Daily Archives: November 13, 2020

2020-11-13: News Headlines

Daniel Warner (2020-11-13). Can Multinationals be Responsible? counterpunch.org As part of anger against the 1%, many of the 99% are turning against multinational corporations such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. On November 29, the Swiss will vote on a referendum concerning corporate social responsibility. Before deciding on the pros and cons of what's on the ballot, we should consider the nature of

Leia Barnett (2020-11-13). On Losing and Winning. counterpunch.org In a recent phone conversation with a group of friends, we were asked to speak about loss as a sort of cathartic recognition of the feelings of the moment, induced by certain biological, viral, and political upheavals: what were we afraid of losing, what had we already lost, what does loss mean, and how do

Vijay Prashad (2020-11-13). Biden Should Shake Hands With Nicolás Maduro. counterpunch.org In June, Joe Biden—who will be the U.S. president in January 2021—sent out a tweet that described Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro—and others—as "thugs and dictators." Maduro won two elections to hold his post—in 2013 and 2018. In 2018, Maduro won 67.8 percent of the vote, losing a third of the votes to Henri Falcón and

MEE and agencies (2020-11-12). Saudi embassy denies UK ambassador discussed freeing women's rights activists. middleeasteye.net Saudi embassy denies UK ambassador discussed freeing women's rights activists | Envoy was quoted by the Guardian as saying Riyadh was considering releasing detainees such as Loujain al-Hathloul ahead of G20 summit | Thu, 11/12/2020 – 12: 02 | Hathloul, who has been on hunger strike for 17 days, was arrested and detained in 2018 along with a number of other activists on charges including 'a…

RT (2020-11-12). WATCH shopping mall in Russia engulfed in flames during MASSIVE BLAZE. rt.com A large shopping mall in the Russian city of Ryazan has been hit by such a huge fire the local emergency services had to deploy a fire-fighting train to extinguish it. No casualties have been reported. | Giant plumes of fire illuminated the evening skies over the city of Ryazan, about 200km southeast of Moscow, as the local M5 Mall erupted in flames. The blaze quickly engulfed the building's roof, sending billowing clouds of smoke into the air. | Videos published on social media show the scale of the inferno. Nearly 60 fire fighters were deployed to tackle the fire that covered an area of 500 square meters.

Matt Sedlar (2020-11-12). Consumer Price Index: "There is Zero Basis for any Concerns About Inflation" cepr.net (This is a compilation of Dean Baker's quick-take analysis over Twitter. Follow @DeanBaker13 on Twitter to get his quick-take analysis of government data immediately upon release.) US CPI overall and core CPI were both flat in October, up 1.2 percent and 1.6 percent year over year, respectively. A sharp drop in energy prices lowered overall …

MEE staff (2020-11-12). Egyptian sets himself on fire in Tahrir Square to protest corruption. middleeasteye.net Egyptian sets himself on fire in Tahrir Square to protest corruption | Man complained in video about financial and living conditions as result of attempts to uncover corruption | Thu, 11/12/2020 – 19: 45 | An Egyptian man set himself on fire in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Thursday to protest corruption and deteriorating living conditions in the North African country. | In a video widely circulated on social media…

sputniknews (2020-11-12). 'F**king Sickening': US Army to Discipline Staff Sergeant Over TikTok Bashing Trainees – Video. sputniknews.com An Oklahoma-based drill sergeant for the US Army is facing possible discipline by the armed forces after his profanity-ridden TikTok post was reposted on Twitter and caught the attention of hundreds of Twitter users, including an Army lieutenant general.

Raul Diego (2020-11-11). QAnon Legal Battle Against YouTube Could Transform Free Speech Online. mintpressnews.com A lawsuit brought against YouTube and parent company Google by 15 QAnon social media stars could end up in the Supreme Court and transform the meaning of online free speech in America.

Betsey Piette (2020-11-11). Wallace family calls for firing of police. workers.org The Oct. 26 police killing of Walter Wallace Jr. in Philadelphia was caught on a video that went viral, bringing thousands into the streets to demand justice for the 27-year-old Black man, who had been experiencing a mental health crisis. Despite a series of 911 callers saying Wallace needed an . . . |

Media Lens (2020-11-11). Robert Fisk: Death of a "Controversial" Journalist. dissidentvoice.org Robert Fisk, the Independent's Middle East correspondent, died on 30 October aged 74. In reviewing his life and career, the newspaper for which he worked for more than two decades wrote of their star reporter: 'Much of what Fisk wrote was controversial…' As John Pilger noted, in describing Fisk's journalism as 'controversial' the Independent was …

RT (2020-11-11). Brennan & other spooks go full conspiracy theorist over suggestion 'cornered' Trump will indeed 'DECLASSIFY EVERYTHING'. rt.com Former CIA director John Brennan took to CNN to speculate wildly on how Trump would dump the US' most precious military secrets out of spite. Mainstream outlets and social media alike piled on the declassification rumors. | Brennan took to CNN's airwaves on Monday to denounce Trump for firing Defense Secretary Mark Esper, claiming the axe came down over Esper's "rebuff[ing] Trump's efforts to politicize the US military." But the mind-reading went on considerably further as Brennan, aided and abetted by host Chris Cuomo, wondered aloud "who knows what else he has refused to do" — like expose the nation's d…

WSWS (2020-11-11). Cobra Kai: The reboot of The Karate Kid film series. wsws.org The series' initial airing in May 2018 on YouTube's platforms became the widest-viewed digital programming on the internet for that month. Since appearing on Netflix, the series has become the platform's most popular program.

RT (2020-11-10). Is Northern Ireland leaving UK? Twitter ridicules flag gaffe at British embassy in UAE. rt.com The UK embassy in Abu Dhabi has been mocked online over a photo op-turned-photo gaffe, as many on social media noticed the British flag on the image released by diplomats was conspicuously lacking a key part: St. Patrick's cross. | The embassy's Twitter page reported a visit by James Cleverly, UK minister of state for the Middle East and North Africa, to the UAE, on Tuesday.

MEE staff (2020-11-10). Haftar critic shot dead in Libya's Benghazi. middleeasteye.net Haftar critic shot dead in Libya's Benghazi | Hanan al-Barassi was known in the eastern city for videos criticising corruption in Haftar's circles | Tue, 11/10/2020 – 13: 55 | A photo posted by Hanan al-Barassi on social media (Facebook) | A vocal critic of eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar has been shot dead in the city of Benghazi. | Hanan al-Barassi, an activist who became known for posting videos cri…

Yasmina Allouche (2020-11-10). France interior minister criticised for tribute at Algeria war monument. middleeasteye.net France interior minister criticised for tribute at Algeria war monument | Both Algerian and French figures and social media users have blasted Darmanin's tribute as 'shameful' and 'insulting' – but not always for the same reasons | Tue, 11/10/2020 – 14: 51 | Last week Darmanin, whose grandfather was Algerian, toured the Maghreb to discuss counter-terrorism and illegal immigration (Handout)…

MEE staff (2020-11-10). Jailed female activists in Saudi Arabia may be freed before G20, says ambassador. middleeasteye.net Jailed female activists in Saudi Arabia may be freed before G20, says ambassador | Sister of detained activist Loujain al-Hathloul dismisses 'PR stunt' aimed at saving kingdom's reputation | Tue, 11/10/2020 – 11: 29 | This undated handout picture released on the Facebook page of Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul shows her in happier times on a beach (AFP) | Female activists in Saudi Arabia could be released f…

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-11-10). Viral Optimism: The Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine. globalresearch.ca The announcement that Pfizer Inc., along with its collaborative partner BioNTech SE, had come up with a successful vaccine candidate to combat the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

WSWS (2020-11-10). Long-COVID post-viral syndrome: Lessons from the Russian Flu of 1889 for the COVID pandemic. wsws.org &nbsp…

Larissa Pham (2020-11-10). The Limits of the Viral Book Review. thenation.com The Limits of the Viral Book Review…

Flanagin A, Fontanarosa PB, Bauchner H. (2020-11-10). Preprints Involving Medical Research—Do the Benefits Outweigh the Challenges? jamanetwork.com A preprint is a complete manuscript posted to a preprint server by authors before peer review and publication in a journal. The goals of preprints are to enable authors to obtain timely feedback and comments on research before submission to a peer-reviewed journal, to claim provenance of an idea, and to facilitate and expedite dissemination of and access to research. Preprints can be amended or updated, commented on by others, and remain on the preprint server even if subsequently published in a journal. They can be cited and indexed and increasingly are given attention in the news and social media.

2020-11-13: 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.)

Biden Should Shake Hands With Nicolás Maduro
Vijay Prashad | counterpunch.org | 2020-11-13
In June, Joe Biden–who will be the U.S. president in January 2021–sent out a tweet that described Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro–and others–as "thugs and dictators." Maduro won two elections to hold his post–in 2013 and 2018. In 2018, Maduro won 67.8 percent of the vote, losing a third of the votes to Henri Falcón and…
counterpunch.org/2020/11/13/biden-should-shake-hands-with-nicolas-maduro/

Can Multinationals be Responsible?
Daniel Warner | counterpunch.org | 2020-11-13
As part of anger against the 1%, many of the 99% are turning against multinational corporations such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. On November 29, the Swiss will vote on a referendum concerning corporate social responsibility. Before deciding on the pros and cons of what's on the ballot, we should consider the nature of…
counterpunch.org/2020/11/13/can-multinationals-be-responsible/

On Losing and Winning
Leia Barnett | counterpunch.org | 2020-11-13
In a recent phone conversation with a group of friends, we were asked to speak about loss as a sort of cathartic recognition of the feelings of the moment, induced by certain biological, viral, and political upheavals: what were we afraid of losing, what had we already lost, what does loss mean, and how do…
counterpunch.org/2020/11/13/on-losing-and-winning/

On Losing and Winning
Leia Barnett | counterpunch.org | 2020-11-13
In a recent phone conversation with a group of friends, we were asked to speak about loss as a sort of cathartic recognition of the feelings of the moment, induced by certain biological, viral, and political upheavals: what were we afraid of losing, what had we already lost, what does loss mean, and how do…
counterpunch.org/2020/11/13/on-losing-and-winning/

'F**king Sickening': US Army to Discipline Staff Sergeant Over TikTok Bashing Trainees – Video
sputniknews.com | 2020-11-12
An Oklahoma-based drill sergeant for the US Army is facing possible discipline by the armed forces after his profanity-ridden TikTok post was reposted on Twitter and caught the attention of hundreds of Twitter users, including an Army lieutenant general.
sputniknews.com/military/202011121081146872-fking-sickening-us-army-to-discipline-staff-sergeant-over-tiktok-bashing-trainees—video/

WATCH shopping mall in Russia engulfed in flames during MASSIVE BLAZE
rt.com | 2020-11-12
A large shopping mall in the Russian city of Ryazan has been hit by such a huge fire the local emergency services had to deploy a fire-fighting train to extinguish it. No casualties have been reported. | Giant plumes of fire illuminated the evening skies over the city of Ryazan, about 200km southeast of Moscow, as the local M5 Mall erupted in flames. The blaze quickly engulfed the building's roof, sending billowing clouds of smoke into the air. | Videos published on social media show the scale of the inferno. Nearly 60 fire fighters were deployed to tackle the fire that covered an area of 500 square meters.
rt.com/russia/506527-russia-shopping-center-massive-blaze/

Egyptian sets himself on fire in Tahrir Square to protest corruption
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2020-11-12
Egyptian sets himself on fire in Tahrir Square to protest corruption | Man complained in video about financial and living conditions as result of attempts to uncover corruption | MEE staff | Thu, 11/12/2020 – 19: 45 | An Egyptian man set himself on fire in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Thursday to protest corruption and deteriorating living conditions in the North African country. | In a video widely circulated on social media…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/egyptian-sets-himself-fire-tahrir-square-protest-corruption

Consumer Price Index: "There is Zero Basis for any Concerns About Inflation"
Matt Sedlar | cepr.net | 2020-11-12
(This is a compilation of Dean Baker's quick-take analysis over Twitter. Follow @DeanBaker13 on Twitter to get his quick-take analysis of government data immediately upon release.) US CPI overall and core CPI were both flat in October, up 1.2 percent and 1.6 percent year over year, respectively. A sharp drop in energy prices lowered overall …
cepr.net/prices-2020-11/

QAnon Legal Battle Against YouTube Could Transform Free Speech Online
Raul Diego | mintpressnews.com | 2020-11-11
A lawsuit brought against YouTube and parent company Google by 15 QAnon social media stars could end up in the Supreme Court and transform the meaning of online free speech in America.
mintpressnews.com/qanon-lawsuit-against-youtube-free-speech-online/273011/

Robert Fisk: Death of a "Controversial" Journalist
Media Lens | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-11-11
Robert Fisk, the Independent's Middle East correspondent, died on 30 October aged 74. In reviewing his life and career, the newspaper for which he worked for more than two decades wrote of their star reporter: 'Much of what Fisk wrote was controversial…' As John Pilger noted, in describing Fisk's journalism as 'controversial' the Independent was …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/11/robert-fisk-death-of-a-controversial-journalist/

Robert Fisk: Death Of A "Controversial" Journalist
Media Lens | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-11-11
Robert Fisk, the Independent's Middle East correspondent, died on 30 October aged 74. In reviewing his life and career, the newspaper for which he worked for more than two decades wrote of their star reporter: 'Much of what Fisk wrote was controversial…' As John Pilger noted, in describing Fisk's journalism as 'controversial' the Independent was …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/11/robert-fisk-death-of-a-controversial-journalist/

Brennan & other spooks go full conspiracy theorist over suggestion 'cornered' Trump will indeed 'DECLASSIFY EVERYTHING'
rt.com | 2020-11-11
Former CIA director John Brennan took to CNN to speculate wildly on how Trump would dump the US' most precious military secrets out of spite. Mainstream outlets and social media alike piled on the declassification rumors. | Brennan took to CNN's airwaves on Monday to denounce Trump for firing Defense Secretary Mark Esper, claiming the axe came down over Esper's "rebuff[ing] Trump's efforts to politicize the US military." But the mind-reading went on considerably further as Brennan, aided and abetted by host Chris Cuomo, wondered aloud "who knows what else he has refused to do" — like expose the nation's d…
rt.com/usa/506342-brennan-trump-declassify-everything/

Cobra Kai: The reboot of The Karate Kid film series
wsws.org | 2020-11-11
The series' initial airing in May 2018 on YouTube's platforms became the widest-viewed digital programming on the internet for that month. Since appearing on Netflix, the series has become the platform's most popular program.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/11/11/cobr-n11.html

Wallace family calls for firing of police
Betsey Piette | workers.org | 2020-11-11
The Oct. 26 police killing of Walter Wallace Jr. in Philadelphia was caught on a video that went viral, bringing thousands into the streets to demand justice for the 27-year-old Black man, who had been experiencing a mental health crisis. Despite a series of 911 callers saying Wallace needed an . . . | Continue reading Wallace family calls for firing of police at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/11/52374/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wallace-family-calls-for-firing-of-police

Jailed Saudi female activists may be freed before G20, says ambassador
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2020-11-10
Jailed Saudi female activists may be freed before G20, says ambassador | Sister of detained activist Loujain al-Hathloul dismisses 'PR stunt' aimed at saving kingdom's reputation | MEE staff | Tue, 11/10/2020 – 11: 29 | This undated handout picture released on the Facebook page of Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul shows her in happier times on a beach (AFP) | Female activists in Saudi Arabia could be released from prison…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-female-activists-may-be-released-g20-ambassador

Rival Governments Are Often Recipes for Violence and Regional Warfare
_____ | strategic-culture.org | 2020-11-10
With Donald Trump failing to concede his loss in the U.S. presidential election and some of his aides suggesting that he will conduct a counter inauguration and swearing in to rival an official inauguration of Democrat Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021, there is a distinct possibility that the United States will be plunged into political anarchy not seen since the U.S. Civil War of the mid-19th Century. | Even as Biden continued to rack up votes in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, Trump tweeted and told aides that he would refuse to concede the election, hold peri…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/11/10/rival-governments-are-often-recipes-for-violence-and-regional-warfare/