Daily Archives: December 19, 2019

2019-12-19: News Headlines

Staff (2019-12-19). McConnell Blasts Trump Impeachment by House, Pledges Senate Action. truthdig.com Majority leader denounces House approval as "most unfair" and takes umbrage at Pelosi not saying when two articles will be sent for trial.

Mark Gruenberg (2019-12-19). Spending bill gives Trump border wall money, but workers make some gains. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (PAI)— On the eve of impeachment, the House rushed through two "minibus" spending bills that give Trump some money for his border wall, though not as much as he had demanded, and score some wins for particular segments of the workforce. Those were the key takeaways as Congress enacted one bill covering national security …

Staff (2019-12-19). Across America Thousands March To Support Trump's Impeachment. therealnews.com People turned out in over 600 communities all over the United States calling for President Donald Trump's impeachment. David Siever of MoveOn talks about what this means and what happens next.

Gus Hall (2019-12-19). Archives 1974: Communist leader Gus Hall on the Nixon impeachment and resignation. peoplesworld.org Editor's Note: President Richard Nixon resigned from office on Aug. 9, 1974, just hours before the House of Representatives was to consider and approve formal articles of impeachment against him for his Watergate conspiracy. The article below was written by Gus Hall, the General Secretary of the Communist Party USA, and appeared in Daily World …

Al Neal (2019-12-19). After NFL Players Union win, Jaguars' Coughlin removed from front office. peoplesworld.org In a single day, two executives were held to account for their failures and actions: The U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday night to impeach Donald J. Trump on two articles (abuse of power, obstruction of Congress); and the Jacksonville Jaguars fired Executive Vice President Tom Coughlin almost two days after the NFL Players union …

Staff (2019-12-19). President Trump Is Impeached. truthdig.com WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday night, becoming only the third American chief executive to be formally charged under the Constitution's ultimate remedy for high crimes and misdemeanors. | The historic vote split along party lines, much the way it has divided the nation, over the charges that the 45th president abused the power of his office by enlisting a foreign government to investigate a political rival ahead of the 2020 election. Then a majority of the House approved a second charge, that he obstructed Congress in its investigation. | The ar…

C.J. Atkins (2019-12-19). Trump impeached—The people's verdict will come on Election Day 2020. peoplesworld.org President Donald J. Trump's legacy as a corrupt and lawless president is now permanently recorded for all of history. By a near party-line vote, he stands formally indicted of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, making him only the third president in the history of the United States to be impeached. Attention now shifts …

Miko Peled (2019-12-19). From the Old City to Tel Rumeida Hill: Israel's Takeover of Hebron Forges Ahead. mintpressnews.com It often seems that Israel's actions in the West Bank are spurred by little more than a desire to compensate for lost opportunities and settle old scores, and Hebron is no exception writes Miko Peled.

The Canary (2019-12-19). Nicola Sturgeon warns 'democracy will prevail' as she demands indyref2. thecanary.co Nicola Sturgeon has insisted "democracy must and will prevail" as she confirmed she has now written to Boris Johnson formally requesting the power for Holyrood to hold a second independence referendum.The SNP leader and Scottish first minister said that following last week's election victory in which her party took 47 of the 59 Scottish seats at Westminster, the case for another referendum is "unarguable".Speaking at Bute House, her official residence in Edinburgh, Sturgeon said: "The alternative is a future that we have rejected being imposed upon us.Nicola Sturgeon has written to the PM to request the right to…

Jayati Ghosh (2019-12-19). The growing threat of water wars. mronline.org In 2015, United Nations member states adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, which include an imperative to "ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all." Yet, in the last four years, matters have deteriorated significantly. | Source

Edward Yudelovich (2019-12-19). On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, disabled activists, allies demand elevators, not more subway cops. workers.org Dec. 3, inside Macy's. The United Nations established the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec. 3, 1992, in a victory for the worldwide struggle of people with disabilities. IDPD has been celebrated around the planet to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, . . . | Continue reading On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, disabled activists, allies demand elevators, not more subway cops at Workers.org

Sara Flounders (2019-12-19). Behind the U.S. anti-China campaign. workers.org In order to evaluate the claims of massive human rights violations of the Uyghurs, an ethnic and religious minority in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, it is important to know a few facts. Xinjiang Province in the far western region of China is an arid, mountainous and still . . . | Continue reading Behind the U.S. anti-China campaign at Workers.org

Stephen Lendman (2019-12-19). US Hardliners Want Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning Crucified. globalresearch.ca Mass incarceration in the US is a national disgrace, a crime against humanity, including countless numbers of political prisoners — pesecuted behind bars for their beliefs and activism, for resisting the dirty system, judged guilty by accusation. | Julian Assange and …

The Canary (2019-12-19). Julian Assange lawyers will challenge the 'political' framing of charges against him. thecanary.co WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team will argue he should not be extradited to the US because his alleged offences are being framed as "political" in nature, a court heard. | His lawyers believe that a 2007 extradition treaty agreed between the UK and US offers the 48-year-old protection. | Assange appeared via video-link at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 November for a case management hearing to set the timetable leading up to a full extradition hearing in February. | He's being…

WSWS (2019-12-19). Growing demands for Australian government to intervene in defence of Assange. wsws.org Labor and the Coalition have not responded to calls that they defend Assange, in keeping with their nine-year involvement in his persecution.

Aaron Maté (2019-12-19). Newsweek reporter quits after editors block coverage of OPCW Syria scandal. thegrayzone.com Journalist Tareq Haddad explains his decision to resign from Newsweek over its refusal to cover the OPCW's unfolding Syria scandal….

commondreams (2019-12-19). Immigrant Rights Advocates in New York File First Federal Lawsuit to Jointly Block Three Interrelated "Public Charge" Immigration Rules. commondreams.org ______________________________…

The Canary (2019-12-19). Queen's Speech takes 'wrecking ball' to Scotland's foundations, SNP claims. thecanary.co The SNP has accused Boris Johnson and the UK Government of "taking a wrecking ball" to Scotland with its plans in the Queen's Speech. | SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford spoke out after a speech that did not mention Scotland by name — although the queen said the "integrity and prosperity" of the United Kingdom was of "the utmost importance" to the UK Government. | Blackford argued the Withdrawal Agreement Bill that ministers will bring forward will hurt Scotland's economy and cost thousands of jobs north of the border. | He was also critical of plans on immigration and said the UK Government was failing…

Staff (2019-12-19). Democrats Are Shifting on Foreign Policy — But Not Far Enough to End War. truthout.org After months of debate, the crowded Democratic primaries have begun to narrow. Major candidates have largely avoided foreign policy discussions, instead focusing on issues like health care, trade, immigration and gun control, which are seen as more important to the U.S. electorate. Although they have clear differences in vision, it is obvious that both progressives and traditionalists on the ticket see foreign policy as a secondary concern. This is standard for U.S. politics. Often, campaign staff…

Robert Fisk (2019-12-19). All Massacres Will Become "Alleged Massacres" If We Don't Pay Attention. counterpunch.org Not that long ago, I spotted a report in an American newspaper which referred to the "alleged Sabra and Chatila massacre". Up to 1,700 civilians, most of them Palestinians, were slaughtered in the two refugee camps in Beirut in just three days in 1982. They were killed by Israel's Lebanese Christian Phalangist allies. The Israelis More

yenisafak (2019-12-19). China replicates Tibet repression in Xinjiang: Expert. yenisafak.com Speaking at a panel at the Washington-based Hudson Institute think-tank Wednesday, Ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said China is waging a losing "war on faith, truth and international norms."Brownback highlighted "human rights violations and abuses of China" against Uighurs in mass detention in Xianjiang, a Turkic people in the northwest.Brownback said 1 million Uighurs, since April 2017, in the name of China's countering religious extremism and war on terror, have been forced to part ways with their religious traditions in internment camps, which are officially called the Vo…

Activist Post (2019-12-19). US Bombs Afghan Hospital While The Pentagon Now Refuses To Even Comment On The Afghan War. thelastamericanvagabond.com When is the last time that the U.S. government said they would do something, and did it exactly as they stated? So, the recent announcement of the military withdrawing 4,000 troops from Afghanistan should be treated with suspicion. Meanwhile, the headline is that U.S.-led forces "had" to bomb a clinic in order to stop a …

yenisafak (2019-12-19). PKK/YPG terrorists kill 5 civilians in Syria. yenisafak.com The terror group PKK/YPG killed five civilians, including three children, with a car bomb attack in Ras al-Ayn, northern Syria near Turkey's border, said Turkey's Defense Ministry on Thursday.In a statement, the ministry said the terror group targeted civilians in the village of Tell Halaf in the Ras al-Ayn province.Ras al-Ayn is within the area of Turkey's Operation Peace Spring, launched on Oct. 9 to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.Since then, Turkey reache…

news.un (2019-12-19). Iran and US both undermining nuclear deal says UN political affairs chief. news.un.org Both Iran and the United States have been putting strain on the groundbreaking 2015 deal to monitor Iran's nuclear programme, which remains a "cornerstone of international peace and security", said the UN's political affairs chief on Thursday.

George Ochenski (2019-12-19). A Scorched Earth Christmas is No Gift. counterpunch.org For millennia, humans have celebrated the end of the year under any number of names, from Saturnalia to Christmas. Those in the northern hemisphere see the long, dark days begin to lengthen and brighten, lifting spirits as the New Year approaches. But this year, the idea of peace on Earth, good will toward all seems More

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-19). With ceasefire deal, Sudan is one step closer to peace. peoplesdispatch.org On Tuesday, December 17, the transitional government of Sudan agreed to cease hostilities in the States of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, in a deal reached with the Malik Agar-led faction of the armed rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). The government also agreed to open corridors for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the populations of the two States. | The development comes as a welcome step towards accomplishing one of the most important tasks set before the transitional government — to put an end to the civil war ongoing in the two States since 2011, which has left over 1…

The Mind Unleashed (2019-12-19). UN Peacekeepers Fathered Hundreds of Babies With Girls in Haiti as Young as 11. theantimedia.com Girls as young as 11 were impregnated by peacekeepers and left "in misery" to raise their children alone.

yenisafak (2019-12-19). UN dispatches humanitarian aid to war-weary Syria. yenisafak.com The UN on Thursday dispatched 32 truckloads of humanitarian aid to the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib.The trucks passed through the Cilvegozu border gate in southern Turkey, with aid to be distributed to residents in urban areas of the war-torn province as well as the surrounding countryside.Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone laid out in a de…

IMEMC News (2019-12-19). Soldiers Abduct A Young Man, Injure Dozens, Near Hebron. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, Thursday, a young Palestinian man, and caused dozens of residents to suffer the severe effects of teargas inhalation, in the al-'Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank. Media sources said the soldiers attacked many Palestinians, protesting the invasion near …

John Atcheson (2019-12-19). Just Because Republicans Are Spewing Nonsense on Impeachment Doesn't Mean the "Big Lie" Won't Work. commondreams.org Protester holding a sign at a "Nobody Is Above the Law" rally in Times Square on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. Hundreds of thousands of Americans joined the coalition at more than 500 rallies planned around the country the day before Trump was officially impeached on Wednesday but the U.S. House of Representatives. (Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/impeach_trump_gop_big_lie.jpg

Ramzy Baroud (2019-12-19). From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel's West Bank Colonization. mintpressnews.com UN Resolution 2334, although externally supportive of Palestinian rights, turned out to be one of the most costly decisions ever made by the international institution.

Ralph Nader (2019-12-19). Boeing's Perilous Bungling Requires New Leadership. globalresearch.ca The Boeing executives and marketeers responsible for over-ruling Boeing engineers on the 737 MAX are still in charge of this very troubled aerospace company. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg and the rubber-stamp Board of Directors, with two trophy ambassadors, are still …

South Front (2019-12-19). Video: Military Intervention in Libya and Turkey's Grand Game in the Eastern Mediterranean. globalresearch.ca During the past week, the situation significantly escalated in Libya, with Turkey expanding its military involvement in the conflict. | In late November, Turkey signed with the Government of National Accord (GNA), which controls only a small part of northern Libya, …

Stephen Lendman (2019-12-19). Dem Controlled House Impeaches Trump. globalresearch.ca On Wednesday, House members impeached Trump on two counts as expected, politicized voting almost entirely along party lines — 230 — 197 for alleged abuse of power, 229 — 198 for alleged obstruction of Congress. | No Republicans supported the scam, …

Howard Lisnoff (2019-12-19). Militarism Has Become Enormously Popular and Nearly Universally Accepted. counterpunch.org I watch The Real News regularly. Marc Steiner seems to have taken over the role that one of the program's founders, Paul Jay, once had before he disappeared from the program at the beginning of last summer. Jay disappeared along with one of the lead reporters at The Real News with no official explanation ever given. Recently the comment More

yenisafak (2019-12-19). Turkey's Borsa Istanbul flat at Thursday's close. yenisafak.com Turkey's benchmark stock index ended the day up 0.02% to close at 110,599.43 points on Thursday.Starting the day at 110,835.16 points, Borsa Istanbul's BIST 100 index went up 24.76 points from 110,574.68 points at Wednesday's close.During Thursday's trading, the BIST 100 hovered between 110,584.42 points and 111,274.25 points — 65 stocks on the index rose, 26 fell, and the remaining were flat compared to the previous close.Closing the day with a market value of nearly 753 billion Turkish liras ($127 billion), the benchmark index posted a daily trading volume of 6.8 billion Turkish liras ($1.14 billion).By market…

yenisafak (2019-12-19). Turkey rejects ex-Israeli envoy's remarks on Hamas ties. yenisafak.com Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday rebuffed allegations saying its territory was used for act against Israel or any other country.The statement came after Dore Gold, a former Israeli ambassador to the UN, accused Turkey of permitting senior Hamas figures to "order attacks against Israel from Istanbul.""The majority of the international community considers Hamas not as a terrorist organization but as a political reality which has won the elections in Gaza in 2006," the ministry said on Twitter.It went on saying that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) had rejected calling Palestine's Hamas as a terrorist organization…

yenisafak (2019-12-19). Turkey is stability factor in Balkans: Int'l envoy. yenisafak.com Turkey is contributing to the stability in the Balkans both politically and culturally, said an international envoy."Turkey is a factor of stability in the Balkans both in the political and cultural area," High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Valentin Inzko said told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.He underlined the aids by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the good relations of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with his Serbian and Croatian counterparts, Alexander Vucic and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, respectively, for its role in the Balkans.Inzko also said that Turkey…

yenisafak (2019-12-19). Turkey condemns terrorist attack in Chad. yenisafak.com Turkey Thursday condemned a terrorist attack in Chad which left over dozens of civilians dead."We are saddened to receive the news that many people lost their lives and injured in a terrorist attack against a fishing village on the shores of Lake Chad," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement."We strongly condemn this heinous attack," the statement read, also offering Turkey's condolences Chad.On Wednesday, at least 14 people were killed and five others injured in Boko Haram's armed attack in a fishing village in the western Chad.

yenisafak (2019-12-19). Turkey is 7th-best country for expats: Survey. yenisafak.com Among over 150 countries around the world, Turkey is the seventh-best place for expatriates to live and work, according to a new survey.More than 18,000 expats living in 163 countries were surveyed on their adopted countries' cultural, political, economic conditions by HSBC bank's Expat Explorer Report, said a statement by Turkey's Communications Directorate.According to the survey, 62% of expats in Turkey said that quality of life in Turkey is much better than in their home countries.Over half of expats in Turkey have enough time for their hobbies and private lives. Also, 69% said they feel safe in Turkey and th…

Lynda Carson (2019-12-19). Impeachment Day: The Yacht Sequoia and the Trump v. Nixon fiasco. indybay.org The Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificate that has spent many years hanging on the wall of my apartment is dated around 2 months before former disgraced President Richard Nixon resigned from office. Facing imminent impeachment, Nixon resigned from office on August 9th, 1974, barely a few days after his fateful trip into history aboard the Yacht Sequoia on August 5, 1974, where he learned that a Court had ordered him to release the transcript of an incriminating tape recording that revealed he had indeed approved the cover-up of the notorious Watergate-breakin. I enjoy keeping this little piece of history around to rem…

Peter Maiden (2019-12-19). Large Pro-Impeachment Rally Held in Clovis, CA. indybay.org Around 350 demonstrators turned out for a pro-impeachment rally in Clovis, adjacent to Fresno. It was one of over 600 demonstrations nationwide that were organized by MoveOn.org.

WSWS (2019-12-19). Amid impeachment vote, Congress passes record military budget and funds Trump's border wall. wsws.org The right-wing basis on which the Democrats have impeached Trump is underscored by the bipartisan support for the fascistic president's political agenda demonstrated in the budget measures approved by Congress.

WSWS (2019-12-19). A plague on both political parties. wsws.org Despite the ferocity of conflict over impeachment, the Democrats and Republicans represent the twin imperatives of American imperialism: the drive toward war and fascistic authoritarianism.

Staff (2019-12-19). After House Impeachment Vote, Trump's Case Headed for Possible "Kangaroo Court" truthout.org The trial to impeach President Trump could soon head to the Republican-controlled Senate, which requires a two-thirds supermajority vote to convict. Senate Majority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell has said he is not an "impartial juror" and that he would closely coordinate a Senate impeachment trial with the White House Counsel's Office, leading Democrats to accuse McConnell of trying to preside over a sham trial. We speak with John Bonifaz, who spearheaded the push for impeachment with his gro…

Aaron Maté (2019-12-19). The Democratic Leadership Strategy on Impeachment Is Doomed and Dangerous. thenation.com The Democratic Leadership Strategy on Impeachment Is Doomed and Dangerous…

John Nichols (2019-12-19). The House Impeaches Trump. thenation.com The House Impeaches Trump…

Text: RR Photos: Wesley Chang, Pro Bono Photo (2019-12-19). Chicken Trump Balloon Effigy Makes an Appearance on Impeachment Eve. indybay.org December 17 rallies came one day ahead of a vote planned by the U.S. House of Representatives on impeachment. In Palo Alto, CA, hundreds gathered in Lytton Plaza downtown.

Staff (2019-12-19). House Passes USMCA Trade Deal With Broad Bipartisan Support. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — One day after its historic impeachment votes, the Democratic-led House gave President Donald Trump an overwhelming bipartisan victory Thursday on a renegotiated trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. | By a 385-41 vote, the House approved a bill that puts in place terms of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. | The legislation passed after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her colleagues won key concessions from an administration anxious to pass the trade deal before next year's election season makes that task more…

The Canary (2019-12-19). Tories seem to backtrack as far-right leader receives welcome email from them. thecanary.co The convicted leader of far-right group Britain First has said he applied to join the Conservative Party to show support for controversial comments made by Boris Johnson about Islam.Paul Golding — who has received a welcome email from the Tories following his application — told the PA news agency he liked the "cut of the cloth" of Johnson after he described Muslim women who wear the all-covering burqa as looking like "letterboxes".But the Tories said Golding's application had "not been approved", and a party source suggested his membership would be revoked.Britain First, an anti-Islam party, said a numb…

2019-12-19: Social Media Postees

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

US Hardliners Want Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning Crucified
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-19
Mass incarceration in the US is a national disgrace, a crime against humanity, including countless numbers of political prisoners — pesecuted behind bars for their beliefs and activism, for resisting the dirty system, judged guilty by accusation. | Julian Assange and …
globalresearch.ca/us-hardliners-want-julian-assange-chelsea-manning-crucified/5698261

Growing demands for Australian government to intervene in defence of Assange
wsws.org | 2019-12-19
Labor and the Coalition have not responded to calls that they defend Assange, in keeping with their nine-year involvement in his persecution.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/19/asau-d19.html

Julian Assange lawyers will challenge the 'political' framing of charges against him
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-19
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team will argue he should not be extradited to the US because his alleged offences are being framed as "political" in nature, a court heard. | His lawyers believe that a 2007 extradition treaty agreed between the UK and US offers the 48-year-old protection. | Assange appeared via video-link at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 November for a case management hearing to set the timetable leading up to a full extradition hearing in February. | He's being…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/19/julian-assange-lawyers-will-challenge-the-political-framing-of-charges-against-him/

Newsweek reporter quits after editors block coverage of OPCW Syria scandal
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-19
Journalist Tareq Haddad explains his decision to resign from Newsweek over its refusal to cover the OPCW's unfolding Syria scandal….
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/19/newsweek-reporter-quits-after-editors-block-coverage-of-opcw-syria-scandal/

Democrats Are Shifting on Foreign Policy — But Not Far Enough to End War
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-19
After months of debate, the crowded Democratic primaries have begun to narrow. Major candidates have largely avoided foreign policy discussions, instead focusing on issues like health care, trade, immigration and gun control, which are seen as more important to the U.S. electorate. Although they have clear differences in vision, it is obvious that both progressives and traditionalists on the ticket see foreign policy as a secondary concern. This is standard for U.S. politics. Often, campaign staff…
truthout.org/articles/democrats-are-shifting-on-foreign-policy-but-not-far-enough-to-end-war/

Immigrant Rights Advocates in New York File First Federal Lawsuit to Jointly Block Three Interrelated "Public Charge" Immigration Rules
commondreams.org | 2019-12-19
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/12/19/immigrant-rights-advocates-new-york-file-first-federal-lawsuit-jointly-block?cd-origin=rss

Queen's Speech takes 'wrecking ball' to Scotland's foundations, SNP claims
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-19
The SNP has accused Boris Johnson and the UK Government of "taking a wrecking ball" to Scotland with its plans in the Queen's Speech. | SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford spoke out after a speech that did not mention Scotland by name — although the queen said the "integrity and prosperity" of the United Kingdom was of "the utmost importance" to the UK Government. | Blackford argued the Withdrawal Agreement Bill that ministers will bring forward will hurt Scotland's economy and cost thousands of jobs north of the border. | He was also critical of plans on immigration and said the UK Government was failing…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/19/queens-speech-takes-wrecking-ball-to-scotlands-foundations-snp-claims/

All Massacres Will Become "Alleged Massacres" If We Don't Pay Attention
Robert Fisk | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-19
Not that long ago, I spotted a report in an American newspaper which referred to the "alleged Sabra and Chatila massacre". Up to 1,700 civilians, most of them Palestinians, were slaughtered in the two refugee camps in Beirut in just three days in 1982. They were killed by Israel's Lebanese Christian Phalangist allies. The Israelis…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/19/all-massacres-will-become-alleged-massacres-if-we-dont-pay-attention/

China replicates Tibet repression in Xinjiang: Expert
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-19
Speaking at a panel at the Washington-based Hudson Institute think-tank Wednesday, Ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said China is waging a losing "war on faith, truth and international norms."Brownback highlighted "human rights violations and abuses of China" against Uighurs in mass detention in Xianjiang, a Turkic people in the northwest.Brownback said 1 million Uighurs, since April 2017, in the name of China's countering religious extremism and war on terror, have been forced to part ways with their religious traditions in internment camps, which are officially called the Vo…
yenisafak.com/en/world/china-replicates-tibet-repression-in-xinjiang-expert-3507834

US Bombs Afghan Hospital While The Pentagon Now Refuses To Even Comment On The Afghan War
Activist Post | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-19
When is the last time that the U.S. government said they would do something, and did it exactly as they stated? So, the recent announcement of the military withdrawing 4,000 troops from Afghanistan should be treated with suspicion. Meanwhile, the headline is that U.S.-led forces "had" to bomb a clinic in order to stop a …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/tdwu-clips/us-bombs-afghan-hospital-while-the-pentagon-now-refuses-to-even-comment-on-the-afghan-war/

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, disabled activists, allies demand elevators, not more subway cops
Edward Yudelovich | workers.org | 2019-12-19
Dec. 3, inside Macy's. The United Nations established the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec. 3, 1992, in a victory for the worldwide struggle of people with disabilities. IDPD has been celebrated around the planet to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, . . . | Continue reading On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, disabled activists, allies demand elevators, not more subway cops at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/12/44981/

PKK/YPG terrorists kill 5 civilians in Syria
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-19
The terror group PKK/YPG killed five civilians, including three children, with a car bomb attack in Ras al-Ayn, northern Syria near Turkey's border, said Turkey's Defense Ministry on Thursday.In a statement, the ministry said the terror group targeted civilians in the village of Tell Halaf in the Ras al-Ayn province.Ras al-Ayn is within the area of Turkey's Operation Peace Spring, launched on Oct. 9 to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.Since then, Turkey reache…
yenisafak.com/en/news/pkk-ypg-terrorists-kill-5-civilians-in-syria-3507827

Iran and US both undermining nuclear deal says UN political affairs chief
news.un.org | 2019-12-19
Both Iran and the United States have been putting strain on the groundbreaking 2015 deal to monitor Iran's nuclear programme, which remains a "cornerstone of international peace and security", said the UN's political affairs chief on Thursday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1054071

A Scorched Earth Christmas is No Gift
George Ochenski | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-19
For millennia, humans have celebrated the end of the year under any number of names, from Saturnalia to Christmas. Those in the northern hemisphere see the long, dark days begin to lengthen and brighten, lifting spirits as the New Year approaches. But this year, the idea of peace on Earth, good will toward all seems…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/19/a-scorched-earth-christmas-is-no-gift/

With ceasefire deal, Sudan is one step closer to peace
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-19
On Tuesday, December 17, the transitional government of Sudan agreed to cease hostilities in the States of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, in a deal reached with the Malik Agar-led faction of the armed rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). The government also agreed to open corridors for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the populations of the two States. | The development comes as a welcome step towards accomplishing one of the most important tasks set before the transitional government — to put an end to the civil war ongoing in the two States since 2011, which has left over 1…
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/19/with-ceasefire-deal-sudan-is-one-step-closer-to-peace/

UN Peacekeepers Fathered Hundreds of Babies With Girls in Haiti as Young as 11
The Mind Unleashed | theantimedia.com | 2019-12-19
Girls as young as 11 were impregnated by peacekeepers and left "in misery" to raise their children alone.
theantimedia.com/un-peacekeepers-fathered-hundreds-of-babies-with-girls-in-haiti-as-young-as-11/

UN dispatches humanitarian aid to war-weary Syria
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-19
The UN on Thursday dispatched 32 truckloads of humanitarian aid to the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib.The trucks passed through the Cilvegozu border gate in southern Turkey, with aid to be distributed to residents in urban areas of the war-torn province as well as the surrounding countryside.Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone laid out in a de…
yenisafak.com/en/world/un-dispatches-humanitarian-aid-to-war-weary-syria-3507823

Soldiers Abduct A Young Man, Injure Dozens, Near Hebron
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-19
Israeli soldiers abducted, Thursday, a young Palestinian man, and caused dozens of residents to suffer the severe effects of teargas inhalation, in the al-'Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank. Media sources said the soldiers attacked many Palestinians, protesting the invasion near …
imemc.org/article/soldiers-abduct-a-young-man-injure-dozens-near-hebron/

Just Because Republicans Are Spewing Nonsense on Impeachment Doesn't Mean the "Big Lie" Won't Work
John Atcheson | commondreams.org | 2019-12-19
Protester holding a sign at a "Nobody Is Above the Law" rally in Times Square on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. Hundreds of thousands of Americans joined the coalition at more than 500 rallies planned around the country the day before Trump was officially impeached on Wednesday but the U.S. House of Representatives. (Photo: Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/impeach_trump_gop_big_lie.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/19/just-because-republicans-are-spewing-nonsense-impeachment-doesnt-mean-big-lie-wont?cd-origin=rss

From a Blessing to a Curse: How UN Resolution 2334 Accelerated Israel's West Bank Colonization
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-19
UN Resolution 2334, although externally supportive of Palestinian rights, turned out to be one of the most costly decisions ever made by the international institution.
mintpressnews.com/un-resolution-2334-israel-settlements-international-law/263603/

Boeing's Perilous Bungling Requires New Leadership
Ralph Nader | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-19
The Boeing executives and marketeers responsible for over-ruling Boeing engineers on the 737 MAX are still in charge of this very troubled aerospace company. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg and the rubber-stamp Board of Directors, with two trophy ambassadors, are still …
globalresearch.ca/boeing-requires-new-leadership/5698271

Video: Military Intervention in Libya and Turkey's Grand Game in the Eastern Mediterranean
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-19
During the past week, the situation significantly escalated in Libya, with Turkey expanding its military involvement in the conflict. | In late November, Turkey signed with the Government of National Accord (GNA), which controls only a small part of northern Libya, …
globalresearch.ca/video-military-intervention-libya-turkey-grand-game-eastern-mediterranean/5698225

Dem Controlled House Impeaches Trump
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-19
On Wednesday, House members impeached Trump on two counts as expected, politicized voting almost entirely along party lines — 230 — 197 for alleged abuse of power, 229 — 198 for alleged obstruction of Congress. | No Republicans supported the scam, …
globalresearch.ca/dem-controlled-house-impeaches-trump/5698262

Militarism Has Become Enormously Popular and Nearly Universally Accepted
Howard Lisnoff | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-19
I watch The Real News regularly. Marc Steiner seems to have taken over the role that one of the program's founders, Paul Jay, once had before he disappeared from the program at the beginning of last summer. Jay disappeared along with one of the lead reporters at The Real News with no official explanation ever given. Recently the comment…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/19/militarism-has-become-enormously-popular-and-nearly-universally-accepted/

Behind the U.S. anti-China campaign
Sara Flounders | workers.org | 2019-12-19
In order to evaluate the claims of massive human rights violations of the Uyghurs, an ethnic and religious minority in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, it is important to know a few facts. Xinjiang Province in the far western region of China is an arid, mountainous and still . . . | Continue reading Behind the U.S. anti-China campaign at Workers.org
workers.org/2019/12/44963/

Turkey is stability factor in Balkans: Int'l envoy
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-19
Turkey is contributing to the stability in the Balkans both politically and culturally, said an international envoy."Turkey is a factor of stability in the Balkans both in the political and cultural area," High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Valentin Inzko said told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.He underlined the aids by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the good relations of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with his Serbian and Croatian counterparts, Alexander Vucic and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, respectively, for its role in the Balkans.Inzko also said that Turkey…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-is-stability-factor-in-balkans-intl-envoy-3507830

Turkey's Borsa Istanbul flat at Thursday's close
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-19
Turkey's benchmark stock index ended the day up 0.02% to close at 110,599.43 points on Thursday.Starting the day at 110,835.16 points, Borsa Istanbul's BIST 100 index went up 24.76 points from 110,574.68 points at Wednesday's close.During Thursday's trading, the BIST 100 hovered between 110,584.42 points and 111,274.25 points — 65 stocks on the index rose, 26 fell, and the remaining were flat compared to the previous close.Closing the day with a market value of nearly 753 billion Turkish liras ($127 billion), the benchmark index posted a daily trading volume of 6.8 billion Turkish liras ($1.14 billion).By market…
yenisafak.com/en/economy/turkeys-borsa-istanbul-flat-at-thursdays-close-3507831

Turkey condemns terrorist attack in Chad
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-19
Turkey Thursday condemned a terrorist attack in Chad which left over dozens of civilians dead."We are saddened to receive the news that many people lost their lives and injured in a terrorist attack against a fishing village on the shores of Lake Chad," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement."We strongly condemn this heinous attack," the statement read, also offering Turkey's condolences Chad.On Wednesday, at least 14 people were killed and five others injured in Boko Haram's armed attack in a fishing village in the western Chad.
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-condemns-terrorist-attack-in-chad-3507824

Turkey rejects ex-Israeli envoy's remarks on Hamas ties
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-19
Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday rebuffed allegations saying its territory was used for act against Israel or any other country.The statement came after Dore Gold, a former Israeli ambassador to the UN, accused Turkey of permitting senior Hamas figures to "order attacks against Israel from Istanbul.""The majority of the international community considers Hamas not as a terrorist organization but as a political reality which has won the elections in Gaza in 2006," the ministry said on Twitter.It went on saying that the UN General Assembly (UNGA) had rejected calling Palestine's Hamas as a terrorist organization…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-rejects-ex-israeli-envoys-remarks-on-hamas-ties-3507826

Turkey is 7th-best country for expats: Survey
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-19
Among over 150 countries around the world, Turkey is the seventh-best place for expatriates to live and work, according to a new survey.More than 18,000 expats living in 163 countries were surveyed on their adopted countries' cultural, political, economic conditions by HSBC bank's Expat Explorer Report, said a statement by Turkey's Communications Directorate.According to the survey, 62% of expats in Turkey said that quality of life in Turkey is much better than in their home countries.Over half of expats in Turkey have enough time for their hobbies and private lives. Also, 69% said they feel safe in Turkey and th…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-is-7th-best-country-for-expats-survey-3507832

Spending bill gives Trump border wall money, but workers make some gains
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-12-19
WASHINGTON (PAI)– On the eve of impeachment, the House rushed through two "minibus" spending bills that give Trump some money for his border wall, though not as much as he had demanded, and score some wins for particular segments of the workforce. Those were the key takeaways as Congress enacted one bill covering national security …
peoplesworld.org/article/spending-bill-gives-trump-border-wall-money-but-workers-make-some-gains/

Archives 1974: Communist leader Gus Hall on the Nixon impeachment and resignation
Gus Hall | peoplesworld.org | 2019-12-19
Editor's Note: President Richard Nixon resigned from office on Aug. 9, 1974, just hours before the House of Representatives was to consider and approve formal articles of impeachment against him for his Watergate conspiracy. The article below was written by Gus Hall, the General Secretary of the Communist Party USA, and appeared in Daily World …
peoplesworld.org/article/archives-1974-communist-leader-gus-hall-on-the-nixon-impeachment-and-resignation/

Impeachment Day: The Yacht Sequoia and the Trump v. Nixon fiasco
Lynda Carson | indybay.org | 2019-12-19
The Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificate that has spent many years hanging on the wall of my apartment is dated around 2 months before former disgraced President Richard Nixon resigned from office. Facing imminent impeachment, Nixon resigned from office on August 9th, 1974, barely a few days after his fateful trip into history aboard the Yacht Sequoia on August 5, 1974, where he learned that a Court had ordered him to release the transcript of an incriminating tape recording that revealed he had indeed approved the cover-up of the notorious Watergate-breakin. I enjoy keeping this little piece of history around to rem…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/18/18828979.php

McConnell Blasts Trump Impeachment by House, Pledges Senate Action
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-19
Majority leader denounces House approval as "most unfair" and takes umbrage at Pelosi not saying when two articles will be sent for trial.
truthdig.com/articles/mcconnell-blasts-trump-impeachment-by-house-pledges-senate-action/

Large Pro-Impeachment Rally Held in Clovis, CA
Peter Maiden | indybay.org | 2019-12-19
Around 350 demonstrators turned out for a pro-impeachment rally in Clovis, adjacent to Fresno. It was one of over 600 demonstrations nationwide that were organized by MoveOn.org.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/18/18828974.php

Amid impeachment vote, Congress passes record military budget and funds Trump's border wall
wsws.org | 2019-12-19
The right-wing basis on which the Democrats have impeached Trump is underscored by the bipartisan support for the fascistic president's political agenda demonstrated in the budget measures approved by Congress.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/19/budg-d19.html

House Passes USMCA Trade Deal With Broad Bipartisan Support
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-19
WASHINGTON — One day after its historic impeachment votes, the Democratic-led House gave President Donald Trump an overwhelming bipartisan victory Thursday on a renegotiated trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. | By a 385-41 vote, the House approved a bill that puts in place terms of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. | The legislation passed after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her colleagues won key concessions from an administration anxious to pass the trade deal before next year's election season makes that task…
truthdig.com/articles/house-passes-usmca-trade-deal-with-broad-bipartisan-support/

After House Impeachment Vote, Trump's Case Headed for Possible "Kangaroo Court"
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-19
The trial to impeach President Trump could soon head to the Republican-controlled Senate, which requires a two-thirds supermajority vote to convict. Senate Majority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell has said he is not an "impartial juror" and that he would closely coordinate a Senate impeachment trial with the White House Counsel's Office, leading Democrats to accuse McConnell of trying to preside over a sham trial. We speak with John Bonifaz, who spearheaded the push for impeachment with his gro…
truthout.org/video/after-house-impeachment-vote-trumps-case-headed-for-possible-kangaroo-court/

A plague on both political parties
wsws.org | 2019-12-19
Despite the ferocity of conflict over impeachment, the Democrats and Republicans represent the twin imperatives of American imperialism: the drive toward war and fascistic authoritarianism.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/19/pers-d19.html

Chicken Trump Balloon Effigy Makes an Appearance on Impeachment Eve
Text: RR Photos: Wesley Chang, Pro Bono Photo | indybay.org | 2019-12-19
December 17 rallies came one day ahead of a vote planned by the U.S. House of Representatives on impeachment. In Palo Alto, CA, hundreds gathered in Lytton Plaza downtown.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/18/18828981.php

The Democratic Leadership Strategy on Impeachment Is Doomed and Dangerous
Aaron Maté | thenation.com | 2019-12-19
The Democratic Leadership Strategy on Impeachment Is Doomed and Dangerous…
thenation.com/article/impeachment-democrat-pelosi-doomed/

Across America Thousands March To Support Trump's Impeachment
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-19
People turned out in over 600 communities all over the United States calling for President Donald Trump's impeachment. David Siever of MoveOn talks about what this means and what happens next.
therealnews.com/stories/across-america-thousands-march-support-trumps-impeachment

The House Impeaches Trump
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2019-12-19
The House Impeaches Trump…
thenation.com/article/impeachment-vote-third-president/

Tories seem to backtrack as far-right leader receives welcome email from them
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-19
The convicted leader of far-right group Britain First has said he applied to join the Conservative Party to show support for controversial comments made by Boris Johnson about Islam.Paul Golding — who has received a welcome email from the Tories following his application — told the PA news agency he liked the "cut of the cloth" of Johnson after he described Muslim women who wear the all-covering burqa as looking like "letterboxes".But the Tories said Golding's application had "not been approved", and a party source suggested his membership would be revoked.Britain First, an anti-Islam party, said a numb…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/19/tories-seem-to-backtrack-as-far-right-leader-receives-welcome-email-from-them/

Indo-Pak Nuclear Confrontation: First Use Policy and the Race Towards Armageddon
N.D. Jayaprakash | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-19
PART ONE There are several indications that India's ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological mentor the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) are obsessed with the perverse urge to wipe out Pakistan with nuclear weapons by unleashing a first or a second strike. Through similar means, their counterparts on the Pakistani side are…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/19/indo-pak-nuclear-confrontation-first-use-policy-and-the-race-towards-armageddon/

FERC Order Props Up Fossil Fuels, Dooms Climate Efforts
commondreams.org | 2019-12-19
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/12/19/ferc-order-props-fossil-fuels-dooms-climate-efforts?cd-origin=rss

A Musing on Climate Change
Michael Doliner | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-19
Stefan-Boltzmann law, is the statement that the total radiant heat power emitted from a surface is proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature. As an equation this is written E = œÉT4, E is energy, œÉ is a constant and T is temperature. The amount of energy emitted increases with the fourth power of temperature. Such radiant…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/19/a-musing-on-climate-change/

Thursday's Daily Brief: tobacco burn-out, cholera cases down, 'shifting the needle' on climate
news.un.org | 2019-12-19
Among today's stories: more men are quitting nicotine than ever before, a big drop in cholera cases was recorded between 2017 and 2018, and the UN calls on developed countries to raise their climate ambitions, following the disappointment of COP25.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1054051

Malaysia summit seeks to solve issues of Muslim world
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-19
The leaders of Muslim countries around the world underlined the importance of solidarity and unity between Muslim nations during a summit in the Malaysian capital on Thursday.At the opening ceremony of the Kuala Lumpur Summit, leaders sent common messages on problems facing the Islamic world, including the development of Muslim societies, increasing Islamophobia, the rise of Islamic civilization as well as economy and cooperation.In an opening speech, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "The fate of the world's 1.7 billion Muslims is no longer in the hands of the five permanent members of the UN Security…
yenisafak.com/en/world/malaysia-summit-seeks-to-solve-issues-of-muslim-world-3507829

2020 California Urban Homestead Act
K Rashid Nuri | indybay.org | 2019-12-19
Honorable William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. first began California Urban Agriculture at his Yerba Buena Garden, today a robust California public policy is needed for our 333 billion dollar, 1.5 million job "California Working Landscape" and Nationwide.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/18/18828995.php