2020-11-20: News Headlines

_____ (2020-11-20). The AMA Officially Recognized Racism As A Public-Health Threat. popularresistance.org The American Medical Association has officially defined racism as a public health threat that has created substantial health inequality. | Racism, both systemic and structural, has historically perpetuated health inequality and cut short the lives of many Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in the US and around the world. | Over the last year, a number of county and state authorities have also labelled racism a public health threat. | Among them are county councils in San Bernardino, California, and Montgomery, Maryland, as well as authorities in Michigan, Nevada, Cleveland, Denver, and Indianapolis.

_____ (2020-11-20). Jewish-Led Groups Condemn Pompeo For Declaring Boycott-Divestment Movement Anti-Semitic. popularresistance.org Jewish peace activists led a wave of stinging rebuke of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Thursday after he declared the peaceful Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian human rights "anti-Semitic" while visiting an illegal Israeli settler colony built on stolen West Bank land. | Pompeo became the first top U.S. diplomat to visit an Israeli settlement in the unlawfully occupied West Bank of Palestine as he lunched at a winery in Psagot, located on a hill formerly known as Jabel Tawil until Israeli forces conquered it in 1967.

Shatha Hammad (2020-11-20). Palestinians with disabilities battling PA for vital healthcare. middleeasteye.net Palestinians with disabilities battling PA for vital healthcare | Covid-19 has exposed a deeply flawed health insurance system that lets disabled Palestinians down badly | Fri, 11/20/2020 – 16: 17 | Disability rights activists including Abdelrahman Awwad (C) and Shatha Abu Srour (R) have staged a sit-in for nearly three weeks in Ramallah. The banner reads: "We die of coronavirus and we die of medic…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-11-20). As Israel Destroys EU Projects in Palestine, European Foreign Policy Remains Impotent. dissidentvoice.org Belgium is furious. On November 6, the Belgian government condemned Israel's destruction of Belgian-funded homes in the Occupied Palestinian West Bank. Understandably, Brussels wants the Israeli government to pay compensation for the unwarranted destruction. The Israeli response was swift: a resounding 'no'. The diplomatic row is likely to fizzle out soon; neither will Israel cease …

Dan Cohen (2020-11-20). How Joe Biden Plans to Make The American Empire Great Again. mintpressnews.com Behind his rhetoric, Joe Biden will seek nothing less than global supremacy, escalating a new and even more dangerous arms race that risks the destruction of humanity, what he calls "decency" and "normalcy."

Dennis Broe (2020-11-20). 'Lovecraft Country': Liberating 1950s apartheid America one monster at a time. peoplesworld.org It's now a done deal with the series already out in its entirety, but the best pilot and one of the best shows of the year is HBO's Lovecraft Country. The series is a second stunner by showrunner Misha Green after the too quickly aborted success of Underground, about the underground railroad. Lovecraft Country refashions …

Raul Diego (2020-11-20). Predictive Programming? Israeli Publishers Have Been Writing About a COVID-Like Pandemic for Years. mintpressnews.com The general public's willing acceptance of the draconian restrictions placed on mobility and freedom of assembly due to the coronavirus was "predicted" in fictional novels and other artistic creations over the last few decades. Is it a matter of life imitating art or something more sinister?

Vijay Prashad (2020-11-20). It is freedom, only freedom which can quench our thirst. mronline.org In the 1980s, after Mozambique won its independence from Portugal in 1974, the South African apartheid regime and the settler-colonial army of Rhodesia backed an anti-communist faction against the government of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO).

Jonathan Cook (2020-11-20). "I Am Greta" isn't About Climate Change. It's About the Elusiveness of Sanity in an Insane World. counterpunch.org Erich Fromm, the renowned German-Jewish social psychologist who was forced to flee his homeland in the early 1930s as the Nazis came to power, offered a disturbing insight later in life on the relationship between society and the individual. In the mid-1950s, his book The Sane Society suggested that insanity referred not simply to the

Patricia Gorky (2020-11-20). Georgia emerges as central target of far right mobilization. liberationnews.org Tensions in Georgia, a state playing a key role in the outcome of the 2020 election, are rising. Far right groups continue to mobilize around the unfounded claims of widespread election fraud in the state.

Stephen Lendman (2020-11-20). Possible US Strike on Iran? globalresearch.ca Since Iran ended a generation of US/UK-installed fascist tyranny in 1979, both wings of US duopoly rule waged dirty war on the country and its people by other means. | They stopped short of attacking Iranian territory militarily. | Will US hardliners …

Refuse Fascism Bay Area (2020-11-20). Saturday 11/21: Trump: You're Fired. Now Get the Hell OUT! indybay.org Castro & Market, San Francisco…

WSWS (2020-11-20). The Endless Trench: Hiding for decades from the Spanish fascists. wsws.org The film fictionally treats an actual phenomenon, the dozens or more of left-wing opponents of Franco, known as "moles," who concealed themselves in their own homes for 30 years following the defeat of the Republican forces in 1939.

commondreams (2020-11-19). CODEPINK Appalled at the Trump Administration's Labeling of BDS as Antisemitic. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-11-19). "Proudly Pro-BDS": Jewish-Led Groups Condemn Pompeo for Declaring Boycott-Divestment Movement Anti-Semitic. commondreams.org "Our response to the false designation will be to… challenge Israeli policies of occupation and apartheid and galvanize public opinion for freedom and justice in Palestine," vowed CodePink's Medea Benjamin. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Sheren Khalel (2020-11-19). 'We are not afraid of you, Mike': Activists react to Pompeo's move against pro-BDS groups. middleeasteye.net 'We are not afraid of you, Mike': Activists react to Pompeo's move against pro-BDS groups | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated any group that supports Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement as antisemitic | Thu, 11/19/2020 – 19: 35 | Palestinians demonstrate near Israeli settlement of Psagot against visit by Mike Pompeo on 18 November (AFP/File photo) | Pro-Palestine and…

WSWS (2020-11-19). Saeb Erekat: Palestinian peace negotiator who epitomised the degeneration of the PLO (1955-2020). wsws.org While all obituaries testify to Erekat's tenacity, none could explain why he and the Palestine Liberation Organisation were in the end wholly unsuccessful.

Dr. Zuhair Sabbagh (2020-11-19). Forbidden Weapons and Israeli War Crimes. globalresearch.ca In the period 2008-2014, Zionist settler colonialists launched three aggressive wars against the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip: (1) Dec 2008-Jan 2009, (2) 14 Nov 2012, and (3) July-August 2014. During these aggressive wars, the Israeli military used a number …

Miko Peled (2020-11-19). The Last Negotiator: The Death of Saeb Erekat Could Mark the End of Palestinian Reconciliation. mintpressnews.com Saeb Erekat was one of the last of a generation of Palestinian negotiators inspired by the conciliatory style of Yasser Arafat. His death may be the end of an era of hope that a peaceful solution with Israel is possible.

Liz Theoharis (2020-11-19). The New Politics of the Poor in Joe Biden's (and Mitch McConnell's) USA. counterpunch.org In the two weeks since Election 2020, the country has oscillated between joy and anger, hope and dread in an era of polarization sharpened by the forces of racism, nativism, and hate. Still, truth be told, though the divisive tone of this moment may only be sharpening, division in the United States of America is

Hajira Asghar (2020-11-19). Palestinians, Iran in the crosshairs as Pompeo makes farewell visit to Israel. liberationnews.org Pompeo used the occasion to deepen two of the most odious features of U.S. foreign policy: support for the colonial occupation of Palestinian land, and warmongering against Iran.

John P. Geyman (2020-11-19). Beyond COVID-19: the Power Struggle Over Alternatives for Health Care Reform. counterpunch.org Today we face the COVID-19 pandemic, with its resultant economic downturn and systemic racism—the triple crises that have exposed the serious problems of U. S. health care. It is now obvious to most observers that the system is broken, raising the question of how it can be put together through the political process after a hotly contested election season filled with disinformation and confusion about potential reform alternatives.

MEE and agencies (2020-11-19). BDS: US to label Israel boycott movement as 'antisemitic'. middleeasteye.net BDS: US to label Israel boycott movement as 'antisemitic' | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also announces that settlement products will be labelled 'made in Israel' | Thu, 11/19/2020 – 08: 38 | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan are seen past American and Israeli flags as they step off a plane at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv (AFP) | The United States will label the Boycott…

Joseph Gascoigne (2020-11-19). "Nazi Satan Death Cults" and other Mass Distractions. dissidentvoice.org Recently, Dissident Voice contributor, the never-compromising class- and labor-blogger, Michael K. Smith, took on a dragon of the progressive left whose slaying really seems long overdue. Writing in his typically potent style, Smith hammered out the following: How many times do we need to request a meaningless 'denunciation' of white supremacy? We, on what passes for …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-19). Palestinians oppose Pompeo's visit to illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. peoplesdispatch.org Mike Pompeo became the first top US diplomat to visit an illegal Israeli settlement. He also said that the US government had historically been wrong about settlements and it could be done in a lawful manner…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-19). Palestinian Authority to restore ties with Israel. peoplesdispatch.org The PA had cut ties with Israel in May after it announced plans to annex parts of the West Bank. The proposal for restoration of relations comes after assurances by Israel of a return to the status quo before May…

D. Watkins (2020-11-19). Poet Nikki Giovanni shares her wisdom about Biden, cowardly racism, and why love is a pineapple. salon.com The acclaimed activist and educator returned to "Salon Talks" to discuss the presidency & the writing process…

Chauncey DeVega (2020-11-19). Make fun of the "Million MAGA March" all you want — white supremacy has not been defeated. salon.com American fascism held power for four years — and now controls the Republican Party. Don't look the other way…

Glen Ford (2020-11-19). Black "Misleaders" Back Susan Rice as Top Diplomat. Black Democrats See Her a Role Model. globalresearch.ca Genocide in Congo and militarization of the African continent are Susan Rice's specialties, but Black Democrats see her as a "role model." | "Rice cultivated relations with every pro-U.S. warlord in Africa." | No one in high levels of U.S. government …

Soham Bandyopadhyay (2020-11-19). An Institutionally Racist Lockdown Policy. globalresearch.ca For Christians across the world, Christmas is a time for families and friends to come together and revel in their importance to one another. Similarly, for Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists, Diwali represents a celebration of the relationships between …

Carla Stea (2020-11-19). Strangling Sanctions against North Korea. "Psychopathic Double Standards" at the UN Security Council. globalresearch.ca Do They Have a Conscience? | "A key difference between a psychopath and a sociopath is whether he has a conscience, the little voice inside that lets us know when we're doing something wrong, says L. Michael Tompkins, EdD. He's a …

Fight Back (2020-11-19). Israeli missile attack kills 3 Syrian soldiers. fightbacknews.org The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reports Israel launched an attack on Syria, November 18. Citing a military source, SANA states "at about 03: 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the Israeli enemy launched an aerial aggression from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan that targeted the southern region as the Syrian air defenses confronted it and downed a number of rockets." | The SANA report added "three soldiers were martyred in the aggression, and a soldier was injured, in addition to causing material damages." | With U.S. backing, Israel regularly launches air assaults on Syria and is illegally occupying the Golan Hei…

_____ (2020-11-19). Training Bias Out Of Teachers. popularresistance.org This summer, the Des Moines, Iowa, public schools held a series of anti-racist town hall meetings in the wake of the police-led killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on people of color in their community. But the conversation rapidly turned to inequalities within in the school system. | "I would describe it as a harsh look into the current realities of what our students and our families are saying to us around anti-racism in our schools," said Goodrell Middle School Principal Peter LeBlanc, who noted the conversations are part of the district's ongoing equity aud…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-19). Iran questions US double standards on nuclear verification. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 19 (MNA) — Referring to the US behaviour towards KSA, UAE, and Israel regime's nuclear activities, Kazem Gharibabadi questioned the US double standards on nuclear verification.

_____ (2020-11-19). The U.S. Working Class Meets the Elections and Loses Ground. strategic-culture.org W. T. WHITNEY | The recent election campaign pitted one capitalist-oriented political party against another. But class conflict continued and working people did not fare well. | The election period was show-time for U.S. racial antagonisms. Candidates of both parties responded variously to racism. With working-class voters filling the ranks of each one, the U.S. working class was shown to be divided as it responded to racism. These are divisions that weaken the working class. | The police killing of George Floyd occurred in late May. Soon crowds of white and Black people were protesting together in little towns a…

news.un (2020-11-19). UN holds dialogues to examine racism in its ranks. news.un.org In an address on Thursday at an event for UN staff, Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the need to confront racism within the world body, initiating a series of discussions on the subject.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-11-19). Peaceful movement will prevail, says BDS in response to Pompeo calling it anti-Semitic. peoplesdispatch.org In a press conference with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the government would label the BDS movement as anti-Semitic and withdraw funds to organizations which are part of it…

splcenter (2020-11-19). Neo-Nazi, Klan Leader Thomas Metzger Dies in California. splcenter.org Thomas Linton Metzger, a neo-Nazi former Ku Klux Klansman who later formed the White Aryan Resistance, died early this month, according to his website.

WSWS (2020-11-19). Former Sheriff David Clarke calls for Proud Boys chapter in Wisconsin. wsws.org Clarke spoke at a Milwaukee County Republican event on Saturday, along with Republican State Senator Chris Kapenga.

WSWS (2020-11-18). The anti-Semitism witch-hunt and the failure of Corbynism. wsws.org This speech was delivered by Socialist Equality Party National Secretary Chris Marsden to a public meeting titled, "The Blairites' anti-Semitism witch-hunt and the failure of Corbynism," held on November 15, 2020.

Fight Back (2020-11-18). Demand immediate release of Palestinian women's movement leader Khitam Saafin. fightbacknews.org Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) demands Israel immediately release Khitam Saafin, the president of the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees, who has been jailed without charge or trial. Saafin was taken into custody on November 2 along with six other Palestinian human rights activists. Her imprisonment is another in the long list of crimes by the callous and cruel Zionist occupiers of Palestine. | Khitam Saafin is among those who stand in the forefront of the Palestinian women's movement and is a tireless organizer for social and national liberation. She has spoken at many international venues on th…

Akram Al-Waara (2020-11-18). Sour grapes: Pompeo's vineyard visit met with Palestinian protests. middleeasteye.net Sour grapes: Pompeo's vineyard visit met with Palestinian protests | Palestinians who have been locked out of their land by Israeli settlers rail against secretary of state's controversial visit to Psagot | Wed, 11/18/2020 – 13: 03 | Palestinians demonstrate near the Israeli settlement of Psagot against the visit by Mike Pompeo (AFP) | Thundering booms and clouds of smoke adorned the entrance to…

Mehr News Agency (2020-11-18). Traitors to Holy Quds have no future in region. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 18 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker's Special Aide for International Affairs said that traitors to Holy Quds and Palestine have no future in the region.

RT (2020-11-18). Pennsylvania Supreme Court shoots down Trump campaign claims of blocking Philadelphia election observers. rt.com The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has rejected allegations by President Donald Trump's campaign team that election observers in Philadelphia were deprived of "meaningful access" to the polls, overturning a lower court's ruling. | The state's liberal-leaning Supreme Court ruled 5-2 against Trump's lawsuit on Tuesday, rebuffing claims that local election officials barred Republican poll-watchers from standing close enough to the vote-counting process to see what was happening. | "We conclude the [Philadelphia County Board of Elections] did not act contrary to law… during the precanvassing and canvassing proces…

teleSUR (2020-11-18). Brazil: Supreme Court Rules Out Lula's Motion on Guaruja Case. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Supreme Court (STJ) Tuesday rejected unanimously former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's (2003-2011) appeal regarding the sentence on the Guaruja Triplex case which led to his arrest between April 2018 and November 2019. | RELATED: | The decisions was voted down by ministers Felix Fischer, Joao Otavio de Noronha, Reynaldo Soares da Fonseca, and Ribeiro Dantas. | Lula's defense team called for a change in th…

Ralph Nader (2020-11-18). Abdicating to Boeing: An Open Letter to FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson. counterpunch.org November 13, 2020 Stephen Dickson, Administrator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) U.S. Department of Transportation 800 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20591 Dear Mr. Dickson, It is now abundantly clear that instead of clearing out top Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operatives who have worked to make the FAA safe for Boeing, you have thrown in your

Nathaniel Chase (2020-11-18). The white vote for Trump: Is multinational working class solidarity possible? workers.org Why did nearly 73 million people vote for Trump, given his disastrous pandemic response and the economic collapse? The answer, simply put, is racism. In a country built on white supremacy, from slavery and genocide to mass incarceration and imperialist war, it should come as no surprise that a substantial . . . |

Sheren Khalel (2020-11-18). Senators urge Trump to axe 'Made in West Bank' settlement labels before end of term. middleeasteye.net Senators urge Trump to axe 'Made in West Bank' settlement labels before end of term | Four Republican senators warn Trump administration that labelling Israeli settlement products anything other than 'Made in Israel' encourages BDS movement | Wed, 11/18/2020 – 19: 35 | Israeli protestor carries national flag and US President Donald Trump campaign hat after heckling tour by EU diplomats at settlemen…

Aseel Jundi (2020-11-18). Twice refugees: Palestinians in Jerusalem at imminent risk of losing their homes to Israeli settlers. middleeasteye.net Twice refugees: Palestinians in Jerusalem at imminent risk of losing their homes to Israeli settlers | Once displaced by the 1948 Nakba, Palestinian families of a historic district in Occupied East Jerusalem are on the brink of eviction after losing lengthy legal battles with Israeli courts | Wed, 11/18/2020 – 09: 38 | ‚ÄéHome of the Sabbagh family in the Sheikh Jarrah district in…

Jonathan Cook (2020-11-18). I Am Greta isn't about Climate Change. dissidentvoice.org Erich Fromm, the renowned German-Jewish social psychologist who was forced to flee his homeland in the early 1930s as the Nazis came to power, offered a disturbing insight later in life on the relationship between society and the individual. In the mid-1950s, his book The Sane Society suggested that insanity referred not simply to the …