(2020-10-31). From a wealthy socialite to an Israeli Govt censor, Facebook's new "Free Speech Court" is anything but independent. mronline.org 
Freedom of speech on the Internet is all but extinct, and on the eve of the 2020 U.S. elections, a de facto "free speech court" is going to make sure it never comes back. On Facebook at least.
(2020-10-31). Even the boss of the Police Federation is slating the government's coronavirus communications. thecanary.co The chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales has criticised the "briefing" of a potential lockdown to the media, claiming it had increased pressure on the emergency services. | John Apter, head of the organisation which represents more than 120,000 rank-and-file officers, called for "clear communication" on coronavirus measures. | He tweeted on Saturday morning: "To those briefing selective media on a potential national lockdown please understand the impact this has. It creates a media frenzy, causes confusion and ahead of any official announcement encourages some to make the most of their pre-lockd…
(2020-10-31). Penguin Climate Activists Block Berlin Airport Opening. popularresistance.org Berlin – The climate justice group 'Am Boden bleiben', a member of the international Stay Grounded network, today blocks the opening of the new airport in Berlin with protest actions. The opening of the BER had been delayed for nine years, after a series of expensive construction and corruption issues. Am Boden bleiben carries out an action of civil disobedience and says that there is no room for new airports in times of climate crisis. You can follow the action live on the Twitter accounts of Am Boden bleiben and Stay Grounded.
(2020-10-30). Why I'm Voting Green in 2020. globalresearch.ca Author's note: Kevin and I worked on this article together right before his untimely passing on September 6. I met Kevin during Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign. Throughout the years since, I appreciated seeing his anti-imperialist and eco-socialist arguments strengthen …
(2020-10-30). 'What next, a white Rosa Parks?' Internet clashes over black model cast to play English Queen Anne Boleyn. rt.com 
Black model Jodie Turner-Smith is set to play 16th-century Queen of England Anne Boleyn, who was, of course, a white woman. The head-scratching choice tore the Internet apart, many suggesting it amounted to cultural appropriation. | Turner-Smith's turn as the medieval monarch was announced on Friday. The project was described by entertainment outlet Deadline as being a three-part "convention-defying" psychological thriller by Channel 5, set to "shine a feminist light" on the life of Boleyn, famously sent to her death by her husband King Henry the Eighth. | Social media quickly began overflowing with complaints…
(2020-10-30). Syrians forced into cages to queue for bread. middleeasteye.net 
Syrians forced into cages to queue for bread | The photos have highlighted the deteriorating economic situation faced by many Syrians | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 11: 35 | The images have sparked anger online, with the situation described as dehumanising and humiliating (Screengrab/Twitter) | Photos of people in Damascus being forced to wait in iron cages to queue for bread have sparked condemnation online. | Th…
(2020-10-30). Instagram 'blocked French account of Iran's Khamenei' after he sent message to youths on Prophet Mohammed cartoons. rt.com 
A French-language Instagram account of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was temporarily blocked after posting a critical message to young people about controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, Iran's FARS news agency reported. | The page became inaccessible on Friday, two days after Khamenei's missive to "young French people" was posted on social media. In his address, the Ayatollah blasted French President Emmanuel Macron as "stupid" for insisting that caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed were in line with that country's values of freedom of speech. He also questioned why it was "OK" in France to insult the Prophe…
(2020-10-30). Arabic press review: Egyptian photojournalist disappears after interrogation. middleeasteye.net 
Arabic press review: Egyptian photojournalist disappears after interrogation | Meanwhile, Sudan's foreign minister is criticised over normalisation with Israel, and a French MP demands action be taken against UAE as a 'tax haven' | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 14: 37 | Egyptian photojournalist Mohamed al-Rai has reportedly gone missing since Wednesday (Twitter) | Egypt: Detained photojournalist missing…
(2020-10-30). Public sceptical about housing minister Robert Jenrick's homelessness claims. thecanary.co 
Millionaire minister Robert Jenrick says the Tories are on a "moral mission" to end homelessness, and have worked wonders during the pandemic. The public is sceptical. | The Cambridge-educated housing minister, who, In a video released on Twitter, he praised the "national effort to support rough sleepers" during the pandemic, and that the government wanted "to end rough sleeping by the end of…
(2020-10-30). Driver rams car into gate of Mecca's Grand Mosque. middleeasteye.net 
Driver rams car into gate of Mecca's Grand Mosque | Videos posted on social media show car driving into one of mosque's outer doors; local media report no casualties | Fri, 10/30/2020 – 22: 55 | Grand Mosque resumed congregational prayers earlier this month after seven-month hiatus amid coronavirus outbreak (AFP/File photo) | A driver rammed his car into the outer-perimeter gate of the Grand Mosque in Mecca la…
(2020-10-30). Can Facebook be Used to Steal an Election? counterpunch.org What a year. The US has faced three unprecedented crises — the COVID pandemic, nationwide racial unrest, and now a bitterly contested presidential election. And there in the middle of all three is the Dark Trinity: Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. With nearly 3 billion users, Facebook is by far the largest publisher in the world
(2020-10-30). Facebook Stopping Recommendations of New Groups Ahead of US Election. sputniknews.com The announcement comes the day after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed concerns about the possibility of civil unrest across the United States, as the voting is just days away.
(2020-10-30). Social Media's Erasure of Palestinians is a Grim Warning for our Future. dissidentvoice.org There is a growing unease that the decisions taken by social media corporations can have a harmful impact on our lives. These platforms, despite enjoying an effective monopoly over the virtual public square, have long avoided serious scrutiny or accountability. In a new Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, former Silicon Valley executives warn of a …
(2020-10-30). The 'Very, Very Bad Look' of Remdesivir, the First FDA-approved COVID-19 Drug. globalresearch.ca October was a good month for Gilead Sciences, the giant manufacturer of antivirals headquartered in Foster City, California. On 8 October, the company inked an agreement to supply the European Union with its drug remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19—a …
(2020-10-29). Intel Drop with The Greenwald issue. thealtworld.com A few things to add… | The Greenwald issue, he has taken to twitter to establish himself as 'wronged' but those of us who carry the water for the journalistic world, those who point at Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Kosher Nostra (Trump's gang) as 9/11 perpetrators…who publish the hard evidence of nuclear attacks…don't appreciate those like Greenwald very much. | You can't say "Israeli did it" without crediting Giuliani. You can't say "Rudy" without saying "Donald." | Trump's silence on 9/11 has been deafening. | Is the great reset coming? You will know when Trump flees to Ukraine. | As for Greenwald, we woul…
(2020-10-29). Twitter suspends Palestinian accounts shortly after Israeli ministry report on 'phony' profiles. middleeasteye.net 
Twitter suspends Palestinian accounts shortly after Israeli ministry report on 'phony' profiles | Social media giant says accounts were 'amplifying the dissemination of information' that violated its terms of service | Thu, 10/29/2020 – 12: 24 | Sada Social has been recording and monitoring the suspension of Palestinian content and accounts on Twitter and Facebook since September 2017 (AFP) | Twitter has suspe…
(2020-10-29). Facebook Choked Traffic to Mother Jones & Other Sites While Amplifying Right-Wing Misinformation. democracynow.org 
Big Tech CEOs were grilled Wednesday about how they moderate election disinformation and extremist content, and were accused by Republicans of censoring conservatives. Overlooked were reports that Facebook designed changes to its news feed algorithm in 2017 to reduce the visibility of left-leaning news sites like Mother Jones. Mother Jones editors wrote in 2019 that the site had seen a sharp decline in its Facebook audience, which translated to a loss of around $600,000 over 18 months. "The fact that we are trying to do everything we can to get the truth out and Facebook is deliberately sabotaging our readership…
(2020-10-29). Senator's Report Finds Google and Facebook Have 'Hijacked' Local News and Undermined Journalism. commondreams.org "These trillion-dollar companies scrape local news content and data for their own sites and leverage their market dominance to force local news to accept little to no compensation for their intellectual property." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/facebook_google.png …
(2020-10-29). Jeremy Corbyn's shocking suspension is met with an outpouring of solidarity on social media. thecanary.co Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been suspended, "in light of his comments" in response to an In his
(2020-10-28). Arabic press review: Hundreds of Kuwaiti companies face bankruptcy amid coronavirus. middleeasteye.net 
Arabic press review: Hundreds of Kuwaiti companies face bankruptcy amid coronavirus | Meanwhile, Moroccan politician says Macron waging war on Islam, Egypt jails activist over tweet and IMF warns of 'challenging' times for poorer nations | Wed, 10/28/2020 – 17: 09 | Kuwaiti man stops at a currency exchange shop in Kuwait City (AFP) | Kuwaiti companies threatened with bankruptcy: | Hundre…
(2020-10-28). Concord D2 Residents Can Vote Out Caviar Carlyn. indybay.org In the lead up to the election during the economic and Covid crisises, Carlyn Obringer is promoting caviar on Twitter and Facebook. Caviar Carlyn is out of touch when it comes to the struggles that so many Concord residents are facing.
(2020-10-28). Faceboook moderators forced to return to offices as COVID-19 continues to spread. wsws.org As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the world, Facebook and its contractors are forcing content moderators to return to offices and risk their lives.
(2020-10-28). The New York Times attacks the First Amendment and embraces censorship of "disinformation" wsws.org An essay published in the October 18 edition of the New York Times Magazine argues that online "disinformation" has rendered First Amendment rights to free speech "inadequate," requiring government and social media censorship of "unfettered speech."