(2020-01-17). 'Most brazen anti-competitive scheme in a generation': 4 tech firms sue Facebook to force Zuckerberg to sell his stake. rt.com 
Four tech companies are suing Facebook, accusing the Silicon Valley titan of running the worst "anti-competitive scheme" in a generation and demanding that CEO Mark Zuckerberg give up his stake in the company. | The four companies are Beehive Biometric, an identity-verification website; Cir.cl, an online marketplace and social media platform; Lenddo, a Singapore-based financial services provider; and Reveal Chat, a messaging service. | In a federal lawsuit filed in San Francisco on…
(2020-01-17). 'F***ing disgusting': Backlash as rapper Eminem 'jokes' about Manchester Arena bombing in new track. rt.com 
US rapper Eminem has provoked outrage on social media after releasing a track that appears to make light of the Manchester Arena bombing at an Ariana Grande concert, featuring the lyrics "bombs away." | Hours after releasing his new album 'Music To Be Murdered By' on Twitter, Eminem faced an angry backlash regarding one particular song titled, 'Unaccommodating,' in which he addresses his feud with fellow US rapper Machine Gun Kelly. | It features the line: "But I'm contemplating yelling 'Bombs away' on the game/Like I'm outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting," against a backdrop of bomb sounds. | YALL LIS…
(2020-01-17). 'Anti-Catholic bigotry': UK journo slammed online over 'dictated by the Vatican' remarks, in veiled attack on religious Labour MP. rt.com 
UK journalist Paul Mason has been accused of religious "bigotry" on social media, after insisting he doesn't want Labour's policy on abortion to be decided by the Vatican, in what is seen as an attempted smear on a Catholic MP. | Mason, who has worked for the likes of the BBC and Channel 4, and now writes independently, prompted outrage on Twitter on Friday, in what many are describing as a "smear campaign" against Rebecca Long-Bailey — one of the candidates in the Labour leadership election. | The journalist tweeted that he had signed a letter calling on all candidates in the leadership race to "commit…
(2020-01-17). VIDEOS capture frolicking cows and saturated Sydney as rain brings relief to Australia's scorched south-east. rt.com 
When it rains it pours. After weeks of punishing drought, bushfire-plagued south-eastern Australia has been hit by torrential rain, prompting a flood of excitement among Australians and actual floods in the capital Sydney. | Heavy rain and thunderstorms rolled into New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland on Friday dampening raging fires, much to the relief of firefighters and farmers who have been battling blazes since September. | The all-too-rare weather unleashed an outpouring of joy on social media with locals excitedly sharing photos and videos of the long-awaited rain. | Best day of the year so far. …
(2020-01-17). America's Long History of Meddling in Russia. counterpunch.org 
Russia — OK, not the actual Russian government but a private click-farm company located in Russia — bought $100,000 worth of political ads on Facebook designed to change the outcome of the 2016 election. Except that only a small fraction of those ads were political. Also except that that small fraction was divvied up between More
(2020-01-17). Ukrainian PM submits resignation letter amid leaked audio recordings controversy. rt.com 
Ukraine's PM Oleksiy Honcharuk has submitted a letter of resignation and President Volodymyr Zelensky will consider it, the presidential office in Kiev said on Friday. | "I came to the position of fulfilling the program of the president. He is for me a model of openness and decency," Honcharuk said on Facebook. "However, in order to take away any doubts about our respect and trust in the president, I wrote a letter of resignation and handed it to the president with the right to submit it to parliament," the PM added. | Honcharuk earlier commented on leaked audio recordings allegedly with his voice recorded dur…
(2020-01-17). First in 2020: India successfully launches GSAT-30 telecoms satellite (VIDEO). rt.com 
In its first space mission of the year, India has sent its GSAT-30 communications satellite into orbit, where it will replace another aging craft. The launch went off without a hitch. | The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced early on Friday that the spacecraft had reached orbit without any issues. The launch was carried out from a facility in French Guiana in conjunction with French-based aerospace firm, Arianespace, which provided its Ariane 5 rockets for the mission. | #GSAT30 was successfully launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by (2020-01-17). 'Rigging election again': Trump says impeachment all a ploy to… shaft Bernie Sanders. rt.com 
The impeachment trial against Donald Trump is not just a "witch hunt," but a ploy to "rig" the Democratic nomination against Bernie Sanders and in favor of Joe Biden, the US president has claimed. | "They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders, just like last time, only even more obviously," Trump tweeted on Friday. | They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders, just like last time, only even more obviously. They are bringing him out of so important Iowa in order that, as a Senator, he sit through the Impeachment Hoax Trial. Crazy Nancy thereby gives the strong edge to Sleepy…[m…
(2020-01-17). Three Reasons Why Trump Ordered Soleimani's Killing. truthdig.com President Donald Trump's administration has trotted out an embarrassingly inconsistent series of justifications for the recent drone strike in Iraq that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The ever-changing story of why Soleimani was killed underscores the Trump administration's thin rationale for an action so provocative that it could have triggered an all-out war. | The day after the attack, Trump spoke from the White House. He said, "Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught hi…
(2020-01-17). Opposition grows to Nepal government's move to curtail social media. wsws.org The Information Technology Bill's vague language puts social media users at high risk for criticising business leaders, politicians and bureaucrats.
(2020-01-17). Israel Bombs Gaza Strip in Response to Incendiary Balloons. theantimedia.com (MEE) — The Israeli military said an attack helicopter struck a Hamas target in the northern Gaza Strip late Thursday in response to the launch of incendiary balloons into Israeli territory earlier in the day, the Associated Press reported. 2 milions in Gaza Can not sleep because Israel attacks on Gaza 9: 21 PM pic.twitter.com/JPbOkFBClU — Heba Khaled (@heba_khaled1998) …
(2020-01-17). Iraqis capture ISIS mufti so obese a TRUCK has to take him into custody, sparking slew of Twitter memes. rt.com 
A top ISIS leader dubbed 'Jabba the Hutt' has been captured in Mosul — but proved so obese that removing him from his bolthole required the assistance of a truck, drawing a deluge of memes and jokes at his expense on social media.
(2020-01-17). Hijacking the Struggles of Others, Elizabeth Warren Style. counterpunch.org 
To say Elizabeth Warren is a political opportunist is not giving her enough credit. She has taken the struggles, as well as the identities of others (women, school teachers, Native Americans, public school supporters, people who are able to tweet with humor, actual humans) and has weaponized these categories until the meaning of it all is lost. More
(2020-01-16). Chief Justice Arrives at Capitol for Impeachment Trial. truthdig.com 
John Roberts will swear in the senators with an oath to ensure "impartial justice" as jurors for the third such proceeding in U.S. history.
(2020-01-16). Jeff Bezos donates three minutes' income to help Australia fight wildfires. mronline.org 
The donation would be equivalent to someone who earned $500 per week announcing on social media that they had just donated five cents to help tackle the blazes. | Source
(2020-01-16). Who's this guy? Jeopardy contestants fail to recognize impeachment 'hero' Adam Schiff & Twitter ROFLs. rt.com 
Rep. Adam Schiff might be leading an impeachment drive in the US, but it seems not everybody is familiar with the 'resistance' hero. At least, his photo did not ring any bells for contestants on the latest Jeopardy episode. | Schiff, a prominent Russiagater whose fame among the anti-Trump resistance camp reached new heights amid the ongoing Ukrainegate saga, might be a household name on Capitol Hill, but the question remains: Is the same true for the rest of the country outside of the Washington political swamp? If the classic trivia game show is any indication, it is not. | Just a reminder we live in a bubble…
(2020-01-16). 'You're a liberal hack!' GOP Senator snubs CNN journo at impeachment trial — then tweets the insult (VIDEO). rt.com 
With the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump officially underway, not everyone involved is keen to give the liberal media soundbites. Arizona Senator Martha McSally let CNN's Manu Raju know exactly what she thought of him. | Following the delivery of the articles of impeachment to the Senate on Thursday and the swearing-in of Senators, CNN's Manu Raju waited in the halls of the US Capitol to ask Republicans whether the Senate should permit new evidence against Trump to be admitted, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said earlier it should. | "Senator McSally, should the Senate consider new evidence as part…
(2020-01-16). YouTube, Facebook and Twitter remove accounts and content opposing the illegal assassination of Iranian General Suleimani. wsws.org The social media companies YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are following the orders of the Trump administration in the aftermath of the criminal assassination of Iranian General Suleimani on January 3.
(2020-01-16). Robert Reich: Facebook Is Failing the American People. truthdig.com Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he'll run political ads even if false. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey says he'll stop running political ads. | Dorsey has the correct approach, but this entire debate about ads skirts the bigger question: Who's responsible for protecting democracy from big, dangerous lies? | Donald Trump lies like most people breathe, and his lies have grown more vicious and dangerous as he's been cornered — conjuring up conspiracies, spewing hate, and saying established facts are lies, and lies are truths. | This would be hard enough for a democracy to handle, but Zuckerberg's Facebook sends Trum…
(2020-01-16). Twitter apologises for allowing adverts targeted at hate groups. thecanary.co Twitter has apologised for letting adverts on the platform target hate groups including neo-Nazis and homophobes. | The firm allows advertisers to target people using specific keywords based on what they share in tweets, like, or what they search for. | An investigation by the BBC found terms such as "transphobic", "white supremacists" and "anti-gay" were not being excluded during the ad set-up process. | "Neo-Nazi", which also slipped through the net, could reach an estimated audience of between 67,000 and 81,000 people in the UK, the report claims. | Meanwhile, 92,900 to 114,000 accounts were predicted for the…
(2020-01-16). Trump cites 'great position' for a Phase 2 trade talks with China. yenisafak.com U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday pointed to Phase 2 trade talks with China, a day after Washington and Beijing inked a preliminary Phase 1 agreement, but gave no other details about the next phase of negotiations."We are now in a great position for a Phase Two start," Trump tweeted.
(2020-01-16). David Attenborough warns that we must make 'compelling life or death' decisions now. thecanary.co 
David Attenborough has issued a vital warning for all governments to take action on the climate crisis now. His warning came as new scientific research revealed that 2019 was the second hottest year on record. | "The moment of crisis has come": | Speaking to BBC News on 16 January, Attenborough warned: We have been putting things off year after year. We've been raising targets and saying: 'Oh, well, if we do it withi…
(2020-01-16). Should Facebook and Twitter Stop Trump's Lies? commondreams.org Zuckerberg's Facebook sends Trump's unfiltered lies to 43 percent of Americans, for whom Facebook is a source of news. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/fix.png …
(2020-01-15). 'The answer is no': Twitter users' pleas for an 'edit button' shot down by Jack Dorsey. rt.com 
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has admitted that, despite high demand for the feature, the social media platform will "probably never" introduce an edit button allowing people to fix mistakes in their hastily posted tweets. | Cue the gasps from the Twitterati. An edit button has been a highly sought-after feature since the platform's earliest days — but the company has always dodged the issue or placated users by saying it was 'considering' the idea. | In a video Q&A with Wired on Tuesday, however, Dorsey was more direct than ever on the…
(2020-01-15). Author & liberal Stephen King tweets that quality trumps diversity… and woke crowds are sharpening the blades. rt.com 
Stephen King has found himself the target of Twitter's woke army, after having the audacity to argue that quality is more important than diversity when it comes to art. His attempt to clarify the issue only brought more attacks. | The famed author — revered by many on social media for his outspoken liberal views — was barraged by angry messages after weighing in on a debate sparked by this year's Academy Award nominees, who have been criticized for not being adequately diverse. | Noting that as a writer he is allowed to offer nominations in three categories — Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenpla…
(2020-01-15). #CNNisTrash unites political rivals after network hammers Sanders in Democratic debate. rt.com 
It's not just the right who accuse CNN of peddling 'fake news'. After the network's treatment of Bernie Sanders in a recent Iowa debate, the left joined them on Twitter. | With the field of Democratic hopefuls whittled down, six frontrunners took to the stage in Des Moines on Tuesday night, with polls putting four of them as frontrunners: Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden, and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Hosted by CNN, the debate was the final Democratic head-to-head before next month's Iowa caucuses. | Tensions between Sanders and Warren were hi…
(2020-01-15). Trump deal instead of Iran nuclear deal? I agree! US president gives Twitter nod to BoJo. rt.com 
Boris Johnson's suggestion that the 2015 Iran nuclear deal be replaced with a new one — named after Donald Trump — received an enthusiastic response from the US president. | "Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, stated, 'We should replace the Iran deal with the Trump deal.' I agree!" Trump proclaimed in a tweet released Wednesday. | Earlier, Johnson said he understands American concerns over the "flawed" 2015 pact with Iran, which saw the Islamic Republic dramatically reducing its nuclear program in exchange for lifting crippling economic sanctions. | Prime Minister of the United Ki…
(2020-01-15). 'Even Hillary and Trump shook hands': Warren snubs Sanders handshake after tense Democratic debate (VIDEO). rt.com 
Tuesday night's Democratic debate was marked by an ever-widening schism between long-time 'friends' turned rivals, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, which culminated in a spurned handshake which has become the talk of Twitter. | The talking match was punctuated by several increasingly tense and bitter exchanges between the pair as the night wore on. Roughly 45 minutes into the discussion, CNN moderator Abby Phillip asked Sanders to respond to reports he told Warren that a woman couldn't win the 2020 election. | Handshake: REJECTED pic.twitter.com/LUA49Z0JCc— Timot…
(2020-01-15). Shining a Spotlight on Anti-Homeless Reporters. fair.org 
by Josmar Trujillo Breaking news from the New York Post ( 12/30/19): A man is "grabbing food from the trays and shoving it directly into his mouth, wet with drool and framed by a scraggly beard." | With every new year, out come our usual resolutions: Let's quit smoking, give up meat, or maybe we can lose those extra 15 pounds we always say we should. Alas, for some of us, it's hard to change our ways. Case in point, the New York Post cannot and will not give up its obsessive, cruel and deranged fascinat…
(2020-01-15). 'Step up to the plate!' Trump says Apple won't unlock devices used by 'criminals & drug dealers' in Pensacola shooter phone row. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has demanded that Apple helps federal agencies break into a pair of devices linked to the Pensacola shooter, accusing the company of not doing enough to assist investigators. | In a tweet on Tuesday, Trump implied that the tech giant has been ungrateful to his administration, which he said is "helping [it] all of the time on TRADE," calling on Apple to unlock two devices that belonged to the Saudi trainee who killed four at a US naval base in Florida last December. | "We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by k…
(2020-01-15). Keeping with its Crackdown on Alternative Voices, Google Deletes Press TV from YouTube. mintpressnews.com Without warning, tech giant Google "permanently removed" Iranian government-owned media channel Press TV UK's YouTube channel Monday night amid increasing American hostility to Iran. | "This attack on the freedom of speech of Press TV's journalists seems to be part of an anti-Iran purge as the West sets its sights on regime change in Iran," Press TV said. Its content, in its own words, focuses on "anti-imperialis…
(2020-01-15). CNN, Warren's Sexism Jibe Against Sanders Backfires as #CNNisTrash Trends on Twitter. mintpressnews.com CNN has been widely criticized for its perceived bias in moderating yesterday's Democratic presidential debate in Iowa. With just three weeks before the first primaries, six leading candidates descended upon Des Moines last night to take part. But, as with previous debates, much of the public discussion centered on the organization, framing and bias of the organizers and moderators. | CNN asked Bernie Sanders, the most left-leaning of the candidates, if he thought he "owed voters an explanation" on how much his health plan would cost them…
(2020-01-14). US Clearing Anti-War Voices Off Social Media. theantimedia.com (TMU) — Instagram and its parent company Facebook are removing posts that appear to be in support of the late Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in order to comply with U.S. sanctions, a company spokesperson recently told CNN. "We operate under U.S. sanctions laws, including those related to the U.S. government's designation of the IRGC and …
(2020-01-14). The Montessori Schools Set to Track Students' Every Move. progressive.org At schools that were meant to foster self-paced learning in the natural world, the billionaires behind Facebook and Amazon are funding new data-seeking tech.
(2020-01-14). Jewish left-wingers slam Labour leadership candidates' alliance with controversial Board of Deputies. thecanary.co All five candidates for Labour leader have backed a highly controversial list of demands from the right-wing Board of Deputies of British Jews (BoD). And Jewish left-wingers have led the outrage among Labour supporter…
(2020-01-14). A US thinktank eager for war on Iran has been throwing money at Boris Johnson's cabinet. thecanary.co A new exposé reveals that a US thinktank eager for war with Iran has been throwing money at key members of Boris Johnson's cabinet, including the PM himself. | Writing in the Daily Maverick, journalist Matt Kennard reveals that the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) has spent tens of thousands of pounds on Conservative ministers. Given the current high tensions between the US an…
(2020-01-14). Pundits Go Nuts Over New Russian Hacking Conspiracy. theantimedia.com (CJ Opinion) — The New York Times reports that GRU operatives launched a successful "phishing attack" on the Ukrainian gas company at the heart of scandalous allegations about Joe Biden, and establishment pundits are falling all over themselves to tweet the hottest take on this exciting new Russia conspiracy. The story itself fails the smell test on a …
(2020-01-14). Boris Johnson may see 'the hand of the future' but there's a very significant past in Northern Ireland he can't ignore. thecanary.co On 13 January, Boris Johnson visited Belfast to meet the leaders of the restored government. Johnson claimed he could "see the hand of the future". It was an imitation of Blair's "I feel the hand of history upon our shoulders" comment. Blair used this during the 1998 Good Friday Agreement ( GFA) negotiations. | And o…
(2020-01-13). Under US pressure, social media companies censor critical content and suspend Venezuelan, Iranian, and Syrian accounts. thegrayzone.com As the US escalates its hybrid wars, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are suspending accounts and censoring content that conflicts with…
(2020-01-13). Iran's Accidental Downing of a Ukrainian Plane Already Being Used to Smear MH-17 Skeptics. dissidentvoice.org 
When the Pentagon confirmed the assassination of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media to post a single image of the American flag to the adulation of his followers. Unfortunately, most Americans are ignorant of the other flag synonymous with U.S. foreign policy, that of the 'false flag' utilized …
(2020-01-10). "Democracy For Sale": Cambridge Analytica & Big Tech's History of Manipulating Elections. democracynow.org 
A longtime Facebook executive has admitted the company's platform helped Donald Trump win the 2016 election, and it may happen again this year. In an internal memo, Facebook Vice President Andrew Bosworth wrote, "So was Facebook responsible for Donald Trump getting elected? I think the answer is yes." Bosworth, who was a backer of Hillary Clinton in 2016, went on to write that the company should not change its policies in an effort to hurt Trump's re-election chances. In his memo, Bosworth referenced the role of the shadowy data firm Cambridge Analytica but downplayed its significance. However, a new Oscar-shortl…
(2020-01-06). More Rockets Fired At US Embassy, US Iranians Detained & Trump Says Twitter Is "Notifying Congress" thelastamericanvagabond.com 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 …
(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…