2020-06-12: News Headlines

Stephen Lendman (2020-06-12). ICC Probe of US War Crimes in Afghanistan. Trump Lashes Back. ICC is "Threat" to America. globalresearch.ca It is fairly well established that Afghanistan, the Taliban, and Osama bin Laden had nothing to do with 9/11 — the mother of all state-sponsored false flags, a pretext for the US to smash one nation after another. | US …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-12). US sanctions International Criminal Court over war crimes investigations in Afghanistan. peoplesdispatch.org US president Donald Trump has opposed investigations into war crimes committed by the US-led forces in Afghanistan since 2003. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo termed the ICC a 'kangaroo court'

Andrea Germanos (2020-06-12). Trump Imposes Sanctions Against ICC Officials Investigating US War Crimes. theantimedia.com "The Trump administration's contempt for the global rule of law is plain."

Ben Norton (2020-06-12). Wikipedia Formally Censors The Grayzone as Regime-change Advocates Monopolize Editing. globalresearch.ca On Wikipedia, a small group of regime-change advocates and right-wing Venezuelan opposition supporters have blacklisted independent media outlets like The Grayzone on explicitly political grounds, violating the encyclopedia's guidelines. | This is part 1 in a series of investigative reports on …

Ramzy Baroud (2020-06-12). Palestine Bleeds: Execution of Autistic Man is Not an Exception but the Norm. counterpunch.org A 32-year-old man with the mental age of an 8-year-old child was executed by Israeli soldiers on May 30, while crouching behind his teacher near his special needs school in the Old City of Jerusalem. The cold-blooded murder of Iyad al-Hallaq might not have received much attention if it were not for the fact that

Kim Petersen (2020-06-12). The Scourge of Islamophobia in Canada. dissidentvoice.org Muslims in Canada deserve to feel what non-Muslims feel when they hear of a vicious crime or a foiled plot committed by someone who looks like them: abhorred by the crime but knowing the crime reflects the perpetrator alone. Any other thought process should never occur. — Graeme Truelove, Un-Canadian: Islamophobia in the True North …

Alan Macleod (2020-06-12). Project Venezuela: Right-Wing Activists Push Wikipedia to Blacklist MintPress, other Alternative Media. mintpressnews.com Still unable to convince a sufficient number of their countryfolk to support them, the Venezuelan opposition has turned their efforts towards convincing an international audience — primarily Americans — to support their cause. Part of that is spending inordinate amounts of time online, arguing in English on social media, creating Now, a…

T.J. Coles (2020-06-12). Infiltrating Antifa: the Feds and Their Long History of Subversion. counterpunch.org On May 31st, President Trump (or his people) tweeted: "The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization." Attorney General, William Barr, said: "The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly." Trump and Barr

Bruce Jackson (2020-06-12). Buffalo Cops—And All the Other Cops. counterpunch.org All we know is that a line of cops, for no apparent reason, charged a group of apparently peaceful demonstrators and began beating them, after which shots were fired, a car injured three police officers, one seriously, a woman was shot, and three people were arrested. Someone gave the order to attack, and they did.

Mark Schuller (2020-06-12). Unmasking Racial Terror and Seeing Whiteness. counterpunch.org Tuesday was the funeral for George Floyd, killed by Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officer Derek Chauvin on Memorial Day, as the U.S. COVID death toll approached 100,000. Floyd's murder was caught on tape: for eight minutes and 46 seconds, Chauvin held his knee on Floyd's neck. Floyd's words, "I can't breathe!" echoing Eric Garner's, killed

Steve Early (2020-06-12). A Mon Valley Memoir: Lessons From The Last Stand Of Steelworkers in Homestead. counterpunch.org Many younger radicals today are trying to figure out how to relate, personally and collectively, to the labor movement. Should they seek union staff jobs and become agents of workplace change that way? Or should they organize "on the shop-floor" itself— as a teacher, nurse, or UPS driver—and then seek elected, rather than appointed, union

Pete Dolack (2020-06-12). The Corporate Origins of the Anti-Science "Reopen" Demonstrations. counterpunch.org Many of the same extreme right operatives who created the "Tea Party" are behind the anti-science and anti-intellectual spectacles opposing measures designed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. And with much the same agenda. By now, that is not much of a secret, but it is nonetheless necessary to expose these roots, and to debunk the

Pam Martens, Russ Martens (2020-06-12). The Fed Just Pulled Off Another Backdoor Bailout of Wall Street. counterpunch.org The Federal Reserve has authorized 11 financial bailout programs thus far. Despite Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's reassurances at his press conferences that these programs are to help American families, a full 10 of these programs are actually bailouts of Wall Street banks or their trading units. The latest Wall Street bank bailout to come out

Michael Yates (2020-06-12). Police are the Enemy Within. counterpunch.org In 2017, Daniel Fetonte was elected to the National Political Committee of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a rapidly growing left-wing organization in the United States. Fetonte was co-chair of the Austin, Texas, branch of the DSA and had been involved in labor union organizing for many years. However, he had also been employed by the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, the largest police union in the state, with a membership of 21,000 police officers.

David Rosen (2020-06-12). Two Pandemics: COVID-19 and the 1918 Influenza. counterpunch.org The current Covid-19 epidemic has drawn comparisons to the 1918 influenza epidemic, often referred to as the Spanish flu or H1N1 virus. The influenza flu was devastating with an estimated 500 million people — one-third of the world's population — infected and 50 million died; in the U.S., about 675,000 deaths occurred and in New

Andrew Levine (2020-06-12). Where the Fault Line Lies. counterpunch.org With Inauguration Day 2021 now "only" seven months away, it is becoming more likely than not that the world "as we know it" (more or less), will survive the Trump presidency. Trump becomes increasingly unhinged with each passing day but, with his allotted time in office running down, the prospects for resuming something like the

Paul Street (2020-06-12). Livable Ecology, Not Police. counterpunch.org I have never heard it louder than I did this morning. The Interstate highway, I-80, that is, two miles or so north of my abode in Iowa City. It's a highway to Hell in the heartland of the deranged Superpower that leads the world in per-capita Greenhouse Gassing. All those carbon-spewing, planet-cooking semi-trailers, cars, vans,

Chuck Churchill (2020-06-12). What Do All Working People Have in Common? counterpunch.org What do all working people have in common, regardless of so-called race or skin tone? A precarious existence under the domination of a political and economic system that has concentrated power into the hands of a tiny minority of the nation's (and world's) people — the big bankers and corporate owning class. This is the

Ron Jacobs (2020-06-12). Fighting For Our Future, Fighting Back Against Austerity. counterpunch.org Like many other cities across the US both big and small, Burlington, Vermont's economy has been hit hard by the fallout from the coronavirus epidemic. Because much of its economy depends on restaurants, bars, pubs and entertainment, the unemployment is higher than it has been in decades. As a result, tax revenues are down and

Evan Jones (2020-06-12). Covid-19 Hits the French Health System. counterpunch.org On 28 February the WHO issued a report on China's efforts to control the Coronavirus outbreak, highlighting the necessity for a comprehensive government-led response to the threat. On 29 February, the French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe chose to divert priorities from a Ministerial Council dedicated to Covid-19 by utilising article 49-3 of the Constitution to

Eds. (2020-06-12). Media are slowly starting to be serious about police violence. mronline.org As the George Floyd protests against police violence erupted around the nation, a massive amount of evidence of police brutality was widely captured through social media. Unfortunately, very little of it made it to mainstream outlets until much later.

Calvin Deutschbein (2020-06-12). Police target journalists. workers.org At 5 a.m. in Minneapolis on May 29, Omar Jimenez, a Black CNN reporter wearing press credentials and reporting live on camera on the rebellion against the police murder of George Floyd, was arrested along with the news crew. About a block away, a second CNN crew of white journalists . . . |

PSL Connecticut (2020-06-12). New Haven is Minneapolis: Racist police terror is alive and well in Connecticut. liberationnews.org New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker is among the many political officials across Connecticut who are trying to distance themselves from the state's long history and ever present epidemic of racist police terror. On May 29, in his first statement on the wave of protests that have spread across the country following the murder of George …

Mark Gruenberg, John Wojcik (2020-06-12). Movement grows against Trump's looting of taxpayers. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Progressives in Congress and in mass organizations, among them Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and the pro-worker group Public Citizen, are raising alarm over the Trump administration's refusal to release the names of corporations that have received bailouts from the $500 billion coronavirus stimulus package passed recently, and over plans by GOP Senate Majority …

CounterSpin (2020-06-12). Maritza Perez on Overpolicing & Drugs, Remington Gregg on Corporate Immunity. fair.org Media…

Jason Holland (2020-06-12). The Implications of Social Hierarchy and Questioning the Right to Rule. dissidentvoice.org Society must return to truth or cease to exist. — Pyotr Kropotkin, The Conquest of Bread, 1892 In these times the establishment continues to bellow out hippie like rhetoric that we're all in this together, that we must find unity and peace, put down our differences, sing kum ba yah, and hug this shit out. …

Bill Hackwell (2020-06-12). Distortions and Attempts to Undermine the Cuban Medical Brigades Will Not Succeed. dissidentvoice.org Cuban medical brigade returning from Italy (Photo: Ismael Fransisco Gonzalez) Every evening for the past two and a half months the people of Cuba have come out on their streets and porches to applaud and cheer for the 3,000 members of the Henry Reeve medical brigades who are fighting the Covid-19 pandemic on the front …

South Front (2020-06-12). Video: Attacks on US Forces and Facilities Continue in Iraq. Washington Rejects Iraqi Parliament Demand for US Troop Withdrawal. globalresearch.ca Last night, two rockets struck the Green Zone in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The heavily fortified area houses some of the main Iraqi government offices and the US embassy. There were no immediate reports about casualties. No group has …

en.mehrnews (2020-06-12). Syrian MP terms US sanctions as 'war crimes'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 12 (MNA) — A member of the Syrian Parliament, Mohammad Fawaz, said that the US is committing war crimes by imposing new sanctions against Syria.

_____ (2020-06-12). Court of Human Rights Deals Major Blow To Israel's War On Palestine Solidarity. popularresistance.org The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled unanimously that the French highest court's 2015 criminal conviction of activists with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement advocating nonviolent boycotts of Israeli goods violated article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights. | Reacting to the breaking news, Rita Ahmad from the Palestinian-led BDS movement said: | This momentous court ruling is a decisive victory for freedom of expression, for human rights defenders, and for the BDS movement for Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. It confirms a 2016 European U…

Shimbun Akahata (2020-06-12). Activists in Japan join the global Black Lives Matter movement. peoplesworld.org TOKYO—In response to the Black Lives Matter movement spreading from the United States to the rest of the world, several rounds of anti-racism demonstrations in Tokyo and Osaka have seen massive turnout—even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. On June 7, the chant "Black Lives Matter" echoed throughout downtown Osaka City. The rally was …

M.K. Bhadrakumar (2020-06-12). Turkey's big bet has put Libya in center of a global power struggle. mronline.org The series of debilitating military setbacks that Libya's renegade general Khalifa Haftar suffered in recent months have spurred diplomatic activities over the conflict in the country. But the war is far from over.

Maicol David Lynch (2020-06-12). Young Communists hit the streets in New York with Black Lives Matter. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK—"How do you spell racist? NYPD!" the crowd chanted as it proceeded up Fifth Avenue towards Central Park from Washington Square Park in Manhattan. The Young Communist League Organizing Committee of New York wasted no time mobilizing its members to participate in and even lead the dozens of protests which have taken the streets …

Staff (2020-06-12). Georgia's Elections Were A Voter Suppression Horror Show. therealnews.com Georgia's primary election could be a warning for what's to come when Americans head to the polls in November.

Vijay Prashad (2020-06-12). Living is no laughing matter. mronline.org The United States government has withdrawn its support for the World Health Organisation (WHO) based on accusations that the WHO has not been forthcoming about the novel coronavirus and based on U.S. President Donald Trump's questioning of the WHO's independence from China, calling the organisation a 'puppet of China'.

Makasi Motema (2020-06-12). Organizing for revolutionary power. workers.org When the Third Precinct burned, the world trembled. The sacking of the Minneapolis police station by unarmed demonstrators last week was an unprecedented act of resistance. Never in living memory have the masses of oppressed people in the U.S. struck such a devastating blow against the ruling class and their . . . |

Larry Holmes (2020-06-12). The anti-police uprising and the emergence of a vital force in the class struggle: youth. workers.org Larry Holmes gave this speech, which has been slightly edited, on a Workers World Party webinar June 4 on "No to Martial Law! Defend the Uprising!" What we've seen over the last week is the largest national uprising against the police and systemic police racism in U.S. history. That's all . . . |

Makasi Motema (2020-06-12). The questions facing a revolutionary uprising. workers.org When the Third Precinct burned, the world trembled. The sacking of the Minneapolis police station by unarmed demonstrators last week was an unprecedented act of resistance. Never in living memory have the masses of oppressed people in the U.S. struck such a devastating blow against the ruling class and their . . . |

Staff (2020-06-12). Uprising & Abolition: Angela Davis on Movement Building, "Defund the Police" & Where We Go from Here. democracynow.org The uprising against police brutality and anti-Black racism continues to sweep across the United States and countries around the world, forcing a reckoning in the halls of power and on the streets. The mass protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 have dramatically shifted public opinion on policing and systemic racism, as "defund the police" becomes a rallying cry of the movement. We discuss the historic moment with legendary scholar and activist Angela Davis. "One never knows when conditions may give rise to a conjuncture such as the current one that rapidly shifts popular…

Staff (2020-06-12). Angela Davis: Dems & GOP Tied to Corporate Capitalism, But We Must Vote So Trump Is "Forever Ousted" democracynow.org "Neither party represents the future that we need in this country — both parties remain connected to corporate capitalism," Angela Davis says of the 2020 election. "We're going to have to translate some of the passion that has characterized these demonstrations into work within the electoral arena, recognizing that the electoral arena is not the best place for the expression of radical politics."

Staff (2020-06-12). Angela Davis Slams Trump Rally in Tulsa, Massacre Site, on Juneteenth Celebration of End of Slavery. democracynow.org President Trump will resume holding indoor campaign events starting with a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19, a day known as Juneteenth, that celebrates African Americans' liberation from slavery. The rally also falls on the 99th anniversary of the Tulsa race riots, one of the worst acts of racial violence in U.S. history, in which white residents killed hundreds of their African American neighbors. Legendary scholar Angela Davis says it's important to recognize that Trump "represents a sector of a population in this country that wants to return to the past … with all of its white supremacy, with all of its…

Staff (2020-06-12). Angela Davis: Toppling of Confederate Statues Reflects Reckoning with Slavery & Historical Racism. democracynow.org The destruction and removal of racist monuments in cities across the United States during recent weeks is part of an overdue reckoning with "historical racisms that have brought us to the point where we are today," Angela Davis says. "Racism should have been immediately confronted in the aftermath of the end of slavery."

Jonathan Cook (2020-06-12). Don't Dismiss the Importance of Toppling a Statue. dissidentvoice.org I did not expect to be returning to this issue so soon but I was surprised, to put it mildly, to discover that my last post on anti-racists toppling a statue of the notorious slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol proved to be the most polarising article I have ever written. Given the many controversial …

CP Editor (2020-06-12). Charley Crockett — "Welcome To Hard Times" counterpunch.org

Adriaan Alsema (2020-06-12). Coronavirus spread in Colombia triggers orange alert in Bogota, curfew in Barranquilla. colombiareports.com Colombia's capital Bogota declared an orange alert and port city Barranquilla decreed a curfew on Thursday as the coronavirus threatens to collapse the cities' healthcare systems. Bogota mayor Claudia Lopez…

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-06-12). Roaming Charges: The Ring of the Truncheon Thing. counterpunch.org "If you insist on having statues of people who fought the U.S. military, how about Ho Chi Minh? For one thing, he actually won…" — Paulo L dos Santos + The Democrats are absolutely desperate to smother the Defund the Police movement (not just the slogan, but the abolitionist ideology driving it) before it totally

Marko Marjanoviƒá (2020-06-12). Great! Louisville Passes Law to Ban No-Knock Warrants. Now Can We Have the Same for Afghanistan? anti-empire.com Louisville All 26 members of the Louisville Metro Council voted on Thursday to pass a ban on no-knock warrants, a measure known as The unanimously passed ordinance, which still needs to be approved by the mayor, bans any search warrant that does not re…

Schiff Gold (2020-06-12). Another Month Another Trillion Added to US National Debt. anti-empire.com On Tuesday, the national debt pushed above $26 trillion. | Just 35 days ago, the debt eclipsed $25 trillion. And 28 days before that, the national debt stood at a mere $24 million. | Meanwhile, the federal government just set a record for the biggest budget deficit in any fiscal year — with four months left to go. | May's budget shortfall came in at a staggering $398.8 billion, pushing the fiscal 2020 deficit to $1.88 trillion, according to the The previous budget defici…

David P. Goldman (2020-06-12). Trump's Chip Ban Gives Huawei and South Korea an Enormous Incentive to Strike a Grand Bargain. anti-empire.com A US ban on foreign companies' sales of chips to Huawei Technologies if American equipment or software is involved will undermine America's already-weakened position in the global semiconductor equipment market, industry sources say. | Chip fabricators will remove American equipment from production lines in order to maintain market share in China, the world's largest purchaser of semiconductors. | Samsung, the world's biggest fabricator of memory as well as logic chips after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, already has set up a small production line for top-of-the-line 7-nanometer chips using only…

Kyle Mizokami (2020-06-12). US Bombers Are So Ridiculously Expensive Air Force Forced to Make Up for Low Numbers by Planning Cargo Planes for Combat. anti-empire.com Editor's note: A decent article but which does not explain the background of why the Air Force is experimenting with using cargo planes in this way. Despite having a massive budget the hardware the service orders from the defense industry is so ridiculously expensive the stable just isn't large enough. That is also the reason the ancient but reliable B-52s are still kept in service (and indeed form the backbone of the nuclear and heavy bomber force) and will outlive far newer but overly-complicated and troubled machines like the B-1 from the corporate handout era: Curious taxpayers might wonder why we need the Lon…

Tom Odula (2020-06-12). Tanzania Pioneers a Far Cheaper, Less Superstitious and Far More Rational 'Cure' for COVID Than Lockdowns. anti-empire.com Editor's note: Instead of 3 months of ruinous, masochistic, and superstitious lockdowns that the West opted for, Tanzania opted for 3 days of prayers. Both worked about as well except Tanzania's cure was far less costly in livelihoods and lives. Well done Magufuli! Brilliant! | Related:
| Tanzania's president is again claiming the country is free of the coronavirus because of the power of prayer – s…

Mike "Mish" Shedlock (2020-06-12). Congressional Budget Office: Will Take the US 10 Years to Catch Up to Where It Would Have Been Without Lockdowns. anti-empire.com Editor's note: My personal hunch is that this is hugely optimistic. I think 3 months lost, are 3 months lost forever. It's a tall order to presume eventual convergence with where we would have been on any timescale. That said, even a convergence after a decade is still terrible news, especially when you consider how irrational and pointless the lockdowns were. |
| Please consider a CBO Key Points | CBO projects that over the 2020—2030…

ahtribune (2020-06-12). Trump's 'Caesar' Style Siege on Syria, A Sign of Impending Regional Failure. ahtribune.com Would be emperor Donald Trump has announced the 'Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act', to tighten the genocidal siege on the Syrian people. Without a hint of irony, this new edict imposes even more serious obstacles to the Syrian people getting access to energy, food and medicines, while claiming its purpose is to 'protect' those same people. | However the move comes as (1) a shrinking US military presence faces resistance attacks in both Syria and Iraq, (2) Washington's allies are abandoning the US-led 'coalition' in Iraq, (3) Trump has undermined his local allies in Lebanon and Iraq, by threats and economi…

Alan Macleod (2020-06-12). Hawkish, Gov't Funded Think Tank Behind Twitter Decision to Delete Thousands of Chinese Accounts. mintpressnews.com Twitter's decision came after close collaboration with a deeply controversial U.S. and Australian government-funded think tank that has been denounced by Australia's former ambassador in Beijing as "the architect of the China threat theory in Australia."

Andrea Germanos (2020-06-12). International Criminal Court Denounces 'Unprecedented Attacks' by US. theantimedia.com "An unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law."

Stephen Lendman (2020-06-12). Trump's Executive Order on Police. No Defunding, No Disbanding. "Our Police have been Letting Us Live in Peace." (sic). globalresearch.ca It's being prepared for release in the coming days. More on it below. | In early February 2017, days after his inauguration, Trump signed what the White House called "pro-law and anti-crime executive orders (to) support the dedicated men and women …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-06-12). Remember the "Fake" 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic: Manipulating the Data to Justify a Worldwide Public Health Emergency. globalresearch.ca A Worldwide public health emergency is unfolding, 4.9 billion doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine are envisaged by the WHO.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-06-12). In the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Towards A New World Order? The Global Debt Crisis and the Privatization of the State. globalresearch.ca This is the true picture of what is happening. Poverty is Worldwide. While famines are erupting in Third World countries, closer to home, in the richest country on earth, "millions of desperate Americans wait in long crowded lines for handouts"

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-06-12). Michel Chossudovsky: Biographical Summary. globalresearch.ca There are a number of deliberate "errors" and omissions in Michel Chossudovsky's wikipedia entry. Defamatory statements. | The same applies to the wikipedia entry for Global Research which has been merged with Chossudovsky's entry. The objective is to smear GR. …

_____ (2020-06-12). Scheer Intelligence: The Cynical Forces Behind America's Forever Wars. popularresistance.org American interventionism in the Middle East has resulted in two of the longest wars in U.S. history, and led to countless deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as widespread instability in the region. Nearly two decades into the so-called "War on Terror," concerns continue to arise about the U.S. military presence in the Mideast and its seeming inability to extricate itself after all these years. Patrick Cockburn is especially well-positioned to both ask and answer many of the questions stemming from what have become America's "Forever Wars" as an award-winning, courageous journalist who has spent several decade…

Philip Giraldi (2020-06-12). Russians "Stirring Up Trouble": An Obama Retread Sees Moscow's Hand in US Protests. globalresearch.ca If one ventures into the vast wasteland of American television it is possible to miss the truly ridiculous content that is promoted as news by the major networks. One particular feature of media-speak in the United States is the tendency …

Staff (2020-06-12). Headlines for June 12, 2020. democracynow.org India Coronavirus Cases Surge Amid Global Rise in COVID-19, Graves on Copacabana Beach Mark 40,000 COVID-19 Deaths in Brazil, Guatemala City Hospitals Near Collapse Amid Surge in Coronavirus Patients, Oregon Pauses Lifting of Coronavirus Lockdown as Cases Hit New High, Another 1.5 Million U.S. Workers Filed Unemployment Claims Last Week, One Minneapolis Officer Charged in George Floyd's Killing Released on Bond, Minneapolis Police Chief Suspends Union Talks Following George Floyd's Killing, Austin City Council Votes to Reinvest Police Funds, Restrict Police Use of Force, Texas Grand Jury to Hear Case of Austin Of…

Fight Back (2020-06-12). The time is now to join a revolutionary organization: Join Freedom Road Socialist Organization. fightbacknews.org If you have been out in the streets this past few weeks, the odds are good that you've been thinking about the difference between the kind of change this system has to offer, and the kind of change this country needs. Capitalism is failed system that thrives on exploitation, inequality and oppression. The reactionary and racist Trump administration has made the pandemic worse. The unfolding economic crisis we are experiencing is the worst since the 1930s. Monopoly capitalism is a dying system and we need to help finish it off. And that is exactly what Freedom Road Socialist Organization is working for. | Freedom…

_____ (2020-06-12). The scale of computational propaganda applied to get your consent. truepublica.org.uk By TruePublica: The coronavirus crisis has exacerbated tensions over the role of disinformation in international politics. Indeed, few weeks seem to go by without the world's major powers trading accusations of carrying out disinformation campaigns. But while many reports focus on dramatic allegations of countries interfering in the affairs of rival nations, the Peace Research …

Lu Aya (2020-06-12). Buffalo Police Assault 75-Year-Old Longtime Peace Activist. zcomm.org Now Trump is attacking him too…

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Israeli forces injure 3 photojournalists. yenisafak.com Three photojournalists along with dozens of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank were injured and suffocated by the Israeli army's live and rubber bullets, and tear gas.Murad Shtaiwi, coordinator of the Popular Resistance Committees in the town of Kafr Qaddum, Qalqilya, said the Israeli forces used rubber bullets and teargas to disperse peaceful demonstrators.Shtaiwi said three photojournalists and two Palestinians were injured, while tens of protesters suffered from tear gas suffocation.People in Kafr Qaddum organize weekly protests against Israeli occupation and against the Israeli settlement activities, whic…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-12). Europe's top human rights court overturns French conviction of BDS activists. peoplesdispatch.org A French court had convicted 11 BDS activists for 'incitement to economic discrimination' after they organized a boycott protest against Israel outside a supermarket in France during the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2009-10…

Unicorn Riot (2020-06-12). Denver Police Served Temporary Restraining Order Amid Nationwide Protest Repression. unicornriot.ninja Denver, CO — Late in the evening on June 5, 2020, Federal District Judge R. Brooke Jackson (PDF) ruled against the city and county of Denver in a class-action lawsuit filed on June 4. A Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) was put into place applying to…

Thomas Knapp (2020-06-12). Police Violence: "Reform" is Not Enough. counterpunch.org Every few years, some particular instance of a pervasive phenomenon — police violence in the form of unjustified or at least highly questionable killings — "goes viral" with the result that America's cities explode in protest. Every time that happens, some American politicians complain about a non-existent "war on police," while others promise "reforms" such

Derrick Broze (2020-06-12). Journalist Derrick Broze Arrested for Simply Covering a George Floyd Protest in Houston. theantimedia.com Derrick Broze was arrested and jailed for 16 hours last week.

The Mind Unleashed (2020-06-12). Cops TV Series Cancelled After 33 Seasons Amid Anti-Police Protests. theantimedia.com The recent shift in the global consciousness will undoubtedly push networks to reconsider airing shows that glorify the police.

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Anger ensues as India hunts anti-citizenship law protesters amid pandemic. yenisafak.com A group of students protesting a controversial citizenship law in India accused the government of continuing to "witch-hunt" although the country is being enmeshed in COVID-19 pandemic.Organizer of the protest against the law

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Families' sit-in against PKK terror continues in SE Turkey. yenisafak.com A sit-in in southeastern Turkey by families pleading for the return of their children kidnapped by the YPG/PKK terror group has entered its 284th day.The protest started on Sept. 3, 2019, in Diyarbakir province outside the office of the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a party accused by the government of having links to the YPG/PKK.Solmaz Ovunc, whose son was abducted five years ago, said she has been staging a sit-in for 284 days and that she will continue the sit-in until the return of her son."HDP took my son and handed him over to the PKK. The PKK did not come and take my son from the neighborhood…

yenisafak (2020-06-12). EU warns COVID-19 health crisis not over yet, urges vigilance. yenisafak.com The public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe is not over yet, the European Union's top health official warned on Friday, urging governments to remain vigilant and plough ahead with testing and tracing the population."This is not behind us yet. We need to be vigilant," EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told EU health ministers in a videoconference, amid fears of a new surge in infections as EU states gradually reopen business and borders and after mass protests in recent days across the continent [ nL8N2DO589].

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-12). Syria in Seattle: Commune Defies the U.S. Regime. strategic-culture.org The marriage of post-Lockdown and George Floyd protests has nurtured a rough beast that is still immune to any form of civilized debate in the U.S.: the Seattle Commune. | So what really is the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone cum People's Republic all about? | Are the communards mere useful idiots? Is this a refined Occupy Wall Street experiment? Could it survive, logistically, and be replicated in NYC, L.A. and D.C.? | An outraged President Trump has described it as a plot by "domestic terrorists" in a city "run by radical left Democrats". He called for "LAW & ORDER" (in caps, according to his Tweetology). | Shades…

_____ (2020-06-12). It Won't Be Protests That Bring On The Next Big Wave Of COVID19. popularresistance.org As people across the nation and the world came out to protest the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, corporate media carried a warning: Demonstrations against police violence risk creating a major upsurge in the spread of the coronavirus. | As ABC (6/3/20) put it: | As thousands of demonstrators continue to protest the killing of George Floyd, health experts are worried that a second wave of Covid-19 infections could be sparked by the mass gatherings. | An opinion piece in USA Today (6/8/20) warned, "George Floyd Protests Create Risk of Deadly Coronavirus Resurgence." "The absence of social distan…

_____ (2020-06-12). Who Supplied The Weapons Used Against #BLM Protesters? popularresistance.org In response to the murder of George Floyd by a member of the Minneapolis police department on 25th May, thousands of people across the United States joined protests demanding justice for his killing, radical reform of police forces, and driving home the message that Black Lives Matter. Many of these protests face militarised police responses, including the use of rubber bullets, sting balls, stun grenades, battons, police charges, and chemical weapons like tear gas and pepper spray. | Twitter users have photographed a large number of canisters that were fired during the protest. Many appear to have been produced…

_____ (2020-06-12). Martin Gugino — The "Buffalo Protestor" And Our Friend. popularresistance.org Martin Gugino worked together in Witness Against Torture for years, a close-knit group dedicated to closing the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo and opposing torture. Our community is beside itself. | None of us is surprised that it was Martin meeting the police line in a posture of non-violence. Martin is gentle, principled, and undaunted. Allied with the Catholic Worker tradition, he is also deeply committed to a tapestry of causes, from fair housing to immigrant rights. Guiding his activism is belief in the sacred power of non-violent resistance to injustice. If that makes him an "agitator," as Buffalo's police…

Joseph Thomas (2020-06-12). Thailand: Key ASEAN Nation Emerges from COVID-19. globalresearch.ca The Kingdom of Thailand plays a central role in the Southeast Asian ASEAN economic bloc. It has a population of nearly 70 million, the second largest economy in the region and hosts a key leg of China's One Belt, One …

Prof. Kevin Jon Heller (2020-06-12). An Open Letter to the Israeli Government Condemning Annexation. globalresearch.ca Along with 102 of my fellow public international law scholars, I have signed the following open letter condemning Israel's plan to illegally annex large swathes of the West Bank. If you are interested in joining the list, please send an …

Ron Unz (2020-06-12). Race and Crime in America. globalresearch.ca The recent wave of riots and looting has been the worst our country has seen in two generations, but some of the crucial underlying factors have been avoided by nearly our entire mainstream media, as well as by most conservative …

Steven Sahiounie (2020-06-12). The US Admits They Are to Blame for Hunger in Syria. globalresearch.ca United States Special Envoy to Syria,

OffGuardian (2020-06-12). Over 95% of UK "COVID19" Deaths Had "Pre-existing Condition" (Died From Other Causes). globalresearch.ca Over 95% of "COVID Deaths" recorded in England and Wales had potentially serious "comorbidities" [other causes of mortality] according to statistics released by NHS England. | The latest figures make for pretty stark reading. Or, rather, they would make for stark …

Timothy Alexander Guzman (2020-06-12). Crash of the Dollar? Is the US Dollar Doomed? globalresearch.ca The US Dollar is in trouble. Many of us in the alternative media and several economists who were ignored by the mainstream media and others saw this coming many years ago. The mainstream media is now listening, in this case …

Scott Ritter (2020-06-12). NATO's Call on 'Like-minded Nations' to Stand Up to the Rise of China Is Just a Desperate Bid for Global Relevance. globalresearch.ca As the influence of the US and Europe wanes in the face of a new geopolitical reality, their Cold War progeny, NATO, seeks to redefine itself as a global player. The problem is NATO is not capable of even stepping …

Philip A Farruggio (2020-06-12). When Millions March against Police Killings. When the Chickens Come Home… globalresearch.ca Malcolm X made some comments on December 1 1963, less than two weeks after the murder of JFK. It was instantly misrepresented by the mainstream media (as they always seem to do, when dealing with any sort of perceived radical …

Daniele Pozzati (2020-06-12). German Official Leaks Ministry of Interior Report Denouncing Corona as 'A Global False Alarm'. globalresearch.ca Germany's federal government and mainstream media are engaged in damage control after a
| Wir machen unsere Leser auf die Zusammenfassung dieses wichtigen durchgesickerten Berichts aufmerksam, der …

Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi (2020-06-12). COVID-19 , "Global False Alarm". Leaked German Government Report. globalresearch.ca We bring to the attention of our readers details concerning the Leaked Report of Germany's Ministry of Interior. | What is at stake is a …

Sen. Scott Jensen (2020-06-12). US Hospitals Getting Paid More to Label Cause of Death as 'Coronavirus'. globalresearch.ca First published on April 15, 2020 | Senator Scott Jensen represents Minnesota. He's also a doctor. He appeared on Fox News with Laura Ingraham where he revealed a very disturbing piece of information. | Dr. Scott Jensen says the American Medical Association …

Telesur (2020-06-12). US Troops in Colombia "Associate with Illegal Groups", Killing Farmers, Seek to "Spark a War with Venezuela" globalresearch.ca Colombian senators on Wednesday said that U.S. troops that arrived in the South American country in early June are allowed to associate with illegal groups and seek an eventual international confrontation. | The Democratic Congressman Ivan Cepeda revealed that the current …

AE911Truth (2020-06-12). Video: 9/11 Documentary on WTC Buildings: Spotlight On: SEVEN. globalresearch.ca PBS affiliates across the country today will begin airing a five-minute version of the new documentary SEVEN directed by Loose Change creator Dylan Avery about the explosive findings of the recently completed

OffGuardian (2020-06-12). Over 95% of UK "COVID19" Deaths Had "Pre-existing Condition" globalresearch.ca Over 95% of "COVID Deaths" recorded in England and Wales had potentially serious "comorbidities" [other causes of mortality] according to statistics released by NHS England. | The latest figures make for pretty stark reading. Or, rather, they would make for stark …

Glen Ford (2020-06-12). Glen Ford: Having Not Yet Won Any Real Power Over Police, This Is No Time for a Truce. mintpressnews.com The oligarchs that rule the country and control both of its corporate parties and all of its major media want the people to believe that politics is limited to the electoral process, and that street activism, labor militancy, and community organizing are outside the realm of "real" politics.

David Schultz (2020-06-12). The Killing of George Floyd and the Final Fracturing of the Democratic Party, Labor, and Civil Rights Coalition. counterpunch.org George Floyd being killed by a police officer in Minneapolis is not simply about the death of one Black man. His death also killed an historic but uneasy alliance among the Democratic Party, labor unions, and the civil rights movement. The reaction to his death is ending the last vestiges of the historic New Deal

Dean Baker (2020-06-12). Government-Granted Patent Monopolies and Structural Racism. counterpunch.org No, I have not gone off the deep end, there is an important connection that I will get to in a moment. First, I want to be clear that I am not trying to take anything away from the immediate issue that has brought hundreds of thousands into the streets, the police killing of George

Monty Neill (2020-06-12). COVID-19, Capitalist Crises, Class Resistance. counterpunch.org The Covid-19 pandemic arrived at a moment of multiple crises of the capitalist system: capital accumulation, ecology, governance, and science. The uprising following the murder of George Lloyd now accelerates the ongoing crisis of structural racism, which Covid-19 starkly illustrated. Each has a history, but as they come together now, it becomes essential to grasp

Joyce Nelson (2020-06-12). That "Big Green Meltdown" & The Untouchables. counterpunch.org In his June 9 piece for Counterpunch, entitled "Big Green Meltdown Over Planet of the Humans," Josh Schlossberg revealed the extent to which he was "shunned, censored, slandered and blacklisted" by many environmentalists because of his criticism of biomass energy a decade ago. He relates that experience to what has been happening currently with Big

Gabriel Kuhn (2020-06-12). Will Science and Reason Save Us? The Liberal Left's False Wall of Defense. counterpunch.org Lies on social media, life-threatening health advice, "alternative facts," info wars, etc. It is easy to be concerned about the disregard for truthfulness, reflection, and sensibility involved in the far-right offensive that has entered government buildings around the world. Yet, it is also troubling that an increasing number of leftists embrace a neoliberal line of

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-12). Reopening in Sà£o Paulo is sending "population to the slaughterhouse," warns COVID-19 specialist. peoplesdispatch.org The city of Sà£o Paulo is in the orange phase, the second most critical of a five-level scale created by the state government to define the pandemic situation in each municipality, alongside the rules for loosening social isolation measures. | In this phase, the restricted opening of real estate trade, retail, shopping malls, dealerships and offices is allowed. | "We are sending the population to the slaughterhouse. The city of Sà£o Paulo opening [retail] today, with a rising death rate, shows a unique cynicism both from the governor of the state of Sà£o Paulo and now from the mayor of the city…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-12). ALBA-TCP member countries address post-pandemic economics in virtual conference. peoplesdispatch.org The member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America — People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) held a high-level virtual conference to address…

Shawgi Tell (2020-06-12). Maryland: Privately-Operated Online Charter Schools Should Remain Illegal. dissidentvoice.org It is no surprise that many are exploiting the "COVID Pandemic" to advance their narrow self-serving agendas. Charter school advocates are no exception. Crises often generate instability, chaos, and confusion that can make it easier for such forces to get away with antisocial policies and arrangements that would be far more difficult to implement under …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-12). Mining companies in DRC warned against confining workers at mining sites. peoplesdispatch.org Global mining companies operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been accused by trade unions of violating workers' rights in the name of the coronavirus pandemic…

_____ (2020-06-12). Second wave fears hits business confidence — Britain to fair worst of all developed countries. truepublica.org.uk By TruePublica Editor: Right at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis TruePublica warned of a number of events in various articles that were inevitable despite what the mainstream media and government were saying. We clearly stated that the expected 20,000 fatality rate predicted by the government and their scientific advisors would be little more than …

Michael T. Klare (2020-06-12). The New Cold War with China. zcomm.org How Will It Affect You?

Michelle Stewart (2020-06-12). How to defund and reimagine policing. zcomm.org People are rethinking policing and what it means for all members of our communities to be supported and safe. In other words: another world is possible when we defund and reimagine policing as we know it…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-12). Luxembourg government accused of abusing emergency powers. peoplesdispatch.org On June 10, Thursday, the Communist Party of Luxembourg (KPL) accused the government in the country of abusing the emergency powers in place to tackle the COVID-19 crisis. The Luxembourg government has threatened a military takeover of an inter-municipal waste recycling plant run by waste management company Sidor in Leudelange after the plant authorities refused to dispose of medical waste they are not authorized to handle. The plant management was concerned about the safety of the workers as they do not have a permit to handle hospital-specific waste. | KPL stated that the threat of an army takeover by the gover…

Mikaela Nhondo Erskog (2020-06-12). The assasination of Olof Palme and Nordic radical, anti-imperialist internationalism. peoplesdispatch.org The recent "revelations" about the investigation into the assassination of Olof Palme have brought little closure to Swedes but offer a necessary reminder to revive his radical political legacy…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-06-12). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Across the world, one of the biggest changes forced by the COVID-19 pandemic is in the field of education. Programs from kindergarten through postsecondary have rapidly moved to a distance learning model. Online and remote instruction has its own unique challenges, and has required students and educators to be creative to stay connected. On the …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-06-12). The importance of self-care during difficult times. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org If you are struggling with overwhelming feelings, added anxiety, stress and fear, you are not alone. "We are in the midst of a dual pandemic of COVID-19 and social unrest caused by racism which affects all members of our communities," says Dr. Monica Taylor-Desir, co-chair of Diversity and Inclusion in Mayo Clinic's department of Psychiatry …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-06-12). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Precautions for a summer of COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org With the onset of warmer weather and more and more states loosening their COVID-19 restrictions, lots of folks are wondering about some summer staples, like cookouts and a day at the beach or pool. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, an infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic, discusses how you can minimize your …

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-12). Why the Sudden U.S. Keenness for Arms Control Talks With Russia? strategic-culture.org The answer to the above question comes down to one word: China. | U.S. envoy Marshall Billingslea is, rather belatedly, making enthusiastic sounds about arms control talks to be held with Russia later this month. The talks are scheduled for June 22 in Vienna. The Kremlin has confirmed the venue and discussions, with deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov representing the Russian side. | On

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Turkish stocks down 0.87% at Friday's opening. yenisafak.com Turkey's benchmark stock index started the day at 108,201.50 points on Friday, down by 0.87% or 953.91 points from previous close.At Thursday's close, Borsa Istanbul's BIST 100 index was down 0.57% at 109,155.41 points, with a daily trading volume of 16.1 billion Turkish liras ($2.4 billion).The US dollar/Turkish lira exchange rate stood at 6.8400 as of 9.30 a.m. local time (0630GMT) Friday, compared to 6.8220 at Thursday's close.The euro/Turkish lira exchange rate dropped to 7.7320 from 7.7610, and one British pound traded for 8.6270 Turkish liras, down from 8.6550 at the previous close.One barrel of Brent crude…

yenisafak (2020-06-12). UK to introduce EU border controls in stages from 2021. yenisafak.com Britain said on Friday it would introduce border controls in stages on European Union goods after the end of the Brexit transition period, to try to soften the blow for companies already battling the coronavirus pandemic.Reversing an original plan to impose full border controls on imports coming into Britain from the EU from next year, the government said it would introduce the changes in stages up until July 1, 2021, giving firms more time to deal with paperwork.Companies have long called on the government to give them more clarity about what new border checks will be in force at the end of this year, when the s…

yenisafak (2020-06-12). US to reduce troops in Iraq in coming months. yenisafak.com The US has agreed to reduce its forces in Iraq during the coming months, said a joint statement issued by the two governments on Friday.The joint statement was released at the end of the strategic dialogue held between the two countries via video conferencing on Thursday."The US will also continue to hold dialogue with the Baghdad government on the status of the remaining forces," the statement said.The move comes in the light of developing bilateral security relations based on mutual interests.The agreement, however, did not disclose details regarding the number of troops that will be reduced and the period requ…

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Pakistan records over 6,000 more COVID-19 cases. yenisafak.com Pakistan on Friday recorded more than 6,000 coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, the highest single-day rise since the outbreak, according to official statistics on Friday.With 6,397 new cases, Pakistan's tally of coronavirus cases has reached 125,933, already surpassing China and Saudi Arabia, putting the country at number 15 worldwide in terms of cases, the data shows.Another 107 patients lost their lives due to COVID-19 across the country, bringing the death toll from the deadly virus to 2,463, while 40,247 patients have successfully recovered and discharged from the hospitals, according to the Health Min…

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Turkey calls on Germany to lift travel warning. yenisafak.com Turkish foreign minister on Friday called on Germany to lift travel warning for Turkey.Speaking to German weekly Der Spiegel, Mevlut Cavusoglu commented on Germany's decision to lift travel warning for EU countries while extending it for all other countries until Aug. 31."It is hard to understand scientific reasons behind this decision," said Cavusoglu, and called on Berlin to also lift its travel warning for Turkey, which has successfully managed the pandemic process."German tourists are most warmly welcome. All kinds of hygiene measures will be taken against COVID-19 from the moment the German tourists start th…

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Turkey's current account posts $5.06B gap in April. yenisafak.com Turkey's current account balance posted a $5.06 billion gap in April, widening from a $469 million deficit in the same month last year, the Turkish Central Bank announced on Friday.According to the balance of payments figures released by the bank, the country's 12-month rolling deficit totaled $3.3 billion.The figure beat market expectation of $4.1 billion deficit in the month as the coronavirus' impact started to be felt in earnest in mid-March and April.An Anadolu Agency survey on Thursday showed that a group of 16 economists' projections ranged from $2.2 billion to $5.2 billion for the fourth month of this yea…

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Turkey's industrial output down 31.4% y-o-y in April. yenisafak.com Turkey's industrial production saw a decline of 31.4% year-on-year in April 2020, the country's statistical authority said on Friday.Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) revealed that all three main sub-indices

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Turkish economy sees total turnover down 20.9% in April. yenisafak.com The Turkish economy's total turnover saw an annual decrease of 20.9% in April, the nation's statistical institute reported on Friday.The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said turnover in industry slipped 24.9% during the same period.On the services side, the turnover index declined 23.9% and the figure in trade fell 17.4% year-on-year.The construction sector's turnover dropped 19.6% on a yearly basis in the same month.The official report also revealed that Turkey's seasonally and calendar-adjusted total turnover index

yenisafak (2020-06-12). UNHCR urges Greece to investigate refugee pushbacks. yenisafak.com The UN Refugee Agency on Friday urged Greece to investigate multiple reports of pushbacks by Greek authorities at the country's sea and land borders, possibly returning migrants and asylum seekers to Turkey.UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said at a twice-weekly UN press briefing that allegations of people being turned back had increased since March.He said reports indicate that several groups of people may have been summarily returned after reaching Greek territory."UNHCR has continuously addressed its concerns with the Greek government and has called for urgent inquiries into a series of alleged incidents reported…

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Turkey: COVID-19 narrows retail sales volume in April. yenisafak.com Turkey's retail sales volume shrank 19.3% on an annual basis in April due to coronavirus crisis, the country's statistical authority said on Friday.Food, drinks and tobacco sales in April grew 12.5% compared to the same month last year, according to TurkStat.Non-food

yenisafak (2020-06-12). FETàñ 'infiltrated' US missions in Turkey, says Foreign Ministry. yenisafak.com His comments came a day after a Turkish court sentenced Metin Topuz, a US Consulate employee, to eight years and nine months in prison on charges of helping FETO, the terror group behind the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.Shortly after the court's decision, the US embassy questioned the decision, saying its observers "have seen no credible evidence to support this conviction and hope it will swiftly be overturned."In response, Hami Aksoy said Turkey anxiously observes how the US has become a safe haven for members of FETO."Essentially, Metin Topuz is not the only FETO affiliated person working in the US representati…

yenisafak (2020-06-12). Jakarta to ban single-use plastic bags starting July 1. yenisafak.com The Indonesian capital of Jakarta will officially implement a ban on single-use plastic bags effective on July 1."The managers or administrators should require all tenants and business owners in shopping centers, supermarkets and traditional market to provide environmentally friendly shopping bags," said the Head of Environmental Agency of Jakarta Province Andono Warih on Thursday.The new obligation refers to the government's 2019 Regulation regarding The Obligation to Use Environmentally Friendly Shopping Bags, including reusable shopping bags made from any ingredients

yenisafak (2020-06-12). China says opposes US restrictions on Chinese students. yenisafak.com China on Friday said it resolutely opposes any U.S. government move to restrict Chinese students from studying abroad, and urged the United States to do more things to enhance mutual exchanges and understanding."We will continue to support exchanges between Chinese and American students and welcome students from all countries, including the United States, to study in China," an education ministry spokesman said in a statement.Two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters last month the United States was planning to cancel the visas of thousands of Chinese graduate students believed by Washington to have l…

Manlio Dinucci (2020-06-12). No Economic Sovereignty Without Political Sovereignty. globalresearch.ca There is a current discussion on how much and what kind of funding Italy will receive from the European Union and under what conditions. Reassuring messages arrive from Brussels. But since such financing will be mostly provided in the form …

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-06-12). Battles over Education: Australia, China and Unsafe Universities. asia-pacificresearch.com

Arabi Souri (2020-06-12). Video: Hearing Is Not Like Seeing: NATO's Terrorists Burning Syrian Wheat Crops. globalresearch.ca A video clip shared by local farmers from Ras Al-Ayn showing an inferno burning their livelihood before their eyes, hundreds of acres of wheat on fire just as the crop is due to harvest. | We've been reporting about these fires …

Adriaan Alsema (2020-06-12). When honest cops are jailed you know Colombia has become a mafia state. colombiareports.com The jailing of the policemen who discovered President Ivan Duque pseudo-party plotted with narcos to rig the 2018 elections ended all doubt Colombia has become a mafia state. It's not…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-06-12). 'Narcos planned to frame cops who discovered Colombia's 2018 election fraud plot'. colombiareports.com Police knew since last year that the drug lord whose organization conspired with Colombia's ruling party to rig the 2018 elections in favor of President Ivan Duque sought to jail…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-06-12). Colombia's VP admits after 23 years brother is a convicted heroin trafficker. colombiareports.com Colombia's Congress hasn't even begun investigating evidence of President Ivan Duque's ties to drug traffickers or local media revealed the brother of his vice-president is a convicted narco. News website…

Adriaan Alsema (2020-06-12). Is Duque's servitude to financial patrons tanking Colombia's economy? colombiareports.com International institutions are increasingly somber about Colombia's future as President Ivan Duque and his finance minister seem to have no response to the coronavirus crisis. The president and Finance Minister…

Sputnik News (2020-06-12). US Confirms Plans to Further Reduce Number of Troops in Iraq. iranian.com The United States has confirmed its plans to further decrease the number of servicemen deployed to Iraq, the joint statement of the governments of the United States and Iraq said. "On the security partnership, the two countries recognised that in light of significant progress towards eliminating the Daesh* threat, over the coming months the US …

Press TV (2020-06-12). Iran Air seals deal with Italy's Rimini airport. iranian.com AIRiminum, the company that operates Italy's Federico Fellini International Airport says it has signed a deal with Iran's flag carrier airline, Iran Air. The deal will ensure three flights per week connecting the Iranian capital and the seaside city of Rimini. The move is in line with efforts to revamp the airport named after the …

Tasnim News (2020-06-12). Zarif: Time to End Israel's Tyranny over Western Halls of Power. iranian.com Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lashed out at the Zionist lobbies for "poisoning" US politics, saying the time has come to end Israeli influence on the Western decision-making bodies. In a post on his Twitter account on Thursday, the top Iranian diplomat pointed to an article published in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about Israel's …

Andrey Areshev (2020-06-12). Why Does the Public Tolerate Its Biological Warfare? strategic-culture.org If the public will no longer tolerate its funding biological warfare, then when will the massive public demonstrations be organized throughout the world condemning the U.S., China, and other governments, that either participate in this R&D or else tolerate instead of clearly outlawing it — punish everyone in the given nation who participates in it? Why haven't these massive public demonstrations, against this R&D, already occurred?>

C Dettwiler, U Gasche and N Ramseyer (2020-06-12). Corona epidemic and Yemen. indybay.org Authorities first wanted to calm down and played down the pandemic. Afterward, they had to convince the population to keep unusual physical distance, to wash their hands well at all times, and to refrain from major events. Finally, they wanted the population to accept the week-long lockdown, with business closures, exit, and travel restrictions.

Faith in Action, NAACP, UNIDOS US, others (2020-06-12). Thursday 6/11: #Equity For All Forum: Racial Equity in HEROES Act & End Anti-Black Police Brutality! indybay.org Online…

Lynda Carson (2020-06-12). Is coronavirus Covid-19 stalking residents in Oakland, and Alameda County? indybay.org Coronavirus Covid-19 Pandemic:…

CSPTES (2020-06-12). Friday 6/19: ILWU Shutting Down W.C. Ports On Juneteenth STOP Police Terror & Systemic Racism. indybay.org SSA Terminals 1717 Middle Harbor Road at the Port of Oakland to Oscar Grant Plaza…

CSPTES (2020-06-12). ILWU Work Action On W.C. Ports On Juneteenth STOP Police Terror & Systemic Racism. indybay.org The ILWU on the West Coast will shut down all ports on Juneteenth June 19, 2020 to stop police terror and systemic racism.

International Longshore and Warehouse Union (2020-06-12). Friday 6/19: JUNETEENTH: West Coast Port Shutdown. indybay.org Meet at 1717 Middle Harbor Road and caravan to Oscar Grant Plaza…

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2020-06-12). U.S. President Trump sparks renewed interest in Juneteenth Celebrations Globally. indybay.org "In 1535, the first enslaved Pan African were recorded in California. Spanish conquistadors brought enslaved Pan Africans for conquest and who were later breed with indigenous population (Afro-Latino) throughout "New Spain" and much, much later evolved into today's Republic of Mexico. Authentic Alta California History remains cloaked in slavery and secrecy that remains off limits for any principled dialogue as the California State Legislature prepares for a 2020 Juneteenth State Budget due next week.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-06-12). Global collaboration needed to solve coronavirus challenges. imperial.ac.uk The leaders of Imperial and Tsinghua University have called for global collaboration to tackle coronavirus and other global challenges.

en.mehrnews (2020-06-12). Iran categorically rejects UN Secretariat's allegations. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 13 (MNA) — Iran has categorically rejected the allegations of the UN Secretariat, saying it has been under clear political pressure from the US and Saudi regimes.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-06-11). US Sanctions Drive Oil Tankers Away from Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Washington seeks to choke off Venezuela's main source of income.

Elijah Magnier (2020-06-11). Syrie La loi César: Qui vise-t-elle et comment affectera-t-elle le président Assad? 1/3. thealtworld.com À la mi-juin, les sanctions américaines contre la Syrie vont s'intensifier, avec la promulgation de la ´

Elijah Magnier (2020-06-11). Syria Caesar's Law: Who Does it Target, and How Will it Affect President Assad? 1/3. thealtworld.com In mid-June, the US sanctions against Syria will escalate, with the enactment of "

RT (2020-06-11). Netanyahu hails Trump's sanctions against 'corrupt & biased' International Criminal Court. rt.com Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has praised US President Donald Trump and his administration for sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC). Both countries have been targeted by the court with probes into alleged war crimes. | "I would like to thank the president for his leadership in sanctioning the corrupt and biased international court obsessed with a witch hunt against Israel and the United States," Netanyahu said during a press conference on Thursday. | The Israeli PM has invoked the anti-Semitism card as well, claiming that the ICC ultimately believes that the "Jews living in their historic homelan…

Tracy Keeling (2020-06-11). Palestinians score huge victory against Israel's apartheid regime in a European court. thecanary.co Palestinians have scored a major victory against Israel's apartheid regime in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). | On 11 June, the ECHR passed a ruling on a French court's conviction of people boycotting Israeli goods to show solidarity with Palestinians. It found that the convictions violated the European Convention on Human Rights. | As the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-06-11). Nord Stream 2 Trade Geopolitics: Towards a US-Germany "Tariff War". Washington Threatens Germany with Sanctions. globalresearch.ca The United States continues to threaten Germany with sanctions if the European country proceeds with the Nord Stream 2 project — a strategic partnership with Russia to build a large gas pipeline that would facilitate the energy flow between Russia …

RT (2020-06-11). European Court of Human Rights backs BDS activists convicted in France, orders Paris to pay €101,000 in compensation. rt.com The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that France violated the rights of 11 pro-Palestinian activists when it convicted them for campaigning against Israeli goods, and has ordered the government to pay damages. | The criminal conviction against the activists with the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement "had no relevant and sufficient grounds," the ECHR

Abayomi Azikiwe (2020-06-11). The Role of Police in a Racist-Capitalist Society. Defunding and Dismantling the US Police Being Fiercely Debated. globalresearch.ca Since the videotaped violent murder of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, there has been an upsurge in antiracist and anti-police brutality demonstrations and rebellions spanning across the United States. | When Darnella Frazier, the 17-year-old woman …

Ben Norton (2020-06-11). Meet Wikipedia's Ayn Rand-loving founder and Wikimedia Foundation's regime-change operative CEO. thegrayzone.com Wikipedia has become a bulletin board for corporate and imperial interests under the watch of its Randian founder, Jimmy Wales,…

ahtribune (2020-06-11). The Spirit of Hoover's FBI is Revived under New Cyber-Warfare Protocols. ahtribune.com This week, the Grayzone's Gareth Porter exposed an important strategy led by the FBI to purge the internet of alternative media outlets who question the mainstream narratives being used to shepherd society into an Orwellian post-COVID world order. | Although FBI propagandists strewn throughout mainstream media have attempted to project the idea that the corrupt days of America's internal Gestapo operation led by J. Edgar Hoover are a thing of the past, the reality is that its days of COINTEL PRO, MK Ultra, assassinations and media manipulation of the 1960s and 1970s not only didn't go away but only amplified t…

South Front (2020-06-11). Video: Syrian Army Repelled Militant Attack in Southern Idlib. US Air Force C-130 Plane Crashed in Iraq. globalresearch.ca The Syrian Army and the National Defense Forces have repelled an attack on their positions in southern Idlib. | On June 8, forces of the Ghurfat Eamaliat wa-Harid al-Mu'minin coalition of al-Qaeda-linked militant groups stormed the villages of Tanjarah and Fattirah. …

South Front (2020-06-11). Video: Explosion Targets Russian Military Police Patrol in Northern Syria. Who Was Behind It? globalresearch.ca On June 9, an improvised explosive device exploded on the route of the patrol of the Russian Military Police near the town of Ayn al-Arab (also known as Kobani) in northern Syria. Initially, Kurdish sources claimed that at least 3 …

Palestinian BDS National Committee (2020-06-11). European Court of Human Rights Deals Major Blow to Israel's War on Palestine Solidarity. globalresearch.ca ECHR rules unanimously that French highest court's criminal conviction of Israel boycott advocates violates the European Convention on Human Rights' freedom of expression article | *** | The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)

Rima Najjar (2020-06-11). Don't Call Me Ishmael; Don't Call Me Israel‚Ää—‚ÄäCall Me One Democratic State! globalresearch.ca "Who excavates Muslim Palestinian graves and mosques in [Palestine's] depopulated towns and why?", "Recently," he goes on, "these desecrations have been on the increase‚Ää—‚ÄäIn the village of Beit Jibreen, in the …

Fight Back (2020-06-11). Thousands march for Black lives in Dallas. fightbacknews.org Dallas, TX – On Saturday, June 6, about 5000 people rallied in 100-degree weather at Belo Garden Park across the street from the Earle Cabell Federal Building in downtown Dallas, to demand justice for victims of police violence, community control of the police, and the resignation of Renee Hall, the chief of the Dallas Police Department. | The protest was called by the Dallas Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DAARPR), Progressive Student Union at the University of Texas at Arlington American Muslims for Palestine Dallas, Migrante Texas, and Black Youth Project 100-Dallas. First the crowd heard spe…

Rostam Pourzal (2020-06-11). Iran's skyrocketing stock exchange signals historic political shift. mronline.org In Iran, this spring brings a historic opportunity for neoliberal opposition parties personified by President Rouhani. The utopian dream will now get its first chance to prove itself as a cash-starved Islamic Republic embarks on its boldest ever embrace of privatization of state-owned companies.

MBNJSD (2020-06-11). Defund the Police, Defund the Military. dissidentvoice.org Defund the police, defund the military (Credit: CODEPINK) On June 1, President Trump threatened to deploy active-duty U.S. military forces against peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters in cities across America. Trump and state governors eventually deployed at least 17,000 National Guard troops across the country. In the nation's capital, Trump deployed nine Blackhawk assault helicopters, …

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2020-06-11). New Evidence Suggests Turkey Preparing for Libya-Style Military Intervention in Yemen. mintpressnews.com Turkey is sending advisors and weapons into Yemen and flexing its influence in the war-torn country as it seeks to expand its power across the Middle East.

Tony Norfield (2020-06-11). Viruses & imperialism. mronline.org Despite conspiracy theories, there is no evidence whatsoever that the virus was manufactured in or escaped from a laboratory, in China or anywhere else. Such accusations ignore how easy viral transmission can be when other factors come into play.

P. Sainath (2020-06-11). The Migrant and the Moral Economy of the Elite. counterpunch.org The Mumbai-Nashik highway seemed busier under lockdown than in normal times. People moved any way they could. Bimlesh Jaiswal, who lost one leg in an accident years ago, travelled 1,200 km from Panvel, Maharashtra, to Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, on a gearless scooter, with his wife and three-year-old daughter. "Who shuts down a country with a four-hour notice?" he asks. Come on Bimlesh, you know the answer to that one.

A Guest Author (2020-06-11). Venezuelan Embassy Protectors hail legal victory. workers.org By Embassy Protectors, Popular Resistance The following is a slightly edited statement made by the Venezuelan Embassy Protectors on June 3. Washington, D.C. — The federal charge of "interfering with certain protective functions" levied against four members of the Embassy Protection Collective was formally dropped today in a hearing before . . . |

Jamal Rich (2020-06-11). #ShutDownSTEM: Scientists strike, halt research to focus on Black lives. peoplesworld.org On June 10, the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academic research community held a work-stoppage in response to the mass uprising following Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and the countless other police murders and to challenge the racist ideas and institutions that still prevail in their own field. The Particles for Justice, organized by Black …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-11). AFL-CIO recommends actions to end police racism. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON —In a comprehensive statement, the AFL-CIO General Board — heads of all its member unions — recommitted the labor movement to working towards implementing wide-ranging recommendations to attack systematic 401-year-old U.S. racism, notably including police racism. Those recommendations came from both the federation's own race commission after the previous notorious police murder, of Michael …

Mark Gruenberg (2020-06-11). Leaked CDC document shows new danger in continuing coronavirus plague. peoplesworld.org Despite cheerleading from GOP President Donald Trump, the raw numbers show the coronavirus pandemic still plagues the U.S., and a leaked document from the Centers for Disease Control adds we're not out of the woods. That's because, compared to the other nine nations which lead the world in total coronavirus cases, the U.S. showed a …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-06-11). Poster exhibition shows glimpses of dying capitalist system and flickers of a new world. peoplesdispatch.org "In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay," wrote Marxist art historian Ernst Fischer seven decades ago, "Art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it." | The future of the world hangs in the balance. The coronavirus pandemic has deepened existing inequalities and issues while presenting unforeseen challenges to crumbling public infrastructure in many countries. This historic moment has revealed that there are two dominant paradigms, one that favors life and the well-being of the people, and one that favors capital and accumulation. | The corona-crisis has revealed th…

Cooper Feste and Dariel Hernandez (2020-06-11). Pandemic reveals worker exploitation in Texas meatpacking industry. liberationnews.org Across Texas, workers, many of them Black or immigrants from Mexico and Central and South America, have been forced back to work at job sites that are unsafe and even deadly…

John Wojcik, C.J. Atkins (2020-06-11). Trump hails Confederate names, monuments, and military bases. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Donald Trump said yesterday he would "not even consider" renaming Army installations that honor Confederate traitors who fought to protect an autocratic slave regime in the South that was based on white supremacy. Over 600,000 Americans perished in the Civil War, fighting to stop that dictatorship's attempt to keep Black people in chains and destroy …

RT (2020-06-11). 'Don't mention the war!' Episode of cult comedy Fawlty Towers scrubbed amid 'racism' purge. rt.com The most famous episode of a 1970s sitcom, making fun of a British hotel dealing with German tourists, has been yanked from a BBC-run streaming service amid a censorship spree against anything that could be deemed "racist." | "The Germans" was one of the just twelve episodes of Fawlty Towers, a comedy starring John Cleese (of 'Monty Python' fame) as Basil Fawlty, the hapless owner of a struggling hotel in Devon, that featured the memorable punchline, "Don't mention the war!" | British media reported on Thursday that it has been pulled from the BBC's streaming service UKTV. | No official reason was given. Th…

Staff (2020-06-11). Historian Robin D.G. Kelley: Years of Racial Justice Organizing Laid Groundwork for Today's Uprising. democracynow.org As protests against police brutality and racism continue across the country, we speak with historian and UCLA professor of African American studies Robin D.G. Kelley. "We're not here by accident," Kelley says, crediting racial justice organizers for laying the groundwork for this moment over the last decade. "The real question now is whether or not this can be sustained."

Staff (2020-06-11). U.S. Passes 2 Million Coronavirus Cases as States Lift Restrictions, Raising Fears of a Second Wave. democracynow.org The number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases has officially topped 2 million as states continue to ease stay-at-home orders and reopen their economies and more than a dozen see a surge in new infections. "I worry that what we've seen so far is an undercount and what we're seeing now is really just the beginning of another wave of infections spreading across the country," says Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.

Staff (2020-06-11). "He Didn't Deserve to Die Over $20": George Floyd's Brother Urges Congress to Stop Police Killings. democracynow.org A day after George Floyd's family laid him to rest in his hometown of Houston, his brother Philonise Floyd addressed lawmakers on Capitol Hill to demand an end to police violence. "I'm tired. I'm tired of pain," he told the House Judiciary Committee. "People of all backgrounds, genders and races have come together to demand change. Honor them. Honor George."

Staff (2020-06-11). Seattle Protesters Declare Autonomous Zone Around Police Precinct After Heated Standoff with Police. democracynow.org In Seattle, protesters have barricaded a six-block autonomous zone, after protests were met with a violent police response. Amid a days-long standoff, police removed barricades and abandoned their East Precinct building, and protesters moved into the area, declaring it "Free Capitol Hill." We go to Seattle to speak with Omari Salisbury, a citizen journalist who has been live-streaming the uprising and police crackdown.

RT (2020-06-11). EU 'sees trajectory of compromise' in post-Brexit trade deal, but Britain should more realistic — adviser. rt.com The European Union sees a path towards a compromise on a trade deal with Britain, an adviser to the EU's chief trade negotiator said on Thursday. However, London must first be more realistic in what it expects to achieve, according to Stefaan de Rynck. | He told a virtual Irish conference that Britain had shown a lack of serious engagement on a number of issues, and the talks needed to be unblocked. The areas where Brussels was seeing this obstruction were in regard to standards for open and fair competition, fisheries, an overarching governance structure, and on judicial and law enforcement cooperation, Reute…

pip.hinman (2020-06-11). Experts tell royal commission: Warming climate to blame for Black Summer fires. greenleft.org.au

pip.hinman (2020-06-11). Experts tell royal commission: 'Warming climate to blame for Black Summer fires'. greenleft.org.au

Adriaan Alsema (2020-06-11). Colombia jails policemen who discovered 2018 election fraud conspiracy. colombiareports.com A judge agreed to jail the policemen who discovered Colombia's ruling party plotted with the mafia to rig the 2018 elections in favor of President Ivan Duque. In a controversial…

The Canary (2020-06-11). Social services association chief says under-resourcing caused thousands of lives to be lost 'prematurely in social care'. thecanary.co Some 27% of social services directors said patients were discharged to providers where there wasn't sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), a survey has found.The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass), which asked its members about the rapid discharge of patients to the community in March to free up hospital beds, also found that 24% said patients had been taken to settings where they couldn't self-isolate amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic."Ill-equipped and under-resourced": Adass president James Bullion said thousands of people "lost their lives prematurely in social car…

RT (2020-06-11). 'Weapons of oppression': Scottish Parliament votes for suspension of UK rubber bullets, tear gas and riot-shield exports to US. rt.com The Scottish Parliament has voted for the immediate suspension of UK rubber bullet, tear gas and riot-shield exports to the US, in a show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement following the death of George Floyd. | The motion, which was overwhelmingly backed by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) — 52 votes to 0, with 11 abstentions — was proposed by the Green Party's Patrick Harvie. | Addressing fellow MSPs on Thursday, Harvie said it was "important that we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement," in light of police brutality, calling for the UK government to hal…

Marko Marjanoviƒá (2020-06-11). The Powers That Be Are Ecstatic That the Left Believes the Biggest Problem Right Now Are Statues of Dead White Men. anti-empire.com In the US and the EU both, we've witnessed the biggest monetary heist in history. We're sailing into a depression that central banks have set up for us over the past two decades. And we're doing so in the worst possible condition thanks to the Draconian, harebrained and unnecessary lockdowns that the politicians imposed on us. | Several of Empire's wars and occupations continue in Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, and Syria. Tension is being needlessly cultivated with China and Russia, and the entire architecture of nuclear arms control is just about done being thrown in that trash bin of history. | Simultaneously the…

Pien Huang (2020-06-11). WHO Believes That Mass Protests Are Important Even in a 'Pandemic' Provided They're More Popular Than WHO. anti-empire.com In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization took time at its daily press conference to address another pressing issue: the wave of protests against police violence and racial injustice. The demonstrations began in the U.S. when George Floyd died on May 25 after a police officer had pressed a knee into his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds while detaining him in Minneapolis. | The protests are now spreading around the world to Europe, Africa and other regions. | "WHO fully supports equality and the global movement against racism. We reject discrimination of all kinds," said WHO director…

Robert Halfon (2020-06-11). Children More Likely to Be Hit by Lightning Than Die of Coronavirus, Oxford-Cambridge Analysis Finds. anti-empire.com School children under the age of 15 are more likely to be hit by lightning than die from coronavirus, new figures suggest, amid Scientists from the universities of Cambridge and Oxford have called for "rational debate" based on the "tiny" risk to children and have suggested that it might be better for youngsters to be exposed to the virus early so they are protected in later life when…

Armstrong Economics (2020-06-11). Country Formerly Known as Spain Decides to Institute a Permanent COVID Dystopia, Flog Itself to Death. anti-empire.com FROM A READER IN SPAIN FROM A FORMER COMMUNIST STATE: | The So, masks are obligatory in all closed spaces (work, office, schools, transport, shops, etc… even at home when you receive friends/family who are not living with you in the same household —…

CJ Hopkins (2020-06-11). Everything Was Ready for a Color-Revolution Coup Against Trump but He Refused to Bite. anti-empire.com So, the GloboCap-Resistance Unfortunately for the Resistance, Trum…

RT (2020-06-11). Over 90,000 people displaced in Yemen since January as conflict continues — UN. rt.com The UN refugee agency said on Thursday that more than 94,000 people have been displaced and forced to flee their homes in several parts of Yemen since January. "The ongoing conflict in Yemen continues to displace people from their homes as they struggle to survive," the UNHCR tweeted. | More than 94,000 — including at least 15,000 households — were displaced between January 1 and June 6, according to the agency. Only about 5,200 people were able to return to their places of origin in that period. | The civil war erupted in Yemen in 2015. A US-backed, Saudi-led coalition launched an offensive against…

RT (2020-06-11). 'Literally putting a band-aid on racism': Iconic bandage company goes woke in latest corporate pander-fest. rt.com Band-Aid has released a line of bandages in five different skin tones, pledging to donate to Black Lives Matter to combat systemic racism. Unfortunately for its woke aspirations, the joke is right there in the brand name. | The brand posted an image of its new bandage colors fanned out from light to dark to Instagram on Thursday, accompanied by a verbose and somewhat stilted paean to diversity ("we are committed to launching a range of bandages in light, medium and deep shades of Brown and Black skin tones…") and a promise to make a donation to Black Lives Matter. | Tellingly, the size of the donation was…

RT (2020-06-11). 'Unconstitutional & illegal!' Seattle mayor shocked by Trump's 'threat to invade' & clear out anarchist zone. rt.com Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has rebuffed US President Donald Trump's vow to send in troops to remove protesters occupying an abandoned police station if local officials don't act, saying it would be an "illegal" invasion. | Responding to the president's remarks earlier on Thursday — in which he threatened to directly intervene if Seattle officials don't "take back" the city — the mayor insisted any such move would violate the protesters' constitutional rights. | "Lawfully gathering and expressing First Amendment rights, demanding we do better as society… is not terrorism, it's patriotism," Durkan sa…

RT (2020-06-11). Post-revolutionary blues? 'Warlord' of Seattle Autonomous Zone struggles to be the police he hates as real cops have 2nd thoughts. rt.com A self-styled "warlord" of the Seattle Autonomous Zone (and local rapper) is quickly learning that policing is a tough job, struggling to maintain safety and order amid the newly minted commune's post-revolutionary hangover. | Raz Simone, self-appointed "warlord" of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), attempted to clear up some misunderstandings about the protest community, explaining to…

RT (2020-06-11). WATCH as Russian police bike is OBLITERATED during high-speed crash in Moscow. rt.com A Moscow cop suffered serious injuries after his motorbike crashed into a taxi during a high-speed chase. The impact was so powerful that the bike was shattered into pieces, while the officer was sent flying into the air. | The freak accident occurred in the Russian capital on Thursday afternoon, with surveillance footage surfacing online shortly afterwards. | The disturbing video shows a police motorbike approaching an intersection at high speed and crashing into a taxi, which was turning left. The bike apparently passed a red light. | The impact appears to have been very powerful, as the vehicle was liter…

RT (2020-06-11). Biden indulges fantasy of Trump refusing to leave office in November, says election-stealing is his 'single greatest concern'. rt.com Joe Biden says he has "great concern" that Donald Trump will not only "steal" the 2020 presidential election, but could also refuse to leave the White House should he lose. | 'Daily Show' host Trevor Noah is one of a growing number of liberals concerned about November's election, partly due to recent reports out of Georgia showing people waiting hours in line to cast their ballots. | "What is the plan up until November, to make sure the people can vote, everybody can, whether it's Republican or Democrat, black or white, has the opportunity to vote without being in a line that's six hours long?" Noah asked Bide…

Andrew Korybko (2020-06-11). The Afghan-Pakistani Rapprochement Complicates India's Hybrid War Plans. asia-pacificresearch.com

Juan Cole (2020-06-11). Russia shoots down "Ridiculous" Trump demand for Arms Embargo on Tehran. zcomm.org The Neoconservative wing of the Trump administration, which is dying to drag the United States into a war with Iran, suffered an embarrassing setback on Monday when its latest flimsy scheme crashed and burned.

Alan Macleod (2020-06-11). Flights Logs Suggest Bolivia Coup May Have Been Planned in Brazil. theantimedia.com Bolivian President Evo Morales was overthrown in a U.S.-backed coup in November.

Jonathan Cook (2020-06-11). Israel and the US Step Up Efforts to Intimidate the Hague War Crimes Court. globalresearch.ca In the near-two decades since the International Criminal Court was set up to try the worst violations of international human rights law, it has faced harsh criticism for its highly selective approach to the question of who should be put …

Stephen Lendman (2020-06-11). The Worst of All Possible Worlds? Echoes of Orwell's Dystopian 1984. Mass Surveillance, Police State Rule, Struggle to Survive… globalresearch.ca Longterm harm caused by US policies at home and abroad are far removed from a Panglossian best of all possible worlds view. | What's going on has echoes of Orwell's dystopian 1984. | Both right wings of the US war party wage …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-06-11). The Globalization of War. America's "Long War" against Humanity. globalresearch.ca America's hegemonic project in…

Norman Solomon (2020-06-11). Corporate Media Are Focusing on Race — and Dodging Class. zcomm.org Economic injustice is vital to the entire U.S. power structure. While many people of all races suffer as a result, people of color are at much greater risk…