(2020-07-08). TikTok Could Become Latest Victim of US War on Chinese Competition. mintpressnews.com A potential US ban on TikTok comes amid a rise in anti-China warmongering that suggests the move has more to do with re-establishing American dominance over social media than concerns over privacy.
(2020-07-08). The End of the American Newspaper. counterpunch.org 
Since the birth of the Word Wide Web in March 1989 (at 00: 00PT/ 08: 00 CET) and the rise of Facebook and the like, the preferred business model of newspaper has been in steep decline as advertising revenue shifted from print media towards the Internet with Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the largest winners. This meant that many newspapers are under severe financial stress while others have closed up shop all together.
(2020-07-08). Facebook bans accounts linked to Roger Stone, Proud Boys & Brazil's Bolsonaro in fight against 'coordinated inauthentic behavior'. rt.com 
Facebook has banned dozens of pages allegedly linked to ex-Trump adviser and Republican operative Roger Stone, as well as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, in its relentless battle against political 'misinformation networks'. | The 100-account network said to be linked to Stone, a Florida resident, was discovered in the course of an investigation into the right-wing group Proud Boys, banned from Facebook years ago, the social media behemoth
(2020-07-08). Trump threatens to CUT FUNDING for schools that don't reopen amid Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has warned schools that their funding may be cut if they choose to remain closed in the autumn — apparently to the benefit of his political opponents — because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. | "The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election," Trump tweeted on Wednesday, adding that he "may cut off funding" if schools refuse to reopen. | In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before th…
(2020-07-08). Twitter Gave Free Rein for Jack Posobiec To Publish Antisemitic Hate and Disinformation. splcenter.org Twitter enabled OANN correspondent Jack Posobiec's rise by giving him space to promote hate and mislead the public without facing consequences, Hatewatch has determined in a comprehensive review of his account history.
(2020-07-07). Hate is in the eye of the beholder: Facebook extends olive branch to boycott leaders, but middle ground is elusive in polarized US. rt.com 
Seeking to appease hundreds of companies that have halted advertising, Facebook is pledging to do a better job policing 'hateful' content — a tall order in a nation where warring political parties can't even agree on basic facts. | Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg met on Tuesday with organizers of the boycott campaign, led by the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League. They also announced plans to meet with other activist groups and consult with their own civil rights auditor. | The #StopHateForProfit boycott movement has seen more than 900 businesses suspending thei…
(2020-07-07). CNN's Don Lemon clashes with actor Terry Crews: Is BLM about police brutality, or problems in the black community? rt.com 
Actor Terry Crews faced an angry backlash after voicing concerns about the radicalization of the BLM movement. His clash with CNN's Don Lemon on why black-on-black crime is not part of the agenda split society even further. | Last Saturday, Crews, who is also a human rights activist, tweeted that he saw good people as allies regardless of the color of their skin, adding that he was "prepared to die on this hill." He previously expressed concern that the Black Lives Matter movement might slide into black supremacy. | Are all white people bad? | No. | Are all black people good? | No. | Knowing this reality- I st…
(2020-07-07). WATCH protesters carried on hood as car tries to break through blocked road in Bloomington, Indiana. rt.com 
At least two protesters were left clinging to a vehicle for dear life after they attempted to block the car from driving through the scene of a protest in Bloomington, Indiana, videos posted to social media show. | It's not clear what provoked the altercation. After a passenger in the car gets out to clear a scooter placed in the middle of the road, a woman can be seen attempting to physically block the car from proceeding any further. | Here is the full video of the passenger that hit the protester in Bloomington!!!
(2020-07-07). 'Shameful': Tucker Carlson under fire for claiming senator who lost legs in Iraq 'hates America'. rt.com 
Fox News host Tucker Carlson is facing fierce backlash on social media after claiming that Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, a war veteran who lost both her legs in Iraq, hates America. | Speaking on his show on Monday night, Carlson noted that Duckworth was a top contender to be Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's pick for vice president. | He took particular issue with her comment to CNN that it was time to have a "national dialogue" about historical statues in the country, including those to slave-owners like Founding Father George Washington. | Here's what Tucker said about Tammy Duckworth toni…
(2020-07-07). 'Wish I was that oppressed': Colin Kaepernick's lucrative Disney deal mocked on social media (with a hefty helping of envy). rt.com 
Ex-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has signed with Disney to produce a documentary about his life for ESPN Films. His growing net worth isn't sitting well with those sick of his victim persona, however. | While no dollar amount was given regarding the first-look docuseries deal, it's safe to say that the agreement — which includes "scripted and unscripted stories that deal with race, social injustice and the quest for equity" and will "work to showcase directors and producers of color" — has the potential to make Kaepernick a very rich man (though as the face of Nike, he's presumably…
(2020-07-07). US 'certainly looking' at banning TikTok & other Chinese social media apps, says Pompeo. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has confirmed Washington is considering a ban on Chinese social media apps, including the ultra-popular TikTok, apparently inspired by a similar ban in India and Australia's threat to do the same. | Speaking with Fox News, Pompeo affirmed "we're certainly looking at" banning TikTok and other Chinese apps, following the lead of India, which banned 59 Chinese apps after border skirmishes with Beijing, and Australia, which has threatened to do the same. Americans should download the apps "only if you want your information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party," he smirked.
(2020-07-07). Active shooter situation disturbs morning at Marine Corps base in California. rt.com 
A shelter-in-place order was issued at a Marine Corps base in California after reports shots were fired. The suspect is now in custody and headed to a medical facility for treatment for a self-inflicted gunshot wound | Military police responded to an active shooter situation at Twentynine Palms Marine Corps base after 6am Tuesday morning. | The military installation in southern California is the largest Marine Corps base in the country. Citizens were given alerts on their phones about the shooter, some of which were posted to Twitter. | Phone alerts warned anyone in the area to barricade themselves, and others…
(2020-07-07). When worlds collide: Viral TikTok challenge causes Dogecoin cryptocurrency to surge in value. rt.com 
The Dogecoin cryptocurrency has surged in value by 20 percent in just one week, after a viral TikTok challenge urged users of the popular app to buy in and push its value to $1. | Dogecoin (DOGE), famed for being forged with the 'Doge' internet meme in mind, The #DogecoinTiktokChallange video was posted by user 'jamezg97' and has been viewed nearly hal…
(2020-07-07). Florida man fired after angry outburst, yelling 'I feel threatened' when asked to wear mask in Costco (VIDEO). rt.com 
An insurance salesman from Florida was fired after a video of him losing his temper in a Costco store went viral. The man allegedly exploded after he was scolded by an "elderly woman" for not wearing a protective face mask. | The short video of the encounter, which occurred at Costco in Fort Myers, went viral on Tuesday after it was shared by film director Billy Corben. The clip was viewed nearly seven million times in less than a day. | Footage, believed to be shot about a week ago, shows a raging man wearing a 'Running the World Since 1776' shirt shouting at a person. | "I feel threatened! Back off!" the ang…
(2020-07-07). The Unmasking of Science and Ethics. dissidentvoice.org Media Lens (ML) provides a first-rate critical eye on the media, especially the British mediascape, as well as sundry events in the world. In a recent piece, ML pointed to the science as supporting the effectiveness of wearing face masks against respiratory viral infections. In addition to citing science to buttress their support of mask …
(2020-07-07). Guaido Representative Threatens FBI Investigation Into Journalists. popularresistance.org Vanessa Neumann, the U.K. ambassador of self-declared President of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, claims that she is working closely with the FBI in an investigation exposing a "transnational criminal network" of journalists, including John McEvoy, Pablo Navarette, independent outlet Venezuelanalysis and former MintPress News contributor Camila Escalante. | From the Twitter account of her communications firm, Asymmetrica, Neumann said that the four sources were involved in a "criminal conspiracy" supporting Venezuelan vice-president Delcy Rodriguez. "There is a price on your head" she informed them, "welcome to the rule…
(2020-07-07). Team Hurrem! US rapper Cardi B goes gaga for Turkish series Magnificent Century. yenisafak.com Famous U.S. rapper Cardi B, who has broken several streaming records and is known for her "Girls like me" collaboration with Maroon 5, seems to be binge-watching the hit Turkish TV series Magnificent Century (Muhtesem Yuzyil) after she lit up social media with a series of cryptic tweets.Cardi B took to her Twitter account to discuss her new obsession in a series of tweets and retweets, saying "I hate Nurbanu." Nurbanu Sultan was the chief consort of the Ottoman Sultan Selim II, who reigned between the years of 1566 and 1574.I hate Nurbanu üòíüòí— iamcard…
(2020-07-07). Ertugrul star shares message in Urdu with Pakistani fans. yenisafak.com Turkish actress Esra Bilgiàß, star of Resurrection: Ertugrul, shared an important message with her fans in Pakistan on her social media accounts as the hit drama continues to mesmerize viewers ever since it started airing in the country, garnering enormous critical and popular success.Taking to Instagram and Twitter, Bilgiàß, who plays Halima Sultan in the mega-hit series, stressed in posts written in Urdu and English that she's not attached to any management company outside Turkey. "My only representative and official manager is Duygu Durukan Cici. You can directly contact her for all collaboration i…
(2020-07-06). White supremacy, or harmless gesture? Oregon police say cop accused of racist hand signal was simply checking protester was OK. rt.com 
An Oregon trooper was accused of dog whistling a counter-protester at a Black Lives Matter event in Salem, but state police said it was just an innocent OK gesture. 4Chan pranksters who started the hand sign confusion may rejoice. | The Oregon State Police (OSP) said their investigation into a viral video allegedly showing a white power gesture shown by an officer to an opponent of BLM demonstrators has revealed no wrongdoing. | Footage from the anti-racism protest in Salem on Saturday shows cops on the scene tasked with separating BLM demonstrators from groups of counter-protesters. The video shows one of the…
(2020-07-06). Guaido Representative Threatens FBI Investigation Into Journalists Exposing Her Dealings. mintpressnews.com From the Twitter account of her communications firm, Asymmetrica, Vanessa Neumann accused four journalists of a "criminal conspiracy" to support Venezuelan vice-president Delcy Rodriguez. "There is a price on your head," she threatened.
(2020-07-06). Country music legend Charlie Daniels dies at 83. rt.com 
'Devil Went Down to Georgia' singer Charlie Daniels has died at 83 after suffering a stroke. Messages of love for the man's music and his political activism, especially against Hillary Clinton, have been flooding social media. | Don Murry Grubbs, the publicist for Daniels, confirmed the passing on Monday. The country singer is survived by his wife, Hazel, and son, Charlie Daniels Jr. He passed away at the Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tennessee. | Daniels was best known for his 1979 hit 'Devil Went Down to Georgia,' which he continued to play at concert venues. Before that early hit, however, the skilled…
(2020-07-06). 'Get a noose': Alleged attempted lynching investigated in Indiana (VIDEO). rt.com 
Officers with Indiana's Department of Natural Resources are investigating an alleged lynching attempt directed at a black man over the weekend, after multiple videos of the incident surfaced online. | Vauhxx Booker from Bloomington claims that on July 4 he was attacked by five white men while walking in a wooded area near Lake Monroe, simply because he's black and they were "looking to provoke a conflict." | "Get a noose," Booker alleges he heard one of them say after the men set upon him. | www.facebook.com/vauhxx/posts/10222147157086001 | At least three eyewitness videos have surfaced of the inciden…
(2020-07-06). Ambassadors Are Not Completely Useless, It Seems. Many Are Getting Their Hands Dirty in New Diplomacy. strategic-culture.org Diplomacy is in a crisis, re-emerging as something else more sinister and darker for its ambassadors. From Venezuela to Lebanon though, their time is up. Their dirty game is no longer a secret and it will be the starving Lebanese who will unseat them. | Diplomacy has been in the news quite a bit in late June. Yet it has still left many of us wondering if there is ever a real role for diplomats to play in this junk-news, social media-obsessed world which has reduced them to mere "waiters who are occasionally allowed to sit down" as Peter Ustinov once put it. | But Venezuela's President Nicholas Maduro, who the We…
(2020-07-06). UNAIDS report: COVID-19 pandemic derails 2020 HIV targets. news.un.org HIV targets set for 2020 will not be reached, owing in part to deeply unequal access to antiretroviral therapy and service disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new UNAIDS report released on Monday.
(2020-07-06). Turkey busts gang coordinating with drug sellers. yenisafak.com At least 59 suspects have been remanded in Turkey as part of an operation to bust a large gang that was coordinating with drug sellers on streets, according to the country's interior minister on Monday."Blow to 'Albaylar Gang' coordinating street sellers as a result of one-year surveillance…" Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter, adding the gang was active in the Aegean province of Izmir.Soylu thanked all officials who took part in the operation.Crackdown on drugs, has, over the years, helped Turkey deal with narcoterrorism, or profits for terrorist groups from the illegal trade.
(2020-07-06). Germany has only a few hundred doses of remdesivir, says health minister. yenisafak.com Germany has only a few hundred doses of COVID-19 antiviral remdesivir, the country's health minister Jens Spahn told European Union lawmakers on Monday, urging to move production of the drug to Europe."We do not have a huge inventory now, (it's) a few hundred doses that we have," he said at a video-conference hearing organised by the European Parliament.Spahn said he was working to ensure the drug could be produced in Europe. Its manufacturer Gilead Sciences Inc has no production facilities for remdesivir in Europe.
(2020-07-06). Video: US Sandwich Chain Fires Employees, Manager Seen Performing Mock Lynching. sputniknews.com Jimmy John's has fired at least one manager and several employees after staff members at a Georgia franchise were viewed using the sandwich shop's bread dough to perform a mock lynching on social media, which many have deemed racist.
(2020-07-06). US Tech Giants Pause Hong Kong User Data Requests in Wake of New Security Law. sputniknews.com US-based tech companies Facebook, Twitter and Google have suspended processing demands for user data from Hong Kong authorities following Beijing's imposition of a new national security law last week.
(2020-07-06). Facebook and Its Big Tech Cronies Are Upgrading Their Anti-Union Tools. truthout.org Recently, Facebook unveiled its new
(2020-07-05). As 'Annexation' Looms, Let's Expand Our Compassion to Include Palestinians. commondreams.org A demonstrator holds up a sign during an anti-annexation protest in Tel Aviv on June 6th, 2020. (Photo: Twitter) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/palestine-wecantbreath-955px.jpg …
(2020-07-05). Facebook Groups Pivot To Attacks On Black Lives Matter. popularresistance.org A loose network of Facebook groups that took root across the country in April to organize protests over coronavirus stay-at-home orders has become a hub of misinformation and conspiracy theories that have pivoted to a variety of new targets. Their latest: Black Lives Matter and the nationwide protests of racial injustice. | These groups, which now boast a collective audience of more than 1 million members, are still thriving after most states started lifting virus restrictions. | And many have expanded their focus. | One group transformed itself last month from "Reopen California" to "California Patriots Pro Law…
(2020-07-05). 'We're in your house': Armed black protesters march through Georgia Confederate park. rt.com 
Scores of armed black protesters marched through Stone Mountain Park in Georgia, calling for the removal of an infamous Confederate monument and warning "redneck" militias that "we're in your house." | Footage from the march, which brought out 100 to 200 demonstrators, showed heavily-armed black protesters marching through the park on Independence Day, leading some on social media to react with worry at what appeared to be a volatile situation as protests across the country have descended into violence. | "Threat. Counter threat. Because threats don't mean s**t to us. Ya'll been threatening us since Birmingham…
(2020-07-05). Anti-Trump brigade rushes to school president over misleading clip implying he said Desert Storm op was in 'jungles of Vietnam'. rt.com 
Trump critics were very quick to give the US president a history lesson after he seemingly mistook the Vietnam War for the Gulf War during his Independence Day speech… except that he didn't. | A short clip circulating on social media seemed to suggest that Donald Trump mistakenly said that Operation Desert Storm — an offensive against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in the 1990 Gulf War — actually took place in "the dense fields and jungles of Vietnam" during his July 4 address. | Some Twitter warriors quickly jumped in to blast and mock the president for what looked like an embarrassing gaffe on Indep…
(2020-07-05). Turkey successfully tests its first homegrown anti-ship cruise missile (VIDEO). rt.com 
Turkey's domestically built anti-ship cruise missile has passed its final test, hitting a target some 200km away, the country's defense industry has said. It's expected to be adopted by the military shortly. | Footage of the ATMACA missile trials has been shared on Twitter by the head of Turkey's Defense Industries, Ismail Demir. | The short video shows the missile being launched from a test ground ashore and scoring a hit on a mock target. | "ATMACA flew a long distance this time. It successfully hit a target over 200km away and is ready to enter the weapons inventory," Demir wrote. | The video also shows…
(2020-07-05). Facebook: A real and present danger to democracy. thealtworld.com Guardian: In every political debate since Facebook began to dominate democracy, the company has placed itself on the wrong side of history. The social media firm cannot be
(2020-07-05). UAE restructures government, seeking more agility as it deals with coronavirus impact. yenisafak.com The United Arab Emirates announced a broad government restructuring on Sunday, merging government entities and appointing new economy and industry ministers, and giving it a year to achieve new targets.The head of Abu Dhabi's national oil company ADNOC, Sultan al-Jaber, was named as industry and advanced technology minister and Abdullah al-Marri was appointed economy minister, as part of the restructuring announced by UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum on his official Twitter account.The energy and infrastructure ministries were merged under a single portfolio to be headed by the current ene…
(2020-07-05). Pakistan: Opposition leader recovers from COVID-19. yenisafak.com Pakistan's main opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif has recovered from coronavirus after a weeks-long battle, the party announced on Sunday.Sharif, the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), tested positive for the novel virus last month."By the grace of Allah, and nation's prayers, President, Pakistan Muslim League (N), Shehbaz Sharif's (latest) coronavirus test result is negative," party's spokeswoman Marriyum Aurungzeb said on Twitter.The doctors, she said, advised Shehbaz, who previously served the country's largest Punjab province as its chief minister thrice, to get his antibodies tests done for th…
(2020-07-05). Acting Lib Dem leader calls for Farage to be investigated over trip to the US and breach of quarantine rules. thecanary.co Acting Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has called on police to investigate whether Nigel Farage has broken quarantine rules. The former cabinet minister has written to the chief constable of the Kent constabulary questioning whether the Brexit Party leader had contravened coronavirus (Covid-19) guidelines. | The move followed the reopening of pubs across England on 4 July and a tweet from Farage from a bar. Farage insisted he had been back from a trip to the US for two weeks and had tested negative for coronavirus. | Letter to chief constable: | Davey wrote to chief constable Alan Pughsley, stating: I wri…
(2020-07-04). WATCH Antifa members brawl and erect barricades in downtown Portland on Independence Day. rt.com 
Activists were filmed fist-fighting and erecting barricades across the streets in central Portland, Oregon. They'd attacked the city's courthouse and clashed with US marshals the previous night. | Journalist Andy Ngo shared clips of protesters, whom he identified as local Antifa members, picking up fence sections and roadblocks and using them to erect barricades. | pic.twitter.com/UFEmfJkW9c— Andy Ngॠ(@MrAndyNgo) Antifa in downtown Portland are making their wall taller.
(2020-07-04). LA mayor warns citizens to cancel Fourth of July plans to 'save lives,' but supports Black Lives Matter protests. rt.com 
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is warning citizens to avoid Fourth of July celebrations during the Covid-19 pandemic, yet is fully in support of Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and was even pictured at one not wearing a mask. | "We're going to have to celebrate differently this year. Everyone should cancel plans with others for the 4th of July. You shouldn't gather with anyone who doesn't live in your household," Garcetti He followed up on the actual holiday with multiple tweets doubling dow…