(2020-08-05). Statewide online workshop on community control of Florida police. fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL -The Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) hosted an online training and workshop, July 30, over Facebook Live on the topic of community control of police. The event was led by experienced anti-racism leaders who are active in the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), and also founding members of their local organizations: TCAC and the group that inspired TCAC's own founding, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC). | "NAARPR, JCAC and TCAC all have political repression and police overreach central to their origin stories," noted Tallahassee Communi…
(2020-08-05). Saturday 8/8: 75th Annual Hiroshima-Nagasaki Remembrance & Virtual Peace Lantern Ceremony. indybay.org Online via YouTube livestream or Zoom…
(2020-08-04). Shadow Wars: Leaks by Mossad Point to Israeli Involvement in Deadly Attacks on Iran. mintpressnews.com 
The drumbeat for war with Iran seems to be intensifying as 2020 reaches its halfway point and the narrative that cyberattacks are to play an inciting role in the coming conflict is being drilled into the collective mind.
(2020-08-04). HRW chief jumps to blame Hezbollah for devastating Beirut blasts — and backpedals immediately. rt.com 
Human Rights Watch head Kenneth Roth was quick to join a social media chorus blaming Hezbollah for deadly explosions in Beirut on Tuesday. Perhaps realizing the claim lacked a shred of evidence, he soon deleted it. | Roth rushed to blame Hezbollah for the huge explosions near the port of Beirut, blasts which killed at least 50 people and are believed to have wounded over 3,000 more. "Is this Hezbollah's way of saying don't mess with us for allegedly killing former Lebanese PM Hariri?" he asked in a tweet posted almost immediately after news of the explosions hit social media on Tuesday. | Billionaire-funded re…
(2020-08-04). WATCH huge mushroom-like cloud cover Beirut's docks area after 'fireworks depot' explodes. rt.com 
Terrifying footage has emerged, showing a huge mushroom cloud of fire and smoke covering much of Beirut's port area, blowing out windows and destroying nearby buildings, as a warehouse in the Lebanese capital's docks explodes. | Videos on social media show large plumes of smoke, followed by a fiery blast that created a massive mushroom cloud, towering high above the nearby high-rises. | Photos on social media show many buildings in the area damaged or destroyed, leaving residents covered in glass and blood. | The blasts were initially blamed on a fire at a fireworks warehouse at the port, state-run National…
(2020-08-04). 'Sexually suggestive' or 'get your mind out of the gutter'? Audi banana girl ad yanked after bizarre controversy. rt.com 
After a social media outcry, Audi has pulled an ad showing a little girl eating a banana while leaning on a car. Those objecting remarked on everything from her pose to the 'phallic' fruit. Others pronounced it perfectly innocent. | The German car company publicly retracted the ad on Monday, after an outbreak of pearl-clutching online, issuing a groveling apology on Twitter and promising to get to the bottom of "how this campaign has been created and if control mechanisms failed." | We hoped we could convey these messages, showing that even for the weakest traffic participants it is possible to relaxingly lean…
(2020-08-04). Tribute to xenophobia? Anti-Trump activists face backlash for 'statue' in Portland linking Putin to alleged police brutality. rt.com 
An activist group has unveiled a new 'statue' in Portland, Oregon which appears to connect Vladimir Putin to allegations of police brutality in the city. Isn't that a bit xenophobic? Twitter observers have asked. | The collective, known as the Trump Statue Initiative (TSI), used live actors covered in gold, and standing on top of a large pedestal, to create the impression that a new monument had been installed in the city on Monday. | Their performance art piece showed Donald Trump holding up a selfie-stick and making a thumbs-up sign as men wearing gas masks and riot gear pull a protester holding a 'BLM' plac…
(2020-08-04). 'Erotic mind control community has a racism problem': BLM activists go after hypnotists in latest bizarre witch hunt. rt.com 
As street battles between murky federal agents, Antifa and various mom'n'pop protest groups over systemic racism continue in Portland, it appears a similar, but more insidious war is underway… in the erotic mind control community. | A seemingly never-ending thread, posted to Twitter by a self-professed 30-something white woman, who is part of the ultra-niche sexual "So, I want to address something that will probably surprise no one: The…
(2020-08-04). Wednesday 8/5: Email and Twitter Storm for Breonna Taylor! indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2020-08-04). Trump Now Says Mail-In Ballots Are Safe, But Only in His Home State of Florida. truthout.org President Donald Trump, who has for the past several months repeatedly made unverified and dubious claims about fraud associated with mail-in voting, authored a tweet on Tuesday urging voters in his home state of Florida to vote by mail if that's what they wanted to do. | "Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True," The presid…
(2020-08-04). Public Citizen, Scientists: Gilead and Federal Scientists Have Neglected a Potentially Promising COVID-19 Antiviral Drug. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-03). Take on the Tech Mob Now or Perish. counterpunch.org Six months into a global pandemic, the US economy just took its most grievous hit on record, while Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook only added wealth. In just three months, April through June, so many workers were furloughed, laid off or forced to work and school from home, that the economy shriveled by 32.9% or
(2020-08-03). What If Trump Refuses to Accept a Biden Victory? A Look at How Electoral Chaos Could Divide Nation. democracynow.org 
As President Trump floats the idea of delaying the election, we speak with Nils Gilman, historian and co-founder of Transition Integrity Project, which organized a bipartisan group of experts to game out what a contested November election might look like. "In every scenario except for the one where Biden won in a landslide, we ended up with severe electoral contestation, protests in the streets, crazy stories happening on social media, and the challenges went down to Inauguration Day," Gilman says.
(2020-08-03). Voting Rights Activist LaTosha Brown: Trump Is Hellbent on Undermining Democracy to Win Reelection. democracynow.org 
With President Trump trailing in most polls, he tweeted recently that he was floating the idea of delaying the November election — something he cannot legally do — and continued his attacks on mail-in voting. "We have a president who is probably the most fascist president that we've ever had in this country," responds LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund and the BVM Capacity Building Institute. "He is hellbent on pushing the boundaries, whatever he needs to do, to undermine and undercut democracy."
(2020-08-03). The clock is TikToking: Trump says he doesn't mind if Microsoft buys TikTok, as long it's done in 6 weeks & Uncle Sam GETS A CUT. rt.com 
President Donald Trump has said he won't object if US software giant Microsoft purchases social media app TikTok as long as some profits go to the US Treasury, reversing course on his earlier opposition to such a buyout. | Trump broke the news at a White House meeting on Monday, describing a conversation he'd had with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella the previous day. | When Microsoft confirmed Sunday that it has been in talks with TikTok's owner — Chinese firm ByteDance — aimed at acquiring the app in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Trump supported the acquisition, but added that Microsoft wou…
(2020-08-03). Scandalous #MeToo activist accused of creating FAKE Twitter account of bisexual Native American professor who 'died' of Covid-19. rt.com 
A controversial #MeToo activist has been accused of operating a Twitter account belonging to a non-existent bisexual Native American professor. Suspicions were raised after she announced that her 'friend' had died from Covid-19. | BethAnn McLaughlin, a neuroscientist who founded the nonprofit group MeTooSTEM, allegedly created a fictional professor at Arizona State University (ASU), and tweeted as the imaginary anthropologist under the handle @Sciencing_Bi. | In an emotional eulogy for her purportedly made-up comrade, McLaughlin waxed poetic about how her friend worked tirelessly to help indigenous women overc…
(2020-08-03). TikTok planning London headquarters, according to reports. thecanary.co TikTok is planning to open a headquarters in London, according to reports, as the social media app continues to try and distance itself from China. | The move could put the UK at odds with US president Donald Trump as the video platform is at the centre of a row in the US over alleged links to the Chinese state and Trump is threatening to ban the app. | But reports suggest the UK is set to give the green light to a new headquarters for the service in London, with key executives relocating to the UK as part of the move. | TikTok declined to comment on its plans. | Last month, the app's head of public policy for Eu…
(2020-08-03). Man suspected to be armed takes hostage in Kyiv bank. yenisafak.com A man suspected to be armed took a hostage in a bank office in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Monday but has made no demands yet, deputy interior minister Anton Gerashchenko said.Gerashchenko wrote on Facebook that the man came to the bank at midday, told employees there he had a bomb in his backpack and asked them to call police."Employees of the banking institution left the office while the head of the branch remained there (as hostage). Police have begun negotiations with the terrorist and asked him to surrender," Gerashchenko said.Later he told a local television that the man demanded to give interviews to jou…
(2020-08-02). 'Titans of tech' face grilling in US Congress. peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha talks about the deposition of the heads of Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Facebook before the US House of Representatives Committee that deals with anti-trust issues.
(2020-08-02). Two guards stabbed during Georgia prison riot. Purported footage of violent uprising spreads on social media (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Two guards have been injured in a riot at Georgia's Ware State Prison, local media reported. Purported videos of the chaotic rebellion show inmates covered in blood, holding tasers, and even frog-marching handcuffed prison staff. | The situation is now under control and the facility, located near Waycross, has been put on lockdown, according to local media, citing a statement from the Georgia Department of Corrections. | "Two staff members received minor, non-life-threatening injuries and there are no reported inmate injuries at this time," the statement read. | Local reports also shared a statement from the W…
(2020-08-02). Joe says no: Trader Joe's stands up to outrage mob, proving the impotence of online activism. rt.com 
Grocery chain Trader Joe's won't be changing its supposedly "racist" product labels. In an era where suspect tweets can ruin careers, the decision is a reminder that online activism doesn't always matter in real life. | According to more than 5,000 signatories of an online petition, some of the chain's branding — which sees its Italian range labeled 'Trader Giotto's', its Mexican range called 'Trader Jose's', and its Chinese food named 'Trader Ming's' — is racist. | The branding "exoticizes other cultures," the petition states. Furthermore, the petition alleges that the company's founder Joe Coulombe…
(2020-08-02). 'Socialist Trump?' Trump says 'changes must be made soon' to tackle income disparity in rare dig at 1-percenters. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump said he agrees that the income gap between billionaires and the rest of Americans has grown too big, vowing to take action "soon" in a tweet that left his detractors puzzled. | "I actually agree with this. Too much income disparity. Changes must be made, and soon!" Trump wrote on Saturday, retweeting a Business Insider clip that cites a recent report by the Institute for Policy Studies, claiming that total US billionaire wealth grew by $637 between March and June, while 40 million Americans lost their jobs. | I actually agree with this. Too much income disparity. Changes must be made,…
(2020-08-02). 'Sleepy Joe' Biden 'never leaves his basement' and won't win Texas, Trump says. rt.com 
President Donald Trump has bashed his basement-dwelling presidential opponent, Joe Biden, and touted his own support for "Oil, Gas, Guns, & God," after a fundraising trip to the Lone Star State. | "Was in the Great State of Texas this week and explained that the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats, headed up by their great leader, Sleepy Joe Biden (who never leaves his basement), are strongly against 'Oil, Gas, Guns, & God," Trump tweeted on Sunday. | "Must be tough to win Texas on that platform!" he added. | Was in the Great State of Texas this week and explained that the Radical Left Do Nothing Democrats, hea…
(2020-08-02). Mask madness is causing Kens & Karens everywhere to beat the cr*p out of each other (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The efficacy of mandatory mask rules is debatable, but a series of viral videos provide ample evidence that the guidelines have helped make 2020 one of the most absurd and painfully idiotic years in recent memory. | Mid-flight fisticuffs over maskless passengers: | The latest incident in the saga of mask-related assaults kicked off on a flight from Amsterdam to Ibiza. Two passengers on the KLM flight reportedly became physical after refusing to wear masks during the journey to Spain. Passengers and crew worked together to restrain the two men, who reportedly had been drinking. | Footage of the insane m…
(2020-08-02). Trump will act on TikTok and other Chinese software companies 'in the coming days' — Pompeo. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has vowed that President Donald Trump will take action "in the coming days" to deal with Chinese software companies that the White House claims are feeding data to Beijing. | Appearing on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' show, Pompeo claimed the practices of the Chinese tech companies currently in the administration's sights, including TikTok and WeChat, pose "true privacy issues for the American people." | "For a long time the US just said 'Well, goodness, if we're having fun with it, or if a company can make money off of it, we're going to permit that to happen,'" he expla…
(2020-08-02). Law Enforcement Exposed: Massive Blue Leaks, Police Pentagon Papers. popularresistance.org In an email message, Betsy Reed, the editor-in-chief of the Intercept reports, "Hundreds of thousands of files from the FBI and local police departments have been leaked, exposing serious abuses of power by law enforcement." She writes, Blue Leaks "are like the Pentagon Papers for U.S. law enforcement." The leaks show how political activists are targeted and monitored on social media, that there is widespread racial bias by police and that police exaggerate threats by antifa to justify violence against protesters.
(2020-08-02). Video: Bloodied Florida Man Hangs to Truck Hood Nearly 15Km as Driver Tries to Shake Him Off. sputniknews.com The cinematic incident, which has been shared on social media, was said to have taken place on a Florida highway on Saturday, as a double-trailer semi-truck was travelling in the northbound lane near Boynton Beach.
(2020-08-02). Microsoft to Proceed With Talks Over Possible TikTok Purchase in US After 'Conversation' With Trump. sputniknews.com Earlier in the week, US President Donald Trump announced his intention to ban the Chinese-owned viral video platform TikTok in the United States amid allegations that the app "spies" on American citizens and could be used to "meddle" in the US presidential election.
(2020-08-02). India's interior minister tests positive for coronavirus, hospitalised. yenisafak.com India's Interior Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that he had tested positive for coronavirus and had been admitted to hospital.Amit Shah, a close aide to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and one of the country's most powerful politicians, heads a key ministry that has been at the forefront of managing India's coronavirus outbreak."I request all of you who came in contact with me in the last few days to isolate yourselves and get tested," Shah said in a tweet.
(2020-08-01). Media's 'Cancel Culture' Debate Obscures Direct Threats to First Amendment. thealtworld.com 
The Harper's letter ( A short and rather vaguely worded open letter published in Harper's Magazine (
(2020-08-01). Who is Behind "Fake News"? Mainstream Media Use Fake Videos and Images. globalresearch.ca The mainstream corporate media is desperate. They want to suppress independent and alternative online media, which they categorize as "fake news". Readers on social media are warned not to go onto certain sites. Our analysis confirms that the mainstream media are routinely involved in distorting the facts and turning realities upside down.
(2020-08-01). 'We're here for the long run': TikTok's US general manager dismisses Trump's ban plan. rt.com 
As the clock runs down on Friday night's vow by President Donald Trump to ban TikTok in the US, the Chinese-owned social media platform has responded by insisting that it's not going anywhere and plans to create more US jobs. | "We've heard your outpouring of support and we want to say thank you, we're not planning on going anywhere," TikTok US General Manager Vanessa Pappas said in a video message on Saturday morning. | She added that TikTok already has 1,500 employees in the US, plans to hire an additional 10,000 over the next three years, and has a billion-dollar fund to support creators on the massively po…
(2020-08-01). 'Best gift he can give the Dems': #GenZ trending after Trump announces TikTok ban, sending Twitter into overdrive. rt.com 
An announcement by US President Donald Trump that he is shutting down video app TikTok has sent netizens into panic mode, with some going as far as predicting that the move, bound to enrage Generation Z, will cost him an election.
(2020-08-01). Xenugate: Resurfaced VIDEO of top contender for Biden's VP pick addressing Scientology church in LA goes viral. rt.com 
California Rep. Karen Bass, thought to be on the shortlist of potential running mates for Joe Biden, has appeared in a resurfaced clip giving a glowing speech to a new Scientology church — a group widely deemed a predatory "cult." | Dated from the 2010
(2020-08-01). 'Without a Doubt, an Alien Craft': UFO Gets Spotted by Security Cam, Conspiracy Theorist Claims. sputniknews.com In his blog, Waring argued that the object in the video appears to be way slower than a meteor, and that it even ends up changing its shape during flight.
(2020-08-01). Russophobia is Going Viral… Again. strategic-culture.org The writers at AP and NYT believe beyond a doubt that all Russian media is controlled by the state. They cannot believe that Russians want to have a diverse and free media and have their say in global affairs. Watch the video and
(2020-08-01). Turkish beauty who stole hearts | as Halime Sultan becomes face of Pakistan. yenisafak.com Turkish actress Esra Bilgiàß whom we have all come to know and love as Halime Sultan in Turkey's globally-acclaimed TV series Ertugrul: Resurrection announced that she will be collaborating with Pakistani mobile company Jazz.Taking to her social media accounts, Bilgiàß posted a stunning picture of herself in red to her 3.8 million followers and wrote: "I think its time to tell the world #Dunyakobatado #JazzSuper4G," revealing her collaboration with Pakistan's leading telecommunication network.Who is Halime Sultan's No.1?In a separate tweet, Bilgiàß wrote, "I found my no.1 in Pakistan," sending f…
(2020-07-31). 'Huge finger to the public': Johnson prompts outrage after nominating Russian-born media mogul Evgeny Lebedev for peerage. rt.com 
Evegeny Lebedev, the Russian-British owner of the Independent and the Evening Standard newspapers, has been nominated for peerage by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, setting off a round of hysteria on social media. | Moscow-born Lebedev is the son of Alexander Lebedev, a former member of the KGB, who was stationed at the Soviet Union's London embassy in the 1980s. | After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the father made his fortune in banking and eventually moved to the UK permanently — and both he and his son are outspoken critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin. | But ardent believers in the narrativ…
(2020-07-31). #IStandWithRingo: Iowa senator draws ire of dog lovers after criticizing opponent for 'taking selfies' with her pet. rt.com 
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst provoked a storm of criticism on Twitter after attempting to shame her election opponent for the crime of taking selfies with her dog and ultimately learned the hard way: leave the pets out of it. | The incumbent Republican senator who is seeking re-election in November blasted her opponent, Democrat Theresa Greenfield, for her lack of leadership which was apparently demonstrated by the fact that she takes pictures with her dog. | Speaking during a campaign conference call on Wednesday, Ernst called out Greenfield, saying she "has been hiding in her basement taking selfies with her dog…