Turkey arrests two Daesh terrorists in N. Syria
yenisafak.com | 2020-07-21
Turkish security forces arrested two terrorists linked to Daesh terror group in northern Syria, just south of the Turkish border, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday."2 DAESH terrorists, who were found to be carrying out terrorist activities in order to disturb the environment of peace and security in the Euphrates Shield region, were detained in an operation," the ministry said on Twitter.Separately, Turkish security forces arrested two people allegedly linked to terrorist organizations along the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province, the ministry said in a statement.Since 2016, Turkey has la…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-arrests-two-daesh-terrorists-in-n-syria-3535002

Gun-toting St Louis couple charged
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-07-21
A St Louis couple who brandished guns outside their home as non-violent protesters marched against racial injustice nearby have been charged by prosecutors.Mark and Patricia McCloskey were charged on Monday with unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a protest outside their mansion last month.Footage of the white couple, who are both personal injury lawyers in their 60s, went viral amid worldwide Black Lives Matter protests.St Louis's top prosecutor, Kim Gardner, told the Associated Press the McCloskeys' actions risked creating a violent situation during an otherwise peaceful protest."It is illegal t…
thecanary.co/us/us-news-us/2020/07/21/gun-toting-st-louis-couple-charged/

Missouri AG moves to dismiss 'political' charges against St. Louis couple who pointed guns at BLM protesters in 'self-defense'
rt.com | 2020-07-21
Missouri's attorney general is seeking to dismiss felony gun charges brought against a husband and wife who aimed firearms at protesters outside their St. Louis mansion, insisting the couple had a right to defend their home. | State AG Eric Schmitt took to Twitter on Monday night with a video statement and a lengthy series of posts, arguing the case against Mark and Patricia McCloskey — which included a felony firearms charge as well as misdemeanor assault — "threatens to intimidate and deter law-abiding citizens from exercising their constitutional right of self-defense." | "The right to defend one'…
rt.com/usa/495347-missouri-ag-dismiss-charges-mccloskey/

'No tactics… just seemed like a gang': Navy Veteran speaks out after attack by secret police in viral video viewed nearly 10 million times
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-07-21
They just started whaling on me with batons, and I let them," said Christopher David.
mronline.org/2020/07/21/no-tactics-just-seemed-like-a-gang-navy-veteran-speaks-out-after-attack-by-secret-police-in-viral-video-viewed-nearly-10-million-times/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=no-tactics-just-seemed-like-a-gang-navy-veteran-speaks-out-after-attack-by-secret-police-in-viral-video-viewed-nearly-10-million-times

Turkey: Ruling party proposes social media regulations
yenisafak.com | 2020-07-21
Working to fulfill a recent pledge by Turkey's leaders, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on Tuesday submitted a new bill to regulate social media."We aim to end insults and swearing on social media and harassment through this form of media," Ozlem Zengin, the party's deputy group chair, told reporters in parliament.Zengin underlined that the bill is not meant to shut down social media providers, saying: "We're aware of its place in our lives and we're also aware of the extent of its use.""But, in this sense, there is a series of tiered sanctions [in the bill] trying to set a balance between freedoms…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-ruling-party-proposes-social-media-regulations-3535027

'Education' or 'child abuse'? Wife of ex-Clinton adviser tells parents to WATCH PORN WITH KIDS, igniting internet
rt.com | 2020-07-21
Should children be allowed to watch porn? They will anyway, so parents must watch it with them, says actress Ali Wentworth, the wife of ABC news anchor George Stephanopoulos, sending social media into a frenzy. | Wentworth's comments were slipped into a much larger conversation on Debra Messing's 'The Dissenters' podcast last week, but they found themselves highlighted on a number of platforms on Monday evening, especially by conservative pundits. | "In porn, women have been conditioned to look and act a certain way," Wentworth said. "They're performing, and it's dangerous to have boys see this as something wo…
rt.com/usa/495424-parents-watch-porn-kids-wentworth/

Yanny or Laurel 2.0? Confusion as reporter accused of calling WH press sec 'lying b**ch' says it was something ENTIRELY different
rt.com | 2020-07-21
Video of a reporter seemingly calling White House spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany a "lying b**ch" has outraged many — but she claims what was actually said was "engage," and now two opposing camps are battling it out on Twitter. | While taking questions from the press on Tuesday, McEnany was fielding multiple questions at once, one about President Donald Trump's claims of mail-in voting potentially leading to fraud and another from Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett about a claim that there is "tremendous progress" on a Covid-19 vaccine. | After McEnany refused to answer Halkett's question, many on social media…
rt.com/usa/495448-kimberly-halkett-kayleigh-mcenany-white-house/

Inside The Battle For Portland
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-07-20
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…
popularresistance.org/inside-the-battle-for-portland/

Navy Veteran Speaks Out After Being Attacked by Secret Police in Portland
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-07-20
The U.S. Navy veteran who was brutally attacked by unidentified federal police in Portland, Oregon over the weekend is speaking out about the incident–a video of which has gone viral online–and explained that he traveled to the site of local protests to get some answers directly from the personnel in the secretive units after becoming outraged over their deployment by the Trump administration. | "I was enraged simply because I did not think they were taking their oath of office serio…
truthout.org/articles/navy-veteran-speaks-out-after-being-attacked-by-secret-police-in-portland/

McDonald's is Hiding Policies That Perpetuate Systemic Racism Behind Woke-Washing
Nicole Regalado | aclu.org | 2020-07-20
Corporate anti-racism is all the rage these days. We've exposed the hypocrisy of companies from Amazon to Airbnb that have taken to social media in recent weeks to speak out against systemic racism and express support for the Movement for Black Lives, but refuse to adopt corporate policies to back up their claims. McDonald's is the latest company we've called out for joining the chorus of brands releasing holl…
aclu.org/news/racial-justice/mcdonalds-is-hiding-policies-that-perpetuate-systemic-racism-behind-woke-washing

Cancel Government Secrecy: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix
Caitlin Johnstone | thealtworld.com | 2020-07-20
I've been publishing a lot more Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix pieces lately because something shifted here recently and I've been having loads more ideas for pithy tweet-sized observations, and if I don't publish them regularly they'll be hour-long reads. But don't worry if you're more of a fan of the normal essays, I'll still be putting those out as per usual too. | — CJ | ~ | Want a healthy world? End secrecy for the powerful, break up all media and fully democratize it, and decriminalize psychedelics. Stop interfering in people's ability to clearly see what's going on in their world, in thei…
thealtworld.com/caitlin_johnston/cancel-government-secrecy-notes-from-the-edge-of-the-narrative-matrix

'Must be Effing Psychotic': California Restaurant Defies Mandate by Refusing Service to Mask-Wearers
sputniknews.com | 2020-07-20
A shocking policy at a restaurant in Northern California of turning away customers who follow the state's order to wear face coverings has ignited outrage on social media.
sputniknews.com/us/202007201079939946-must-be-effing-psychotic-california-restaurant-defies-mandate-by-refusing-service-to-mask-wearers/

Third Brazil minister has COVID-19, touts unproven drug cocktail
yenisafak.com | 2020-07-20
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…
yenisafak.com/en/life/third-brazil-minister-has-covid-19-touts-unproven-drug-cocktail-3534940

Twitter Eviscerates Trump's Hypocrisy After 'Patriotic' Pro-Mask Tweet
sputniknews.com | 2020-07-20
Twitter users chewed out US President Donald Trump on Monday for a post claiming wearing a face mask is "patriotic" after months of slamming the sanitary precaution, which health officials say can stem the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, Trump's poll numbers are falling, and COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing.
sputniknews.com/viral/202007201079939709-twitter-eviscerates-trumps-hypocrisy-after-firing-off-patriotic-pro-mask-tweet/

Zuckerberg's sunscreen PHOTO in Hawaii sets Twitter alight, as petition to stop him 'colonizing' island gains traction
rt.com | 2020-07-20
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…
rt.com/usa/495247-zuckerberg-hawaii-photo-cononization/

Trump endorses wearing a MASK against Covid-19 after weeks of criticism, is immediately blasted for being too late
rt.com | 2020-07-20
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…
rt.com/usa/495341-trump-mask-tweet-china-virus-coronavirus/

Backlash after NYT columnist says Republican voters would rather burn 'entire neighborhood' than rent room to non-whites
rt.com | 2020-07-20
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…
rt.com/news/495251-nyt-gop-non-white-tenant/

Viral video shows Rep. Maxine Waters rush to rescue black motorist pulled by police
rt.com | 2020-07-20
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…
rt.com/usa/495288-maxine-waters-police-search/

TikTok denies claims that user data could be accessed by China
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-07-20
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…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/07/20/tiktok-denies-claims-that-user-data-could-be-accessed-by-china/

Trial suggests coronavirus drug prevents 79% of cases from progressing
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-07-20
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…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/07/20/trial-suggests-coronavirus-drug-prevents-79-of-cases-from-progressing/

Trump Is Bringing Back His Daily COVID Press Briefings
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-07-20
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that, starting this week, he would be resuming daily coronavirus press briefings similar to those he held earlier this year. | Trump held those briefings beginning in March and lasting through the end of April, when he lamented in a tweet that the briefings were "not worth the time & effort" after news reports began…
truthout.org/articles/trump-is-bringing-back-his-daily-covid-press-briefings/

'No Tactics… Just Seemed Like a Gang': Navy Veteran Speaks Out After Attack by Secret Police in Viral Video Viewed Nearly 10 Million Times
Jon Queally, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-07-20
"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 …
commondreams.org/news/2020/07/20/no-tactics-just-seemed-gang-navy-veteran-speaks-out-after-attack-secret-police-viral?cd-origin=rss

'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 | 2020-07-19
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…
rt.com/usa/495201-portland-federal-forces-cooperation-mayor/

Nailed It! 'Science Guy' Bill Nye 'Just Ended Racism' in Viral Video
sputniknews.com | 2020-07-19
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.
sputniknews.com/viral/202007191079932323-nailed-it-science-guy-bill-nye-just-ended-racism-in-viral-video/

Trump says he wants to 'help' Portland, accuses local officials of allowing 'anarchists & agitators' to take control of the city
rt.com | 2020-07-19
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…
rt.com/usa/495226-donald-trump-portland-anarchists-agitators/

Argentina: Hebe De Bonafini Denounces Threats Against Her Life
telesurenglish.net | 2020-07-19
Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo Association's President Hebe de Bonafini Saturday denounced she had received death threats. | RELATED: | Argentina Rejects U.S. Plans To Rule Regional Bank | "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."
telesurenglish.net/news/argentina-hebe-de-bonafini-denounces-threats-against-his-life-20200718-0011.html

Cuba: President Diaz-Canel Congratulates Children on Their Day
telesurenglish.net | 2020-07-19
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel Sunday congratulate every Cuban child marking on occasion of the Children's Day in the Caribbean Island. | RELATED: | Cuba to Implement Bold Reforms to Boost Economic Growth | "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…
telesurenglish.net/news/cuba-president-diaz-canel-congratulates-children-on-their-day-20200719-0008.html

'He Will Be Crying for Mommy': Trump Doubts Biden Capable of Sitting Through 'Tough' Interviews
sputniknews.com | 2020-07-19
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.
sputniknews.com/us/202007191079931681-he-will-be-crying-for-mommy-trump-doubts-biden-capable-of-sitting-through-tough-interviews/

Twitter REMOVES video retweeted by Trump after Linkin Park files copyright claim
rt.com | 2020-07-19
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…
rt.com/usa/495221-trump-linkin-park-twitter-video-deleted/

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 | 2020-07-19
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…
rt.com/usa/495242-trump-biden-treason-spying/

Linkin Park threaten legal action over use of song in pro-Trump video
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-07-19
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. | pic.twitter.com/ioVHmZnPzU | — Dan Scavino (@DanScavino) July 17, 2020 | The band wrote on Twitter: "Linkin Park did not and…
thecanary.co/us/us-news-us/2020/07/19/linkin-park-threaten-legal-action-over-use-of-song-in-pro-trump-video/

We Reviewed Police Tactics Seen In Nearly 400 Protest Videos
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-07-18
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…
popularresistance.org/we-reviewed-police-tactics-seen-in-nearly-400-videos/

Portland Mayor Condemns Masked Federal Agents Abducting Protesters
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-07-18
Anonymous masked federal agents in military uniforms jump out of unmarked minivans, abducting seemingly random people on the street in Portland, frightening new viral videos show. Officers from the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and Customs and Border Protection's BORTAC have been sent to the city to tamp down of 49 days of continuous demonstrations against racist police brutality. The move appears to be the Trump administration's latest tactic to crush the nationwide protests that erupted in late May over the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police.
popularresistance.org/portland-mayor-condemns-masked-federal-agents-abductingers/

CBP says Portland protester in viral 'kidnapping' clip was assault & vandalism suspect, denies officers wore no insignia
rt.com | 2020-07-18
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…
rt.com/usa/495138-portland-border-patrol-arrests/

US moving to ban China-based TikTok social media app
wsws.org | 2020-07-18
There is bipartisan support in Congress for the Trump administration's aggressive efforts against the Chinese app.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/07/18/tikt-j18.html

Wave of Condemnation Hits Trump as He Tweets Condolences Over Death of Dem. Rep. John Lewis
sputniknews.com | 2020-07-18
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.
sputniknews.com/us/202007181079924968-wave-of-condemnation-hits-trump-as-he-tweets-condolences-over-death-of-dem-rep-john-lewis/

Florida Senator Marco Rubio Lambasted for Honoring Memory of John Lewis With Wrong Photo
sputniknews.com | 2020-07-18
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.
sputniknews.com/viral/202007181079925098-marco-rubio-lambasted-for-honoring-memory-of-john-lewis-with-wrong-photo/

Saudi sponsored TV channel showed utter obscenity: envoy
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-07-18
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.
en.mehrnews.com/news/161112/Saudi-sponsored-TV-channel-showed-utter-obscenity-envoy

Leader of radical black-only militia NFAC 'believes in violence' & wants a real-life Wakanda for every black person in America
rt.com | 2020-07-18
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…
rt.com/usa/495109-nfac-black-militia-blm/

PHOTOS of burnt Nantes cathedral show fire started in SEVERAL places, as arson probe launched
rt.com | 2020-07-18
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…
rt.com/news/495186-nantes-cathedral-fire-arson/

Dem off the deep end? Former DNC chairman Dean calls for ARREST & JAIL TIME for DHS chief amid Portland riots
rt.com | 2020-07-18
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…
rt.com/usa/495198-dean-howard-portland-jail/

Portland Mayor Condemns Masked Federal Agents Abducting Protesters
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-07-17
Human rights groups, activists, and local politicians are decrying what appears to be the Trump administration's latest tactic to crush nationwide protests that erupted in late May over the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police. | MPN– Anonymous masked federal agents in military uniforms jump out of unmarked minivans, abducting seemingly random people on the street in Portland, frightening new viral videos show. Officers from the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and Customs and Border Protection's BORTAC have been sent to the city to tamp down of 49 days of continuous demonstrations against raci…
thealtworld.com/alan_macleod/portland-mayor-condemns-masked-federal-agents-abductingers

It's time for white people to get off the plinth
Claud Fullwood | thecanary.co | 2020-07-17
On 15 July, Artist Marc Quinn filled the vacant plinth of slaver Edward Colston with a sculpture of Black Lives Matter (BLM) protester Jen Reid. | Many people greeted the statue with fierce joy. Dr Lola Solebo tweeted: | #MarcQuinn and team #FifthPlinth t.co/Q5KZ5IsZMo | — Dr Lola Solebo (@lolaeyedoc)

Amid Sri Lankan elections, YouTube censors Tamil-language WSWS posts
WSWS Repost | indybay.org | 2020-07-17
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.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/07/16/18835127.php

Padma Lakshmi on Immigration, Food, and Authorship
aclu.org | 2020-07-17
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…
aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/padma-lakshmi-on-immigration-food-and-authorship

The Great American Firewall: On The Question Of Censorship
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-07-17
The Great Firewall in China is a hot button subject that unites the most hawkish and militarist forces of the state with the so-called U.S. left. China's legal exclusion of Google, Facebook, and other American corporate media from acceptable consumption is often viewed as the most obvious example of "authoritarianism." Few in the U.S., even on the left, analyze censorship as a political question. Many instead debate the issue from the lens of American exceptionalism. Censorship is "bad" because it violates the right to "free speech"–which is supposedly a laudable feature of U.S. society. Yet the United Stat…
popularresistance.org/the-great-american-firewall-on-the-question-of-censorship/

Connecticut Catholic church defaced with SATANIC & ANARCHIST symbols, as spate of vandalism attacks targets Christian sites
rt.com | 2020-07-17
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 post. Once ser…
rt.com/usa/495006-chuch-anarchist-satanic-symbols-vandals/

CNN's Acosta mangles White House quote on science & reopening schools, corrects himself ONLY after misleading tweet goes viral
rt.com | 2020-07-17
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…
rt.com/usa/495002-press-secretary-quote-context/