Real Democracy Requires a Separation of Money and State
Thomas Knapp | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-06
As we enter a new year, the running battle between the world's governments and the world-changing technology known as "cryptocurrency" continues. As 2019 drew to an end, Swiss president Ueli Maurer asserted that Facebook's digital currency (not a real cryptocurrency), Libra, has failed "because central banks will not accept the basket of currencies underpinning it."
counterpunch.org/2020/01/06/real-democracy-requires-a-separation-of-money-and-state/

India: Chalking & The "Facebook Connection" Attack On Gayatri Khandhadai
APC | indybay.org | 2020-01-06
Chalking & The "Facebook Connection" | Gayatri Khandhadai, had a "Pakistan connection" since her Facebook page listed her as having collaborated with Bytes for All, Pakistan, a human rights organisation. He showed printed copies of her Facebook profile page along with another printed copy of Bytes for All's association with the Association of All Pakistan Citizen Journalists. Vishwanathan said her "link to Pakistan" would be investigated.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/05/18829464.php

Antiwar posts go viral on social media after US murder of Iranian general
wsws.org | 2020-01-06
On Twitter and other social media platforms, youth from every region of the globe expressed their opposition to war and the possibility of nuclear annihilation.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/01/06/anti-j06.html

Not his 'vision' for Pakistan: Imran Khan condemns violence at Sikh shrine
rt.com | 2020-01-06
Prime Minister Imran Khan has denounced a violent altercation that occurred at a Sikh holy site in Pakistan, stressing that his government would not tolerate sectarian strife in the country. | Writing on Twitter, Khan said the incident outside the Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib was "condemnable" and "goes against [his] vision". He said Islamabad had "zero tolerance" for such actions, and that perpetrators of religion-fueled violence would not receive sympathy from the police or judiciary. | In contrast, Modi's RSS vision supports minorities oppression & the targeted attacks against Muslims are part of…
rt.com/news/477546-khan-sahib-attack-sikh-pakistan/

More Rockets Fired At US Embassy, US Iranians Detained & Trump Says Twitter Is "Notifying Congress"
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2020-01-06
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (1/5/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/more-rockets-fired-at-us-embassy-us-iranians-detained-trump-says-twitter-is-notifying-congress/

Damage control: Trump admin backtracking on threat to target Iran's 'cultural sites' after international outrage
rt.com | 2020-01-06
US administration officials are scrambling to walk back Donald Trump's suggestion that he would target Iranian cultural sites by denying that he ever made the threat, even after he doubled down. | Trump provoked widespread outrage with a tweet Saturday claiming that Washington had 52 Iranian sites in its crosshairs, some of which were "very important" to "Iranian culture." Those targets, he added, would be hit "very fast and very hard" if Tehran retaliated for the killing of top general Qassem Soleimani. | ….targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some…
rt.com/usa/477586-iran-culture-conway-trump/

Millions of Iranians Attend Soleimani's Funeral in Tehran
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-06
Hundreds of thousands of Iranians flooded the streets of Tehran on Monday to bid farewell to the Quds Force commander General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed last Friday by the U.S. military in Baghdad. | RELATED: | Trump Says Tweets Serve as 'Notification' to US Congress in Case of War | Leading the funeral procession was the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who broke down in tears as he commeorated the late general's contribution to the Islamic Republic. | Iranian state t…
telesurenglish.net/news/Millions-of-Iranians-Attend-Soleimanis-Funeral-in-Tehran-20200106-0002.html

Brazil plans to lift taxes on solar energy, says Bolsonaro
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-06
In line with Brazil's plans to add more solar to its hydro-dominated electricity generation mix, the South American nation's president on Monday said the Congress would pass a bill to lift taxes on solar energy."I've talked with [President of the Chamber of Deputies] Rodrigo Maia and [President of the Senate] David Alcolumbre about the solar taxation proposed by ANEEL [the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency]," Jair Bolsonaro said in a Twitter post."The president of the Chamber will open a vote, on an urgent basis, to prohibit the taxation of solar energy, as well as president of the Senate," he added. "The c…
yenisafak.com/en/news/brazil-plans-to-lift-taxes-on-solar-energy-says-bolsonaro-3508964

Over 20 civilians massacred in Syria's Raqqah
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-06
At least 27 civilians have been found dead in Syria's Raqqah province, local sources said on Monday.According to the sources, the victims, who were local sheep herders, were beheaded and left in Madan and Sapha districts.The whereabouts of ten more people was still unknown, the sources said.The incident coincided with the passage of a convoy of Iran-backed terrorist groups who were en route to Raqqah to provide military support to the Bashar al-Assad regime's forces.For its part, Raqqah is Being Slaughtered Silently, a local news network, shared on its Twitter account a video of the victims and identified 21 of t…
yenisafak.com/en/world/over-20-civilians-massacred-in-syrias-raqqah-3508969

"You're Not a Dictator": Trump Informed He Can't Launch War By Tweet
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-01-06
"The Constitution doesn't allow presidents to declare war over social media." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump-tweetin.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/01/06/youre-not-dictator-trump-informed-he-cant-launch-war-tweet?cd-origin=rss

AOC Calls Trump a 'Monster' for His Actions in Iran
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-05
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Saturday night called President Donald Trump a "monster" for threatening to target more than 50 Iranian sites–including some he said are " important to Iran and the Iranian culture"–if Tehran retaliates for the U.S. assassination of General Qasem Soleimani. | "This is a war crime," Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, tweeted in response to the president's warning. "Threatening to target and kill innocent families, women, and children–which is what you're doing by targeting cultural sites–does not make you a 'tough guy.' It does not make you 'strategic.' I…
truthdig.com/articles/aoc-calls-trump-a-monster-for-his-actions-in-iran/

US Pressure Gets Cuban Team Out of Baseball Caribbean Series
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-05
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel denounced Sunday that United States pressure towards the Caribbean Confederation of Professional Baseball (CBPC) has prevented the participation of the winning team of the Cuban National Series in the next edition of the Caribbean Series. | RELATED: | Cuba Reject US Sanctions Against Minister | "Cuban sport is also attacked by the empire," wrote Diaz-Canel on Twitter after the released statement from the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) denouncing the obstac…
telesurenglish.net/news/us-pressure-gets-cuban-team-out-of-baseball-caribbean-series-20200105-0013.html

Iran Summons Swiss Envoy Over Trump's Twitter Threats
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-05
Iran has summoned the Swiss diplomatic mission in Tehran today after a series of tweets from U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to destroy the Islamic Republic's cultural sites if American assets were targeted. | RELATED: | Thousands Mourn Iranian General as Quds Force Unfurls Red Flag | According to the Reuters News Agency, the Iranian government is seeking answers from the United States after Trump's tweets. Since the United States and Iran do not have diplomatic relation…
telesurenglish.net/news/Iran-Summons-Swiss-Envoy-Over-Trumps-Twitter-Threats-20200105-0001.html

Trump says his tweets are 'notification' to Congress, pledges 'disproportionate' response to Iran in case of attack
rt.com | 2020-01-05
The US President Donald Trump has literally said that his Twitter posts should be seen as "notification to the United States Congress" — in another tweet no less — as he vowed to "strike back" should Iran target any American. | The president minced no words as he continued to threaten Tehran with a swift and potentially devastating response as the two nations have found themselves on the brink of a military conflict after the US killed a top Iranian commander on a direct order from the White House. | This time, however, he did not just issue another threat but also said that the US Congress should…
rt.com/usa/477536-trump-notification-congress-twitter-post/

War over Iran already raging on Twitter: users call for Trump ban, claim suspension over 'No war on Iran' image
rt.com | 2020-01-05
Twitter's dubious enforcement of its own rules is back in the spotlight after Trump threatened to strike Iran and destroy Iranian cultural treasures. Trump's tweet remains, but many wonder whether it's prohibited speech. | Users are supposedly not allowed to threaten violence or glorify acts of violence on Twitter. And many people believe US President Donald Trump did just that when h…
rt.com/usa/477509-twitter-ban-iran-war/

Trump Says Tweets Serve as 'Notification' to US Congress
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-05
United States President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that his tweets will serve as notification to the U.S. Congress in case he decides to strike Iran. | RELATED: | Thousands Mourn Iranian General as Quds Force Unfurls Red Flag | "These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any U.S. person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner. Such legal notice is not required,…
telesurenglish.net/news/Trump-Says-Tweets-Serve-as-Notification-to-the-US-Congress-20200105-0010.html

'End #TrumpsWar now', US congresswoman & presidential candidate Gabbard tweets after drone strike killed Iranian general
rt.com | 2020-01-04
US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, one of the Democratic Party contenders in the 2020 presidential race, said American armed forces must leave Iraq and Syria, instead of pushing towards war. | "End #TrumpsWar now. Remove our troops from Iraq and Syria," the politician from Hawaii tweeted on Saturday. | End #TrumpsWar now. Remove our troops from Iraq and Syria.– Tulsi Gabbard üå∫ (@TulsiGabbard) January 4, 2020…
rt.com/usa/477465-gabbard-iraq-troops-comment/

'Supermani': CNN contributor falls for obvious Iran satire as US journos struggle to understand who Soleimani really was
rt.com | 2020-01-04
Neoconservative mainstream media favorite Michael Weiss appears to have fallen for a satirical piece on Qassem Soleimani that claimed the man did not cast a shadow and was nicknamed "Supermani." | Daily Beast senior editor and frequent CNN guest Michael Weiss is earning plenty of mockery on social media following him appearing to fall for a clearly satirical story on the legend of Qassem Soleimani, the late Iranian general recently assassinated by the US military. | "It was a well cultivated (and mythologized) aura, which the…
rt.com/usa/477487-soleimani-supermani-michael-weiss/

Donald Trump Threatens to Attack Iran's Cultural Sites
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-04
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a grave threat to Iran on Saturday over the Islamic Republic's vow to retaliate for the assassination of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. | Trump began his three-tweet-long response by addressing Iran's threat to target the U.S.' assets in the Middle East, especially after Washington accused Soleimani of planning the December 27, 2019 attack on the K-1 Base in Iraq's Kirkuk province. | "Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just…
telesurenglish.net/news/Donald-Trump-Threatens-to-Attack-Irans-Cultural-Sites–20200104-0010.html

Russian pranksters strike again: Fake Greta Thunberg convinces eager US politician that she has dirt on Trump
rt.com | 2020-01-03
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…
rt.com/usa/477425-maxine-waters-greta-prank/

Australia Wildfire Coverage Is Long on Koalas, Short on Causes
Neil deMause | fair.org | 2020-01-03
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…
fair.org/home/australia-wildfire-coverage-is-long-on-koalas-short-on-causes/

'Please don't kill us': Rose McGowan apologizes to Iran for Soleimani death, backpedals, still gets roasted
rt.com | 2020-01-03
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…
rt.com/usa/477406-rose-mcgowan-iran-trump/

Arch-hawk Bolton celebrates slaying of Quds commander as 'first step to regime change in Tehran'
rt.com | 2020-01-03
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…
rt.com/usa/477386-bolton-cheers-soleimani-death/

Cuba Reject US Sanctions Against Minister
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-03
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez described as "slanderous" the sanction imposed by the United States against the head of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) of the Antillean country, Leopoldo Cintra Frías. | RELATED: | 61 Years Strong: Cuba's Revolution Lives On Despite Blockade | With a message on his Twitter account, Rodriguez "strongly" rejected the measure announced by the U.S. Department of State which prohibits entry into their national territory of Cintra Frías and cl…
telesurenglish.net/news/cuba-reject-us-sanctions-against-minister-of-ffaa-20200103-0017.html

Michael Moore on Trump, 2020 & Why "the Old, Angry White Guy" Doesn't Represent the Working Class
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-30
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…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/30/michael_moore_trump_2016_2020_prediction

Tories spent over £950,000 on Facebook adverts in late election blitz
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-18
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…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/18/tories-spent-over-950000-on-facebook-adverts-in-late-election-blitz/