(2020-08-14). Whispers in the Asylum (Seven Days in August). counterpunch.org 
Hollow Resistance: The Antidote to Obama Nostalgia Syndrome The deadly ObamaLust Virus is ironically intensified by the fascist Amerikaner presidency the corporate-imperial Barack Obama helped hatch and empower. Here is an antidote that has passed with flying colors through all the testing trials: Paul Street, Hollow Resistance: Obama, Trump, and the Politics of Appeasement, now
(2020-08-14). Disaster in Lebanon seen as 'opportunity' by U.S. & Israel. liberationnews.org 
What the people of Lebanon need now is solidarity and an immediate and massive aid effort, proportionate to the damage done, and given to all without political strings.
(2020-08-14). Megachurch sues California, challenging state over ban on large religious services while allowing massive protests. rt.com 
A California church has sued the state, arguing it was hypocritical to restrict religious services because of the Covid-19 pandemic while allowing political gatherings, such as Black Lives Matters protests, to rumble on. | Grace Community Church in suburban Los Angeles filed the suit on Thursday, saying Governor Gavin Newsom and other state and city officials have violated California's constitution by applying pandemic regulations unequally. | "It is time for California to explain how it can justify banning worship to prevent the spread of a disease (with an overall mortality rate of 0.02 percent) while it is…
(2020-08-14). The Politics of War: What is Israel's Endgame in Lebanon and Syria? counterpunch.org 
On August 4, hours before a massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued an ominous warning to Lebanon. "We hit a cell and now we hit the dispatchers. I suggest to all of them, including Hezbollah, to consider this," Netanyahu said during an official tour of a military facility
(2020-08-14). Turkey may suspend ties with UAE, withdraw ambassasdor. yenisafak.com After the United Arab Emirates' controversial deal to normalize ties with Israel, Turkey may downgrade its relations with the UAE, Turkey's president has said."We may take steps to suspend diplomatic ties with the UAE or withdraw our ambassador," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul after Friday prayers.On Israel, Erdogan called its recent solidarity with Egypt and Greece and steps towards Palestine unacceptable.In signing a maritime pact last week, Athens and Cairo continued efforts to box in Ankara's territory in the Mediterranean based on small islands near Turkish shores, violating the interests of…
(2020-08-14). USPS warns Pennsylvania over delivery of mail ballots. yenisafak.com The US Postal Service (USPS) has warned battleground state Pennsylvania that its election deadlines are "too tight" for its standards and might cause delays in delivery of mail-in ballots, according to a report.USPS' letter dated July 29 made public late Thursday as a motion filed to the state's Supreme Court in which officials are asking approval to continue counting mail ballots received up to three days after Nov. 3, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.Thomas J. Marshall, general counsel and executive vice president of the USPS, warned in the letter that "certain deadlines for requesting and casting mail-in bal…
(2020-08-14). Israel-UAE Agreement Does Not End Threat of Israeli Annexation. globalresearch.ca In light of today's normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) warns that the threat of Israeli annexation remains as urgent as ever. A widely reported statement published …
(2020-08-14). UN chief welcomes Israel-UAE agreement. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed a joint statement by the leaders of the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which suspends Israeli annexation plans over parts of the occupied West Bank, something the UN has consistently called for.
(2020-08-14). German court and state prosecutor ignore evidence of far-right terrorist network in Làºbcke trial. wsws.org The long preparation time for the murder of Làºbcke and the close connections of the defendants to the violent neo-Nazi scene strongly suggest that there were other confidants or accomplices.
(2020-08-14). Iran brands UAE-Israel deal a stab in the back to 'all Muslims'. thecanary.co Iran has strongly condemned a historic deal establishing full diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel. It's called the move a stab in the back to all Muslims. | A statement from the country's foreign ministry, reported by state TV on Friday 14 August, called the normalising of ties between the two countries a dangerous, "shameful" measure. Moreover, It warned the UAE against Israel interfering in the "political equations" of the Persian Gulf region. The statement said: The UAE government and other accompanying governments must accept responsibility for all the consequences of this ac…
(2020-08-14). Centro CSO Condemns LAPD S.W.AT. Swarming BLM Leader's Home. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Centro Community Service Organization (Centro CSO). | The morning of August 12, 2020 the private residence of Black Lives Matter – Los Angeles co-founder Dr. Melina Abdullah was swarmed by an LAPD SWAT team. With their semi-automatic rifles pointed at her home, the team stood surrounding her home in tactical gear. | "We looked out the front window, and two officers stood and put their assault rifles and pointed them directly at us," Abdullah said at a Cal State L.A. press conference. "And I realized they came for me. And they called out my addre…
(2020-08-14). Muslim scholars slam UAE-Israel deal as 'high treason'. yenisafak.com The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) deal to normalize ties with Israel is tantamount to "high treason," a leading group of Muslim scholars said on Friday.In a statement, the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) urged the Muslim world to take a "decisive position against such concessions … and to exert efforts to preserve the full rights of the Palestinian people." | The group also rejected UAE's claim that the deal will halt Israel's annexation of more Palestinian territory, citing the Israeli premier's comments that he "achieved this agreement and others without any concession." | The deal to normalize U…
(2020-08-14). Erdogan: Turkey may suspend ties with UAE over Israel deal. yenisafak.com President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey was considering closing its embassy in Abu Dhabi and suspending diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates over its accord to normalise ties with Israel.Erdogan was speaking to reporters in Istanbul after the Turkish Foreign Ministry said history will never forgive the "hypocritical behaviour" of the UAE in agreeing such a deal.
(2020-08-14). 'Turkey will respond to any harassment in Eastern Med'. yenisafak.com Turkey will respond to any Greek harassment of its energy exploration ship Oruc Reis in the Eastern Mediterranean, the country's foreign minister warned Friday."Greece should avoid maximalist policies in the region," Mevlàºt àáavu≈üoƒülu told a joint press conference with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis in Bern.The warning came on the same day as an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting by video link at Athens' request on the Eastern Mediterranean issue.On France declaring it would boost its military presence in the region,àáavu≈üoƒülu said: "France s…
(2020-08-13). Tennessee GOP Targets Racial Justice Movement by Turning Encampment Protests Into Felonies Punishable by Prison Term. commondreams.org "Bonus penalty for exercising your protest rights in an unapproved manner: you lose your voting rights." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-13). Ilhan Omar defeats Corporate Democrat, Israel Lobbies in Overwhelming Primary Victory. zcomm.org Although the Israel lobbies put a lot of money into defeating Omar, the issues on which she won, of progressive policing and health care, were largely disconnected from the geopolitical ones where her straight talk had attracted so much vitriol to her…
(2020-08-13). Bolivia: Political Strike Shuts Down Country. popularresistance.org Once again, a scenario of multiple crises that began with the November coup defines Bolivia's future. De facto President Jeanine àÅñez's main achievement was to unleash a shameless wave of racist repression against Morales' Movement for Socialism (MAS) and the Aymara and Quechua Indigenous peoples. | àÅñez kept none of the promises she made to pacify the people after the November coup, nor did she offer any assistance to the poor during the twin crises of COVID-19 and the ensuing economic collapse.
(2020-08-13). Racism revoked: Georgia shop apologizes for saying it would charge only white customers $20 to book appointments. rt.com 
A vintage clothing store in Savannah, Georgia has backed down from a plan to charge only white customers a $20 fee to book appointments to shop, saying it had been slammed with both negative feedback and threats of lawsuits. | Civvies on Broughton announced the new fee on Monday, as it was reopening by appointment only, after being shut down because of Covid-19. The refundable whites-only $20 deposit was introduced because the shop's mostly white staff and owners didn't feel comfortable "upholding a digital financial barrier which could prohibit BIPOC [black, indigenous and other people of color] from shopping…
(2020-08-13). Our fight is with capitalists, not with higher-paid workers. peoplesworld.org 
This submission was received as a response to the article Is Black Lives Matter a tipping point on class inequality?, by Tim Libretti, which appeared in People's World on Aug. 4, 2020. It also engages with the long-running topic of meritocracy which has appeared in previous articles by Libretti. Author Tim Libretti once again, for …
(2020-08-13). Black protector of Confederate statues dubbed a Dave Chappelle 'skit come to life' by Twitter users. rt.com 
A black Alabama man vowing to defend symbols of the pro-slavery Confederate States of America went viral as his atypical persona reminded Internet community of a character from a sketch on comedian Dave Chappelle's show. | "Regardless of how the next person feels, I'm not going to take my flag down," Daniel Sims said on Wednesday to the local WHNT news in Alabama's Marshal county. He aims to protect the monuments to the US Civil War Confederacy from being taken down by vandals or any local authorities that may be pressured by the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests. "If I've got anything to do with it, ain't n…
(2020-08-13). Unconvinced by virtue signaling: Poll shows 8 in 10 Americans think corporate anti-racism statements in BLM era are disingenuous. rt.com 
Efforts by corporations to kowtow to the woke crowd may avail little because few Americans see sincerity in the anti-racism messages pouring out of PR departments amid Black Lives Matter protests, a poll has revealed. | Only 19 percent of Americans
(2020-08-13). 'Get the f**k out!': WATCH Chicago residents confront BLM protesters in tense standoff. rt.com 
Residents of Chicago's Englewood community angrily accosted a group of Black Lives Matter protesters who showed up to demonstrate at a police station, where hostilities between locals and activists nearly boiled over into a brawl. | A BLM protest march from Englewood to Chicago's 7th District police station on Tuesday ended in a showdown with community members, at times devolving into shouting matches as locals insisted the demonstrators were giving their neighborhood a bad name. | "If you ain't from Englewood, get the f**k out of here!" longtime south side resident Darryl Smith was heard shouting at the prote…
(2020-08-13). DOJ accuses Yale of racial discrimination against WHITE and ASIAN applicants after 2-year-long probe. rt.com 
A Department of Justice investigation has found that Yale University is discriminating against white and Asian applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, but the school calls the accusation "meritless." | "Yale's race discrimination imposes undue and unlawful penalties on racially-disfavored applicants, including in particular Asian-American and white applicants," Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband
(2020-08-13). Palestine recalls ambassador from UAE after it establishes diplomatic ties with Israel. rt.com 
The Palestinian ambassador to the UAE is being recalled over Abu Dhabi's decision to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called "treason." | The ambassador was recalled from Abu Dhabi on Thursday in response to the deal between Israel and the UAE, which became the first Gulf Arab state to officially establish diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv. | Abbas has called on the UAE to reverse Thursday's decision, which formalizes years of sub rosa rapprochement between Israel and the oil-rich state, and urged other Arab nations not to follow its example "at the expense…
(2020-08-13). Biden praises 'historic step' of Israel-UAE deal, but claims credit goes to Obama admin and doesn't mention Trump AT ALL. rt.com 
Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden praised the "historic" decision by the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations with Israel, claiming part of the credit for himself and not mentioning President Donald Trump even once. | "Today, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have taken a historic step to bridge the deep divides of the Middle East," Biden said in a statement on Thursday. "The UAE's offer to publicly recognize the State of Israel is a welcome, brave, and badly needed act of statesmanship." | | Biden statement on the Isra…
(2020-08-13). 'No change' of West Bank annexation plans after Israel-UAE deal, Netanyahu says. rt.com 
Israel is still committed to annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, PM Benjamin Netanyahu said, after a peace deal with the UAE was reached. As part of the deal, Tel Aviv agreed to suspend the annexation. | The revelation was made by Netanyahu in a televised speech on Thursday. | "There is no change in my plans to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, withfull coordination with the US," Netanyahu said, referring to parts of the West Bank region by their biblical names. | The remark came shortly after the peace deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel was unveiled. Among other things, it contains…
(2020-08-13). Newsweek forced to deny promoting 'birther' theory against Kamala after 'RACIST' op-ed takes deep dive into 14th Amendment. rt.com 
Newsweek was pushed into defending an op-ed questioning Kamala Harris' eligibility for the position of vice president based on the 14th amendment after numerous critics slammed it as "racist birtherism." | In a Wednesday
(2020-08-13). "Real politics is constant activism" zcomm.org Interview on the pandemic, the election, the word Bernie Sanders needs to stop using, the Harper's letter, the 1619 Project, patriotism, and the greatest social movement in U.S. history…
(2020-08-13). Palestinian Rights Advocates Refuse to Applaud Israel-Trump-UAE Deal That Upholds 'Ongoing, Devastating Apartheid'. commondreams.org "The Trump administration hit upon the Nobel Peace Prize-winning idea that you can supposedly solve the Israel-Palestine conflict by pretending Palestinians don't exist." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-13). What if the Beirut Explosion Was an Attack? globalresearch.ca On August 11, 3 Israeli battle tanks crossed a technical fence on the Israeli-Lebanese contact line, the official Lebanese News Agency reported. | According to the Lebanese side, Israeli forces broke through the technical fence in the town of Mays al-Jabal …
(2020-08-13). US Supreme Court rules ballot access petitioning must proceed during coronavirus pandemic. wsws.org In a one paragraph order with no legal explanation provided, the US Supreme Court overturned a decision by a trial judge in Oregon relaxing ballot access requirements in consideration of the restrictions imposed on public interaction during the pandemic.
(2020-08-13). Supreme Court Rejects Gop Effort To Force Rhode Islanders To Risk Their Health To Vote During Covid-19 Pandemic. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-13). Supreme Court Protects Absentee Voters from Unnecessary Witness Requirement. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-08-13). Repaying the debt owed to Black people requires a democratic and reparative economy. zcomm.org The entire racial capitalist system that extracts labor and blood from Black lives must go…
(2020-08-13). Watch: "Woke" Corporations Supporting Black Lives Matter Quietly Funding Police. mintpressnews.com A report from the Public Accountability Initiative exposes how corporate America is bankrolling police departments across the country, including many of the same ones facing scrutiny over racist practices.
(2020-08-13). From Juneteenth in Minneapolis to Jawnteenth in Philadelphia. unicornriot.ninja Minneapolis, MN — The historic movement for Black lives that has recently permeated the globe reinvigorated 2020's Juneteenth celebrations. On June 19, 2020, Unicorn Riot reporters documented from two of these celebrations; 'Jawnteenth' in West Philadelphia and a celebration in North Minneapolis at a Cub…
(2020-08-13). This Is Amerika: Where Fascism, Totalitarianism and Militarism Go Hand In Hand. dissidentvoice.org In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government IS the problem. — Ronald Reagan, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1981 There's a pattern emerging if you pay close enough attention. Civil discontent leads to civil unrest, which leads to protests and counterprotests. Without fail, what should be an exercise in how …
(2020-08-13). "We face a system incapable of solving the problems of the youth and the people. peoplesdispatch.org Aritz Rodríguez Galán, president of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, talks about the centrality of youth in anti-racism protests, COVID-19 relief work and the building of a better world…
(2020-08-13). Black People Confront Racist Violence. globalresearch.ca Since the May 25 police execution of George Floyd in Minneapolis, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest racist violence. | Cities across the United States were impacted by the blocking of streets and highways along …
(2020-08-13). How These Rural Canvassers Disrupt Racist Narratives. zcomm.org "We believe that organizing in rural spaces with progressive, multiracial solidarity messaging is the future"
(2020-08-13). Hamas, Fatah slam UAE, Zionist regime agreement. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 14 (MNA) — Hamas and Fatah have condemned the new agreement between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Israeli regime to normalize relations.
(2020-08-13). Street Artists Rise To The Occasion. popularresistance.org The massive protests in Los Angeles in response to the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and so many others organized through the Black Lives Matter movement generated an outpouring of engaging and provocative visual artworks. Open-air installations, murals, posters, "street art" works, and similar efforts abound, many in my Venice/Mar Vista neighborhood where I regularly jog. | I participated in many of those protests and saw some of these efforts personally. Cumulatively, these, and similar works throughout the United States and the world, have added to the burgeoning tradition of politica…
(2020-08-13). Lebanon: Bellwether, Battleground, And Bastard Child Of The Mideast. popularresistance.org When I was a kid, "Beirut" became a cultural shorthand for any chaotic and violent urban setting. In the 1990s, my hometown rappers — the Wu Tang Clan — repeatedly shouted out the Lebanese city (plus one of its civil war antagonists, the P.L.O. — Palestinian Liberation Organization); but so did Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem, and the Dead Kennedys. In the 2001 Hollywood blockbuster Spy Game, CIA agents played by Brad Pitt and Robert Redford sprint through rubble and gunfire along the Green Line dividing war-torn 1980s Beirut's Christian East and Musl…
(2020-08-13). Cops & Politicians Demand Long Prison Sentences for Protesters. sputniknews.com On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Aislinn Pulley, an organizer with the Black Lives Matter movement.
(2020-08-13). Trump: Suspension of West Bank Annexation 'Great Concession' by Israel. sputniknews.com During a news conference Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that Israel's move to suspend its West Bank annexation was a "great concession."
(2020-08-13). Joe Biden Wins… Then What? commondreams.org In this photo illustration, President Donald J. Trump shakes hands with Former vice president Joe Biden as Former president Barack Obama looks on at the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2017. (Photo: Jonathan Newton /The Washington Post via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-13). Israeli police indicted for assaulting Palestinians. yenisafak.com Israel's Justice Ministry on Thursday filed indictments against five border police officers for assaulting and robbing Palestinians, said state media. | "Today, the Police Internal Investigations Department at the Ministry of Justice submitted indictments to the Beersheba District Court against five border guards," reported the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation. | The indictments included "crimes related to armed robbery, assault, conspiracy, assault in dangerous conditions, abuse, and other crimes against Palestinians." | The attacks were carried out against Palestinians seeking to go through Israeli milit…
(2020-08-13). Making sense of the ongoing anti-corruption protests in Israel. peoplesdispatch.org Protests in Israel which began with the demand for prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resignation over corruption charges are gradually changing in nature. Anti-occupation and pro-Palestinian groups are entering the space as well…
(2020-08-12). As Kamala Harris Makes History as VP Pick, Her "Top Cop" Record Faces New Scrutiny Amid BLM Protests. democracynow.org 
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's selection of California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate for the November election makes her the first Black woman and the first Indian American on a major party presidential ticket. "It's hard to overstate how historic, how monumental this is," says Aimee Allison, president of She the People, which works to elevate the political voice and leadership of women of color. But in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history against racist policing, Briahna Joy Gray, the former national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders pres…
(2020-08-12). Videos: IDF Bombards Hamas 'Infrastructure' in Gaza Strip in Retaliation for Incendiary Balloons. sputniknews.com Israeli airstrikes were launched in Gaza early on Thursday local time, hitting people's homes, after incendiary balloons were launched into Israel and sparked fires.