(2019-11-20). Nonprofit Workers Join the Movement to Unionize. commondreams.org Nonprofit managers are caught between the desires of funders—whose funds come from the very exploitation that the nonprofit may be trying to combat—and their own staff. (Photo: @Teamsters/Twitter) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/bernz.jpeg …
(2019-11-20). Twitter flooded with thousands of fake accounts supporting Bolivia coup. peoplesworld.org 
Tens of thousands of fake Twitter accounts were created to support the military coup against Bolivia's elected president Evo Morales, a new study suggests. Spanish party Podemos's head of social networks Julian Macias Tovar says that over 68,000 false accounts were set up to try to legitimize the army's overthrow of Morales following his re-election …
(2019-11-20). GOP-Requested Witness Rejects Trump 'Conspiracy Theories'. truthdig.com 
WASHINGTON — Sought by Republicans to testify, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine spoke up instead for Democrat Joe Biden in Tuesday's impeachment hearings, rejecting "conspiracy theories" embraced by President Donald Trump and some of his allies. | Kurt Volker said he has known Biden as an honorable man for more than two decades, rebuffing debunked corruption allegations that Trump is said to have wanted the Ukrainians to investigate in exchange for military aid to hold off Russian aggression. | "The allegations against Vice President Biden are self-serving and non-credible," Volker declared. | R…
(2019-11-20). Trump's Removal Can't Wait for Impeachment. truthdig.com 
The most powerful position in the world's most powerful nation is occupied by a demented fascist oligarch. | He demonizes and scapegoats minorities and immigrants. He provides dog-whistle cover for white supremacists. He sparks racist hate crimes with his vicious nativist words. He speaks with disdain about inner-city…
(2019-11-20). At Private California Fundraiser, Pete Buttigieg Explains Limited Black Support. theintercept.com At a private fundraiser in California on Friday, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg suggested that black voters in South Carolina preferred former Vice President Joe Biden because of a perception of "familiarity," even though Biden isn't "the candidate with the best answers on the subject of race." | Asked by a guest in attendance at a meet-and-greet event at Thunderbird Heig…
(2019-11-20). Oxford Union president resigns amid row over blind student. thecanary.co The president of the Oxford Union has resigned after a blind student was forcibly removed from a debate event by a security guards. | Postgraduate student Ebenezer Azamati was taken from the venue by a security guard when he tried to return to a seat before the debate last month. | Union president Brendan McGrath wrote in a statement posted to Facebook late on Tuesday that he had resigned because it was his "job to ensure that every Member feels welcome at the Oxford Union". | Please see the below statement regarding the incident prior to the No Confidence debate. Further statements and updates will be released a…
(2019-11-20). While we're on the subject of fact-checking, Boris Johnson just lied 3 times in 45 seconds. thecanary.co On 20 November, Boris Johnson hit the campaign trail in Teeside. And while we've all been distracted by the Conservative Party's fake fact-checker Twitter account scandal, Johnson lied. Again. And again. | In fact, Johnson lied three times in just 45 seconds. | 'Low tax for people like you or us?': | One voter nailed a crucial issue when they questioned Johnson, asking: Do you mean low tax for people like you, or low tax for people like us? | To b…
(2019-11-20). 11 words from Dominic Raab on the Twitter 'fact check' scandal sum up why no one can trust the Tories. thecanary.co Foreign secretary Dominic Raab appeared on BBC Breakfast on 20 November to defend his party's decision to temporarily rebrand its Twitter page as a "factcheckUK". | But 11 words from Raab summed up why no one can trust the Tories — let alone rely on them to check facts. | 'Who really cares about this social media business anyway?': | Raab was repeatedly asked about why the party had decided to pull the Twitter stunt. But the best line he see…
(2019-11-20). The Conservative Party managed to stoop so low even the BBC wasn't impressed. thecanary.co During the leadership debate on 19 November, the Conservative Party stooped to a new low. It rebranded its @CCHQPress Twitter account as "factcheckUK". | But this deception was too much for the BBC. And even it couldn't hide its contempt at what the party had tried to do. | "Misleading" and "dystopian": | Following the debate, Emily Maitlis interviewed Conservative Party chair James Cleverly on News…
(2019-11-20). The 10 most disturbing words of ITV's election coverage weren't uttered by a candidate, but by the show's host. thecanary.co There were a number of disturbing aspects to ITV's debate and interviews on 19 November. But none were more perplexing than host Nina Hossain's reaction to Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson's position on using nuclear weapons. | WTAF?: | I for one found the fury Boris Johnson managed to affect in defence of the NHS (after Jeremy Corbyn brandished a heavily redacted government document on the subject) quite alarming. Corbyn said the documents showed that Johnson's government had: a series…
(2019-11-20). Iran: Over 100 Feared Dead in Protest Crackdown as Authorities Impose Internet Blackout. democracynow.org 
In Iran, Amnesty International reports over 100 protesters have been killed in 21 cities by security forces during ongoing nationwide demonstrations sparked by a sudden hike in fuel prices last week. The death count may be much higher, the report warns, with some suggesting as many as 200 have been killed. According to Iranian state media, over 1,000 people have been arrested. On Thursday, Iran announced a rise in the cost of gas ranging from 50% to 300%. Soon after protests broke out on Sunday, Iran imposed an almost complete internet blackout, making it nearly impossible for protesters use social media to share…
(2019-11-20). 'My Guy': Ariana Grande Gives Big Hug to Bernie Sanders on Her Massive Social Media Platforms. commondreams.org "Thank you Senator Sanders for coming to my show, making my whole night and for all that you stand for." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/grande_sanders1.jpg …
(2019-11-20). All Tory HQ could rely on during the leaders' debate was Johnson's lies, so it took propaganda to a new level. thecanary.co On 19 November, Jeremy Corbyn faced Boris Johnson in the first TV debate of this general election. While Corbyn remained clam and articulate throughout, Johnson was anything but. He flustered, blustered, and clearly only had one point to make about Brexit. So, perhaps sensing Johnson was losing, the Conservative press office rebranded itself on Twitter. As a bona fide fact-checking outlet. This didn't go down well. But some responses were utterly brilliant. | Facts?: | During the debate, tweets sent out from the Conservative Campaign Headquarters press office (CCHQPress) appeared under the banner 'factche…
(2019-11-20). The Walls are Closing in on Donald Trump. counterpunch.org 
As witness after credible witness appears before the House Intelligence Committee's impeachment inquiry, the walls are closing in on Donald Trump and he knows it. If any more proof was needed, he actually tried to intimidate one of the witnesses, former Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, by posting a derogatory tweet about her while she More
(2019-11-19). Monopoly? What monopoly? Big Tech defends itself from antitrust allegations with denial & doublespeak. rt.com 
Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple are pushing back against the US government's antitrust investigations, downplaying their dominance of the tech sector, playing dumb, and staying quiet where they can't obfuscate. | The Big Tech behemoths responded to written questions sent by the House Judiciary Committee – one of several antitrust probes targeting the four companies – with concerted efforts to tone down their monopolistic image – no easy feat for two trillion-dollar companies and two more that are approaching that figure. Answers were shared with reporters on Tuesday, according to Reuters. | Also on rt.com…
(2019-11-19). Student Protesters are Walking a Tightrope in Hong Kong. counterpunch.org 
It's hard to know what to think about the student protests in Hong Kong. | On the one hand, they are incredibly inspiring. The courage, determination, brilliant organizing in the face of corporate blocking of the social media platforms that have been so critical early on to coordinating actions and rallying support, and the links that these masses of students have been able to build with the broader Hong Kong community, have been amazing to witness. So too is the massive support that the city's residents — even its staid usually conservative business-minded bankers and shop owners — have given and con…
(2019-11-19). Bernie Sanders Reiterates That There Was a Coup in Bolivia. telesurenglish.net Independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders again described what happened in Bolivia as coup and condemned security forces' repression against indigenous protesters. | RELATED: | Bolivia: Coup-Born Government's Witch Hunt Intensifies | "I oppose the intervention of Bolivia's security forces in the democratic process and their repression of Indigenous protesters," the legislator for Vermont posted on Twitter on Monday. | "It was the military who i…
(2019-11-18). Are we the baddies? NBC chief foreign correspondent tweets amazement to find US foreign policy not always great. rt.com 
Hearing that the Americans "have become the bad guys" on the world stage was a "gut punch" to NBC News reporter Richard Engel, but Twitter quickly set the astonished journalist straight with some history and facts. | Engel, NBC's chief foreign correspondent, was informed of this shocking news via various "sources" who complained to him about the Trump administration's recent betrayal of the Kurds in northern Syria and the alleged "misogynistic" firing of the US ambassador to Ukraine. | Such politically motivated actions "m…
(2019-11-18). Gunman opens fire at backyard party in Fresno, California, 4 people killed. rt.com 
At least 10 people were shot in California after a gunman opened fire at a family gathering, police say. Four people have been killed while others have been taken to hospital. | Family and friends were watching football in the backyard when someone started shooting at them. No one has been arrested so far, with no information on a suspect realeased. | #BREAKING MASSIVE police response in a neighborhood by Peach/Pine in Fresno. Streets clogged with cars/ambulances…a lot of people being put on stretchers. Waiting to learn more. …
(2019-11-18). 'Meth. We're on it': Oddly-worded South Dakota drug awareness campaign 'breaks bad' on social media. rt.com 
South Dakota has rolled out a new anti-drug campaign warning about the dangers of substance abuse and costing taxpayers almost half a million. But its wording, "Meth. We're On It," has drawn ridicule online. | Taking a bizarre twist on "I am Spartacus," the ads portray average South Dakotans — a kindly old farmer, a churchgoing grandma, high school football players — sternly telling the camera "I'm on meth," with a narrator cutting in with the standard anti-drug PSA: "meth is not someone else's problem." | South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem also hopped aboard the campaign, encouraging residents to…
(2019-11-18). Trump 'likes the idea' of testifying in impeachment 'hoax' to get Congress 'focused'. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump may testify in impeachment hearings after all, he tweeted, calling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's bluff after she broached the idea – though he also deemed the proceedings a "no due process hoax." | The president has warmed to the idea of testifying in the "phony impeachment Witch Hunt," he tweeted on Monday, explaining that "even though I did nothing wrong, and don't like giving credibility to this No Due Process Hoax, I like the idea & will, in order to get Congress focused again, strongly consider it!" | Crediting his change of mind to "Crazy, Do Nothing Speaker of the House, Nervous…
(2019-11-18). Monday's Daily Brief: Progress and pitfalls in child rights, millions of Afghans acutely food insecure, Middle East nuclear-free zone, social media and child detention. un.org A recap of Monday's stories in brief: Uneven child rights progress; over 10 million Afghans severely food insecure; Middle East nuclear weapons conference gets underway; Social media posts increasing child detention cases; UN and partners commit to universal health.
(2019-11-18). Anti-terror measures against youngsters' online posts 'linked to spike in child detention globally'. un.org More than 5.4 million children are detained around the world, rights experts said on Monday, highlighting "aggressive" State counterterrorism measures for the spike in youngsters held for alleged links with armed conflict or national security concerns based on their social media posts.
(2019-11-17). CAP's Topher Spiro Is Trying to Deceive Journalists By Lying. peoplespolicyproject.org 
It's been fun to see how the Center for American Progress (CAP) navigates this year's presidential election. For insider political reasons, they can't support Biden or Sanders. But for a long time, it was unclear who the alternative candidate they could support would be. | When Kamala Harris was rising, CAP's staff was doing overtime boosting her on Twitter and in the press, including boosting Harris's absurd health care proposal. But Harris's collapse put an end to that strategy. Recently Warren has risen as the alternative and so CAP has been working to promote her campaign, which puts CAP in the comical positi…
(2019-11-15). Western Media Whitewash Bolivia's Far-Right Coup. fair.org 
The phrase AP (Chattanooga Times Free Press, 11/13/19) is looking for is "self-declared." | Bolivia has a new US-backed puppet leader, and the Western media can hardly conceal their adulation. | Jeanine àÅñez declared herself "interim president" in a near-empty Senate chamber on November 12, proceeding to don the presidential sash with the assistance of uniformed soldiers. Despite a lack of quorum rendering the move nakedly unconstitutional, àÅñez was immediate…
(2019-11-15). Whistleblowers Are Public Servants. We Must Protect Them. aclu.org President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine spoke on the phone. The president insists the call was " perfect." Others are concerned that, during the call, the president intimated he would withhold financial aid appropriated to Ukraine unless the Ukrainian president agreed to investigate former-Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival of the president. | How do we even know about any of this? A…
(2019-11-14). Social Media Censorship Reaches New Heights as Twitter Permanently Bans Dissent. mintpressnews.com 
| | It's an open secret. The deep state is wo…