(2020-02-14). Don't believe the hype: MSM plays on coronavirus alarm with fear-mongering stories about everyday viruses. rt.com 
In the wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, mainstream media outlets have pounced on fears of deadly viral outbreaks for easy clickbait headlines. But is there really anything to fear? | The Yaravirus is an up-and-coming media sensation, complete with a tropical home and an evocative name. Found lurking in an artificial lake in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, and named for a mythical mermaid that lures unsuspecting men to their death, Yaravirus has serious potential to generate headlines. The fact that it can only transfer between amoebas, and therefore presents no threat to humans, does not…
(2020-02-14). Erdogan to help Pakistan stay off terrorism financing blacklist. rt.com 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said he would help Pakistan stay off a terrorism financing blacklist at a meeting of a global finance watchdog. The move, he said, would counter "political pressure" from Islamabad's critics. | The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which tackles money laundering, told Islamabad late last year that it could face blacklisting if it continued to apply inadequate controls over terrorism financing. The FATF is meeting next week in France. Support from Turkey and longtime allies like China, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia could help Pakistan remain off the blacklist, Reut…
(2020-02-14). US 'ready to help' N. Korea combat virus — State Department. rt.com 
The United States expressed deep concern about North Korea's vulnerability to the outbreak of a new virus and said it was ready to support efforts by aid organizations to contain the spread of the illness in the country. | Pyongyang has moved to strengthen quarantines and other preventive measures after the illness outbreak in China, North Korea's neighbor and closest ally. | "We strongly support and encourage the work of US and international aid and health organizations to counter and contain the spread of coronavirus" in North Korea, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said. "The United States is rea…
(2020-02-14). The Philippines are Choosing New Allies: Asia is Watching. dissidentvoice.org 
Now what? President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines is outraged. He wants an end to the U.S. military presence in his country. He wants to curb all cooperation with the U.S. armed forces. He hits hard, talks big. And his people seem to be behind him, no matter what — his popularity rating is high …
(2020-02-14). Virus Cases Rise as Experts Question China's Numbers. truthdig.com 
BEIJING — Infections and deaths from the new virus in China ballooned for a second straight day Friday, on paper at least, as officials near the epicenter of the outbreak struggled to keep up with a backlog of patients' lab work. | The acceleration in cases was not necessarily an indicator of a surge in the illness known as COVID-19 because the hardest-hit province of Hubei and its capital of Wuhan changed the way it counted cases. But public health experts wrestled with what exactly could be deduced from the numbers given the shift in approach. | "If you change the way you count cases, that obviously confo…
(2020-02-14). Airlines' losses set to skyrocket due to Covid-19 travel ban — UN aviation agency. rt.com 
Extended flight cancellations to China amid the coronavirus outbreak could cut global carriers' revenues up to $5 billion in the first quarter, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) estimates. | At least 70 airlines have canceled all international flights in and out of China and 50 others have reduced their operations in the country as the epidemic continues to spread, the agency said in a recent report. Thus, instead of a planned increase in passenger capacity, the companies saw a huge drop in passenger flows, losing from 16.4 to 19.6 million passengers compared to their earlier…
(2020-02-14). Largest growth of global spending on defense in 10 years led by US, China — study. rt.com 
Global spending on defense rose by four percent in 2019, the largest growth in 10 years, led by big increases in the US and China, according to a study published on Friday. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said the rise was fueled by growing rivalries between big powers, new military technologies and rumbling conflicts, AFP reports. | Beijing's military modernization program is alarming Washington and helping drive US defense spending, the IISS said. Its annual 'Military Balance' report said the increase alone in US spending from 2018 to 2019 — $53.4 billion — was almost as bi…
(2020-02-14). Trump's Gutting of NEPA Will Cut the Public Out of Public Lands Decisions. counterpunch.org 
The Trump administration is stampeding ahead with a rewrite of the regulationsimplementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This landmark law requires federal agencies to study—and let the public weigh in on—the environmental impacts of federal actions. Ironically, given NEPA's central purpose of including the public in environmental decision-making, the Trump administration is already cutting
(2020-02-14). Things Said in Confidence to 4000 Close Friends This Week. counterpunch.org 
A medical issue on the [L] tracks (I'm guessing someone collided with a front-car) kicked me and others off the CTA Red Line. A toothless old white woman who spoke like a poor Black woman cursed out loud for one minute straight to the disgust of most. I admired her fire and creativity. I ended
(2020-02-14). Sanders vs. the Establishment Democrats: McGovern All Over Again? counterpunch.org 
It's a perfect time to recall a famous quote from one of the nation's foremost philosophers, Yogi Berra: Its "déjà vu all over again." Is the Democratic Party replaying the lost saga of 2016 but with a very 2020 twist? Bernie Sander (D-VT) appears to have been robbed of the 2016 nomination, beaten out by Hillary Clinton (Sec. of
(2020-02-14). Mayor Mike, Worse Than Mayor Pete. counterpunch.org 
Michael Bloomberg is essentially an old school Republican. He hates Trump, the worst American president ever, but he loved George W. Bush, the second worst president in modern times. He may honestly think that black and brown lives matter, but, as mayor of New York City, he showed, time and again, that, for him gentrification — and its concomitants, mass incarceration of young black and Latino men, and brutal "law and order" policing
(2020-02-14). Timeline: How the DNC Manipulated 2016 Presidential Race. counterpunch.org 
December 16, 2014: President Obama signs into law omnibus spending bill that increases maximum possible individual political contributions from $129,600 annually to $777,600, substantially increasing the amount of money flowing through party committees. (Congressional Research Services) April 7, 2015: A Clinton campaign memo to the DNC articulates "Pied Piper" strategy to elevate the most extreme Republican candidates: "Our hope
(2020-02-14). Vichy Democrats vs. the Master Voice. counterpunch.org 
One reading of the present shows us a hyped economic reality but also political and cultural realities hyped so far that simulacra is quite easily digested and regurgitated as reality. In a world of simulacra, reality is not only a vacated former presence, like a former tenant, but unrecognizable in any reappearance. It's a war
(2020-02-14). The Doomsday Cuckoo Clock. counterpunch.org 
Even when he's losing, Donald Trump wins (and bigly!) every time. His secret? He knows how to tap into our nihilism with the same technique he used to milk investors of his real estate schemes. If greed is the stated ideology of capitalism, then nihilism is its less overt philosophical underpinning. A system of mass
(2020-02-14). U. S. Lies and Deaths in Afghanistan. counterpunch.org 
Last December the Washington Post published secret Pentagon documents showing the official lies that have undergirded the U.S. war on Afghanistan for the past 18 years. The opening paragraph of the article puts the matter bluntly: "A confidential trove of government documents obtained by The Washington Post reveals that senior U.S. officials failed to tell
(2020-02-14). Race and Class: Overcoming the Divides. counterpunch.org 
Preface The forthcoming 2020 election is again highlighting the country's apparently deep divides on race and class. A common formulation is that a hopelessly racist White working class is locked into the new Trump Republican Party which consciously has adopted a divide-and-conquer strategy based on race. The mainstream Democratic Party hope is that an electoral
(2020-02-14). NPR and the Escalating Attack on Single-Payer Health Care. counterpunch.org 
National Public Radio's Mara Liasson this weekend entered a new term into the corporate liberal establishment's attack on single payer healthcare. Mandatory Medicare for All. As in — do you want Bernie Sanders' Mandatory Medicare for All — or Mayor Pete Buttigieg's Voluntary Medicare for Those Who Want It? It was the first time that
(2020-02-14). Syrian military helicopter shot down near Aleppo, crew killed — state media. rt.com 
A Syrian Army helicopter was destroyed by a missile during an operation against anti-government forces near Aleppo, and its crew was killed, Syrian state-run media reported. | Citing a military source, SANA said the chopper was hit by "a hostile missile" on Friday afternoon in the area where Turkish-backed groups operate. The Syrian troops were clearing the militants' hideouts in the vicinity of Aleppo that day. | Turkish outlet Anadolu said that the helicopter was brought down within the Idlib 'de-escalation zone' set up by Russia and Turkey, which borders Syria's northwestern Aleppo Province. | Footage, circ…
(2020-02-14). Trump's Middle East 'deal of the century' is 'occupation plan', Turkey's Erdogan tells Pakistani parliament. rt.com 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace proposal and vowed to back Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir as he gave a speech to lawmakers in Islamabad. | Erdogan railed against Trump's much-touted roadmap for Israel and Palestine while addressing Pakistan's parliament on Friday. | "The plan… is not a peace project but in fact, a project for occupation," he said, as quoted by local media. | The Turkish leader noted that Ankara "gave the biggest reaction" to Trump's initiative, which was quickly rejected by the Palestinians and widely dismissed throughout the Mus…
(2020-02-14). Can the "World's Second Superpower" Rise From the Ashes of Twenty Years of War? dissidentvoice.org 
UK protest against iraq war February 15, 2003. (Credit: Stop the War Coalition) February 15 marks the day, 17 years ago, when global demonstrations against the pending Iraq invasion were so massive that the New York Times called world public opinion "the second superpower." But the U.S. ignored it and invaded Iraq anyway. So what …
(2020-02-14). Sanders says his health plan would protect culinary workers in Nevada. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday issued a statement saying his Medicare for All plan would protect the benefits workers with good union-negotiated health plans currently have. He issued the statement after Culinary Workers Union Local 226 announced it would not endorse in the 2020 Nevada Democratic caucus: "I very much appreciate the struggle …
(2020-02-14). US & Taliban reach reduction of violence deal that 'could lead to troop withdrawal' — official. rt.com 
The United States has reached a reduction of violence agreement with the Taliban that could lead to a US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Reuters quoted a senior administration official as saying on Friday. | The agreement for a seven-day "reduction in violence" to be followed by the start of all-Afghan peace talks within 10 days is "very specific" and covers the entire country including Afghan forces, AP reported. | The developments come as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper met Friday in Munich, Germany with Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani. They spoke on the sidelines o…
(2020-02-14). Ending 'endless war'? US & Taliban reach 'violence reduction agreement' that could lead to Afghanistan pullout. rt.com 
Washington and Taliban militants have reportedly agreed on a seven-day "violence reduction" in Afghanistan. If upheld, it could open doors for another deal that would see US troops withdraw after 19 years of conflict. | The news came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pentagon chief Mark Esper met Afghan president Ashraf Ghani on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to discuss the situation in the war-torn country. Both earlier hinted at some developments in negotiations with the Taliban, which Pompeo described as a "pretty important breakthrough." | US President Donald Trump said on Thursday…
(2020-02-14). Post-Impeachment, House Democrats Set Sights on Barr. truthdig.com 
WASHINGTON — House Democrats frustrated over Democrats have demanded more information about Barr's intervention in the case of Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidant who was
(2020-02-14). Warren calls for impeachment of the Attorney General. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has become the first prominent lawmaker to demand House impeachment of GOP President Donald Trump's attorney general, William Barr, for Barr's kowtowing to Trump's demand to cut the court sentence of convicted top Trump campaign fixer and lackey Roger Stone. Together, the Trump-Barr sequence represents "a descent into …
(2020-02-14). Huawei rejects new US charges against Chinese tech giant. thecanary.co 
The US justice department has added new criminal charges against Chinese tech giant Huawei and several subsidiaries, accusing the company of a brazen scheme to steal trade secrets from competitors in America.The new indictment also alleges the company provided surveillance equipment to Iran that enabled the monitoring of protesters during 2009 anti-government demonstrations in Tehran, and that it sought to conceal business that it was doing in North Korea despite economic sanctions there.The company disputed the allegations in a statement and said they were "without merit". | @WSJ against (2020-02-14). Anti-BDS laws are meant to censor & control speech, journalist Abby Martin tells RT after suing Georgia govt over cancelled talk. rt.com 
Barred from speaking at a public university over her refusal to sign a pledge of allegiance to Israel, journalist Abby Martin is now suing the state of Georgia, arguing its anti-BDS legislation sets fire to the First Amendment. | Slated to give a keynote talk at a media literacy conference at Georgia Southern University later this month, Martin was asked to sign what amounts to a loyalty oath to the State of Israel, mandated under a 2016 Georgia law barring the government from hiring contractors who boycott Israeli products or associate with the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Martin t…
(2020-02-14). Russia and Saudi Arabia fight for share of India's huge oil market. rt.com 
Russia has put India on top of its priority list as it looks to ramp up crude exports and expand its downstream presence. | One of the last bulwarks of global crude demand, India has been in the thick of national NOCs' attention — Saudi Arabia will from now on participate in India's Strategic Reserves and has signed up to build a greenfield 1.2mbpd refinery in the state of Maharashtra, the UAE-based ADNOC has joined Saudi Aramco in its refinery project and is seeking further investment opportunities. Ever since Rosneft bought the 400kbpd Vadinar Refinery (now known as Nayara) from Essar Oil in 2017, Russi…
(2020-02-14). Hundreds more homes face flooding as 'perfect storm' Dennis approaches. thecanary.co 
A "perfect storm" of heavy rain, strong winds and melting snow could leave hundreds of homes across the UK flooded this weekend, experts have warned.Storm Dennis is forecast to batter large swathes of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with 70mph winds and up to 140mm (5.5inches) of rain in some areas.The Environment Agency (EA) said the flood impact from the weather system is likely to be worse than last weekend's Storm Ciara due to rain falling on already saturated ground. | Are you prepared for Find ou…
(2020-02-14). Triggered liberal laments 'damage' done by 'South Park,' completely misses why it's the show this culture needs. rt.com 
A string of tweets from writer Dana Schwartz slamming the "cultural damage" done by 'South Park' have gone viral, and now fans are defending the controversial show, saying it's exactly what today's bubble-wrapped culture needs. | Don't count 'She-Hulk' writer Dana Schwartz as a 'South Park' fan anytime soon. | "It seems impossible to overstate the cultural damage done by 'South Park,'" Schwartz tweeted this week. She continued by saying the show, which has aired 23 seasons since 1997, "portrayed earnestness as the only sin and taught that mockery is the ultimate inoculation against all criticism." | In retrosp…
(2020-02-14). Senate follows House in banning money for Trump war on Iran. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—By a bipartisan 55-45 vote on Feb. 13, the GOP-run Senate followed the Democratic-run House and barred saber-rattling Donald Trump from spending any military money to make war on Iran. Eight Republicans joined all 45 Democrats and both independents in voting against Trump and against war on Iran. One of the eight, Maine's Susan Collins, …
(2020-02-14). Information wars: GOP lawmaker on quest to officially declare CNN and the Washington Post 'fake news'. rt.com 
In these times of political division, Americans on the far ends of the political spectrum often accuse each other of misinformation — but one GOP lawmaker wants CNN and the Washington Post to be officially declared "fake news." | Micah Van Huss, a Republican state lawmaker from Tennessee, has introduced a
(2020-02-14). 'Transitional justice for rest of the world, but not for own colonial past': India slams Western approach an UNSC. rt.com 
Taking aim at a "one-size-fits-all" approach to settling conflicts on the world stage, India's deputy UN envoy said Western nations have imposed a form of "justice" on the world that ignores their own colonial legacies. | Historical injustices committed by colonial regimes are "rarely the focus of transitional justice," Indian Deputy Permanent Representative Nagaraj Naidu told the UN Security Council on Thursday. He was referring to a model of conflict resolution focused on accountability for past crimes and abuses "following military dictatorships, apartheid, and post-Cold War theaters." | "Steeped in Western…
(2020-02-14). Civilian killed, others injured as Pakistani shell lands near mosque during shootout in disputed Kashmir — Indian police. rt.com 
One civilian was killed and several others were injured by artillery fire near a mosque after the Pakistani army violated a ceasefire in disputed Kashmir, India's police chief has said. | Pakistani troops fired heavy mortars and small arms toward army outposts in the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch District of India's Jammu and Kashmir region on Friday, Indian media reported, citing military officials. | The district's Superintendent of Police Ramesh Kumar Angral said that a shell exploded near a mosque in the Shahpur area, killing a civilian and injuring three others when they were heading for Friday pray…
(2020-02-14). Houthis drop 'tax' threat that jeopardized Yemen aid — report. rt.com 
Houthi rebels have dropped a threat to tax aid in Yemen, AFP quoted a UN official as saying on Friday. The move is seen as a significant step towards resolving a crisis that has jeopardized the world's biggest humanitarian operation. | UN leaders and humanitarian groups held talks in Brussels on Thursday to address obstruction by the Houthi militia that has threatened to sever the lifeline to millions at risk of starvation. They heard that vital supplies could be cut off, after humanitarian agencies complained of a deteriorating situation in the Houthi-controlled north where aid workers face arrest and intimid…
(2020-02-14). Canadian energy giant 'funding' Oregon sheriff's unit to thwart protests against one of its own pipeline projects — report. rt.com 
A Canadian fossil fuel company "bought" a sheriff's unit in Oregon with the aim of controlling and monitoring the behavior and activities of anti-gas pipeline activists and environmentalists, the Intercept has revealed. | In November 2018, Coos County Sheriff's Office — which has closely monitored local opposition to the Jordan Cove Energy Project — hosted a two-day training event for officers, instructing them on how to deal with battles against protesters. | Yet, the event costs of $26,250 were paid by Pembina Pipeline Corp. — the Canadian energy company that owns the Jordan Cove liquefied nat…
(2020-02-14). 'Maybe it was the Belgians': Netanyahu claims ignorance after reports of missiles fired over Damascus. rt.com 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed reports that his military launched a missile attack on the Syrian capital, Damascus, saying that perhaps the "Belgian Air Force" was responsible. | In an interview with Radio Haifa on Friday, Netanyahu said he didn't know "what happened last night" and that "maybe it was the Belgian Air Force" that launched missiles over Syria. | "I don't comment on one operation or another," he added. | Syrian state media reported Thursday night that its air defenses had thwarted a missile attack and intercepted several "hostile targets" launched from the Israeli-occupie…
(2020-02-14). 'We did not forget, we did not forgive:' India marks 1 year since attack that killed 40 soldiers & led to Kashmir flare-up. rt.com 
India has unveiled a memorial for the 40 troops killed in a suicide bombing in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir a year ago on Friday. The incident sparked a tense standoff that brought the region to the brink of war. | Tributes to the servicemen that lost their lives in the February 14, 2019 attack in Kashmir's disputed Pulwama district were led by PM Narendra Modi and other top government, as well as military, officials. | "They were exceptional individuals who devoted their lives to serving and protecting our nation. India will never forget their martyrdom," Modi tweeted early Friday morning. | Tributes…
(2020-02-14). NATO to resume Iraq training mission in coming days or weeks, top US commander says. rt.com 
NATO will resume its training mission in Iraq in the coming days or weeks, the alliance's top military commander said on Friday. US General Tod Wolters said the 500-strong mission would restart its work after receiving assurances from the Iraqi government, AFP reported. The mission was put on hold on January 4, and some NATO troops moved out of Iraq amid fears of reprisal attacks after the US killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike on Baghdad. | "As a result of the letter of response from Iraq over the course of the last 36 hours, we will now recommence the NATO Mission Iraq," Wolters…
(2020-02-14). India blames Pakistan for ceasefire violation and death of civilian in Kashmir. rt.com A civilian was reportedly killed, and two others injured, during a cross-border shelling in the Poonch district of the India-controlled part of Kashmir. | On Friday the Indian Army accused Pakistan of violating a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border between parts of disputed Kashmir. They said shells landed in Shahpur and Kerni sectors in the Poonch district, killing one civilian and inuring two others. | A day earlier Indian security forces reported busting a militant hideout in Poonch and seizing a stockpile of small arms and ammunition. | Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim area, has b…
(2020-02-14). It's… alive! Scientists discover GIANT viruses that blur line between the living & the dead. rt.com 
Researchers who sifted through human saliva, animal feces, and various water sources have found hundreds of giant viruses with unique abilities we've never seen before, blurring the definition of what it means to be alive. | The international team, led by scientists from University of California, Berkeley discovered this new class of giant phages (viruses that infect bacteria) that can have almost four times the number of genomes typically found in phages, with some reaching as much as 15 times normal size, with 735,000 bases of DNA. | Not only are they massive but these giant viruses are also advanced (relati…
(2020-02-14). The show goes on: Olympics organizers told there is 'no case' for moving or canceling 2020 Tokyo Games. rt.com 
The organizers of the Olympic Games in Tokyo have been told by medical experts that there is no case for the Summer Olympics to be canceled or moved due to the coronavirus outbreak. | The World Health Organization (WHO) informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that there is no need to consider moving the Games or canceling them outright as a result of the outbreak. | The event kicks off on July 24, with Japanese organizers saying that testing and containment measures will be ramped up after the country's first confirmed coronavirus-related death. | Head of the IOC's coordination commission John Coate…
(2020-02-14). Yemen: UN Medical Air Bridge Little More Than Saudi PR Stunt Say Desperate Patients. mintpressnews.com 
Many Yemenis have described the much-lauded UN medical air bridge as little more than a public relations stunt aimed at improving Saudi Arabia's image in the world.
(2020-02-14). Russia seeks Canada's aid in probing 95-yo Nazi death squad member over mass murder of vulnerable children. rt.com 
A nonagenarian former Canadian citizen, whose appeal against deportation was turned down by the Supreme Court in December, is suspected of involvement in the cruel mass murder of vulnerable children by a Nazi death squad. | Russia's Investigative Committee has asked Canadian law enforcement to provide legal papers related to Helmut Oberlander, who may have been involved in the mass murder of 214 residents of a shelter for disabled children in the Nazi-occupied Krasnodar region in 1942. The dreaded Sonderkommando SS-10a, a death squad tasked with culling racially impure or weak people under Hitler's sick vision…
(2020-02-14). Over 4000 Professors and Scholars from across Canada and around the world sign "Statement of Solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en people of British Columbia" mronline.org 
We ask that the illegal work on Unist'ot'en territory by Coastal Gas Link be immediately stopped. We request that the federal and provincial governments respect Indigenous rights as outlined in our constitution, in countless court rulings, as well as the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous people (UNDRIP) and 'Anuc niwh'it'en (Wet'suwet'en law) |
(2020-02-14). Visualizing the Climate Crisis in Barcelona. thenation.com 
Around the world, artists sound the alarm.
(2020-02-14). Prank call Greta strikes again: Bernie 'agrees' to rap collaboration with Eilish & West, but smells a rat over 'KGB sleeper agent'. rt.com 
Bernie Sanders would apparently wear a gold chain and rap in front of posh cars in order to battle climate change, an idea suggested by Russian pranksters. But being called a KGB sleeper agent proved to be too much. | The Democratic primary frontrunner seems to be the latest target of the comedy duo Vovan and Lexus, who have for years been playing pranks on the world's leading politicians. Their latest hoax was to phone people while posing as Greta Thunberg, the teen climate activist, and her father. Representative Maxine Waters and actor Joaquin Phoenix were previously pranked by the fake Greta, and now it wa…
(2020-02-14). For Media in New Hampshire, Losing Is Winning and Winning Is Losing. fair.org 
The results from the New Hampshire primary are in— Why losing is actually winning: Vox's Matthe…
(2020-02-14). A view from Cuba: 'Parasite,' a political movie? peoplesworld.org 
In 2019, the euphorically intoned question on everyone's lips that defined the tiny world of cinematography was: Have you seen Parasite yet? In May last year, the latest film by the South Korean Bong Joon-ho not only unanimously won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, but it also got a standing ovation from …
(2020-02-14). Facebook now allows paid political messages that manage to exploit its ad loophole. thecanary.co 
Facebook has decided to allow a type of paid political message that had sidestepped many of the social network's rules governing political ads.The policy change comes days after billionaire US presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg exploited a loophole to run humorous messages promoting his campaign on the accounts of popular Instagram personalities followed by millions of younger people.The change involves what Facebook calls "branded content" — sponsored items posted by ordinary users who are typically paid by companies or organisations. Advertisers pay the influential users directly to post about their…