Daily Archives: June 18, 2020

2020-06-18: News Headlines

RT (2020-06-18). 'Nazi' or 'Antifa'? Trump campaign ads removed as Facebook rules RED TRIANGLE violated 'organized hate' policy. rt.com Several Donald Trump presidential campaign ads were axed by Facebook for violating its policy with a red triangle, which critics say is a Nazi reference. Conservatives insist it's meant to symbolize Antifa, crying political bias. | The ads in question were posted to the Facebook pages for the president, Vice President Mike Pence, and Team Trump, and blasted "Antifa" and "far-left mobs" for "destroying" American cities. | However, it's not the verbiage of the ads that has raised eyebrows, but rather an inverted red triangle seen right before social media users were asked to sign a petition celebrating Trump's d…

_____ (2020-06-18). Reporter Sues Newspaper For Prohibiting Her Coverage Of Protests. popularresistance.org A reporter in Pittsburgh is suing the newspaper she works for after the company prohibited her from covering the city's Black Lives Matter protests because of a tweet concerning the issue. The suit claims that Ms. Johnson was prevented from pursuing stories on jailed protesters or social-media efforts to raise bail funds after she posted a tweet on 31 May highlighting the different treatment black and white people regarding property damage. | "Horrifying scenes and aftermath from selfish LOOTERS who don't care about this city!!!!!" the tweet says. "…. oh wait sorry. "No, these are pictures from a Kenny Chesney…

Staff (2020-06-18). Rashad Robinson on Recent Spike in Hanging Deaths, the Cancellation of "Cops" & Boycotting Facebook. democracynow.org For more than a decade, the racial justice organization Color of Change led a push to cancel the long-running TV show "Cops," which glorifies police aggression. Now the show has been cancelled, along with A&E's "Live PD." "The thing about these shows is that they call themselves reality programming, but they are only from the vision of the police officers," says Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change. "These shows have served as a PR arm for law enforcement." He is now calling on Netflix to cancel "Border Security: America's Front Line."

RT (2020-06-18). 'I was ahead of our times': Trump says both he & CHAZ anarchists in Seattle opted for building BORDER WALL first. rt.com US President Donald Trump has pointed out that an anarchist community that took over a part of Seattle first built a barrier around it, choosing to take that as an endorsement of his wall on the US-Mexico border. | Taking to his social media of choice on Thursday, Trump styled himself as a true visionary as he half-jokingly suggested that the builders of the anarchist utopia (or dystopia, depending on one's point of view) in Seattle might have drawn inspiration from his own mega-project. | "First thing the anarchists did upon taking over Seattle was 'BUILD A WALL.' See, I was ahead of our times!" Trump tweeted…

RT (2020-06-18). 'Independent' Facebook fact-checker exposed as partisan smear factory packed with CNN alumni. rt.com Facebook fact-checker Lead Stories is a biased outfit bristling with ex-CNN staffers that presents itself as neutral, despite most of its employees having donated to the Democratic Party, a conservative outlet has revealed. | The National Pulse (TNP), whose story about supposed financial links between Black Lives Matter, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and fundraiser ActBlue was flagged as "partly false" by Lead Stories on Facebook, did some

RT (2020-06-18). About face: Northam is speaker for Virginia Dems even though they called for his resignation over blackface photo. rt.com Governor Ralph Northam is speaking for Virginia Democrats at an upcoming convention, a decision being blasted, because the same group had previously called for his resignation over a controversial blackface photo. | "We're honored to have @GovernorVA speaking at our virtual state convention coming up in just a few days!" the Democrat Party of Virginia wrote on Thursday, in a tweet that left many scratching their heads. | We're honored to have

yenisafak (2020-06-18). Five more Iraqi lawmakers test positive for coronavirus. yenisafak.com At least five more Iraqi members of parliament have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, local media reported on Thursday.Mahasin Hamdun Dali, Alaa Nasi and Laith Dulaimi from Mosul are among the lawmakers tested positive for the virus, Hoshiar Karadag, the head of the parliament, told reporters.The parliament would not be suspended due to the latest developments, Karadag added.Wahdi Jumeili, another lawmaker, also announced on social media that he tested positive for COVID-19.No information was provided regarding the identity of the fifth lawmaker, who contracted the virus.On Wednesday, an Iraqi medical so…

_____ (2020-06-18). Let's Not All Rush Out And Buy John Bolton's Book. strategic-culture.org The world of arts and letters is atwitter this week. John Bolton has a new book coming out—provided it can clear the gauntlet of Donald Trump's censorious rage, that is. Bolton's tome is called The Room Where It Happened, and despite what the title might suggest, it contains no details about the author's conception.

RT (2020-06-17). #WalkAway founder removed from flight for refusal to wear mask, as US airline trade group threatens to blacklist violators. rt.com Political activist Brandon Straka was removed from an American Airlines flight for refusing to wear a mask the day trade group Airlines for America announced that passengers who refuse to mask up can be blacklisted from flying. | Straka, a former Democratic Party member who very publicly left the party and started the #WalkAway movement, revealed he was removed from an American Airlines plane at Dallas Airport for refusing to wear a mask on Wednesday, noting on Twitter that it was the "1st time this has happened" to him, and complaining the mask requirement was "not a federal law." Flight attendants apparently…

Nick Licata (2020-06-17). Inside CHAZ: An "Autonomous" Three Block-Long Seattle Street Threatens America, What? counterpunch.org President Donald Trump from his New Jersey private golf club tweeted this past Friday morning June 12, that "The terrorists burn and pillage our cities." He was referring to demonstrators occupying three blocks along a single street, in Seattle's most culturally active neighborhood. Trump demanded that the mayor and governor, "Must end this Seattle takeover now!" Or else he would call in the army.

Eds. (2020-06-17). An "Autonomous" three block-long Seattle street threatens America — what? mronline.org President Donald Trump from his New Jersey private golf club tweeted this past Friday morning June 12, that "The terrorists burn and pillage our cities."

Manlio Dinucci (2020-06-17). Facebook Surrounds Africa. globalresearch.ca Many industries and service companies are failing or shrinking due to the lockdown and subsequent crisis. Instead, there are those who have gained from all this. Facebook, Google (YouTube owner), Microsoft, Apple and Amazon — writes The New York Times…

yenisafak (2020-06-17). Turkish ministers visit Libya, Tripoli government says. yenisafak.com Turkish government officials including the foreign and finance ministers arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday to meet Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), the GNA said in a Facebook post.Turkish support has been critical to the GNA in staving off a 14-month assault on Tripoli by the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Egypt.

yenisafak (2020-06-17). Turkish first lady marks desertification, drought day. yenisafak.com Turkey's first lady on Wednesday marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought that is celebrated annually on June 17 across the world."Land is life, love, homeland, our future. Our children do not deserve a world with depleted resources, rather blue sky, fertile lands and verdant forests," Emine Erdogan said on Twitter.This fact should be remembered again on the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, she stressed.Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations, according to the UN.Obse…

sputniknews (2020-06-17). White Balloon-Like UFO Spotted Over Northeastern Japan Sparks Plenty of Buzz on Social Media. sputniknews.com A mysterious white balloon-like unidentified flying object was spotted in the skies of Japan's northeastern city of Sendai in the Miyagi Prefecture on Wednesday, prompting some locals to report the mysterious incident to local authorities, according to Kyodo News.

sputniknews (2020-06-17). Civil Rights Groups Call for Facebook Boycott Over Platform's Failure to Address Hate Speech. sputniknews.com Several civil rights groups, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), have urged corporations to boycott advertising on Facebook in July because they believe the platform has failed to address hate speech.

_____ (2020-06-16). Parallels Between Minneapolis And Jerusalem Are More Than Skin Deep. popularresistance.org It is hard to ignore the striking parallels between the recent scenes of police brutality in cities across the United States and decades of violence from Israel's security forces against Palestinians. | A video that went viral late last month of a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, killing a black man, George Floyd, by pressing a knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes has triggered a fortnight of mass protests across the US — and beyond. | The footage was the latest disturbing visual evidence of a US police culture that appears to treat Black Americans as an enemy — and a reminder that rog…

Alan MacLeod (2020-06-16). Hawkish, Gov't funded think tank behind Twitter decision to delete thousands of Chinese accounts. mronline.org Twitter's decision came after close collaboration with a deeply controversial U.S. and Australian government-funded think tank that has been denounced by Australia's former ambassador in Beijing as "the architect of the China threat theory in Australia."

RT (2020-06-16). Trump's 'AIDS vaccine' gaffe torn apart on social media — but was it really a gaffe? rt.com US President Donald Trump is being savaged for praising the government scientists who'd "come up with the AIDS vaccine," with his haters holding it up as proof of incipient dementia. But it's not as outlandish as it sounds. | Trump made the remark during a press conference on Tuesday before signing an executive order on police reform, making a momentary diversion to update reporters on the progress towards a vaccine against Covid-19. Predicting researchers will have "a very successful vaccine, therapeutic, and cure" before the end of 2020, he hailed the "incredible scientists and doctors" who'd come up with "m…

RT (2020-06-16). Astronaut snaps stunning PHOTO of mysterious 'swirl' in Pacific Ocean. rt.com From their breathtaking vantage point hundreds of miles above Earth astronauts can get a unique perspective on our planet. The outpost allowed astronaut Doug Hurley to notice a mysterious swirling pattern in the ocean below. | Hurley, who only arrived on the International Space Station (ISS) in recent weeks, snapped the photograph after spotting the peculiar phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean from a height of about 408 kilometers (253 miles). | He shared a spectacular photo on Twitter, showing the strange swirl in all its glory. "This light blue ocean swirl caught my eye as we flew over the South Pacific," the as…

RT (2020-06-16). US extends border restrictions with Canada & Mexico. rt.com Canada and the US have agreed to extend their deal to keep the border closed to non-essential travel during the coronavirus pandemic until July 21. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday's agreement extends the closure by another 30 days. The restrictions were announced on March 18 and extended in April and May. | Americans who are returning to the US and Canadians who are returning to Canada are exempted from the border closure, the AP news agency said. The US-Canada border is the world's longest between two nations. | Mexico's Foreign Ministry tweeted on Tuesday that its government and that of t…

WSWS (2020-06-16). Parents speak out against rushed re-opening of schools in Australia. wsws.org The complicity of the education trade unions has left parents to express their concerns through social media, establishing Facebook pages and petitions.

Manlio Dinucci (2020-06-16). Facebook accerchia l'Africa. globalresearch.ca Molte industrie e società di servizi stanno fallendo o ridimensionandosi a causa del lockdown e della conseguente crisi. C'è invece chi ha guadagnato da tutto questo. Facebook, Google (proprietario di YouTube), Microsoft, Apple e Amazon — scrive The New York …

Manlio Dinucci (2020-06-16). O Facebook circunda a àÅfrica. globalresearch.ca Muitas indústrias e empresas de serviàßos està£o a falhar ou a redimensionar-se devido ao 'lockdown' e à crise consequente. Ao contrário, existe quem ganhou com tudo isto. O Facebook, Google (proprietário do YouTube), Microsoft, Apple e Amazon — escreve o …

RT (2020-06-15). Black people are 'terrified' of US cops who can pull trigger & walk free due to 'qualified immunity' — activists to RT. rt.com The black community in the US lives in constant fear of trigger-happy officers who routinely avoid responsibility for misconduct, activists told RT, insisting that real change can only be brought by action, not words and retweets. | "We keep hearing about how difficult the jobs of the officers are, but we don't hear enough about how scared black people are right now… What's getting lost in all this is the fact people are hurting right now," community advocate Dontaye Carter told RT. | We're terrified. | "I don't condone these riots, I don't condone these acts, but the reality is there's a lot of pain," he s…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-15). Facebook backs down from allowing ban on word 'unionize'. peoplesworld.org SAN JOSE, Calif.—Facebook has apparently backed down from guidance to firms using its office management app, Facebook Workplace, that they could ban the word "unionize." The ban was used as an example in an internal company memo telling customers such as Walmart — which is notorious for its hatred of unions and workers' rights — …

RT (2020-06-15). 'You up for it?' Ted Cruz wants to see 'Hellboy' Ron Perlman wrestle congressman as 'kneeling' debate takes bizarre turn. rt.com Texas Senator Ted Cruz has wagered big money that actor Ron Perlman couldn't survive in the wrestling ring with Congressman Jim Jordan. The bizarre bet stemmed from a heated row over kneeling during the national anthem. | The strange Twitter saga began with a drawn-out, vitriolic exchange between Perlman and a different lawmaker, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, after the TV and film star took offense to Gaetz's

Ian Cobain (2020-06-15). UK Counter-terror Programme Targeted "Black Asian Ethnic Minority" (BAME) Women Using Social Media "Influencers" globalresearch.ca More evidence is emerging of the British government developing motivational online media platforms targeted at young women as part of a covert counter-terrorism campaign. | Security officials have acknowledged that a Facebook page and Instagram account entitled

Brian Wakamo (2020-06-15). Instead of Bailing Out For-Profit Colleges, Congress Should Cancel Student Debt. commondreams.org Cancellation of student debt would also boost the broader economy by creating a huge financial stimulus. (Photo: YouTube/screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/studentdebt_0.jpg

Staff (2020-06-15). When White People Call the Cops on Black People, They Lay Bare Classic US Racism. truthout.org By now, everyone should be familiar with the incident in Central Park, when a white woman named Amy Cooper confronted a Black man named Christian Cooper (no relation) and called the police on him, claiming that he was threatening her. The incident was captured on a video that went viral, and the retribution to Amy Cooper was swift. She was excoriated on social media, fired from her job, temporarily had her dog taken from her (the same dog she refused to put on a leash), and now, Gov. Andre…

2020-06-18: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Reporter Sues Newspaper For Prohibiting Her Coverage Of Protests
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-06-18
A reporter in Pittsburgh is suing the newspaper she works for after the company prohibited her from covering the city's Black Lives Matter protests because of a tweet concerning the issue. The suit claims that Ms. Johnson was prevented from pursuing stories on jailed protesters or social-media efforts to raise bail funds after she posted a tweet on 31 May highlighting the different treatment black and white people regarding property damage. | "Horrifying scenes and aftermath from selfish LOOTERS who don't care about this city!!!!!" the tweet says. "…. oh wait sorry. "No, these are pictures from a Kenny Chesney…
popularresistance.org/reporter-sues-newspaper-for-prohibiting-her-coverage/

Rashad Robinson on Recent Spike in Hanging Deaths, the Cancellation of "Cops" & Boycotting Facebook
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-06-18
For more than a decade, the racial justice organization Color of Change led a push to cancel the long-running TV show "Cops," which glorifies police aggression. Now the show has been cancelled, along with A&E's "Live PD." "The thing about these shows is that they call themselves reality programming, but they are only from the vision of the police officers," says Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change. "These shows have served as a PR arm for law enforcement." He is now calling on Netflix to cancel "Border Security: America's Front Line."
www.democracynow.org/2020/6/18/rashad_robinson_corporate_response_blm

Brazil: Minister of Education announces his departure from Bolsonaro government
Brasil de Fato | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-06-18
Brazil's Minister of Education, Abraham Weintraub, announced on the afternoon of Thursday June 18 that he is stepping down from the government of Jair Bolsonaro. He made the announcement through a video published on Twitter, where he is standing next to the president. Until now there is still no information about the transition period with the position. | His fall comes after the minister participated in a series of anti democracy rallies principally against the Supreme Federal Court (STF). According to sources from the Planalto Palace, his…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/06/18/brazil-minister-of-education-announces-his-departure-from-bolsonaro-government/

'Nazi' or 'Antifa'? Trump campaign ads removed as Facebook rules RED TRIANGLE violated 'organized hate' policy
rt.com | 2020-06-18
Several Donald Trump presidential campaign ads were axed by Facebook for violating its policy with a red triangle, which critics say is a Nazi reference. Conservatives insist it's meant to symbolize Antifa, crying political bias. | The ads in question were posted to the Facebook pages for the president, Vice President Mike Pence, and Team Trump, and blasted "Antifa" and "far-left mobs" for "destroying" American cities. | However, it's not the verbiage of the ads that has raised eyebrows, but rather an inverted red triangle seen right before social media users were asked to sign a petition celebrating Trump's d…
rt.com/usa/492296-trump-ads-antifa-red-triangle-facebook/

Five more Iraqi lawmakers test positive for coronavirus
yenisafak.com | 2020-06-18
At least five more Iraqi members of parliament have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, local media reported on Thursday.Mahasin Hamdun Dali, Alaa Nasi and Laith Dulaimi from Mosul are among the lawmakers tested positive for the virus, Hoshiar Karadag, the head of the parliament, told reporters.The parliament would not be suspended due to the latest developments, Karadag added.Wahdi Jumeili, another lawmaker, also announced on social media that he tested positive for COVID-19.No information was provided regarding the identity of the fifth lawmaker, who contracted the virus.On Wednesday, an Iraqi medical so…
yenisafak.com/en/world/five-more-iraqi-lawmakers-test-positive-for-coronavirus-3532422

'I was ahead of our times': Trump says both he & CHAZ anarchists in Seattle opted for building BORDER WALL first
rt.com | 2020-06-18
US President Donald Trump has pointed out that an anarchist community that took over a part of Seattle first built a barrier around it, choosing to take that as an endorsement of his wall on the US-Mexico border. | Taking to his social media of choice on Thursday, Trump styled himself as a true visionary as he half-jokingly suggested that the builders of the anarchist utopia (or dystopia, depending on one's point of view) in Seattle might have drawn inspiration from his own mega-project. | "First thing the anarchists did upon taking over Seattle was 'BUILD A WALL.' See, I was ahead of our times!" Trump tweeted…
rt.com/usa/492302-trump-chaz-seattle-wall/

'Independent' Facebook fact-checker exposed as partisan smear factory packed with CNN alumni
rt.com | 2020-06-18
Facebook fact-checker Lead Stories is a biased outfit bristling with ex-CNN staffers that presents itself as neutral, despite most of its employees having donated to the Democratic Party, a conservative outlet has revealed. | The National Pulse (TNP), whose story about supposed financial links between Black Lives Matter, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and fundraiser ActBlue was flagged as "partly false" by Lead Stories on Facebook, did some digging on Wednesday to find out who was…
rt.com/usa/492294-lead-stories-factcheck-facebook-cnn/

About face: Northam is speaker for Virginia Dems even though they called for his resignation over blackface photo
rt.com | 2020-06-18
Governor Ralph Northam is speaking for Virginia Democrats at an upcoming convention, a decision being blasted, because the same group had previously called for his resignation over a controversial blackface photo. | "We're honored to have @GovernorVA speaking at our virtual state convention coming up in just a few days!" the Democrat Party of Virginia wrote on Thursday, in a tweet that left many scratching their heads. | We're honored to have @GovernorVA speaking at our virtual state convention coming up in just a few days! Be sure to stream it l…
rt.com/usa/492292-ralph-northam-blackface-virginia-democrats/

Let's Not All Rush Out And Buy John Bolton's Book
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-06-18
The world of arts and letters is atwitter this week. John Bolton has a new book coming out–provided it can clear the gauntlet of Donald Trump's censorious rage, that is. Bolton's tome is called The Room Where It Happened, and despite what the title might suggest, it contains no details about the author's conception.
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/06/18/lets-not-all-rush-out-and-buy-john-boltons-book/

#WalkAway founder removed from flight for refusal to wear mask, as US airline trade group threatens to blacklist violators
rt.com | 2020-06-17
Political activist Brandon Straka was removed from an American Airlines flight for refusing to wear a mask the day trade group Airlines for America announced that passengers who refuse to mask up can be blacklisted from flying. | Straka, a former Democratic Party member who very publicly left the party and started the #WalkAway movement, revealed he was removed from an American Airlines plane at Dallas Airport for refusing to wear a mask on Wednesday, noting on Twitter that it was the "1st time this has happened" to him, and complaining the mask requirement was "not a federal law." Flight attendants apparently…
rt.com/usa/492165-passengers-warned-flight-mask-airlines/

An "Autonomous" three block-long Seattle street threatens America — what?
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-06-17
President Donald Trump from his New Jersey private golf club tweeted this past Friday morning June 12, that "The terrorists burn and pillage our cities."
mronline.org/2020/06/17/an-autonomous-three-block-long-seattle-street-threatens-america-what/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-autonomous-three-block-long-seattle-street-threatens-america-what

Inside CHAZ: An "Autonomous" Three Block-Long Seattle Street Threatens America, What?
Nick Licata | counterpunch.org | 2020-06-17
President Donald Trump from his New Jersey private golf club tweeted this past Friday morning June 12, that "The terrorists burn and pillage our cities." He was referring to demonstrators occupying three blocks along a single street, in Seattle's most culturally active neighborhood. Trump demanded that the mayor and governor, "Must end this Seattle takeover now!" Or else he would call in the army.
counterpunch.org/2020/06/17/inside-chaz-an-autonomous-three-block-long-seattle-street-threatens-america-what/

Facebook Surrounds Africa
Manlio Dinucci | globalresearch.ca | 2020-06-17
Many industries and service companies are failing or shrinking due to the lockdown and subsequent crisis. Instead, there are those who have gained from all this. Facebook, Google (YouTube owner), Microsoft, Apple and Amazon — writes The New York Times…
globalresearch.ca/facebook-surrounds-africa/5716157

Turkish ministers visit Libya, Tripoli government says
yenisafak.com | 2020-06-17
Turkish government officials including the foreign and finance ministers arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday to meet Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), the GNA said in a Facebook post.Turkish support has been critical to the GNA in staving off a 14-month assault on Tripoli by the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Egypt.
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkish-ministers-visit-libya-tripoli-government-says-3532324

Turkish first lady marks desertification, drought day
yenisafak.com | 2020-06-17
Turkey's first lady on Wednesday marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought that is celebrated annually on June 17 across the world."Land is life, love, homeland, our future. Our children do not deserve a world with depleted resources, rather blue sky, fertile lands and verdant forests," Emine Erdogan said on Twitter.This fact should be remembered again on the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, she stressed.Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations, according to the UN.Obse…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkish-first-lady-marks-desertification-drought-day-3532322

White Balloon-Like UFO Spotted Over Northeastern Japan Sparks Plenty of Buzz on Social Media
sputniknews.com | 2020-06-17
A mysterious white balloon-like unidentified flying object was spotted in the skies of Japan's northeastern city of Sendai in the Miyagi Prefecture on Wednesday, prompting some locals to report the mysterious incident to local authorities, according to Kyodo News.
sputniknews.com/viral/202006171079645354-white-balloon-like-ufo-spotted-over-northeastern-japan-sparks-plenty-of-buzz-on-social-media/

Civil Rights Groups Call for Facebook Boycott Over Platform's Failure to Address Hate Speech
sputniknews.com | 2020-06-17
Several civil rights groups, including the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), have urged corporations to boycott advertising on Facebook in July because they believe the platform has failed to address hate speech.
sputniknews.com/society/202006171079645559-civil-rights-groups-call-for-facebook-boycott-over-platforms-failure-to-address-hate-speech/

Parallels Between Minneapolis And Jerusalem Are More Than Skin Deep
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-06-16
It is hard to ignore the striking parallels between the recent scenes of police brutality in cities across the United States and decades of violence from Israel's security forces against Palestinians. | A video that went viral late last month of a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, killing a black man, George Floyd, by pressing a knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes has triggered a fortnight of mass protests across the US — and beyond. | The footage was the latest disturbing visual evidence of a US police culture that appears to treat Black Americans as an enemy — and a reminder that rog…
popularresistance.org/parallels-between-minneapolis-and-jerusalem-are-more-than-skin-deep/

Hawkish, Gov't funded think tank behind Twitter decision to delete thousands of Chinese accounts
Alan MacLeod | mronline.org | 2020-06-16
Twitter's decision came after close collaboration with a deeply controversial U.S. and Australian government-funded think tank that has been denounced by Australia's former ambassador in Beijing as "the architect of the China threat theory in Australia."
mronline.org/2020/06/16/hawkish-govt-funded-think-tank-behind-twitter-decision-to-delete-thousands-of-chinese-accounts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hawkish-govt-funded-think-tank-behind-twitter-decision-to-delete-thousands-of-chinese-accounts

Parents speak out against rushed re-opening of schools in Australia
wsws.org | 2020-06-16
The complicity of the education trade unions has left parents to express their concerns through social media, establishing Facebook pages and petitions.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/06/16/teac-j16.html

Trump's 'AIDS vaccine' gaffe torn apart on social media — but was it really a gaffe?
rt.com | 2020-06-16
US President Donald Trump is being savaged for praising the government scientists who'd "come up with the AIDS vaccine," with his haters holding it up as proof of incipient dementia. But it's not as outlandish as it sounds. | Trump made the remark during a press conference on Tuesday before signing an executive order on police reform, making a momentary diversion to update reporters on the progress towards a vaccine against Covid-19. Predicting researchers will have "a very successful vaccine, therapeutic, and cure" before the end of 2020, he hailed the "incredible scientists and doctors" who'd come up with "m…
rt.com/usa/492058-trump-aids-vaccine-claim-coronavirus/

Trump's 'AIDS vaccine' gaffe torn apart on social media — but was it really a gaffe?
rt.com | 2020-06-16
US President Donald Trump is being savaged for praising the government scientists who'd "come up with the AIDS vaccine," with his haters holding it up as proof of incipient dementia. But it's not as outlandish as it sounds. | Trump made the remark during a press conference on Tuesday before signing an executive order on police reform, making a momentary diversion to update reporters on the progress towards a vaccine against Covid-19. Predicting researchers will have "a very successful vaccine, therapeutic, and cure" before the end of 2020, he hailed the "incredible scientists and doctors" who'd come up with "m…
rt.com/usa/492058-trump-aids-vaccine-claim-coronavirus/

Astronaut snaps stunning PHOTO of mysterious 'swirl' in Pacific Ocean
rt.com | 2020-06-16
From their breathtaking vantage point hundreds of miles above Earth astronauts can get a unique perspective on our planet. The outpost allowed astronaut Doug Hurley to notice a mysterious swirling pattern in the ocean below. | Hurley, who only arrived on the International Space Station (ISS) in recent weeks, snapped the photograph after spotting the peculiar phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean from a height of about 408 kilometers (253 miles). | He shared a spectacular photo on Twitter, showing the strange swirl in all its glory. "This light blue ocean swirl caught my eye as we flew over the South Pacific," the as…
rt.com/news/492046-astronaut-iss-mysterious-swirl-ocean-photo/

Former UK PM Cameron blasts BoJo's decision to merge Foreign Office and development department as a 'mistake'
rt.com | 2020-06-16
David Cameron has taken a swipe at Boris Johnson's decision to merge the Foreign Office and the overseas aid agency DfiD, saying it's a "mistake" that will lead to "less respect" being shown to Britain abroad. | Cameron, who served as prime minister between 2010 and 2016, expressed his objections to the move on Twitter, moments after Johnson addressed lawmakers in the House of Commons on Tuesday to confirm the major shake-up of Britain's foreign-policy priorities. | The former Tory leader conceded that more nee…
rt.com/uk/492025-david-cameron-boris-johnson-foreign-aid/

US extends border restrictions with Canada & Mexico
rt.com | 2020-06-16
Canada and the US have agreed to extend their deal to keep the border closed to non-essential travel during the coronavirus pandemic until July 21. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday's agreement extends the closure by another 30 days. The restrictions were announced on March 18 and extended in April and May. | Americans who are returning to the US and Canadians who are returning to Canada are exempted from the border closure, the AP news agency said. The US-Canada border is the world's longest between two nations. | Mexico's Foreign Ministry tweeted on Tuesday that its government and that of t…
rt.com/newsline/492044-us-border-canada-mexico/

O Facebook circunda a àÅfrica
Manlio Dinucci | globalresearch.ca | 2020-06-16
Muitas indústrias e empresas de serviàßos està£o a falhar ou a redimensionar-se devido ao 'lockdown' e à crise consequente. Ao contrário, existe quem ganhou com tudo isto. O Facebook, Google (proprietário do YouTube), Microsoft, Apple e Amazon — escreve o …
globalresearch.ca/o-facebook-circunda-a-africa/5716053

Facebook accerchia l'Africa
Manlio Dinucci | globalresearch.ca | 2020-06-16
Molte industrie e società di servizi stanno fallendo o ridimensionandosi a causa del lockdown e della conseguente crisi. C'è invece chi ha guadagnato da tutto questo. Facebook, Google (proprietario di YouTube), Microsoft, Apple e Amazon — scrive The New York …
globalresearch.ca/facebook-accerchia-lafrica/5716049

"He Wanted to Hurt Me": New York Protester Hospitalized After NY Officer Shoved Her to the Ground
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-06-15
In a rare development, a New York police officer has been charged with assault, criminal mischief, harassment and menacing, after a viral video showed him violently shoving a peaceful protester to the ground as he shouted an expletive and a misogynistic slur. We speak with Dounya Zayer about the attack she faced during a protest against police brutality in Brooklyn on May 29 and how she suffered a seizure and was hospitalized with a concussion. We're also joined by one of her attorneys, Tahanie Aboushi.
www.democracynow.org/2020/6/15/dounya_zayer_nypd_attack

Black people are 'terrified' of US cops who can pull trigger & walk free due to 'qualified immunity' — activists to RT
rt.com | 2020-06-15
The black community in the US lives in constant fear of trigger-happy officers who routinely avoid responsibility for misconduct, activists told RT, insisting that real change can only be brought by action, not words and retweets. | "We keep hearing about how difficult the jobs of the officers are, but we don't hear enough about how scared black people are right now… What's getting lost in all this is the fact people are hurting right now," community advocate Dontaye Carter told RT. | We're terrified. | "I don't condone these riots, I don't condone these acts, but the reality is there's a lot of pain," he s…
rt.com/usa/491814-black-terrified-police-qualified-immunity/

UK Counter-terror Programme Targeted "Black Asian Ethnic Minority" (BAME) Women Using Social Media "Influencers"
Ian Cobain | globalresearch.ca | 2020-06-15
More evidence is emerging of the British government developing motivational online media platforms targeted at young women as part of a covert counter-terrorism campaign. | Security officials have acknowledged that a Facebook page and Instagram account entitled Stoosh were created as …
globalresearch.ca/uk-counter-terror-programme-targeted-black-asian-ethnic-minority-bame-women-using-social-media-influencers/5715980

Facebook backs down from allowing ban on word 'unionize'
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2020-06-15
SAN JOSE, Calif.–Facebook has apparently backed down from guidance to firms using its office management app, Facebook Workplace, that they could ban the word "unionize." The ban was used as an example in an internal company memo telling customers such as Walmart — which is notorious for its hatred of unions and workers' rights — …
peoplesworld.org/article/facebook-backs-down-from-allowing-ban-on-word-unionize/

Infiltrating Antifa: The Feds And Their Long History Of Subversion
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-06-15
Antifa is a leaderless, direct action platform, making it unusually easy for police, intelligence groups, and rival organizations to infiltrate and frame for violence. For example, on the same day that Trump tweeted his wish to see Antifa banned, a livestreamer was forced to run away after he incited a New York BLM group to "flip" over a truck before the crowd called him out. | So, let's see how the federal authorities infiltrate, provoke, and subvert. As usual, the state is the most violent of all the institutions involved. It subverts and oppresses as methods of its survival. The state typically directs its ene…
popularresistance.org/infiltrating-antifa-the-feds-and-their-long-history-of-subversion/

'You up for it?' Ted Cruz wants to see 'Hellboy' Ron Perlman wrestle congressman as 'kneeling' debate takes bizarre turn
rt.com | 2020-06-15
Texas Senator Ted Cruz has wagered big money that actor Ron Perlman couldn't survive in the wrestling ring with Congressman Jim Jordan. The bizarre bet stemmed from a heated row over kneeling during the national anthem. | The strange Twitter saga began with a drawn-out, vitriolic exchange between Perlman and a different lawmaker, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, after the TV and film star took offense to Gaetz's assertion that US soccer shouldn't exist if the players aren't required to stand when the Star-Spangled Banner i…
rt.com/usa/491864-cruz-perlman-wrestle-joes-twitter/

Moms Against Poverty grants $600K aid to Iranian families affected by COVID-19
Tehran Times | iranian.com | 2020-06-15
Global charity organization Moms Against Poverty (MAP) has sent a shipment worth 25 billion rials (nearly $600,000 at the official rate of 42,000 rials) to help financially struggling families affected by the coronavirus in Iran, Karim Hemmati, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), said on Sunday. twitter.com/MAPworldwide/status/1270897018005622784 Moms Against Poverty is a global non-profit organization …
iranian.com/2020/06/15/moms-against-poverty-grants-600k-aid-to-iranian-families-affected-by-covid-19/