Daily Archives: September 26, 2020

2020-09-26: News Headlines

Zion Hagay (2020-09-26). [Correspondence] Israeli aid to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com The claims asserted in David Mills and colleagues in their Correspondence1 were so egregious that we feel the need to respond, even though some time has passed since its publication and the Correspondence has since been removed from The Lancet's website.

Fareed Taamallah (2020-09-26). 'Cultivated with love': Palestinian farmers' markets flourish in the West Bank. middleeasteye.net 'Cultivated with love': Palestinian farmers' markets flourish in the West Bank | Souk el-fallaheen has offered Palestinian farmers a space to sell their products and build relationships with their communities

| Sat, 09/26/2020 – 10: 20 | The Palestinian farmers' market in al-Bireh has seen an unprecedented turnout from buyers and farmers this summer (MEE/Al-Bireh Municipality) | "

RT (2020-09-26). 'I'm deleting Twitter': Morning Joe shares 'deceptively edited' video clip of Amy Coney Barrett, runs with tail between his legs. rt.com 'Morning Joe' host Joe Scarborough has vowed to "delete Twitter" from his phone after being accused of "lying" for sharing a debunked clip of potential Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett. | In a now-deleted tweet, Scarborough shared a clip of Barrett appearing to suggest that she opposed nominating Supreme Court judges in a presidential election year for fear they may "flip the balance of the court." Barrett made the comments in question after Barack Obama had nominated Merrick Garland to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. | "Amy Coney Barrett opposed Merrick Garland…

Staff (2020-09-26). Reports: Trump to name Judge Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court. therealnews.com Barrett, a hardline conservative, could be instrumental in deciding who wins the 2020 election, and could vote to end Roe v. Wade, the Affordable Care Act, protections for the LGBTQ community, unions, and legislation required to fight climate change.

IRMEP (2020-09-26). Expropriate, Capture & Marginalize: the Energix business model from Palestine to the US. indybay.org Energix expropriated 24 acres from a Palestinian community in the Israeli-occupied West Bank to boost its bottom line. When residents in the Israeli-occupied Golan questioned Energix electricity exports from massive wind turbines built on occupied land, Energix sued them in Israeli court. | Now Energix has brought its business practices to America. But can Energix get away with expropriating $26,000 from each home within 100 feet of its utility scale energy generators in Virginia? Will county boards of supervisors accept quiet Energix payoffs of $50,000 in exchange for 35-year licenses? Will the officials and ass…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Hamas chief hails Abbas' speech to UN. yenisafak.com Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday hailed President Mahmoud Abbas's speech to the UN General Assembly, according to the official Wafa news agency.This came during a phone call Abbas received from the Hamas leader.Abbas' speech "reflects the moment [the Palestinian people are going through] in this historic stage," Haniyeh said.In his speech on Friday, Abbas said the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has not mandated any party to speak in its name."We will not bow or abandon our rights in spite of the unjust blockade targeting our national decision," Abbas said.The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and…

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Hamas deal to counter US-Israeli plots: Fatah. yenisafak.com Palestinian group Fatah said Saturday its deal with rival Hamas group aims to counter US-Israeli plots against the Palestinian cause."The agreement is part of efforts to unify the Palestinian position in order to abort the passage of US-Israeli plots," Fatah deputy leader Mahmoud al-Aloul told the official Voice of Palestine Radio.He said the Fatah-Hamas deal also aims to "confront moves by some Arab countries to normalize their relations with the [Israeli] occupation state".The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed US-sponsored deals earlier this month to normalize their relations with Israel.Palestinia…

sputniknews (2020-09-26). Trump Announces Amy Barrett as His Supreme Court Nomination Pick. sputniknews.com A vacancy in the US Supreme Court opened following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last week at the age of 87. US President Donald Trump has been eager to fill the vacancy before the presidential election, a desire met with criticism by Democrats.

sputniknews (2020-09-26). 'She's a F***ing Nut': Bill Maher Rips Trump's Likely SCOTUS Pick Barrett. sputniknews.com Earlier, reports emerged suggesting that US President Donald Trump would be nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett, of the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, to fill the seat of late Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

_____ (2020-09-26). Let's Talk About Racism And Health. popularresistance.org The current uprising across the nation is a take-off moment for systemic racism in the United States. A take-off moment occurs when awareness about a crisis reaches a level of public consciousness where an event (in this case, the recent high-profile police murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd) sparks protests across the country. Racist …

Revolution Books (2020-09-26). Wednesday 9/30: How Fascism Works, and How to Stop It: A Dialogue between Jason Stanley and Andy Zee. indybay.org Revolution Books, 2444 Durant Ave. Berkeley CA 94704…

Ricardo Ayala, Bernardo Alarcon (2020-09-26). [Correspondence] The social contract and health care in Chile. thelancet.com Francisca Crispi and colleagues' plea for public health in Chile to be rebuilt,1 although thought-provoking, sets the private against the public. As much as we agree that inequalities in Chile have increased since the neoliberal turn, the social contract2 is far from dismantling. In fact, the concept is based on a liberal doctrine that seeks to protect individual freedom and private property.3 Crispi and colleagues' plea is therefore contradictory. Banning discrimination is the one basic condition for the tacit contract between citizens and the state.

Daniel Fernando, Terrance Gardet (2020-09-26). [Correspondence] The recent interest of medical science in Black lives. thelancet.com We read with great interest the important Editorial1 about racism in medicine and medical science. Despite an eagerness to agree that Black lives must matter more, particularly given the historical disrespect for Black lives,2,3 and the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks on June 12, 2020, during demonstrations against the cruel murder of George Floyd, we argue that Black lives matter like any other lives matter; neither more nor less, because anything else will lead to the same conundrum that we are trying to overcome.

_____ (2020-09-26). Fidel Castro's 1960 Speech to the UN Did More for Anti-Colonial Struggle Than the UN's Hyperbole About 'Eradicating Colonialism'. strategic-culture.org This September marked 60 years since Fidel Castro's first address to the United Nations, in which he delivered a scathing and truthful critique about the imperialist philosophy of war. On September 26, 1960, facing the beginning of U.S. political hostilities against Cuba, while the Cuban delegation to the UN was excluded from meetings and diplomatic events, Fidel's speech, lasting over five hours, was an eloquent reflection that seamlessly weaved the implications of U.S. supremacy in a historical narrative from the colonised country's experience and perspective. | "Colonies do not speak. Colonies are not known un…

sputniknews (2020-09-26). Biden Compares Trump to Nazi Propaganda Chief, Says Prepared For 'Lies' on Debates. sputniknews.com As the US November presidential election race between Democratic candidate Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump intensifies, next week on 29 September, will see the two holding their first presidential debate.

yenisafak (2020-09-26). Normalization deals 'tool' to undermine Islam: Scholar. yenisafak.com A top Muslim scholar has linked recent normalization deals between the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Israel to a campaign aimed at undermining Islam and monopolizing the Islamic countries.Ali al-Qaradaghi, the Secretary-General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), said there are many tools being used to "uproot Islam and reoccupy Muslims intellectually, socially, economically and politically"."One of these tools is through creating a new religion under the beautiful name of 'Abraham's faith'," al-Qaradaghi said in a Facebook post on Saturday. "[This claim] does not have anything to do…

Karen Rothmyer (2020-09-26). One Black Lives Matter Protest in Rural New York Opens the Door to Change. thenation.com One Black Lives Matter Protest in Rural New York Opens the Door to Change…

Staff (2020-09-25). Headlines for September 25, 2020. democracynow.org Sen. Bernie Sanders Warns of an Election "Between Donald Trump and Democracy", FBI Director Sees No Evidence of Widespread Voter Fraud, 24 Arrested as Louisville Protesters Defy Curfew to Demand Justice for Breonna Taylor, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul Says Goal of Black Lives Matter Is "Terrorism", Drivers Attack Peaceful Black Lives Matter Protesters in Los Angeles, Family of Tucson Man Who Died in Police Custody Demands Charges for Officers, Virginia Officials Warn of "Severe Public Health Threat" If Trump Rally Allowed to Proceed, Iowa Slaughterhouse Fined $957 After COVID-19 Outbreak Infected Hundreds of Workers,…

teleSUR (2020-09-25). COVID 19 Updates: US Cases Surpass 7 Million. telesurenglish.net The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. | – – – – | RABAT — Morocco announced on Friday 2,423 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total tally in the North African country since March 2 to 112,522. | The number of recoveries from coronavirus in Morocco increased to 91,932 after 1,746 more were added, while the death toll rose by 42 to 1,998, the ministry of health said in a statement. | – – – – | RAMALLAH — The Palestinian health ministry on Friday reported 452 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths from the virus in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. | In a pres…

yenisafak (2020-09-25). Egyptian navy arrests 3 Palestinian fishermen. yenisafak.com The Egyptian navy on Friday arrested three Palestinian fishermen after they allegedly crossed into the Egyptian territorial waters, a local union said.According to Nizar Ayyash, head of Gaza's fishermen union, the Egyptian navy followed the fishermen's boat and opened fire on them after crossing into the Egyptian waters and arrested them.Ayyash added that the three fishermen are from the same family and live in Deir al-Balah, a city in central Gaza.He, however, said no information is available about their situation under custody.The authorities in Gaza and Egypt are yet to comment on the incident.According to the…

teleSUR (2020-09-25). Far-Right Group Performs New Attack Against Bolivian Socialists. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's white supremacist, far-right group Santa Cruz Youth Union (UJC) attacked supporters of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) in Montero city. | RELATED: | Videos posted on social networks show how these pro-coup activists shouted "Indigenous people, we're going to kill you!" to the MAS militants as they threw stones at them. | "We condemn these violent acts and demand guarantees to express ourselves peacefully," the MAS P…

_____ (2020-09-25). California Schools Launch Anti-Racism Plan. popularresistance.org Sacramento, CA – The California Department of Education announced new anti-racism lessons and teacher training for school districts on Monday, days after President Donald Trump decried the notion of teaching slavery as a founding tenet of the U.S. and called for a more "patriotic education." | Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond pointed to the police killing of George Floyd in May, bullying of Asian American students amid the coronavirus and a spike in anti-immigrant rhetoric and antisemitism since the 2016 election as reasons for the project.

Joe Piette (2020-09-25). Anti-fascists say 'Proud Boys, out of Philly!'. workers.org Phiadelphia anti-fascists banner, Sept. 20. The fascist Proud Boys group posted notices on social media "calling all patriots" to Philadelphia's Clark Park at 1: 00 pm Sept. 19. By 2: 00 pm, none of them were visible. Over 500 progressive activists did show up, who would have told the missing brownshirts in . . . |

MEE staff (2020-09-25). Ocasio-Cortez withdraws from participating in former Israeli PM's memorial: Report. middleeasteye.net Ocasio-Cortez withdraws from participating in former Israeli PM's memorial: Report | US congresswoman says event was promoted inaccurately, after backlash from Palestinians | Sat, 09/26/2020 – 00: 23 | Ocasio-Cortez is revered figure on US political left and vocal critic of Israeli government (AFP/File photo) | US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has withdrawn her scheduled participation in a memorial ev…

Susan Abulhawa (2020-09-25). Susan Abulhawa: 'Palestine is the test'. workers.org The following is a lightly edited transcript of a Sept. 19 talk by Palestinian novelist and Workers World Party member Susan Abulhawa during a "Free Palestine! No Normalization with Colonization or Occupation!' webinar sponsored by WWP. We've known for years that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and other . . . |

Kamran Siddiqi (2020-09-25). Chicago counter-protest disrupts pro-police rally. liberationnews.org Throughout the pro-police rally, counterprotesters chanted slogans such as "Black lives matter" and "16 shots and a coverup," referring to the killing of the teenager Laquan McDonald by former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke.

Mark Gruenberg (2020-09-25). Trump wants the Supreme Court, not the people, to decide the election. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON —When the U.S. Supreme Court opens its new term on the first Monday in October, the symbol of its most important looming development will not be an individual case but an empty chair draped in black. The chair belonged to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the longtime crusader for women's rights, workers' rights, …

MEE staff (2020-09-25). Normalisation with Israel 'violates' any 'just and lasting solution,' warns Abbas. middleeasteye.net Normalisation with Israel 'violates' any 'just and lasting solution,' warns Abbas | Palestinian president's General Assembly address calls on UN secretary general to arrange international conference on peace process | Fri, 09/25/2020 – 19: 03 | Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the UN General Assembly on 25 September (screen shot) | Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas slammed the recent US-backed d…

Staff (2020-09-25). Progressives have to take back the Supreme Court. therealnews.com Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby discusses Justice Ginsburg's legacy and the battle for the future of the Supreme Court under the Trump presidency.

M. G. Piety (2020-09-25). The Larger Problem, or the Birth of Racism out of the Spirit of Musical Chairs. counterpunch.org A lot of attention has been focused recently on eradicating racism from American culture. That's a laudable goal but a much larger task than I think anyone has yet acknowledged. The problem is not simply that racism is very deep in American culture. The problem is that it emanates from something that is even deeper

Neve Gordon (2020-09-25). Redefining Anti-Semitism on Facebook. counterpunch.org The objective is to force Facebook to alter its hate speech definition so that its own "detection algorithm" will characterize any criticism of Israel as hate speech and automatically remove the pertinent content from the platform. Given that Facebook has 2.7 billion users and is the world's largest and arguably most influential media platform, it comes as

Ramzy Baroud (2020-09-25). Palestinians Are Not Numbers: On the Future of the Palestinian Discourse. counterpunch.org Palestine can never be truly understood through numbers, because numbers are dehumanizing, impersonal, and, when necessary, can also be contrived to mean something else entirely. Numbers are not meant to tell the story of the human condition, nor should they ever serve as a substitute for emotions. Indeed, the stories of life, death — and

Liberation Staff (2020-09-25). Denver anti-racist organizers released from jail! Drop the charges now! liberationnews.org Eliza Lucero, Joel Northam and Lillian House have been released from jail after having been incarcerated for a full week in hazardous and degrading conditions.

A Guest Author (2020-09-25). Surviving a pandemic under siege. workers.org During a Sept. 18 "Free Palestine" webinar, Palestinian writers and activists Susan Abulhawa and Khaled Barakat were asked to comment on the spread of COVID-19 in occupied Palestine, and what it means to have access to healthcare under foreign occupation. The following is an edited version of their replies. Susan . . . |

Larry Holmes (2020-09-25). The Left, the election crisis, and the 'elephant in the room'. workers.org The writer is First Secretary of Workers World Party. The head of the U.S. Postal Service is sabotaging delivery of ballots through the mail. Trump is acting like he won't step down even if he's defeated in the elections. And it appears that right-wing and neo-fascist forces, who have guns, . . . |

Christian Noakes (2020-09-25). In Ireland / Palestinian and Irish prisoners go on hunger strike. workers.org Issam Hijjawi-Bassalat, a Palestinian doctor and dedicated ant-imperialist, was arrested on Aug. 24 along with nine members of the Irish Republican Party Saoradh, as a result of entrapment by the British police agency MI5. These arrests are part of the ongoing repression of the Irish Republican movement* by British military . . . |

Lily Galili (2020-09-25). Coronavirus: Israel turns to army as pandemic clampdown intensifies. middleeasteye.net Coronavirus: Israel turns to army as pandemic clampdown intensifies | As the Covid-19 crisis worsens, Israelis are seeing the army as a saviour – but the country is looking more and more like a military regime | Fri, 09/25/2020 – 12: 01 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi, both clad in masks due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandem…

news.un (2020-09-25). How long must we wait for a just solution, Palestinian President Abbas asks world leaders. news.un.org The President of the State of Palestine addressed, via a pre-recorded video, the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, highlighting the suffering of his people and the misery they experience every day "while the world stands by watching."

Peoples Dispatch (2020-09-25). Hamas and Fatah agree to hold elections in Palestine in six months. peoplesdispatch.org Representatives from both the groups met in Turkey and finalized the deal to hold the first Palestinian elections after 2006. The voting will take place in all occupied territories, including eastern Jerusalem.

_____ (2020-09-25). Scheer Intelligence: Justice Ginsburg's Life And Legacy. popularresistance.org The documentary filmmakers discuss their film "RBG" on the life and career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. While Justice Ginsburg did not grant access to filmmakers Betsy West and Julie Cohen right away, eventually she allowed them an intimate look at her life and her career-long fight for equal rights. West and Cohen tell host Robert Scheer that Ginsburg has embraced her recent emergence as a pop culture icon because she believes it is an opportunity to reach a younger generation.

Chris Winters (2020-09-25). A new Supreme Court nominee before the election may spark a crisis of legitimacy. nationofchange.org If the institutions of government are deemed illegitimate, preserving democracy may well be left to the people demanding justice.

_____ (2020-09-25). Is Steven Bannon Still Advising Trump? U.S. President Leads the Country Into Dangerous Waters With Latest Iran Move. strategic-culture.org Trump looks at the reporter and an opaque gaze of confusion and vulnerability takes over his face as he mutters that he didn't know Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the U.S. Supreme Court's iconic feminist, had passed away. Many of us were left wondering if anyone is actually advising The Donald on anything. Shouldn't the U.S. president have smart people around him keeping him informed of current affairs? Or world affairs? | This is not the first time that Trump has been blind-sided by a seismic news event. But it gives us a reminder that if he had any advisers on policy when he took office, that we now have a president in t…

Vanita Gupta (2020-09-25). Trump and McConnell Refuse to Help Millions Amid Pandemic, But Stop at Nothing for Supreme Court Power Grab. commondreams.org The Senate's dereliction of duty to the people in this country is reprehensible. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-09-25). 'Time to Standardize and Democratize the Supreme Court': Ro Khanna Introduces Bill for Justice Term-Limits of 18 Years. commondreams.org "We can't face a national crisis every time a vacancy occurs on the Supreme Court," says the California Democrat. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Helen Christophi (2020-09-25). The State of Idaho Is Still Targeting People for Sodomy. progressive.org Seventeen years after the U.S. Supreme Court held that laws banning same-sex activity were unconstitutional, the ACLU is fighting Idaho's anti-LGBTQ+ sodomy law.

Robert L. Borosage (2020-09-25). It's Not Just the Supreme Court That's at Stake. thenation.com It's Not Just the Supreme Court That's at Stake…

Aryeh Neier (2020-09-25). How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Got Her Start at the ACLU. aclu.org Half a century ago, in October 1970, I became the executive director of the ACLU. I had a wish list, and foremost on the list was the establishment of a Women's Rights Project., , I had been involved in a few women's rights cases in my previous post as director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. My wife, who was a young corporate executive at a time when not many women held such posts, encountered discrimination against women on a regular basis. Most importantly, a feminist movement had been reborn in the late 1960s, and I wanted the ACLU to be part of it and to contribute expertise in litigation. T…

_____ (2020-09-25). Movement For Black Lives' Statement On Killing Of Breonna Taylor. popularresistance.org "The Movement for Black Lives and our millions of supporters around the globe stand with the family and community of Breonna Taylor in light of today's toothless and gravely insufficient indictment brought against one of the officers who killed her. Alongside her community, we are outraged and prepared to activate our base to continue to organize for meaningful action for Breonna. | "Even though three officers have Breonna's blood on their hands, only one was charged, and with three counts of first degree wanton endangerment, a class D felony implying a low-level of responsibility for the death or injury.

Cassie Miller (2020-09-25). This Is the Moment the Proud Boys Have Been Waiting For. splcenter.org On Saturday, Proud Boys from around the country plan to rally in Portland, a city the hate group has torn through repeatedly since 2017.

_____ (2020-09-25). Mass Arrests At Protests Over Decision Not To Charge Police In Breonna Taylor Killing. popularresistance.org At least 127 protesters were arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, after the grand jury ruling that none of the officers involved in the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor would be directly charged for her death. The grand jury decided that none of the three white officers involved in the deadly police raid on Taylor's apartment in March would be charged for causing her death. One officer was indicted on charges of endangering her neighbors for the bullets that struck the walls of surrounding apartments. | "It's yet another example of no accountability for the genocide of persons of color by white police officer…