(2020-01-03). Liberal Democrat comes out as UK's first 'pansexual' MP, stirs up social media. rt.com 
Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat hotly tipped to enter the race to become the party's next leader, has caused a stir on social media after revealing that she identifies as "pansexual" — the first MP to do so. | The 37 year-old British lawmaker told PinkNews on Thursday that she was "surprised" to find herself attracted to women, but claimed she was not comfortable with being labelled "bisexual" or "gay." Instead, Moran would prefer to be identified as "pansexual," as it refers to the idea of love for a person for who they are rather than their gender. | "Sometimes, when you meet the right person, it jus…
(2020-01-03). Social Media and social control: How Silicon Valley serves the U.S. State Department. mronline.org 
Facebook isn't the only Silicon Valley firm with partisan oversight of what we see: the bipartisan billionaire class and their security state have partnered with tech firms since the dawn of the internet to control the parameters of users' thinking. | Source
(2020-01-03). Hollywood director gets smacked down for Trump slam, even by his own actress. rt.com 
Ron Howard, director of 'Solo: A Star Wars Story,' tried for some easy points on Twitter by slamming US President Donald Trump, but he got a rude awakening… including from one of his past actresses. | If you're an artist in modern Hollywood and you're looking to score some easy brownie points with fellow celebrities and the mainstream entertainment press, a pretty good bet is to call out Trump. It's easy, low-hanging fruit and it seems to work for C-list celebs like Alyssa Milano and Bette Midler, so why not? | Howard, a former c…
(2020-01-03). 'We urge all parties to de-escalate': British foreign sec Raab calls for calm after US assassination of Iranian commander. rt.com 
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has urged "all parties to de-escalate" after Iran's Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US military airstrike near Baghdad International airport on Thursday night. | In a statement on Friday morning, Raab insisted that the UK government "recognised the aggressive threat posed by the Iranian Quds force led by Qassem Soleimani." However, he called on "all parties to de-escalate," and claimed that "further conflict is in none of our interests." | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed via Twitter that he and Raab had discussed the incident and suggested…
(2020-01-03). 'Please don't kill us': Rose McGowan apologizes to Iran for Soleimani death, backpedals, still gets roasted. rt.com 
The #MeToo advocate and 'Grindhouse' actress Rose McGowan joined Hollywood celebs like John Cusack to condemn the killing of Qassem Soleimani, but this only inspired Twitter to question her sobriety and her loyalty to the US. | Much of Hollywood's most politically active celebrities were not happy with the US assassination of Iran's Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani, but none were as broken up about it as actress Rose McGowan. | The author and 'Charmed' actress took to Twitter to apologize on behalf of the US and to beg Iran "not to kill us." | "Dear #Iran, The USA has disrespected your country, your flag, you…
(2020-01-03). VIDEO shows US strike that killed Iranian general Soleimani in Baghdad. rt.com 
A security camera video, purporting to show the US air strike that killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani and several leaders of the Iraqi Shia militia outside the Baghdad airport, has surfaced online. | The 11-second clip, first posted by the Iraqi TV station Ahad, shows an explosion ripping through the parking lot outside the Baghdad International Airport on Thursday evening. | pic.twitter.com/vbBmAonbV5— ŸÇŸÜÿßÿ© ÿߟÑÿπŸáÿØ (@AhadTv) (2020-01-03). Trump tweets after Quds chief killing: 'Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!'. rt.com 
Following the US assassination of Iran's Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani, President Donald Trump took to Twitter, issuing a quite cryptic message that Iran has "never won a war, but never lost a negotiation." | The commander of the elite Quds Force was killed overnight in Baghdad International Airport, alongside with several other high-ranking officials from local pro-Iranian militias. | The assassination was carried out on the personal "direction" of Trump, the US military has said, claiming it was acting to protect America and its citizens. Soleimani was blamed for "the deaths of hundreds of American and c…
(2020-01-03). Iran's Khamenei appoints Soleimani's deputy as new head of Quds Forces. rt.com 
Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani was appointed to lead Iran's elite Quds Force after its previous commander, Major General Qassem Soleimani, was killed in a US airstrike on Friday. | The unit's program "will stay exactly the same" as it was under Soleimani, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said, as quoted by Tasnim News Agency. | Ghaani has served as Soleimani's second-in-command. | Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei on Friday appointed General Esmail Qa'ani as new Commander of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps ( #IRGC) Qu…
(2020-01-03). Arch-hawk Bolton celebrates slaying of Quds commander as 'first step to regime change in Tehran'. rt.com 
While there was no shortage of triumphant voices coming from Washington DC on Friday after the targeted assassination of a senior Iranian general, that of John Bolton seemed especially cheerful. | The former national security adviser in the Donald Trump administration took to Twitter to congratulate "all involved in eliminating Qassem Soleimani," the commander of Iran's elite Quds Force. | Congratulations to all involved in eliminating Qassem Soleimani. Long in the making, this was a decisive blow against Iran's malign Quds Force activities worldwide. Hope this is the first step to regime change in Tehran.[mda…
(2020-01-03). Russian pranksters strike again: Fake Greta Thunberg convinces eager US politician that she has dirt on Trump. rt.com 
US Congresswoman Maxine Waters has allegedly fallen for a prank call in which she thought activist Greta Thunberg was offering her a tape of Donald Trump confessing to pressuring Ukraine into investigating his political rivals. | YouTube pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov, who go by the names Vovan and Lexus, are claiming they tricked Waters (Dem-Calif.) into thinking she was speaking to teen climate change activist Greta Thunberg. | Vovan and Lexus made names for themselves by previously pranking Congressman Adam Schiff (Dem-Calif.) into thinking there were nude photos of US President Donald T…
(2020-01-03). Hockey trick shots: Watch NHL all-stars Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn perform INCREDIBLE shots with YouTubers Dude Perfect (VIDEO). rt.com 
YouTube stars Dude Perfect have made their channel one of the most-watched sports channels in the world with their mind-bending trick shots, and they enlisted the help of a pair of NHL stars for their latest spectacular video. | Dallas Stars duo Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have proved their worth on the ice as two of the best forwards in the NHL, with both men named NHL All-Stars. | READ MORE: Optical illusions and surprise twists: These mind-bending trick shots aren't what they seem (VIDEO) | And they teamed up w…
(2020-01-03). UN Concerned over British Government's Failure to Investigate Whether Assange Has Been Subjected to Psychological Torture. globalresearch.ca United Nations special rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer has written to governments to press them to investigate properly evidence that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been subjected to psychological torture. | On December 31 Mr Melzer shared on Twitter a letter …
(2020-01-03). Brussels Court Suspends Extradition of Catalan Leader Puigdemont. telesurenglish.net A Brussels court has suspended the extradition of former Catalan pro-independence leader Carles Puigdemont, his lawyer said on Thursday. | RELATED: | EU Parliament President Lifts Ban on Top Catalan Politicians | Puigdemont cheered the suspension on Twitter and called on Spain to free Junqueras from prison. | "Spain must act in the same way as Belgium has done and respect the law," he said in a tweet. | Paul Beckaert told Reuters that the Belgian judge in charge of the case…
(2020-01-03). The Real Reason Trump Assassinated Qassem Soleimani. truthdig.com Ann Arbor — The madman in the White House has been sulking and raging for weeks about his impeachment proceedings, tweeting manically on some days more than 100 times. With the release by JustSecurity.org of unredacted emails on the Ukraine scandal showing that Trump personally (and illegally) withheld congressionally mandated military aid to an ally, the Republican defense of the president is collapsing. Some GOP senators such as Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski seem to be weak…
(2020-01-03). 'Fighting inflation to be Turkey's top agenda in 2020'. yenisafak.com Turkey will stabilize the inflation rate at single digits by improving competition in goods and services markets and enhancing production, the country's treasury and finance minister said Friday."Fight against inflation will be our top agenda in 2020," Berat Albayrak said on Twitter, underlining the year-end inflation rate was below the government's target.Albayrak's comments came after the Turkish Statistical Institute announced that the country's inflation rate last month was 11.84%.Turkey's inflation rate is expected to hit 12% this year as laid out in the new economic program for 2020-2022 announced by the go…
(2020-01-03). Pompeo, after strike kills Iranian commander, says US committed to de-escalation. yenisafak.com U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday reiterated Washington's commitment to de-escalation with Iran, following the killing of an Iranian top commander in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq's capital Baghdad."I spoke today with Chinese Politburo Member Yang Jiechi to discuss [U.S. President] @realDonaldTrump's decision to eliminate [Qasem] Soleimani in response to imminent threats to American lives," Pompeo said on Twitter."I reiterated our commitment to de-escalation," he added.Pompeo said he also discussed the situation with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, thanking t…
(2020-01-03). Australia Wildfire Coverage Is Long on Koalas, Short on Causes. fair.org 
by Neil deMause Fires making their own weather are interesting (The Hill, 12/30/19)—but not as important as humans making their own climate. | If you've only been following the bushfires ravaging Australia through the headlines popping up on your social media feeds — which, let's face it, is more popular than reading newspapers these days [md…
(2020-01-02). 'It's a dang UFO': Mysterious object puzzles witnesses after blazing across Florida sky (VIDEO, PHOTOS). rt.com 
Beachwalkers out to watch the first sunrise of 2020 were left bewildered by the sudden appearance of a mysterious flying object in the sky above Florida's east coast on New Year's Day. | Several early risers walking on beaches in the city of Fort Pierce were stunned to see an unexplained object streak across the sky in the moments before sunrise on Wednesday. | As well as a fiery trail the peculiar object also left a raft of questions in its wake as eyewitnesses struggled to comprehend what they had seen. | www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2447028252205241&set=pcb.2447029922205074&type=3&theater | "I kn…
(2020-01-02). Pizzagate part 2? Bill de Blasio schooled on Twitter after calling out Domino's for selling $30 pizzas on New Year's Eve. rt.com 
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was harshly panned online after accusing the Domino's pizza chain of "exploiting" New Yorkers with $30 pies on New Year's Eve, with netizens giving the city manager a lesson in supply and demand. | De Blasio called out the company in a tweet on Wednesday, outraged about its New Year's Eve prices for those celebrating the holiday in Times Square, and encouraging New Yorkers to ditch the corporate franchise for local eateries. | "Jacking up your prices on people trying to celebrate the holidays? Classy, Domino's," he said. "To the thousands who came to Times Square last night to rin…
(2020-01-02). Social program meets goal, delivers 3 million homes. mronline.org 
The new goal of the social housing program is to deliver at least 500,000 new dwellings in 2020. | Source
(2020-01-02). Pentagon Confirms It Killed Iran's Soleimani on Trump's Orders. telesurenglish.net The United States Department of Defense confirmed Thursday night that its forces killed Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani "at the direction of the president." | RELATED: | Iran's Soleimani and Iraq's Muhandis Killed in US Air Strike | The statement call the assassination a "defensive action…aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans." Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has not issued an official statement but only tweeted a U.S. flag with no caption. | There has bee…
(2019-12-31). Trump blames Iran for Baghdad embassy attack, promises US will 'always' respond strongly. rt.com 
President Donald Trump has blamed Iran for bombing a coalition base and orchestrating the storming of the US Embassy in Baghdad, as Iraqis rage at American airstrikes on militias in the country. | "Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many," the president tweeted on Tuesday. "We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the US Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible." | Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsib…
(2019-12-31). Only US govt-friendly apps allowed? Army bans soldiers from using TikTok over alleged Chinese 'cyber threat'. rt.com 
The US Army has banned personnel from using Chinese social media app TikTok, signaling that its soldiers should stick to platforms that march exclusively to Washington's tune. | An army spokeswoman confirmed on Monday that the Chinese app "is considered a cyber threat" and will no longer be allowed on government phones and mobile devices. The military had previously used the popular social media platform to reach out to potential recruits. | The decision comes less than two weeks after the US Navy banned the Chinese app from all government-issued mobile devices — citing the same alleged "cybersecurity thr…
(2019-12-31). Cubicle 2020? Internet field day after Mike Bloomberg promises 'open office plan' for White House East Room if he wins presidency. rt.com 
Billionaire ex-mayor Michael Bloomberg has exposed himself to torrents of Twitter snark, after pledging that as president he would convert the East Room in the White House into a soulless maze of cubicles. 'Why?' many asked. | The presidential contender found it necessary — for reasons which may forever remain a mystery — to announce that he will turn the White House's historic East Room into an "open office" if he secures the Democratic nomination and defeats Donald Trump in 2020. | The former New York City mayor said that by doing so, he'll be able to "sit with our team" — presumably as he jud…
(2019-12-30). All West Virginia prison guard trainees pictured giving NAZI salute on viral photo SACKED after review. rt.com 
Three staff members and all of the West Virginia corrections cadets, who posed for a photo making a hand gesture resembling a Nazi salute, have been sacked after an inquiry found the class instructor encouraged the practice. | All 34 would-be prison guards and three West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Academy employees have been fired after an in-depth investigation into the viral photo showing the trainees giving a Nazi salute in a class photo accompanied by the words "HAIL BYRD!" | "As I said from the beginning, I condemn the photo of Basic Training Class 18 in the strongest possible ter…
(2019-12-30). Plane carrying Kansas basketball team forced to make emergency landing after engine SPITS FIRE (VIDEO). rt.com 
A Swift Air 737 passenger jet was forced to make an emergency landing after one of its engines malfunctioned and began spitting fire, as terrifying eyewitness video taken on board shows. | The plane was forced to turn around 20 minutes into its flight, having just departed Mineta San Jose International Airport on Sunday. The University of Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team was on board and their senior associate athletic director, Ryan White, shared shocking video of one of the plane's engines belching blazing fire. | @KUHoops plane blows engine…
(2019-12-30). Elon Musk unveils Starship's 'giant dome' 1 month after explosion devastated launch vehicle (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The SpaceX craft Elon Musk hopes will one day take astronauts to Mars has taken a step forward, with the team building the 50-meter-tall (160 feet) capsule working around the clock to finish its huge dome. | Musk shared updates about the project's progress on Twitter on Monday, saying he and the SpaceX team had spent the whole night working on the "most difficult part of [the] primary structure": Starship's giant dome. | In his videos, he shows three of the huge structures at varying stages of construction — and it wasn't long before Twitter users compared the strange hemispheres to alien crafts. | Almost…
(2019-12-30). Too good to be true? Sharon Stone BLOCKED by dating app after disbelieving users flag her account as fake. rt.com 
If a Hollywood star can't find a date what hope do the rest of us have? Social media users were haunted by this existential question after Sharon Stone revealed that she had made an account on a dating app — but was blocked.
(2019-12-30). Michael Moore on Trump, 2020 & Why "the Old, Angry White Guy" Doesn't Represent the Working Class. democracynow.org 
Last week on Democracy Now!, acclaimed filmmaker "Michael Moore predicted": www.democracynow.org/2019/12/26/michael_moore_donald_trump_impeachment Donald Trump would win re-election if Democrats don't choose a candidate to run against him who excites their base of voters. His comments prompted President Donald Trump to respond on Twitter, "He made [the] same prediction in 2016. Nobody ever said Michael was stupid!" But Moore's comments went further than Trump's tweet alluded to. He said the working class in the United States is mostly women, people of color and young people — all groups who tend to v…
(2019-12-27). Wikileaks Still Holding Powerful to Account as Founder Julian Assange "Slowly Dies" in Prison. mintpressnews.com Julian Assange is dying inside Belmarsh Prison in London. Those are his own words, relayed through English journalist Vaughan Smith, who revealed that the Wikileaks founder called him on Christmas Eve to share his greetings. Smith also divulged that Assange told him he is kept in solitary confinement 23 hours per day and is often sedated. | His treatment has elicited protests around the world, from journalists, news organizations, human rights groups and celebrities. Last week a group of Australian doctors asked Foreign Minister Marise Pay…
(2019-12-25). Social Media and Social Control: How Silicon Valley Serves the US State Department. mintpressnews.com 
Facebook isn't the only Silicon Valley firm with partisan oversight of what we see: the bipartisan billionaire class and their security state have partnered with tech firms since the dawn of the internet to control the parameters of users' thinking.
(2019-12-18). Tories spent over £950,000 on Facebook adverts in late election blitz. thecanary.co 
The Conservative Party spent more than any other party on Facebook and Instagram adverts in the run-up to last week's General Election, analysis by the PA news agency has found.It largely came in a spending blitz in the final two weeks of the campaign.Across their two main pages — named Conservatives and Boris Johnson — the party spent a total of £959,329 in the four weeks up to the vote.In comparison, Labour spent £552,035 on its Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn pages between 14 November and 12 December, the fourth most of the major UK parties.The Liberal Democrats were the second biggest spe…
(2019-12-16). Viral Chilean feminist anthem reveals powerful international sentiment against sexual violence. liberationnews.org 
The protest song was first performed for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 20 in Valparaíso, Chile.
(2019-12-02). The War on Truth: How Israel's Social Media Trolls Conquered Facebook. zcomm.org Israel may have found a way to circumvent the influence of Facebook on the discussions pertaining to Palestinian rights and the Israeli occupation…
(2019-12-01). The Usual Incoherence on Student Benefits Is Back. peoplespolicyproject.org 
Of all the welfare state topics, student benefits manages to consistently attract the most incoherent and weird arguments, and the recent spate of arguments on this front are no exception. In the last week, a student benefit dustup has been instigated by Pete Buttigieg ostensibly being against free public college for millionaires and billionaires while Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are ostensibly for it. | This has set off the usual round of commentary about how Buttigieg is arguing for means-testing while Warren and Sanders are arguing f…
(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…