2020-11-02: News Headlines

Staff (2020-11-02). "We Never Made It to the Polls": Police in North Carolina Pepper-Spray Voting March, Arresting Eight. democracynow.org Police in Alamance County in North Carolina pepper-sprayed a peaceful get-out-the-vote march Saturday, descending on the crowd after they stopped near a Confederate monument to kneel in honor of George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis in May. Viral videos of the violent police action show officers in riot gear attacking the marchers, including young children and elderly people, who had intended to walk to a polling place on the last day of early voting in North Carolina. At least eight people were arrested, including march organizer Rev. Greg Drumwright, who says police gave the crowd of hundreds on…

RT (2020-11-02). 'This is our Europe': Macron voices 'shock & grief' over Vienna terror attack, warns 'enemies' will be dealt with. rt.com French President Emmanuel Macron insisted that Europe will not give into terror following a deadly attack in Austria's capital, voicing support for a "friendly country" while threatening retaliation for their shared "enemies." | "We French share the shock and grief of the Austrian people struck this evening by an attack in the heart of their capital, Vienna. After France, a friendly country is attacked," Macron said in a pair of tweets on Monday evening — one in French, the other in This is our…

Staff (2020-11-02). Police Pepper-Spray Marchers Heading to the Polls in North Carolina. truthout.org Police in Alamance County in North Carolina pepper-sprayed a peaceful get-out-the-vote march Saturday, descending on the crowd after they stopped near a Confederate monument to kneel in honor of George Floyd, who was killed by police in Minneapolis in May. Viral videos of the violent police action show officers in riot gear attacking the marchers, including young children and elderly people, who had intended to walk to a polling place on the last day of early voting in North Carolina. At least eight peop…

Raul Diego (2020-11-02). Freedom of Speech on the Internet is all but Extinct: Facebook's New "Free Speech Court" Is Anything but Independent. globalresearch.ca Freedom of speech on the Internet is all but extinct, and on the eve of the 2020 US elections, a de facto "free speech court" is going to make sure it never comes back. On Facebook at least. | ***…

_____ (2020-11-02). Feds Leverage Civil Disorder Charge Against George Floyd Protester. popularresistance.org Saint Paul, MN — Charges against an Illinois man facing federal felonies from this summer's uprising in Minneapolis showcase the tactics, techniques and procedures applied by the U.S. government against some of the more enthusiastic participants in the George Floyd rebellion. | Repressive responses by the federal government to anti-police protests illustrate the ease with which they can charge and indict people who document their own activities on social media. The case also shows how federal agencies are using their deep access to both physical and technical surveillance to nab targets associated with Geor…

Santa Cruz News Network (2020-11-02). Manu Koenig has not been honest about Civinomics. indybay.org In campaign materials, Manu Koenig has misrepresented his experience as CEO of Civinomics. Koenig, who is running for Santa Cruz County Supervisor in the First District, has stated on his campaign website that Civinomics was an "online voting platform" and that the company was retained in the past by the City of Santa Cruz simply to "conduct surveys". The truth is, the company was hired by the City in 2011 to actively market and promote a proposal to build a water desalination plant on the westside. Additionally, social media posts show that Civinomics, which was originally named Greenocracy, had advocated for de…

_____ (2020-11-01). Teacher's Viral Arrest Helped Stop Evictions. popularresistance.org Sophia Lukatya is a Chicago Public Schools teacher. She organizes with the Chicago Teachers Union and is a member of Democratic Socialists of America. During the Lift The Ban Coalition's protests in Daley Plaza this August, Lukatya was one of a dozen housing activists who were arrested in the week-long occupation. Positive press from the event—including a viral video of Lukatya and fellow DSA member Shannon Pilz—contributed to Governor Pritzker's decision to extend the eviction moratorium.

RT (2020-11-01). Late actor Sean Connery embroiled in ANOTHER liberal controversy after Trump tweets story claiming iconic Scot 'helped' him. rt.com President Trump tweeted his condolences for Sean Connery's family, saying he was "a tough character" who'd once helped him secure property planning in Scotland. But it only reignited the woke bashing of the "wife-beating" star. | "The legendary actor, 007 Sean Connery, has past [sic] on to even greener fairways," Trump tweeted on Sunday, a day after the actor's death at 90. | "He was quite a guy, and a tough character. I was having a very hard time getting approvals for a big development in Scotland when Sean stepped in and shouted, 'Let him build the damn thing,'" the president continued. | He said Connery's…

Steven Hill (2020-11-01). Can Facebook Be Used to Steal an Election? zcomm.org How to rein in Facebook and social media platforms…

Fight Back (2020-11-01). Large caravan through Miami demands end to Cuba blockade. fightbacknews.org Miami, FL – A caravan of some 60 cars and 15 bicycles made up a caravan against the Cuba blockade, October 25 in Miami. It was the fourth caravan here since July. Those in attendance overcame not only threats by right-wing Cubans in the area, but pouring rain in the early morning hours before the 8 a.m. departure. | Initiated by YouTube personality El Proteston Cubano, the caravan included other important individuals and organizations from within Miami's Cuban community, including the Jose Marti Cultural Association; YouTube personalities El Diez de Octubre and Yadira Escobar; a number of people formerly act…

sputniknews (2020-11-01). Over 1 Million People Vote Early in NYC, City's Board of Elections Says. sputniknews.com NEW YORK (Sputnik) – More than one million residents of New York City have voted early in the US presidential election, the NYC Board of Elections announced on Twitter.

Raul Diego (2020-10-31). From a wealthy socialite to an Israeli Govt censor, Facebook's new "Free Speech Court" is anything but independent. mronline.org Freedom of speech on the Internet is all but extinct, and on the eve of the 2020 U.S. elections, a de facto "free speech court" is going to make sure it never comes back. On Facebook at least.

The Canary (2020-10-31). Even the boss of the Police Federation is slating the government's coronavirus communications. thecanary.co The chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales has criticised the "briefing" of a potential lockdown to the media, claiming it had increased pressure on the emergency services. | John Apter, head of the organisation which represents more than 120,000 rank-and-file officers, called for "clear communication" on coronavirus measures. | He tweeted on Saturday morning: "To those briefing selective media on a potential national lockdown please understand the impact this has. It creates a media frenzy, causes confusion and ahead of any official announcement encourages some to make the most of their pre-lockd…

_____ (2020-10-31). Penguin Climate Activists Block Berlin Airport Opening. popularresistance.org Berlin – The climate justice group 'Am Boden bleiben', a member of the international Stay Grounded network, today blocks the opening of the new airport in Berlin with protest actions. The opening of the BER had been delayed for nine years, after a series of expensive construction and corruption issues. Am Boden bleiben carries out an action of civil disobedience and says that there is no room for new airports in times of climate crisis. You can follow the action live on the Twitter accounts of Am Boden bleiben and Stay Grounded.

Virginia Rodino (2020-10-30). Why I'm Voting Green in 2020. globalresearch.ca Author's note: Kevin and I worked on this article together right before his untimely passing on September 6. I met Kevin during Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign. Throughout the years since, I appreciated seeing his anti-imperialist and eco-socialist arguments strengthen …

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-10-30). Arabic press review: Egyptian photojournalist disappears after interrogation. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Egyptian photojournalist disappears after interrogation | Meanwhile, Sudan's foreign minister is criticised over normalisation with Israel, and a French MP demands action be taken against UAE as a 'tax haven' | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 14: 37 | Egyptian photojournalist Mohamed al-Rai has reportedly gone missing since Wednesday (Twitter) | Egypt: Detained photojournalist missing…

MEE staff (2020-10-30). Driver rams car into gate of Mecca's Grand Mosque. middleeasteye.net Driver rams car into gate of Mecca's Grand Mosque | Videos posted on social media show car driving into one of mosque's outer doors; local media report no casualties | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 22: 55 | Grand Mosque resumed congregational prayers earlier this month after seven-month hiatus amid coronavirus outbreak (AFP/File photo) | A driver rammed his car into the outer-perimeter gate of the Grand Mosque in Mecca la…

RT (2020-10-30). Instagram 'blocked French account of Iran's Khamenei' after he sent message to youths on Prophet Mohammed cartoons. rt.com A French-language Instagram account of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was temporarily blocked after posting a critical message to young people about controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, Iran's FARS news agency reported. | The page became inaccessible on Friday, two days after Khamenei's missive to "young French people" was posted on social media. In his address, the Ayatollah blasted French President Emmanuel Macron as "stupid" for insisting that caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed were in line with that country's values of freedom of speech. He also questioned why it was "OK" in France to insult the Prophe…

Nadda Osman (2020-10-30). Saudi G20 banknote angers India by depicting independent Kashmir. middleeasteye.net Saudi G20 banknote angers India by depicting independent Kashmir | New note, which celebrates G20 summit, has been criticised by New Delhi and reignited conversations about administration of territory | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 16: 25 | Banknote has caused controversy online (Screengrab/Social media) | A new 20 riyal note issued by Saudi Arabia to commemorate the kingdom's presidency of the G20 has sparked cont…

Nadda Osman (2020-10-30). Syrians forced into cages to queue for bread. middleeasteye.net Syrians forced into cages to queue for bread | The photos have highlighted the deteriorating economic situation faced by many Syrians | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 11: 35 | The images have sparked anger online, with the situation described as dehumanising and humiliating (Screengrab/Twitter) | Photos of people in Damascus being forced to wait in iron cages to queue for bread have sparked condemnation online. | Th…

Joe Glenton (2020-10-30). Public sceptical about housing minister Robert Jenrick's homelessness claims. thecanary.co Millionaire minister Robert Jenrick says the Tories are on a "moral mission" to end homelessness, and have worked wonders during the pandemic. The public is sceptical. | The Cambridge-educated housing minister, who, In a video released on Twitter, he praised the "national effort to support rough sleepers" during the pandemic, and that the government wanted "to end rough sleeping by the end of…

RT (2020-10-30). 'What next, a white Rosa Parks?' Internet clashes over black model cast to play English Queen Anne Boleyn. rt.com Black model Jodie Turner-Smith is set to play 16th-century Queen of England Anne Boleyn, who was, of course, a white woman. The head-scratching choice tore the Internet apart, many suggesting it amounted to cultural appropriation. | Turner-Smith's turn as the medieval monarch was announced on Friday. The project was described by entertainment outlet Deadline as being a three-part "convention-defying" psychological thriller by Channel 5, set to "shine a feminist light" on the life of Boleyn, famously sent to her death by her husband King Henry the Eighth. | Social media quickly began overflowing with complaints…

sputniknews (2020-10-30). Facebook Stopping Recommendations of New Groups Ahead of US Election. sputniknews.com The announcement comes the day after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed concerns about the possibility of civil unrest across the United States, as the voting is just days away.

Jonathan Cook (2020-10-30). Social Media's Erasure of Palestinians is a Grim Warning for our Future. dissidentvoice.org There is a growing unease that the decisions taken by social media corporations can have a harmful impact on our lives. These platforms, despite enjoying an effective monopoly over the virtual public square, have long avoided serious scrutiny or accountability. In a new Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, former Silicon Valley executives warn of a …

Jon Cohen (2020-10-30). The 'Very, Very Bad Look' of Remdesivir, the First FDA-approved COVID-19 Drug. globalresearch.ca October was a good month for Gilead Sciences, the giant manufacturer of antivirals headquartered in Foster City, California. On 8 October, the company inked an agreement to supply the European Union with its drug remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19—a …