Daily Archives: August 7, 2020

2020-08-07: News Headlines

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-08-07). Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook: The Big Four High Tech Oligarchs Appear Before the US Congress. globalresearch.ca Silicon Valley continues to sprawl in influence, and its modern robber barons bestride the globe with a confidence verging on contempt. The technology giants that mark that region of California are praised as "virtuosos of ingenuity," to use Steve Forbes' …

Ian Goodrum (2020-08-07). TikTok — Trump's anti-China tech war is a protection racket for U.S. capital. peoplesworld.org I can't say I expected a viral teen dance smartphone app to be the latest flashpoint in President Donald Trump's war on all things China. But that's 2020 for you. TikTok, the wildly popular short video platform owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is in the U.S. government's crosshairs due to alleged national security risks. Trump …

RT (2020-08-07). 'National security threat'? Trump signs executive orders on TikTok & WeChat, bans transactions with Chinese owners in 45 days. rt.com US President Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders addressing what he dubbed a technological national emergency, barring all transactions with the Chinese owners of social media apps TikTok and WeChat after 45 days. | Citing the "threat posed by TikTok," the president signed an order on Thursday prohibiting "any transaction by any person… subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, with ByteDance Ltd.," the Beijing-based tech firm that owns the platform. | BREAKING: President Trump just issued an executive order "on Addressing the Threat Posed by TikTok." It takes effect in 45 days, proh…

RT (2020-08-07). 'Biden no longer worthy of the black vote': Trump pounces on 'Sleepy Joe' for controversial diversity statement. rt.com Donald Trump attacked Joe Biden by tweeting that he is "no longer worthy of the Black Vote," after his controversial statement. Now both presidential candidates are under fire for their comments on the African American community. | "After yesterday's statement, Sleepy Joe Biden is no longer worthy of the Black Vote!" the president tweeted Friday morning. He referenced the Thursday interview with the presumptive Democratic nominee, where he seemingly

RT (2020-08-07). 'War on gamers?!' Twitter freaks out fearing Trump's ambiguous 'Tencent ban' could hit Fortnite, League of Legends, PUBG & others. rt.com A vaguely worded White House executive order targeting WeChat — owned by Chinese digital entertainment giant Tencent Holdings — has triggered panic online that the move could deal a death blow to the global video gaming industry. | US President Donald Trump signed the order late on Thursday evening, banning American firms from doing business with Tencent — or at least any transactions "related to" its messaging app, WeChat. The move kicked off a frenzy of speculation from netizens, who pointed to the fact that Tencent holds large stakes in a series of major game developers. That roster include…

RT (2020-08-07). 'It's okay when it comes out of Chuck Schumer's mouth?' Democrat senator says schools must reopen or economy suffers. rt.com Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a compromise on a Covid-19 economic relief bill, but one comment from Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) about schools needing to reopen has some seeing hypocrisy on the left. | Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Schumer addressed the press after failed negotiations with Republicans on a potential relief bill. While many of their complaints about Republicans refusing to continue robust unemployment and other government programs was to be expected, one comment from Schumer went viral as it didn't seem to match the outrage shown to President Donald Trump when he mentioned…

pip.hinman (2020-08-07). Woolworths workers win wage parity after lockout. greenleft.org.au

teleSUR (2020-08-07). Facebook Removes Foreign Pro-Trump Troll Farms. telesurenglish.net Facebook and Instagram Thursday took action to prevent their platforms from being used by U.S. President Donald Trump's supporters to promote his reelection campaign. | RELATED: | A Romania-based troll farm pushed pro-Trump content under the names of "Black People Vote For Trump" on Instagram and "We Love Our President" on Facebook. | The content published in those fake accounts and pages was allegedly managed by U.S. ci…

Joseph Natoli (2020-08-07). American Failures: August, 2020. counterpunch.org It's probably unpatriotic and maybe treasonable to talk about American failures but they are now so glaring that some 12 minutes of read time seems pardonable in this Age of Twitter "discourse." That such obvious failures, if admitted at all, are politicized relative to which side of the Blue/Red street you are one is itself

NAACP, Human Rights Campaign & others (2020-08-07). Thursday 8/6: Communities of Color: Communicating Safe Voting Options for November. indybay.org Online via livestream at Human Rights Campaign Facebook…

Faith In Action (2020-08-07). Thursday 8/6: Voting Rights Act 55th Anniversary: COVID19, Voter Suppression, Vote by Mail, & More. indybay.org Online via Twitter…

Staff (2020-08-07). Students Suspended for Taking Pictures of Crowds in Georgia School's Reopening. truthout.org A high school in Paulding County, Georgia, is facing steep criticism for how it has handled reopening its schools after several images on social media revealed a lack of social distancing and mask-wearing among the student body. | But rather than addressing these concerns or taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the district instead appears to be disciplining students that have shared these images on social media. | Hannah Watters, a 15-year-old student at North Paulding High…

teleSUR (2020-08-07). Canada: Last Intact Ice Shelf Collapses Due to Global Warming. telesurenglish.net The last intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic collapsed and lost a large part of his area due to extremely high temperatures, according to the Canadian Ice Service (CIS), as reported on Friday. | RELATED: | "Above normal air temperatures, offshore winds and open water in front of the ice shelf are all part of the recipe for ice shelf break up," the CIS tweeted. | According to Luke Copland, a Glaciologist at the University of…

yenisafak (2020-08-07). Another PKK terrorist surrenders to Turkish forces. yenisafak.com One more PKK terrorist surrendered to security forces in southeastern Turkey, the National Defense Ministry said on Friday. | The PKK terrorist fleeing from the shelter areas in northern Iraq surrendered to the border post in the Cizre district of Sirnak province, the ministry said on Twitter. | "While the operations of the Turkish Armed Forces against the PKK terrorist group continue without slowing down, escapes from the organization continue," the statement added. | On Monday, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced that a total of 123 terrorists have turned themselves in to Turkish security forces in 2020.

yenisafak (2020-08-07). 'Fluctuations in macroeconomic indicators don't reflect Turkey's reality'. yenisafak.com Fluctuations in macroeconomic indicators do not reflect the reality of the Turkish economy, the country's industry and technology minister said on Friday.Turkey's economy is on the path of production, employment, and innovation, Mustafa Varank wrote on Twitter."We will take Turkey to the levels it deserves with steps to boost the investment appetite for development," he said.His remarks came after the Turkish lira lost ground to other currencies.Late Thursday, the dollar/lira exchange rate hit an all-time high of over 7.30.After the Central Bank took steps Friday to tighten liquidity conditions, the exchange rate…

Staff (2020-08-06). Headlines for August 6, 2020. democracynow.org Beirut Blast Destroys Grain Silo and Leaves 300,000 Homeless, Adding to Humanitarian Crisis, COVID-19 Deaths Surge in Florida and California as New York City Erects Quarantine Checkpoints, India Records Its Highest One-Day Coronavirus Toll, Facebook Removes Video from Trump's Account Citing COVID-19 Misinformation, Security Team Assigned to Family of Dr. Anthony Fauci Amid Death Threats, Gilead Accused of Neglecting Coronavirus Drug Research in Bid to Maximize Profits, Kodak Under Investigation for Insider Trading Tied to Massive Government Loan, Deutsche Bank Gave Trump Financial Records to New York Prosecutors…

RT (2020-08-06). Israel strikes 'underground terror infrastructure' in Gaza in retaliation for 'explosive balloons' (VIDEOS). rt.com The Israel Defense Forces have announced they had targeted multiple "underground terror infrastructure" installations in the Gaza Strip, in retaliation for several "explosive balloons" launched into Israel earlier in the day. | "Terrorists in Gaza launched explosive balloons into Israel throughout the day. In response, our aircraft just struck Hamas underground terror infrastructure in Gaza," the IDF tweeted following Thursday's strikes, adding that it wouldn't allow the group to "terrorize Israeli civilians." | Video of the IDF strike on Hamas' position in response to launching incendiary/IED balloons from

teleSUR (2020-08-06). Cuba: President Rejects Lawfare Against Leftist Leaders. telesurenglish.net The President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel highlighted on Thursday the use of the judiciary in politics as a colonizing weapon over the peoples of Latin America. | RELATED: | On his official Twitter account, the president maintained that the case of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, "proves how far the enemies go" in applying those tools. | "The use of the judiciary against left-wing leaders is an imperial m…

Brian Kelly (2020-08-06). Ireland and Slavery: Debating the 'Irish Slaves Myth'. counterpunch.org Over recent months, social media in Ireland and the United States has been saturated with claims and counterclaims about 'Irish slaves' and a broader controversy about Irish complicity in the transatlantic slave trade. The timing of the 'debate' is far from coincidental: a series of false and malicious assertions that the American far Right have

RT (2020-08-06). Macron says 'Lebanon is not alone' as he visits devastated Beirut, gets quickly blasted for hypocrisy. rt.com French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted in solidarity with people of Lebanon following the massive explosion in its capital. It did not go over well and just reminded critics of the troubled history the two countries share. | On Thursday Macron became the first international leader to visit Beirut, which was literally

The Canary (2020-08-06). Twitter introduces new labels for government and state-linked media accounts. thecanary.co Twitter is to begin adding labels to the accounts of government officials and state-affiliated media groups to provide more context on who the account represents.The new feature will initially focus on senior political officials who are the voice of their state abroad and accounts belonging to state-backed media, its editors and senior staff.The social media platform said that for political figures, the labels would currently only be applied to accounts from the countries that make up the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.Personal accounts of heads o…

sputniknews (2020-08-06). Video: Twitter Roasts Trump for Mispronouncing Thailand as 'Thighland'. sputniknews.com Netizens quickly fired off their reactions on Twitter Thursday after US President Donald Trump mispronounced "Thailand" as "Thighland" during a talk about revitalizing US manufacturing at the Whirlpool factory in Clyde, Ohio.

Staff (2020-08-06). Social Media Sites Pull Trump's Posts for Violating COVID Misinformation Rules. truthout.org Two social media sites took bold action against accounts belonging to President Donald Trump and his presidential election campaign for sharing videos of an interview in which he made false statements about coronavirus. | "Team Trump," the president's official campaign Twitter account,

yenisafak (2020-08-06). Ebola cases in DR Congo rise to 74 in latest outbreak. yenisafak.com At least 74 Ebola virus cases have been recorded in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization announced Thursday.So far there are 74 cases, with 70 confirmed and four probable, 32 deaths and 28 recoveries from the 11th Ebola virus outbreak in Mbandaka, Equateur province, the WHO African Region tweeted.For several months, the DRC has been battling with several diseasing including, Cholera, Ebola, Measles.Last month the WHO office in the Central African country said that a total of 12,959 people have been vaccinated since the start of the 11th Ebola outbreak in ear…

teleSUR (2020-08-06). Jamaica Celebrates Its 58th Independence Day With Resilience. telesurenglish.net Jamaica celebrates Thursday the 58 anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "Despite COVID-19, we remain committed to making this the decade of growth for Jamaica to anchor our peace, prosperity, and resilience," Prime Minister Andrew Holness tweeted. | He also referred to the efforts made in fiscal, monetary, and structural reforms, which have let Jamaica be "in a…

Staff (2020-08-05). The End of Big Tech? Calls Grow to Break Up Facebook, Amazon for "Mob-Like" Behavior, Monopoly Power. democracynow.org Calls are growing to break up the Big Tech giants, with a handful of companies controlling more and more of the technology industry, crowding out or acquiring would-be competitors and exercising vast power over the U.S. economy. Lawmakers grilled the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook during a hearing last week on whether their companies are guilty of stifling competition, in a scene reminiscent of the 1994 hearing of tobacco executives who claimed cigarettes were not addictive. This came just days after Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly made $13 billion in a single day, even as the coronavirus pandemic ha…

RT (2020-08-05). Facebook launches TikTok RIVAL as Microsoft in '$30bn' buyout talks. rt.com Instagram, owned by tech giant Facebook, has launched its new 'Reels' short video feature in 50 countries — including the US — in what appears to be a direct challenge to TikTok. Microsoft is currently in talks to buy the latter.

RT (2020-08-05). 'Harmful Covid-19 misinformation': Facebook scrubs Trump post stating children 'virtually immune' to coronavirus. rt.com Facebook has removed a post from US President Donald Trump's personal page — a clip from a recent interview in which he suggested Covid-19 poses little risk to children — stating he had made "false claims" about the virus. | "This video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from Covid-19 which is a violation of our policies around harmful Covid misinformation," Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement on Wednesday. | In the interview segment, which aired on Fox on Wednesday morning, Trump called for a reopening of schools around the country, arguing that Covid-19 would…

RT (2020-08-05). UK schools' reopening could see Covid-19 cases multiply rapidly but it's 'not certain,' Professor Lockdown warns. rt.com The UK might need to hold off on easing Covid-19 restrictions if it wants its schools to re-open without triggering a new viral outbreak, epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, who once prompted London to impose a strict lockdown, warns. | Secondary schools throughout the UK could become new centers of infection as soon as the educational facilities fully re-open in September, Ferguson warned in his latest alarming forecast. | "The risk then is that big schools, comprehensives, universities and FE colleges, link lots of households together, reconnecting the social network," the scientist told BBC Radio 4's 'Today' prog…

Fight Back (2020-08-05). Statewide online workshop on community control of Florida police. fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL -The Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) hosted an online training and workshop, July 30, over Facebook Live on the topic of community control of police. The event was led by experienced anti-racism leaders who are active in the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), and also founding members of their local organizations: TCAC and the group that inspired TCAC's own founding, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC). | "NAARPR, JCAC and TCAC all have political repression and police overreach central to their origin stories," noted Tallahassee Communi…

Monterey Peace & Justice Center (2020-08-05). Saturday 8/8: 75th Annual Hiroshima-Nagasaki Remembrance & Virtual Peace Lantern Ceremony. indybay.org Online via YouTube livestream or Zoom…

sputniknews (2020-08-05). Facebook Removes Video Post From Trump Over COVID-19 Misinformation. sputniknews.com Facebook has issued a statement confirming that "harmful COVID misinformation" was the reason a video has been removed from US President Donald Trump's personal page.

sputniknews (2020-08-05). Iranian FM Zarif Snaps at Google for 'Glitch' When Translating Condolences to Lebanese People. sputniknews.com It appears from the video Zarif retweeted that Google Translate changes "condolences" to "congratulations" when Persian speakers want to translate their sympathies for the Lebanese who suffered a massive explosion on Tuesday.

Suzanne Nossel (2020-08-05). The Censorship of 'Cancel Culture' May Ultimately Be Most Dangerous for Social Justice Champions. commondreams.org In 2014, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign community rallied in support of Professor Stephen Salaita, who was terminated from his tenured faculty position for criticizing Israel on social media. (Photo: Jeffrey Putney/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/image_56_0.jpg

MintPress News Desk (2020-08-04). Shadow Wars: Leaks by Mossad Point to Israeli Involvement in Deadly Attacks on Iran. mintpressnews.com The drumbeat for war with Iran seems to be intensifying as 2020 reaches its halfway point and the narrative that cyberattacks are to play an inciting role in the coming conflict is being drilled into the collective mind.

RT (2020-08-04). HRW chief jumps to blame Hezbollah for devastating Beirut blasts — and backpedals immediately. rt.com Human Rights Watch head Kenneth Roth was quick to join a social media chorus blaming Hezbollah for deadly explosions in Beirut on Tuesday. Perhaps realizing the claim lacked a shred of evidence, he soon deleted it. | Roth rushed to blame Hezbollah for the huge explosions near the port of Beirut, blasts which killed at least 50 people and are believed to have wounded over 3,000 more. "Is this Hezbollah's way of saying don't mess with us for allegedly killing former Lebanese PM Hariri?" he asked in a tweet posted almost immediately after news of the explosions hit social media on Tuesday. | Billionaire-funded re…

RT (2020-08-04). WATCH huge mushroom-like cloud cover Beirut's docks area after 'fireworks depot' explodes. rt.com Terrifying footage has emerged, showing a huge mushroom cloud of fire and smoke covering much of Beirut's port area, blowing out windows and destroying nearby buildings, as a warehouse in the Lebanese capital's docks explodes. | Videos on social media show large plumes of smoke, followed by a fiery blast that created a massive mushroom cloud, towering high above the nearby high-rises. | Photos on social media show many buildings in the area damaged or destroyed, leaving residents covered in glass and blood. | The blasts were initially blamed on a fire at a fireworks warehouse at the port, state-run National…

RT (2020-08-04). 'Sexually suggestive' or 'get your mind out of the gutter'? Audi banana girl ad yanked after bizarre controversy. rt.com After a social media outcry, Audi has pulled an ad showing a little girl eating a banana while leaning on a car. Those objecting remarked on everything from her pose to the 'phallic' fruit. Others pronounced it perfectly innocent. | The German car company publicly retracted the ad on Monday, after an outbreak of pearl-clutching online, issuing a groveling apology on Twitter and promising to get to the bottom of "how this campaign has been created and if control mechanisms failed." | We hoped we could convey these messages, showing that even for the weakest traffic participants it is possible to relaxingly lean…

Forbreonna (2020-08-04). Wednesday 8/5: Email and Twitter Storm for Breonna Taylor! indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Staff (2020-08-04). Trump Now Says Mail-In Ballots Are Safe, But Only in His Home State of Florida. truthout.org President Donald Trump, who has for the past several months repeatedly made unverified and dubious claims about fraud associated with mail-in voting, authored a tweet on Tuesday urging voters in his home state of Florida to vote by mail if that's what they wanted to do. | "Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True," The presid…

commondreams (2020-08-04). Public Citizen, Scientists: Gilead and Federal Scientists Have Neglected a Potentially Promising COVID-19 Antiviral Drug. commondreams.org ______________________________…

2020-08-07: 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.)

Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook: The Big Four High Tech Oligarchs Appear Before the US Congress
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-08-07
Silicon Valley continues to sprawl in influence, and its modern robber barons bestride the globe with a confidence verging on contempt. The technology giants that mark that region of California are praised as "virtuosos of ingenuity," to use Steve Forbes' …
globalresearch.ca/big-tech-data-robber-barons-appear-before-congress/5720392

Facebook Removes Foreign Pro-Trump Troll Farms
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-07
Facebook and Instagram Thursday took action to prevent their platforms from being used by U.S. President Donald Trump's supporters to promote his reelection campaign. | RELATED: | Trump Insists on Virus Disappearance and Children Immunity | A Romania-based troll farm pushed pro-Trump content under the names of "Black People Vote For Trump" on Instagram and "We Love Our President" on Facebook. | The content published in those fake accounts and pages was allegedly managed by U.S. ci…
telesurenglish.net/news/Facebook-Removes-Foreign-Pro-Trump-Troll-Farms-20200807-0007.html

American Failures: August, 2020
Joseph Natoli | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-07
It's probably unpatriotic and maybe treasonable to talk about American failures but they are now so glaring that some 12 minutes of read time seems pardonable in this Age of Twitter "discourse." That such obvious failures, if admitted at all, are politicized relative to which side of the Blue/Red street you are one is itself…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/07/american-failures-august-2020/

TikTok — Trump's anti-China tech war is a protection racket for U.S. capital
Ian Goodrum | peoplesworld.org | 2020-08-07
I can't say I expected a viral teen dance smartphone app to be the latest flashpoint in President Donald Trump's war on all things China. But that's 2020 for you. TikTok, the wildly popular short video platform owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is in the U.S. government's crosshairs due to alleged national security risks. Trump …
peoplesworld.org/article/tiktok-trumps-anti-china-tech-war-is-a-protection-racket-for-u-s-capital/

Thursday 8/6: Communities of Color: Communicating Safe Voting Options for November
NAACP, Human Rights Campaign & others | indybay.org | 2020-08-07
Online via livestream at Human Rights Campaign Facebook…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/06/18835707.php

Thursday 8/6: Voting Rights Act 55th Anniversary: COVID19, Voter Suppression, Vote by Mail, & More
Faith In Action | indybay.org | 2020-08-07
Online via Twitter…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/06/18835709.php

'National security threat'? Trump signs executive orders on TikTok & WeChat, bans transactions with Chinese owners in 45 days
rt.com | 2020-08-07
US President Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders addressing what he dubbed a technological national emergency, barring all transactions with the Chinese owners of social media apps TikTok and WeChat after 45 days. | Citing the "threat posed by TikTok," the president signed an order on Thursday prohibiting "any transaction by any person… subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, with ByteDance Ltd.," the Beijing-based tech firm that owns the platform. | BREAKING: President Trump just issued an executive order "on Addressing the Threat Posed by TikTok." It takes effect in 45 days, proh…
rt.com/usa/497316-trump-executive-order-tiktok/

'Biden no longer worthy of the black vote': Trump pounces on 'Sleepy Joe' for controversial diversity statement
rt.com | 2020-08-07
Donald Trump attacked Joe Biden by tweeting that he is "no longer worthy of the Black Vote," after his controversial statement. Now both presidential candidates are under fire for their comments on the African American community. | "After yesterday's statement, Sleepy Joe Biden is no longer worthy of the Black Vote!" the president tweeted Friday morning. He referenced the Thursday interview with the presumptive Democratic nominee, where he seemingly said that the Latino community is very diverse "unlike" the Af…
rt.com/usa/497407-biden-not-worthy-black-vote/

Manhattan suffers MASSIVE power outage, huge portions of NYC plunged into darkness (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-08-07
A massive power outage early Friday morning left a large portions of Manhattan in the dark. According to local media, the electricity came back up for most of the area after half-an-hour. | The outage comes shortly after tropical storm Isais battered the US East Coast, wreaking havoc in its path and cutting power to at least 1.3 million customers. | @News12NJ pic.twitter.com/39bcEkWJ4s– Jeremy Settle (@JeremySettle) August 7, 2020 | There appears to be a significant
rt.com/usa/497369-manhattan-massive-power-outage/

'War on gamers?!' Twitter freaks out fearing Trump's ambiguous 'Tencent ban' could hit Fortnite, League of Legends, PUBG & others
rt.com | 2020-08-07
A vaguely worded White House executive order targeting WeChat — owned by Chinese digital entertainment giant Tencent Holdings — has triggered panic online that the move could deal a death blow to the global video gaming industry. | US President Donald Trump signed the order late on Thursday evening, banning American firms from doing business with Tencent — or at least any transactions "related to" its messaging app, WeChat. The move kicked off a frenzy of speculation from netizens, who pointed to the fact that Tencent holds large stakes in a series of major game developers. That roster include…
rt.com/usa/497319-gamers-panic-tencent-ban/

Manhattan suffers MASSIVE power outage, huge portions of NYC plunged into darkness (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-08-07
A massive power outage early Friday morning left a large portions of Manhattan in the dark. According to local media, the electricity came back up for most of the area after half-an-hour. | The outage comes shortly after tropical storm Isais battered the US East Coast, wreaking havoc in its path and cutting power to at least 1.3 million customers. | Here's a look at the moment the power goes out in upper Manhattan this morning at 5: 17AM @News12NJ pic.twitter.com/39bcEkWJ4s– Jeremy Settle (@JeremySettle)
rt.com/usa/497369-manhattan-massive-power-outage/

'It's okay when it comes out of Chuck Schumer's mouth?' Democrat senator says schools must reopen or economy suffers
rt.com | 2020-08-07
Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a compromise on a Covid-19 economic relief bill, but one comment from Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) about schools needing to reopen has some seeing hypocrisy on the left. | Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Schumer addressed the press after failed negotiations with Republicans on a potential relief bill. While many of their complaints about Republicans refusing to continue robust unemployment and other government programs was to be expected, one comment from Schumer went viral as it didn't seem to match the outrage shown to President Donald Trump when he mentioned…
rt.com/usa/497425-chuck-schumer-coronavirus-schools-reopening/

Students Suspended for Taking Pictures of Crowds in Georgia School's Reopening
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-07
A high school in Paulding County, Georgia, is facing steep criticism for how it has handled reopening its schools after several images on social media revealed a lack of social distancing and mask-wearing among the student body. | But rather than addressing these concerns or taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the district instead appears to be disciplining students that have shared these images on social media. | Hannah Watters, a 15-year-old student at North Paulding High…
truthout.org/articles/students-suspended-for-taking-pictures-of-crowds-in-georgia-schools-reopening/

Canada: Last Intact Ice Shelf Collapses Due to Global Warming
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-07
The last intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic collapsed and lost a large part of his area due to extremely high temperatures, according to the Canadian Ice Service (CIS), as reported on Friday. | RELATED: | India: A Plane Crashes At Landing During Monsoon Season | "Above normal air temperatures, offshore winds and open water in front of the ice shelf are all part of the recipe for ice shelf break up," the CIS tweeted. | According to Luke Copland, a Glaciologist at the University of…
telesurenglish.net/news/canada-last-intact-ice-shelf-collapsed-due-to-global-warming–20200807-0017.html

Another PKK terrorist surrenders to Turkish forces
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-07
One more PKK terrorist surrendered to security forces in southeastern Turkey, the National Defense Ministry said on Friday. | The PKK terrorist fleeing from the shelter areas in northern Iraq surrendered to the border post in the Cizre district of Sirnak province, the ministry said on Twitter. | "While the operations of the Turkish Armed Forces against the PKK terrorist group continue without slowing down, escapes from the organization continue," the statement added. | On Monday, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced that a total of 123 terrorists have turned themselves in to Turkish security forces in 2020.
yenisafak.com/en/news/another-pkk-terrorist-surrenders-to-turkish-forces-3536350

'Fluctuations in macroeconomic indicators don't reflect Turkey's reality'
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-07
Fluctuations in macroeconomic indicators do not reflect the reality of the Turkish economy, the country's industry and technology minister said on Friday.Turkey's economy is on the path of production, employment, and innovation, Mustafa Varank wrote on Twitter."We will take Turkey to the levels it deserves with steps to boost the investment appetite for development," he said.His remarks came after the Turkish lira lost ground to other currencies.Late Thursday, the dollar/lira exchange rate hit an all-time high of over 7.30.After the Central Bank took steps Friday to tighten liquidity conditions, the exchange rate…
yenisafak.com/en/news/fluctuations-in-macroeconomic-indicators-dont-reflect-turkeys-reality-3536372

Israel strikes 'underground terror infrastructure' in Gaza in retaliation for 'explosive balloons' (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-08-06
The Israel Defense Forces have announced they had targeted multiple "underground terror infrastructure" installations in the Gaza Strip, in retaliation for several "explosive balloons" launched into Israel earlier in the day. | "Terrorists in Gaza launched explosive balloons into Israel throughout the day. In response, our aircraft just struck Hamas underground terror infrastructure in Gaza," the IDF tweeted following Thursday's strikes, adding that it wouldn't allow the group to "terrorize Israeli civilians." | Video of the IDF strike on Hamas' position in response to launching incendiary/IED balloons from
rt.com/news/497311-israel-gaza-hamas-strikes/

Cuba: President Rejects Lawfare Against Leftist Leaders
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-06
The President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel highlighted on Thursday the use of the judiciary in politics as a colonizing weapon over the peoples of Latin America. | RELATED: | The US Increases Risk of War in South America, Lula Warns | On his official Twitter account, the president maintained that the case of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, "proves how far the enemies go" in applying those tools. | "The use of the judiciary against left-wing leaders is an imperial m…
telesurenglish.net/news/Cuba-President-Rejects-Lawfare-Against-Leftist-Leaders-20200806-0015.html

Nigel Farage sinks to a humiliating low in his latest attack on refugees
Tracy Keeling | thecanary.co | 2020-08-06
Nigel Farage launched an attack on refugees ( again) on 6 August. Or rather, he screeched at his Twitter followers that refugees had mounted an attack on Britain. A "shocking invasion" had happened, apparently. He even invoked the language of World War II, describing the refugees as making a "beach landing". | Farage also included what he said was "exclusive footage" of the alleged offensive. And what did it show? Around a dozen or so people, including women and children, pulling themselves fr…
thecanary.co/trending/2020/08/06/nigel-farage-sinks-to-a-humiliating-low-in-his-latest-attack-on-refugees/

Ireland and Slavery: Debating the 'Irish Slaves Myth'
Brian Kelly | counterpunch.org | 2020-08-06
Over recent months, social media in Ireland and the United States has been saturated with claims and counterclaims about 'Irish slaves' and a broader controversy about Irish complicity in the transatlantic slave trade. The timing of the 'debate' is far from coincidental: a series of false and malicious assertions that the American far Right have…
counterpunch.org/2020/08/06/ireland-and-slavery-debating-the-irish-slaves-myth/

Thursday 8/6: Communities of Color: Communicating Safe Voting Options for November
NAACP, Human Rights Campaign & others | indybay.org | 2020-08-06
Online via livestream at Human Rights Campaign Facebook…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/06/18835707.php

Thursday 8/6: Voting Rights Act 55th Anniversary: COVID19, Voter Suppression, Vote by Mail, & More
Faith In Action | indybay.org | 2020-08-06
Online via Twitter…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/06/18835709.php

October surprise? Trump says Covid-19 vaccine possible before Election Day
rt.com | 2020-08-06
US President Donald Trump has stepped up the already-improbable timetable on a potential coronavirus vaccine, hinting one might be ready "much sooner" than the end of the year – even before Election Day in November. | Asked by radio host Geraldo Rivera when the much-hyped Covid-19 jab will be available to Americans, Trump promised "Sooner than the end of the year, could be much sooner" on Thursday's show. | Also on rt.com | | 'Harmful Covid-19 misinformation': Facebook scrubs Trump post stating children 'virtually immune' to coronavirus | When R…
rt.com/usa/497280-trump-covid-vaccine-election-promise/

Macron says 'Lebanon is not alone' as he visits devastated Beirut, gets quickly blasted for hypocrisy
rt.com | 2020-08-06
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted in solidarity with people of Lebanon following the massive explosion in its capital. It did not go over well and just reminded critics of the troubled history the two countries share. | On Thursday Macron became the first international leader to visit Beirut, which was literally "devastated" by the blast in the city's port on Tuesday, as local authorities put it. It was supposed to be a gesture of goodwill and the beginning of an international aid effort. The French…
rt.com/news/497312-macron-lebanon-beirut-explosion/

Video: Twitter Roasts Trump for Mispronouncing Thailand as 'Thighland'
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-06
Netizens quickly fired off their reactions on Twitter Thursday after US President Donald Trump mispronounced "Thailand" as "Thighland" during a talk about revitalizing US manufacturing at the Whirlpool factory in Clyde, Ohio.
sputniknews.com/viral/202008061080088281-video-twitter-roasts-trump-for-mispronouncing-thailand-as-thighland/

Twitter introduces new labels for government and state-linked media accounts
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-08-06
Twitter is to begin adding labels to the accounts of government officials and state-affiliated media groups to provide more context on who the account represents.The new feature will initially focus on senior political officials who are the voice of their state abroad and accounts belonging to state-backed media, its editors and senior staff.The social media platform said that for political figures, the labels would currently only be applied to accounts from the countries that make up the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.Personal accounts of heads o…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/08/06/twitter-introduces-new-labels-for-government-and-state-linked-media-accounts/

Social Media Sites Pull Trump's Posts for Violating COVID Misinformation Rules
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-06
Two social media sites took bold action against accounts belonging to President Donald Trump and his presidential election campaign for sharing videos of an interview in which he made false statements about coronavirus. | "Team Trump," the president's official campaign Twitter account, was temporarily suspended after it had shared the video of T…
truthout.org/articles/social-media-sites-pull-trumps-posts-for-violating-covid-misinformation-rules/

Ebola cases in DR Congo rise to 74 in latest outbreak
yenisafak.com | 2020-08-06
At least 74 Ebola virus cases have been recorded in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization announced Thursday.So far there are 74 cases, with 70 confirmed and four probable, 32 deaths and 28 recoveries from the 11th Ebola virus outbreak in Mbandaka, Equateur province, the WHO African Region tweeted.For several months, the DRC has been battling with several diseasing including, Cholera, Ebola, Measles.Last month the WHO office in the Central African country said that a total of 12,959 people have been vaccinated since the start of the 11th Ebola outbreak in ear…
yenisafak.com/en/news/ebola-cases-in-dr-congo-rise-to-74-in-latest-outbreak-3536250

Jamaica Celebrates Its 58th Independence Day With Resilience
telesurenglish.net | 2020-08-06
Jamaica celebrates Thursday the 58 anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Jamaica Gets Ready to Open to Tourists Next Week Amid COVID-19 | "Despite COVID-19, we remain committed to making this the decade of growth for Jamaica to anchor our peace, prosperity, and resilience," Prime Minister Andrew Holness tweeted. | He also referred to the efforts made in fiscal, monetary, and structural reforms, which have let Jamaica be "in a…
telesurenglish.net/news/Jamaica-Celebrates-Its-58th-Independence-Day-With-Resilience-20200806-0012.html

The End of Big Tech? Calls Grow to Break Up Facebook, Amazon for "Mob-Like" Behavior, Monopoly Power
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-08-05
Calls are growing to break up the Big Tech giants, with a handful of companies controlling more and more of the technology industry, crowding out or acquiring would-be competitors and exercising vast power over the U.S. economy. Lawmakers grilled the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook during a hearing last week on whether their companies are guilty of stifling competition, in a scene reminiscent of the 1994 hearing of tobacco executives who claimed cigarettes were not addictive. This came just days after Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos reportedly made $13 billion in a single day, even as the coronavirus pandemic ha…
www.democracynow.org/2020/8/5/scott_galloway_big_tech

Statewide online workshop on community control of Florida police
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-05
Tallahassee, FL -The Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) hosted an online training and workshop, July 30, over Facebook Live on the topic of community control of police. The event was led by experienced anti-racism leaders who are active in the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), and also founding members of their local organizations: TCAC and the group that inspired TCAC's own founding, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC). | "NAARPR, JCAC and TCAC all have political repression and police overreach central to their origin stories," noted Tallahassee Communi…
fightbacknews.org/2020/8/4/statewide-online-workshop-community-control-florida-police

Statewide online workshop on community control of Florida police
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-08-05
Tallahassee, FL -The Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC) hosted an online training and workshop, July 30, over Facebook Live on the topic of community control of police. The event was led by experienced anti-racism leaders who are active in the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), and also founding members of their local organizations: TCAC and the group that inspired TCAC's own founding, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC). | "NAARPR, JCAC and TCAC all have political repression and police overreach central to their origin stories," noted Tallahassee Communi…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/8/4/statewide-online-workshop-community-control-florida-police

Saturday 8/8: 75th Annual Hiroshima-Nagasaki Remembrance & Virtual Peace Lantern Ceremony
Monterey Peace & Justice Center | indybay.org | 2020-08-05
Online via YouTube livestream or Zoom…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/03/18835635.php

'Harmful Covid-19 misinformation': Facebook scrubs Trump post stating children 'virtually immune' to coronavirus
rt.com | 2020-08-05
Facebook has removed a post from US President Donald Trump's personal page — a clip from a recent interview in which he suggested Covid-19 poses little risk to children — stating he had made "false claims" about the virus. | "This video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from Covid-19 which is a violation of our policies around harmful Covid misinformation," Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement on Wednesday. | In the interview segment, which aired on Fox on Wednesday morning, Trump called for a reopening of schools around the country, arguing that Covid-19 would…
rt.com/usa/497216-trump-facebook-covid-misinformation/

Facebook launches TikTok RIVAL as Microsoft in '$30bn' buyout talks
rt.com | 2020-08-05
Instagram, owned by tech giant Facebook, has launched its new 'Reels' short video feature in 50 countries — including the US — in what appears to be a direct challenge to TikTok. Microsoft is currently in talks to buy the latter. | …
rt.com/usa/497190-tiktok-rival-instagram-reels-microsoft/

UK schools' reopening could see Covid-19 cases multiply rapidly but it's 'not certain,' Professor Lockdown warns
rt.com | 2020-08-05
The UK might need to hold off on easing Covid-19 restrictions if it wants its schools to re-open without triggering a new viral outbreak, epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, who once prompted London to impose a strict lockdown, warns. | Secondary schools throughout the UK could become new centers of infection as soon as the educational facilities fully re-open in September, Ferguson warned in his latest alarming forecast. | "The risk then is that big schools, comprehensives, universities and FE colleges, link lots of households together, reconnecting the social network," the scientist told BBC Radio 4's 'Today' prog…
rt.com/uk/497201-neil-ferguson-schools-covid-lockdown/

Facebook Removes Video Post From Trump Over COVID-19 Misinformation
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-05
Facebook has issued a statement confirming that "harmful COVID misinformation" was the reason a video has been removed from US President Donald Trump's personal page.
sputniknews.com/us/202008051080078952-facebook-removes-video-post-from-trump-over-covid-19-misinformation/

Iranian FM Zarif Snaps at Google for 'Glitch' When Translating Condolences to Lebanese People
sputniknews.com | 2020-08-05
It appears from the video Zarif retweeted that Google Translate changes "condolences" to "congratulations" when Persian speakers want to translate their sympathies for the Lebanese who suffered a massive explosion on Tuesday.
sputniknews.com/world/202008051080078576-iranian-fm-zarif-snaps-at-google-for-glitch-when-translating-condolences-to-lebanese-people/

The Censorship of 'Cancel Culture' May Ultimately Be Most Dangerous for Social Justice Champions
Suzanne Nossel | commondreams.org | 2020-08-05
In 2014, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign community rallied in support of Professor Stephen Salaita, who was terminated from his tenured faculty position for criticizing Israel on social media. (Photo: Jeffrey Putney/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/image_56_0.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2020/08/05/censorship-cancel-culture-may-ultimately-be-most-dangerous-social-justice-champions?cd-origin=rss

HRW chief jumps to blame Hezbollah for devastating Beirut blasts — and backpedals immediately
rt.com | 2020-08-04
Human Rights Watch head Kenneth Roth was quick to join a social media chorus blaming Hezbollah for deadly explosions in Beirut on Tuesday. Perhaps realizing the claim lacked a shred of evidence, he soon deleted it. | Roth rushed to blame Hezbollah for the huge explosions near the port of Beirut, blasts which killed at least 50 people and are believed to have wounded over 3,000 more. "Is this Hezbollah's way of saying don't mess with us for allegedly killing former Lebanese PM Hariri?" he asked in a tweet posted almost immediately after news of the explosions hit social media on Tuesday. | Billionaire-funded re…
rt.com/news/497108-hrw-director-hezbollah-beirut-blast/

Saturday 8/8: 75th Annual Hiroshima-Nagasaki Remembrance & Virtual Peace Lantern Ceremony
Monterey Peace & Justice Center | indybay.org | 2020-08-04
Online via YouTube livestream or Zoom…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/08/03/18835635.php

Trump Now Says Mail-In Ballots Are Safe, But Only in His Home State of Florida
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-08-04
President Donald Trump, who has for the past several months repeatedly made unverified and dubious claims about fraud associated with mail-in voting, authored a tweet on Tuesday urging voters in his home state of Florida to vote by mail if that's what they wanted to do. | "Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True," Trump said. | The presid…
truthout.org/articles/trump-now-says-mail-in-ballots-are-safe-but-only-in-his-home-state-of-florida/