(2020-07-04). [Correspondence] Methodology in the GBD study of China. thelancet.com We found the Article by Maigeng Zhou and colleagues1 intriguing. However, we have some concerns. Our major concern arises from mixing data from mainland China and Taiwan. These two regions have distinct health-care and social welfare systems; they also have different time trends of how socioeconomic conditions evolved during the past half century. Therefore, mixing the data from these two regions might lead to biased estimates, especially for the health outcomes shaped by health policies (eg, vaccination programmes as a prevention strategy).
(2020-07-04). [Correspondence] Methodology in the GBD study of China — Author's reply. thelancet.com The Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2017 provides comprehensive assessment of population health for 195 countries and territories and subnational units for selected countries, including all province-level administrative units in China. It is important to point out that, as the GBD uses a hierarchical analytical framework, data input from all GBD 2017 analytical units, national or subnational, are integrated into a single modelling process to provide a set of estimates for all locations that are internally consistent and comparable across locations and over time.
(2020-07-03). Trump's decision to celebrate 4 July at Mt Rushmore is a big 'f**k you' to Indigenous people and anti-racism campaigners. thecanary.co The police
(2020-07-03). Politicians of Color Should Not be Immune From Criticism. counterpunch.org To me, being an anti-racist activist means that one consistently challenges the structures of racist exclusion, exploitation, repression and incarceration It does not mean that one must defend or praise establishment politicians of color. Forty years ago, I was an activist and leader in the battle against police racism, brutality and repression in Los Angeles.
(2020-07-03). From rebellion to revolution. peoplesdispatch.org A profound rebellion against racism has been sweeping the country for a month. Millions have taken to the streets in every part of the country, shaking public opinion. Elite institutions, individuals and corporate brands are scrambling to offer symbolic sacrifices at the altar of racial justice in the hopes they will be spared from the righteous wrath in the streets. | At the same time the police are wantonly attacking protestors and continuing to murder Black people, making a mockery of all the "official" declarations of "anti-racism." | Hidden in just this fact is the most important lesson: The capitalist syste…
(2020-07-03). "America's Moment of Reckoning": Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor & Cornel West on Uprising Against Racism. democracynow.org 
Scholars Cornel West and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor respond to the global uprising against racism and police violence following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. "We're seeing the convergence of a class rebellion with racism and racial terrorism at the center of it," said Princeton professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. "And in many ways, we are in uncharted territory in the United States."
(2020-07-03). Angela Davis on Abolition, Calls to Defund Police, Toppled Racist Statues & Voting in 2020 Election. democracynow.org 
Amid a worldwide uprising against police brutality and racism, we discuss the historic moment with legendary scholar and activist Angela Davis. She also responds to the destruction and removal of racist monuments in cities across the United States, and the 2020 election.
(2020-07-03). Smearing Black Lives Matter…From the Left. counterpunch.org Over the past fifty-three years as a socialist, I have seen repeated calls for purifying the left of capitalist influences, both governmental and corporate. The latest flare-up was a Jacobin article titled "Don't Let Blackwashing Save the Investor Class" by Cedric Johnson, a black African American studies professor. Just as Deep Throat advised Bob Woodward
(2020-07-03). The Racist Counter-Revolution of 1776. counterpunch.org This essay originally appeared six years ago on Telesur English as a review of Gerald Horne's important book The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave Resistance and the Origins of the United States of America (New York, 2014). I offer it for re-publication and hopefully wider readership in the wake of the great 2020 George Floyd uprising, which
(2020-07-03). More than 1000 at Day of Rage against Israeli annexation in NYC. fightbacknews.org Bay Ridge, NY – On Wednesday, July 1, over 1000 people gathered in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to rally and march against the planned Zionist annexation of the West Bank. The international Day of Rage was locally organized by Within Our Lifetime and the NY4Palestine coalition. | The rally began at 4 p.m., but the crowd had already started growing before the start time. As the crowd swelled, Palestine flags waving by the dozens, a motley handful of counter-protesters gathered across the street. They had a few Israeli flags and none of them were wearing masks. While they attempted to chant, the pro-Palestine crowd easily…
(2020-07-03). Will the ICC Investigation Bring Justice for Palestine? dissidentvoice.org In the past, there have been many attempts at holding accused Israeli war criminals accountable. Particularly memorable is the case of the late Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, (known, among other nicknames, as the 'Butcher of Sabra and Shatila') whose victims attempted to try him in a Belgian Court in 2002. Like all other efforts, …
(2020-07-03). 100 Jewish Lawyers And Judges Call On Israel To Halt Annexation Plans. popularresistance.org Palestine Legal joins widespread international condemnation of Israel's annexation attempts in the West Bank and highlights legal resources for protesters participating in Wednesday's Day of Rage against annexation in the U.S. | We recognize that this is the latest move in 70+ years of Israel's efforts to annex — or fully colonize — Palestinian land. We also recognize that the failure of international law to protect Palestinians or hold Israel accountable further highlights the importance of grassroots efforts to resist Israel's colonization and ethnic cleansing plans, including mass protests. | We sh…
(2020-07-03). Selected Articles: Annexation of Palestine. Crime against Humanity. globalresearch.ca We hope that by publishing diverse view points, submitted by journalists and experts dotted all over the world, the website can serve as a reminder that no matter what narrative we are presented with, things are rarely as cut and …
(2020-07-03). Leeds, England: Black Lives Matter. workers.org 
By Kadesh Anderson Kadesh Anderson is a Black Lives Matter activist and journalist in Leeds, England. Leeds, England — On June 21 in Hyde Park, over 5,000 people came out in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protest. With social distancing measures in place, people came together with their banners . . . |
(2020-07-03). On the Road to Justice with im/migrant TPS holders. workers.org 
By G. Lechat Inspired by the great Civil Rights Movement and in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, immigrant Temporary Protected Status recipients organizing with Alianza TPS Nacional are forging a "Road to Justice." This is the name they gave their 200+ car caravan that converged on Washington, D.C., June 23-24 . . . |
(2020-07-03). A Requiem for George Floyd. counterpunch.org 
However complicit we may be in sustaining the historical-racial schema in this country, we can all now agree that, 'Black Lives Matter', but the tag's emblazonment across the country, and internationally, remains a hollow gesture unless there is meaningful collective action to create a social environment in which all black lives can indeed flourish – and matter.
(2020-07-03). 'Day of Rage' protests annexation of Palestinian land. liberationnews.org 
In the U.S.,Palestinians and their supports found ways in the midst of a pandemic to make clear that the Palestinian struggle for liberation will continue, and support for it will grow.
(2020-07-03). Vandals spray-paint and BURN Portland's 'Promised Land' statue (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Rioters in Oregon used fireworks to torch the 'Promised Land' statue depicting a pioneer family at the end of the Oregon Trail. The vandals also laid siege to the city's Justice Center in what police deemed a "riot." | The city of Portland is known nationwide as a hotbed of left-wing activism, and protesters there have embraced the 'Black Lives Matter' cause with gusto. After
(2020-07-03). 'Racist' elk statue targeted by mob to be removed, after inferno causes 'severe' damage to Portland landmark (PHOTOS). rt.com 
A sculpture of an elk that has graced downtown Portland, Oregon, for 120 years is to be taken down by city authorities, after protesters set the statue on fire. Police have asked the public to help identify the vandals. | On Wednesday night, demonstrators defaced the seemingly benign statue and lit a series of fires around its base, quickly engulfing the horned effigy in flames. | Portland Police said in a statement that the city's Regional Arts Council had determined that the damage to the base was "so severe" that the landmark would have to be removed for public safety reasons. Officials fear the statue coul…
(2020-07-03). Podcast Panel: Israeli Annexation Could Turn the West Bank Into a Gaza-Style Open Air Prison. mintpressnews.com Palestinian academic Ramzy Baroud, Israeli activist Miko Peled and documentary filmmaker Robert Inkalesh join MintPress to discuss the implication of Israel's coming annexation of the Palestinian West Bank.
(2020-07-03). Communist youth in Austria resist fascist mobilizations. peoplesdispatch.org On July 1, Wednesday, the Communist Youth of Austria (KJO) brought out a statement calling for resistance against the rising fascist and racist manifestations in Vienna and other Austrian cities. The statement by the Vienna committee of the KJO was made in the backdrop of an attack by right-wing Turkish nationalists against a Kurdish gathering in Vienna on June 24, and the clashes that followed it. Last week's events have also led to some diplomatic hostility between Austria and Turkey. | According to reports, a group called Grey Wolves comprising right-wing sections within the Turkish diaspora in Vienna was resp…
(2020-07-03). Israel's Annexation Plans Explained in Nine Questions. globalresearch.ca The Israeli government has suggested that plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank could be revealed from 1 July. | Such a move has been condemned by Israel's allies and rivals alike as a dangerous escalation that could destabilise …
(2020-07-03). Israel Awaits US Authorization to Annex West Bank. globalresearch.ca Since the beginning of June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to annex the West Bank, even calling on the armed forces to prepare for an invasion. Netanyahu's plan, he said, was to annex the territory of the West …
(2020-07-03). No Israeli War on Lebanon Before the Next US Elections. globalresearch.ca There is no doubt that, since Ben Gurion, the Zionist
(2020-07-03). Security Council, General Assembly Never Held Israel Accountable for Violations of UN Principles. globalresearch.ca Seventy-five years ago, 50 countries signed the UN Charter at a conference in San Francisco in ceremonies attended by 3,500 delegates and 2,500 media representatives and observers from non-governmental organisations. Representing 80 per cent of the world's population, the signatories …
(2020-07-03). White Nationalists on the Attack. counterpunch.org On Monday, June 22nd, Pvt. Ethan P. Melzer, 22, was charged with planning an ambush of members of his unit during an upcoming deployment with the help of an "occult-based neo-Nazi" group known as the "Order of the Nine Angles" and a related group known as the "RapeWaffen Division." Melzer was stationed in Vicenza, Italy, and
(2020-07-03). Give Me Liberty, Give You Death. counterpunch.org So, here we are again at the granddaddy of all of the official U.S. celebrations of militarism and white power. Only the hard won observances of Labor Day and MLK's birthday are exceptions. Independence Day this year though is different. That's because of COVID 19 and the eruption of protest over the ongoing murders of
(2020-07-03). Copenhagen's Little Mermaid labelled 'racist fish'. yenisafak.com Denmark woke up on Friday to the words "racist fish" scrawled across the base of the "Little Mermaid", the bronze statue honouring Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tale that perches on a rock in the sea off a pier in Copenhagen.Police said it had not yet identified the perpetrators. The 107-year-old sculpture, which is visited by one million tourists each year, has been vandalised before, including by anti-whaling campaigners and pro-democracy activists, twice suffering decapitation."We consider it vandalism and have started an investigation," a spokesman for the Copenhagen police said.Protesters of the Bla…
(2020-07-03). Friday 7/3: "BLACK LIVES MATTER" / Anti-War Light Brigade. indybay.org I-80 Pedestrian pedestrian bridge, south of University Ave. | Gather at 8: 50 pm in open parking area, southwest corner of University Ave. Short walk to get up to the bridge. | Accessed by west side frontage road.
(2020-07-03). Saturday 7/4: 4th of July: "Defund Police, Defund Pentagon, Fund Community & Life!" indybay.org 1: 00 – SF City Hall | 1: 30 – 762 Fulton, Black Lives Matter street mural | 2: 00 – Divisadero & Broadway, Nancy Pelosi's House | 3: 00 – Bayview Hunters Point, 11 Innes Court, Lennar office…
(2020-07-03). Saturday 7/11: San Lorenzo Valley: Black Lives Matter Protest. indybay.org Meet at San Lorenzo Valley High School, 7105 Hwy 9, Felton…
(2020-07-02). Remembering Mohammad Abu Khdeir, 6 years on. imemc.org The story of Mohammad Abukhdeir is one of countless examples of Israeli oppression. His death, and the injustices that followed, are a reminder of what can happen when racism goes unchecked. $10 million a day in unconditional funding from the US makes Americans complicit.
(2020-07-02). A Call for Radical Humanism: The Left Needs to Return to Class Analyses of Power. counterpunch.org How do white people live with themselves? This is the presumed ethical position emanating from liberal corners in the aftermath of the recent protests around the US. While a seemingly thought-provoking question nudging white folks to contemplate "their racism," the problem with this question is the question itself. Indeed the minute we individualize what are
(2020-07-02). Substance Matters More Than Symbols. dissidentvoice.org 
The current wake-up call being experienced by more Americans about historic racism is leading to hopeful actions but if all that results is removal of symbolic remnants of a wretched past these may lead to very little substantial change of the present and future. The rush to remove statues, change street names, remove written distortions …
(2020-07-02). Friday 7/3: Virtual Independence Day Rally: Climate Change & Systemic Racism in America. indybay.org Online via livestream: www.facebook.com/firedrillfriday/…
(2020-07-02). Tuesday 7/7: Environmental Racism: People of Color & Indigenous on Front Lines of Climate Change. indybay.org Online via Zoom…
(2020-07-02). Barbara Ransby on the Biden Problem: Social Movements Must Defeat Trump & Also Hold Dems Accountable. democracynow.org 
Amid a mass uprising against racism and state violence, social movements are not just fighting hostility and backlash from President Trump, but also dealing with a "Biden problem," according to historian, author and activist Barbara Ransby. "I think it's fair to say that Joe Biden is not our dream candidate, by any means," she says. "We should be critical of Joe Biden. We should be ready to hold Joe Biden accountable come January. But we should be clear about the need to defeat Trump in November."
(2020-07-02). The storm of protest in the United States. mronline.org 
"Neofascism has its source in monopoly-finance capital, at the apex of the system, but depends for its existence on the ability to mobilize, with the help of a fàºhrer-like figure such as Trump, a very considerable part of the overall population."
(2020-07-02). Saturday 7/4: The Nightmare Must End: Trump Pence Out Now! indybay.org Meet at 24th and Mission St. San Francisco…
(2020-07-02). The Growing Police Union-White Supremacist Alliance. strategic-culture.org Within the U.S. labor movement there exists a far right-wing Trojan Horse that is bent on perpetuating police violence and murder of people of color and resisting all attempts at police reform, including criminal prosecution of police officers who commit wanton acts of murder and other forms of physical violence. The Trojan Horse is the police union "blue line," the corruption of which is coming to light in a number of jurisdiction following the police killing of George Floyd, an African-American, in Minneapolis, an act that set off massive protests around the United States and the world. | At the pinnacle of the…
(2020-07-02). Make Fireworks Great Again! progressive.org President Trump loves a good patriotic America fest, especially with fireworks, military flyovers, environmental damage, and crowds amid a pandemic.
(2020-07-02). Israeli Settlers Steal Water, Raze Palestinian-owned Lands near Nablus. imemc.org Illegal Israeli settlers, Wednesday, levelled large stretch of Palestinian-owned land, in the northern West Bank districts of Nablus and Qalqilia, local sources said. Palestinian official who monitors Israeli settlement activity in the area, Ghassan Daghlas, told Palestinian WAFA News Agency that illegal Israeli colonists, accompanied by a bulldozer, proceeded to …
(2020-07-02). Headlines for July 2, 2020. democracynow.org States Reverse Reopenings as Daily U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 50,000 for First Time, As U.S. Deaths Top 128,000, Trump Predicts Coronavirus Will "Sort of Just Disappear", Dallas Choir Members Tested Positive for COVID-19 Ahead of Performance for Mike Pence, San Quentin Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike Amid Explosion of COVID-19 Cases, Seattle Riot Police Clear Autonomous Zone, Los Angeles City Council Approves $150M in Cuts to Police Budget, Trump Calls Black Lives Matter Message Outside Trump Tower a "Symbol of Hate", Richmond, Virginia, Mayor Removes Confederate Statue, Trump Backs Confederate Base Names as Monum…
(2020-07-02). The Untold History of Mount Rushmore: A Friend of the KKK Built Monument on Sacred Lakota Land. democracynow.org 
As tribal governments call on President Trump to cancel his Mount Rushmore Independence Day celebration, we look at why Native Americans have long pushed for the removal of the monument carved into the sacred Black Hills and designed by a sculptor with ties to the Ku Klux Klan. "This place is very, very sacred to our people," says Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of the NDN Collective. "Stealing our land and then carving the faces of four white men who were colonizers, who committed genocide against Indigenous people, is an egregious act of violence."
(2020-07-02). The Untold History of Mount Rushmore: A KKK Sympathizer Built Monument on Sacred Lakota Land. democracynow.org As tribal governments call on President Trump to cancel his Mount Rushmore Independence Day celebration, we look at why Native Americans have long pushed for the removal of the monument carved into the sacred Black Hills and designed by a sculptor with ties to the Ku Klux Klan. "This place is very, very sacred to our people," says Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of the NDN Collective. "Stealing our land and then carving the faces of four white men who were colonizers, who committed genocide against Indigenous people, is an egregious act of violence."
(2020-07-02). Mueller report redactions unlikely to be revealed before presidential election after Supreme Court agrees to hear Trump appeal. rt.com 
The US Supreme Court agreed to hear the Trump administration's bid to keep parts of prosecutor Robert Mueller's report on alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election redacted, likely ensuring the material won't sway 2020 votes. | Tuesday's Supreme Court decision hands congressional Democrats at least a temporary defeat in their effort to force disclosure of secrets that they hope can be used to damage President Donald Trump politically. The case won't be heard until the court's next term, which begins in October, so it won't likely be decided until after the November 3 election. | The Democrat-controlled US…
(2020-07-02). Canada's Supreme Court dismisses indigenous appeal against Trans Mountain pipeline. rt.com 
The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday dismissed an appeal from British Columbia First Nations against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. It would nearly triple the flow of oil from the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific Coast. | The court dismissed the appeal from the Squamish Nation, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, the Ts'elxweyeqw Tribes and Coldwater Indian Band, effectively ending the years-long legal battle over the project, AP reports. | The pipeline would end at a terminal outside Vancouver, resulting in a sevenfold increase in the number of tankers in the shared waters between Canada and Washington state.
(2020-07-02). Wednesday 7/1: The Fight for Reproductive Rights: A Supreme Court Briefing. indybay.org Online via Zoom & livestream…
(2020-07-02). New ICC Complaint Filed Over US-Israel War Crimes in Palestine. commondreams.org Since illegally occupying the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in Palestine and the Golan Heights in Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War, over 200 Jews-only settler colonies have been built in the West Bank. (Photo: MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-07-02). Israeli annexation of West Bank: More stolen land as time runs out for occupation. fightbacknews.org The Israeli apartheid regime is poised to commit a new crime against Palestine: the annexation of up to 30% of the West Bank. As things stand Israel effectively controls Palestine, with the heroic people of Gaza confined to an open prison and the hapless Palestinian Authority serving as accomplices to the occupation. | The significance of the annexation is twofold. First, it codifies the theft of Palestinian land. It is a statement to one and all, "We are stealing this, and it is ours forever." Second, it is the declaration of the end of a solution that was never really a solution at all, the so-called 'two state…