Stuck in a Lift with John Pilger: News and How to Use It by Alan Rusbridger
Media Lens | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-12-08
Noticing the way journalists seemed unable to resist commenting on our work, even if it was just to slag us off, Glenn Greenwald tweeted us in 2012: 'You are really deeper in the heads of the British establishment-serving commentariat than anyone else — congrats.' ((Greenwald, Twitter, 12 September 2012.)) If that was true then, our relationship …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/12/stuck-in-a-lift-with-john-pilger-news-and-how-to-use-it-by-alan-rusbridger/
Black Mom Swarmed & Beaten by Philly Riot Police with Toddler in Car Demands Officers Be Fired
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-12-08
A Black mother who was attacked by a horde of Philadelphia police officers is speaking out about the harrowing experience. Rickia Young was driving an SUV with her 2-year-old son and teenage nephew on October 27 as the city was engulfed in protest over the police killing of Walter Wallace Jr. earlier that day. Officers descended on the vehicle, broke its windows, assaulted and arrested her and separated her from her child. Young's arrest went viral due to a shocking video of the police swarming her vehicle, and after the National Fraternal Order of Police — the country's largest police union — posted…
www.democracynow.org/2020/12/8/rickia_young_philadelphia_police_assault
Action for Change Starts in Congress
Ralph Nader | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-08
We know their names! We've given immense power to Five Hundred and Thirty-Five People to do good or bad. One Hundred Senators and Four Hundred and Thirty-Five Representatives. Unfortunately, some 1500 corporations control most Members of Congress. Think about all the dreams for a better world that could come to be realized if our elected officials…
counterpunch.org/2020/12/08/action-for-change-starts-in-congress/
France will build nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to replace Charles de Gaulle flagship, says Macron
rt.com | 2020-12-08
President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled plans for France's new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which will replace the navy's current flagship, the Charles de Gaulle, by 2038. | "Nuclear power will remain the cornerstone of our strategic autonomy," Macron said on Tuesday, as he visited the Framatome nuclear reactor construction plant in the eastern town of Le Creusot. | France's new carrier — its 11th in total — will boast speeds of up to 27 knots (50 km/h), weigh in at around 75,000 tons, and run some 300 meters long — about 1.5 times the size of the Charles de Gaulle. | pic.twitter.com/Js9uQfD…
rt.com/news/509058-france-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier/
After Uber and Lyft's Prop 22 Win, Big Tech Could Push Wave of Anti-Worker Laws
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-08
Image Credit: Facebook/Gig Workers Rising | Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft scored a major victory with the passage of Proposition 22 in California, and worker rights advocates fear they will push similar measures in other states. Prop 22 will exempt companies in the so-called gig economy from having to classify their workers in the state as employees rather than as independent contractors. Uber, Lyft and other companies that rely on gig workers spent more than $200 million to promote Prop…
truthout.org/video/after-uber-and-lyfts-prop-22-win-big-tech-could-push-wave-of-anti-worker-laws/
US Sanctions Have Caused Iranians Untold Misery — And Achieved Nothing
Negar Mortazavi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-08
"My young cousin passed away last week," an Iranian Twitter user recently lamented. "She needed medication for her cancer that doctors said can't be found." | The tweet tragically went on: "Maybe she'd be alongside her little daughter now if she …
globalresearch.ca/us-sanctions-caused-iranians-untold-misery-achieved-nothing/5731604
'Trolling to another level': Palestinians pose as Emiratis in Tel Aviv
Nur Ayoubi | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-07
'Trolling to another level': Palestinians pose as Emiratis in Tel Aviv | Israelis flock to Palestinian men in dishdashas for photographs in viral video praised for its humour | Nur Ayoubi | Mon, 12/07/2020 – 13: 14 | Palestinians wearing traditional Emirati clothes as they filmed themselves in Tel Aviv on Saturday (Screengrab/ Twitter) | Palestinian citizens of Israel are often subjected to hostility and suspicion in th…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-uae-pose-emirati-viral-video
FM Arreaza Rejects US Claims of Fraud at Venezuelan Elections
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-07
Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza Sunday rejected the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's statements about an alleged "fraud" at the National Assembly elections. | RELATED: | D6 Parliamentary Elections in Pictures: Orderly and Calm | "Pompeo must accept that the policy towards the Bolivarian nation has failed. According to President Donald Trump, the fraud was committed in the U.S. elections," Arreaza tweeted, alluding to the claims of the White House leader after…
telesurenglish.net/news/FM-Arreaza-Rejects-US-Claims-of-Fraud-at-Venezuelan-Elections-20201207-0005.html
US Congress And Corporate Media Claim Venezuela's Government Threatened To Starve Non-Voters
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-12-07
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US corporate media declared Venezuela's legislative elections a "sham" before results were even announced, opening a new front in the propaganda war on the besieged country and its leftist government. | Among the most blatant distortions deployed against President Nicolas Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) was a claim first advanced by Leopoldo López, the far-right, US-backed opposition leader who recently fled to Spain. | On Twitter, López tweeted a deceptively edited clip of Constituent Assembly President Diosdado Cabello addressing an election rally, and accu…
popularresistance.org/us-congress-and-corporate-media-claim-venezuelas-government-threatened-to-starve-non-voters/
Stuck In A Lift With John Pilger — 'News And How To Use It' by Alan Rusbridger
David Edwards | zcomm.org | 2020-12-07
Pilger tells the unfiltered, uncompromised truth about the foundations of power. His focus is on speaking up for the victims of power, not on serving power…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/stuck-in-a-lift-with-john-pilger-news-and-how-to-use-it-by-alan-rusbridger/
Arabic press review: Family of Egypt's Mubarak to sue EU over 'illegal sanctions'
Mohammad Ayesh | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-07
Arabic press review: Family of Egypt's Mubarak to sue EU over 'illegal sanctions' | Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia prepares for reconciliation with Qatar, Bashir's health deteriorates in jail, and video of Egyptian man throwing cash from balcony goes viral | Mohammad Ayesh | Mon, 12/07/2020 – 16: 38 | Gamal Mubarak (seen to right of his late father Hosni) said he will sue the Council of the European Union after winning…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/arabic-press-review-family-egypts-mubarak-sue-eu-over-illegal-sanctions
The First Amendment Fight Against the WeChat Ban
Ashley Gorski | aclu.org | 2020-12-07
Imagine waking up one day, unlocking your phone, and realizing that you could no longer send or receive messages through your favorite app. Or make or receive calls. Or scroll through your social media feed. Imagine that all of these functions were rolled into one essential app that you and your friends, family, and co-workers depended on, and that the U.S. government had decided to ban it., , That's exactly what the Trump administration is attempting to do with WeChat, a communications app that millions of people in the United States depend on to connect with friends, family, and business contacts across the…
aclu.org/news/free-speech/the-first-amendment-fight-against-the-wechat-ban
Egypt's new crackdown on powerful businessmen sparks criticism
Nadda Osman | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-07
Egypt's new crackdown on powerful businessmen sparks criticism | The arrest of the owner of a major chain of stores in Egypt follows a pattern of arrests of influential businessmen once allied with the Sisi government | Nadda Osman | Mon, 12/07/2020 – 13: 33 | Sayed Sowerky's Al-Tawhid wel Noor stores, selling household items and clothing, are found across Egypt (Screengrab/Social media) | The arrest of a prominent Eg…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-businessman-crackdown-sparks-criticism
As Sisi meets Macron, Egypt renews detention of human rights activist
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-07
As Sisi meets Macron, Egypt renews detention of human rights activist | A number of detained members of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights were released last week, but Zaki remains in custody pending similar charges | MEE and agencies | Mon, 12/07/2020 – 10: 39 | Patrick George Zaki has been in custody since 7 February upon his return from Italy, where he had been living and studying (Twitter) | A l…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/detention-egyptian-human-rights-activist-extended-third-time
Lebanese designer removes bag made from explosion debris after backlash
Nadda Osman | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-07
Lebanese designer removes bag made from explosion debris after backlash | The 'Silo' bag, which uses glass from August port blast, has been denounced as distasteful | Nadda Osman | Mon, 12/07/2020 – 15: 04 | The bag has been criticised online, with many calling it exploitative (Screengrab/Twitter) | A Lebanese accessories brand has come under fire after selling a "Silo" bag made from glass from the 4 August Beirut por…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/lebanon-beirut-explosion-port-debris-bag-silo-removed
The Canary's Kerry-Anne Mendoza On Censorship, Smear Campaign Against Left In The UK
Rania Khalek | thealtworld.com | 2020-12-06
Kerry-Anne Mendoza, the editor-in-chief of The Canary in the United Kingdom, was systematically targeted on Twitter and suspended. Her account has since been restored, but it was part of a larger campaign against left-wing voices in the UK. She joins Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola to discuss this censorship. | Throughout the show, Kerry-Anne contextualizes her experiences on Twitter by recapping what happened to Jeremy Corbyn, who came very close to becoming British prime minister. She describes the blacklisting of Jewish voices affiliated with the Labour Party because they support Palestinian rights and breaks…
thealtworld.com/rania_khalek/the-canarys-kerry-anne-mendoza-on-censorship-smear-campaign-against-left-in-the-uk
Review of Hensman's 'Indefensible'
Dave Markland | zcomm.org | 2020-12-06
Defense of the Easily Defensible By Dave Markland In 2018 Haymarket Books published Rohini Hensman's Indefensible: Democracy, Counter-revolution and Anti-imperialist Rhetoric. Its focus is on left journalists and analysts like John Pilger and the late Edward S. Herman who have committed the inexcusable sin of being overly suspicious of United States foreign policy. Many readers Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/review-of-hensmans-indefensible/
The 'witch hunt' against the socialist left continues on Twitter
Steve Topple | thecanary.co | 2020-12-06
People are claiming there's a coordinated " witch hunt" to silence left-wing voices on Twitter. The platform has been issuing suspensions, some of them high profile accounts. The latter included The Canary's editor-at-large Kerry-Anne Mendoza. But are people falling foul of Twitter's algorithms? Or is it something more sinister? And, is it really anything new, an…
thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2020/12/06/the-witch-hunt-against-the-socialist-left-continues-on-twitter/
'Will you reinstate bill that break international law?' UK environment secretary asked amid chaotic Brexit talks. YES, he says
rt.com | 2020-12-06
When asked if Boris Johnson's government would reinstate legislation "that breaks international law," the environment secretary readily agreed, leaving Twitter bewildered. The clauses were earlier rejected by the House Lords. | The UK's bitter divorce from the EU draws closer to a possible no-deal Brexit at the end of the year with both sides digging their heels in. On Monday, the British government is expected to reintroduce in Parliament the controversial Internal Markets Bill, which would be complete with the provisions directly reneging on the country's international commitments. The clauses in question we…
rt.com/uk/508837-london-breaking-brexit-agreement/
Ecuador's Democracy Threatened by Efforts to Exclude Popular Presidential Candidate Andrés Arauz
Harvey Goldberg | indybay.org | 2020-12-06
"It is important to understand the goals of the current government in regards to the election. First, they want to stop our presidential ticket from being on the ballot…removing us from the ballot would set a disastrous precedent for all of our Americas," said Andres Arauz, leading candidate for President of the Union for Hope. | Photo credit: @ecuarauz Twitter…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/12/05/18838801.php
Kennesaw State Uni Back to Normal Operations As Suspect in 'Armed Intruder Incident' Apprehended
sputniknews.com | 2020-12-06
‚ÄãAn "armed intruder" was reported on the Marietta Campus of Georgia's Kennesaw State University on Sunday, with the school's emergency management group quickly urging students to shelter via social media.
sputniknews.com/us/202012061081377438-georgias-kennesaw-state-university-warns-armed-intruder-on-campus-urges-students-to-shelter/
The Road to a More Just Society Runs Through Congress
Ralph Nader | commondreams.org | 2020-12-05
Think about all the dreams for a better world that could come to be realized if our elected officials worked for the big majority of Americans instead of for Big Business interests. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/congress_5.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/12/05/road-more-just-society-runs-through-congress?cd-origin=rss
New Zealand government denounces China's condemnation of Australian war crimes
wsws.org | 2020-12-05
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern did not condemn the murder of at least 39 unarmed people in Afghanistan by Australian special forces, but denounced a Chinese official's tweet that drew attention to these war crimes.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/12/05/nzaf-d05.html
WATCH: Man climbs Montparnasse Tower in Paris with BARE HANDS
rt.com | 2020-12-05
YouTube athlete Leo Urban skillfully climbed Paris' huge Montparnasse skyscraper with only his bare hands and no safety harness on Saturday, as daunting footage filmed by captivated eyewitnesses attests. | Impressively, Urban free-climbed the 58-floor building in less than an hour, as onlookers viewed the daring feat from below. | Multiple reporters captured footage of Urban scaling the massive building. | Certains profitent du confinement pour escalader la Tour #Montparnasse à mains nues… üôà…
rt.com/news/508805-climber-scales-paris-montparnasse-tower/
Video of Alleged Killing of 'Mossad Commander' in Tel-Aviv Goes Viral
sputniknews.com | 2020-12-05
According to unconfirmed reports, the killing of a man who was reportedly identified as a 45-year-old Israeli and a senior Mossad official, occurred in the Israeli capital city of Tel Aviv on Thursday evening.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202012051081371710-video-of-killing-of-alleged-mossad-commander-in-tel-aviv-goes-viral/
Trump Demands Names of 27 Congressional Republicans Who Acknowledged Biden's Victory
Kenny Stancil, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-12-05
Two right-wing lawmakers insist Trump won the election, while 220 GOP members of the House and Senate—roughly 88 percent of congressional Republicans—refuse to say either way. "Send me a list," Trump tweeted, "of the RINOs" who recognize Biden as the winner. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/trump_melania.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2020/12/05/trump-demands-names-27-congressional-republicans-who-acknowledged-bidens-victory?cd-origin=rss
Video: Japan's Hayabusa2 Capsule With Asteroid Samples Successfully Lands on Earth
sputniknews.com | 2020-12-05
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Hayabusa2 capsule containing samples from near-Earth asteroid Ryugu has been located in Australia after a successful landing, the Hayabusa2 sample return mission operated by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, said on Twitter.
sputniknews.com/science/202012051081372169-japans-hayabusa2-capsule-with-asteroid-samples-successfully-lands-on-earth/
MASSIVE blaze, EXPLOSIONS at gas plant near shopping mall in El Salvador (VIDEOS, PHOTOS)
rt.com | 2020-12-05
A gas plant just outside the country's capital San Salvador went up in flames on Saturday afternoon. Videos and photos of the blaze quickly surfaced on social media. There have been no reports of any victims or injuries. | A massive fire combined with explosions has been filmed near the Plaza Mundo mall, with authorities urging residents to avoid the area. | Nadie debe estar cerca de la zona, fuera de los cuerpos de socorro. | Las explosiones muy probablemente continuarán. Todos deben evacuar inmediatamente. pic.twitter.com/vmceoX6Flx– üá∏…
rt.com/news/508808-gas-plant-fire-salvador-explosion/