Daily Archives: July 11, 2020

2020-07-11: News Headlines

Fight Back (2020-07-11). Workers and community supporters racist practices. fightbacknews.org Oshkosh, WI – 30 community members came out, July 8, to the leadership of the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh. Community s, artists, teachers, parents and children gathered fully on a corner armed with chalk, chants and messages of anti-racism and solidarity with the pro-Black Lives Matter workers. | When s erupted around the country in late May over the police killings of George Floyd and countless others, the Boys & Girls Club released a statement of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement on their social media accounts in early June. The workers, who have been impacted by these…

RT (2020-07-11). 'Heinous and unprovoked' stabbing spree on New York subway caught on VIDEO. rt.com Passengers on board a New York subway carriage were subjected to a brutal and unprovoked knife assault in broad daylight. The shocking incident was caught on video, and comes amid a crime surge in the Big Apple. | In the grisly footage, the suspect viciously attacked two men, knocking both to the floor of the carriage and slashing as they tried to fight back. One victim managed to get to his feet and drive the attacker away, but had a knife thrust into his torso in the scuffle. | WARNING: DISTURBING VIDEO | pic.twitter.com/wMdEDtUt4R— Andrea Catsimatidis (@AJ_Cats_) RT (2020-07-11). Anti-Trump camp in meltdown over VIDEO of dancing Roger Stone after his prison term's commuted. rt.com Political huckster Roger Stone celebrated the commutation of his prison sentence in typically flamboyant style: by gyrating to music in a video that went viral and hit a raw nerve with his opponents and those of President Trump. | Ensnared by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 'Russiagate' probe, Stone was sentenced in February to three years in prison for interfering with the investigation and tampering with witnesses — charges the long-time Republican maintained were baseless. Trump commuted his sentence on Friday — a move that doesn't overturn his conviction, but spares him a stint behind bars. | Fa…

RT (2020-07-11). Pizzagate 2.0? Wayfair forced to deny bizarre rumors its 'overpriced cabinets' are child trafficking front. rt.com Furniture marketplace Wayfair was forced to address accusations of sex trafficking after an elaborate Pizzagate-esque conspiracy drawing connections between the names of 'overpriced' items and 'missing children' went viral. | The speculation was apparently kicked off on Reddit with user PrincessPeach1987 posting a screenshot of the furniture seller's WFX Utility cabinet collection to the site's r/conspiracy forum that highlighted the sky-high prices (between $12,699.99 and $14,499.99 for a single cabinet) and the odd names — like Samiyah, Alyvia, Yaritza, and Neriah — which allegedly matched the name…

yenisafak (2020-07-11). UK 'stands with' all feeling Srebrenica genocide pain. yenisafak.com British administration on Saturday "reiterated the UK's commitment to supporting reconciliation across the Western Balkans," on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina."Today (11 July) marks twenty-five years since the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the worst atrocity in Europe since the end of the Second World War," a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) statement said."Today I stand with all who continue to feel unimaginable pain from the genocide 25 years ago at Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Twitter…

RT (2020-07-10). Twitter data-mining tool Dataminr fed police real-time info on Black Lives Matter ers, despite promises not to spy. rt.com An analytics firm parsing Twitter data in real time for law enforcement and media has been caught funneling detailed info on anti-police-brutality marches to the very agencies users are ing, despite promises not to. | Dataminr, a CIA-funded artificial intelligence startup that mines Twitter's real-time content stream for behavioral patterns and other analytics, has been caught feeding info on police brutality ers from that "firehose" stream back to law enforcement. While the developers had promised they wouldn't enable domestic surveillance after a series of scandals in 2016, Dataminr is once aga…

Glenn Greenwald (2020-07-10). Media Continue to Ignore That Both Parties Almost Always Agree That More War Is Good. commondreams.org Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. (Photo: Rep. Liz Cheney/Facebook) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cheneys1.jpg

Janine Jackson (2020-07-10). 'Hate Speech and Disinformation Flow on Facebook' – CounterSpin interview with Jessica González on Facebook's promotion of hate. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed Free Press's Jessica González about Facebook promoting hate for the Media…

RT (2020-07-10). Trump threatens to defund universities for 'Radical Left Indoctrination'. rt.com President Donald Trump has announced that the Treasury Department will examine the tax-exempt status of the US' universities and schools, accusing them of indoctrinating children with "Radical Left" ideology. | "Too many Universities and School Systems are about Radical Left Indoctrination, not Education," Trump tweeted on Friday. "Therefore, I am telling the Treasury Department to re-examine their Tax-Exempt Status and/or funding, which will be taken away if this Propaganda or Act Against Public Policy continues." … and/or Funding, which will be taken away if this Propaganda or Act Against Public Policy c…

Alan Macleod (2020-07-10). Private Prison Simulation Game Goes Viral on Apple App Store. mintpressnews.com With over two million people locked up across a sprawling network of private and public prisons, the US has by far the highest incarceration rate in the world, significantly worse than brutal dictatorships in Africa, Latin America or Central Asia.

teleSUR (2020-07-10). Sudan: Female Genital Mutilation Officially A Crime. telesurenglish.net Sudan's Sovereign Council, the highest ruling institution in the country, ratified on Friday a law criminalizing female genital mutilation (FGM). | RELATED: | The Justice Minister, Nasredeen Abdulbari, announced on his twitter account that a series of laws had been finally approved by the council, among them, the amendment to the Criminal Law article 141. | The draft law, which criminalizes Female Genital Mutilation…

Louis Proyect (2020-07-10). Harper's and the Great Cancel Culture Panic. counterpunch.org You can imagine my chagrin when I discovered that Harper's, a magazine that I have subscribed to since the early 80s, provided a platform for "A Letter on Justice and Open Debate." The open letter was a denunciation of "cancel culture" in the name of liberal values as if angry Tweets by mostly powerless young

_____ (2020-07-10). Trump Threatens To Cut Funding For Schools That Don't Reopen. popularresistance.org President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are threatening to cut off federal funding to schools that do not open their doors this fall due to coronavirus concerns. | In a recent Tweet he suggests it is a Democrat ploy to hurt him politically by tweeting: "In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families." In a conference call with governors across the country, Devos stated: "Risk is involved in ever…

Ricardo Vaz (2020-07-10). [UPDATED] Venezuela: Oil Minister, PSUV Vice President Test Positive for COVID-19. venezuelanalysis.com The senior Chavista figures made the announcement on Twitter.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-07-09). Humanity on Track to Soon Hit 1.5 ∫C Paris Accord Limit as Atmospheric CO2 Nears Level Not Seen in 15 Million Years. commondreams.org "It's still not too late to avoid the worst effects of the #ClimateEmergency. But governments need to act NOW," tweeted Green. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11526646731.jpg

John Logan (2020-07-09). Facebook and Its Big Tech Cronies Are Upgrading Their Anti-Union Tools. zcomm.org If workers continue to organize, it's possible that Big Tech's big brother surveillance tools may not be sufficient to quell these collective voices of …

Mark Gruenberg, John Wojcik (2020-07-09). Supreme Court rules today: Trump is not above the law! peoplesworld.org President Trump took to Twitter in a rant today after the Supreme Court, in two 7-2 decisions. said the president is not entitled to immunity from congressional and grand jury subpoenas for his tax and financial information. In his rant, Trump called the rulings rejecting his claims that he is essentially above the law "unfair." …

Éric Toussaint (2020-07-09). Reply to the letter by Philippe, King of the Belgians, about Belgium's responsibility in the exploitation of the Congolese people. mronline.org On 30 June 2020, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the former Belgian Congo's independence, the news went viral over the planet: Philippe, King of the Belgians, had conveyed regrets for the colonial past, and particularly for the time when Leopold II owned the Congo as a personal possession (1885-1908), to the Congolese …

RT (2020-07-09). 'Pull up your pants & finish school': Would CNN's Don Lemon cancel himself over shockingly unwoke 2013 tips to black community? rt.com A vintage clip of CNN anchor Don Lemon telling black people to act civilized and disregard "street culture" has the woke pundit's detractors' jaws on the floor, wondering what happened to him over the intervening seven years. | In the 2013 clip, Lemon praises Fox News host Bill O'Reilly as the Republican pundit decries the "disintegration of the African-American family," even arguing O'Reilly "doesn't go far enough" when he denounces "street culture." The video was posted to social media by "Panda Tribune" on Wednesday and quickly circulated among conservatives, who had a hard time reconciling this Lemon with…

RT (2020-07-09). Not a 'racist' plan anymore? Democrats rejoice over Biden's $700bn 'Buy American' promise. rt.com Joe Biden unveiled a $700 billion 'Buy American' initiative, drawing praise from both liberals and conservatives on social media, but some noted that similar plans by the Trump administration were previously framed as 'racist.' | Biden's economic pitch includes plans for a $400 billion, four-year increase in government spending on US-made goods and services — topped by a $300 billion investment in research and development for US technology. | "This will be the largest mobilization of public investments in procurement, infrastructure and (research and development) since World War II," Biden's senior advise…

RT (2020-07-09). Series of 'explosions & power outages' reported near Tehran. rt.com A series of explosions have rocked the outskirts of the Iranian capital Tehran, as well as the cities of Garmdareh and Quds, Iranian media reported amid speculation that missile depots were the intended target. | Citing social media, official news agency IRIB reported an explosion in western Tehran in the early hours of Friday local time. More explosions were reported in Garmdareh and Quds, the Mehr News Agency added. | Saudi-based Al-Arabiya television reported that the explosion took place in missile depots of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), southwest of Tehran. Iranian officials have neithe…

RT (2020-07-09). 'Much higher' death rate than Covid-19: Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan warns of dangerous local pneumonia. rt.com The Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan has warned its citizens in the Central Asian country to exercise caution amid a large outbreak of viral pneumonia, which appears to be deadlier than the new coronavirus. | Between Covid-19 and the pneumonia outbreak, the diplomats described the health situation in Kazakhstan as "very grim." Since the start of the year, 1,772 people have died of pneumonia in the country. In June alone, there were 628 fatalities, including Chinese citizens, a statement on the embassy's website reads. | "The mortality rate of the disease is much higher than that of the new coronavirus pneumonia,"

Eric Alterman (2020-07-09). Facebook Fuels Its Users' Ignorance With Lies. thenation.com Facebook Fuels Its Users' Ignorance With Lies…

teleSUR (2020-07-09). Bolivia: Interim President àÅñez Tests Positive for COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's de facto president Jeanine àÅñez Thursday announced via her Twitter account that she had tested positive to COVID-19 while other members of her team are infected as well. | RELATED: | "I feel well, I feel strong, I am going to keep working remotely from my isolation, and I want to thank all the Bolivians who are working to help us in this health crisis," àÅñez said as COVID-19 cases have spiked in the…

teleSUR (2020-07-09). Venezuela: Diosdado Cabello Has Tested COVID-19 Positive. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's National Assembly (ANC) president Diosdado Cabello Thursday reported he has tested COVID-19 positive. | RELATED: | "Dear comrades, I would like to inform you that after taking the corresponding tests I have tested positive for COVID-19," Cabello tweeted. | Cabello suspended Wednesday broadcasts of his TV show "Con el Mazo Dando," alleging he had allergies. After testing results, he remains in isolatio…

yenisafak (2020-07-09). Fashion giant apologizes for selling Muslim prayer mats with Kaaba motif as 'Greek carpets'. yenisafak.com Online fashion retailer Shein has issued a public apology after facing fierce backlash for selling Muslim prayer mats as a home decorative item on its official site, despite many of the rugs bearing motifs of Islamic holy sites.The fast-fashion retailer came under fire after its products caught the eye of a journalism student from the University of Salford, Khadija Rizvi, who posted now-viral screenshots of the mats on social media. Many of the Muslim mats, which were advertised as "frilled Greek carpets," bore motifs of mosques and the Ka'aba, which is considered the most sacred Islamic site by Muslims around th…

yenisafak (2020-07-09). Pakistan slams 'mischievous' rumors of official's death. yenisafak.com Pakistan on Thursday denounced "mischievous" attempts to change the Wikipedia page of its top diplomat to say he had died a day after testing positive for the novel coronavirus."We strongly condemn attempts by mischievous elements to hack Wikipedia page of FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi spread rumours on social media about his health well-being," tweeted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Aisha Farooqui, underlining that Qureshi was quickly recovering from the virus.The ministry posted the screenshot of the edited version of Qureshi's page reading that he died on July 4.On July 3, Qureshi tested positive for the coronavirus a…

RT (2020-07-08). 'God made you impotent for a reason': Viagra rises to top Twitter trend after SCOTUS ruling on birth control healthcare mandate. rt.com If pregnancy is God's will, so is erectile dysfunction, argued critics of the new US Supreme Court ruling that allowed employers to exclude birth control from health insurance plans on religious or moral grounds. | On Wednesday, the court upheld a Trump administration rule which allows employers to opt out of an Obamacare mandate to cover birth control in their insurance plans. Amid an impassioned social media outpouring from both supporters and detractors, came a flood of comments pointing out that erectile dysfunction drug Viagra will still be covered. | Many critics seized on that to argue that SCOTUS favor…

RT (2020-07-08). Facebook bans accounts linked to Roger Stone, Proud Boys & Brazil's Bolsonaro in fight against 'coordinated inauthentic behavior'. rt.com Facebook has banned dozens of pages allegedly linked to ex-Trump adviser and Republican operative Roger Stone, as well as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, in its relentless battle against political 'misinformation networks'. | The 100-account network said to be linked to Stone, a Florida resident, was discovered in the course of an investigation into the right-wing group Proud Boys, banned from Facebook years ago, the social media behemoth

RT (2020-07-08). Bella Hadid says Instagram CANCELED her post because she mentioned 'Palestine'. rt.com Supermodel Bella Hadid has called out Instagram, after it deleted a post honoring her father "and his birthplace of Palestine." The Facebook-owned company said…

RT (2020-07-08). Trump threatens to CUT FUNDING for schools that don't reopen amid Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com US President Donald Trump has warned schools that their funding may be cut if they choose to remain closed in the autumn — apparently to the benefit of his political opponents — because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. | "The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election," Trump tweeted on Wednesday, adding that he "may cut off funding" if schools refuse to reopen. | In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before th…

RT (2020-07-08). Met chief Cressida Dick apologizes to Team GB's Bianca Williams over viral 'stop and search' incident. rt.com Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick has apologized for "distress" caused during the stop and search of Team GB sprinter Bianca Williams and her partner Ricardo dos Santos, footage of which went viral. | The couple were pulled over, removed from their Mercedes and handcuffed, leaving their three-month-old son in the car. Met police claimed the vehicle had been driving suspiciously, "made off at speed," and was "travelling on the wrong side of the road," in addition to having "blacked out windows." | Williams denies the police claims, saying, "This isn't the first or fourth or fifth time &#…

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-07-08). Patriotism Is Bullshit, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com It is 2021. The Biden administration has launched a full-scale invasion of Syria and the US and Russia are at a nuclear standoff unseen since the Cuban missile crisis. All top Twitter trends relate to the widespread debate over whether or not Sesame Street is guilty of kink shaming. | ~ | A vote for Kanye is a vote for Trump. | A vote for the Green Party is a vote for Trump. | A vote for no one is a vote for Trump. | A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Trump. | Everything is a vote for Trump. | Everything is Trump. | You are Trump. | I am Trump. | Trump is all there is. | There is no escape. | ~ | Leaving aside th…

Alan Macleod (2020-07-08). TikTok Could Become Latest Victim of US War on Chinese Competition. mintpressnews.com A potential US ban on TikTok comes amid a rise in anti-China warmongering that suggests the move has more to do with re-establishing American dominance over social media than concerns over privacy.

commondreams (2020-07-08). Facebook's Civil Rights Audit Shows Need for Reforms. commondreams.org ______________________________…

commondreams (2020-07-08). Even Facebook's Own Audit Proves Its Business Model Is Toxic. commondreams.org ______________________________…

sputniknews (2020-07-08). Facebook Pressured Towards Censorship Based on Civil Rights Claims. sputniknews.com On this episode of the Critical Hour, host Garland Nixon talks to Margaret Kimberley about pressure Facebook is facing to censor by Civil Rights groups and others.

Staff (2020-07-08). Fauci Says Trump's Focus on COVID Deaths is "False Narrative to Take Comfort In" truthout.org Speaking during a Facebook Live event on Tuesday, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House's coronavirus task force, seemingly contradicted notions put forth by President Donald Trump about the death rates from the disease. | Trump, also on Tuesday,

Staff (2020-07-08). Trump Threatens to Cut Funding for Schools If They Don't Reopen in the Fall. truthout.org President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday morning to cut federal funding to schools that choose not to reopen their doors this fall in response to concerns about coronavirus. | Trump tweeted his dismay that U.S. schools couldn't reopen the way that other countries in the world were able to do so, and suggested refusing to start classes back up was a ploy by Democrats to hurt him in a political way. | "In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PR…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2020-07-08). Civil Rights Groups Say Internal Facebook Audit Confirms Company Business Model 'Relies on Racism and Hate'. commondreams.org "There are real-life consequences when social media networks provide platforms for violent white supremacists, allowing them to incubate, organize, and recruit new followers to their hateful movements." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/facebook_1.jpeg

2020-07-11: 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.)

Workers and community supporters racist practices
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-07-11
Oshkosh, WI – 30 community members came out, July 8, to the leadership of the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh. Community s, artists, teachers, parents and children gathered fully on a corner armed with chalk, chants and messages of anti-racism and solidarity with the pro-Black Lives Matter workers. | When s erupted around the country in late May over the police killings of George Floyd and countless others, the Boys & Girls Club released a statement of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement on their social media accounts in early June. The workers, who have been impacted by these…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/7/11/workers-and-community-supporters–racist-practices

UK 'stands with' all feeling Srebrenica genocide pain
yenisafak.com | 2020-07-11
British administration on Saturday "reiterated the UK's commitment to supporting reconciliation across the Western Balkans," on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina."Today (11 July) marks twenty-five years since the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the worst atrocity in Europe since the end of the Second World War," a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) statement said."Today I stand with all who continue to feel unimaginable pain from the genocide 25 years ago at Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Twitter…
yenisafak.com/en/world/uk-stands-with-all-feeling-srebrenica-genocide-pain-3534190

Pizzagate 2.0? Wayfair forced to deny bizarre rumors its 'overpriced cabinets' are child trafficking front
rt.com | 2020-07-11
Furniture marketplace Wayfair was forced to address accusations of sex trafficking after an elaborate Pizzagate-esque conspiracy drawing connections between the names of 'overpriced' items and 'missing children' went viral. | The speculation was apparently kicked off on Reddit with user PrincessPeach1987 posting a screenshot of the furniture seller's WFX Utility cabinet collection to the site's r/conspiracy forum that highlighted the sky-high prices (between $12,699.99 and $14,499.99 for a single cabinet) and the odd names — like Samiyah, Alyvia, Yaritza, and Neriah — which allegedly matched the name…
rt.com/usa/494461-wayfair-child-trafficking-conspiracy-pizzagate/

Anti-Trump camp in meltdown over VIDEO of dancing Roger Stone after his prison term's commuted
rt.com | 2020-07-11
Political huckster Roger Stone celebrated the commutation of his prison sentence in typically flamboyant style: by gyrating to music in a video that went viral and hit a raw nerve with his opponents and those of President Trump. | Ensnared by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 'Russiagate' probe, Stone was sentenced in February to three years in prison for interfering with the investigation and tampering with witnesses — charges the long-time Republican maintained were baseless. Trump commuted his sentence on Friday — a move that doesn't overturn his conviction, but spares him a stint behind bars. | Fa…
rt.com/usa/494488-roger-stone-dancing-video/

Twitter data-mining tool Dataminr fed police real-time info on Black Lives Matter ers, despite promises not to spy
rt.com | 2020-07-10
An analytics firm parsing Twitter data in real time for law enforcement and media has been caught funneling detailed info on anti-police-brutality marches to the very agencies users are ing, despite promises not to. | Dataminr, a CIA-funded artificial intelligence startup that mines Twitter's real-time content stream for behavioral patterns and other analytics, has been caught feeding info on police brutality ers from that "firehose" stream back to law enforcement. While the developers had promised they wouldn't enable domestic surveillance after a series of scandals in 2016, Dataminr is once aga…
rt.com/usa/494326-dataminr-twitter-ers-police/

Private Prison Simulation Game Goes Viral on Apple App Store
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-07-10
With over two million people locked up across a sprawling network of private and public prisons, the US has by far the highest incarceration rate in the world, significantly worse than brutal dictatorships in Africa, Latin America or Central Asia. | MPN– A new game called "Prison Empire Tycoon" is going viral. Released in late May, it has risen to become the current number one strategy game in Apple's App Store and has been among the top 20 most popular games overall since its launch, with at lea…
thealtworld.com/alan_macleod/private-prison-simulation-game-goes-viral-on-apple-app-store

Private Prison Simulation Game Goes Viral on Apple App Store
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-07-10
With over two million people locked up across a sprawling network of private and public prisons, the US has by far the highest incarceration rate in the world, significantly worse than brutal dictatorships in Africa, Latin America or Central Asia.
mintpressnews.com/private-prison-simulation-game-goes-viral-on-apple-app-store/269324/

Media Continue to Ignore That Both Parties Almost Always Agree That More War Is Good
Glenn Greenwald | commondreams.org | 2020-07-10
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. (Photo: Rep. Liz Cheney/Facebook) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/cheneys1.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2020/07/10/media-continue-ignore-both-parties-almost-always-agree-more-war-good?cd-origin=rss

'Hate Speech and Disinformation Flow on Facebook' – CounterSpin interview with Jessica González on Facebook's promotion of hate
Janine Jackson | fair.org | 2020-07-10
Janine Jackson interviewed Free Press's Jessica González about Facebook promoting hate for the July 3, 2020, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
fair.org/home/hate-speech-and-disinformation-flow-on-facebook/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hate-speech-and-disinformation-flow-on-facebook

The Movie Villain/The Actual Villain
Caitlin Johnstone | thealtworld.com | 2020-07-10
There's a meme going around on Twitter again called "The Movie Villain/The Actual Villain", where people post an image of someone in a movie or a show and then an image of who they think the real bad guy is. Some are getting creative with it and showing people and things in our general society that have been widely regarded as "villains", versus who the actual villain is in real life. You'll get the idea in a minute. | Anyway, here are my contributions: | The Movie…
thealtworld.com/caitlin_johnston/the-movie-villain-the-actual-villain

Sudan: Female Genital Mutilation Officially A Crime
telesurenglish.net | 2020-07-10
Sudan's Sovereign Council, the highest ruling institution in the country, ratified on Friday a law criminalizing female genital mutilation (FGM). | RELATED: | Sudan Demonstrators Back to the Streets Over Political Reforms | The Justice Minister, Nasredeen Abdulbari, announced on his twitter account that a series of laws had been finally approved by the council, among them, the amendment to the Criminal Law article 141. | The draft law, which criminalizes Female Genital Mutilation…
telesurenglish.net/news/Sudan-Female-Genital-Mutilation-Officially-A-Crime-20200710-0013.html

Harper's and the Great Cancel Culture Panic
Louis Proyect | counterpunch.org | 2020-07-10
You can imagine my chagrin when I discovered that Harper's, a magazine that I have subscribed to since the early 80s, provided a platform for "A Letter on Justice and Open Debate." The open letter was a denunciation of "cancel culture" in the name of liberal values as if angry Tweets by mostly powerless young…
counterpunch.org/2020/07/10/harpers-and-the-great-cancel-culture-panic/

Trump Threatens To Cut Funding For Schools That Don't Reopen
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-07-10
President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are threatening to cut off federal funding to schools that do not open their doors this fall due to coronavirus concerns. | In a recent Tweet he suggests it is a Democrat ploy to hurt him politically by tweeting: "In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families." In a conference call with governors across the country, Devos stated: "Risk is involved in ever…
popularresistance.org/trump-threatens-to-cut-funding-for-schools-that-dont-reopen/

[UPDATED] Venezuela: Oil Minister, PSUV Vice President Test Positive for COVID-19
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-07-10
The senior Chavista figures made the announcement on Twitter.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14938

Trump threatens to defund universities for 'Radical Left Indoctrination'
rt.com | 2020-07-10
President Donald Trump has announced that the Treasury Department will examine the tax-exempt status of the US' universities and schools, accusing them of indoctrinating children with "Radical Left" ideology. | "Too many Universities and School Systems are about Radical Left Indoctrination, not Education," Trump tweeted on Friday. "Therefore, I am telling the Treasury Department to re-examine their Tax-Exempt Status and/or funding, which will be taken away if this Propaganda or Act Against Public Policy continues." | … and/or Funding, which will be taken away if this Propaganda or Act Against Public Policy c…
rt.com/usa/494437-trump-cut-university-funding-indoctrination/

Humanity on Track to Soon Hit 1.5 ∫C Paris Accord Limit as Atmospheric CO2 Nears Level Not Seen in 15 Million Years
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-07-09
"It's still not too late to avoid the worst effects of the #ClimateEmergency. But governments need to act NOW," tweeted Green. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11526646731.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2020/07/09/humanity-track-soon-hit-15oc-paris-accord-limit-atmospheric-co2-nears-level-not-seen?cd-origin=rss

Facebook and Its Big Tech Cronies Are Upgrading Their Anti-Union Tools
John Logan | zcomm.org | 2020-07-09
If workers continue to organize, it's possible that Big Tech's big brother surveillance tools may not be sufficient to quell these collective voices of …
zcomm.org/znetarticle/facebook-and-its-big-tech-cronies-are-upgrading-their-anti-union-tools/

Supreme Court rules today: Trump is not above the law!
Mark Gruenberg, John Wojcik | peoplesworld.org | 2020-07-09
President Trump took to Twitter in a rant today after the Supreme Court, in two 7-2 decisions. said the president is not entitled to immunity from congressional and grand jury subpoenas for his tax and financial information. In his rant, Trump called the rulings rejecting his claims that he is essentially above the law "unfair." …
peoplesworld.org/article/supreme-court-rules-today-trump-is-not-above-the-law/

Facebook: "serious setbacks for civil rights"
Terry Everton | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-07-09
The Verge reports: A team of civil rights auditors has delivered a scathing and unexpected indictment of Facebook's recent moderation choices after a two-year examination of the platform's practices and internal policies. "While the audit process has been meaningful and has led to some significant improvements in the platform," the report reads, "we have also …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/07/facebook-serious-setbacks-for-civil-rights/

Facebook Fuels Its Users' Ignorance With Lies
Eric Alterman | thenation.com | 2020-07-09
Facebook Fuels Its Users' Ignorance With Lies…
thenation.com/article/society/facebook-ads-politics/

Bolivia: Interim President àÅñez Tests Positive for COVID-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-07-09
Bolivia's de facto president Jeanine àÅñez Thursday announced via her Twitter account that she had tested positive to COVID-19 while other members of her team are infected as well. | RELATED: | Bolivia's Crisis: Hospital Will No Longer Receive Patients | "I feel well, I feel strong, I am going to keep working remotely from my isolation, and I want to thank all the Bolivians who are working to help us in this health crisis," àÅñez said as COVID-19 cases have spiked in the…
telesurenglish.net/news/Bolivia-Interim-President-Anez-Tested-Positive-To-Covid-19-20200709-0012.html

Venezuela: Diosdado Cabello Has Tested COVID-19 Positive
telesurenglish.net | 2020-07-09
Venezuela's National Assembly (ANC) president Diosdado Cabello Thursday reported he has tested COVID-19 positive. | RELATED: | Two Sides of the Same Coin: VenezolanosConBiden and MAGAzuela | "Dear comrades, I would like to inform you that after taking the corresponding tests I have tested positive for COVID-19," Cabello tweeted. | Cabello suspended Wednesday broadcasts of his TV show "Con el Mazo Dando," alleging he had allergies. After testing results, he remains in isolatio…
telesurenglish.net/news/venezuela-diosdado-cabello-has-tested-covid19-positive-20200709-0011.html

Reply to the letter by Philippe, King of the Belgians, about Belgium's responsibility in the exploitation of the Congolese people
Éric Toussaint | mronline.org | 2020-07-09
On 30 June 2020, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the former Belgian Congo's independence, the news went viral over the planet: Philippe, King of the Belgians, had conveyed regrets for the colonial past, and particularly for the time when Leopold II owned the Congo as a personal possession (1885-1908), to the Congolese …
mronline.org/2020/07/09/reply-to-the-letter-by-philippe-king-of-the-belgians-about-belgiums-responsibility-in-the-exploitation-of-the-congolese-people/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reply-to-the-letter-by-philippe-king-of-the-belgians-about-belgiums-responsibility-in-the-exploitation-of-the-congolese-people

Fashion giant apologizes for selling Muslim prayer mats with Kaaba motif as 'Greek carpets'
yenisafak.com | 2020-07-09
Online fashion retailer Shein has issued a public apology after facing fierce backlash for selling Muslim prayer mats as a home decorative item on its official site, despite many of the rugs bearing motifs of Islamic holy sites.The fast-fashion retailer came under fire after its products caught the eye of a journalism student from the University of Salford, Khadija Rizvi, who posted now-viral screenshots of the mats on social media. Many of the Muslim mats, which were advertised as "frilled Greek carpets," bore motifs of mosques and the Ka'aba, which is considered the most sacred Islamic site by Muslims around th…
yenisafak.com/en/technology/fashion-giant-apologizes-for-selling-muslim-prayer-mats-with-kaaba-motif-as-greek-carpets-3534058

Pakistan slams 'mischievous' rumors of official's death
yenisafak.com | 2020-07-09
Pakistan on Thursday denounced "mischievous" attempts to change the Wikipedia page of its top diplomat to say he had died a day after testing positive for the novel coronavirus."We strongly condemn attempts by mischievous elements to hack Wikipedia page of FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi spread rumours on social media about his health well-being," tweeted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Aisha Farooqui, underlining that Qureshi was quickly recovering from the virus.The ministry posted the screenshot of the edited version of Qureshi's page reading that he died on July 4.On July 3, Qureshi tested positive for the coronavirus a…
yenisafak.com/en/world/pakistan-slams-mischievous-rumors-of-officials-death-3534071

Series of 'explosions & power outages' reported near Tehran
rt.com | 2020-07-09
A series of explosions have rocked the outskirts of the Iranian capital Tehran, as well as the cities of Garmdareh and Quds, Iranian media reported amid speculation that missile depots were the intended target. | Citing social media, the official news agency IRIB reported an explosion in western Tehran in the early hours of Friday local time. More explosions were reported in Garmdareh and Quds, the Mehr News Agency added. | The Saudi-based Al-Arabiya television reported that the explosion took place in missile depots of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), southwest of Tehran. Iranian officials hav…
rt.com/news/494324-iran-explosions-power-outage/

'Pull up your pants & finish school': Would CNN's Don Lemon cancel himself over shockingly unwoke 2013 tips to black community?
rt.com | 2020-07-09
A vintage clip of CNN anchor Don Lemon telling black people to act civilized and disregard "street culture" has the woke pundit's detractors' jaws on the floor, wondering what happened to him over the intervening seven years. | In the 2013 clip, Lemon praises Fox News host Bill O'Reilly as the Republican pundit decries the "disintegration of the African-American family," even arguing O'Reilly "doesn't go far enough" when he denounces "street culture." The video was posted to social media by "Panda Tribune" on Wednesday and quickly circulated among conservatives, who had a hard time reconciling this Lemon with…
rt.com/usa/494206-lemon-black-advice-canceled/

Not a 'racist' plan anymore? Democrats rejoice over Biden's $700bn 'Buy American' promise
rt.com | 2020-07-09
Joe Biden unveiled a $700 billion 'Buy American' initiative, drawing praise from both liberals and conservatives on social media, but some noted that similar plans by the Trump administration were previously framed as 'racist.' | Biden's economic pitch includes plans for a $400 billion, four-year increase in government spending on US-made goods and services — topped by a $300 billion investment in research and development for US technology. | "This will be the largest mobilization of public investments in procurement, infrastructure and (research and development) since World War II," Biden's senior advise…
rt.com/usa/494290-biden-buy-america-trump-racist/

Series of 'explosions & power outages' reported near Tehran
rt.com | 2020-07-09
A series of explosions have rocked the outskirts of the Iranian capital Tehran, as well as the cities of Garmdareh and Quds, Iranian media reported amid speculation that missile depots were the intended target. | Citing social media, official news agency IRIB reported an explosion in western Tehran in the early hours of Friday local time. More explosions were reported in Garmdareh and Quds, the Mehr News Agency added. | Saudi-based Al-Arabiya television reported that the explosion took place in missile depots of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), southwest of Tehran. Iranian officials have neithe…
rt.com/news/494324-iran-explosions-power-outage/

UK police arrest four terrorism suspects in London and Leicester
rt.com | 2020-07-09
The Met police carried out an operation to arrest three terrorist suspects in the east of the British capital, another man was detained in Leicestershire. | The police said that four men were arrested for "preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism" as part of a proactive investigation. | Three suspects were detained at two separate addresses in East London, with one more apprehended in Leicestershire. | The Counter Terrorism unit making an arrest in Maygoods in London, England, Thursday 9th July 2020. pic.twitter.com/qcxg8q4PIZ– John Evans ‚ú&ugrav…
rt.com/uk/494301-london-leicestershire-arrest-terrorism-charges/

'Much higher' death rate than Covid-19: Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan warns of dangerous local pneumonia
rt.com | 2020-07-09
The Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan has warned its citizens in the Central Asian country to exercise caution amid a large outbreak of viral pneumonia, which appears to be deadlier than the new coronavirus. | Between Covid-19 and the pneumonia outbreak, the diplomats described the health situation in Kazakhstan as "very grim." Since the start of the year, 1,772 people have died of pneumonia in the country. In June alone, there were 628 fatalities, including Chinese citizens, a statement on the embassy's website reads. | "The mortality rate of the disease is much higher than that of the new coronavirus pneumonia,"
rt.com/news/494296-china-warns-kazakhstan-pneumonia/

Patriotism Is Bullshit, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix
Caitlin Johnstone | thealtworld.com | 2020-07-08
It is 2021. The Biden administration has launched a full-scale invasion of Syria and the US and Russia are at a nuclear standoff unseen since the Cuban missile crisis. All top Twitter trends relate to the widespread debate over whether or not Sesame Street is guilty of kink shaming. | ~ | A vote for Kanye is a vote for Trump. | A vote for the Green Party is a vote for Trump. | A vote for no one is a vote for Trump. | A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Trump. | Everything is a vote for Trump. | Everything is Trump. | You are Trump. | I am Trump. | Trump is all there is. | There is no escape. | ~ | Leaving aside th…
thealtworld.com/caitlin_johnston/patriotism-is-bullshit-and-other-notes-from-the-edge-of-the-narrative-matrix

Bella Hadid says Instagram CANCELED her post because she mentioned 'Palestine'
rt.com | 2020-07-08
Supermodel Bella Hadid has called out Instagram, after it deleted a post honoring her father "and his birthplace of Palestine." The Facebook-owned company said…
rt.com/news/494165-bella-hadid-instagram-palestine/

TikTok Could Become Latest Victim of US War on Chinese Competition
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-07-08
A potential US ban on TikTok comes amid a rise in anti-China warmongering that suggests the move has more to do with re-establishing American dominance over social media than concerns over privacy.
mintpressnews.com/pomepo-hints-at-tiktok-ban-as-us-war-on-chinese-tech-heats-up/269245/

TikTok Could Become Latest Victim of US War on Chinese Competition
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-07-08
A potential US ban on TikTok comes amid a rise in anti-China warmongering that suggests the move has more to do with re-establishing American dominance over social media than concerns over privacy. | MPN– Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed last night that he is strongly considering banning the hugely popular video app TikTok. "I don't want to get out in front of the president, but it's something we're looking at," he told Laura Ingraham. When the Fox News anchor pushed him further, asking if anybody should do…
thealtworld.com/alan_macleod/tiktok-could-become-latest-victim-of-us-war-on-chinese-competition

Facebook's Civil Rights Audit Shows Need for Reforms
commondreams.org | 2020-07-08
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commondreams.org/newswire/2020/07/08/facebooks-civil-rights-audit-shows-need-reforms?cd-origin=rss

The End of the American Newspaper
Thomas Klikauer — Norman Simms | counterpunch.org | 2020-07-08
Since the birth of the Word Wide Web in March 1989 (at 00: 00PT/ 08: 00 CET) and the rise of Facebook and the like, the preferred business model of newspaper has been in steep decline as advertising revenue shifted from print media towards the Internet with Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the largest winners. This meant that many newspapers are under severe financial stress while others have closed up shop all together.
counterpunch.org/2020/07/08/the-end-of-the-american-newspaper/

Twitter Gave Free Rein for Jack Posobiec To Publish Antisemitic Hate and Disinformation
splcenter.org | 2020-07-08
Twitter enabled OANN correspondent Jack Posobiec's rise by giving him space to promote hate and mislead the public without facing consequences, Hatewatch has determined in a comprehensive review of his account history.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/07/08/twitter-gave-free-rein-jack-posobiec-publish-antisemitic-hate-and-disinformation

Facebook Pressured Towards Censorship Based on Civil Rights Claims
sputniknews.com | 2020-07-08
On this episode of the Critical Hour, host Garland Nixon talks to Margaret Kimberley about pressure Facebook is facing to censor by Civil Rights groups and others.
sputniknews.com/radio_the_critical_hour/202007081079833879-facebook-pressured-towards-censorship-based-on-civil-rights-claims/

Trump threatens to CUT FUNDING for schools that don't reopen amid Covid-19 pandemic
rt.com | 2020-07-08
US President Donald Trump has warned schools that their funding may be cut if they choose to remain closed in the autumn — apparently to the benefit of his political opponents — because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. | "The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election," Trump tweeted on Wednesday, adding that he "may cut off funding" if schools refuse to reopen. | In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before th…
rt.com/usa/494180-trump-schools-open-coronavirus-funding/

Trump Threatens to Cut Funding for Schools If They Don't Reopen in the Fall
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-07-08
President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday morning to cut federal funding to schools that choose not to reopen their doors this fall in response to concerns about coronavirus. | Trump tweeted his dismay that U.S. schools couldn't reopen the way that other countries in the world were able to do so, and suggested refusing to start classes back up was a ploy by Democrats to hurt him in a political way. | "In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PR…
truthout.org/articles/trump-threatens-to-cut-funding-for-schools-if-they-dont-reopen-in-the-fall/

Civil Rights Groups Say Internal Facebook Audit Confirms Company Business Model 'Relies on Racism and Hate'
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2020-07-08
"There are real-life consequences when social media networks provide platforms for violent white supremacists, allowing them to incubate, organize, and recruit new followers to their hateful movements." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/facebook_1.jpeg
commondreams.org/news/2020/07/08/civil-rights-groups-say-internal-facebook-audit-confirms-company-business-model?cd-origin=rss