends on President Donald Trump's removal, voicing dismay not everybody is falling for the "facts." He was swiftly reminded about pushing lies about Iraq, however. | Speaking to Brian Stelter, host of CNN's Reliable Sources, on Sunday, The New Yorker magazine editor-in-chief David Remnick has argued an apocalypse is imminent unless Americans band together to ouster US President Donald Trump from office through the impeachment process. | "The stakes here are immense, it's not just about the political future of one man — Donald Trump, it's abo…
(2019-12-23). Fishing for Swedish cash: Afghan politician collecting benefits for his dead mother — report. rt.com 
An Afghan politician is under investigation in Sweden for collecting benefits intended for his dead mother, according to a new report. Welfare fraud has become a growing problem in the Scandinavian country. | Razaq Ahmadzai, co-leader of Afghanistan's Green Trend party, is expected to receive a top post in Kabul once the new coalition government is formed. But the Afghan politician is already being handily rewarded by the Swedish government, according to an investigation conduct…