(2019-10-25). California Opens the Public Banking Floodgates. commondreams.org What happened in Los Angeles proves it is possible to create a society where the public as a whole determines its goals and sets its own financial strategies for achieving them. (Photo: Twitter/@publicbankla) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/publicbanks.jpeg …
(2019-10-25). The NBA, China and Trump. counterpunch.org 
How about the hapless NBA? Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets basketball team, tweeted support for the rioters in Hong Kong. The United States is openly fomenting this often quite violent insurrection. I have no idea whether Mr. Morey knew of the beating of the journalist Fu Guohao or the involvement of American official Julie Eadeh in More
(2019-10-25). 'It was meant to happen that way,' says driver who saved family from getting MOWED DOWN in viral VIDEO'. rt.com 
An Arizona woman has told reporters that she doesn't consider herself to be a hero after her car successfully redirected a red-light-running Jeep that was mere seconds away from hitting a family of three on a crosswalk. | The Phoenix Police Department posted dramatic video of the incident earlier this week. | A couple was calmly crossing the road on their way to a grocery store, while pushing a stroller with their 11-month-old son. A speeding SUV ran a red light, and was heading straight for the couple. The vehicle would have likely mowed down the entire family if it wasn't for a Chevrolet Cruze that collided…
(2019-10-25). Facebook Launches a News Section—and Will Pay Publishers. truthdig.com 
Over the course of its 15 year history, Facebook has variously ignored news organizations while eating their advertising revenue, courted them for video projects it subsequently abandoned, and then largely cut their stories out of its newsfeeds. | Now it plans to pay them for news headlines — reportedly millions of dollars in some cases. | Enter the "News Tab," a new section in the Facebook mobile app that will display headlines — and nothing else — from the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, Business Insider…
(2019-10-25). Facebook's Threat to Democracy Could Motivate Redefinition of Anti-Trust Laws. therealnews.com 
Mark Zuckerberg's Capitol Hill testimony shows just how dangerous Facebook has become to democracy and the need for public debate around how to deal with the company.
(2019-10-25). For Some Reason, We Can't Find a Single Leftist Mark Zuckerberg Invited to His Dinners With Pundits From "Across the Spectrum" theintercept.com 
We asked The Nation, Mother Jones, Jacobin, Black Agenda Report, Chapo Trap House, and more: They all said their invitation from the Facebook CEO never arrived.
(2019-10-25). All That is Holy is Profaned: Beyond Ruling Class Trumpeachment. counterpunch.org 
Trump is both a policy and a public relations disaster for the American Empire, whose benefits revert to the wealthy Few and whose costs are born by the rest of us. He is hastening the end of the "The American Century." Trump is bad for the brand as well the operations of the Empire. In his small hands and big Twitter feed, the solid and doctrinally mandatory sense that "exceptional" and "good" America "stands taller and sees farther" (former Secretary of State Madeline Albright not long after she went on national television to proclaim that the killing of half a million Iraqi children by U.S.-imposed economic sa…
(2019-10-25). Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez backs internet censorship. wsws.org At a hearing Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez demanded that Facebook "fact-check" political statements and "take down lies," endorsing calls by the intelligence agencies for technology companies to censor the internet.
(2019-10-25). AOC Grills Facebook's Zuckerberg on Lies in Political Ads. truthout.org This week, as Mark Zuckerberg says that politicians should be allowed to lie on Facebook, the social media giant's CEO was grilled for more than five hours by lawmakers on Capitol Hill on the company's policy of allowing politicians to lie in political advertisements, as well as its role in facilitating election interference and housing discrimination. We play highlights from New York Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ohio Congressmember Joyce Beatty, who asked Zuckerberg about Facebook's record on civil…
(2019-10-25). Over 1 Million People March in Chile's Largest Protest. telesurenglish.net About one million people are marching in the streets of the Chilean capital, responding to the convocation of students and labor unions who organized on social media "The Largest March in Chile" on Friday afternoon, with rallies paralyzing major cities. | RELATED: | Chile Unrest: Rights Groups Warn of Dictatorship-Like Practices | The march started between 5-6 p.m., local time, from the Plaza Italia, demanding among others the government to send back the Armed Forces to their m…
(2019-10-25). Libra and Calibra, Facebook's Cryptocurrency Project: Mark Zuckerberg Appears Before US Congress. globalresearch.ca It was never going to be pretty. The Facebook CEO knew in appearing before the House Financial Services Committee to answer questions on the company's proposed cryptocurrency that a few sizeable bumps would appear. As it turned out, much of …
(2019-10-25). There's only one way left to deal with Centrists | Alexei Sayle. thecanary.co It's important in this modern world, if you want to stay relevant, that you have to find new roles for yourself. To this end I have recently become a social media influencer (well, I post nasty things about squirrels on Instagram), and I have taken on a role as what's known as a 'brand ambassador' — this is a celebrity employed by a company or organization to help raise brand awareness and increase sales. | I am a brand ambassador for Frosty Jack's Apple Cider (if you look on Amazon it says "people who bought Frosty Jack's Apple Cider also bought… more Frosty Jack's Apple Cider. Plus Captain Corelli's Mand…
(2019-10-25). The Demise of Democracy Under Trump Proves the Frankfurt School Right. truthout.org The conservative media-entertainment complex has transformed U.S. politics. It leverages traditional media, the IT "revolution" (and its associated social media), and official communications to provide a torrent of content aimed not to inform but rather to distract. To accomplish this, it strategically changes subjects, seeking to flatten and render meaningless all important factual and ethical distinctions. It heavily influences the rest of media and now threatens democracy. Can a theory explain th…
(2019-10-25). Rashida Tlaib to Mark Zuckerberg: Why Haven't You Stopped Hate Groups From Organizing on Facebook? democracynow.org 
We feature more highlights from the five-hour grilling of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg this week on Capitol Hill, where Michigan Congressmember Rashida Tlaib said she feared that far-right hate groups were using Facebook event pages to incite violence against Muslims and other minorities — including death threats directed at her office. Tlaib asked to be seen not only as a Congresswoman, but also as "a mother that is raising two Muslim boys in this pretty dark time in our world." Meanwhile, California Congressmember Katie Porter pinned Zuckerberg down on Facebook's privacy policies. "You are arguing in fede…
(2019-10-25). "You Won't Take Down Lies or You Will?": AOC Grills Facebook's Zuckerberg on Lies in Political Ads. democracynow.org 
This week, as Facebook said it will not fact check political ads or hold politicians to its usual content standards, the social media giant's CEO Mark Zuckerberg was grilled for more than five hours by lawmakers on Capitol Hill on the company's policy of allowing politicians to lie in political advertisements, as well as its role in facilitating election interference and housing discrimination. We play highlights from New York Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ohio Congressmember Joyce Beatty, who asked Zuckerberg about Facebook's record on civil rights, which she called "appalling and disgusting." Bea…
(2019-10-25). Corporate Power Wins When a Nation's Civic Leaders and Experts Are Locked Out. commondreams.org For starters, the talking heads who are invited on news shows rarely, if ever, speak of the corporate crime wave, the corporate welfare scandals, or many preventable mass casualties that flow from corporate negligence and cover-ups.(Photo: Screenshot/Youtube) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-10-25_at_11.29.29_am.png …
(2019-10-24). LeBron James and the Hong Kong debate. workers.org 
Los Angeles Laker icon LeBron James received a major amount of criticism from bourgeois pundits for his Oct. 14 statements on a controversial Oct. 4 tweet from white general manager of the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey. As the Rockets, the Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets were in . . . | Continue reading LeBron James and the Hong Kong debate at Workers.org
(2019-10-24). Trump air quality deregulation translates into more deaths. peoplesworld.org 
Tweeting that the U.S. has the cleanest air in the world does not make it so. Not only do we rank 10th, but a new study says that after steady improvement during the Obama-era, air pollution has gotten worse while Donald Trump has been president. The report issued by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that fine particle air pollution, known as PM2.5, …
(2019-10-24). House Democrat to Mark Zuckerberg: Does Facebook Rent Blocks of Rooms in Trump's Hotel and Not Use Them? theintercept.com 
Rep. Madeleine Dean asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg whether his company had tried to curry favor with Donald Trump by doing business at his hotel.
(2019-10-24). 'Make New Mexico pay for it!' Twitter baffled after Trump vows to build wall in Colorado. rt.com 
In yet another geography gaffe, President Donald Trump appears to have lost track of the US border, promising to build a "big, beautiful" wall in Colorado, where countless netizens soon reminded him no border exists. | Speaking to a crowd at a rally on Wednesday, the president waxed enthusiastic about his wall project — a 2016 campaign promise — naming all the locations it would eventually pop up. Yet, despite being fully surrounded by other US states, Colorado somehow made it onto his list. | "We're building a wall in Colorado," he said, as hardhat-clad construction workers rose to applaud. "We're b…
(2019-10-24). Ilhan Omar Explains Why She Endorsed Bernie Sanders — and Why She Blames Mark Zuckerberg for Enabling Threats Against Her. theintercept.com In an interview with The Intercept's Mehdi Hasan, Rep. Ilhan Omar said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg helped place a target on her back.
(2019-10-24). AOC Grills Facebook's Zuckerberg for 'Far-right Dinner Parties'. telesurenglish.net Facebook Inc CEO Mark Zuckerberg was grilled by progressive U.S. lawmakers asking questions on election interference, free speech, hate groups and fake news. | RELATED: | teleSUR English Removed From Facebook for Second Time | "In order for us to make decisions about Libra, I think we need to kind of dig into your past behavior and Facebook's past behavior with respect to our democracy," New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, before asking Zuckerberg when he had first…
(2019-10-24). Watch Ocasio-Cortez's Epic Takedown of Mark Zuckerberg (Video). truthdig.com At Wednesday's congressional hearings about Libra, Facebook's cryptocurrency project, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took the opportunity to question founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg about more than a couple of things he likely wasn't expecting. Probably one of the most memorable questions came when AOC, as the congressmember is known, asked the Facebook CEO about the content of the discussions at his "ongoing dinner parties with far-right figures." Another great moment came when she asked Zuckerberg if he'd take down false political advertisements and he responded with, "Lying is bad," but refused to say what he'd…
(2019-10-24). Turkey accused of spreading misinformation to force people out of their homes in northern Syria. thecanary.co Turkey has been accused of spreading misinformation aimed at forcing people to flee from their homes in northern Syria (aka Rojava). | Turkish-led forces invaded Rojava on 9 October. The NATO member has faced accusations of ethnic cleansing a…
(2019-10-24). Ecuador's Austerity Measures, Repression Based on Media Lies. globalresearch.ca Bernie Sanders tweeted an Associated Press article in the LA Times ( 10/14/19) about Ecuador's recent protests, in which eight protesters were killed in 11 days. "Economic elites keep pushing austerity worldwide, making life unbearable for working people," Sanders …
(2019-10-24). Indigenous Organizations To Sue Ecuador for Human Rights Abuses. telesurenglish.net The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador announced Thursday that it will file a legal coplaint against the State of Ecuador for violating the human rights of Indigenous leaders during the anti-government protests that rocked the country for at least 12 days. | RELATED: | Ecuadorean Gov't, CONAIE Discuss New Decree on Fuel Subsidies | In a statement published on Twitter, the organizations part of the CONAIE said that the complaint will be filed before national and i…
(2019-10-24). "This Is Oil Country!": Climate Protests and the Left. dissidentvoice.org The left has a dark secret that is becoming ever harder to ignore: it is riddled with climate scepticism, indifference and denial. Pick your favourite left-progressive writers, check their Twitter timelines and published work for mentions of the climate crisis. Check their level of support for protesters who, despite being arrested and beaten, have finally …
(2019-10-24). Tulsi a Russian Asset? Censored by Google and YouTube. globalresearch.ca Time and again, clear evidence proves democracy in America is pure fantasy — how it's been from inception, notably today under its money-controlled system, most politicians bought like toothpaste. | One-party rule with two extremist right wings serves privileged interests exclusively …
(2019-10-24). A Soldier or a "Killing Machine"? counterpunch.org "We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!" Donald J. Trump tweeted October 12, 2019 regarding the case of Maj. Mathew Golsteyn a former Green Beret who is on trial for killing an unarmed Afghan man in 2010, a killing Golsteyn twice admitted. This statement was made by the More
(2019-10-24). The Alberto-Cristina Recipe Challenging Macri's Neoliberalism. telesurenglish.net Alberto Fernandez has the ability to "decide, organize, agree and seek the broadest possible government," said Argentina's former president Cristina Fernandez-Kirchner (CFK) as she announced him as presidential candidate for the Front for All coalition. | RELATED: | Argentinian Cumbia Song Goes Viral To Rally Against Macri | This Sunday, Oct. 27, will witness a faceoff between a united front of unions, social movements and leftist parties and neoliberal right headed by President Mau…
(2019-10-24). An open letter to a comrade: Why the left must support Rojava's revolutionaries. greenleft.org.au 
international solidarity John TullyIssue 1242 Australia RojavaOctober 24, 2019Dear Comrade, | As Rosa Luxemburg wrote back in 1916: "Bourgeois society stands at the crossroads, either transition to socialism or regression into barbarism". Her words have a fresh urgen…
(2019-10-24). Media Ignore Unmasking of Twitter Exec as British Psyops Officer – Government penetration and control over media of little interest to those who are subject to it. fair.org 
Middle East Eye ( 9/30/19) | A recent investigation from independent news outlet Middle East Eye ( 9/30/19) uncovered that a senior Twitter executive is, in fact, an officer in the British Army's 77th Brigade, a unit dedicated to psychological operations (psyops), propaganda and online warfare. Gordon MacMillan, who joined the social media company in 2013, is its hea…
(2019-10-24). Media Ignore Unmasking of Twitter Exec as British Psyops Officer – Government penetration and control over media of little interest to those who are subject to it. fair.org by Alan MacLeod Middle East Eye ( 9/30/19) | A recent investigation from independent news outlet Middle East Eye ( 9/30/19) uncovered that a senior Twitter executive is, in fact, an officer in the British Army's 77th Brigade, a unit dedicated to psychological operations (psyops), propaganda and online warfare. Gordon MacMillan, who joined the social media company in 2…
(2019-10-23). SUPPORT FAIR: Pass Our Fall Fundraising Goal! fair.org 
We know that our site has been packed with great content. Views on our website, shares on Facebook and retweets on Twitter have been hopping. Have you read our email posts, or visited our website? Have you listened to an episode or two of CounterSpin, read some of our transcripts? It's been an amazing …
(2019-10-23). 'Whoa,' tweets Snowden, as Bernie Sanders says he would not prosecute government whistleblowers under Espionage Act. rt.com 
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has said that he would not use the Espionage Act to prosecute government whistleblowers in a promise hailed by activists as crucial to maintaining press freedom. | The controversial 1917 law was rarely used in modern times until former US President Barack Obama dug it up to prosecute eight people accused of leaking to the media — more than all other US presidents combined. So far, Donald Trump has also used the law to prosecute eight whistleblowers, putting him on track to outdo Obama if he wins a second term in 2020. | "Whoa," tweeted NSA whistleblower Ed…
(2019-10-23). Ecuador's Austerity Measures, Repression Based on Lies AP Happily Spread. fair.org 
AP piece in the LA Times ( 10/14/19) | Bernie Sanders tweeted an Associated Press article in the LA Times ( 10/14/19) about Ecuador's recent protests, in which eight protesters were killed in 11 days. "Economic elites ke…
(2019-10-23). SUPPORT FAIR: Pass Our Fall Fundraising Goal! fair.org We know that our site has been packed with great content. Views on our website, shares on Facebook and retweets on Twitter have been hopping. Have you read our email posts, or visited our website? Have you listened to an episode or two of CounterSpin, read some of our transcripts? It's been an amazing …
(2019-10-23). But China! Cryptos crater as Congress tries to pin Zuckerberg down on 'too big to fail' Libra. rt.com 
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies plummeted as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg tried to defend his beleaguered digital currency Libra — a project rapidly losing institutional support as it hits one regulatory hurdle after another. | If Facebook isn't allowed to go forward with the rollout of its digital currency, China will surpass the US in technological innovation, Zuckerberg threatened the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday. The billionaire's bid to save Libra — and its public image — after several of the big-name financial institutions backing the online payments system dropped o…
(2019-10-23). Trump faces backlash over 'lynching' claim. thecanary.co US President Donald Trump's comparison of the impeachment inquiry being conducted against him to a "lynching" has sparked a heated backlash. | Stirring painful memories of America's racist past, Trump tweeted in regard to the investigation into his dealings with Ukraine: "All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here — a lynching. But we will WIN!" | The comparison to lynching — a practice once widespread across the southern US in which angry mobs killed thousands of Black people — triggered an outcry from Democratic politicians and from outside Washington, but also some agreement…
(2019-10-23). YouTube Yanks Second Red Ice Channel. splcenter.org YouTube has taken down a second Red Ice channel after the hate network tried to circumvent the media giant's initial ban.
(2019-10-23). Brand Trudeau Wins a Second Term. dissidentvoice.org Brand Trudeau is: Welcome to the new politics, just like the old politics. — Shachi Kurl, Angus Reid Institute, The Guardian, August 22, 2019 Few politicians come across more as products of hashtag committee management than Justin Trudeau. His image has been doctored, massaged and spruced, and even then, the Instagram-Twitter committee did not quite …
(2019-10-23). Turkey is cynically using Syrian refugees in its plans to ethnically cleanse northern Syria. thecanary.co Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan plans to move at least one million refugees from all over Syria into the areas invaded by the Turkish military and its proxies in northern Syria (aka Rojava). But Erdoƒüan's plans have nothing to do with th…
(2019-10-23). Chile: Popular revolt exposes a violent economic system. greenleft.org.au 
democracy Pablo LeightonIssue 1242 Chile Latin America solidarity general strike 2019 Chile protestsOctober 23, 2019Cou…
(2019-10-23). Headlines for October 23, 2019. democracynow.org Taylor Testifies Trump Tied Ukraine Aid to Investigation of Hunter Biden, Trump Tweets Impeachment is a "Lynching," Sparking Widespread Condemnation, Turkey and Russia Reach Agreement on Northern Syria, Protests Erupt in Bolivia Over Allegations of Election Rigging, Chilean President Announces Reforms Aimed to Curb Massive Protests, Boris Johnson Loses Critical Brexit Vote, Canada's New Anti-Immigrant Party Is Crushed in National Elections, UAW Member Dies After Being Struck by Car Near Picket Line, Chicago Teachers Head into Second Week of Strike, New York's Probe of Facebook Backed by 46 Attorneys General, Mexi…
(2019-10-23). Zucked: Early Facebook Investor Roger McNamee on How the Company Became a Threat to Democracy. democracynow.org 
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying Wednesday on Capitol Hill as his company's actions face escalating criticism. The focus of today's House Financial Services Committee hearing is on Facebook's plan to launch a cryptocurrency called Libra that would reshape the world's financial system. Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday that her probe of Facebook for violating antitrust regulations is now backed by attorneys general from 47 states and territories. Facebook is also facing criticism from several Democratic presidential candidates for refusing to ban political ads from cand…
(2019-10-23). Big Tech Platforms Have Had a "Profound Negative Effect on Democracy." Is It Time to Break Them Up? democracynow.org 
Facebook continues to face growing criticism and demands that it be broken up. Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has repeatedly called for Facebook and other big tech companies to be broken up on antitrust grounds. Roger McNamee, a Silicon Valley investor who went from being an early supporter of Facebook to a vocal critic, speaks with us about 2020 candidates' platforms on big tech. Antitrust regulation is "the one issue that seems to cut across the entire political spectrum," McNamee says. "People of all political stripes understand that there's a problem here."
(2019-10-23). Mark Zuckerberg's Former Mentor: I Tried to Raise Alarm Over Russian Interference But Was Ignored. democracynow.org 
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies on Capitol Hill Wednesday, where he is expected to face questioning about the company's cryptocurrency Libra, among other issues. Zuckerberg has faced scrutiny before, including for Facebook's role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. A former mentor of Zuckerberg and longtime Silicon Valley investor Roger McNamee speaks out about the company's dismissal of Russian interference in the election. "They treated it like a PR problem, not a business issue," McNamee says.
(2019-10-22). Students ARRESTED after racial slur dare game is recorded & posted on Twitter. rt.com 
Two University of Connecticut students have been arrested after they were filmed trading racial slurs back and forth in what appeared to be a vulgar word game. The video was posted online and sparked protests on campus. | Jarred Karal and Ryan Mucaj, both 21, were arrested and charged with "ridicule on account of creed, religion, color, denomination, nationality, or race," UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz announced on Monday as students and staff alike demanded "accountability." | The two white students had played a game where they uttered vulgar words at increasing volume as they walked through the campus pa…
(2019-10-22). 'Outrageous': Bernie rejects Hillary Clinton's 'foreign asset' smear on Tulsi Gabbard. rt.com 
Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has come to the defense of fellow Democratic contender Tulsi Gabbard, batting away claims — spread by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — that the dovish candidate is a "foreign asset." | The progressive stalwart from Vermont took to Twitter on Monday to reject any suggestion Gabbard worked for a foreign power, as Clinton implied in a recent interview, insisting her patriotic bonafides as a combat veteran were beyond question. | "Tulsi Gabbard has put her life on the line to defend…
(2019-10-21). Bot race! Mitt Romney admits he's 'Pierre Delecto,' anon Twitter handle who 'liked' impeachment, never-Trumpers & Romney posts. rt.com 
Utah Senator Mitt Romney has come clean about running a secret anonymous Twitter handle — "Pierre Delecto" — which passive-aggressively dumped on Trump and other Republican rivals while puffing up Romney and his allies. | Mitt Romney is Pierre Delecto. Pierre Delecto is Mitt Romney. The ultra-wealthy Mormon senator, recently rumored to be testing the waters for yet another presidential run, admitted he was behind the nom de tweet on Sunday after telling an Atlantic reporter he had a secret account — "What do they call me, a lurker?" — created to monitor political conversation. | Mitt Romn…