(2020-08-14). Imperialists Run The Same Tired Old Script Day After Fucking Day. thealtworld.com 
tweeted the following: | "Belarusians, inside and outside of the country, have reached out to me this week to ask why the West is so indifferent to their courageous fight for democracy. I can't explain. Can you?" | I am not highlighting this tweet because it is remarkable (except for the extremely dubious claim that anyone ever reaches out to Michael McFaul). I am highlighting it because it is completely unremarkable. | New on MoA: | Belarus — A U.S. Sponsored Color Revolution Is Underway t.co/aQMnrMmMPc pic.twitter.com/HJkFv…
(2020-08-14). YouTube aims to 'protect' elections by CENSORING what it deems to be 'hacked materials'. rt.com 
YouTube will remove videos containing "hacked information" about election candidates if it deems them aimed at election meddling. The censorship is supposedly needed to protect the integrity of democratic institutions in the US. | The Google-owned video platform explained on Thursday how it intends to protect users from malign actors during election campaigns and allow apparently benign actors to better engage with voters. Among other things, YouTube will delete videos that contain "hacked information, the disclosure of which may interfere with democratic processes such as elections and censuses," Leslie Mille…
(2020-08-14). We Do Not Live in the World of Before. counterpunch.org Following the announcement of US presidential candidate Joe Biden picking Kamala Harris for VP, I have seen many social media posts. US American liberal friends seem thrilled and some have already started the "vote shaming." Biden and Harris have been forgiven or, better yet, not even noted for their centrist, rightwing past. And I have
(2020-08-13). Police set fire to MST camp during eviction. peoplesdispatch.org 
Military police set fire to the Quilombo Grande camp of the Landless Rural Workers' Movement, located in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, with the objective of evicting the families that have been resisting a land repossession order for more than 35 hours. On the morning of Thursday August 13, the Eduardo Galeano Popular School was destroyed with a tractor. In addition to the school, on Wednesday morning, the police evicted dormitories where three families lived. | Despite the declarations from the governor of Minas Gerais, Romeu Zema (Partido Novo), on social media that affirmed that his government defend…
(2020-08-13). UK imposes 14-day self-quarantine for travelers from France & Netherlands, doubles fines for not wearing mask. rt.com 
The UK government will add six new countries to its travel quarantine list, including France and the Netherlands, requiring two weeks of self-isolation for new arrivals while boosting fines for those who flout face mask rules. | The new restrictions were announced on Thursday evening in a tweet from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, warning travelers that they will face a mandatory 14-day quarantine period should they arrive in the UK after 4am on Saturday, when the rule change will take effect. | "Data shows we need to remove France, the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks and Caicos and Aruba from our list of…
(2020-08-13). Black protector of Confederate statues dubbed a Dave Chappelle 'skit come to life' by Twitter users. rt.com 
A black Alabama man vowing to defend symbols of the pro-slavery Confederate States of America went viral as his atypical persona reminded Internet community of a character from a sketch on comedian Dave Chappelle's show. | "Regardless of how the next person feels, I'm not going to take my flag down," Daniel Sims said on Wednesday to the local WHNT news in Alabama's Marshal county. He aims to protect the monuments to the US Civil War Confederacy from being taken down by vandals or any local authorities that may be pressured by the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. "If I've got anything to do with it, ain't n…
(2020-08-13). Apple, Disney, Ford and Walmart among corporate giants pushing back against Trump's WeChat ban — report. rt.com 
Major US companies have reportedly told the White House they are worried about losing access to the lucrative Chinese market after Trump signed an order targeting the popular Chinese WeChat app. | Citing sources familiar with the situation, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that "more than a dozen" US corporations had raised concerns in a recent call with White House staff about the "the potentially broad scope and impact" of the WeChat ban. According to the paper, Apple, Intel, Walmart, Disney, and Ford were among the companies that participated in the call. The companies declined to comment on the issue…
(2020-08-13). Wednesday 8/19: www.facebook.com/events/2651741481710615/. indybay.org Online…
(2020-08-13). Trump Campaign Appears to Be Hiding Massive Facebook Spending — But Why? truthout.org The Trump campaign has spent tens of millions of dollars on Facebook ads, but has not reported any of that spending to the Federal Election Commission, records show. | Along with a number of affiliated committees, the campaign appears to be funneling payments to Facebook through shell companies. Official committees affiliated with presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden have also apparently used shell companies to foot Facebook ads, but those committees have reported a much larger proportion of the…
(2020-08-12). Leaked documents reveal what TikTok shares with authorities — In the U.S. mronline.org 
A glimpse at what the social media platform does in the U.S. underscores that data privacy issues extend beyond China.
(2020-08-12). Cure worse than disease: We filmed REAL BLM protesters burning a Bible. NY Times tried to 'debunk' it with actual FAKE NEWS. rt.com 
Mainstream media have denounced Ruptly video of Portland protesters burning Bibles as 'Russian disinfo', countering the unaltered viral footage with fake news of their own in bad-faith 'shoot the messenger' gaslighting. | Protesters gather around a burning Bible, chanting "F*** Trump" as they neatly drape first an American flag over the flames, in the original video, which clocks in at under 90 seconds. A few of the demonstrators rub their hands over the tiny fire, aping warming themselves as the flames devour the book. | It's an incendiary image (no pun intended) — protesters already denounced from some…
(2020-08-12). 'Trying to use internet as a private fiefdom': Ex-Russian President Medvedev SLAMS US authorities for web manipulation. rt.com 
Washington is attempting to leverage the internet exclusively to its advantage, according to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now Deputy Chairman of the national Security Council. He says the strategy is "deplorable." | Speaking on Wednesday, Medvedev, who also served as Russian prime minister, said the pressure the White House placed on the owners of the social network WeChat (Chinese Internet giant Tencent) was a prime example of the US exploiting the internet as its own private tool. | He added that Washington aims to continue pursuing its policy of viewing the web only through the prism of its own…
(2020-08-12). Algerian journalist Khaled Drareni sentenced to three years in prison for Facebook posts. peoplesdispatch.org An Algiers court handed journalist Khaled Drareni a three-year prison sentence. The verdict has been widely condemned by human rights groups and Hirak movement protesters…
(2020-08-12). Families of missing Kashmiri men allege they were killed in a staged encounter. peoplesdispatch.org Three men were killed by security forces in Shopian district of Kashmir on July 18. A few days ago, their pictures appeared on social media and were identified by their family members who said they were laborers who were searching for jobs…
(2020-08-12). Russia sees US attempts to revise UN res. 2231 unjustifiable. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 12 (MNA) — In a tweet on Wednesday, Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov named US attempts to revise UNSC Resolution. 2231 as 'counterproductive and unjustifiable'.
(2020-08-12). Journalism Advocacy Group Says Labeling State Media on Social Platforms 'Fraught'. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warned that labeling state media on social platforms is "fraught" given that the procedure implemented by Facebook, Google and Twitter may lack transparency, objectivity and consistency.
(2020-08-12). Derailed train in Scotland is 'extremely serious': Scottish leader Sturgeon. yenisafak.com Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said the derailment of a train near Stonehaven on Wednesday morning was "extremely serious", as video footage on social media showed smoke rising from the scene on the east coast of the country."This is an extremely serious incident," she said. "I've had an initial report from Network Rail and the emergency services and am being kept updated. All my thoughts are with those involved."Police received reports of a train derailing near Stonehaven, a town 15 km (9 miles) south of the city of Aberdeen, at 0940 a.m. on Wednesday."Emergency services are currently in attendance and the inci…
(2020-08-12). Pakistanis | say 'Turkey is not alone' with countless tweets over East Med | dispute. yenisafak.com Tens of thousands of Pakistanis voiced their support for Turkey regarding the Eastern Mediterranean dispute on social media using the hashtag, "#Turkeyisnotalone", amid an escalating rift between Ankara and Greece over seismic exploration and drilling activities in the region.As a sign of unity between the two brother countries, the hashtag "#Turkeyisnotalone" remained a top trend in Pakistan on the microblogging website on Wednesday.Posting countless tweets and photos, Pakistanis expressed their solidarity with Turkey over mounting tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean."Pakistan and the Pakistani nation will nev…
(2020-08-12). Turkey lays 1,750 km streamer under Mediterranean Sea. yenisafak.com Turkey announced on Wednesday that it had laid two streamer cables on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea bed as part of its ongoing hydrocarbon exploration activities."By Aug. 23, a total 1,750 kilometers of streamer (seismic cable) was laid under the Mediterranean Sea for two-dimensional seismic exploration," Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez said on Twitter.Turkey's seismic research vessel, the MTA Oruc Reis was "x-raying the seas."As part of the country's hydrocarbon surveying activities, Turkey released a NAVTEX (navigational telex) on Aug. 10, 2020, announcing that the Oruc Reis would begin cond…
(2020-08-12). A BBC journalist's tweet sums up the broadcaster's rancid attitude towards refugees. thecanary.co A BBC journalist managed to sum up in one tweet the broadcaster's rancid coverage of refugees crossing the Channel. But the situation also points to a wider problem: how co-opted the media is, and how corporations co-opt politics for their own gains. | The BBC: scraping the bottom of the barrel: | Both BBC and Sky News have
(2020-08-11). Belarusian SWAT threaten bystanders with GRENADE after collaring teen in viral VIDEO. rt.com 
As protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's re-election rage on in several cities, video footage has emerged showing the local riot police apparently deploying some heavy handed tactics against teenagers. | In a video widely shared on social media on Tuesday, two members of Belarus' OMON tactical police can be seen restraining a young man, possibly a protester. The officers manhandle the suspect, and as bystanders complain, one officer tugs on the pin of a grenade. | –î—Ä—É–∑—å—è, –∞ –≤–æ…
(2020-08-11). Rowan Atkinson invokes wrath of cancel culture for raising concerns about controversial 'hate crime' bill. rt.com 
Comedian Rowan Atkinson has incurred the wrath of woke warriors on social media after voicing his opposition to a controversial hate crimes law which he believes will stifle free speech and rational debate. | The British comedy legend was among a group of authors, journalists, philosophers and campaigners who signed an open letter against legislation put forward by the Scottish Nationalist Party, warning of the "unintended consequences" the bill could have. | The signees raised specific concern over provisions around making "stirring up hatred" an offence, even if it was not the intention of the person making…
(2020-08-11). Whose convention is it again? MSNBC uses Republican backdrop to promote Democratic convention. rt.com 
A graphical blunder by MSNBC demonstrates two facts about modern America: that fact-checking takes second seat to pizzazz, and that neither party has a monopoly on red, white, and blue pageantry. | In a series of graphics announcing the speaker schedule for next week's Democratic National Convention, MSNBC on Tuesday listed the names over a photograph of the Republican Party's 2012 convention — where Mitt Romney accepted his party's nomination in a shower of red, white, and blue balloons. | The gaffe was quickly picked up by hawk-eyed Twitter users, who mocked the network for its sloppiness. Among the fir…
(2020-08-11). Rebellion reignites in Chicago. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Chicago police shot a 20-year-old Black man, Latrell Allen, in the Englewood neighborhood on Sunday afternoon, August 9. His mother told the media that he was shot five times, and she and an eyewitness both said he didn't have a gun at the time. | Community members angrily challenged the police. In response, the cops became brutal. One eyewitness, Joseph Williams, described on social media, "When I came out, the police were literally whupping a young man. One of them even kicked him in the face, which led to the blood on the ground," as he pointed to a stain on the pavement. | The police escalated.
(2020-08-11). Promising Early Results for Potent, Long-Acting HIV Injection. jamanetwork.com A highly potent, long-acting drug candidate with a novel mode of action showed promising anti-HIV activity in recent phase 1 trials. The slow-release compound, lenacapavir (previously GS-6207), would be used in combination with other antiretroviral agents, researchers said at the 23rd International AIDS Conference.
(2020-08-11). Land Defenders Rebuild Camp Despite New Injunction. popularresistance.org After several arrests last week and a new court order, land defenders are digging in their heels and rebuilding 1492 Land Back Lane, a name they've given McKenzie Meadows, a disputed site of a proposed housing development in Caledonia, Ont. that borders Six Nations of the Grand River's eastern border. | "We are under constant threat of OPP invasion of our unceded Haudenosaunee territory," said community member Skyler Williams in a Facebook post on Sunday. "Despite all of this, we continue to work on and build our community here at Land Back Lane."
(2020-08-11). 'Let's Go Win': Politicos, Netizens React to Biden-Harris 2020 Presidential Ticket. sputniknews.com Social media activity related to the US' ongoing protests and the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic took a backseat for a few hours on Tuesday as politicos and everyday netizens provided their opinions on former US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's selection of Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate.
(2020-08-11). POTUS Claims G. Washington 'Would Have Had a Hard Time' to Beat Him in Election, Ignites Twitter. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which started in China in late-December 2019, for his declining poll statistics, as his administration faces heavy criticism over its handling of a crisis where over 5 million Americans have been infected with the disease and at least 164,603 have died.
(2020-08-11). Research Reveals Direct Connection Between Smoking, Vaping and Risk of Contracting Coronavirus. sputniknews.com Previous studies on links between smoking, vaping and the coronavirus disease found that COVID-19 patients who smoked, in comparison to nonsmokers, are twice as likely to require mechanical ventilation and treatment in intensive care. Some studies also found that e-cigarettes weaken the ability of the lungs to fight viral infections.
(2020-08-11). Many Progressives Respond With Disappointment as Biden Picks Harris for VP. truthout.org Presumptive Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden has selected Sen. Kamala Harris of California as his vice-presidential running mate. | Harris, who herself ran for president in the Democratic primary races against Biden earlier this year, is just the fourth woman to be named to the ticket of a major political party in presidential politics and the third woman to be named a vice-presidential candidate. | While many on social media described Harris as an inspiring choice, others noted that her p…