(2019-10-05). Bernie Sanders says feeling 'great' after doctors confirm 78yo senator suffered heart attack. rt.com 
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders suffered a heart attack before his admission into the hospital this week, his campaign and doctors have confirmed, but the Democratic presidential contender said he will remain in the 2020 race. | The senator, 78, had a "myocardial infarction" — the medical term for a heart attack — before his hospital visit in Las Vegas on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by doctors through Sanders' campaign. | After leaving the Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center on Friday, Sanders said he felt "great," and took to Twitter to confirm that he would continue campaigning for t…
(2019-10-04). The Battles Now. counterpunch.org 
"Now we are engaged…." — Lincoln, Gettysburg Address One real battle we are in now — human caused global warming — is a battle we realized very belatedly we are in. The other — the political one — is, in a President Trump retweet, heading toward "a Civil War like fracture in this nation" and More
(2019-10-04). Robot Trolls on Amazon: How Fake Reviews Could Undermine Progressive Politics. counterpunch.org 
Every big personality or corporation uses algorithmic robots ("bots") to boost themselves and their products. Until recently, US President Donald Trump had a Twitter following of around 59 million. But nearly half of those "followers" were fake, spam, and/or dormant accounts. Twitter's purge of "Trump supporters" was actually a purge of fake accounts. (The real More
(2019-10-04). The Politics of Trolling. counterpunch.org 
Back in the mid-90s, when the Internet was first taking off, spurred by AOL's making the web available to the masses, it was easy to become a cyber-utopian. Manuel Castells, a Spanish sociologist, became one of its prophets. In books like the 2001 "The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society", Castells recognized More
(2019-10-04). Correa: No One Voted For The IMF Or The Increase In Fuel Price. telesurenglish.net Former Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa referred to the complicated situation that his country is going through after Lenin Moreno decreed a "State of Exception" in response to protests against adjustment measures agreed with the IMF. | RELATED: | 'Madness is Over', Ecuador's President Moreno Warns Protesters | "What happens tears the soul," Correa said and also compared this social outbreak with the resistance to economic policies of…
(2019-10-04). Pelosi Wants to Prosecute Snowden But Protect Trump Whistleblower. truthout.org | | House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was quick to condemn NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden when he revealed the U.S. government's vast surveillance programs. "I think that he should be prosecuted," Pelosi told reporters, just days after Snowden's name became public in June 2013. | Later that month, speaking about Snowden at a Netroots Nation conference, Pelosi rendered…
(2019-10-03). Snowden rips MSM & US politicians for hypocrisy in 'supporting whistleblowers'. rt.com 
Surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden took a shot at US politicians, and the media outlets covering them, for failing to consistently support those who come forward with claims of official corruption or wrongdoing. | The famed ex-National Security Agency analyst sent out the criticism in a tweet on Wednesday, arguing that a deluge of recent statements from lawmakers on the virtues of whistleblowing rang hollow in the face of their poor records on the issue. He singled out the ongoing legal case of analyst-turned-leaker Daniel Hale. | "Unbelievable that in a moment where politicians are making daily media s…
(2019-10-03). Twitter pulls 'look at this photograph' meme after Trump supporters snap it up. rt.com 
Twitter has yanked a clip featuring a photo of Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, his son Hunter, and a Ukrainian gas exec set to a Nickelback song after the meme was tweeted by US President Donald Trump and went viral. | The platform cited copyright in its decision to remove the video, which opens with Biden denying he had ever spoken to Hunter about his "overseas business dealings," then segues through just a few seconds of the Nickelback video before zeroing in on a framed photo of the two Bidens with a "Ukrainian gas exec" and unidentified fourth man. Hearts appear drawn around their faces. | LOOK AT THIS P…
(2019-10-03). 'Keep up the great work': Trump jabs at Greta Thunberg in Twitter proxy battle. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has taken another swipe at Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, retweeting a pro-MAGA account mocking the teenage eco-campaigner. | Thunberg's impassioned speech to world leaders at last week's UN Climate Action Summit established her as the world's leading spokesperson against climate change. But not everyone agrees with her apocalyptic message and lack of clear-cut suggestions for change. | Among the critics is Trump and some of his voters. On Thursday, the president held off directly attacking Thunberg but retweeted a post from one of his supporters calling the climate crusader…
(2019-10-03). Most Americans think social media has too much control over news, according to poll mainstream media quietly ignored. rt.com 
Some 62 percent of Americans believe social media exerts too much control over what news people see, and most think online platforms treat some news outlets differently than others for the wrong reasons, a new poll shows. | Not only do social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter distort the mix of news that reaches their users, but their actions result in a worse mix, according to 55 percent of Americans responding to a Pew Research poll published this week. Just 15 percent believe the platforms' meddling results in a better mix. | üö®NEW REPORTüö®: Americans Ar…
(2019-10-03). 'For futur of you're famly': FBI seeks to recruit 'Russian spies' with hilariously inept Facebook ad. rt.com 
The FBI has sought to recruit "Russian spies" in Washington, DC through a series of Facebook ads — suggesting a degree of desperation when it comes to counter-intelligence assets, but also a serious lack of copy editing talent. | "The FBI obtains the best intelligence to combat threats through information provided by the public. If you have information that can help the FBI, visit us," the three ads launched on September 11 urge in English. They are accompanied by stock photos with trite captions in Russian. | "Time to build Bridges," says one, over a drawing of a man crossing a bridge. | "Isn't it time…
(2019-10-03). Homeless LA 'subway soprano' offered a record deal after video of her angelic singing goes viral. rt.com 
Emily Zamourka, a homeless Russian singer who has become an overnight internet sensation, has been offered a record deal by a Grammy-nominated music producer, signaling a reversal of fortunes for the destitute virtuoso. | Zamourka has been living on the streets of Los Angeles after falling on hard times, but a viral video of her singing Puccini in the subway has led to an outpouring of support, donations and job offers. | According to TMZ, Zamourka caught the attention of Joel Diamond, who has worked with the likes of David Hasselhoff and famed singer Engelbert Humperdinck. The producer hopes to create a "huge…
(2019-10-03). Militia Movement Rhetoric Elevated to National Level. splcenter.org A weekend tweet by President Donald Trump mirrors the language of a militia movement that has been calling for civil war for at least three years and gives extremist groups a powerful seal of approval.
(2019-10-02). Black Dean of Students Jamie Riley fired in Alabama for telling the truth. liberationnews.org 
Riley fired for tweets about racist foundations of US society.
(2019-10-02). NYT Perp Walks a Bronx Neighborhood. fair.org 
"Sources" gave NY1 reporter Dean Meminger (Twitter, 9/29/19) an entirely inaccurate account of a NYPD "friendly fire" incident. | Two people died in a hail of bullets last weekend in the Bronx. One, a plainclothes New York City police officer, Brian Mulkeen; the other, Antonio Williams, accused of wrestling with the cop and possessing a weapon. It turned out to be the second case this year of a fatal so-called "friendly fire" incident, but the New York Times took its cue from law enforcement officials in shaping the early narrative around…
(2019-09-30). Daniel McAdams: "The US Has Ceased Being a Republic and Has Become a National Security State" theantimedia.com Daniel McAdams, the Executive Director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, is banned from Twitter.
(2019-09-30). Exposed: Twitter Executive in Charge of Middle East is British Army 'PsyOp' Officer. theantimedia.com The senior Twitter executive with editorial responsibility for the Middle East is in the British Army's psychological warfare unit.
(2019-09-27). Over 2,000 Arrested in Egypt in Growing Protests Against Sisi, Trump's "Favorite Dictator" democracynow.org 
Demonstrations continued in Egypt Friday, with thousands taking to the streets to demand the resignation of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi over accusations of corruption. Nearly 2,000 people have been arrested over the past week amid protests in Cairo and other cities. The demonstrations were triggered by social media posts by a former army contractor accusing Sisi and other officials of misusing public money. Anti-government protests are rare in Egypt as they've been effectively banned since Sisi came to power following the 2013 overthrow of former President Mohamed Morsi and launched a widespread crackdown on d…