2020-06-16: News Headlines

_____ (2020-06-16). Parallels Between Minneapolis And Jerusalem Are More Than Skin Deep. popularresistance.org It is hard to ignore the striking parallels between the recent scenes of police brutality in cities across the United States and decades of violence from Israel's security forces against Palestinians. | A video that went viral late last month of a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, killing a black man, George Floyd, by pressing a knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes has triggered a fortnight of mass protests across the US — and beyond. | The footage was the latest disturbing visual evidence of a US police culture that appears to treat Black Americans as an enemy — and a reminder that rog…

Alan MacLeod (2020-06-16). Hawkish, Gov't funded think tank behind Twitter decision to delete thousands of Chinese accounts. mronline.org Twitter's decision came after close collaboration with a deeply controversial U.S. and Australian government-funded think tank that has been denounced by Australia's former ambassador in Beijing as "the architect of the China threat theory in Australia."

RT (2020-06-16). Trump's 'AIDS vaccine' gaffe torn apart on social media — but was it really a gaffe? rt.com US President Donald Trump is being savaged for praising the government scientists who'd "come up with the AIDS vaccine," with his haters holding it up as proof of incipient dementia. But it's not as outlandish as it sounds. | Trump made the remark during a press conference on Tuesday before signing an executive order on police reform, making a momentary diversion to update reporters on the progress towards a vaccine against Covid-19. Predicting researchers will have "a very successful vaccine, therapeutic, and cure" before the end of 2020, he hailed the "incredible scientists and doctors" who'd come up with "m…

Manlio Dinucci (2020-06-16). Facebook accerchia l'Africa. globalresearch.ca Molte industrie e società di servizi stanno fallendo o ridimensionandosi a causa del lockdown e della conseguente crisi. C'è invece chi ha guadagnato da tutto questo. Facebook, Google (proprietario di YouTube), Microsoft, Apple e Amazon — scrive The New York …

Manlio Dinucci (2020-06-16). O Facebook circunda a àÅfrica. globalresearch.ca Muitas indústrias e empresas de serviàßos està£o a falhar ou a redimensionar-se devido ao 'lockdown' e à crise consequente. Ao contrário, existe quem ganhou com tudo isto. O Facebook, Google (proprietário do YouTube), Microsoft, Apple e Amazon — escreve o …

Staff (2020-06-15). "He Wanted to Hurt Me": New York Protester Hospitalized After NY Officer Shoved Her to the Ground. democracynow.org In a rare development, a New York police officer has been charged with assault, criminal mischief, harassment and menacing, after a viral video showed him violently shoving a peaceful protester to the ground as he shouted an expletive and a misogynistic slur. We speak with Dounya Zayer about the attack she faced during a protest against police brutality in Brooklyn on May 29 and how she suffered a seizure and was hospitalized with a concussion. We're also joined by one of her attorneys, Tahanie Aboushi.

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-15). Facebook backs down from allowing ban on word 'unionize'. peoplesworld.org SAN JOSE, Calif.—Facebook has apparently backed down from guidance to firms using its office management app, Facebook Workplace, that they could ban the word "unionize." The ban was used as an example in an internal company memo telling customers such as Walmart — which is notorious for its hatred of unions and workers' rights — …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-15). Facebook backs down from allowing ban on word "unionize" peoplesworld.org SAN JOSE, Calif.—Facebook has apparently backed down from guidance to firms using its office management app, Facebook Workplace, that they could ban the word "unionize." The ban was used as an example in an internal company memo telling customers such as Walmart — which is notorious for its hatred of unions and workers' rights — …

Ian Cobain (2020-06-15). UK Counter-terror Programme Targeted "Black Asian Ethnic Minority" (BAME) Women Using Social Media "Influencers" globalresearch.ca More evidence is emerging of the British government developing motivational online media platforms targeted at young women as part of a covert counter-terrorism campaign. | Security officials have acknowledged that a Facebook page and Instagram account entitled

Staff (2020-06-15). When White People Call the Cops on Black People, They Lay Bare Classic US Racism. truthout.org By now, everyone should be familiar with the incident in Central Park, when a white woman named Amy Cooper confronted a Black man named Christian Cooper (no relation) and called the police on him, claiming that he was threatening her. The incident was captured on a video that went viral, and the retribution to Amy Cooper was swift. She was excoriated on social media, fired from her job, temporarily had her dog taken from her (the same dog she refused to put on a leash), and now, Gov. Andre…

teleSUR (2020-06-14). State Money Funded Ecuador's 2018 Referendum: Report. telesurenglish.net A campaign for a 2018 constitutional referendum pushed by President Lenin Moreno aimed to fight corruption in Ecuador was allegedly financed corruptly with millions of dollars from public funds, a local media revealed Sunday. | RELATED: | Citing sources close to Ecuador's Moreno, reporters presented in a video on social media documents reportedly revealing that the campaign for the referendum was run using state res…

Unicorn Riot (2020-06-14). George Floyd Uprising in Minneapolis—Saint Paul — The First Two Weeks. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — Waves of rage tore through the Twin Cities community after a video of Minneapolis police officers mercilessly killing George Floyd went viral. Fires were lit across the world as a new movement spread rapidly with the goal of dismantling the police and…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-06-14). Who should get COVID-19 testing? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Dr. Bobbi Pritt, a clinical microbiologist at Mayo Clinic, acknowledges that there seems to be a lot of confusion with the general public when it comes to COVID-19 testing. Terms like viral, molecular, serology and antibodies, and convalescent plasma have sprung up in everyday language when talking about COVID-19 — but do you really need …

yenisafak (2020-06-14). Delhi to use 500 railway coaches as hospital facilities to fight coronavirus. yenisafak.com The coaches will increase Delhi's capacity by 8,000 beds, home minister Amit Shah said on Twitter after a meeting with the capital's chief minister.The government will also ramp up testing in the city, especially in containment zones, conduct a door-to-door health survey of residents and provide sufficient supplies of oxygen cylinders and ventilators, he said.India is the fourth-worst affected country in the world, with cases steadily increasing. It reported a record single-day jump in cases on Sunday, adding nearly 12,000 confirmed infections and taking the total to more than 320,000, according to health ministr…

Staff (2020-06-14). Defunding the Police Is Not the End Goal. It's the First Step. truthout.org For many of us, this current moment is all too reminiscent of 2016, following the deaths of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling and Korryn Gaines, when it seemed like social media had nothing to share but Black death. However, instead of calls for increased police training, revised use of force policies and diversity in hiring, a new and important call has taken hold — defunding the police. | This could be because, for all intents and purposes, Minneapolis had a reformed police department. The city had dev…

WSWS (2020-06-13). Teacher arrested during protests speaks on social conditions in New York City. wsws.org A video interview of Brigette Brantley at a demonstration against police violence recently went viral on social media, accumulating over seven million views on Twitter.

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-06-13). Narrative Control Operations Escalate As America Burns. thealtworld.com Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, and mainstream media are falling all over themselves with censorship and spin jobs to get the narrative back under control as mass protests continue to sweep across America. | In 2017, representatives of Facebook, Twitter, and Google were "Civil wars don't start…

Fight Back (2020-06-13). Black Lives Matter-Lansing event declares racism a public health crisis, confronts mayor. fightbacknews.org Lansing, MI – Police brutality protests continue in both Lansing and East Lansing after the downtown march on May 31 but they are not the only challenge to police brutality based in the Lansing metropolitan area. Black Lives Matter-Lansing and One Love Global hosted a live "Call to Action" on Facebook and Eventbrite. | After a spoken word performance and moment of silence for victims of racist violence, One Love Global CEO and Black Lives Matter-Lansing cofounder Angela Waters Austin spoke with panelists from the Ingham County Health Department about public health deficits experienced by African Americans and oth…

yenisafak (2020-06-13). Facebook fires employee who protested inaction on Trump posts. yenisafak.com Facebook Inc fired an employee who had criticized Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg's decision not to take action against inflammatory posts by U.S. President Donald Trump this month, citing his tweet challenging a colleague's silence on the issue.Brandon Dail, a user interface engineer in Seattle, wrote on Twitter that he was dismissed for publicly scolding a colleague who had refused to include a statement of support for the Black Lives Matter movement on developer documents he was publishing.Dail sent the tweet a day after joining dozens of employees, including the six other engineers on his team, in abandoning…

RT (2020-06-13). Boris Johnson gives stern warning about attacking police, says protests 'subverted by violence'. rt.com Following protesters clashing with police in London, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a warning to anyone targeting police and said demonstrations have been "subverted by violence." | "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law," Johnson tweeted on Saturday. | The prime minister followed that by saying current protests over police brutality and racial inequality "breach current guidelines." | "These marches & protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to…

Mahmut Geldi (2020-06-13). Lebanese Protesters Set Central Bank on Fire. anti-empire.com Demonstrators in Lebanon attempted to occupy the central bank in the capital Thursday after the country's currency sank to a record low against the US dollar. | As a result of the nation's economic crisis, the dollar rose to 6,000 Lebanese pounds from 4,000 in the last two days, prompting protesters to take to the streets in Beirut and many other cities. | twitter.com/BasedPoland/status/1271523775440392195 | They blocked roads to traffic with garbage containers and burning tires. | Forcing their way into the central bank on Hamra Street, they had to withdraw when security forces intervened. | Security for…

RT (2020-06-13). VIDEO claims to show man threatening people with MACHETE inside activist-held 'autonomous zone' in Seattle. rt.com A video surfaced online purportedly showing a machete-wielding man scaring people inside the 'autonomous' CHAZ enclave set up by activists in the middle of Seattle, Washington. Police have warned of lawlessness in the area. | The short clip that has been circulating on social media shows a man in dark clothes holding what appears to be a machete while strolling near tents set up on a sports field. At one point, the man starts waving his weapon as several bystanders seem to become concerned about his behavior. | Activists established the 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone' (CHAZ) in downtown Seattle earlier this…

RT (2020-06-13). I was hacked, Seattle autonomous zone 'warlord' says, as old homophobic tweets surface from his account. rt.com Raz Simone, the self-appointed 'warlord' of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), blames a hacker for "old" tweets, after users found decade-old homophobic posts — similar to what once happened to MSNBC host Joy Reid. | Simone, a rap musician and activist, has risen to prominence as a leading figure in the CHAZ experiment, and his newfound status has brought with it new scrutiny of his record. This week, some right-wing outlets delved deep into his digital footprint and allegedly dug up some unsavory tweets from 2010 in which a homophobic slur was used. The screenshots of the now-deleted tweets have b…

RT (2020-06-13). 'Don't make me come down there,' Cuomo warns New Yorkers in streets, but gets scolded for Covid-19 handling. rt.com Responding to a video of New Yorkers flooding the streets despite the Covid-19 lockdown, Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted a warning only to be chastised for his own handling of the pandemic, especially in nursing homes. | "Don't make me come down there," Cuomo tweeted along with a video of New York's St. Mark's being inundated with citizens, most clearly ignoring social distancing and protective mask requirements the city has put in place to battle the spread of coronavirus. | Cuomo's warning landed with a bit of a thud on social media, mainly thanks to his controversial and now infamous decision to force nursing…

RT (2020-06-13). #ExposeBillGates explodes on Twitter as conspiracy theorists vow to avoid Covid-19 vaccine connected to billionaire. rt.com Bill Gates' omnipresence in the media during the Covid-19 pandemic has turned into a mass obsession with many, and conspiracy theorists got #ExposeBillGates trending on Twitter on a planned "day of action." | The coronavirus pandemic created a number of speculations around the Microsoft Founder over his support of extended lockdown measures, his large contributions to the World Health Organization, and past comments on vaccines. | "The public is finally waking up. I've never liked this guy and if you really listen to him talk and watch his interviews you'll know he DOESN'T have our best interest in mind," auth…

yenisafak (2020-06-13). Turkey rescues 381 asylum seekers in a week. yenisafak.com Turkey rescued 381 asylum seekers over the past week, the Turkish Coast Guard Command said on Saturday.Between June 5 and 11, a total of 381 asylum seekers were held or rescued in 14 incidents, the coast guard said on Twitter.Three smugglers were also arrested, it added, sharing four photos from the rescue operations where the Turkish teams in full protective gear were seen taking asylum seekers' temperature.Turkey has been one of the main routes for asylum seekers wanting to reach Europe, especially since Syria's civil war started in 2011.Turkey hosts nearly four million Syrians, more than any other country in t…

Eds. (2020-06-12). Media are slowly starting to be serious about police violence. mronline.org As the George Floyd protests against police violence erupted around the nation, a massive amount of evidence of police brutality was widely captured through social media. Unfortunately, very little of it made it to mainstream outlets until much later.

Thomas Knapp (2020-06-12). Police Violence: "Reform" is Not Enough. counterpunch.org Every few years, some particular instance of a pervasive phenomenon — police violence in the form of unjustified or at least highly questionable killings — "goes viral" with the result that America's cities explode in protest. Every time that happens, some American politicians complain about a non-existent "war on police," while others promise "reforms" such

RT (2020-06-12). Trump slams Seattle mayor for describing 'anarchist takeover' as 'summer of love'. rt.com President Donald Trump has blasted Seattle's mayor for describing the city's 'autonomous zone', a few blocks taken over by protesters who chased police out, as a place that could have a "summer of love." | "Seattle Mayor says, about the anarchists takeover of her city, 'it is a Summer of Love,'" tweeted the president on Friday. | "These Liberal Dems don't have a clue. The terrorists burn and pillage our cities, and they think it is just wonderful, even the death. Must end this Seattle takeover now!" | Seattle Mayor says, about the anarchists takeover of her city, "it is a Summer of Love". These Liberal Dems do…

Alan Macleod (2020-06-12). Project Venezuela: Right-Wing Activists Push Wikipedia to Blacklist MintPress, other Alternative Media. mintpressnews.com Still unable to convince a sufficient number of their countryfolk to support them, the Venezuelan opposition has turned their efforts towards convincing an international audience — primarily Americans — to support their cause. Part of that is spending inordinate amounts of time online, arguing in English on social media, creating Now, a…

RT (2020-06-12). Starbucks bows to online roasting and 'cancel' calls, changes dress code to declare 'Black Lives Matter'. rt.com Starbucks overrode its long-standing dress code and pledged to sponsor 'Black Lives Matter' merchandise after celebrities and activists threatened to 'cancel' the coffee chain for its perceived lack of wokeness. | The company announced on Friday it would sponsor 250,000 'BLM' shirts for its employees and allow buttons supporting the cause, reversing course after just one day of social media brigading. | The shirts are intended to "demonstrate our allyship and show we stand together in unity," the executives wrote in a letter on Friday, titled 'Standing together against racial injustice'. | Black Lives Matter.

RT (2020-06-12). Facebook pitched language suppression tool in workplace chat product to employers — report. rt.com New 'benefits' of Facebook Workplace reportedly include a feature that helps employers prevent workers from unionizing. The social media giant seems to be joining other Big Tech companies with anti-union bias. | The Intercept Facebook Workplace is the tech giant's answer to Slack, and allows employees to col…

RT (2020-06-12). Police search Baltimore family's home after BB gun spotted in 11yo child's online class. rt.com Outrage online is palpable as a Baltimore mother is sounding the alarm about webcam classes, after a teacher took a screenshot of her son's bedroom and shared it with police. | Courtney Lancaster Sperry, a Navy veteran of four years, was shocked when police arrived at her doorstep unannounced last month, asking to search her home and speak to her 11-year-old son. | The incident has sparked outrage across Twitter and Facebook, as many called for the school

Liza Featherstone (2020-06-12). Should I Confront My TERFy Ex-Colleagues on Social Media? thenation.com Should I Confront My TERFy Ex-Colleagues on Social Media?

yenisafak (2020-06-12). UK tabloid story on JK Rowling abuse condemned. yenisafak.com British tabloid The Sun was roundly condemned on Friday for a controversial front-page story about Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling suffering domestic abuse.The story — an interview with Rowling's first husband Jorge Arantes — ran under the headline, "I slapped JK and I'm not sorry."Labour MP Jess Phillips, a vocal women's rights campaigner, tweeted: "The sun headline is awful, the perpetrator more awful still. You'd be surprised how only his hideous arrogant admission will allow some to believe. Still too often doubt and disbelief are the best weapon abusers have in their arsenal… 'no one will bel…

Tasnim News (2020-06-12). Zarif: Time to End Israel's Tyranny over Western Halls of Power. iranian.com Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lashed out at the Zionist lobbies for "poisoning" US politics, saying the time has come to end Israeli influence on the Western decision-making bodies. In a post on his Twitter account on Thursday, the top Iranian diplomat pointed to an article published in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about Israel's …