2020-05-30: News Headlines

Eds. (2020-05-30). Capitalism & the home. mronline.org We have become used to 'stay at home' in the corner of our TV screens, behind nightly government press conferences, repeated over and over on the radio and in social media.

Adam Serwer (2020-05-30). Trump's Warped Definition of Free Speech. zcomm.org Trump is seeking to build social-media companies such as Twitter and Facebook into part of an authoritarian infrastructure that amplifies his power and silences the opposition…

Erwin Chemerinsky (2020-05-30). Trump's Authoritarian Executive Order Is an Assault on Free Speech—Not a Defense of It. commondreams.org "Twitter in no way censored the president," argues Chemerinsky. "It engaged in its own speech by providing readers with further information. It is truly Orwellian that Trump declared he was acting to protect free speech when he was retaliating against speech and seeking to expand the liability of media companies. Trump's action is illegal. As president he does not have the power to change the meaning of a federal statute." (Image: Gage Skidmore/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/twitter_trump_0.jpg

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-30). Kuwait Airways to lay off 1,500 of its foreign employees. peoplesdispatch.org State-owned airline company Kuwait Airways announced on Thursday May 28, plans to lay off 1,500 of its employees. All of them are migrant workers from foreign countries. The company has a total workforce of around 7,000. | In a tweet issued on its official Twitter handle on Tuesday evenings, the company cited the impact of the coronavirus-related lockdown on its overall business as the reason for the layoffs. | Kuwait Airways was already showing losses before the advent of the lockdowns imposed globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has so far failed to announce any relief for workers in the airlin…

commondreams (2020-05-30). Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Condemns Mark Zuckerberg's Decision to Continue Publishing President Trump's Tweets Glorifying Violence. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Alan Macleod (2020-05-29). As Establishment Condemns China for Hong Kong Repression, Trump Tweets About "Shooting Looters" mintpressnews.com Democrats and Republicans are united in condemning Beijing for its overreach, but perhaps its time to look closer to home to find examples of state repression.

commondreams (2020-05-29). ACLU Statement On Trump Tweet Directing the National Guard to Murder Protesters in Minneapolis. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Kate Ruane (2020-05-29). President Trump has No Idea How Online Speech Works. aclu.org Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at bullying social media companies and online platforms into changing how they moderate content online. The order came the day after President Trump tweeted that Republicans feel that social media platforms silence conservative voices. And, notably, just days after Twitter's decision to place a fact-checking

Ryan Cristián (2020-05-29). James Corbett Interview — The Social Media Regulation Psyop. thelastamericanvagabond.com Originally Published August 26 2018 In a time of such obvious deceit and aggressive manipulation, not only by those who once sought our votes or our subservience but today even by each other, unwittingly doing the bidding of those who seek to control our every purchase, our every click, view and action, one would think …

news.un (2020-05-29). UN human rights office welcomes moves to curtail spread of hatred and violence online. news.un.org The UN human rights office (OHCHR) has welcomed steps taken by social media companies to prevent their platforms from being used to promote hatred, violence and misinformation, Spokesperson Rupert Colville said on Friday.

Sasha Abramsky (2020-05-29). Trump's Twitter Tirade Is the Tantrum of a Troll. thenation.com Trump's Twitter Tirade Is the Tantrum of a Troll…

Jon Queally, staff writer (2020-05-30). What ACLU Says Was Trump Call to "Literally Murder Protesters," Facebook Says Doesn't Violate Standards. commondreams.org "Facebook has once again failed to act against an explicit violation of its own rules and has allowed the violent and racist post to remain up." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/zuckerberg_0_1.jpg

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-05-29). In Show of Solidarity, Public Transit Workers Refuse to Transport Police Units or Those Arrested at #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd Protests. commondreams.org Unionized public bus drivers in Minneapolis are refusing to aid police in transporting arrested protesters to jail, in a show of solidarity that one supporter on social media called "a game-changer" as civil rights advocates demand justice for George Floyd. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1227482214_2.jpg

Staff (2020-05-29). Headlines for May 29, 2020. democracynow.org Protests Rage After Minneapolis Prosecutor Does Not Bring Charges Against Officers Who Killed George Floyd, Scores Tear-Gassed, Arrested as Protests Against George Floyd's Killing Spread to Other Cities, Twitter Flags Trump Tweet for Glorifying Violence After President Attacks Minnesota Protesters as "THUGS", Trump Executive Order Threatens to Punish Social Media Companies over Fact-Checking, U.S. Economy Sheds Another 2.1 Million Jobs, Leaving 40.7 Million Unemployed Since Start of Pandemic, Pennsylvania Democratic Lawmakers Accuse Republicans of Knowingly Exposing Them to Coronavirus, Protesters Demand ICE Empt…

Staff (2020-05-29). Twitter Warns Trump Tweet Glorifies Violence as He Signs Executive Order to Weaken Social Media. democracynow.org As President Trump calls Minneapolis protesters "THUGS" and tweets, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts," Twitter flags the tweet with a warning it glorifies violence, just as Trump signs an executive order to punish social media companies for how they monitor content. "Trump has prospered through his use of social media and its attention-hoarding algorithms to basically disinform and misinform people," says Ramesh Srinivasan, professor in the Department of Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.

MDAEFG (2020-05-30). Friday 5/29: Demanding Women: Quarintine Conversations About Gun Violence w/ Rep. Val Demings. indybay.org Online via livestream | www.facebook.com/Everytown/ | or | twitter.com/Everytown

MDAEFG (2020-05-30). Demanding Women: Quarintine Conversations About Gun Violence w/ Rep. Val Demings. indybay.org Online via livestream | www.facebook.com/Everytown/ | or | twitter.com/Everytown

RT (2020-05-30). Justice center housing Portland sheriff's office SET ON FIRE by rioters (VIDEO). rt.com Rioters in Portland, Oregon have started fires inside a building that holds the county's sheriff's office. Police have arrived at the scene and have begun to disperse the protesters. | A vigil for George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis, descended into violence on Friday night in Portland, Oregon. Rioters targeted the Multnomah County Justice Center, which houses the sheriff's office and detention center. In videos posted to social media, protesters are seen breaking windows and setting fires inside the building. One clip shows a group of rioters smashing computers and overturning desks and fur…

RT (2020-05-30). Online fury as Ilhan Omar's daughter retweets leftists' call for supplies over violent Minneapolis riots. rt.com Isra Hirsi, the combative daughter of Ilhan Omar, had to go on the defensive after she threw a spark into the powder keg of Twitter rage by sharing a call to resupply those rioting over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

RT (2020-05-30). Trump blames violent protests on 'Antifa & radical left,' says they have little to do with George Floyd's death. rt.com The violent protests engulfing many US cities are being staged by Antifa and the radical left, US President Donald Trump has said, claiming they just want to cause trouble and the riots have little to do with George Floyd's death. | "It's ANTIFA and the Radical Left. Don't lay the blame on others!" Trump insisted as he sent a barrage of tweets about the violent outbreaks across the country. | It's ANTIFA and the Radical Left. Don't lay the blame on others!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Th…

RT (2020-05-30). Get tougher with protesters, or federal government sends military — Trump warns 'Liberal governors & mayors'. rt.com President Donald Trump has warned states and cities if they don't get "much tougher" on protesters then the federal government will get involved using the military, who indicated they are on extraordinary four-hour recall status. | "Liberal Governors and Mayors must get MUCH tougher or the Federal Government will step in and do what has to be done, and that includes using the unlimited power of our Military and many arrests," Trump tweeted. | Crossing State lines to incite violence is a FEDERAL CRIME! Liberal Governors and Mayors must get MUCH tougher or the Federal Government will step in and do what has to b…

RT (2020-05-30). CNN blames 'RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA' for George Floyd riots because they 'Can't blame China' – Trump. rt.com With riots sweeping America, a CNN guest suggested that Russia may be responsible for stoking anti-police anger in the US. President Trump ridiculed the "sick losers" at the network for their 'Russiagate' obsession. | "Here we go again," Trump tweeted on Saturday. "Fake News @CNN is blaming RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA. They are sick losers with VERY bad ratings! P.S. Can't blame China because they need the cash?" | Here we go again. Fake News

RT (2020-05-30). Wait, what… child soldiers? Confusion triggered by bizarre videos allegedly showing KIDS IN RIOT GEAR guarding Atlanta's streets. rt.com Amid nationwide riots over Goerge Floyd's death, a bizarre and unverified video has got the internet abuzz. The baffling footage appears to show children, dressed in camouflage uniforms, guarding areas around Atlanta, Georgia. | In the clip circulating on social media, children are seen decked out in military gear as they stand side-by-side with much older looking, but similarly equipped, individuals. In one clip, a young man in a military uniform is seen holding a riot shield — purportedly part of a group keeping watch over a mall in the city. | "There's literally like a twelve-year-old out here. Thirtee…

RT (2020-05-30). WATCH the video that started all the 'CHILD SOLDIERS' rumors. rt.com A full-length video has emerged showing what appear to be teenagers in military surplus gear in Atlanta, Georgia. When snippets of the footage went viral earlier, the internet exploded with rumors of child soldiers. | Published on YouTube but originally broadcast on Instagram, the video shows more than a dozen people of teenage build and stature, standing in a line as if to 'guard' a bridge in Atlanta, Georgia. The mysterious 'troops' carry rifles without magazines, but are clad in matching military-style clothing and gas masks. Behind them, a number of military vehicles are parked, while other people in simil…

yenisafak (2020-05-30). Don't treat Italy like a leper colony says foreign minister. yenisafak.com European countries are cautiously reopening their borders as the coronavirus contagion subsides around the continent, with Italy set to let tourists back in from June 15.However, some EU states are looking to keep the door shut on visitors from places that have suffered a particularly high number of COVID-19 cases. Greece, for example, said on Friday it would open its frontiers to citizens from just 29 countries, excluding Italians, Spaniards and the British."We do not accept blacklists," Di Maio wrote on Facebook, announcing a forthcoming round of bilateral meetings both in Rome and abroad to press Italy's case.

yenisafak (2020-05-30). Kashmir: two militants killed in gunfight. yenisafak.com In a joint operation today, the Indian army and regional police launched a cordon and search operation in the Wanpora area of south Kashmir's Kulgam district.As per police, the hiding militants fired upon the search party which was retaliated, and a gunfight erupted in the region where two unidentified militants were killed."02 terrorists killed. Identity being ascertained. Search going on. Further details shall follow," Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.On May 19, Junaid Sehrai, the divisional commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, and another militant were killed in a gunfight in Srinagar. Around 15 residential houses were…

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-05-30). Twitter Censorship, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com ~ | It is very telling that Twitter only started censoring Trump for violating terms of service when he promoted violence against Americans. He's been tweeting insanely hawkish threats against people in other nations for years, but they don't count as real people. | ~ | FYI if you're more upset by Twitter censoring one of the most powerful people in the world for inciting violence than by Twitter routinely censoring anti-imperialist accounts, it's because you're a mindless partisan hack. | ~ | Twitter going to war with Trump benefits ordinary people. If we're lucky Twitter winds up being forced to scale back its…

_____ (2020-05-30). NYC Bus Drivers Union Refuses To Transport Protesters For NYPD. popularresistance.org Workers for New York City's MTA are refusing to transport people arrested during protests against police brutality in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. A video of a bus driver refusing to transport people arrested during protests in front of Brooklyn's Barclays Center went viral Friday night. | In the video, a crowd cheers a bus driver who appears to be refusing to sit behind the wheel: "the NYPD is using a bus to transfer arrested protesters at the Barclays Center," @berniebromanny, who shared the video, tweeted. "However, the bus driver refused to drive it." The video was viewe…

_____ (2020-05-30). BAP Calls On United Nations To Address U.S. Human Rights Crisis. popularresistance.org The extrajudicial murders of African/Black people, such as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, by agents of the U.S. government and armed civilians have sparked urban rebellions in cities across the United States. Yet these murders cannot be understood outside of the context of the U.S. state's ongoing assault on the human rights of African/Black people. | U.S. President Donald Trump's tweet demanding lethal violence—"…when the looting starts, the shooting starts…"—requires the United Nations to intervene. | Trump's threat comes as the U.S. state has tragically failed during the COVID-…

_____ (2020-05-29). Minneapolis Protests Police Murder Of George Floyd: Day 2. popularresistance.org Protesters are continuing to gather outside the Minneapolis Police (MPD) 3rd Precinct building today after extended protests and clashes with police yesterday. The Twin Cities is still engulfed in mass outrage after MPD officer Derek Chauvin was filmed choking a black man named George Floyd to death in a disturbing video that went viral Monday night. On Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called on Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to file criminal charges against Officer Chauvin. Chauvin and three other officers involved in Floyd's were fired on Tuesday. Such a quick firing of officers after a police kil…

Dan Froomkin (2020-05-29). Reminder to the Press: Trump's Deadly Covid-19 Failures Are Still Happening. commondreams.org When it comes to the virus, Washington is doing basically none of the things we need it to do. (Photo: Pete Marovich/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump-tweetin_0.jpg

Staff (2020-05-29). California Sheriff Refuses to Release People From Jail as COVID Outbreak Rages. truthout.org California Sheriff Chad Bianco recently made a splash in the conservative media after he told Riverside County officials that his department would not enforce local public health orders meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A viral video of his statement earned Bianco an Bianco did not mention that the five…

_____ (2020-05-29). Minnesota National Guard: Stand Down For Black Lives. popularresistance.org We write you as fellow veterans and service members with full knowledge of what's at stake as many of you are being asked to mobilize against civilians in your own country. As your neighbors fill the streets demanding the justice this country promised them, your command is undoubtedly telling you that you're being activated in service to your community. And yet, it is your community members who fill the streets, while your Commander in Chief tweets about using you to murder people over something as insignificant as property damage. A moral choice lies before you. As veterans who have faced similar tests of consci…

Staff (2020-05-28). "No Justification": Minneapolis Demands Murder Charges for Police Officer Who Killed George Floyd. democracynow.org Parts of Minneapolis erupted into flames Wednesday night as residents again took to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by white police officer Derek Chauvin on Monday. A viral video shows Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd's neck for a number of minutes as Floyd repeatedly says "I cannot breathe." Three other officers stood by as George Floyd suffocated. They have been identified as Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng. All four officers were fired on Tuesday. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called on prosecutors to file criminal charges against Derek Chauvin. We speak wit…

Nathan Freed Wessler (2020-05-28). We're Taking Clearview AI to Court to End its Privacy-Destroying Face Surveillance Activities. aclu.org For several years, a little-known start-up based in New York has been amassing a database of billions of our faceprints — unique biometric identifiers akin to a fingerprint or DNA profile — drawn from personal photos on our social media accounts and elsewhere online. The company has captured these faceprints in secret, without our knowledge, much less our consent, using everything from casual selfies to photos of birthday parties, college graduations, weddings, and so much more., , Unbeknownst to the public, this company has offered up this massive faceprint database to private companies, police,…

The Canary (2020-05-28). Mark Zuckerberg criticises Twitter over fact-checking Trump tweets. thecanary.co Twitter boss Jack Dorsey has defended the platform's decision to fact-check Donald Trump's tweets after Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg questioned the move. | Earlier this week, Twitter added fact-checking labels to two tweets from the US president which made unsubstantiated claims about "fraudulent" postal voting in the United States. | Trump threatened to "close down" social media sites in response, claiming they are biased against him and other conservative voices. | Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has now also weighed into the argument, telling Fox News that Facebook had a different approach and that private com…