Author Archives: admin

2020-07-02: News Headlines

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-02). Touting Dubious Remdesivir Over Promising Hydroxychloroquine for Treating COVID-19. globalresearch.ca An "Thick as Thieves? Big Pharma Wields its Power with the Help of Government Regulation." | Big Pharma controls the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). | Its primary …

Stephen Lendman (2020-07-02). Historic Constitutional Changes in Russia. globalresearch.ca In January during an address to Russian lawmakers, Vladimir Putin proposed long overdue changes to the country's out-of-date Constitution. | They include what Sputnik International called "a heavy focus on social and organizational/governance issues" — notably guaranteeing a living wage and …

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-07-02). America's Two Right-Wing Parties Keep Accusing Each Other Of Being Far-Left. thealtworld.com has a new Spanish-language ad out claiming that President Trump is cut from the same cloth as leftist leaders Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, and Nicolas Maduro. This is not the first time the Biden campaign has done this, with The hashtag #ComradeTrump

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-02). Venezuela denounces 'absurd decision' of UK to retain its gold reserves. peoplesdispatch.org A British high court ruled on July 2 that because the UK recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaidó as president, it does not have to give the government of Nicolás Maduro access to the reserves…

Philip Giraldi (2020-07-02). Some Conspiracy Theories Are for Real. thealtworld.com What is the best way to debunk a conspiracy theory? Call it a conspiracy theory, a label which in and of itself implies disbelief. | What is the best way to debunk a conspiracy theory? Call it a conspiracy theory, a label which in and of itself implies disbelief. The only problem with that is there have been many actual conspiracies both historically and currently and many of them are not in the least theoretical in nature. Conspiracies of several kinds brought about American participation in both world wars. And however one feels about President Donald Trump, it must be conceded that he has been the victim of a…

Lee Camp (2020-07-02). Lee Camp: How the Media Used the Bounty Scandal to Stop the 'Threat' of Peace in Afghanistan. mintpressnews.com This is not a column defending Donald Trump. | Across my career, I have said more positive words about the scolex family of intestinal tapeworms than I have said about Donald Trump. (Scolex have been shown to read more.) | No, this is a column about context. When The New York Times reports anonymous sources from the intelligence community say Russia paid Taliban fighters to kill American soldiers, context is very important. | Some of that context is that

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2020-07-02). The Fourth Estate Has Murdered America. The NYT "Made Up The Story"? globalresearch.ca The "news service" of multi-billionaire Bloomberg echoes the New York Times lie that Russia paid the Taliban to kill US occupying troops: | "Lawmakers from both U.S. political parties demanded President Donald Trump hold Russia accountable over allegations it offered cash …

Alan MacLeod (2020-07-02). "Russia is Paying the Taliban": Afghan Bounty Scandal Comes at Suspiciously Important Time for US Military Industrial Complex. globalresearch.ca The latest scandal, like others before it, is based on scant testimony by anonymous officials and has had the effect of pushing liberal opinion on US foreign policy into a far more hawkish direction. | *** | Based on anonymous intelligence …

Medea Benjamin (2020-07-02). Trump's Record on Foreign Policy: Lost Wars, New Conflicts and Broken Promises. globalresearch.ca On June 13, President Donald Trump told the graduating class at …

Medea Benjamin (2020-07-02). Lost Wars, New Conflicts and Broken Promises. zcomm.org Trump's Record on Foreign Policy…

Noam Chomsky (2020-07-02). We Must Not Let Masters of Capital Define the Post-COVID World. zcomm.org Those who have primary responsibility for the multiple crises that imperil us today are hard at work, relentlessly, to ensure that the system they created, and from which they have greatly benefited, will endure…

Project Censored (2020-07-02). Project Censored's 2020 Summer Reading List. projectcensored.org From COVID-19 to unprecedented unemployment levels and nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism, the Summer of 2020 is like none other in recent history. In the midst of…

Stan Cox (2020-07-02). It's Not Just Meat: All Farm and Food Workers Are in Peril. counterpunch.org COVID-19 outbreaks are now reaching far beyond the meatpacking industry. Migrant farmworkers in fruit orchards and vegetable fields, long the targets of intense exploitation, are seeing their health put in even greater jeopardy as they're pushed to feed an increasingly voracious supply chain in pandemic-time.

Binoy Kampmark (2020-07-02). The Kafkaesque Imperium: Julian Assange and the Second Superseding Indictment. counterpunch.org The Kafkaesque Imperium has taken yet another absurd step towards mean absurdity with another superseding indictment against Julian Assange. This move by the US Department of Justice seems to have surprised those involved in his extradition proceedings. Mark Summers QC, one of the members of the Assange legal team, did not conceal his astonishment at

Mark Gruenberg (2020-07-02). BLS jobs report shows U.S. employment crash continues. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Donald Trump's happy talk today notwithstanding, the nation's current depression, the employment crash caused by closures forced by the coronavirus pandemic, continues, the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows. That's because 1.445 million more people applied for regular state unemployment benefits, and another 839,563 sought special federal benefit checks in the week ending June …

Kim C. Domenico (2020-07-02). Disbelief, Belief and the Perils of Pandemic Re-opening. counterpunch.org The dominant authorities in our lives are destructive; they lack nurturance — the love which sustains others…But the trap of rejecting them is more than a matter of hoping finally to get them to care…This [rejecting] imagination is wholly under the aegis of the existing order. It disbelieves, but only to dream of someone else,

John O'Kane (2020-07-02). Progressive Pulses Among the Ruins of Riot. counterpunch.org The violence that erupted from the mostly-peaceful demonstrations around the killing of George Floyd has subsided, though many businesses in Long Beach are now boarded up. In addition to the property damage itself—in many instances not covered by insurance because deemed "domestic terrorism"—these protective measures have a chilling effect on efforts to participate in the

Marshall Auerback (2020-07-02). We Won't Have a Truly Global Economy Until People Start Taxing It That Way. counterpunch.org Major talks between the United States and the European Union to establish a shared tax framework for multinational companies broke down on the issue of seeking to secure an agreement on digital taxation. Big tech, which is heavily a U.S. creation, has long been in the sights of European economies, as their profits and revenues have

CP Editor (2020-07-02). The Untold History of Mount Rushmore. counterpunch.org

John Feffer (2020-07-02). Time to Rethink the US-ROK Alliance. counterpunch.org North Korea has blown up the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong. It is threatening an all-out pamphlet war in response to defectors sending anti-regime propaganda to the north. South Korea's unification minister has stepped down after failing to meet with his North Korean counterparts during his 14-month tenure. Pyongyang is not happy about the balloons

John Bellamy Foster (2020-07-02). The storm of protest in the United States. mronline.org "Neofascism has its source in monopoly-finance capital, at the apex of the system, but depends for its existence on the ability to mobilize, with the help of a fàºhrer-like figure such as Trump, a very considerable part of the overall population."

Associated Press, Kaiser Health News (2020-07-02). Already hollowed-out U.S. health system faces even more cuts. peoplesworld.org The U.S. public health system has been starved for decades and lacks the resources to confront the worst health crisis in a century. Marshaled against a virus that has sickened at least 2.6 million in the U.S., killed more than 126,000 people and cost tens of millions of jobs and $3 trillion in federal rescue …

_____ (2020-07-02). Anti-Russia War Fever Spreads On Capitol Hill. popularresistance.org Groups of congressional Republicans and Democrats have visited the White House over the past two days for briefings on allegations that the Russian military intelligence agency GRU offered bounties to Taliban fighters who killed American soldiers in Afghanistan. | They have emerged bristling with demands for retaliation, with one Republican senator declaring, "I want to hear their plan for Taliban and GRU agents in body bags"—in other words, for military action by the United States against Russia, possessor of the world's second largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. | The "Russian bounties" campaign is a fa…

_____ (2020-07-02). US Media Used To Stop The 'Threat' Of Peace. popularresistance.org This is not a column defending Donald Trump. | Across my career I have said more positive words about the scolex family of intestinal tapeworms than I have said about Donald Trump. (Scolex have been shown to read more.) | No, this is a column about context. When The New York Times reports anonymous sources from the intelligence community say Russia paid Taliban fighters to kill American soldiers, context is very important. | Some of that context is that Mike Pompeo said, "I was the CIA director — We lied, we cheated, we stole. We had entire training courses." So we know for certain that U.S. intelligence ag…

The Canary (2020-07-02). Schools told to keep children apart in year group 'bubbles' on full return in autumn. thecanary.co Schools in England have been told to keep children in class or year-sized "bubbles" and avoid creating "busy corridors" when all pupils return in September.Government guidance — on how to get all children back after the summer break following up to six months at home — says older pupils should be encouraged to be kept away from other groups of students and staff.The whole school, or all pupils in a year group, may have to self-isolate at home if schools have two or more confirmed coronavirus cases within a fortnight, the advice says.But the guidance also says school closures "may not be necessary" if th…

Mike Walter (2020-07-02). The Heat: COVID-19 surges in U.S. america.cgtn.com Coronavirus is surging in the United States with the death toll now over 127,000.

The Canary (2020-07-02). BBC cutting around 450 jobs across England. thecanary.co The BBC has announced plans to cut around 450 jobs across England.The broadcaster said that BBC England must save £25m by the end of March 2022.BBC England is the home of the corporation's local radio stations and regional TV news, and according to the BBC will "undergo a significant reinvention".It comes after the BBC last month said it was axing more than 150 roles in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.Outgoing BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall (Dominic Lipinski/PA)Last month outgoing director-general Lord Tony Hall launched a programme of voluntary redundancy across the BBC.The BBC already had an &po…

Staff (2020-07-02). Barbara Ransby on the Biden Problem: Social Movements Must Defeat Trump & Also Hold Dems Accountable. democracynow.org Amid a mass uprising against racism and state violence, social movements are not just fighting hostility and backlash from President Trump, but also dealing with a "Biden problem," according to historian, author and activist Barbara Ransby. "I think it's fair to say that Joe Biden is not our dream candidate, by any means," she says. "We should be critical of Joe Biden. We should be ready to hold Joe Biden accountable come January. But we should be clear about the need to defeat Trump in November."

Staff (2020-07-02). The Untold History of Mount Rushmore: A Friend of the KKK Built Monument on Sacred Lakota Land. democracynow.org As tribal governments call on President Trump to cancel his Mount Rushmore Independence Day celebration, we look at why Native Americans have long pushed for the removal of the monument carved into the sacred Black Hills and designed by a sculptor with ties to the Ku Klux Klan. "This place is very, very sacred to our people," says Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of the NDN Collective. "Stealing our land and then carving the faces of four white men who were colonizers, who committed genocide against Indigenous people, is an egregious act of violence."

Staff (2020-07-02). The Untold History of Mount Rushmore: A KKK Sympathizer Built Monument on Sacred Lakota Land. democracynow.org As tribal governments call on President Trump to cancel his Mount Rushmore Independence Day celebration, we look at why Native Americans have long pushed for the removal of the monument carved into the sacred Black Hills and designed by a sculptor with ties to the Ku Klux Klan. "This place is very, very sacred to our people," says Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of the NDN Collective. "Stealing our land and then carving the faces of four white men who were colonizers, who committed genocide against Indigenous people, is an egregious act of violence."

Staff (2020-07-02). Did the Army Ignore a Soldier's Murder? Questions Mount over Vanessa Guillén Disappearance. democracynow.org The U.S. Army says it has a suspect in custody in connection with the disappearance of Vanessa Guillén, a missing 20-year-old Fort Hood soldier whose family says her remains were likely found in a shallow grave near the Texas Army base. A second suspect in the case — a soldier who the Guillén family lawyer named as Aaron Robinson — killed himself in Killeen, Texas, as officers approached. The news comes after months of anguish for Vanessa Guillén's family, who say she was sexually harassed by a higher-up prior to her disappearance and that the military was slow to investigate when she went missing. We…

Staff (2020-07-02). Headlines for July 2, 2020. democracynow.org States Reverse Reopenings as Daily U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 50,000 for First Time, As U.S. Deaths Top 128,000, Trump Predicts Coronavirus Will "Sort of Just Disappear", Dallas Choir Members Tested Positive for COVID-19 Ahead of Performance for Mike Pence, San Quentin Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike Amid Explosion of COVID-19 Cases, Seattle Riot Police Clear Autonomous Zone, Los Angeles City Council Approves $150M in Cuts to Police Budget, Trump Calls Black Lives Matter Message Outside Trump Tower a "Symbol of Hate", Richmond, Virginia, Mayor Removes Confederate Statue, Trump Backs Confederate Base Names as Monum…

Jeremy Kuzmarov (2020-07-02). Biden Compared Indicted War Criminal to "George Washington" counterpunch.org In 2010, current Democratic Party presidential hopeful Joe Biden Jr. referred to Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leader Hashim Thaci as the "George Washington of Kosovo." On June 24th, it was reported that Thaci had to cancel a trip to Washington because of his indictment by the Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity. These

Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal (2020-07-02). Israel Guilty of Crimes against Humanity, Genocide against the People of Palestine. globalresearch.ca Israel is currently in the process of implementing the illegal annexation of Palestinian lands. The issue of "illegality" must be put in context. We are dealing with a broader issue: Crimes against Humanity and Genocide against the People of Palestine. …

Global Research News (2020-07-02). Israel Guilty of Crimes against Humanity, Genocide: 2013 Judgment of the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal. globalresearch.ca Israel is currently in the process of implementing the illegal annexation of Palestinian lands. The issue of "illegality" must be put in context. We are dealing with a broader issue: Crimes against Humanity and Genocide against the People of Palestine. …

Peter Koenig (2020-07-02). Russia Did It Again — Chasing the Bounty Hunters. globalresearch.ca Russia did it again. This time Moscow is accused of "paying to kill Americans". How criminal! | Such things only Americans would do — Washington, the Pentagon, CIA…. Because killing and have killed is in their mindset and bloodstream. That's what …

Ali Salam (2020-07-02). Israeli Settlers Steal Water, Raze Palestinian-owned Lands near Nablus. imemc.org Illegal Israeli settlers, Wednesday, levelled large stretch of Palestinian-owned land, in the northern West Bank districts of Nablus and Qalqilia, local sources said. Palestinian official who monitors Israeli settlement activity in the area, Ghassan Daghlas, told Palestinian WAFA News Agency that illegal Israeli colonists, accompanied by a bulldozer, proceeded to …

Lucas Koerner (2020-07-02). UK Court Denies Venezuela $1bn in Gold Needed to Fight Virus. venezuelanalysis.com Caracas vowed to appeal the "outrageous" decision recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's head of state.

_____ (2020-07-02). History Provides Clues Into Israel's West Bank Annexation. popularresistance.org Palestine has been annexed, occupied, stolen, and Palestinians have been dispossessed, exiled, caged, detained, subjected to an apartheid regime, and killed by the state of Israel for over seven decades. Every few years the world wakes up to protest some aspect of Israeli apartheid, occupation, or a massacre, and then it returns safely to its deep slumber. | Every so often, Israel manages to awaken the angst of the European Union and other international organizations with some announcement or another, a murderous attack on Palestinians, a declaration of annexation or "sovereignty," and then, as if under the influ…

South Front (2020-07-02). Video: Internal Tensions Do Not Stop Militants from Provocations in Southern Idlib. globalresearch.ca Late on June 30, fighting resumed near the villages of Kansafrah, Al-Ruwayha and Bayanin in southern Idlib between the Syrian Army and Turkish-backed militants. Intense artillery shelling also targeted positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham across the Jabal Al-Zawiyah area. Pro-militant …

Fire Drill Fridays, Greenpeace, others (2020-07-02). Friday 7/3: Virtual Independence Day Rally: Climate Change & Systemic Racism in America. indybay.org Online via livestream: www.facebook.com/firedrillfriday/

Julian Vigo (2020-07-02). A Call for Radical Humanism: The Left Needs to Return to Class Analyses of Power. counterpunch.org How do white people live with themselves? This is the presumed ethical position emanating from liberal corners in the aftermath of the recent protests around the US. While a seemingly thought-provoking question nudging white folks to contemplate "their racism," the problem with this question is the question itself. Indeed the minute we individualize what are

Ali Salam (2020-07-02). Palestinians Protest Israel's Annexation Plans in Gaza, Ramallah. imemc.org Thousands of Palestinians participated in a large rally in Gaza, on Wednesday, expressing their rejection of the occupation states annexation plans, Quds News Network reported. Political leaders and civilians attended the demonstration, raising Palestinian flags and reciting slogans against the expropriation of the Palestinian Jordan Valley, and other parts of …

No Justice Under Capitalism (2020-07-02). Sunday 7/5: Protest at Gov Newsom's House : No State Execution By Covid-19. indybay.org Meet: At Noon in front of the Planet Fitness at Northridge Plaza parking lot—4840 San Juan Ave, Fair Oaks, CA 95628 (just outside Sacramento) | We will then head to Newsom's house and rally till sundown: 7640 Tobia Way, Fair Oaks, CA 95628…

Remembering Black Lives Murdered (2020-07-02). Protesters Switch Destination at Last Minute, March on Menlo Park Police Station Pt 1. indybay.org A June 25 rally was purportedly to target FaceBook for paying for a substation and police salaries near their headquarters in Menlo Park.

_____ (2020-07-02). Beyond the Toppling of Colonial Monuments, a Rethinking of History and Accountability Is Vital. strategic-culture.org When Chile erupted in protests over the neoliberal politics of President Sebastian Pinera and the dictatorship legacy of Augusto Pinochet, the indigenous Mapuche population embarked upon the tearing down of colonial monuments and statues occupying Chilean public spaces. The news was of paramount importance for Chile's reclamation of its historical memory, in particular as during the dictatorship, legal references to the Mapuche were Elsewhere in the world, the Chilean struggle to preserve the people's historical memory did not res…

Jamaal Bowman (2020-07-02). Mobilizing people who are "disenfranchised and ignored" zcomm.org Interview with Jamaal Bowman on NY Primary Upset, Rent Strikes, Police Brutality & Opposing West Bank Annexation…

Thom Hartmann (2020-07-02). COVID Masks: The Latest Faux Conservative Outrage. zcomm.org They don't care about you; they just want the economy opened back up to make money…

Roger Stoll (2020-07-02). Cuban Spies Disguised as Doctors. dissidentvoice.org The European Union now excludes travelers from the COVID-ridden U.S., but welcomes those from the virtually COVID-free Cuba. Cuba, the country that sends doctors and infectious disease specialists around the world to fight the pandemic, the country the U.S. has held in contempt for 60 years, villified with every epithet and sanctioned and embargoed and …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-07-02). Mayo Clinic experts to help guide Delta Air Lines COVID-19 safety measures. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Industry leaders in health and travel formalize partnership to transform the future of safe flying ROCHESTER, Minn. — Delta Air Lines and Mayo Clinic, a global leader in serious and complex medical care, are deepening their relationship to provide additional safety and COVID-19 infection control measures for customers and employees. The collaboration is another significant …

2020-07-01: News Headlines

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-07-01). July 1st 1867: Canada's National Sovereignty: America's Plan to Annex and Invade Canada. globalresearch.ca In the late 1920s, Washington formulated a top secret plan to invade Canada, entitled "Joint Army and Navy Basic War Plan — Red". The plan was approved by the US War Department under the presidency of Herbert Hoover in 1930.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, Phyllis Bennis (2020-07-01). The Police and the Pentagon Are Bringing Our Wars Home. commondreams.org This militarism at home is linked inextricably to U.S. militarism abroad. (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/shutterstock_346794716.jpg

Alan Macleod (2020-07-01). Public Outcry Follows Gilead Decision to Charge $3000 for COVID Drug that Costs Pennies to Produce. mintpressnews.com To make matter worse, Remdesivir is a drug that "has had its development costs paid for, in large part, by independent donors like governments and ministries of health in China, the WHO, and the US government."

Alan Macleod (2020-07-01). Afghan Bounty Scandal Comes at Suspiciously Important Time for US Military Industrial Complex. mintpressnews.com The latest scandal, like others before it, is based on scant testimony by anonymous officials and has had the effect of pushing liberal opinion on US foreign policy into a far more hawkish direction.

Kent Paterson (2020-07-01). Crisis After Crisis on the Border. counterpunch.org Ciudad Juarez has a long history of crises—foreign invasions, revolutions, economic recessions tied to the United States, the 9-11 border constriction and transnational gangland wars. Then there's the perpetual crisis of putting food on the table in a high-priced, low-wage city while staying safe in a place where violence can surge at any moment. Heaped atop the struggles of daily life, the Mexican city of an estimated 1.5 million residents bordering El Paso, Texas, now grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vijay Prashad (2020-07-01). Venezuela's borderlands have been assaulted by COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org Over 70,000 Venezuelan migrants have returned to the country due to the uncontrolled coronavirus outbreaks in the neighboring countries. Venezuela has welcomed them and provided free testing and treatment…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-07-01). Coronavirus comeback boomerangs into a disaster. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON — The coronavirus pandemic is roaring back with Dr. Fauci warning now that we may see 100,000 new COVID-19 cases per day. Some 45 states are now reporting hikes in daily infection rates, after a wave of sharp hikes first appeared recently in Southern and Western states that reopened too early. The push to …

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-07-01). Indignation in Colombia amid spree of assassinations and the rape of an Indigenous girl by soldiers. peoplesdispatch.org The wave of assassinations and acts of sexual violence carried out by security forces and paramilitary groups against Colombian civilians in the past week has shaken the country…

Melvin Goodman (2020-07-01). De-Militarizing the United States. counterpunch.org More than a half-century ago, exactly one year before he was assassinated, Martin Luther King Jr. brilliantly identified the keys to the American political, economic, and social crisis that has worsened over the years. At the Riverside Church in New York City, King linked the militarism of the Vietnam War; the racism of American society; and the inequality and materialism of the American economy to demand a movement toward social justice that we seek today.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-07-01). Global protests against Israel's 'Annexation Plan'. peoplesdispatch.org Protests, both on the ground and on the virtual platforms, were organized on Wednesday July 1 across the world to denounce the proposed Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank. Several organizations are also demanding international sanctions against Israel if it goes ahead with the move. | Civil society movements, including the Palestinian Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS), organized protests in countries such as the US, the UK, Canada, Germany and Spain, among several others. | Israel had announced that it would start the process of annexation of the parts of the occupied…

Staff (2020-07-01). This is Not a Drill: LIVE, July 1st. therealnews.com What lessons does the long arc of Black political struggle bring to bear on the Bernie Sanders movement? In this moment of Black-led uprising, the shortcomings of the campaign are stark. And yet, Bernie's campaign popularized socialism and organized tens of thousands of people, many of whom are still in motion. What are the real…

Jordan Davidson (2020-07-01). House Democrats unveil strong climate plan linked to racial justice. peoplesworld.org

Staff (2020-07-01). International Pressure Kept Canada From Joining Security Council. therealnews.com Despite Canada's liberal reputation, its international affairs are built around support for empire and corporate interest.

Rick Baum (2020-07-01). The Pandemic and Wealth Inequality. counterpunch.org The latest figures from the Federal Reserve Board on wealth inequality cover through the quarter ending in March 2020. They show a reduction in wealth inequality—something that has happened during economic downturns. More importantly, according to the Fed, wealth inequality has generally been increasing since the first covered period, the third quarter of 1989 to when it reached its highest level in the fourth quarter of 2019 during the Trump regime.

Ruth Fowler (2020-07-01). Then as Farce: the Commodification of Black Lives Matter. counterpunch.org Martin Luther King was arrested in April 1963 for publicly protesting, an act deemed illegal in Alabama at the time. While in jail, eight white clergy figures publicly admonished King, judging his actions "unwise and untimely". It was this which prompted King to respond with his little-shared letter about the "white moderate", a comment that

Kenneth Surin (2020-07-01). UK's Labour Leader Sacks the Most Left-Wing Member of His Shadow Cabinet. counterpunch.org As a Labour party member, it is unavoidable that I should have an opinion on the party leader Keir Starmer's sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey. RLB was shadow education secretary until her dismissal, as well as being Starmer's primary opponent for the party leadership when Jeremy Corbyn resigned after Labour lost to the Tories in December's general election.

Dan Wakefield (2020-07-01). Charles Webb Enters Heaven. counterpunch.org Charles Webb, author of The Graduate (an identity that dogged and bedeviled him his whole life). died a few days ago at age 81. I met Charles in early 1970, shortly after the release of his second novel, The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker. I was waiting for my own novel to come out that

James W. Carden (2020-07-01). The Return of the Anti-Antiwar Left. counterpunch.org In her recently published memoir, Circle in the Darkness, the author and journalist Diana Johnstone recalls that only "a few decades ago, "the Left" was considered the center of opposition to imperialism, and champion of the right of peoples to self-determination." Johnstone is part of a distinguished line of American expatriate writers, who, perhaps because

Kelli Potter (2020-07-01). What really happened? Provo, Utah counterprotest eclipses far right rally. liberationnews.org Protesters made their voices heard in an ultra-conservative city.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-07-01). Tearing Down the Idols of Colonialism: Why Tunisia Must Demand a French Apology. mintpressnews.com A debate is brewing in Tunisia on whether to demand an apology from France for the exploitation and trauma wrought by French colonialism, a move that could preclude a demand for compensation.

Tim Wheeler (2020-07-01). Imogene Williams, 89; A gentle soul with an iron will. peoplesworld.org SEATTLE—Imogene Williams, a gentle soul with an iron will to win progressive change died peacefully at her home May 24, surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In her years as a political activist, she was arrested for worthy causes dozens of times. She door-belled for progressive candidates in Seattle including for Rep. Pramila Jayapal, …

RT (2020-07-01). Pentagon chief says 'no corroborating evidence' so far to back Russia bounty story. rt.com The US secretary of defense said that while the Pentagon takes all threats against US troops "very seriously," there is so far no proof for the ever-shifting story that Russia paid bounties for the killing of US soldiers. | In a statement on Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the top military brass treats the security of military personnel, including in Afghanistan, as a high priority. | "I want to assure all of our service members that the Department takes very seriously any and all potential threats against US military personnel," he said. | Esper noted that while he and others in the US military…

Anand Naidoo (2020-07-01). The Heat: Hong Kong national security law. america.cgtn.com China's legislature passes a new law designed to protect Hong Kong's national security.

RT (2020-07-01). UK turns to Germany in bid to finally get its Covid-19 contact tracing app off the ground, ambassador says. rt.com Germany's ambassador to the UK says British health services have reached out to their German counterparts to find a solution to the UK's embarrassing predicament over its yet-to-be-launched coronavirus contact tracing app. | Diplomat Andreas Michaelis made the remark while speaking to BBC Radio 4's 'Today' show about the success of Germany's domestic contact tracing app, which relies on Apple and Google tech to trace people who may have contracted coronavirus because of their proximity to a confirmed case. "It works," Michaelis said. | This is in stark contrast to the UK's own app which, far from working, has…

RT (2020-07-01). Over 77 percent of Russians back constitutional amendments, 21 opposed — preliminary results. rt.com After processing 85 percent of the ballots, the Russian election commission has announced that 77,8 percent of the voters approved the changes to the constitution, while 21,3 percent opposed. Nationwide turnout was at 65 percent. | Millions of Russians went to the polls on Wednesday to cast their vote for or against the 206 proposed amendments, already approved by the legislature. This was preceded by five days of early voting starting June 25 and even online voting in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod — all due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which delayed the vote from its originally scheduled date of April 22. | Al…

RT (2020-07-01). Zoom fails to publish transparency report, delays it until 'later'. rt.com Following months of privacy concerns raised by both state and private actors, online video company Zoom, which has seen its user numbers spike during the Covid-19 pandemic, has missed its own transparency report deadline. | Zoom announced last month that it would publish a transparency report on June 30. The move followed the company admitting that it had briefly suspended some US-based accounts and that of a Hong Kong activist at the behest of the Chinese government. | The accounts were suspended due to the content of the calls, with one speaking on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests, which rema…

RT (2020-07-01). NYT columnist Paul Krugman wins internet's 'unhinged old crank' award for remarks on Covid surge hitting Florida. rt.com New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has been accused of exhibiting "symptoms of psychopathy" after seemingly cheering the possibility that a growing number of elderly Floridians could fall victim to coronavirus. | The acclaimed wordsmith and economist had a rather unusual take on the rise in Covid-19 cases in Florida. | "Reality is coming for white supremacists driving golf carts," Krugman declared in response to a Bloomberg report detailing how Florida's elderly population was likely at increased risk of perishing from the virus. | The provocative remark was possibly in reference to a viral video in which m…

RT (2020-07-01). Constitutional amendments vote in Russia: RT special coverage. rt.com Russians are heading to the polls on the last day of voting on amendments to the country's constitution. Citizens have plenty of time to express their will, as July 1 has been declared a holiday. | Among other things, the proposed amendments would transfer more power to Russia's two houses of parliament, as well as potentially allow Vladimir Putin to run for the presidency two more times. | Initially scheduled for April 22, the vote was postponed until July 1 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The government allowed voters to go to their polling stations up to a week before the final date, in order to reduce crowds…

RT (2020-07-01). Trump resumes attack on NYT's 'Russian bounty' story, says 'secret source probably doesn't even exist'. rt.com US President Donald Trump has again attacked the "discredited" New York Times over its disputed story that Russia offered bounties for the killing of US troops in Afghanistan, blasting the story as a "fake news tale". | In a tweet on Wednesday morning Trump said the story was made up to damage him and the Republican Party. | "The Russia Bounty story is just another made up by Fake News tale that is told only to damage me and the Republican Party," the president wrote. | "The secret source probably does not even exist, just like the story itself. If the discredited @nytimes has a source, reveal it. Just another…

RT (2020-07-01). Career CIA officer made 'the right call' not to brief Trump on 'Russian bounties' — NSA O'Brien. rt.com A career CIA officer decided not to brief President Donald Trump about intelligence speculation that Russia was paying bounties for deaths of US troops in Afghanistan, his national security adviser Robert O'Brien has revealed. | "She made that decision because she didn't have the confidence in the intelligence that came up," O'Brien told reporters on Wednesday. "She made that call and you know what? She made the right call. And knowing the facts I know now, I stand behind that call," he added. | The New York Times published a story last week, sourced to anonymous intelligence officials, claiming that the "asse…

RT (2020-07-01). New York Times calls for punishing Putin over anonymous bounty claims but advised Trump to let ISIS kill Russian troops in Syria. rt.com The same New York Times reporting anonymous claims of Russian bounties on US troops in Afghanistan opined in 2017 that President Trump should let ISIS "bleed" Russian forces in Syria rather than help defeat the terrorists. | Thomas Friedman, who has won three Pulitzer prizes as a journalist and columnist for the Times, argued in an

RT (2020-07-01). Two asteroids to race past Earth as NASA pens deal with Space Force to bolster planetary defenses. rt.com Just one day after World Asteroid Day, NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has warned of two space rocks due to soar through the Earth's backyard, as planetary defense preparations start to ramp up. | The first of the incoming objects is the 69-foot wide 2019 AC3, an Apollo-class asteroid travelling at roughly 8,000 miles per hour and due to fly past at a safe distance of 2.5 million miles away. | | © NASA | Later on Wednesday, at almost double the size and over twice the speed of its predecessor, the 135-foot, Aten-class asteroid 2020 MK3 will shoot past at 19,000 miles an hour. The ast…

RT (2020-07-01). 'We all miss Roger!' Trump recalls late 'friend' Roger Ailes in attack on Fox, gets schooled on his death by the #Resistance. rt.com In his latest salvo against Fox News, US President Donald Trump invoked the memory of the network's late CEO, Roger Ailes, to say the outlet had declined, drawing astute critics armed with Google to remind him the man had died. | Trump took to his favorite social media venue on Tuesday to decry a Fox panel discussion featuring disgraced CNN contributor Donna Brazile, who was caught passing debate questions to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 race, as was revealed in a WikiLeaks publication the same year. | "She gets fired by CNN for giving Crooked Hillary the debate questions, and gets hire…

RT (2020-07-01). 'We all miss Roger!' Trump recalls late 'friend' Roger Ailes in attack on Fox, gets schooled on his death by #Resistance. rt.com In his latest salvo against Fox News, US President Donald Trump invoked the memory of the network's late CEO, Roger Ailes, to say the outlet had declined, drawing astute critics armed with Google to remind him the man had died. | Trump took to his favorite social media venue on Tuesday to decry a Fox panel discussion featuring disgraced CNN contributor Donna Brazile, who was caught passing debate questions to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 race, as was revealed in a WikiLeaks publication the same year. | "She gets fired by CNN for giving Crooked Hillary the debate questions, and gets hire…

RT (2020-07-01). Fears dozens of local lockdowns are 'days away' prompts dismay among Britons, as UK battles to contain coronavirus flare-ups. rt.com As many as 36 regions in England which are seeing a rise in newly confirmed cases of coronavirus could be "just days" away from being forced into local lockdowns, according to reports, leading many Britons to voice their alarm. | Sources in Public Health England (PHE) and the Department for Health have reportedly told Sky News they are "working collaboratively," with local authorities in England where spikes in cases of the deadly disease are cropping up. | As a result, local lockdowns — like the one in Leicester which will see some restrictions re-imposed, such as the closure of non-essential shops and t…

RT (2020-07-01). Chris Cuomo attacks gun-toting St. Louis couple's self-defense claims without any hint of irony over own altercations. rt.com CNN's Chris Cuomo apparently forgot his own history of public aggression when he sparred on TV with a St. Louis man who said he feared for his life when he and his wife pointed guns at protesters marching by their home.

RT (2020-07-01). France stands back from NATO's Libya op after maritime face-off with Turkish Navy — media. rt.com Paris has "temporarily" suspended its role in Operation Sea Guardian off the coast of Libya. The French Defense Ministry sent a letter to NATO headquarters announcing the decision and calling upon allies to "solemnly reaffirm their attachment" to the arms embargo on the war-ravaged country. The Turkish envoy to France confirmed the news, saying the French Navy is calling off its frigate Courbet which engaged in a mid-sea standoff with Turkish warships escorting a civilian freighter on its way to Libya several weeks ago. The incident exacerbated already tense relations between the two NATO countries. French Pre…

RT (2020-07-01). Turkey accuses 'biased' France of allowing Libya embargo violations in support of Haftar. rt.com Ankara has taken aim at France for allegedly ignoring violations of an international arms embargo placed on Libya, claiming that illegal activity was being carried out to benefit commander Khalifa Haftar. According to Reuters, Turkey's ambassador to Paris, Ismail Hakki Musa, said on Wednesday that the United Arab Emirates and Egypt were bypassing the UN blockade — and that "biased" France was doing nothing to stop it. | The accusation comes a day after Turkey slammed France's "dishonest approach" to the crisis in Libya. For its part, Paris has condemned Ankara for turning a blind eye to illegal arms shipm…

RT (2020-07-01). Trump promises to VETO defense budget bill if military bases honoring Confederate officers are renamed. rt.com President Trump threatened to reject next year's National Defense Authorization bill if lawmakers go ahead with Confederate name changes for army bases, including Fort Bragg, Fort Benning, and others. | "I will veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren (of all people!) Amendment, which will lead to the renaming (plus other bad things!) of Fort Bragg, Fort Robert E. Lee, and many other military bases from which we won two World Wars, is in the Bill!" US President Donald Trump tweeted. | I will Veto the Defense Authorization Bill if the Elizabeth "Pocahontas" Warren (of all people!

RT (2020-07-01). France warns Israeli annexation of West Bank won't be 'without consequences'. rt.com France has warned that any Israel annexation of the West Bank "could not be left without consequences" and said that it is "examining different options" at a national level and with its European partners. | "Annexation of Palestinian territories, whatever the perimeters, would seriously throw into question the parameters to resolve the conflict," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday. | Israel plans to annex as much as 30 percent of occupied Palestinian territory, which has been met with disapproval from much of the international community, including the UK and EU.

RT (2020-07-01). Social Justice League, assemble! Cancel brigade come for director Joss Whedon after vague abuse allegation. rt.com 'Justice League' actor Ray Fisher has accused director Joss Whedon of "abusive behavior" on the set of the 2017 movie, prompting calls to 'cancel' Whedon. However, Fisher gave no examples of the supposed abuse. | "Joss Whedon's on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable," Fisher tweeted on Wednesday, adding that former Warner Bros producer Jon Berg, and former DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns "enabled" the abuse. | Joss Wheadon's on-set treatment of the cast and crew of Justice League was gross, abusive, unprofessional, and comp…

The Canary (2020-07-01). PM swerves job loss prediction as Labour claims he is 'blind' to Covid-19 risks. thecanary.co Boris Johnson has refused to predict the scale of job losses facing the UK but he warned workers are at "very, very serious" risk.The prime minister defended his plans to boost the economy amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic before saying of Labour: "We're the builders, they're the blockers. We're the doers, they're the ditherers."His counter attack came after Labour leader Keir Starmer warned the PM is "blind to the risks" of easing lockdown restrictions in England and trying to "brush away" concerns raised by the Opposition.Labour leader Keir Starmer, left, questioned the PM on likely job losses caused by…

The Canary (2020-07-01). Government 'assumed' clueless over how many infected people could enter the UK once quarantine is lifted. thecanary.co Government officials may not have any idea how many people with coronavirus could come into the country once quarantine rules are lifted, MPs have heard.Commons Home Affairs Committee chair Yvette Cooper said it was "quite baffling" that senior Home Office civil servants were not able to confirm whether any assessments on estimated numbers had been carried out ahead of an anticipated relaxation of travel restrictions.The department's new permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft and second permanent secretary Shona Dunn were questioned by MPs on Wednesday about efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.Asked whether anyon…

The Canary (2020-07-01). Four doctors reflect on 100th day of lockdown. thecanary.co Medics across Britain have risen to unprecedented challenges during the nation's first 100 days in lockdown.Frontline workers have been seen as coronavirus (Covid-19) superheroes by members of the general public and were applauded for their efforts every Thursday at 8pm for the first 10 weeks of the crisis.While people have faced restrictions on their movement and social lives, here four doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) describe their experiences during the last 100 days for the PA news agency.— Stephanie Rees, a junior doctor at Glan Clwyd Hospital in north Wales, said seeing a patient die…

The Canary (2020-07-01). Doctors say local Covid-19 data is needed quickly to target outbreaks. thecanary.co Giving local authorities accurate and up-to-date data on spikes in coronavirus (Covid-19) cases could help save lives, leading doctors have said.The British Medical Association (BMA) implored the government to ensure that local leaders were given timely information about cases in their area to help contain the spread of the virus.It comes after ministers faced criticism for the handling of the surge of cases in Leicester. | The BMA urged the government to share "timely, comprehensive and reliable" information to all those involved in the management of new cases at a local level.It also called for clarity about ho…

The Canary (2020-07-01). Warning over Covid-19 'illusion' amid fears of more local lockdowns. thecanary.co It is an "illusion" that the UK is past the worst of the Covid-19 epidemic, a leading scientist has warned amid fears that other towns and cities could follow Leicester into lockdown.Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London — who quit as a government adviser after admitting breaking lockdown rules — said the UK should be braced for regional flare-ups.It comes amid criticism of the way Public Health England (PHE) and the government are handling data on coronavirus cases, with accusations of long delays in sharing figures with regional public health experts. | A PHE regional map for testing a…

The Canary (2020-07-01). Police officer warned after tweeting 'kicking down doors is our favourite thing'. thecanary.co An officer has been warned after tweeting from a police account that "kicking down doors is probably one of our favourite things to do". | The tweet, which was deleted a short time afterwards, came from the Homerton branch of the Metropolitan Police and showed officers using a battering ram to break down a door. | It continued: "Another warrant conducted on #Victoria ward with the assistance of @MSPHomerton @MPSKingsPark @MPSHackneyWick #knockknock #localpolicing." | @MPSHomerton! (And yes, this is real) — Owen Jones (@OwenJones84)

Staff (2020-07-01). Jamaal Bowman on NY Primary Upset, Rent Strikes, Police Brutality & Opposing West Bank Annexation. democracynow.org As a surge of a progressive candidates of color see victories in Democratic primaries across the country, we speak with former Bronx middle school principal Jamaal Bowman about his upset victory over New York Congressmember Eliot Engel, the 16-term Foreign Affairs Committee chair. Bowman ran on a Green New Deal, Medicare for All platform and recently joined protests demanding an end to racism and police brutality. He says his upset over Engel came down to mobilizing people who are "disenfranchised and ignored" by the political establishment. "We didn't just target those who consistently vote in primaries. We targ…

Staff (2020-07-01). Ed Yong on the "Disgraceful" U.S. Pandemic Response & How Medicare for All Could Have Saved Lives. democracynow.org As the United States experiences the world's worst outbreak of COVID-19, we speak with Ed Yong, science writer for The Atlantic, who warned of the country's unpreparedness for a viral outbreak in 2018. Now he says "it's truly shocking and disgraceful" how badly the pandemic has been handled in the United States, and blames a lack of federal leadership for most of the damage. "A country with the resources that we have should not be in this state," he argues, and adds that Medicare for All could have saved lives.

Joe Emersberger (2020-07-01). On Pablo Celi, Ecuador's super shady "Auditor General" counterpunch.org An interview with Andres Arauz about Pablo Celi, a hatchet man for Lenin Moreno's government. Lenin Moreno won Ecuador's presidency in 2017 by running as a loyalist to former President Rafael Correa, a leftist. Moreno immediately shifted hard to the right within weeks of taking office as described in previous articles on Counterpunch (here ,