Daily Archives: December 16, 2019

2019-12-16: News Headlines

Lisa Mascaro, Jonathan Lemire (2019-12-16). Democrats push the GOP for a fair Senate impeachment trial. peoplesworld.org

Roger D. Harris (2019-12-16). 2019 Latin America in Review: Year of the Revolt of the Dispossessed. mintpressnews.com 2019 has not been an entirely bullish year for US imperialism, notwithstanding the hard turns to the right in Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Powerful winds against neoliberalism are gusting in Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, and even in the US "Commonwealth" of Puerto Rico.

Matthew Stevenson (2019-12-16). Across the Balkans: Sarajevo. counterpunch.org An account of a journey from Croatia to Kosovo, by way of Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia, and with a detour into Montenegro. This is part IV of a series. To cover the siege lines that once encircled Sarajevo took most of the afternoon. My driver had been a teenager during the war years, and he well More

Michael Kramer (2019-12-16). 'Afghanistan Papers' release stirs protest from U.S. war veterans. workers.org On Dec. 9, 2019, the Washington Post released an investigative report entitled "The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War." The report was based on a review of hundreds of written and audio interviews conducted by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Those interviewed included military officers, . . . | Continue reading 'Afghanistan Papers' release stirs protest from U.S. war veterans at Workers.org

Charles McKelvey (2019-12-16). Human Rights, Myopic Perspectives, and Ideological Manipulations. counterpunch.org Since the 1990s, the U.S. government has launched manipulative ideological campaigns with respect to human rights in order to justify interventions in the affairs of nations that resist subordination to U.S. imperialist intentions. The U.S. ideologically manipulated human rights campaign has ignored the evolution of the meaning of democratic rights during the last two and More

Staff (2019-12-16). Unrest Grows in India Over New Citizenship Law. truthdig.com NEW DELHI—Thousands of university students flooded the streets of India's capital, while a southern state government led a march and demonstrators held a silent protest in the northeast on Monday to protest a new law giving citizenship to non-Muslims who entered India illegally to flee religious persecution in several neighboring countries. | The protests in New Delhi followed a night of violent clashes between police and demonstrators at Jamia Millia Islamia University. People who student organizers said were not students set three buses on fire and police stormed the university library, firing tear gas at…

Staff (2019-12-16). Trump's Executive Order on Anti-Semitism Attacks Free Speech, Palestinians, and Jews. therealnews.com Dima Khalidi discusses the legal and civil society ramifications of President Trump's executive order adopting the controversial IHRA working definition on antisemitism, defining Judaism as a race or nationality, which would threaten free speech on US campuses and sow divisions among US Jews, and criminalize the BDS movement.

Eds. (2019-12-16). Geoengineering is no climate fix. But calling it a moral hazard could be counterproductive. mronline.org Desperate times call for desperate measures. In recent years and in the face of unprecedented changes in the climate system, some previously unknown and risky solutions have been proposed to put a halt to the chain of climate disasters, or at least to slow down the speed of their onslaught. | Source

Aboulfotouh Kandil (2019-12-16). Egyptian dictatorship causing spike in youth suicide. peoplesworld.org The increasing suicide among youth is one of the fatal consequences of the 2013 military coup in Egypt. This has become a nightmare to the regime fearing that it could cause revolution that topples it. Neither the regime nor Egyptians have forgotten that in order to show his opposition to injustice, oppression and poverty, the …

WSWS (2019-12-16). Democrats combine impeachment and collaboration with Trump. wsws.org In the midst of the impeachment inquiry, congressional Democrats are collaborating with Trump on trade war, attacks on immigrants, and massive military build-up.

Norman Solomon (2019-12-16). Progressives Need a United Front for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. indybay.org Clear differences and a nonaggression pact…

Andres D. Medellin (2019-12-16). The Danish Orania (a Reply to M.G. Piety). counterpunch.org I would have never thought that I would be using the pages of Counterpunch to defend an article that appeared (of all places) in The New York Times. Yet, the contents of M.G. Piety's "A Lesson From the Danes on Immigration" required some sort of reply. Piety describes the troubles she saw with Brooke Harrington's NYT piece "I Almost More

Doctors for Assange (2019-12-16). Medical Doctors Issue Urgent Australian Appeal to Save Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca More than 100 medical doctors have issued an urgent appeal to the Australian government to protect the life of its citizen, imprisoned WikiLeaks journalist and publisher Julian Assange. | The doctors' action follows warnings from medical and human rights experts that …

WSWS (2019-12-16). Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Assange's threatened extradition, but declares he is "not a journalist" wsws.org The blog post justifying the decision to exclude Julian Assange from a list of imprisoned journalists is shot through with contradictions and double-speak.

Stephen Lendman (2019-12-16). Trump Regime Breaching Mandated Judicial Procedures Against Assange. globalresearch.ca According to the London Daily Mail, the Trump regime intends to use secret evidence against Assange — undisclosed to him and his legal team, wanting them prevented from preparing a proper defense. | He faces 18 spurious charges under the …

John McEvoy (2019-12-16). After UK government silence, over 100 medical doctors urge Australia to defend Assange. thecanary.co On 22 November, over 60 medical doctors signed an open letter to the UK government concerning WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The letter, addressed to the UK home secretary Priti Patel and shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, expressed concerns that Assange "could die in prison". Despite wide media coverag…

Diana Johnstone (2019-12-16). Plea for the Liberation of Julian Assange. Response from the Archbishop of Canterbury. globalresearch.ca Dear Friends, | The plea which you kindly signed calling on the Archbishop of Canterbury to use his moral influence to bring about liberation of Julian Assange from Belmarsh prison was delivered to Lambeth Palace in London last November 29. On …

Anya Parampil (2019-12-16). Why Elliott Abrams is Smurf villain Gargamel. thegrayzone.com Trump Administration Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abram is not only the spitting image of Gargamel; the Smurfs are a…

Aaron Maté (2019-12-16). IG report exposes FBI, Congressional, and media deceit in Russia probe. thegrayzone.com A new report from DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz confirms that the FBI relied on the Steele dossier — a…

Activist Post (2019-12-16). US Gov Claims "Thousands" Killed In Iran Based On Unvetted, Unconfirmed Video Sent By [REDACTED]. thelastamericanvagabond.com It must be coincidence that all of the regimes mentioned in a memo given to General Wesley Clark have been toppled … except Iran, the final mention. US Shocks With Inflated Claim Of 1,000 Iranian Protesters "Murdered" By Regime is the headline that highlights the latest narrative to drum up support for an invasion — and …

Staff (2019-12-16). COP25 Was a Failure, But Activists' Collective Organizing Was Unprecedented. truthout.org The COP25 United Nations climate summit ended in failure Sunday, after negotiators failed to agree to a deal that would limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — a key goal of the Paris Agreement. Scores of civil society groups condemned governments in the European Union, Australia, Canada and the U.S. for a deal that requires far less action than needed to avert catastrophic climate change. Indigenous leaders and environmentalists blasted the United Nations fo…

teleSUR (2019-12-16). Mass Protests Spread in India After Citizenship Law Passes. telesurenglish.net Protests over a new Indian citizenship law based on religion spread to student campuses on Monday as critics said the Hindu nationalist government was pushing a partisan agenda in conflict with the country's founding as a secular republic. | RELATED: | Indian Police Clashes with Anti-Citizenship Law Protesters | Students pelted stones at police who locked up the gates of a college in the northern city of Lucknow to prevent them from taking to the streets. About two dozen s…

teleSUR (2019-12-16). Chilean President's Disapproval Rating Jumps to 79 Percent. telesurenglish.net A recent survey revealed that the disapproval of the management of President Sebastián Piñera increased to 79 percent, two points more than the previous week. | RELATED: | 'Concert for Dignity' Marks 8 Weeks of Social Unrest in Chile | While support for the Chilean President did not manage to lower or rise, it remained at 13 percent, despite the fact that Piñera focused on a constitutional accusation for human rights violations in the social protests that have occurred in the Sout…

Jeet Heer (2019-12-16). Impeachment Needs to Move to the Streets. thenation.com Impeachment Needs to Move to the Streets…

IMEMC News (2019-12-16). Army Injures Several Palestinians Near Nablus. imemc.org Israeli soldiers injured, on Monday evening, several Palestinians in Sebastia town, north of Nablus, in northern West Bank. Mohammad Azem, the mayor of Sebastia, said several army jeeps invaded the center of the town, before stopping and harassing many Palestinians. Azem added that many Palestinians protested the invasion, and hurled …

Andrew Korybko (2019-12-16). India: The Self-Professed 'World's Largest Democracy' Is Experiencing a Real Social Uprising. globalresearch.ca Increasingly violent protests are sweeping the self-professed "world's largest democracy" as its people fight to protect the secular nature of their state following Prime Minister Modi's decision to push forward with a religiously discriminatory citizenship amendment, with this national uprising …

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-16). 'Your batons can only break our bones, not our spirit of resistance'. peoplesdispatch.org On Sunday, December 15, police in the Indian state of Delhi baton charged and tear gassed students of Jamia Millia Islamia University and laid a siege on nearby Muslim dominated colony. According to reports, police entered university hostels and library, thrashing students and firing tear gas inside the library reading room. Numerous students were injured, with three said to be in critical condition. | The Jamia students and residents were protesting against the discriminatory citizenship law and all India National Register of Citizens being implemented by far-right Indian government.

Dahr Jamail (2019-12-16). 2019: A Year in the Life of Our Escalating Climate Crisis. thenation.com 2019: A Year in the Life of Our Escalating Climate Crisis…

Paul Antonopoulos (2019-12-16). Afghanistan Papers Proves U.S. Invasion Was Built on Lies, Deceit and Confusion. globalresearch.ca The war in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history, is based on lies made by top U.S. officials and was "idiotic" as there was no clear plan, according to the documents published by the Washington Post, dubbed the …

Whitney Webb (2019-12-16). Head of UK Israel Lobby Group Announces Gov't Plan To Ban Boycotting Israel. mintpressnews.com After an election dogged by the weaponization of anti-Semitism, the victorious UK conservative party has announced a new legislative push that would prevent the public sector from working with any individual or organization that supports a boycott of Israel's government.

teleSUR (2019-12-16). Venezuela Allocates 76 Percent of Budget to Social Investment. telesurenglish.net The Venezuelan government will allocate 75.9 percent of the 2020 budget to social investment, which places the country as a benchmark in the search for protection and the fair distribution of income, Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said on Monday. | The Venezuelan official presented this Monday to the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) and other authorities to the draft national budget for 2020, which provides 404 development projects. | "It will be a social protection budget, focused on the National System platform, a social equality budget," she said. | In addition, she said that thanks to the 20…

teleSUR (2019-12-16). New Bolivian Gov't Leading Country to Bankruptcy: Evo Morales. telesurenglish.net Bolivian President Evo Morales, who is now an asylum seeker in Argentina after the coup d'etat against him, warned that the de-facto government is leading the South American country "to bankruptcy" because "they have paralyzed the productive apparatus and halted public investment." | RELATED: | De-Facto Bolivian President to Issue Arrest Warrant for Morales | Using his Twitter account on Monday, the democratically elected President tweeted that the main issue of the economic r…

Staff (2019-12-16). After Impeachment and Acquittal, Expect a Vicious Republican Counterattack. truthout.org In the past, despite their differences, our political leaders were in agreement that to at least preserve the ideals behind our democratic system it was important to pay lip service to the spirit of the law. For instance, during the Iraq war, the Bush administration committed war crimes. But officials didn't come right out and say, "Yes, we torture people. What are you going to do about it?" There were consequences to openly defying the law, which they knew could get quite serious down the road.

commondreams (2019-12-16). Nationwide Mobilization for Impeachment in More Than 500 Communities in All 50 States and D.C. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2019-12-16). Democracy 21 Supports Articles of Impeachment, Essential Need to Hold President Trump Accountable for Gross Abuse of his Powers. commondreams.org ______________________________…

William D. Hartung (2019-12-16). The Pentagon budget still rising, 40 years later. nationofchange.org The rationale for spending more than $700 billion a year on the Pentagon—and well over $1.2 trillion for national security writ large—simply does not exist.

IMEMC News (2019-12-16). Israeli Soldiers Abduct 23 Palestinians In West Bank. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, Monday, at least 23 Palestinians from several parts of the occupied West Bank; 22 of the abducted were taken prisoner after the soldiers stormed and ransacked their homes, and one after being stopped at a military roadblock. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) said the soldiers abducted Majd …

IMEMC & Agencies (2019-12-16). B'Tselem: To Understand the Violence of Israel's Occupation, Know These 30 Stories. imemc.org By Hagai El-Ad for +972 Magazine Aishah Abu Laban is 70 years old. It has been 30 years since the fateful day in 1989 when an Israeli soldier shot and killed her daughter Rufaydah, 13, but she will never forget it. Rufaydah, who lived in Dheisheh Refugee Camp, was killed …

IMEMC & Agencies (2019-12-16). Israel's Haaretz: 256 Cases of Israeli Settlers' Violence Towards Palestinians. imemc.org An increase in Israeli settlers' aggression against Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank compared to recent years, Alray reported. The Israeli paper Haaretz published data from Israeli security institutions that documented 256 cases of Israeli settlers' aggression against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Israeli security services expressed …

IMEMC & Agencies (2019-12-16). Dozens of Palestinian Workers Suffocate on Tear Gas. imemc.org Dozens of Palestinian laborers suffered from tear gas inhalation, on Sunday, as near al-Ziraeia gate, along the Apartheid Wall, west of the town of Qaffin, northeast of the city of Tulkarem, northern occupied West Bank. Alray reported that Israeli forces pursued a group of laborers on their way to their …

IMEMC & Agencies (2019-12-16). Settlers Damage Road Equipment in Jordan Valley. imemc.org Illegal Israeli settlers, on Saturday night, vandalized a number of bulldozers that were parked at the site of a road working project in the Jordan Valley region, the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Salah Zayed, the project contractor, said that he and staff of …

IMEMC & Agencies (2019-12-16). B'Tselem: When You Work for Thirty Years You Learn a Few Things. Here's What We've Learned Since 1989. imemc.org The Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported that during a speech at Khan al-Ahmar, marking 30 years since the establishment of B'Tselem, Executive Director of the Israeli human rights center, Hagai El-Ad delivered the following speech: "When you work for thirty years you learn a few things. Here's what …

IMEMC & Agencies (2019-12-16). Analysis: Jerusalem is at the Heart of the Palestinian Cause. imemc.org By: Burak Bir for Anadolu Agency The heart of the Palestinian cause is Jerusalem, and what is happening today in Gaza is for Jerusalem, a Palestinian expert said last week. "If the heart of the Palestinian cause is Jerusalem, Palestine's striking force is Gaza.

Miri Wood (2019-12-16). Ltamenah Village: Syrian Military Finds Massive Weapons Left Behind by NATO Terrorists. globalresearch.ca Ltamenah is a village in Hama countryside which the Syrian Arab Army recently cleansed of foreign-owned and armed terrorist savages. Last week, authorities discovered a mass grave. This week, they have found a massive quantity of weapons left behind: …

Staff (2019-12-16). Democrats Should Go After Trump's Full Corruption, Not Just Ukraine. truthout.org Donald Trump is set to become the third president to be impeached when the Democrat-controlled House votes Wednesday on two charges related to his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. The vote will send the charges to the Republican-controlled Senate, which will then hold a trial on whether to remove Trump from office. Witnesses who could be called to testify include former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Ea…

WSWS (2019-12-16). US-China deal a new phase in global trade war. wsws.org In the longer term, the US wrecking operation against the World Trade Organisation is probably the most significant action in the global trade war.

Sonali Kolhatkar (2019-12-16). The Afghanistan Papers Confirm America's Longest War Is a Lie. globalresearch.ca The Washington Post's Afghanistan Papers, detailing a true history of the nation's longest official war, reveals nothing new about the war's futility or about the fact that it was doomed to failure from almost the beginning.

Matt Bruenig (2019-12-16). Michael Bennet Keeps Going Backwards on Child Benefits. peoplespolicyproject.org Michael Bennet and Mitt Romney released a Child Tax Credit proposal last night. When reorganized logically, the proposed CTC has three pieces: | $1,000 CTC that phases in at a 15 percent rate for all children. | $1,000 CTC that is fully refundable for all children. | $500 CTC that is fully refundable for children ages 0 to 6. | Thus, young children would receive $1,500 in fully refundable benefits while older children would receive $1,000 in fully refundable benefits. Both would then re…

WSWS (2019-12-16). Socialist Equality Party used UK general election to put forward a socialist perspective. wsws.org The SEP's candidates reached thousands of workers and youth and was followed across Britain and internationally.

Thomas Knapp (2019-12-16). Afghanistan: Oh, When Will We Ever Learn? counterpunch.org "U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign," the Washington Post's Craig Whitlock reports, "making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable." Whitlock bases that claim on a collection of candid, confidential interviews with more than 400 military More

2019-12-16: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Democrats combine impeachment and collaboration with Trump
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
In the midst of the impeachment inquiry, congressional Democrats are collaborating with Trump on trade war, attacks on immigrants, and massive military build-up.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/pers-d16.html

Progressives Need a United Front for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren
Norman Solomon | indybay.org | 2019-12-16
Clear differences and a nonaggression pact…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/15/18828927.php

Progressives Need a United Front for Sanders and Warren
Norman Solomon | commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren greet each other at the start of the Democratic presidential debate at the Fox Theatre on July 30, 2019, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/warrensanders_0_0.png
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/16/progressives-need-united-front-sanders-and-warren?cd-origin=rss

The Danish Orania (a Reply to M.G. Piety)
Andres D. Medellin | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
I would have never thought that I would be using the pages of Counterpunch to defend an article that appeared (of all places) in The New York Times. Yet, the contents of M.G. Piety's "A Lesson From the Danes on Immigration" required some sort of reply. Piety describes the troubles she saw with Brooke Harrington's NYT piece…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/the-danish-orania-a-reply-to-m-g-piety/

Medical Doctors Issue Urgent Australian Appeal to Save Julian Assange
Doctors for Assange | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
More than 100 medical doctors have issued an urgent appeal to the Australian government to protect the life of its citizen, imprisoned WikiLeaks journalist and publisher Julian Assange. | The doctors' action follows warnings from medical and human rights experts that …
globalresearch.ca/medical-doctors-issue-urgent-australian-appeal-save-julian-assange/5697853

Plea for the Liberation of Julian Assange. Response from the Archbishop of Canterbury
Diana Johnstone | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Dear Friends, | The plea which you kindly signed calling on the Archbishop of Canterbury to use his moral influence to bring about liberation of Julian Assange from Belmarsh prison was delivered to Lambeth Palace in London last November 29. On | …
globalresearch.ca/plea-liberation-julian-assange/5697818

After UK government silence, over 100 medical doctors urge Australia to defend Assange
John McEvoy | thecanary.co | 2019-12-16
On 22 November, over 60 medical doctors signed an open letter to the UK government concerning WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The letter, addressed to the UK home secretary Priti Patel and shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, expressed concerns that Assange "could die in prison". Despite wide media coverag…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2019/12/16/after-uk-government-silence-over-100-medical-doctors-urge-australia-to-defend-assange/

Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Assange's threatened extradition, but declares he is "not a journalist"
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
The blog post justifying the decision to exclude Julian Assange from a list of imprisoned journalists is shot through with contradictions and double-speak.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/cpjj-d16.html

Trump Regime Breaching Mandated Judicial Procedures Against Assange
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
According to the London Daily Mail, the Trump regime intends to use secret evidence against Assange — undisclosed to him and his legal team, wanting them prevented from preparing a proper defense. | He faces 18 spurious charges under the …
globalresearch.ca/trump-regime-breaching-mandated-judicial-procedures-against-assange/5697880

Why Elliott Abrams is Smurf villain Gargamel
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-16
Trump Administration Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abram is not only the spitting image of Gargamel; the Smurfs are a…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/16/elliott-abrams-smurf-villain-gargamel/

IG report exposes FBI, Congressional, and media deceit in Russia probe
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-16
A new report from DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz confirms that the FBI relied on the Steele dossier — a…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/16/ig-report-exposes-fbi-congressional-and-media-deceit-in-russia-probe/

US Gov Claims "Thousands" Killed In Iran Based On Unvetted, Unconfirmed Video Sent By [REDACTED]
Activist Post | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-16
It must be coincidence that all of the regimes mentioned in a memo given to General Wesley Clark have been toppled … except Iran, the final mention. US Shocks With Inflated Claim Of 1,000 Iranian Protesters "Murdered" By Regime is the headline that highlights the latest narrative to drum up support for an invasion — and …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/conspiracy/us-gov-claims-thousands-killed-in-iran-based-on-unvetted-unconfirmed-video-sent-by-redacted/

COP25 Was a Failure, But Activists' Collective Organizing Was Unprecedented
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-16
The COP25 United Nations climate summit ended in failure Sunday, after negotiators failed to agree to a deal that would limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — a key goal of the Paris Agreement. Scores of civil society groups condemned governments in the European Union, Australia, Canada and the U.S. for a deal that requires far less action than needed to avert catastrophic climate change. Indigenous leaders and environmentalists blasted the United Nations fo…
truthout.org/video/cop25-was-a-failure-but-activists-collective-organizing-was-unprecedented/

Mass Protests Spread in India After Citizenship Law Passes
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
Protests over a new Indian citizenship law based on religion spread to student campuses on Monday as critics said the Hindu nationalist government was pushing a partisan agenda in conflict with the country's founding as a secular republic. | RELATED: | Indian Police Clashes with Anti-Citizenship Law Protesters | Students pelted stones at police who locked up the gates of a college in the northern city of Lucknow to prevent them from taking to the streets. About two dozen s…
telesurenglish.net/news/Mass-Protests-Spread-in-India-After-Citizenship-Law-Passes-20191216-0001.html

Chilean President's Disapproval Rating Jumps to 79 Percent
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
A recent survey revealed that the disapproval of the management of President Sebastián Piñera increased to 79 percent, two points more than the previous week. | RELATED: | 'Concert for Dignity' Marks 8 Weeks of Social Unrest in Chile | While support for the Chilean President did not manage to lower or rise, it remained at 13 percent, despite the fact that Piñera focused on a constitutional accusation for human rights violations in the social protests that have occurred in the Sout…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chilean-Presidents-Disapproval-Rating-Jumps-to-79-Percent-20191216-0002.html

Impeachment Needs to Move to the Streets
Jeet Heer | thenation.com | 2019-12-16
Impeachment Needs to Move to the Streets…
thenation.com/article/impeachment-protest-streets-trump/

Army Injures Several Palestinians Near Nablus
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
Israeli soldiers injured, on Monday evening, several Palestinians in Sebastia town, north of Nablus, in northern West Bank. Mohammad Azem, the mayor of Sebastia, said several army jeeps invaded the center of the town, before stopping and harassing many Palestinians. Azem added that many Palestinians protested the invasion, and hurled …
imemc.org/article/army-injures-several-palestinians-near-nablus-3/

India: The Self-Professed 'World's Largest Democracy' Is Experiencing a Real Social Uprising
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Increasingly violent protests are sweeping the self-professed "world's largest democracy" as its people fight to protect the secular nature of their state following Prime Minister Modi's decision to push forward with a religiously discriminatory citizenship amendment, with this national uprising …
globalresearch.ca/self-professed-world-largest-democracy-experiencing-real-uprising/5697904

'Afghanistan Papers' release stirs protest from U.S. war veterans
Michael Kramer | workers.org | 2019-12-16
On Dec. 9, 2019, the Washington Post released an investigative report entitled "The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War." The report was based on a review of hundreds of written and audio interviews conducted by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Those interviewed included military officers, . . . | Continue reading 'Afghanistan Papers' release stirs protest from U.S. war veterans at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/12/44905/

Unrest Grows in India Over New Citizenship Law
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-16
NEW DELHI–Thousands of university students flooded the streets of India's capital, while a southern state government led a march and demonstrators held a silent protest in the northeast on Monday to protest a new law giving citizenship to non-Muslims who entered India illegally to flee religious persecution in several neighboring countries. | The protests in New Delhi followed a night of violent clashes between police and demonstrators at Jamia Millia Islamia University. People who student organizers said were not students set three buses on fire and police stormed the university library, firing tear gas at…
truthdig.com/articles/unrest-grows-in-india-over-new-citizenship-law/

'Your batons can only break our bones, not our spirit of resistance'
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-16
On Sunday, December 15, police in the Indian state of Delhi baton charged and tear gassed students of Jamia Millia Islamia University and laid a siege on nearby Muslim dominated colony. According to reports, police entered university hostels and library, thrashing students and firing tear gas inside the library reading room. Numerous students were injured, with three said to be in critical condition. | The Jamia students and residents were protesting against the discriminatory citizenship law and all India National Register of Citizens being implemented by far-right Indian government.
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/16/your-batons-can-only-break-our-bones-not-our-spirit-of-resistance/

2019: A Year in the Life of Our Escalating Climate Crisis
Dahr Jamail | thenation.com | 2019-12-16
2019: A Year in the Life of Our Escalating Climate Crisis…
thenation.com/article/climate-change-2019/

Afghanistan Papers Proves U.S. Invasion Was Built on Lies, Deceit and Confusion
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
The war in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history, is based on lies made by top U.S. officials and was "idiotic" as there was no clear plan, according to the documents published by the Washington Post, dubbed the …
globalresearch.ca/afghanistan-papers-proves-u-s-invasion-built-lies-deceit-confusion/5697909

Head of UK Israel Lobby Group Announces Gov't Plan To Ban Boycotting Israel
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-16
After an election dogged by the weaponization of anti-Semitism, the victorious UK conservative party has announced a new legislative push that would prevent the public sector from working with any individual or organization that supports a boycott of Israel's government.
mintpressnews.com/uk-conservative-ban-boycott-israel-bds/263510/

2019 Latin America in Review: Year of the Revolt of the Dispossessed
Roger D. Harris | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-16
2019 has not been an entirely bullish year for US imperialism, notwithstanding the hard turns to the right in Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Powerful winds against neoliberalism are gusting in Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, and even in the US "Commonwealth" of Puerto Rico.
mintpressnews.com/2019-latin-america-review-year-revolt-dispossessed/263494/

Venezuela Allocates 76 Percent of Budget to Social Investment
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
The Venezuelan government will allocate 75.9 percent of the 2020 budget to social investment, which places the country as a benchmark in the search for protection and the fair distribution of income, Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said on Monday. | The Venezuelan official presented this Monday to the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) and other authorities to the draft national budget for 2020, which provides 404 development projects. | "It will be a social protection budget, focused on the National System platform, a social equality budget," she said. | In addition, she said that thanks to the 20…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-Allocates-76-Percent-of-Budget-to-Social-Investment-20191216-0006.html

New Bolivian Gov't Leading Country to Bankruptcy: Evo Morales
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
Bolivian President Evo Morales, who is now an asylum seeker in Argentina after the coup d'etat against him, warned that the de-facto government is leading the South American country "to bankruptcy" because "they have paralyzed the productive apparatus and halted public investment." | RELATED: | De-Facto Bolivian President to Issue Arrest Warrant for Morales | Using his Twitter account on Monday, the democratically elected President tweeted that the main issue of the economic r…
telesurenglish.net/news/New-Bolivian-Govt-Leading-Country-to-Bankruptcy-Evo-Morales-20191216-0005.html

Nationwide Mobilization for Impeachment in More Than 500 Communities in All 50 States and D.C
commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/12/16/nationwide-mobilization-impeachment-more-500-communities-all-50-states-and-dc?cd-origin=rss

After Impeachment and Acquittal, Expect a Vicious Republican Counterattack
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-16
In the past, despite their differences, our political leaders were in agreement that to at least preserve the ideals behind our democratic system it was important to pay lip service to the spirit of the law. For instance, during the Iraq war, the Bush administration committed war crimes. But officials didn't come right out and say, "Yes, we torture people. What are you going to do about it?" There were consequences to openly defying the law, which they knew could get quite serious down the road.
truthout.org/articles/after-impeachment-and-acquittal-expect-a-vicious-republican-counterattack/

Democracy 21 Supports Articles of Impeachment, Essential Need to Hold President Trump Accountable for Gross Abuse of his Powers
commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/12/16/democracy-21-supports-articles-impeachment-essential-need-hold-president-trump?cd-origin=rss

The Pentagon budget still rising, 40 years later
William D. Hartung | nationofchange.org | 2019-12-16
The rationale for spending more than $700 billion a year on the Pentagon–and well over $1.2 trillion for national security writ large–simply does not exist.
nationofchange.org/2019/12/16/the-pentagon-budget-still-rising-40-years-later/

Dozens of Palestinian Workers Suffocate on Tear Gas
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
Dozens of Palestinian laborers suffered from tear gas inhalation, on Sunday, as near al-Ziraeia gate, along the Apartheid Wall, west of the town of Qaffin, northeast of the city of Tulkarem, northern occupied West Bank. Alray reported that Israeli forces pursued a group of laborers on their way to their …
imemc.org/article/dozens-of-palestinian-workers-suffocate-on-tear-gas/

Settlers Damage Road Equipment in Jordan Valley
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
Illegal Israeli settlers, on Saturday night, vandalized a number of bulldozers that were parked at the site of a road working project in the Jordan Valley region, the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Salah Zayed, the project contractor, said that he and staff of …
imemc.org/article/settlers-damage-road-equipment-in-jordan-valley/

Analysis: Jerusalem is at the Heart of the Palestinian Cause
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
By: Burak Bir for Anadolu Agency The heart of the Palestinian cause is Jerusalem, and what is happening today in Gaza is for Jerusalem, a Palestinian expert said last week. "If the heart of the Palestinian cause is Jerusalem, Palestine's striking force is Gaza.
imemc.org/article/analysis-jerusalem-is-at-the-heart-of-the-palestinian-cause/

B'Tselem: To Understand the Violence of Israel's Occupation, Know These 30 Stories
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
By Hagai El-Ad for +972 Magazine Aishah Abu Laban is 70 years old. It has been 30 years since the fateful day in 1989 when an Israeli soldier shot and killed her daughter Rufaydah, 13, but she will never forget it. Rufaydah, who lived in Dheisheh Refugee Camp, was killed …
imemc.org/article/btselem-to-understand-the-violence-of-israels-occupation-know-these-30-stories/

Israel's Haaretz: 256 Cases of Israeli Settlers' Violence Towards Palestinians
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
An increase in Israeli settlers' aggression against Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank compared to recent years, Alray reported. The Israeli paper Haaretz published data from Israeli security institutions that documented 256 cases of Israeli settlers' aggression against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Israeli security services expressed …
imemc.org/article/israels-haaretz-256-cases-of-israeli-settlers-violence-towards-palestinians/

Israeli Soldiers Abduct 23 Palestinians In West Bank
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
Israeli soldiers abducted, Monday, at least 23 Palestinians from several parts of the occupied West Bank; 22 of the abducted were taken prisoner after the soldiers stormed and ransacked their homes, and one after being stopped at a military roadblock. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) said the soldiers abducted Majd …
imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-abduct-23-palestinians-in-west-bank/

B'Tselem: When You Work for Thirty Years You Learn a Few Things. Here's What We've Learned Since 1989
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
The Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported that during a speech at Khan al-Ahmar, marking 30 years since the establishment of B'Tselem, Executive Director of the Israeli human rights center, Hagai El-Ad delivered the following speech: "When you work for thirty years you learn a few things. Here's what …
imemc.org/article/btselem-when-you-work-for-thirty-years-you-learn-a-few-things-heres-what-weve-learned-since-1989/

Ltamenah Village: Syrian Military Finds Massive Weapons Left Behind by NATO Terrorists
Miri Wood | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Ltamenah is a village in Hama countryside which the Syrian Arab Army recently cleansed of foreign-owned and armed terrorist savages. Last week, authorities discovered a mass grave. This week, they have found a massive quantity of weapons left behind: …
globalresearch.ca/ltamenah-military-finds-massive-weapons-left-behind-nato-terrorists/5697831

Democrats Should Go After Trump's Full Corruption, Not Just Ukraine
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-16
Donald Trump is set to become the third president to be impeached when the Democrat-controlled House votes Wednesday on two charges related to his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. The vote will send the charges to the Republican-controlled Senate, which will then hold a trial on whether to remove Trump from office. Witnesses who could be called to testify include former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Ea…
truthout.org/video/democrats-should-go-after-trumps-full-corruption-not-just-ukraine/

US-China deal a new phase in global trade war
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
In the longer term, the US wrecking operation against the World Trade Organisation is probably the most significant action in the global trade war.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/usch-d16.html

Across the Balkans: Sarajevo
Matthew Stevenson | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
An account of a journey from Croatia to Kosovo, by way of Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia, and with a detour into Montenegro. This is part IV of a series. To cover the siege lines that once encircled Sarajevo took most of the afternoon. My driver had been a teenager during the war years, and he well…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/across-the-balkans-sarajevo/

Afghanistan: Oh, When Will We Ever Learn?
Thomas Knapp | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
"U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign," the Washington Post's Craig Whitlock reports, "making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable." Whitlock bases that claim on a collection of candid, confidential interviews with more than 400 military…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/afghanistan-oh-when-will-we-ever-learn/

Michael Bennet Keeps Going Backwards on Child Benefits
Matt Bruenig | peoplespolicyproject.org | 2019-12-16
Michael Bennet and Mitt Romney released a Child Tax Credit proposal last night. When reorganized logically, the proposed CTC has three pieces: | $1,000 CTC that phases in at a 15 percent rate for all children. | $1,000 CTC that is fully refundable for all children. | $500 CTC that is fully refundable for children ages 0 to 6. | Thus, young children would receive $1,500 in fully refundable benefits while older children would receive $1,000 in fully refundable benefits. Both would then re…
peoplespolicyproject.org/2019/12/16/michael-bennet-keeps-going-backwards-on-child-benefits/

Sri Lankan authorities delay on whether to prosecute award-winning writer Shakthika Sathkumara
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
Sri Lanka's ruling elite is whipping up religious communalism to counter the development of unified mass action by workers, youth and the rural poor against government austerity and attacks on democratic rights.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/sath-d16.html

Lessons From Battling the Pentagon for Four Decades
William Hartung | commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
In 2019, Pentagon spending is actually higher than it was at the peak of either the Korean or Vietnam conflicts and may soon be—adjusted for inflation—twice the Cold War average. (Photo: David B. Gleason/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pentagon_0_1_2.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/16/lessons-battling-pentagon-four-decades?cd-origin=rss

The Afghanistan Papers Confirm America's Longest War Is a Lie
Sonali Kolhatkar | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
The Washington Post's Afghanistan Papers, detailing a true history of the nation's longest official war, reveals nothing new about the war's futility or about the fact that it was doomed to failure from almost the beginning.
globalresearch.ca/afghanistan-papers-confirm-america-longest-war-lie/5697812

A Hidden Majority: UK General Election 2019
Afshin Rattansi | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
The threat posed by Jeremy Corbyn to the powerful and privileged in Britain at the 2019 general election was far more severe than the one from Clement Attlee in 1945. While his Labour Party manifesto may have just laid out plans for a return to post-war norms of a "civilized" European social democratic state, Corbyn's…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/a-hidden-majority-uk-general-election-2019/

Rating the 2020 Democrats at This Weekend's Education Forum
Carol Burris | commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
Warren argued throughout for increased funding for public education, funded by her proposed wealth tax. (Photo: Public Education Forum in Pittsburgh) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-12-16_at_11.16.29_am.png
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/16/rating-2020-democrats-weekends-education-forum?cd-origin=rss

Socialist Equality Party used UK general election to put forward a socialist perspective
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
The SEP's candidates reached thousands of workers and youth and was followed across Britain and internationally.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/camp-d16.html