(2020-07-20). Inside The Battle For Portland. popularresistance.org On the night of July 11, as hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters amassed around the Justice Center in Portland, Oregon, federal Homeland Security officers opened fire with "crowd control" munitions. They shot a teargas canister directly at the head of Donavan LaBella, a peaceful protester who had been standing across the street holding a sign. The video that captured the protester — unconscious, bleeding and being carried to safety by other demonstrators and street medics — went viral almost immediately, pushing state officials to make public statements and demand that federal law enforcement pul…
(2020-07-20). Move over, Antifa and BLM — it's time to deploy… the moms? US protests take unusual turn in Portland (VIDEOS). rt.com 
As the violent standoff between BLM and Antifa protesters and rioters on one side and police officers on the other continues in Portland, dozens of moms have been deployed in a bid to de-escalate tensions. | Such is the bizarre state of 2020, that a so-called 'Wall of Moms' was created to protect hundreds of demonstrators from the wrath of federal forces over the weekend, as eyewitness footage from the scene shows. | #PortlandProtest pic.twitter.com/4u6Qif49BW— pdx law grrrl (@pdxlawgrrrl) (2020-07-20). Zuckerberg's sunscreen PHOTO in Hawaii sets Twitter alight, as petition to stop him 'colonizing' island gains traction. rt.com 
An eerie photo of Mark Zuckerberg sporting a thick layer of sunblock while surfboarding in Hawaii has sent Twitter into overdrive, giving a boost to a petition launched to bar him from "colonizing" Native Hawaiians' land. | The Facebook CEO became the butt of jokes on Twitter on Sunday evening after photos of him holidaying in Hawaii were leaked to the media. The images show Zuckerberg braving the ripples on an electronic surfboard while wearing a copious amount of sunscreen as well as his famous hoodie. | Netizens pulled no punches, tearing into Zuckerberg's appearance, noting his striking resemblance to othe…
(2020-07-20). Trump endorses wearing a MASK against Covid-19 after weeks of criticism, is immediately blasted for being too late. rt.com 
After weeks of pundits criticizing the president for not promoting or wearing a mask to protect against the coronavirus pandemic, Donald Trump took to Twitter to endorse the act because "there is nobody more patriotic" than him. | "Many people say it is patriotic to wear a face mask when you can't socially distance," Trump tweeted on Monday along with a black and white photo of him wearing just such a mask. "There is nobody more patriotic than me, your favorite president." | The president also took the opportunity to once again blame the worldwide pandemic on China. | "We are United in our effort to defeat the…
(2020-07-20). Backlash after NYT columnist says Republican voters would rather burn 'entire neighborhood' than rent room to non-whites. rt.com 
New York Times columnist Wajahat Ali has faced backlash after he said that, if given a choice between having a non-white tenant or burning their house down, GOP voters would rather set fire to the whole area. | Ali, who is the Times' contributing op-ed writer and was formerly a CNN commentator, raised quite a few eyebrows when he tweeted the claim on Sunday. | "I hope people realize that there are many white Republican voters in this country if they're given a choice between renting a room in their house to a person of color or burning down the house, they will elect to burn down the entire neighborhood," he t…
(2020-07-20). Viral video shows Rep. Maxine Waters rush to rescue black motorist pulled by police. rt.com 
LA county police, who pulled a black motorist as part of a burglary investigation, unexpectedly found themselves subject to some high-profile oversight, after California Congresswoman Maxine Waters stopped her car and intervened. | Waters was filmed by a witness next to her SUV, with a police cruiser behind her vehicle. "They stopped a brother, so I stopped to see what they were doing," the 81-year-old lawmaker explained to people filming her. | The deputies told her that she may be issued with a ticket for parking in a wrong spot "but that's OK," Waters said. Her interlocutors agreed, with one cheerfully sayi…
(2020-07-20). UK Government signs deal for 90 million doses of potential Covid-19 vaccines. thecanary.co 
The government has signed deals for 90 million doses of promising coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines, with more in the pipeline.The latest deal is for vaccines being developed by an alliance between the pharmaceutical giants BioNtech and Pfizer as well as the firm Valneva.This is in addition to 100 million doses of a vaccine being developed by Oxford University with AstraZeneca, whose early results are due to be published in the Lancet medical journal on Monday. | @BioNTech_Group, @pfizer and
(2020-07-20). Third Brazil minister has COVID-19, touts unproven drug cocktail. yenisafak.com Brazil's Citizenship Minister Onyx Lorenzoni said on Monday he had tested positive for the new coronavirus, the country's third minister to be infected amid the world's second-worst outbreak.Lorenzoni, a close ally of President Jair Bolsonaro, credited relatively mild symptoms to an anti-malarial drug touted by the president on social media and at public rallies."I already feel the positive effects," the minister wrote on Twitter about his regimen of chloroquine, along with azithromycin and ivermectin, as a treatment against the virus.Bolsonaro, who is quarantined after he also tested positive for the virus, is t…
(2020-07-20). TikTok denies claims that user data could be accessed by China. thecanary.co TikTok has insisted that China's Communist Party does not have access to the personal information of its users. | US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has previously claimed that people should only use the social media app if they are happy for their data to be accessed by the Chinese state. | Asked about such claims, TikTok's head of public policy for Europe, Theo Bertram, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the allegation is "completely false". | "TikTok is not available in China. TikTok data is stored in the US," he said. | "TikTok is a company incorporated in the US. | "There is zero truth to the accusations…
(2020-07-20). Trial suggests coronavirus drug prevents 79% of cases from progressing. thecanary.co Trials of a new coronavirus (COVID-19) treatment found hospital patients who took the drug had a 79% lower risk of developing severe disease. | Pharmaceutical company Synairgen has developed the drug, currently called SNG001. It is a special formulation of the anti-viral protein interferon beta. Patients inhale the drug directly into the lungs. | Previous studies involving asthmatic patients have shown they generally tolerate the drug well. It enhances the lungs' anti-viral defences and improves lung function during cold or flu infection. | More than twice as likely to recover: | In the current trial, eac…
(2020-07-20). 'No Tactics… Just Seemed Like a Gang': Navy Veteran Speaks Out After Attack by Secret Police in Viral Video Viewed Nearly 10 Million Times. commondreams.org "They just started whaling on me with batons, and I let them," said Christopher David. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/portland_police_veteran.jpg …
(2020-07-19). 'Not comfortable having them in our space': Portland mayor orders feds to be kicked out of police incident HQ as riots grip city. rt.com 
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said he has banned federal officers, who were deployed to the city to protect federal property, from sharing headquarters with police amid claims they whisk "peaceful protesters" away in unmarked cars. | "Earlier today I directed that staff who are part of federal agency operations are no longer allowed to co-locate with the police bureau's incident command," Wheeler tweeted on Saturday. | Although the Democrat mayor acknowledged that "sharing a space" advanced cooperation between local and federal law enforcement, allowing for clearer communication, he said that "recent actions" by…
(2020-07-19). Nailed It! 'Science Guy' Bill Nye 'Just Ended Racism' in Viral Video. sputniknews.com Racism contributes to uncountable conflicts around the globe. Recently, the topic of racism saw a sharp resurgence in the wake of the killing of an unarmed African-American man, George Floyd, by white police officers in the United States in May, sparking a wave of anti-racism and anti-police-brutality protests around the world.
(2020-07-19). Trump says he wants to 'help' Portland, accuses local officials of allowing 'anarchists & agitators' to take control of the city. rt.com 
Donald Trump has rebuked Portland's leadership for permitting protesters to run amok in the city, as the state government of Oregon spars with federal agencies over tactics being used to restore order. | "We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action," the US president wrote on Twitter. | We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal! | His remarks come just hours after a mob broke into the office of the Portland police union and caused a small…
(2020-07-19). Twitter REMOVES video retweeted by Trump after Linkin Park files copyright claim. rt.com 
Twitter has blocked a pro-Trump video retweeted by the president after rock band Linkin Park, whose music was used in the footage, demanded the clip be taken down. The move didn't sit well with Donald Trump's supporters. | The two-minute video, which featured flattering montages of Trump set to a cover of Linkin Park's 2001 hit 'In the End,' was shared by White House social media director Dan Scavino. Trump then retweeted Scavino's post, catching the attention of the band. | In a statement, Linkin Park said that it "did not and does not endorse" the US president, and had issued a cease and desist request. | A…
(2020-07-19). Trump says he'd get '50 YEARS FOR TREASON' for what Obama & Biden did as he launches full-on attack on his rival. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has unleashed a fresh offensive on Joe Biden, suggesting his presidential rival should be punished for "spying" and "treason," and needs to be subjected to a cognitive ability exam. | Trump went on the warpath on Sunday, with Joe Biden the target of his rage. In a scathing tweet, he accused Biden of being "totally controlled" by the "radical left," referring to the leaders of Portland, where Black Lives Matter and Antifa rioters have battered and burned the city's Justice Center for more than 50 days. | The Radical Left Democrats, who totally control Biden, will destroy our Country as…
(2020-07-19). Argentina: Hebe De Bonafini Denounces Threats Against Her Life. telesurenglish.net Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo Association's President Hebe de Bonafini Saturday denounced she had received death threats. | RELATED: | "Around 2 AM, somebody threatened me through my house's intercom. They came into my building after opening a little door that leads to my house," she wrote in the Association's social media accounts. | According to Bonafini, the words used to intimidate her were " we are going to kill you to shut you up."
(2020-07-19). Cuba: President Diaz-Canel Congratulates Children on Their Day. telesurenglish.net Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel Sunday congratulate every Cuban child marking on occasion of the Children's Day in the Caribbean Island. | RELATED: | "Congratulations to our kids in Cuba. We Are Cuba," president Diaz-Canel tweeted. | Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez congratulate the Cuban children and reaffirmed the government's commitment to guarantee children's rights, well-being and full development. | He added that the Cu…
(2020-07-19). 'He Will Be Crying for Mommy': Trump Doubts Biden Capable of Sitting Through 'Tough' Interviews. sputniknews.com The US president often questions the mental capability of his opponents, including Dem US presidential candidate Joe Biden, referring to numerous public gaffes by the former vice-president. Trump earlier tweeted that his opponent be given a cognitive test, and boasted of his own outstanding results, should one be administered.
(2020-07-19). Linkin Park threaten legal action over use of song in pro-Trump video. thecanary.co Linkin Park has said it has issued a cease and desist order after the band's music appeared in a video supporting Donald Trump. | The video, which featured the 2001 song In The End, had been posted by the president's director of social media Dan Scavino and retweeted by Trump. | It was disabled by Twitter following the report of the copyright violation. | — Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) The band wrote on Twitter: "Linkin Park did not and…
(2020-07-18). We Reviewed Police Tactics Seen In Nearly 400 Protest Videos. popularresistance.org As protests denouncing police brutality against unarmed Black people spread to thousands of cities, it was videos of police violence — this time, directed at protesters — that went viral. Clips showed officers launching tear gas canisters at protesters' heads, shooting pepper spray from moving vehicles and firing foam bullets into crowds. | ProPublica looked at nearly 400 social media posts showing police responses to protesters and found troubling conduct by officers in at least 184 of them. In 59 videos, pepper spray and tear gas were used improperly; in a dozen others, officers used batons to strik…
(2020-07-18). CBP says Portland protester in viral 'kidnapping' clip was assault & vandalism suspect, denies officers wore no insignia. rt.com 
The US Customs and Border Protection agency has taken credit for a Portland protester's hot-button arrest this week, saying the man was a criminal suspect, while refuting claims he was 'kidnapped' by agents wearing no insignia. | The CBP sought to address the incident in a statement on Friday, noting that the protester arrested one day prior was suspected of vandalism and attacks on agents amid anti-police brutality demonstrations, which it said were organized by "violent anarchists." | "CBP agents had information indicating the person… was suspected of assaults against federal agents or destruction of feder…
(2020-07-18). Leader of radical black-only militia NFAC 'believes in violence' & wants a real-life Wakanda for every black person in America. rt.com 
NFAC, the masked, armed black militia that recently marched through a park in Georgia, deems violence and killing an acceptable response to oppression. Their end goal is to break away from the US as their own black-only nation. | The NFAC (Not F*cking Around Coalition) grabbed plenty of attention on social media with a high-profile public debut on July 4. The sight of an all-black militia, clutching rifles and handguns, marching in the heartland of the Ku Klux Klan at Stone Mountain caused plenty of ripples. | But very little is known about them, despite a frenzy of speculation. It's not even clear when they w…
(2020-07-18). PHOTOS of burnt Nantes cathedral show fire started in SEVERAL places, as arson probe launched. rt.com 
Images showing the charred interior of the 15th-century cathedral in Nantes, France, appear to point at three separate outbreaks of flames having damaged the Gothic gem on Saturday. Arson is being investigated. | The diocese of Nantes released images on Facebook in the wake of the blaze. It completely destroyed the grand organ at the Cathedral of St. Pierre and St. Paul, blew out the stained glassed windows at the front of the building, and consumed a valuable 19th-century painting that had been sent from Rome. | | © Facebook / Diocese of Nantes | Locals quickly spotted that, judging by the photos, ther…
(2020-07-18). Dem off the deep end? Former DNC chairman Dean calls for ARREST & JAIL TIME for DHS chief amid Portland riots. rt.com 
In the competition among prominent Democrats to see who can show the most outrage over the role of federal law enforcement in trying to help quell anarchist riots in Portland, former party chairman Howard Dean may be the winner. | After Oregon's largest city was subjected to its 50th straight night of violent unrest, Dean focused his ire on acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief Chad Wolf. "This guy needs to be arrested, prosecuted and, if convicted, imprisoned for a very long time," Dean tweeted on Saturday. | This guy needs to be arrested, prosecuted, and if convicted, imprisoned for a very long…
(2020-07-18). US moving to ban China-based TikTok social media app. wsws.org There is bipartisan support in Congress for the Trump administration's aggressive efforts against the Chinese app.
(2020-07-18). Wave of Condemnation Hits Trump as He Tweets Condolences Over Death of Dem. Rep. John Lewis. sputniknews.com Democratic House Representative John Lewis was a civil rights leader awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and famous for playing a key role in ending legalized racial segregation in the United States. He was a part of the "Big Six" – a group of prominent civil rights leaders behind Washington's 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom.
(2020-07-18). Florida Senator Marco Rubio Lambasted for Honoring Memory of John Lewis With Wrong Photo. sputniknews.com US Democratic Representative John Lewis, a prominent civil rights advocate, died of cancer on Friday at the age of 80. Flags at the White House were lowered to half-mast in memory of the lawmaker, and President Donald Trump sent his condolences, receiving a wave of criticism for the comments.
(2020-07-18). Saudi sponsored TV channel showed utter obscenity: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 18 (MNA) — Iran's Ambassador to UK Hamid Baeidinjad reacted to the live broadcast of the gathering of MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq) terrorist group on the Iran International Channel in his Twitter account.
(2020-07-17). Two arrested after Black Lives Matter mural near Trump Tower in NYC vandalized for second time this week (VIDEO). rt.com 
At least two people were arrested after vandalizing a Black Lives Matter mural near Trump Tower in New York City, prompting a heavy police response and a face-off with activists in the mural's second defacing in a matter of days. | A group of some 10 people gathered around the art installation in New York City's Midtown on Friday — a massive street painting of the words "Black Lives Matter" — splashing blue paint across part of the mural. The incident was captured in footage shared to social media. | One of those reportedly taken into custody wore a shirt with the words "All Lives Matter" and donned…
(2020-07-17). Twitter piles on 'Gestapo' tactics as DHS chief vows to never surrender Portland to 'violent extremists'. rt.com 
The acting head of the Department of Homeland Security has praised federal officers who face off Portland protesters. Tensions in the city are high, as netizens repost images of unmarked agents, comparing them to the Gestapo. | "Our men and women in uniform are patriots. We will never surrender to violent extremists on my watch," Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf wrote on Twitter. | Sharing photographs of him meeting with law enforcement and inspecting vandalized buildings, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief said that police and federal officers would "prevail" against the "violent anar…
(2020-07-17). [Original Research] Socio-demographic heterogeneity in the prevalence of COVID-19 during lockdown is associated with ethnicity and household size: Results from an observational cohort study. thelancet.com In individuals presenting with suspected COVID-19, those from ethnic minority communities and larger households had an increased likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity. Pandemic control measures may have more rapid impact on slowing viral transmission amongst those of White ethnicity compared to ethnic minority groups, Research is urgently required to understand the mechanisms underlying these disparities and whether public health interventions have differential effects on individuals from ethnic minority groups.
(2020-07-17). In Lockdown With Edward Hopper's Prophetic Paintings. counterpunch.org 
When I lived in Chicago, I often went to the Art Institute to admire the paintings of Edward Hopper, especially Nighthawks. Later on, I would do the same thing in New York, at the Whitney; both galleries have excellent Hopper collections. I remembered those visits when, in full lockdown, social media were flooded with images
(2020-07-17). Padma Lakshmi on Immigration, Food, and Authorship. aclu.org 
Recently, we've seen a reckoning in the culinary world around the whitewashing and co-opting of ethnic food. The industry has long been controlled by a limited number of people — many of them white — who have authored and then profited from the foods we eat and the stories we share. But the tide is turning. And our guest for this episode, Padma Lakshmi, is part of that movement., , You've likely seen her tasting and critiquing some of the best chefs in the U.S. on Top Chef, sharing her favorite recipes across social media and advocating for immigrants rights and women's rights. Pa…
(2020-07-17). It's time for white people to get off the plinth. thecanary.co 
On 15 July, Artist Marc Quinn Many people greeted the statue with fierce joy. Dr Lola Solebo tweeted: | #MarcQuinn and team — Dr Lola Solebo (@lolaeyedoc)
(2020-07-17). MASSIVE outage hits Cloudflare, sends Discord & other service-powered sites DOWN. rt.com 
A major outage has reportedly struck Cloudflare, a website-security company that caters to an array of websites, shutting down a large chunk of the Internet, including the popular chat service Discord. | Users of Discord, Riot Games, Patreon, Gitlab and various others websites have reported problems with accessing the platforms after Cloudflare, the US-based company that offers DDoS protection to its customers, reportedly came under a distributed denial of service cyber attack itself. | In a statement released shortly after disgruntled users started flocking to Twitter, which itself is still reeling from a maj…
(2020-07-17). Connecticut Catholic church defaced with SATANIC & ANARCHIST symbols, as spate of vandalism attacks targets Christian sites. rt.com 
A Catholic church in Connecticut was vandalized sometime between Wednesday night and early Thursday, possibly becoming the latest casualty in a US culture war that has increasingly targeted Christian figures in recent days. | Masses and other activities were canceled at least through Thursday at St. Joseph's Church in New Haven as parish leaders assessed the damage, including what appear to be satanic and anarchist symbols painted on the building's doors, the Rev. John Paul Walker said in a Facebook
(2020-07-17). CNN's Acosta mangles White House quote on science & reopening schools, corrects himself ONLY after misleading tweet goes viral. rt.com 
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was lambasted online after relaying the president's support for reopening schools this fall, but a quote singled out by critics was deceptively stripped of all context. | The row was sparked during a White House presser on Thursday, after a reporter asked McEnany about how parents might approach the upcoming academic year, as a growing number of school districts around the country move to full-time virtual learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. | "The president has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open," McEnany replied. "I was just in the Oval talking to…
(2020-07-17). 'Toronto is in Canada, Laura': Internet goes wild after Laura Ingraham slams Biden & Trump for not caring about Canuck Catholics. rt.com 
Fox News' Laura Ingraham has been mercilessly mocked for accusing Donald Trump and Joe Biden of not protecting religious liberty, after Catholic churches were advised to suspend communion during the Covid-19 pandemic… in Canada. | Ingraham tweeted on Friday that there is "not a prayer" of a chance that Democrat candidate Biden would do more to protect religious liberties than Trump if elected president. In…
(2020-07-17). Amid Sri Lankan elections, YouTube censors Tamil-language WSWS posts. indybay.org Amid national elections, YouTube, the San Bruno, California subsidiary of Google, has been continually removing Sri Lankan World Socialist Web Site and Socialist Equality Party videos at its website.
(2020-07-17). Dozens of high-profile Twitter accounts hacked in "coordinated social engineering attack" wsws.org The social media site was the target of a coordinated cyberattack on Wednesday in which the accounts of well-known individuals were taken over as part of a scheme to dupe the public out of their Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
(2020-07-17). ACT NOW in the Philippines: We Need You to Stand Against the #JunkTerrorLaw. commondreams.org "We thus demand the Duterte administration, through the Philippine Congress, to repeal the Anti-Terrorism law and stop it becoming effective next week." (Photo: Twitter, @ICHRPGlobal) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-07-17_at_11.21.24_am.png …
(2020-07-16). 'Coordinated social engineering attack': Twitter confirms employees with access to internal systems targeted in bitcoin scam hack. rt.com 
Twitter has said that alleged bitcoin scammers targeted some of its employees to get access to "internal systems and tools," which they then apparently used to hack into high-profile accounts, such as Joe Biden's. | We detected what we believe to be a coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal systems and tools.— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) Noting that it is still investigating the circumstances behind the hack,…
(2020-07-16). Trump critics 'slutshame' Hope Hicks after Lincoln Project founder posts rumor of an affair with Brad Pascale. rt.com 
A tweet claiming Donald Trump's former counselor Hope Hicks was seen in the company of freshly fired campaign manager Brad Pascale might have passed by as a bizarre joke, until it was shared by the Lincoln Project's co-founder. | The narrative seems to have originated in a humorous Twitter conversation between Rick Wilson, a co-founder of the prominent anti-Trump project, and YS, a popular account associated with conspiracy theories. | Ooooof that would make TWO other Trump world people VERY angry. | Only in DC, kids. Only in DC.
(2020-07-16). 'Tough day for us at Twitter': Twitter unmutes most blue checks after bitcoin scammer hack, says 'functionality may come & go'. rt.com 
The majority of the verified accounts that were silenced by Twitter as it dealt with its most prominent hack to date — allegedly by bitcoin scammers — have been unlocked, the site said, noting that the issue is not yet resolved.
(2020-07-16). EU court of justice strikes down data-sharing pact with US over snooping fears. thecanary.co 
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled an agreement that allows big tech companies to transfer data to the United States is invalid.It said national regulators need to take tougher action to protect the privacy of users' data.The ruling to invalidate Privacy Shield will complicate the transfer of a lot of data outside the EU and it could require regulators to vet any new transfers due to concerns the US government can snoop on people's data for national security reasons.Companies such as Facebook routinely move data between servers around the world (Dominic Lipinski/PA)It will no longer simpl…
(2020-07-16). Venezuela Denounces US Destroyer Incursion in Contiguous Zone. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza Thursday denounced to the international community that the USS Pinckney (DDG-91) warship sneaked into the "contiguous zone" of this South American country. | RELATED: | "It is an inexcusable act of provocation that aims to undermine our sovereignty and territorial integrity," Arreaza tweeted. | He also stressed that this act of "erratic and childish" provocati…
(2020-07-16). New Tell-All Book by Niece Sets Sales Record as Buyers Eager to Read Up on Trump. sputniknews.com Book publisher Simon & Schuster revealed that the new book by US President Donald Trump's niece, titled "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man," set a sales record for the company, with 950,000 copies sold through Tuesday, when it was released.