(2020-05-28). Amy Klobuchar, Minneapolis Police and Her VP Quest. commondreams.org Klobuchar has risen to the top tier of Biden's possible VP picks. Her selection would likely be disastrous. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/amy_0.jpg …
(2020-05-28). Has Coronavirus Pandemic Really Destroyed Globalization? globalresearch.ca The coronavirus pandemic has not only created contradictory information on the best ways to deal with it, on whether there are cures and vaccinations, or whether there will be a second wave, but they are also contradictory on how the …
(2020-05-28). Elections, A New Leadership And BDS Are Pivotal For Palestine. popularresistance.org Ever since President Donald Trump blundered blindly into the Middle East with his woefully inexperienced team of advisors, US foreign policy has swung wildly out of control. Predictably, it has destroyed the already fragile two-state solution as defined by the Oslo Accords. | It's no use pretending that such a solution is still viable. That, though, may not be all bad news for the Palestinians, whose current leadership in Ramallah is incapable of actually leading the people and taking control of the situation. | The Palestinians have never worn the cloak of victimhood very well; it is simply not in their DNA to s…
(2020-05-28). Countering the Judaization of the Rest of Palestine. globalresearch.ca Netanyahu's impending annexation of the Judaized parts of the West Bank (he says July 1st) is a transformative event for Palestinian politics, and the Palestinian people, who have long been reined in by impositions that accept Zionist myths and outright …
(2020-05-28). The Future of Forever War, American-Style. counterpunch.org 
Covid-19, an ongoing global human tragedy, may have at least one silver lining. It has led millions of people to question America's most malignant policies at home and abroad. Regarding Washington's war policies abroad, there's been speculation that the coronavirus might, in the end, put a dent in such conflicts, if not prove an unintended
(2020-05-28). Two Fictions of Mainstream Economics. counterpunch.org 
Mainstream economics consistently fails to predict the future. I'm talking about those 'schools' of mis-thought, ranging from Paul Krugman on the 'left' to Glenn Hubbard and other apologists of business and neoliberalism on the 'right'. One of the favorite myths they perpetrate is that 'wages are sticky downwards'. That means that in conditions of recession
(2020-05-28). Trump's War on Arms Control and Disarmament. counterpunch.org 
A successor to the Trump administration will have to rebuild the credibility of the Department of Justice and the effectiveness of such regulatory agencies as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Finance Protection Agency. It will have to rebuild the intelligence community, which has been heavily politicized, and the Department of State, which has
(2020-05-28). The Virtues of Not Eating Animals. counterpunch.org 
Growing up in a village I was born in a Greek village where land and food self-sufficiency were everything. My father had a few strips of land where he raised enough food for his family and the family of his brother who lost his life during the war years of the 1940s. My father cultivated
(2020-05-28). There is No Vacation Anymore. counterpunch.org 
"But the beauty is in the walking. We are betrayed by destinations." — Gwynn Thomas Covid has made a mockery of scheduling. Its new order of hibernation or death caught the Republic unawares, despite two months of international warnings and as many afternoons of mediocre golf. Shucks, accidents will happen! But I suspect that in
(2020-05-28). Warnings of 'Catastrophic Consequences' as Locust Swarms Hit India and Pakistan in Midst of Coronavirus Crisis. commondreams.org For India, the invasion comes alongside "eviscerating heat." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/locusts-covid.jpg …
(2020-05-28). "Fight Back!": ACT UP Members & Tony Kushner Remember Trailblazing AIDS Activist Larry Kramer. democracynow.org 
We discuss the life and legacy of Larry Kramer, the legendary writer and trailblazing activist in the fight against AIDS, who has died at the age of 84. Kramer helped start Gay Men's Health Crisis and ACT UP to demand life-saving drugs, and faced off with Dr. Anthony Fauci before the two became friends. Many credit Kramer for saving thousands of lives. We hear from Kramer in his own words at the 2019 anti-corporate Queer Liberation March and host a roundtable with two former ACT UP members: "Gay USA" host Ann Northrop and Yale epidemiologist Gregg Gonsalves. We also speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright To…
(2020-05-28). IKEA values vs Polish traditions: Manager faces up to TWO YEARS behind bars after firing employee opposing pro-LGBT event. rt.com 
An IKEA HR manager has been charged in Poland with violating the religious rights of a Bible-citing employee, who was fired after refusing to endorse a pro-LGBT event. Now, the manager could end up behind bars. | The Warsaw-Praga District Prosecutor's Office has decided to press charges against the manager, whose identity has not been revealed, arguing that this person has infringed upon an employee's rights on the basis of religion. The decision to sack the employee was based on "arbitrary assessment and prejudice" toward a man expressing "Christian" views, it added. Now, this person could face anything betwe…
(2020-05-28). Last Stand in the Big Woods. counterpunch.org 
There was no reason it had to come down like this: Two militant greens standing in the middle of an isolated, snow-crusted road in a place where a road should never be; bracing their bodies against a train of logging trucks, snowmobiles, and Forest Service jeeps groaning at the gate, demanding entry; willingly subjecting themselves to arrest by Idaho troopers armed with guns, clubs, and a draconian and sub-constitutional new law. All in a last-gasp attempt to halt a vastly destructive timber sale in the heart of the nation's largest roadless area, a timber sale two federal judges had already found to be a brazen…
(2020-05-28). Re-elect Sue Bolton to Moreland Council. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-05-28). Headlines for May 28, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 100,000, Minneapolis Erupts in Flames as Protesters Rage Against Police Killing of George Floyd, China Tightens Grip on Hong Kong with New National Security Law, House of Representatives Holds First-Ever Remote Vote Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Protesters Surround Sing Sing Prison Demanding Release of Prisoners at Risk of COVID-19, Researchers: 6 Feet of Social Distancing Might Not Be Enough to Stop Coronavirus Spread, Doctors Without Borders Warns of Spike in Coronavirus Cases Among Florida Farmworkers, Brazilian Police Raid Fake News Network Linked to Son of Far-Right President, A…
(2020-05-28). "No Justification": Minneapolis Demands Murder Charges for Police Officer Who Killed George Floyd. democracynow.org 
Parts of Minneapolis erupted into flames Wednesday night as residents again took to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by white police officer Derek Chauvin on Monday. A viral video shows Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck for a number of minutes as Floyd repeatedly says "I cannot breathe." Three other officers stood by as George Floyd suffocated. They have been identified as Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng. All four officers were fired on Tuesday. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called on prosecutors to file criminal charges against Derek Chauvin. We speak wit…
(2020-05-28). 'Test and Trace will fail if workers are pushed into financial hardship'. thecanary.co 
The Test and Trace system will fail to work effectively if statutory sick pay is not increased, the government has been warned. | Those self-isolating will be eligible for statutory sick pay but there are fears that many workers will not be able to afford to isolate and will be forced to keep working. | NHS Test and Trace — seen as key to easing the coronavirus lockdown restrictions — will be rolled out across England on Thursday, and there are concerns that people could be asked to self-isolate for period of 14 days more than once in the coming weeks. | TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "We…
(2020-05-28). India forced to deal with heatwave and plague of locusts as it battles Covid-19. thecanary.co 
As if Covid-19 was not enough, India has been grappling with scorching temperatures and the worst locust invasion in decades as authorities prepared for the end of lockdown despite recording thousands of new infections every day.This triple disaster drew biblical comparisons and forced officials to try to balance the competing demands of simultaneous public health crises: protection from eviscerating heat but also social distancing in newly reopened parks and markets.The heat wave threatens to compound challenges of containing the virus, which has started spreading more quickly and broadly since the government be…
(2020-05-28). UK-bound air passenger numbers plummet by 99% during coronavirus. thecanary.co 
The number of passengers arriving in the UK by air fell "sharply" since the start of the coronavirus pandemic from around 7.1 million in January to 112,300 in April.The figure for last month is 99% lower than the number of air passengers who came into the country in April 2019, according to the Advance Passenger Information (API) data published by the Home Office.A report published on Thursday said the majority (58%) of arrivals since the lockdown was announced on 23 March were British nationals coming back to the UK.The remaining 42% "will include foreign nationals who are UK residents returning to the UK, depen…
(2020-05-28). Russia WILL NOT ban hydroxychloroquine, drug taken by US President Trump, for use in treating Covid-19. rt.com 
Russia's Health Ministry announced it will not ban hydroxychloroquine, seen by some as potentially dangerous. The drug, touted by US President Trump, has been suspended for use in treating Covid-19 in France, Italy, and Belgium. | On Thursday, the Russian Health Ministry stated on its website that hydroxychloroquine's effectiveness and safety in the treatment of coronavirus is continually being monitored, but the ministry is not taking any steps towards outlawing it. This decision is in sharp contrast to moves made by some European countries which, due to safety concerns, have completely stopped the prescripti…
(2020-05-28). Battleground Minnesota: Disturbing VIDEOS show aftermath of violent riots over police killing of black man. rt.com 
A night of rioting and looting has left multiple buildings torched and businesses ransacked in Minneapolis, after protests over the police killing of an unarmed black man escalated into violence. | Footage from the scene shows the scale of the destruction, with the city's streets starting to resemble a war zone. On Wednesday night, multiple buildings across the city were set on fire, with smoke and fire still billowing from the ruins in the morning. | This is war torn America. We should all be ashamed.
(2020-05-28). Cummings made 'minor breach' of Covid-19 lockdown rules, but no action will be taken — UK police. rt.com 
UK police have determined that there was a "minor breach" of Covid-19 regulations by PM Boris Johnson's top aide Dominic Cummings, but that no retrospective action will be taken against him. | Durham police said there "might have been a minor breach of the regulations that would have warranted police intervention" when Cummings made a 26-mile journey from his parents' farm in Durham to Barnard Castle. The breach was described as minor in nature because the family complied with social distancing guidelines. | Cummings found himself at the center of a major political storm this week after it was revealed that he…
(2020-05-28). Envoy demands VOA ramp up anti-Iran efforts to 'support' Iranians… because what they really need is more US-funded propaganda. rt.com 
The US government-funded Voice of America's Persian news service must "do a better job" with its anti-Iran news coverage or it risks being shut down, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook has warned. | In an unintentionally irony-laden oped published by the New York Post on Wednesday, Hook
(2020-05-28). US coronavirus death toll tops 100,000 as politics overshadows grief. rt.com 
Covid-19 has claimed over 100,000 lives in the United States, the latest figures show, marking another dark milestone in the pandemic — which has been increasingly politicized in the run-up to the November presidential election. | The US death toll now stands at 100,276, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University, adding 1,401 new fatalities in the last 24 hours. Just shy of 1.7 million people have been infected by the lethal virus nationwide. | As deaths crossed the 100,000 mark, former Vice President and 2020 Democratic hopeful Joe Biden issued a pre-recorded video response online. While…
(2020-05-28). Rush to bury Cummings story? UK govt slammed as Covid-19 contact tracing system won't be 'fully operational' till end of June. rt.com 
England's contact tracing system — billed last week as "world class" by PM Boris Johnson — will not be "fully operational" until the end of June, the head of the service has reportedly told UK MPs, prompting ridicule from Britons. | On the day the vital system was supposed to be launched, Dido Harding, the chair of NHS track and trace, told a group of UK lawmakers in a conference call on Thursday that local authorities in England and trained contact tracers wouldn't be fully linked to the system until the end of June, according to one of those MPs, Ben Bradshaw. | Bradshaw, the Labour MP for Exeter…
(2020-05-28). Trump's retweets declare 'only good Democrat is a dead Democrat' and Covid-19 masks 'slavery'… critics take the bait. rt.com 
Two retweets from President Donald Trump have outraged critics. One declares "the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat" and the other calls Covid-19 protective masks "social control." | Trump has been using Twitter in recent weeks to do everything from slamming mail-in voting to accusing MSNBC host Joe Scarborough of possible murder. And some of his latest tweets have proven just as incendiary. | One "thank you" tweet from Wednesday evening was in response to a video from the pro-Trump group Cowboys for Trump. The footage includes a speaker saying, "I've come to a place where I've come to the conclusion that…
(2020-05-28). 'A terrible indictment on society': Man who lost father to Covid-19 amid outbreak at Scottish nursing home shares story with RT. rt.com 
The son of a Covid-19 victim in Scotland has told RT how the government and senior staff failed to protect the residents at nursing homes hit by the deadly virus. Authorities have promised an inquiry into the crisis. | John Gordon told RT that his father, John Angus Gordon, was "a quiet and humble man." | "[His last] four years were spent at Home Farm nursing home, where he was very happy and very content. He was healthy enough, despite being 83 and having dementia," he said. | Gordon initially found out about a Covid-19 outbreak on Scotland's northwestern Isle of Skye, where the nursing home is based, from so…
(2020-05-28). Cuomo desperately doles out celebs to sell new face mask executive order amid nursing home deaths debacle. rt.com With New York Governor Andrew Cuomo facing scrutiny over his treatment of nursing homes during his Covid-19 response, he turned to celebrities Chris Rock and Rosie Perez to help him sell his latest order regarding the pandemic. | 'Grown Ups' star and 'Birds of Prey' actress joined Cuomo at his Thursday press conference where the governor announced a new executive order allowing businesses to deny service to people not wearing masks. | "You don't want to wear a mask? Fine, but you don't have a right to then go into that store if that store owner doesn't want you to," the governor said. | Also on rt.com | | <...
(2020-05-28). Denmark sees no increase in coronavirus infections after opening schools. rt.com 
A partial reopening of Danish schools did not lead to an increase in coronavirus infections among young students, according to an expert at the Danish Serum Institute. | Denmark was one of the first countries to reopen society on April 15 after a one-month lockdown. Students up to fifth grade were allowed back in school. | "You cannot see any negative effects from the reopening of schools," Peter Andersen, a doctor of infectious disease epidemiology and prevention, told Reuters on Thursday. | The data showed no significant increase in infections among children aged between one and 19 in the weeks after the par…
(2020-05-28). Philippines coronavirus task force recommends Duterte ease one of world's toughest lockdowns in Manila. rt.com 
The Philippines' coronavirus task force has recommended President Rodrigo Duterte ease one of the toughest and longest lockdowns in the world for residents in the capital, Manila. This weekend, Manila's lockdown will surpass the 76-day quarantine of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the first outbreak of the coronavirus was detected. | The recommendation came even as daily infections this week were the highest since April 6. Confirmed cases in the past six days comprise nearly 11 percent of the total 15,049 recorded, of which 904 led to deaths, Reuters said. | Health authorities have missed the target of testing 3…
(2020-05-28). France to launch its contact-tracing app this weekend after lawmakers' approval. rt.com 
The French government is preparing a weekend launch of its contact-tracing app, a tool developed independently of the more widely used Apple/Google platform. | The plan for the 'StopCovid' app in France had led to a standoff with Apple, which had refused French officials' request to change the settings to let their app access Bluetooth in the background, so it is always switched on. | France and Britain have decided to keep contact data in a central database, arguing this would make it easier for authorities to track suspected coronavirus cases. However, Apple and Google want data to be stored on the phones th…
(2020-05-28). Coronavirus to 'go into HIBERNATION' in summer — Moscow's former chief doctor to RT. rt.com 
The novel coronavirus will lose its power in summer and, as it passes through more people, it will no longer be 'new' for immune systems and will behave like flu or even just a cold, Moscow's former head doctor has told RT.
(2020-05-28). Phase 2 of easing lockdown in France begins, Paris region leaves 'red' coronavirus zone. rt.com 
France is moving to phase two of relaxing its lockdown and the greater Paris region is no longer deemed to be a "red" coronavirus hot-spot zone, PM Edouard Philippe said on Thursday. "Freedom will become the rule, bans the exception," he said in a televised address. | The coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 28,500 people in France, but on Wednesday the death toll rose by less than 100 for the seventh day running, Reuters reported. | The Paris region is now designated an "orange" zone, meaning it is still not as free of the virus as almost all other regions, which have been designated "green." | Fran…
(2020-05-28). 'NATO roulette': Norwegian port to host nuclear-powered US subs despite local objections. rt.com 
A municipal port in Norway is set to receive nuclear-powered submarines from NATO after the only naval base in the area was sold and decommissioned — but local politicians and environmental activists aren't on board with the plan. | When the Olavsvern base in Tromso was sold to private investors in 2009, pressure mounted from NATO to find an alternative point of arrival for reactor-driven vessels, other than Haakonsvern in Bergen, which is currently the only approved port in the country. | Now it appears a "temporary solution" to the problem has been found at Grotsund in Tromso, where the country's Armed…
(2020-05-28). US could conduct live NUCLEAR test 'within months' if Trump orders it. rt.com 
The US could carry out a live nuclear test within "months" should the president request it, a senior Pentagon official said, suggesting "geopolitical issues" — presumably referring to Moscow and Beijing — could prompt the order. | Though Washington has not altered its official stance on nuclear tests — which have been on pause for nearly three decades — that could change "rapidly," the acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters Drew Walter told an online forum hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies on Tuesday. | "If the president directed — becau…
(2020-05-28). Iran slams 'desperate attempt' by US to ramp up 'maximum pressure' campaign by ending sanctions waivers. rt.com 
Tehran has dismissed the Trump administration's "desperate attempt" to increase pressure on Iran by ending sanctions waivers that had allowed Russian, Chinese and European firms to keep working at civilian Iranian nuclear sites. | Washington will give foreign governments 60 days to wind down operations on the facilities or face new sanctions of their own, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday. The waivers had been in place since President Donald Trump tore up the 2015 nuclear deal two years ago. | The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said Washington was engaging in a "desperate attempt to distr…
(2020-05-28). Chinese parliament passes national security bill amid raging Hong Kong protests. rt.com 
The Chinese parliament on Thursday passed a national security bill that ramps up security in Hong Kong. Anti-Beijing protests in the autonomous city were reignited by the draft's introduction. | The bill was approved by the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing and will now go to the country's leadership to be enacted into law. The parliament session was attended by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. | The details of the new legislation, which is expected to come into force by August, have not been made public yet. The bill is widely believed to introduce harsher punishments for things like ins…
(2020-05-28). Minneapolis police investigate 'homicide' amid reports of 'looter shot dead by pawn shop owner'. rt.com 
A suspected looter has reportedly been shot and killed in Minneapolis after a protest over police brutality escalated into a full-blown riot, with a law enforcement spokesman confirming one homicide amid the unrest. | Though few details have yet emerged about the murder — the first casualty linked to the riots — a number of unconfirmed reports, including from bystanders on the scene, suggest the man was shot while attempting to loot a pawn shop in the city on Wednesday night. | A video clip surfaced on social media purporting to show the man as emergency response workers attempted to revive him. | <...
(2020-05-28). Meteorite or rocket? Armenia baffled by large celestial body initially mistaken for FIREWORKS (VIDEO). rt.com 
A bright flash has lit up the night skies over western Armenia, leaving local residents and scientists wondering about the origins of a mysterious object that looked like a fireworks explosion. | A
(2020-05-28). Germany's Foreign Ministry calls in Russian ambassador over 2015 cyberattack allegations. rt.com 
Berlin said on Thursday it is seeking EU sanctions against a Russian man over his alleged role in the hacking of the German parliament in 2015. Germany's Foreign Ministry said it called in Russian Ambassador Sergey Nechayev to inform him in person of the move. | Senior diplomat Miguel Berger "strongly condemned the attack on Germany's parliament in the name of the German government" while meeting with Nechayev, according to the ministry. | The attack on the Bundestag networks began on April 30, 2015, and over 16 gigabytes of data was reportedly stolen, including the lawmakers' emails. | The Russian Embassy in…
(2020-05-28). Who is Behind "Fake News"? Mainstream Media Use Fake Videos and Images. globalresearch.ca The mainstream corporate media is desperate. They want to suppress independent and alternative online media, which they categorize as "fake news". Readers on social media are warned not to go onto certain sites. Our analysis confirms that the mainstream media are routinely involved in distorting the facts and turning realities upside down.
(2020-05-28). Why does Far Right get a pass by American law enforcement? zcomm.org Top 6 Reasons Authorities are Cracking down Hard on Black Protesters while Treating White Supremacist Reopeners with Kid Gloves…
(2020-05-28). Trump Regime Escalates War by Other Means on Iran and China. globalresearch.ca The US under both right wings of its war party represents an unparalleled threat to world peace, stability, democratic values, and the rule of law. | As long as the world community fails to uphold UN Charter principles and other core …
(2020-05-28). Trump's Offer to Mediate China/India Border Dispute? globalresearch.ca On Wednesday, Trump tweeted the following: | "We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute." | He ignored longstanding US efforts to drive a stake …
(2020-05-28). It's Time for Bold Responses to a Stark Crisis. counterpunch.org We live in a time of bitter divisions. Today, even the wearing of masks has become a partisan question. Yet, this country has united before to meet external threats. The calamity that has been wrought by the coronavirus is the result of an external attack — this time by a virus rather than an armed
(2020-05-28). Video: Russian Warplanes in Libya. globalresearch.ca The US has finally discovered whom to blame for the ongoing escalation of the conflict in Libya. | On May 26, the US African Command (AFRICOM) claimed that Russia had deployed warplanes to Libya to support the Libyan National Army of …
(2020-05-28). Baton Rouge Inmates Sue For Release Due To COVID-19, Potential 'Death Sentence'. popularresistance.org The inmates are seeking class-action status in an attempt to protect other current and future inmates. Their lawsuit also seeks to have a federal judge order East Baton Rouge to improve jail conditions and inmate treatment, including providing sufficient cleaning supplies and requiring staff to wear personal protective equipment. At least 70 inmates have tested positive and 48 of them have recovered, according to the sheriff's office. Several civil rights attorneys and organizations teamed up on the lawsuit, including the Advancement Project and the Center for Constitutional Rights. David Utter, an attorney on th…
(2020-05-28). Canadian Groups Fight For Covid-19 Recovery That Prioritizes Human And Ecological Health. popularresistance.org Nearly 200 Canadian organizations on Monday rolled out their demands for a "just recovery," saying that continuing business-as-usual after the pandemic would prevent the kind of far-reaching transformation needed to put "the health and well-being of ALL peoples and ecosystems first." | "The choices we make now about how to recover from this pandemic will shape not only our health and economic future, but also the future of human life on this planet," Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff said in a statement. "This moment is a reminder that the status quo can and must be disrupted," the new Just Recove…
(2020-05-28). Law Enforcement Has Quietly Backed Anti-Protest Bills In At Least 8 States. popularresistance.org Law enforcement in at least eight states—Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Washington and Wyoming—lobbied on behalf of anti-protest bills in 2017 and 2018. The bills ran the gamut from punishing face coverings at protests to increasing penalties for "economic disruption" and highway blockage to criminalizing civil protests that interfere with "critical infrastructure" like oil pipelines. | Emboldened by the Trump administration, at least 31 states have considered 62 pieces of anti-protest legislation since November 2016, with at least seven enacted and 31 still pending. The full sc…
(2020-05-28). Who Are the Secret Puppet-Masters Behind Trump's War on Iran? commondreams.org CODEPINK protesters at Congressional hearing on Iran in 2015. (Photo: CODEPINK) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cp_senate.jpg_1718483346_1.jpg …
