(2020-10-10). Nearly 500,000 power outages reported across Texas & Louisiana as Hurricane Delta pummels gulf coast with 80mph gusts. rt.com 
Nearly a half-million residents in Texas and Louisiana have been left without power after Hurricane Delta made landfall along the US gulf coast, battering cities with winds up to 80 miles per hour. | Delta hit land in southwest Louisiana on Friday night, inflicting widespread damage and knocking out electricity for some 379,636 people in the state and another 108,402 in neighboring Texas, Footage circulating on social media showed powerful gust…
(2020-10-10). Trump intensifies conflict with big tech over Section 230 protections following censorship moves by Facebook and Twitter. wsws.org After Facebook and Twitter both censored Trump for falsely comparing the coronavirus to the flu, the president called for a repeal of the law protecting social media companies from liability for content posted on their platforms.
(2020-10-10). This Tyrant Feeds Peacocks. zcomm.org India is burning. In the months from March to May the news and social media were flooded with heart rending stories and images of the trauma of out-of state workers who lost their livelihood overnight when the coronavirus lock down was imposed without adequate notice. With all modes of transportation brought to a halt they
(2020-10-10). [Correspondence] Undermining breastfeeding will not alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic — Authors' reply. thelancet.com In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, questions regarding possible methods of virus transmission, including the safety of breastfeeding by mothers who are infected, are of great importance. We reported1 the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA (not viral particles, as incorrectly stated by Natalie Shenker and colleagues) in consecutive milk samples from an infected mother and interpreted our findings with the greatest caution. In particular, we did not claim that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via contaminated breastmilk or that breastfeeding should be discontinued by mothers with…
(2020-10-09). FBI Foils Right-Wing Plot to Kidnap Michigan Gov. Months After Trump Urged "Liberation" of State. democracynow.org 
Just months after President Trump tweeted for his supporters to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" the FBI has foiled an alleged plot to kidnap and take hostage Democratic Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer. Authorities arrested six men Thursday involved in the kidnapping plot, and seven others who were said to be planning to storm the state Capitol in Lansing with the intent of starting a civil war. "It came as a surprise to many, but not necessarily here in Michigan, because the state has a long history of militia and white nationalist ties," says Russ McNamara, a reporter at WDET, Detroit's NPR affiliate. We also speak w…
(2020-10-09). The Case Against Social Media: Mass Misinformation in the Covid-19 Era. counterpunch.org 
Americans are now witnessing a new era of conspiracy mongering and fake news via the rise of the fringe "QAnon" movement, among a plethora of paranoid claims that Covid-19 is an elite-fueled hoax and that it was secretly created by powerful people working in the shadows.
(2020-10-09). Debatable: Can Kamala Harris Tell Us Anything About the Politics of Ava DuVernay? counterpunch.org 
I can't believe that it was just last year that Ava DuVernay's "When They See Us" was the thing that Black folks were watching and discussing on social media. We laughed, we cried, we felt righteous indignation at the way those young men were treated, and immeasurable gratitude for the filmmaker who put their stories
(2020-10-09). Twitter suspends Saudi accounts that stoked rumours of coup in Qatar. middleeasteye.net 
Twitter suspends Saudi accounts that stoked rumours of coup in Qatar | Accounts purported to belong to members of Qatar's royal family and fabricated statements from Amnesty and Human Rights Watch | Fri, 10/09/2020 – 14: 51 | It remains unclear why Twitter took so long to identify the network and delete the accounts linked to Saudi Arabia (AFP) | Twitter says it has deleted more than 30 accounts that sto…
(2020-10-09). Check with MSM first: Twitter rolls out new rules for candidates to claim victory in US election. rt.com 
Twitter has rolled out a set of changes to its rules ahead of the upcoming US presidential election. From now on, users — including candidates — cannot claim victory until it's called by at least two "authoritative" news outlets. | The updated rules were unveiled by the social media platform on Friday. While an earlier version of the rules said election candidates could not claim victory on the platform until the results were "certified," now they are allowed to do so when the results are merely "authoritatively called." The general twitterati are barred from prematurely hailing the victory of a ca…
(2020-10-09). 4 killed, dozens injured in gas tank explosion in Beirut neighborhood (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The Lebanese capital Beirut has been rocked by a powerful blast after a diesel tank blew up in a densely-populated residential area. At least four people died and scores were injured in the explosion and subsequent fire. | Photos and videos published on social media show streets littered with debris and rubble, as well as damaged buildings, as firefighters try to extinguish blazes raging at what appears to be the scene of the blast. | ŸÅŸàÿ¨ ÿßÿ∑ŸÅÿßÿ° ÿ®Ÿäÿ±Ÿàÿ™ Ÿ&agrav…
(2020-10-09). Evidence that the Face Mask does not Impede Viral Transmission. globalresearch.ca Dr. Redfield: | I made it a point to watch you after seeing Wisconsin's Chief Medical Officer and Epidemiologist, Dr. Ryan Westergaard, "Now the science is in. [Because of] recent studies with large numbers …
(2020-10-09). Pence Faked Care for George Floyd, But We Know the Truth of His Administration. truthout.org Immediately following this week's vice presidential debate, an explosion of unapologetically racist and misogynist references to Kamala Harris have spread across social media. Trump himself labeled her a "monster" on Fox News. | This kind of vitriol is dangerous, especially with Trump occupying an unfiltered bully pulpit from which he covertly commands right-wing vigilante and militia. We can only imagine the signal that such language sends to those hyped up and armed "patriots," whom he has…
(2020-10-09). FBI Charges Men Involved in Whitmer Kidnapping Plot With Domestic Terrorism. truthout.org Just months after President Trump tweeted for his supporters to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" the FBI has foiled an alleged plot to kidnap and take hostage Democratic Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer. Authorities arrested six men Thursday involved in the kidnapping plot, and seven others who were said to be planning to storm the state Capitol in Lansing with the intent of starting a civil war. "It came as a surprise to many, but not necessarily here in Michigan, because the state has a long history o…
(2020-10-08). Protests & Provocateurs: Infiltrators are Disrupting BLM Protests. counterpunch.org 
Reports of agents provocateurs, outside agitators and police infiltration of protests are appearing throughout the country and involving law-enforcement agents and rightwing nationalists. The most public role of such a disruptor was detailed in Minneapolis at the time of Trump's provocative tweets and involved someone who has come to be known as the "Umbrella Man."
(2020-10-08). Yemen's Houthi-run Al Masirah TV accounts suspended by Twitter. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen's Houthi-run Al Masirah TV accounts suspended by Twitter | Suspension comes as clashes intensify in Hodeidah between Houthi fighters and Saudi-backed forces | Thu, 10/08/2020 – 13: 40 | Supporters of Yemen's Houthi fighters chant slogans as they gather in the capital Sanaa on 24 September 2020, during a ceremony by the Houthis to collect cash, food and other donations for their force…
(2020-10-08). USA Today blasted for 'who won VP debate' Twitter poll that LEFT OUT Pence. rt.com 
USA Today has been called out by Republicans for inexplicably leaving Mike Pence out of a Twitter poll asking "Who won the vice presidential debate?" — though the outlet tried to brush it off as a mistake. | The poll, posted after the Wednesday night debate, asked users who had won, offering respondents the choices of Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden (who wasn't even in the debate), "the pesky fly" that alighted on Pence's head, or "I didn't watch!" Notably, Vice President Pence's name was nowhere to be seen. | Think the media has an agenda…
(2020-10-08). 'Misogynistic loser': GOP consulstant eviscerated on Twitter for calling Kamala Harris an 'insufferable lying bi**h'. rt.com 
Republican consultant and regular Fox News guest Harlan Hill bashed a social media hornets' nest with a bat with a tweet branding VP candidate Kamala Harris an "insufferable lying b*tch" during her debate with Mike Pence. | "Kamala Harris comes off as such an insufferable lying bitch. Sorry, it's just true," Hill tweeted during the Wednesday night debate between Harris and Vice President Mike Pence. "I didn't think it was possible for someone to be less likable than Hillary Clinton," he added in a separate tweet. | Kamala Harris comes off as such an insufferable lying bitch. Sorry, it's just true.— HARLA…
(2020-10-08). 'Misogynistic loser': Fox News contributor eviscerated on Twitter for calling Kamala Harris an 'insufferable lying bi**h'. rt.com Republican consultant and Fox News contributor Harlan Hill bashed a social media hornets' nest with a bat with a tweet branding Democratic VP candidate Kamala Harris an "insufferable lying b*tch" during her debate with Mike Pence. | "Kamala Harris comes off as such an insufferable lying bitch. Sorry, it's just true," Hill tweeted during the Wednesday night debate between Harris and Vice President Mike Pence. "I didn't think it was possible for someone to be less likable than Hillary Clinton," he added in a separate tweet. | Kamala Harris comes off as such an insufferable lying bitch. Sorry, it's just true.[mda…
(2020-10-08). Penelope Cruz bombarded with Nagorno-Karabakh comments on Instagram as users mistake Colombian flag on film poster for Armenia's. rt.com 
Hollywood star Penelope Cruz has been unwittingly dragged into an online battle over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, after social media users falsely assumed she had posted an image of the Armenian flag. | The Spanish-born actress shared a photo of…
(2020-10-08). European Parliament President Sassoli self-isolating after member of his staff tests positive for Covid-19. rt.com 
The president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, announced on Thursday he would self-isolate after contact with a Covid-19 infected person. | "I was recently in contact with a member of my staff who today tested positive for Covid-19," Sassoli tweeted. "In accordance with the rules, I'll be self-isolating for the required period to carry out the necessary checks." | The EU Parliament head Sassoli has already put himself into quarantine once — back in March…
(2020-10-08). Video: Rapper Tory Lanez Charged With Felony Assault in Megan Thee Stallion Shooting. sputniknews.com Canadian rapper and singer Tory Lanez is facing up to 22 years and eight months in prison for the July 12 incident in which he allegedly shot US rapper Megan Thee Stallion in both feet.
(2020-10-08). Video: US Marine Who Posted Clip Threatening Asians Wanted by Pentagon. sputniknews.com A US Marine who recently posted a video on social media in which he threatened to shoot Asians is now wanted by US Marine Corps leaders "so that his command can take appropriate action."
(2020-10-08). Did Trump's "LIBERATE MICHIGAN" Tweet Inspire Militia Plot Against Gov. Whitmer? truthout.org Federal investigators uncovered and thwarted a plot planned by six individuals, some of whom were part of a militia in Michigan planning to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. | Four of the six men The men ha…
(2020-10-08). Facebook Profited From Climate Misinformation Even After Vowing to Fight It, Report Shows. commondreams.org Inaccurate and misleading ads—which were bought by right-wing lobby and nonprofit groups—were viewed by eight million U.S. users during the first half of 2020. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/denial.jpg …
(2020-10-07). House Antitrust Report Is a Bold Prescription for Curing Big Tech's Ills. commondreams.org Following a year of hearings and research, the staff of the Subcommittee on Antitrust found that Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple all have either significant market power or outright monopoly power in a variety of markets. (Photo: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/break-up-big-tech.jpg …
(2020-10-07). Headlines for October 7, 2020. democracynow.org Stephen Miller Tests Positive for COVID-19 as Top Pentagon Generals Quarantine, Rudy Giuliani Coughs Through TV Interview While Awaiting Coronavirus Test Result, White House Refuses Contact Tracing Help as Trump Puts Residence Staff at Risk of COVID-19, Two Presidential Valets Who Carry Nuclear Launch Codes Test Positive for Coronavirus, Six States Report Record Hospitalizations as U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Nears 211,000, Trump Calls Off Stimulus Talks, Then Reverses Course in Erratic Series of Tweets, Facebook, Twitter Crack Down on Trump's False Claim COVID-19 Is Less Lethal Than Flu, FDA to Require Two Month Sa…
(2020-10-07). Facebook begins banning accounts that openly support xenophobic QAnon group. middleeasteye.net 
Facebook begins banning accounts that openly support xenophobic QAnon group | Designated by FBI as domestic terror threat in 2019, US President Donald Trump applauded group in August, calling followers 'people that love our country' | Wed, 10/07/2020 – 16: 36 | Trump supporter wears QAnon sweatshirt during one of president's rallies on 3 October in Staten Island, New York (AFP/File photo) | Faceboo…
(2020-10-07). 'Cuties' goes to court: Netflix INDICTED by Texas grand jury for lewd depiction of children in controversial film. rt.com 
Netflix is facing criminal prosecution over the controversial French film 'Cuties,' after a Texas grand jury indicted the entertainment streaming service for lewd depiction of children. | The indictment was filed on September 23 in Tyler County but was shared on Tuesday on Twitter by Republican state Representative Matt Schaefer. It accuses Netflix of knowingly promoting visual material that depicts "lewd exhibition" of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child who was under 18 when the content was created. Further, the prosecution alleges that the material "appeals to the prurient int…
(2020-10-07). Trump hints at 'standalone' $1,200 stimulus check bill after vowing to halt Covid relief talks with Democrats until November. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump said he would sign a bill approving another round of Covid-19 relief checks if one crossed his desk, apparently backtracking after saying he'd ended stimulus talks with Democrats until after the election. | "[If I sent] a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200), they will go out to our great people IMMEDIATELY. I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening Nancy?" Trump tweeted on Tuesday evening amid a flurry of posts, tagging his own chief of staff Mark Meadows and leadership in both parties. | If I am sent a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200), they will go out to…
(2020-10-07). 'Former staff' of disgraced Rep. Katie Hill use ex-lawmaker's Twitter account to accuse her of 'workplace abuse'. rt.com 
A series of messages posted to the verified Twitter account of former Rep. Katie Hill accused her of abusing her congressional staff. Hill, who resigned following a salacious sex scandal, claims that the account was hacked. | Hill, a Democrat who vacated her seat in October 2019 following allegations that she had extramarital affairs with multiple members of her staff, once again found herself in the spotlight after it was announced on Tuesday that her memoir would be turned into a film. The Handmaid's Tale star Elisabeth Moss will play Hill in the movie, which is being produced for a streaming service. | Alt…
(2020-10-07). Traits like 'objectivity' and 'perfectionism' signs of RACISM and white supremacy, elementary school kids taught. rt.com 
A screenshot of a lesson apparently taught to elementary school kids claiming characteristics like "perfectionism" and "objectivity" can signify racism has sparked outcry, with many ridiculing the concept as being racist itself. | The presentation slide, shared on Twitter by author James Lindsay on Wednesday, showed a list of 15 traits by which the young students could identify "white supremacy culture." It appeared to be a rough
(2020-10-07). UFO watchers agog after mysterious object seen hurtling past International Space Station. rt.com 
Alien enthusiasts are in a frenzy after peculiar footage appearing to capture a UFO flying past the International Space Station (ISS) was captured by a skywatcher and uploaded online. | The curious video was uploaded on the popular space conspiracy YouTube channel MrMBB333 on Tuesday. The YouTuber behind it, who describes himself as an 'Earth Watchman', says the footage was captured in Chino Hills, California, on Monday. | It shows a small white light whizzing behind the ISS as a spacecraft starts to disembark. "It looks like it's white and, as we zoom in, appears to be tumbling," MrMBB333 explains. | The uplo…
(2020-10-07). PMQs just exposed Starmer's complete lack of principles. thecanary.co 
It's fair enough if you've given up watching Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) recently. Because the previous few weeks have been PMQs: Starmer rebelling?: | As BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg tweeted, Starmer might be about to 'rebel' against Johnson: | Getting tricky for govt — fair number of Tory MPs might…
(2020-10-07). Trump shares tweet calling New York City mayor 'an anti-Semite thug'. middleeasteye.net 
Trump shares tweet calling New York City mayor 'an anti-Semite thug' | President suggests New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is antisemitic after night of demonstrations by Orthodox Jews that saw some burn their masks | Wed, 10/07/2020 – 17: 51 | Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men in Borough Park section of Brooklyn in New York City on 6 October (Reuters) | US President Donald Trump suggested that New York's Democratic mayo…
(2020-10-07). Bangladesh erupts against repeated incidents of sexual abuse against women. peoplesdispatch.org On October 5, Monday, hundreds of people protested in Shahbag area of Bangladeshi capital Dhaka after a video of a woman being gangraped and tortured by at least nine men went viral on social media. The incident reportedly took place in Noakhali district's Begumganj upazila on September 2. The victim's 65-year-old father was also assaulted by some of the alleged rapists at his house in Jagannathpur upazila of Sumangunj, as per reports. | Protesters on Monday carried banners demanding the resignation of home minister Asadduzzam Khan for the government's failure to stop sexual violence against women in the country.
(2020-10-07). Why a DC Public Relations Firm Pretended to Be Bolivian on Facebook. counterpunch.org The Americas Blog featured a post last week about the growing wave of election interference and misinformation campaigns sweeping Latin America, especially as a tool of right-wing governments and political movements. As these digital operations have grown in popularity, so has the market for firms to organize them. In particular, new details about the recent
(2020-10-07). Facebook to Cease Running US Political Ads After 2020 Election Polls Close. sputniknews.com Facebook has declared that it will temporarily halt the allowance of political advertisements on Facebook and Instagram following the November 3 US presidential election.
(2020-10-07). Facebook to Ban Political Ads After Polls Close on Nov. 3, 'Just in Time to Have No Impact Whatsoever'. commondreams.org Critics noted that the social media giant also recently announced an algorithm change that could "make the site more toxic and less usable while endangering democracy and human rights." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/facebook.housing_0_0.jpg …
(2020-10-07). From the Jailhouse to Wall Street: How Change Happens. commondreams.org On the night before JPMorgan Chase's annual shareholders meeting in May of 2020, activists with Stop the Money Pipeline projected 30-foot-tall images of people holding protest signs with messages calling on CEO Jamie Dimon to "stop funding fossil fuels" on a wall across from his apartment in New York City. (Photo: Erik McGregor/Stop the Money Pipeline/Facebook) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/chase-protest.jpg …
(2020-10-06). 'Powers unseen since oil barons': Democrats threaten to BREAK UP Apple, Google, Amazon & Facebook, accusing Big Tech of monopolism. rt.com 
House Democrats called for an overhaul of antitrust laws to break up Silicon Valley, comparing them to Gilded Age monopolies, even as tech giants backed their calls for increased speech policing ahead of the November election. | That's the main thrust of the
(2020-10-06). The American Way? Yap Loudly and Pack a Big Shtick. counterpunch.org The House of Donald's Populist Tweetocracy instructs us daily how sharing doesn't matter and that taxes are for losers, those impecunious citizen-suckers who can't afford a lawyer who charges less than the claimed deductions. Tax Avoidance 101. No need to share with the "little people," a.k.a. socialism. Of course, in Socialism American Style, the protected class siphons