Daily Archives: June 23, 2020

2020-06-23: News Headlines

Peter Kuper (2020-06-23). Bolton Tells All Too Late. thenation.com Behind the scenes. After the fact.

Glenn Greenwald (2020-06-23). Bolsonaro Fraudulently Circumvented Trump's COVID-19 Immigration Ban. zcomm.org Smuggled His Scandal-Plagued Ex-Education Minister Into the U.S.

Nick Licata (2020-06-23). Supreme Court DACA Decision: Was It More Concerned About Humanity or Legality? counterpunch.org On June 17, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that the 700,000 immigrants, who were minors when they were brought into the US without immigration papers, would continue to be protected from being deported. The media largely focused on the humane impact the decision would have on the many lives whose future depended on it. But

Peter Koenig (2020-06-23). The Global Reset: Unplugged. dissidentvoice.org Imagine, you are living in a world that you are told is a democracy — and you may even believe it — but, in fact, your life and fate is in the hands of a few ultra-rich, ultra-powerful and ultra-inhuman oligarchs. They may be called Deep State, Illuminati, or simply the Beast, or anything else …

Lee Camp (2020-06-23). These 3 Studies Can Prove To Anyone That Systemic Racism Is Very Very Real. counterpunch.org Racism is like sewage. Whether we're currently engaging in a national dialogue about it or not, it's still there. It runs under our streets, our buildings, our society. Millions of tons of shit. Rarely is racism truly visible to the naked eye. More often, it trickles along beneath our collective consciousness, quietly infecting everything. A

Marshall Auerback (2020-06-23). Let's Make Sure We Get the Green New Deal Right. counterpunch.org Advocates of the Green New Deal (GND) are looking to change the way we handle a range of problems facing society, especially in the wake of environmental challenges occasioned by climate change. In response, policymakers have suggested a variety of programs designed to deal with these challenges. Should any of these be reconsidered in the

Ali Salam (2020-06-23). Eight Palestinians Injured by Israeli Forces in Jordan Valley Protest. imemc.org Israeli military forces shot and injured 8 Palestinian civilians, Monday evening, in Jericho in the occupied Jordan Valley, Palestinian Information Center reported. Thousands of Palestinians turned out to the protest against the impending annexation of much of the Jordan Valley, however, Israeli forces closed entrances to Jericho city, leading to …

IMEMC Staff (2020-06-23). Israeli Soldiers Injure a Palestinian, Cause Others to Suffocate by Tear Gas. imemc.org In the West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli soldiers shot and wounded a Palestinian youth late on Monday night and caused many others to suffocate by tear gas canisters, they fired on protesters near the Jousef Tombstone. Witnesses told media outlets that the soldiers clashed with tens of Palestinian …

_____ (2020-06-23). Covid — Government being sued yet again, this time over the awarding of a PPE contract. truepublica.org.uk Non-profit organisation the Good Law Project is suing the UK government for awarding PestFix a £108 million contract to supply it with personal protective equipment (PPE) at the height of the coronavirus outbreak. PestFix was the only bidder competing for the contract in early April, according to the Good Law Project, which issued proceedings for …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-23). Bolivia's de-facto president enacts law to hold general elections on September 6. peoplesdispatch.org The decision was celebrated by diverse sectors in Bolivia that have been mobilizing against de-facto government's handling of the health and economic emergencies intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic…

news.un (2020-06-23). COVID-19 upends 'entire generation' of 600 million South Asian children. news.un.org Without urgent action, COVID-19 will continue to unravel decades of progress across South Asia, destroying the "hopes and futures of an entire generation", warns a new report released on Tuesday by the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF.

Elsa Rodriguez Flores (2020-06-23). When workers got sick, we organized our warehouse and won. zcomm.org By winning basic protections against COVID-19 at our Barnes & Noble warehouse, we showed the tremendous power immigrant workers have when they organize…

Melvin Goodman (2020-06-23). Trump, Bolton, and Pompeo: Loathsome Peas in a Pod. counterpunch.org For nearly a year and a half, from April 2018 to September 2019, the Trump administration was in the hands of a "war cabinet." With Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, and John Bolton as National Security Adviser, Donald Trump created one of the most aggressive foreign policy teams in the history of the presidency. Bolton and Pompeo were fixated on going to war against Iran; were contemptuous toward our European allies and the entire European Community; and were opponents of arms control and disarmament.

Katie Fite (2020-06-23). Savagery in the Great Basin. counterpunch.org The Bureau of Land Management has spent the pandemic churning out rapacious public land projects at breakneck speed. This includes egregious grazing decisions drastically increasing livestock numbers for powerful ranchers. After complaints, Idaho BLM Director John Ruhs responded that ranching was an essential service. At the same time, an avalanche of BLM deforestation projects hit.

Celine Hagbard (2020-06-23). Palestinian Baby Dies After Israel Denies Permit for Medical Treatment. imemc.org The Israeli Annexation Plan, announced last month by Israeli authorities, and put into practice this month, has apparently claimed its first victim, as a Palestinian baby scheduled for a lifesaving operation in Israel was denied a permit by Israeli authorities who run the West Bank and Gaza under martial law. …

IMEMC Staff (2020-06-23). Israeli Troops Abduct Several Palestinians, Including a Woman in East Jerusalem. imemc.org Israeli troops abducted early on Tuesday several Palestinian residents, including a woman, in the internationally-recognized occupied East Jerusalem. Wadi Alhelwa Information Center in the Selwan neighborhood in the occupied East Jerusalem, reported that Israeli intelligence service, backed by Israeli troops, broke into the Wadi Elhelwa neighborhood, stormed and vandalized a …

_____ (2020-06-23). Ministers in Westminster bubble believe voters trust them. truepublica.org.uk By Josiah Mortimer: Speaking in the House of Lords on last week, Green peer Baroness Natalie Bennett raised the idea that countries with more cooperative, democratic political systems have higher levels of public trust in politics — and in their governments' handling of the current pandemic. Cabinet Office minister Lord True replied: "I strongly disagree …

Z3K3 (2020-06-23). Whistleblowing, the Pandemic and a 'Law and Order' System of Injustice. zcomm.org America, my country deemed an African American fighting for his civil rights as a threat to national security…

Sarah Anderson (2020-06-23). Virtual Poor People's Campaign Rally Draws Crowd of More Than a Million. zcomm.org The virtual rally lifted up people who are living the interconnected injustices that have been the campaign's focus for the past two years: systemic racism, poverty and inequality, ecological devastation, and militarism and the war economy…

Dave Markland (2020-06-23). Podur's "The Path of the Unarmed" zcomm.org Frequent Z writer Justin Podur is in the midst of writing what appears to be a young adult-aimed book of fiction (sci-fi perhaps) that seeks to relate what a "leftist," revolutionary point of view is. Entitled "The Path of the Unarmed," the story describes the political education of a youth named Unarmed Warrior who receives

_____ (2020-06-23). Black Activists Expose The FBI Targeting Their Movements. popularresistance.org In 2017, a leak from the FBI revealed they were targeting black activists organizing to end racist policies and practices calling them "Black Identity Extremists." This is consistent with the FBI's long history of investigating and harassing black and brown activists. Organizations like Media Justice and the ACLU have been working to get information from the FBI about what they are doing and who they are targeting but the FBI has been putting barriers in their way. We speak with Myaisha Hayes of Media Justice about what they have learned so far and its impact on activists. Hayes also discusses their efforts to ur…

yenisafak (2020-06-23). 'Kashmir militants bent on stopping demographic change'. yenisafak.com Militancy in Indian-administered Kashmir remains the same, by and large, but countering India's demographic plans appears to be its primary focus now, experts say. On Aug. 5, 2019, Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrapped two pieces of legislation that guaranteed Kashmir an autonomous political status besides barring people outside Jammu and Kashmir from buying land or applying for government jobs in the disputed region.Recently, amid the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, New Delhi introduced domicile laws that made an unspecified number of its citizens eligible for jobs and residency in Jammu and…

yenisafak (2020-06-23). Trials with Oxford COVID-19 vaccine start in Brazil. yenisafak.com Trials will count on 2,000 health workers volunteers in Sao Paulo and 1,000 people in Rio de Janeiro.Brazil's health regulator Anvisa approved human clinical trials for this potential vaccine, developed by Oxford and supported by AstraZeneca Plc, earlier in June. Brazil, where the disease is still rife, is the first country outside the United Kingdom to start testing the Oxford vaccine.Researchers expect to launch the vaccine by year-end.

yenisafak (2020-06-23). Italian cities see bicycle boom after COVID-19 lockdown. yenisafak.com Italy has seen a surge in bicycle sales since the government ended its coronavirus lockdown as people steer clear of public transport and respond to government incentives to help the environment.Some 540,000 bikes have been sold nationwide since shops across the country reopened in early May, according to sector lobby Ancma, a 60% increase in the first month compared to the same period in 2019.To keep people off metros and buses and avoid road congestion, the government has offered to contribute up to 500 euros ($562.70) for city-dwellers who buy traditional or "pedal-assisted" electrical bicycles.The subsidy, wh…

yenisafak (2020-06-23). French StopCovid app led to 1.8 million activations as of June 22. yenisafak.com France's state-supported "StopCovid" contact-tracing app has been downloaded by 1.9 million people, roughly 2% of the population, leading to 1.8 million activations as of June 22, digital affairs minister Cedric O said on Tuesday.The "StopCovid" smartphone app, which was launched on June 2, warns users if they have come into contact with anyone infected with the coronavirus to help to contain the epidemic as France emerges from lockdown.

The Canary (2020-06-23). Virus numbers surge globally as many nations ease lockdowns. thecanary.co The number of global coronavirus (Covid-19) cases has continued to surge in many large countries which have been lifting lockdowns, including the US, even as new infections stabilise or drop in parts of western Europe.In the UK, Department of Health figures for 22 June

The Canary (2020-06-23). UK citizens' climate assembly backs green pandemic recovery and lifestyle shift. thecanary.co The UK's first national citizens' assembly on climate breakdown has backed changes to the economy and lifestyles that will drive down emissions in the wake of coronavirus.A report shows "striking" agreement within the citizens' assembly that steps taken by the government to help the economy recover should also cut greenhouse gases and that green changes to lifestyles should be encouraged.Climate Assembly UK was commissioned by six parliamentary select committees and asked to examine how the country meets its legal target to cut greenhouse gases to zero overall by mid-century.More than 100 people, who are represen…

WSWS Repost (2020-06-23). Hands off the monuments to Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Grant! indybay.org Protesters in San Francisco recently knocked over a statue of Ulysses S. Grant, who commanded the Union to victory in the Civil War and suppressed the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction. | In this perspective from the World Socialist Web Site, Tom Mackaman and Niles Niemuth explain why this and similar actions around the country only help the ruling class's objective of pitting members of the working class against each other.

Sit.Walk.Listen. (2020-06-23). Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org Dear siblings, these times are a great call for change. | As mindfulness practitioners, we can breathe for others who cannot. Let's bring the practice of peaceful compassionate nonviolence to the streets; to listen, to follow, and support black people. | As Thich Nhat Hanh once said: "Nonviolent action, born of the awareness of suffering and nurtured by love, is the most effective way to confront adversity." | Together we can walk in peace, love, compassion and awareness.

San José Peace and Justice Center (2020-06-23). Tuesday 6/23: Community Meeting on Police Response at Protests. indybay.org Zoom online meeting | Register in advance for this meeting: bit.ly/ComMtg0623 (or us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApd-yvrjIvGtIy2_uCkP4yNI3-5dheaEDs) | After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

yenisafak (2020-06-23). Spain pushes clean energy decree to speed renewable rollout. yenisafak.com Spain's cabinet approved on Tuesday a decree aimed at smoothing the rollout of renewable energy generation, with measures to combat speculation in the market, cut red tape and overhaul an outdated auction system to reassure investors and lower prices.Spain wants to make use of rich natural resources including prodigious sunlight both to reduce pollution and create jobs, in response to the devastation the coronavirus has wrought on an economy that relies heavily on tourism and cars.It follows plans being developed by the European Union (EU) to use low-carbon investments to battle the downturn. Spain is working on…

yenisafak (2020-06-23). Indonesian Muslim scholars worried by Europe Islamophobia. yenisafak.com Indonesian Muslim intellectuals have voiced their concerns following a recent report on mounting Islamophobia in western countries.A report published Sunday by the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), a think tank based int eh Turkish capital Ankara, outlined the discrimination and xenophobia that many Muslims face in European countries. The European Islamophobia Report 2019 recounted many Islamophobic developments that occurred last year in both Europe and across the world."The elections to the European parliament and to several national parliaments saw a further rise in popularity of…

yenisafak (2020-06-23). Turkish students commemorate anniversary of Korean war. yenisafak.com Yunus Emre Institute in Seoul has prepared a memorial video with Turkish students living in South Korea on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.In a written statement, the Yunus Emre Institute said the video also included Sude Kaya Surenoglu, the granddaughter of Korean War veteran Rafet Surenoglu and currently a student at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.Speaking in Korean, Turkish students in the video said: "Today is the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, which displayed South Korea's struggle to become a strong democratic country. As Turkey, exactly 70 years ago from today, we proudly…

yenisafak (2020-06-23). 'France's hypocritical, ill-conceived strategy jeopardizing Libya's political stability'. yenisafak.com Recently, France, an ally of warlord Haftar, accused [1] Turkey of thwarting cease-fire efforts by breaking a UN arms embargo.Until December last year, Haftar maintained a military edge over the legitimate government of Libya thanks to significant support from a number of countries, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia and France. Turkey signed a military pact with the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in November 2019, and since then it has provided significant military support, first and foremost armed drones and air defense systems, which have shifted the balance on the ground i…

yenisafak (2020-06-23). UK quarantine policy will be led by public health, says PM Johnson. yenisafak.com British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that any changes to the country's quarantine policy would be based on public health guidance and not a desire to open up the economy."We will have a policy on air bridges that is based on public health," he told lawmakers in parliament as he announced an easing of some lockdown measures in England on Tuesday.Britain has a 14-day quarantine policy in place for arrivals into the country from abroad, but the government has said it is looking at "air bridges" which would allow restriction-free travel between countries with low infection rates.

sputniknews (2020-06-23). US Homeland Security to Probe Nigel Farage Dodging COVID-19 Travel Ban to Attend Donald Trump Rally. sputniknews.com British politician and leader of the Brexit Party Nigel Farage put in an appearance at Donald Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on 20 June, sparking speculations as to how he was able to dodge a US ban on individuals travelling from the UK under the presidential proclamation to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

sputniknews (2020-06-23). Two Militants, One Soldier Killed in Intensified Anti-Militancy Operations in Kashmir. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Indian security forces have stepped up operations to eliminate militants from Kashmir since the region was stripped of its special status in August 2019. According to security forces, they have shot and killed about 35 militants in June alone in the twin districts of Pulwama and Shopian in South Kashmir.

sputniknews (2020-06-23). Norway's Oldest Party Favours Joining EU. sputniknews.com Despite having twice opted out of the European Community and the European Union following referendums in 1972 and 1994, Norway is seeing a shift in both public opinion and party politics toward Brussels.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-23). Saudi Arabia bans international pilgrims for this year's hajj. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 23 (MNA) — Saudi Arabia made the decision to restrict this year's hajj, or pilgrimage to the sacred Islamic cities of Mecca and Medina, for pilgrims arriving from abroad due to coronavirus-related epidemiological precautions, Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said on Monday.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-06-23). First volunteer receives Imperial COVID-19 vaccine. imperial.ac.uk The first healthy volunteer has now received a candidate coronavirus vaccine developed by Imperial researchers.

William rivers Pitt (2020-06-23). It's Trump vs. Bolton, and I'm Rooting for a Meteor. zcomm.org Source: Truthout Trump and Bolton Photo by Gints Ivuskans/Shutterstock.com I thought it was over in September 2019, when Donald Trump and his third national security adviser, the execrable John Bolton, got into a "You're Fired/I Quit!" fight on the front page of all the papers. "Maybe he's really gone now," I thought wistfully of

Stefan Bollinger (2020-06-23). Disease, Power and Capitalism. indybay.org Have you tried DeepL.com, academia.edu, grin.com or grammarly.com? Send me your comments and/or discoveries – as we await the reopening of the libraries and the Biden landslide! Will the great comedian Stephan Colbert be the dark horse candidate at the last moment? Marc…

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-06-23). Sins of "The Father" Torn Down, A New Way Forward At Hand. indybay.org Be ye not afraid, "the nakedness and drunkenness of our fathers" can no longer be tolerated as a bastardized translation of a moral compass of divinity.

_____ (2020-06-23). Report: Economic implications of Covid-19 and Brexit 2021. truepublica.org.uk By TruePublica Editor: Best for Britain is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to keep campaigning for the closest possible future relationship with Europe. They commissioned a report, which was put together by the Social Market Foundation to analyse the double whammy effect of the pandemic and Brexit (both with and without a deal) on …

Joe Emersberger (2020-06-22). Don't forget that Human Rights Watch, not only OAS Chief Luis Almagro, helped a US-backed military coup in Bolivia. zcomm.org On November 10 of 2019, Bolivian President Evo Morales was overthrown and barely escaped the country alive. The military publicly "suggested" that he resign. The military and police also made it clear that they would not protect him from vigilantes who wanted to lynch him. His house was ransacked by opposition supporters the night he

Staff (2020-06-22). Five Black & Brown Men Have Been Recently Found Hanged in Public. Were Some of Them Lynched? democracynow.org As mass protests against racism and police brutality continue, at least five men — four Black and one Latinx — have been found hanging in public across the U.S. in recent weeks. We speak with Jacqueline Olive, director of "Always in Season," a documentary that examines the history of lynchings through the story of Lennon Lacy, an African American teenager who was found hanged from a swing set in 2014. "They deserve a full investigation," Olive says of the recent hangings, "and given the context of this history … that we look at them more than three days, and then that they are looked at as a whole."

Staff (2020-06-22). Trump's Reelection Playbook: Racist Tropes & Downplaying COVID Pandemic by Slowing Down Testing. democracynow.org As the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 nears 120,000 and mass protests against police brutality and racism continue, President Trump faces condemnation for his remarks at his poorly attended campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he repeated racist terms like "kung flu" and lashed out at protesters. "You just see this tremendous impulse to divide," says Emily Bazelon, staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. "This is what has worked for Trump in the past. He is not going to change now."

Staff (2020-06-22). Headlines for June 22, 2020. democracynow.org AG Barr Under Fire as Dems Launch Investigation into Firing of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, Coronavirus Cases Surging in U.S. and Around the World, Antiracism Uprising Continues as Demonstrators Celebrate Juneteenth, Dept. of Homeland Security Spied on Protesters in 15+ U.S. Cities, More Confederate and Racist Statues Fall Across the Country, Protesters Call for Justice After Fatal Shooting of 18-Year-Old Andres Guardado in Gardena, CA, Louisville Police Chief Moves to Fire Officer Who Shot and Killed Breonna Taylor, 19-Year-Old Killed in Shooting in Seattle's Autonomous "Capitol Hill Occupied Protest" Zone, No…

Staff (2020-06-22). "Robert E. Lee Was a Brutal Slave Master": Activist's Call to Rename Louisiana School Goes Viral. democracynow.org We play a video that has now gone viral from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where community activist Gary Chambers Jr. calls out members of the Lee High School school board for their racism during a June 18 meeting to discuss a resolution to rename the school, which is named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Chambers urged members to choose a name in honor of people who fought slavery and racism, not someone who defended it, and addressed board member Connie Bernard, who had defended Robert E. Lee and was seen shopping on her computer during the meeting.

Staff (2020-06-22). Trump Fires Top U.S. Prosecutor as William Barr Moves to Expand "Imperial Presidency" democracynow.org After a dramatic weekend showdown, the Trump administration has ousted Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan who led multiple prosecutions and investigations into allies of the president. We look at the extraordinary measures U.S. Attorney General William Barr took to protect Trump, with New York Times Magazine writer Emily Bazelon, who has profiled Barr. "He believes in a very strong executive presidency, a kind of imperial presidency in which a huge amount of power resides in the president," she says of the attorney general.