Daily Archives: August 25, 2020

2020-08-25: News Headlines

Staff (2020-08-25). Trump Is No Aberration: Veteran GOP Strategist Stuart Stevens Says Racism Is Party's "Original Sin" democracynow.org As party loyalists gather for the Republican National Convention, a group of veteran Republican operatives who want to defeat President Trump have launched a $4 million advertising blitz targeting voters in swing states. The anti-Trump ads are funded by The Lincoln Project, a super PAC that can raise and spend an unlimited amount of money. We speak with longtime Republican political consultant Stuart Stevens, a senior adviser to The Lincoln Project who worked as a strategist on five Republican presidential campaigns, about Trump's takeover of the party and efforts by so-called "Never Trump" Republicans to prevent…

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2020-08-25). Not that you'd know from watching the mainstream media, but Israel is bombing Gaza. Again. thecanary.co The Gaza strip has been under

RT (2020-08-25). Nikki Haley fuels speculation of 2024 run with GOP convention speech. rt.com Former US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley has sparked rumors that she is eyeing the White House, after using her address to support US President Donald Trump while also laying out her own vision for the country. | Haley accused Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his party of "blaming America first," and pushed back on the notion that "America is racist." | "That is a lie. America is not a racist country," Haley said. "This is personal for me." | As the daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley argued that she was able to excel despite growing up as a "brown girl in a black and white world." She noted that So…

Joshua Hanks (2020-08-25). Portlanders push back cops and fascists. workers.org Portland, Ore. Aug. 24 — For nearly three months, thousands of people in this city have joined nightly protests, marches and demonstrations denouncing racist police brutality. While met with heavy police repression, the crowds have continued to gather undeterred, even in the face of federal officers sent by President Trump . . . |

Ramzy Baroud (2020-08-25). 'People of the Cave': Palestinians Take Their Fight for Justice to the Mountains. counterpunch.org Palestinians are not going anywhere. This is the gist of seven decades of Palestinian struggle against Zionist colonialism. The proof? The story of Ahmed Amarneh. Amarneh, a 30-year-old civil engineer from the northern West Bank village of Farasin, lives with his family in a cave. For many years, the Amarneh family has attempted to build

Jeff Berg (2020-08-25). Masai and the Iceberg of Impunity. counterpunch.org Every report I've seen on the injustice suffered by Masai Ujiri in Oakland last June has talked about the tip and ignored the iceberg. That this could be so at this BLM moment is deeply worrying and shows that our problems go well beyond even systemic racism. For those of you who don't know, bodycam

Dominic DeNuzzio (2020-08-25). Outrage in Pittsburgh over police abduction of anti-racism protester. liberationnews.org At a recent march in Pittsburgh organized by the group Black Young & Educated, a peace marshal who was helping protect demonstrators by blocking off the streets was suddenly abducted by armed plain clothes thugs in an unmarked van. On the ground no one was able to verify if it was cops or right wing …

RT (2020-08-25). 'Are you a christian!?' BLM activists harass restaurant patrons who refuse to raise fists and shout slogans (VIDEOS). rt.com Disturbing videos have emerged online showing Black Lives Matter demonstrators screaming and yelling at restaurant patrons in Washington DC., demanding that they raise their fists in support of the protest movement. | In one scene which spread like wildfire on Tuesday, a large group of white protesters can be seen crowding around the table of a white woman at a Washington DC restaurant and demanding that she raise her fist to comply. | "Are you a Christian?" one activist repeatedly yells. Others yell slogans including "White Silence is Violence" and "No Justice, No Peace." As no videos have emerged showing the…

RT (2020-08-25). 'You don't recognize my existence!': Former DNC head Donna Brazile has meltdown on Fox News (VIDEO). rt.com Former Democratic National Committee chairwoman Donna Brazile melted down in spectacular fashion on Fox News, accusing fellow commentator Tammy Bruce of racism and demanding she "recognize my existence." | Discussing Monday night's Republican National Convention on Tuesday morning's Fox & Friends, Brazile accused the GOP of "speaking to the choir" with their unabashedly pro-Trump lineup of speakers. Conservative contributor Tammy Bruce shot back, accusing the Democrats of being out of touch with ordinary Americans, and slamming the left for not speaking out strongly enough against the Black Lives Matter riots…

RT (2020-08-25). Pompeo finds himself under investigation after speaking at Republican convention from Israel. rt.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's decision to record a speech for the Republican National Convention from Jerusalem has angered Democrats and the US foreign policy establishment, who are calling it unethical and maybe illegal. | Pompeo is currently on a tour of the Middle East. He left Israel for Sudan on Tuesday morning, but not before he recorded a message from Jerusalem that is scheduled to be shown at the Republican party convention later in the day. The message is supposed to be in his "personal capacity" but the Democrats and foreign policy think-tanks in Washington, DC aren't buying it. | "He doesn't…

_____ (2020-08-25). Belarus's Options In The Midst Of A Color Revolution. popularresistance.org A "color revolution" is a media term for a movement based on legitimate grievances only to be co-opted into a regime-change operation backed by the US and confederates. There have been so many — Georgia in 2003, Ukraine in 2004, Kyrgyzstan in 2005 — that they have run out of colors. Belarus is amidst the "slipper" color revolution. Belarus shows that any small state with a mildly socialist system and independent foreign policy invites subversion by the Yankee hegemon and its collaborators. Even if Belarus had met the highest standards of democracy and efficiency, a western-backed color revolution migh…

WSWS (2020-08-25). Trump, aides embrace fascist Republican candidates. wsws.org At a press briefing last week, the US president delivered an extraordinary thumbs-up to the QAnon online grouping, which justifies violence against his political opponents.

news.un (2020-08-25). Israel's accord with United Arab Emirates an opportunity to unlock progress on wider Middle East peace efforts, UN envoy says. news.un.org The recent agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has the potential to change dynamics across the Middle East, the UN's top envoy in the region told the Security Council on Tuesday, urging Palestinian and Israeli leaders to re-engage in efforts to resolve their protracted conflict.

Comitato No Nato No Guerra (2020-08-25). Appello Ai Leader Dei Nove Stati Con Armi Nucleari (Cina, Francia, India, Israele, Nord Corea, Pakistan, Regno Unito, Russia, Stati Uniti). globalresearch.ca Noi, persone di buona volontà di tutti i ceti sociali, di tutti i continenti, di credo e religioni diverse, richiamiamo la vostra attenzione sulla minaccia di una guerra nucleare totale che puà≤ scoppiare molto facilmente a causa di azioni deliberate …

teleSUR (2020-08-25). NBA Players Call For Justice Over Jacob Blake's Murder. telesurenglish.net National Basketball Association (NBA) players Monday condemned the systemic racism the U.S. is going through and joined the social unrest erupted over the shooting of unarmed civilian Jacob Blake by policemen in Kenosha, Wisconsin. | RELATED: | Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell lit the fuse amidst the League playoffs and harshly criticized police brutality. | "Screw the games and playoffs! This is sick and is a real problem, we d…

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-25). US police brutality stems from racist way of thinking: Veep. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 25 (MNA) — Iran's First Vice-President on Tue. blasted US police for its brutalities against the American people and said that US' police behavior is the outcome of domination of racist thoughts in that country.

BTCEAP (2020-08-25). 15 Demands for Anti-Racist Bookstores. indybay.org We are the Black & Trans Pegasus Affinity Group, made up of current and former employees of Pegasus Books in Berkeley and Oakland, California. We want Pegasus and other bookstores to grapple with their ties to anti-Blackness, and start making material changes. We want bookstore owners and booksellers to implement our demands immediately. We want book shoppers to be critical of their local bookstores and only buy from bookstores that commit to anti-racist practices such as not calling the cops.

Refuse Fascism Bay Area (2020-08-25). Thursday 8/27: Protest Trump's Nomination Speech — Trump/Pence Out Now! indybay.org 24th and Mission | San Francisco…

WSWS Repost (2020-08-25). The Republican convention: Four nights of fascist filth begin. indybay.org While the Democratic Party is running the 2020 election with the same strategy as 2016, Trump has a program—the forcible suppression of social contradictions using fascist methods.

_____ (2020-08-25). NAARPR Calls For Justice For Jacob Blake. popularresistance.org Once again the hour of tragedy strikes for another Black family, in another Black community caught in the grip of the pandemic crises of COVID-19 and racism. | First of all, we want to express our solidarity with the traumatized family of Jacob Blake, and the protestors in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sometime after 5pm on Aug. 23, 2020 Jacob was returning to his car, unarmed, after attempting to break up a fight between two women. The police arriving, guns drawn, were pleaded with by bystanders not to shoot, yet they shot Blake 7 times as he was opening his car door.

sputniknews (2020-08-25). Israeli, US Delegations to Visit UAE Next Week for Normalization Talks – PM's Office. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US and Israeli official delegations will travel to the United Arab Emirates next week to promote a normalization between the two major American allies in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Tuesday.

sputniknews (2020-08-25). Video: IDF Says 'Security Incident' Has Unfolded Along Israeli-Lebanese Border. sputniknews.com Flares were spotted Tuesday around Manara, a kibbutz in northern Israel, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed there was a "security incident" along the country's border with Lebanon.

sputniknews (2020-08-25). UAE Reportedly Calls Off Trilateral Meeting With US, Israel Over F-35 Sale. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The United Arab Emirates has reportedly cancelled the planned trilateral meeting with the United States and Israel in protest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to the US sale of F-35 fighter jets to Abu Dhabi, the Axios news portal reported, citing informed sources.

sputniknews (2020-08-25). Iran Blasts Pompeo for Trying to 'Flood Region With US Weapons' Amid Talk of More Arms for UAE. sputniknews.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, where he promised to "continue to honour" the US commitment to ensure Israel's "qualitative military edge" against its neighbours. Pompeo made the comments amid reports that the US is looking to sell F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates.

Staff (2020-08-25). New Far Right Party Aims to Stoke Fear of BLM Into Organized White Supremacy. truthout.org The last three years have been a marked and unending period of decline for the organized "alt-right." Ostensibly led into a somewhat cohesive social movement by Richard Spencer, the collection of publications, podcasts, high-profile white nationalists and organizations that made up the alt-right saw their peak in the two days they laid siege on Charlottesville, Virginia. Yet they were shut down afterward as anti-fascist activists confronted them, kicking them off platforms and legally challen…

Fight Back (2020-08-25). National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression calls for justice for Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following August 25 statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | Once again, the hour of tragedy strikes for another Black family, in another Black community caught in the grip of the pandemic crises of COVID-19 and racism. | First of all, we want to express our solidarity with the traumatized family of Jacob Blake, and the protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sometime after 5 p.m. on August 23, 2020 Jacob was returning to his car, unarmed, after attempting to break up a fight between two women. The police arriving, guns drawn, were pleade…

yenisafak (2020-08-25). Pompeo flies to Sudan on 1st direct flight from Israel. yenisafak.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew from Israel to Sudan on Tuesday, in the first direct flight between Tel Aviv and Khartoum. | "Happy to announce that we are on the FIRST official NONSTOP flight from Israel to Sudan!" Pompeo said on Twitter. | According to The New York Times, the direct flight between Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport and Khartoum came as "Pompeo's plane obtained special permission". | In a statement, US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Pompeo will discuss with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdulla Hamdok and Chairman of the Transitional Military Council Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan "continu…

_____ (2020-08-24). Pressure On Netanyahu Mounts As Israel Bombs Gaza Again. popularresistance.org Embattled Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been facing pressure at home and abroad amid his government's continued bombing of the Gaza strip. With protests in both Jerusalem and the UK, Israel's bombardment of Gaza has continued. And the Israeli PM is refusing to back down on all fronts. The PA news agency reported that on Saturday 22 August, thousands of protesters marched on Netanyahu's residence in central Jerusalem. They were protesting over his continued tenure as prime minister. The demonstrations came amid a backdrop of a summer of protests, centered around Netanyahu's government's handling of…

Juan Cole (2020-08-24). Tens of Thousands Protest Netanyahu as Momentum Grows and Gov't Faces Collapse. zcomm.org The rallies disproved the allegation of pro-Netanyahu pundits that the recognition of Israel by the United Arab Emirates would be recognized as a major diplomatic achievement for the prime minister and would cause the demonstrations to fizzle…

_____ (2020-08-24). Uribe Called To Testify Over Alleged Role In Three Massacres. popularresistance.org Colombia's former President Alvaro Uribe is sinking even deeper into legal trouble after the Supreme Court called him to testify over his alleged role in three massacres and a homicide. | The investigation is not directly related to the ongoing fraud and bribery investigation that spurred the Supreme Court to place Uribe under house arrest, but massacres that left between 150 and 200 people dead in his native Antioquia province between 1996 and 1997. | This investigation will however be using testimonies from paramilitary fighters Uribe allegedly tried to bribe ahead of last year's trial in an apparent attempt to…

United We Dream (2020-08-24). Wednesday 8/26: Fighting to Include Immigrants in COVID Relief and Defeating White Supremacy webinar. indybay.org Online…

Staff (2020-08-24). Prisoners say they were intimidated over Black lives matter movement. therealnews.com Black prisoners were grabbed from their bunks and corralled without masks.

Raul Diego (2020-08-24). Hoping to Seize on UAE-Israel Deal, Pompeo and Kushner Head East in Search of New Allies for Israel. mintpressnews.com Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trump adviser Jared Kushner are hitting the road in an attempt to strong-arm more Arab states into normalizing relations with Israel, turning their backs on Palestine and isolating Iran.

Albert Bender (2020-08-24). The Lost State of Sequoyah: The Five Tribes' fight against Oklahoma statehood. peoplesworld.org The recent historic Supreme Court decision that the Muscogee Creek land in Eastern Oklahoma is still a reservation brings to mind the valiant efforts of the Five Tribes to fight being brought under the jurisdiction of the state of Oklahoma over a century ago. Their struggle crystallized in the attempt by the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole Nations to …

RT (2020-08-24). Alt-right Richard Spencer is 'on team Joe' now: Sabotage or strange bedfellows, people wonder. rt.com Notorious right personality Richard Spencer has declared he will be voting for the "more competent" Democrat ticket in November, getting a rebuke from team Biden and mass disbelief in response. Yet he has a record of voting blue. | Spencer, a popular speaker with hard-right ideology, was a vocal supporter of Donald Trump in 2016, but this time around his sympathies may be on the other side. He said on Twitter that he plans to vote for the Democrats in November, because "the liberals are clearly more competent people". | I plan to vote for Biden and a straight democratic ticket. It's not based on "accelerationi…

RT (2020-08-24). Take that, Trump – or Antifa! Dueling narratives over appeals court's partial rollback of anti-riot law. rt.com A 1968 law the Trump administration has used to prosecute people involved in the past months' rioting has been partially rolled back as a federal appeals court realized – 52 years later – some of its parts were unconstitutional. | The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has nixed a portion of the 1968 Anti-Riot Act that criminalized "encouraging," "promoting," or "urging" a riot, arguing it infringed on First Amendment free speech protections in a Monday decision. However, "organizing" or "inciting" a riot remains a crime, as does crossing state lines to participate in rioting. | Monday's case concerned two Californi…

RT (2020-08-24). Atlantic writer Jemele Hill fails at history discourse as her 'US-Nazis' comparison incites online uproar. rt.com Twitter posts from the Atlantic writer Jemele Hill caught fire from the online community after she unfavorably compared the United States to Nazi Germany without citing any specifics. | Hill prefixed her controversial Sunday tweet by saying that she has been reflecting on a racial history book called 'Caste' by Isabel Wilkerson. The pundit said that via this text she reached the conclusion that people who are "of the opinion that the United States wasn't nearly as bad as Nazi Germany" are "wrong." | Been reading Isabel Wilkerson's new book, "Caste," and if you were of the opinion that the United States wasn't…

RT (2020-08-24). 'He's going full Putin': Trump encourages '12 more years' chant at RNC to make opponents go 'crazy'…they respond by going crazy. rt.com President Donald Trump jokingly told the crowd at the Republican National Convention to replace their "four more years" chant with "12" because it will make his critics "crazy," and they played right into his hand. | Trump has floated the idea several times of holding the office of the presidency beyond two terms, despite the position holding exactly a two-term limit. He's previously trolled his critics, who have called him everything from a white supremacist to an enemy of the state to traitor, with memes that have ignited outrage among many on the left. | The president continued trolling while speaking at th…

Fight Back (2020-08-24). MN demands 'End aid to Israel' during the DNC. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On August 20, activists held banners from five bridges along Interstate 35W to highlight the role the U.S. plays in endorsing and funding the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The protest took place during the Democratic National Convention to draw attention to the need for the Democratic Party to break with the apartheid state of Israel. | Drivers saw banners on the 35th, 36th, 38th and 40th Street bridges on I-35W in South Minneapolis and on a bridge in Lakeville over I-35. The protest was initiated by the MN Anti-War Committee. Many groups signed on and helped make banners and organized their…

Abdul Rahman (2020-08-24). UAE-Israel deal is yet another dagger in Palestine's back. peoplesdispatch.org The UAE-Israel deal is a violation of the Arab country's commitments to not establish relationships with the Zionist entity till the concerns of the Palestinians are addressed…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-08-24). "People of the Cave": Palestinians Take Their Fight for Justice to the Mountains. dissidentvoice.org Palestinians are not going anywhere. This is the gist of seven decades of Palestinian struggle against Zionist colonialism. The proof? The story of Ahmed Amarneh. Amarneh, a 30-year-old civil engineer from the northern West Bank village of Farasin, lives with his family in a cave. For many years, the Amarneh family has attempted to build …

Paul Dobson (2020-08-24). Venezuela's Supreme Court Intervenes in Leftwing Parties, Replaces Critical Leadership. venezuelanalysis.com Homeland for All (PPT) and Tupamaro party members have criticised the rulings, which weaken the Popular Revolutionary Alternative for December's parliamentary election.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-08-24). New York Attorney General Sues Trump Organization, Accusing President's Company of Misleading Lenders and Dodging Investigation. commondreams.org New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed Monday that she filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's business empire, calling on the New York State Supreme Court to force the Trump Organization to comply with seven subpoenas which would release thousands of documents regarding the company's alleged misleading of lenders regarding its assets. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Miko Peled (2020-08-24). Just "Arabs killing Arabs": Israel's Inaction Over Palestinian Murders Gets Frustrated Moms Marching. mintpressnews.com In 2019, there were 138 murder cases throughout the state of Israel. Out of those, 93 were Palestinian citizens of Israel, a community that makes up only 20 percent of Israeli citizens.

Finian Cunningham (2020-08-24). F-35 Bailout Behind 'Peace'. thealtworld.com No sooner had the news broken of a "historic" peace accord between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, then came reports of the Arab country's purchase of the American F-35 stealth combat jet. | The UAE foreign minister Anwar Gargash told reporters last week that the oil-rich Gulf state had now earned the right to buy the F-35 because it was at peace with Israel. "We have legitimate requests… We ought to get them… the whole idea of a state of belligerency or war with Israel no longer exists," said Gargash. | Plans for the purchase were also confirmed by US President Donald Trump who said the UAE was seeking…

splcenter (2020-08-24). Donald Trump Jr. Pictured at 'We Build the Wall' Event With Neo-Nazi Collaborator Jack Posobiec. splcenter.org Donald Trump Jr., who will serve as the headline speaker at the 2020 Republican National Convention (RNC) Monday, appeared in a photograph with One America News Network (OANN) correspondent Jack Posobiec at a "We Build the Wall" event in July 2019.

splcenter (2020-08-24). RNC caves to hate groups in attack against the SPLC. splcenter.org

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-24). No deal can legitimize the Zionist regime: Khaled al- Qaddumi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 24 (MNA)— Hamas' Representative in Iran said that the Israeli regime still is in intense need of recognition by minor countries in the region despite support from super powers, the UN secretary-general and Europeans.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-24). UAE cannot buy security from Tel Aviv: Zarif. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 24 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the UAE has turned to the Zionist regime to buy security, while Israel cannot even ensure its own.

Mehr News Agency (2020-08-24). Palestinian officials attend a meeting at MNA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 24 (MNA) — Representative of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Tehran Khaled al-Qaddumi and the Representative of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement in Tehran Naser Abousharif attended a meeting At MNA on Monday.