(2020-10-15). How the Christian Right Won the Culture Wars. counterpunch.org 
The likely appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court may mark the end of this round of the culture wars. For half-a-century, the U.S. has been a battleground over "moral" and sexual values. Key issues like abortion, health care (i.e., the ADA), gay rights and the meaning of "family" have been contested. With Barrett's appointment,
(2020-10-15). Movement wins arrest of Texas cop who killed Jonathan Price. liberationnews.org 
The brutal, racist killing of Jonathan Price struck a nerve not only in Wolfe City, but throughout the state of Texas.
(2020-10-15). In CA, Latino farming communities hardest by COVID-19 and environmental injustice. indybay.org The California Latino community has been disproportionately infected by the coronavirus. Latinos make up 39 percent of the population in the state, but account for 56 percent of COVID-19 infections and 46 percent of deaths. That's three times the rate as Whites. State officials say, many employers have not reliably provided protective equipment to workers or implemented social distancing or mask wearing rules. This is systemic racism. Too often, they live in neighborhoods that are located near oil industry operations in California, one of America's top crude oil and gas producing states. Gov. Newsom needs to addr…
(2020-10-15). Clinical characteristics and outcomes among hospitalized adults with severe COVID-19 admitted to a tertiary medical center and receiving antiviral, antimalarials, glucocorticoids, or immunomodulation with tocilizumab or cyclosporine: A retrospective observational study (COQUIMA cohort). thelancet.com In a real-clinical setting, inhibition of the calcineurin inflammatory pathway, NF-κΒ, could reduce the hyperinflammatory phase in COVID-19. Our findings might entail relevant implications for the therapy of this disease and could boost the design of new clinical trials among subjects affected by severe COVID-19.
(2020-10-15). US press reports confirm killing of Portland anti-fascist was targeted police assassination. wsws.org Trump raised the killing of Reinoehl as a great achievement during the first presidential debate with former Vice President Joe Biden. The Democratic candidate made no objection.
(2020-10-15). Cashless welfare card entrenches racism, poverty, corruption. greenleft.org.au  …
(2020-10-14). Can Trump Delay Election or Reject Peaceful Transition of Power? Amy Coney Barrett Refuses to Say. democracynow.org 
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett faced 11 hours of questioning in the Senate Tuesday but refused to provide clarity about her views on the Affordable Care Act, Roe v. Wade, voting rights and even if President Trump could delay the election. Republicans are racing to confirm the 48-year-old federal judge before Election Day, which would give conservatives a commanding 6-3 majority on the high court. We air highlights from the marathon session.
(2020-10-14). Making the Supreme Court Safe for Democracy: Samuel Moyn on Reforming an Undemocratic Institution. democracynow.org 
As Republicans race to confirm President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett prior to Election Day and cement a conservative majority on the top court for a generation or more, calls are growing for Joe Biden to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court if elected president. But Yale legal scholar Samuel Moyn argues that beyond "packing the court" and other measures commonly proposed to rebalance the Supreme Court's ideological makeup, the institution as a whole must be weakened in order to safeguard democracy. "This country was founded on minority rule and the rejection of democracy, and t…
(2020-10-14). Dahlia Lithwick: Amy Coney Barrett May Claim Neutrality, But Her Record Is "Extremely Conservative" democracynow.org 
In the second day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, the federal judge's refusal to answer basic questions on voter intimidation and whether a president can delay elections did her "no favors" and was part of an aim to "present herself as neutral; she's an open book; whatever she was before, whatever she ruled on the bench before, is immaterial," says Dahlia Lithwick, senior legal correspondent and Supreme Court reporter for Slate.com. "There are some issues that don't need to be approached with an open mind. … She could have allayed a lot of fears."
(2020-10-14). Headlines for October 14, 2020. democracynow.org White House Pursuing "Herd Immunity" Strategy Condemned by WHO as "Unethical", Trump Holds Packed Campaign Rallies in Defiance of Social Distancing Orders, "Potential Safety Concern" Halts Clinical Trial of Eli Lilly Antibody Treatment, Amy Coney Barrett Won't Commit to Recusing Herself If 2020 Election Is Decided by SCOTUS, FBI Says Far-Right Anti-Government Group Plotted to Kidnap Virginia Governor, More Witnesses Corroborate Claims of Extrajudicial Killing by U.S. Marshals, Trailing in Polls, Trump Appeals to White Suburban Women and Farmers, Supreme Court Will Allow Trump Admin to Halt Census Count a Month Ea…
(2020-10-14). EXCLUSIVE: Israel stops granting visas to UN human rights workers. middleeasteye.net 
EXCLUSIVE: Israel stops granting visas to UN human rights workers | OHCHR foreign employees left in limbo amid Israeli crackdown on rights monitors | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 14: 00 | The UN's OHCHR writes regular reports highlighting alleged Israeli rights abuses in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the besieged Gaza Strip (Reuters/File) | Israel has stopped granting any visas to employees at the United Nation…
(2020-10-14). Despite Ambiguity in International Law, Palestinians are Winning the 'Legitimacy War'. counterpunch.org 
'International law' remains one of the most discussed terms in the context of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. It is almost always present, whether the discussion pertains to the Israeli wars and siege on Gaza, the expansion of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank or the encroaching apartheid throughout Israel and the Occupied Territories.
(2020-10-14). Israel approves new West Bank housing, just weeks after 'peace' deals with UAE, Bahrain. middleeasteye.net 
Israel approves new West Bank housing, just weeks after 'peace' deals with UAE, Bahrain | Gulf normalisation agreements were initially advertised as hinging on a freeze in settlement construction | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 12: 40 | New apartments buildings under construction in the Beit El settlement in the occupied the West Bank (AFP) | Israel has approved the construction of new homes in its il…
(2020-10-14). Annual Alpine Crucifixions. dissidentvoice.org 
Morgen in Riesengebirge, by Caspar David Friedrich Sometimes it can be useful to be brief. Last year, the wave of worry, promoted by the Swedish Alberich, without at least the artistic virtue of her deceased compatriot, Birgit Nilsson, stimulated predictions of imminent Gà∂tterdà§mmerung. This virtually Wagnerian kitsch was further dramatised by the pretensious performers of troupes apocalyptical …
(2020-10-14). Barrett dodges questions, refuses to say Trump can't delay election. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Duck, dodge, and weave. Frustrating Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, that was the common "response" federal appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett produced on issue after issue during the second day of the panel's hearings on her nomination to the vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. On everything from revisiting the legality of gay marriage to …
(2020-10-14). Lebanon and Israel hold unprecedented talks on disputed maritime border. middleeasteye.net 
Lebanon and Israel hold unprecedented talks on disputed maritime border | The two countries, technically at war, are seeking to settle a maritime border dispute and clear the way for oil and gas exploration | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 11: 14 | Vehicles of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL are pictured in the southernmost area of Naqoura, by the border with Israel, where talks between Israel and Leb…
(2020-10-14). 81 Days on hunger strike: Movement grows to free Palestinian political prisoner Maher al-Akhras. liberationnews.org 
A rally gathered in Ramallah this week in solidarity with Maher al-Akhras, a Palestinian political prisoner who after 81 days on hunger strike is now feared to be near death. The 49-year-old father of six was arrested by Israeli forces in July. Al-Akhras' lawyers have put forth several appeals to Israel's High Court for his …
(2020-10-14). Liberalism and Fascism: Partners in Crime. counterpunch.org 
Time and again we hear that liberalism is the last bulwark against fascism. It represents a defense of the rule of law and democracy in the face of aberrant, malevolent demagogues intent on destroying a perfectly good system for their own gain. This apparent opposition has been deeply engrained in contemporary so-called Western liberal democracies through their shared origin myth.
(2020-10-14). Pompeo encourages Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel. middleeasteye.net 
Pompeo encourages Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel | US Secretary of State thanks kingdom for assisting in normalisation deals between two Gulf Arab countries and Israel | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 17: 50 | Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deliver remarks at State Department (AFP) | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Saudi Arabia to normalise…
(2020-10-14). NJ business owner continues months long "All Lives Matter" standoff with anti-racist protestors. liberationnews.org 
In Oaklyn, New Jersey, a huge sign reading "ALL LIVES MATTER God Bless & Protect Our Police Officers" has hung over the front side of Lakeview Custom Coach since July. Anti-racist residents of the area have been mobilizing regular protests in response to express their rejection of the owner's message and support of the Black …
(2020-10-14). Answer to fascist threat? Working class struggle! workers.org 
The following are lightly edited remarks from Workers World Party's Oct. 8 webinar on the recent election debates, with WWP's First Secretary Larry Holmes in New York City, leading comrade Teresa Gutierrez in San Antonio, and comrade moderator Ted Kelly in Philadelphia. Tune in Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 . . . |
(2020-10-14). Federal workers' unions slam racist Trump order to end diversity training. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON (PAI)—The two largest unions for federal workers, the Government Employees (AFGE) and the Treasury Employees (NTEU) are slamming GOP Oval Office occupant Donald Trump's order dismantling government-wide diversity education programs. NTEU President Tony Reardon and AFGE President Everett Kelley—who is Black—bluntly said Trump's ban is racist. "Trump's order to prohibit the use of federal …
(2020-10-14). Merriam-Webster labels 'sexual preference' OFFENSIVE after uproar over LGBTQ terminology during SCOTUS confirmation hearing. rt.com 
Merriam-Webster has been accused of politicizing its dictionary after it flagged the term 'sexual preference' as offensive, mirroring a complaint leveled against Amy Coney Barrett during her SCOTUS confirmation hearing. | The curious edit was spotted hours after Barrett was lambasted for using the phrase "sexual preference" to refer to LGBTQ Americans' sexual orientations as she answered questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. | Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono berated the conservative Supreme Court nominee for using the term, claiming that it was "offensive and outdated." The senator alleged…
(2020-10-14). Poverty, racism, and inequality merge with COVID-19 to create 'syndemic'. peoplesworld.org 
The writer is a retired pediatric physician. It didn't seem to fit. The website of the Colombian Communist Party on Oct. 5 published a medical doctor's reflections on re-characterizing a disease. Félix León Martínez, MD, quoted extensively from an editorial appearing in the famous British medical journal Lancet. He and Lancet editor Richard Horton, MD, …
(2020-10-14). Can the US Federal Reserve End Racism? Eliminate Disparities in Income, Employment and Wealth? globalresearch.ca House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters and Senator Elizabeth Warren have introduced the Federal Reserve Racial and Economic Equity Act. This legislation directs the Federal Reserve to eliminate racial disparities in income, employment, wealth, and access to credit. | Eliminating racial …
(2020-10-14). Day two of hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett: Democrats maintain silence on White House plot to overturn election. wsws.org At Tuesday's hearing, the Democrats adopted a posture of cringing respect for the far-right judge, echoing Biden's remark in last month's presidential debate that she is "a very fine woman."
(2020-10-14). An Open Letter to Judge Amy Coney Barrett, From Your Notre Dame Colleagues. counterpunch.org October 10, 2020 Dear Judge Barrett, We write to you as fellow faculty members at the University of Notre Dame. We congratulate you on your nomination to the United States Supreme Court. An appointment to the Court is the crowning achievement of a legal career and speaks to the commitments you have made throughout your
(2020-10-14). Controversy Over the Alleged Abortion Views of Amy Coney Barrett Misses Wider Issues. dissidentvoice.org The nomination to the United States Supreme Court of Amy Coney Barrett has raised again the issue of access to abortion, legalised in the United States in the decision in Roe v Wade 410 US 113 (1973) 47 years ago. If Ms Barrett is confirmed as a member of the Supreme Court it will make …
(2020-10-14). Michigan Supreme Court overturns governor's executive orders on COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org The rulings coincide with the demands of the ruling elite that workers return to work under dangerous conditions so that profitability can be restored.
(2020-10-14). Packing the Court: Why Joe Biden Can't Commit. strategic-culture.org The latest issue roiling the U.S. presidential race is the Supreme Court and what to do if it bucks the wishes of the ruling party. The reason is the Amy Coney Barrett nomination, which, assuming it goes through, could result in a 6-3 conservative majority lasting well into the 2030s. | Since this would spell doom for a Biden-Harris administration, Democrats have come up with what they think is a perfect solution. It's called packing the court, and it entails expanding "the Supremes" from nine to fifteen members in order to fill the ranks with liberals guaranteed to toe the party line. | It's neat, clean, and con…
(2020-10-14). Barrett Says Can Not Opine if US President Can Pardon Himself Without Knowing Pardon Scope. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Supreme Court nominee Amy Barrett said during her confirmation hearing that she can not opine on whether the US president can pardon himself for committed crimes without her going through the judicial process to decide on the issue, but emphasised that no one is above the law.
(2020-10-14). SCOTUS Must Be Weakened to Safeguard Democracy, Says Legal Scholar. truthout.org As Republicans race to confirm President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett prior to Election Day and cement a conservative majority on the top court for a generation or more, calls are growing for Joe Biden to increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court if elected president. But Yale legal scholar Samuel Moyn argues that beyond "packing the court" and other measures commonly proposed to rebalance the Supreme Court's ideological makeup, the institution as a whole must be weakened in o…
(2020-10-14). Trump Has Cut the Census Short. As a Census Worker, I Can See Who Will Suffer. truthout.org The Supreme Court effectively approved the Trump administration's request to cut the 2020 census short in a ruling issued Tuesday in response to an emergency request made last week by the Justice Department. Hours later, The…
(2020-10-14). Here's One Good Way to Reform a Battered US Supreme Court. commondreams.org Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett puts her mask on during her Senate Judiciary Committee on the third day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on October 14, 2020 in Washington, DC. Barrett was nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the vacancy left by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who passed away in September. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-14). How to Save Democracy From GOP Sabotage. commondreams.org The Constitution doesn't prevent increasing the size of the Supreme Court in order to balance it. (Photo: Peoples World/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-14). The Palestinian Struggle Betrayed. globalresearch.ca The Abraham Accord signed recently between Israel on the one hand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain on the other, is touted as a peace deal. They were not at war. There was peace between them and much …
(2020-10-14). Anti-Chinese Racism Sets Stage for New McCarthyism. globalresearch.ca More than a dozen young visiting scholars from China had their visas abruptly terminated in a
(2020-10-14). Civil war elections in Bolivia. wsws.org àÅñez is using her state position to outlaw the MAS opposition and mobilize fascistic forces among the military against the working masses.
(2020-10-14). Let People Vote: Our Fight for Your Right to Vote During 2020. aclu.org 2020 has been an unprecedented year in many ways; a pandemic during a presidential election being one of them. Not unique to 2020, however, is politicians' and states' systematic efforts to suppress voting and disenfranchise Americans. But the ACLU, along with our affiliates and partners across the country, have been hard at work defending your right to vote. This year, we have won 27 victories in 20 states and Puerto Rico that will safeguard the voting rights of millions of Americans this November. Together, these states are home to more than 154 million Americans and wield 247 votes in the Electoral College.
(2020-10-14). Talks begin to resolve disputed Lebanon-Israel maritime border. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General has welcomed the launch of ground-breaking discussions on Wednesday, over the disputed maritime border between Lebanon and Israel in the eastern Mediterranean, following a framework agreement between the two nations at the beginning of the month.
(2020-10-14). Texas Is Limiting Ballot Drop-Off Locations. Activists Are Pushing Back. truthout.org Despite a last-minute ruling restricting absentee voting in Texas, voting rights advocates in the state's hardest hit communities of color are redoubling their efforts to get out the vote amid one of the most severe voter suppression campaigns in the state in recent election cycles. | Texas counties remain blocked from setting up multiple ballot drop-off locations after a federal appeals court on Monday
(2020-10-14). All You Fascists Bound To Lose. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-14). White Americans Are More Demonized Than Jews In Nazi Germany. thealtworld.com After 55 years of special privileges and special pleading for black Americans, where do we stand? Integration has failed. Black Americans, or more correctly, those who speak for them, want black-only towns, black-only college dorms, black-only dining halls, and a black national anthem. Except for the black anthem, that's what they had a half century ago prior to "affirmative action." | How is it that when blacks demand segregation, it is not racism? | As Lawrence Stratton and I demonstrated in our book The New Color Line (1), racial quotas were strictly prohibited by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Nevertheless, the l…
(2020-10-13). Trump's new Iran sanctions hurt civilians and threaten war. thealtworld.com Grayzone- Pushback with Aaron Maté | Weeks before the U.S. election, the Trump administration has imposed crushing new sanctions that sever Iran from the global financial system and further threaten the import of humanitarian goods. The Israeli government and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a pro-regime change think tank, reportedly lobbied White House officials for the new move. | Assal Rad of the National Iranian American Council discusses how the sanctions target Iranian civilians, and threaten an outbreak of military conflict. | Guest: Assal Rad, Research Fellow at the National Iranian American Cou…
(2020-10-13). Packing the Courts: How Republicans Spent Decades Installing Judges to Cement Minority Rule. democracynow.org 
Amid Senate confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, we look at how conservatives have used dark money to push to seat her on the Supreme Court before the November 3 election, following a decades-long project by conservatives to install right-wing judges across the federal judiciary. "There's no doubt that what we're facing is, increasingly, rule by a minority," says former Senate Judiciary Committee staffer Lisa Graves, executive director of True North Research. "When people say that the court needs to be packed, it really needs to be unpacked."
(2020-10-13). "Hate and racism" behind Trump administration's Columbus Day proclamation. liberationnews.org 
The Trump administration caused outrage by releasing yesterday a proclamation marking Columbus Day. The proclamation claimed that, "Christopher Columbus's intrepid voyage to the New World ushered in a new era of exploration and discovery." Trump bemoaned that "Sadly, in recent years, radical activists have sought to undermine Christopher Columbus's legacy. These extremists seek to replace …
(2020-10-13). Tearing down Columbus statues is just the first step. therealnews.com 
As Christopher Columbus statues come down across the U.S., and his legacy is being reevaluated, the real story must be told. We talk about how Columbus' actions continue to impact Indigenous, Black and Brown communities today through genocide and colonization, and what we can do to fix it.
(2020-10-13). Junipero Serra Statue Attacked in Bay Area. indybay.org Last night, the statue of Junipero Serra was defaced and covered in red paint to signify the colonial violence and genocide that has been and continues to be enacted upon the Indigenous people of this land, specifically in this context by spanish imperialism and the catholic church.
(2020-10-13). To Decolonize Indigenous Lands, We Must Also Abolish Police and Prisons. truthout.org The movement to decolonize Indigenous lands is intimately connected to the movement to abolish police and prisons. As the idea of decolonization is discussed among wider circles, we must recognize this interconnectedness, especially in the midst of a resurgent Black Lives Matter movement that calls for the defunding — and, in fact, the dismantling — of police. | Both decolonization and abolition are not simply seeking an end result. Instead they are continuous creative processes: an ima…
(2020-10-13). Palestinian leaders call for Israel to release prisoner on 80th day of hunger strike. middleeasteye.net 
Palestinian leaders call for Israel to release prisoner on 80th day of hunger strike | The Israeli Supreme Court rejected Maher al-Akhras' petition for release on Tuesday, as right groups warn he is 'on the verge of death' | Tue, 10/13/2020 – 12: 54 | Maher al-Akhras with one of his children before his arrest in July by Israeli forces (Screengrab)
| Several Palestinian political figures have raised the ala…