2018-10-04: News Headlines

Mark Fiore (2018-10-04). Beer Warning Alert. progressive.org If Donald Trump can issue a "Presidential Alert" to everyone's cell phone, it's only fitting to issue a Beer Warning Alert as well.

Ben Freeman, Tom Dispatch (2018-10-04). Here's How Saudi Money Keeps Washington at War in Yemen. alternet.org A set of foreign Sheldon Adelsons have opened their deep, oil-rich pockets and put American politicians of all sorts in them. | It was May 2017. The Saudis were growing increasingly nervous. For more than two years they had been relying heavily on U. S. military support and bombs to defeat Houthi rebels in Yemen. Now, the Senate was considering a bipartisan Steve Early (2018-10-04). "They Count on You Not Knowing:" Socialists Blow the Whistle on Democratic Party Donor Class. counterpunch.org Wealthy Bay Area investor David Crane is a leading promoter of the neo-liberal agenda within the California Democratic Party. A former advisor to Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Crane is a widely-published critic of state and local tax initiatives, publicly-funded health care, public education, public employees and their pensions. He raises lots of money for "courageous" More

Jessica Corbett (2018-10-04). Warnings Of More 'War And Unilateral Aggression' As Pompeo And Bolton Launch Joint Attack On Global Cooperation. iranian.com After ditching a treaty with Iran to rebuff an ICJ sanctions ruling, Bolton announces review of international agreements to prevent future court decisions. Amid mounting concerns about possible war with Iran after the Trump administration ditched a decades-old bilateral treaty in response to an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on Wednesday that U.S. sanctions violate it, National Security […]

Sarah Burris, Raw Story (2018-10-04). North Carolina Republicans Use Fake Photograph to Imply Christine Blasey Ford Was Too Ugly to Rape. alternet.org The photo in question is not of Dr. Ford. | The North Carolina Republican Party followed President Donald Trump's lead in attacking Dr. Christine Blasey Ford for coming forward about an alleged sexual assault. The News and Observer reported Thursday that Lanny Lancaster, Cabarrus County GOP chairman, shared a photo he said was Dr. Ford, posted by another account named. . .

Daniel Falcone (2018-10-04). Weaponized Communication at the UN: Talking With Richard Falk. counterpunch.org Instead of being a laughing stock, it is more realistic to view Trump's America as bringing tears to the eyes of those who care about present human suffering and future prospects for peace, human rights, global justice, and ecological sustainability. What we need is an equitable globalism that is dedicated to safeguarding and promoting human interests. More

IMEMC News (2018-10-04). Detainee Jawareesh Suspends His Hunger Strike. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported, Thursday, that detainee Salah Jawareesh, 23, has suspended his hunger strike after reaching an agreement and a court ruling, stating that his current Administrative Detention orders will not be renewed. The PPS said Jawareesh went on hunger strike for eight days, protesting the […]…

Shared by Cherise (2018-10-04). The US Missed an Opportunity to Address Inequality During the Great Recession. truthout.org Janine Jackson: When Donald Trump awarded himself top marks for his administration's disaster response in Puerto Rico, media had little trouble looking askance, contrasting Trump's assessment with empirical data and presenting him as, at least potentially, an unreliable narrator. | That critical posture is not much in evidence, though, as Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geithner and Henry Paulson offer their assessment of the country's financial cri…

Leighton Akio Woodhouse (2018-10-04). Citing Trump's Racism, a Federal Judge Restores Protections for Immigrants Fleeing Wars and Disasters. theintercept.com A federal court has suspended the Trump administration's termination of temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Adalah-NY (2018-10-04). Theater artists ask US & Canadian hosts to cancel Israeli government-sponsored plays. indybay.org Palestinian arts and solidarity organizations, along with US Jewish and Israeli groups, have joined theater artists in signing a letter calling on Toronto, New York and Pittsburgh arts organizations not to host Israel's Gesher Theatre or partner with the Israeli government, citing their involvement in violations of Palestinian rights. Award-winning actors Kathleen Chalfant and Miriam Margolyes, and playwrights Caryl Churchill, Betty Shamieh, Naomi Wallace and Anne Washburn are among the artists who signed the letter.

INA (2018-10-04). PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (27 Sept. — 03 Oct. 2018). imemc.org Israeli forces continued with systematic crimes, in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), for the week of 27 September — 03 October, 2018. Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against unarmed civilians and peaceful protestors in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. 9 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were killed; [.

Alex Henderson, AlterNet (2018-10-04). Even These 5 Right-Wing Conservatives Have Called Trump Out for Mocking Christine Blasey Ford. alternet.org Trump made no friends with his mockery of Dr. Ford. | Tuesday, October 2 was a busy day for President Donald J. Trump. After a mid-afternoon speech at the National Electrical Contractors Association's annual convention in Democrat-dominated Philadelphia—where he was greeted with an abundance of Mark Fiore (2018-10-04). Beer Warning Alert (Video). truthdig.com If Donald Trump can issue a "Presidential Alert" to everyone's cell phone, it's only fitting to issue a Beer Warning Alert as well.

Ian Berman (2018-10-04). Anti-Semitism as a Sword: The Danger of Undermining Democracy for Israel's Benefit. mintpressnews.com Attacking the cherished principle of free speech not only threatens Jews' standing in their home countries, it does not help Israel move towards cherished values of democracy and peaceful co-existence either.

Democracy Now! (2018-10-04). Headlines for October 4, 2018. democracynow.org As FBI Probe Wraps Up, Senate Could Vote on Kavanaugh on Saturday, Key GOP Senators Criticize Trump for Mocking Christine Blasey Ford, Over 1,200 Law Professors Sign Letter Opposing Kavanaugh Nomination, U.N.: Yemen Sees 10,000+ New Cases of Cholera Every Week, Trump Suggests Saudi Monarchy Would Collapse Without U.S. Support, Saudi Dissident Journalist Missing After Visit to Consulate in Turkey, Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Teenager at Gaza Protest, U.S. Quits 1955 Iran Treaty After U.N. Court Rules Against Sanctions, Judge Halts Termination of Protected Status for 300,000 Immigrants, Report: DHS Was Unprepar…

ZeroHedge (2018-10-04). US Navy Proposes a "Global Show of Military Force" as a Warning to China. mintpressnews.com Where this strategy goes off the rails is that instead of just provoking China in its back yard, the US intends to do it, well, everywhere around the world.

RT (2018-10-04). 'Wake up people!': Cyber expert McAfee warns of US govt 'spying' through presidential alert texts. rt.com As the US was subjected to an unexpected nationwide message from President Donald Trump, many were startled and confused by the alert. One man, however, warned of a more sinister element to the public safety test.

Scott Ritter (2018-10-04). Benjamin Netanyahu Is No Friend to America. truthdig.com The Israeli prime minister has the blood of thousands of U.S. soldiers on his hands, and he's beating the war drum anew.

Janine Jackson (2018-10-04). 'How Many Other Laquan MacDonalds Are There?'. fair.org Janine Jackson featured two archival interviews on Chicago police violence on the September 28, 2018, episode of CounterSpin: a conversation with John Conroy on torturer Jon Burge, originally aired December 21, 2007; and a talk with Jamie Kalven about police victim Laquan McDonald, from December…

Brad Reed, Raw Story (2018-10-04). Fox News Legal Analyst Warns FBI Should Interview Ford or Risk Looking 'Like a Political Institution — Yet Again'. alternet.org "People that don't want Judge Kavanaugh confirmed . . . now have more ammunition. " | Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano on Thursday said that he thought the FBI made a big mistake when it didn't bother interviewing either Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh or accuser Christine Blasey Ford as part of its background investigation. Speaking with "Fox & Friends," Napolitano said he was "disappointed" that the FBI didn't talk with either of the two people who are the. . .

wsws (2018-10-04). Mass graves in Mannar point to further war crimes in Sri Lanka. wsws.org The skeletal remains of 136 individuals were unearthed in northern Sri Lanka after 74 days of excavation.

splcenter (2018-10-04). SPLC report: Detention system forces people to give up claims to stay in U.S. splcenter.org Before fleeing Somalia, Yuusuf was a teacher.

wsws (2018-10-04). Icebox and Twin Flower: The US government locks up children—and, in Italy, an African refugee finds a kindred spirit. wsws.org At the recent Toronto film festival, several films took up the global issue of the horrendous treatment of immigrants and the desperate conditions facing refugees.

Michael Steinberg (2018-10-04). The Last Time I Saw Bobbie "Spider" Webb. indybay.org Bobbie "Spider" Webb's passing last month brings to mind his role as an African American bluesman and DJ on listener sponsored KPOO radio from the era when San Francisco's Fillmore District was known as the "Harlem of the West."

Eric Ortiz (2018-10-04). Is Saudi Arabia the Middle East's Next Failed State? consortiumnews.com Ibn Khaldun—the famous Tunisian historian, geographer and social theorist—believed that decadence leads to collapse for Muslim dynasties. Such a scenario may be playing out with the Saudis, reports Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare Special to Consortium News Reports are growing… Read more →

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2018-10-03). Fourteen Years Ago, December 26, 2004: Indonesia's Indian Ocean 9.0 Tsunami. Why Did the Information Not Get Out? globalresearch.ca One of the most destructive and powerful earthquakes in recorded history, more than a quarter of a million recorded deaths, local economies destroyed, the lives of entire communities shattered, and no serious investigation into the flaws of the global seismic warning system is contemplated.

Mark Taliano (2018-10-03). Syrians Matter: They have Chosen NOT to be Occupied by the West's Al Qaeda Terrorists. globalresearch.ca Colonial media is an instrument of Empire. Its unstated purpose is to advance the cause of war and terrorism. The Truth for Peace is not on the agenda.[1] | Colonial politicians mirror this agenda. They are fronts for the warmongers who …

Jordan Smith (2018-10-03). Prosecutors Don't Bring Cases the Way Rachel Mitchell's Kavanaugh Memo Says — Not Even in Her Own Arizona Office. theintercept.com The claim that no prosecutor would move forward with such a "weak" case belies the record of the notorious Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

Elijah J. Magnier (2018-10-03). Iran's Alleged "Secret Nuclear Facility" in Lebanon, according to Netanyahu. globalresearch.ca Israel, through its Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, is waving the flag of war in the face of Iran and Hezbollah, showing what is claimed to be a "secret nuclear facility in Iran and Hezbollah strategic missile warehouse in the heart …

wsws (2018-10-03). CIA Democrats call for aggression against Russia, run pro-war campaigns in 2018 congressional races. wsws.org Democratic challengers seeking Republican congressional seats, particularly those with a military-intelligence background, are pushing for ever greater military spending.

Wouter Hoenderdaal (2018-10-03). Creating a Coup Climate: the Historical Roots of U.S. Foreign Policy Towards Venezuela. counterpunch.org U.S. foreign policy tends to follow a highly rational and well-calculated pattern. This makes it effective, and also ruthless. The U.S. government's hostile attitude towards leaders like Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro certainly fits this pattern, and time will tell whether the failed assassination attempt on President Maduro on August 4 is a part of More

YVKE Mundial (2018-10-03). US Social Movements Express Support to Venezuela from New York. venezuelanalysis.com Solidarity groups gathered in New York to express solidarity towards the Bolivarian Revolution.

aclu (2018-10-03). Mom Fears Her Autistic Son Is Being Abused at School. District Does Nothing. aclu.org A Northern California school district is creating a hostile environment for a Black student with disabilities in violation of the law. | School just got back in session, but one school district in Northern California already needs a lesson in how to create a welcoming and safe environment for Black students with disabilities., , A 5-year-old Black student with autism and speech and language impairments suffered for months, including suffering injuries that needed to be treated by a hospital, all because of the inadequate oversight of Hayward Unified School District's staff. In a time when Black students are regul…

BAFP (2018-10-03). "U.S. Out of Africa!": Black Alliance for Peace Calls on U.S. Government to Shut Down U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). globalresearch.ca The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) has launched U.S. Out of Africa!: Shut Down AFRICOM, a campaign designed to end the U.S. invasion and occupation of Africa. | Today marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of AFRICOM, short for …

John Forte (2018-10-03). The Conservative Fear of Norming. counterpunch.org "Throughout history, government has proven to be the chief instrument for thwarting man's liberty. Government represents power in the hands of some men to control the and regulate the lives of other men." — Barry Goldwater, Conscience of a Conservative Conservatives exhibit a strange obsession with a "timeless" Constitution. 1787 is that only context that matters. More

Joseph Thomas (2018-10-03). US "Investigates" Genocide in Myanmar, Commits Genocide in Yemen. globalresearch.ca Rarely is US hypocrisy so cynical and overt as a recent US State Department investigation into ongoing violence in Myanmar, all while the US continues its full spectrum support of Saudi Arabia's genocidal war on Yemen. | In addition to Washington's …

Democracy Now! (2018-10-03). Mental Health Experts Demand Psychological Assessment of Kavanaugh for Drinking, Instability. democracynow.org Donald Trump openly mocked Dr. Christine Blasey Ford at a rally Tuesday, casting doubt on her claims that Brett Kavanaugh had tried to rape her in high school, just days after calling her a very credible witness. As the FBI continues its investigation into Dr. Blasey Ford's claims, a group of mental health experts are calling for Kavanaugh to undergo a full psychological and substance abuse assessment before the Senate votes on his confirmation. We speak with Dr. Bandy Lee of the Yale School of Medicine, the lead author of a letter titled "Mental Health Experts Urge Examination Based on Warning Signs in Kavanaugh…

teleSUR (2018-10-03). Noam Chomsky and Others Issue Warning Against Brazil's Fascist Candidate. mintpressnews.com Noam Chomsky and several other intellectuals signed a manifesto in defense of Brazilian democracy and warning of the possible victory of a "fascist, racist, misogynist, homophobic candidate who calls for violence and armed repression," in a clear reference to leading candidate Jair Bolsonaro. | The manifesto argues that the attack on Brazil's democracy began with the parliamentary coup against democratically elected Dilma Rousseff, of the Workers' Party, and then reinforced with the disqualification of leading presidential candidate for the October elections, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. | "These are steps in a pla…

wsws (2018-10-03). US and Chinese warships narrowly avoid collision in South China Sea. wsws.org Any misstep or accident in East Asia's sea and airspace now threatens to trigger a full-scale war between the rival nuclear-armed powers.

wsws (2018-10-03). After North America trade deal, Trump to escalate trade war against China. wsws.org In a manner recalling a Mafia don, Trump made clear that the threat of auto tariffs was central in securing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.

Daniel Larison (2018-10-03). Netanyahu's "Nowhere Land" Blunder. Accused Iran of Having a "Secret Atomic Warehouse" globalresearch.ca Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave another one of his typical U.N. speeches last week in which he accused Iran of having a "secret atomic warehouse": | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel told the United Nations on Thursday that his | …

Stephen F. Cohen (2018-10-03). More Cold War Extremism and Crises. thenation.com More Cold War Extremism and Crises…

Yves Engler (2018-10-03). Left Right. Marching to The Beat of Imperial Canada. Yves Engler. globalresearch.ca Left, Right details the Canadian Left's promotion of colonial policies and nationalist myths. | Yves Engler's latest book outlines the NDP's and labour unions' role in confusing Canadians; from Korea to Libya, Canada's major left-wing political party has backed unjust wars; …

wsws (2018-10-03). Washington threatens preemptive strike against Russian missiles. wsws.org The threat by the US envoy Kay Bailey Hutchison to "take out" Russian missiles raises the specter of a nuclear Third World War.

Paul Edwards (2018-10-03). The Canary in Our Coal Mine. counterpunch.org The decision was of tremendous import and was not made quickly but it was made decisively. Judge Dana Christensen ruled against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisting of the Yellowstone Grizzly, and stopped the trophy hunt proposed by Wyoming and Idaho, those retro redneck havens of braindead racism, industrial serfdom, and furious, moron machismo. More

Howard Lisnoff (2018-10-03). The Advantages of an Elite Education. counterpunch.org If the Kavanaugh nomination to the Supreme Court didn't reveal the extreme right-wing nature of the contemporary U.S., then nothing will. We are living in a right-wing society made up of endless wars, the unlimited power of corporations, the destruction of the natural environment, and the near-total lack of individual rights. More

Zero Hedge (2018-10-03). Pompeo Terminates Decades-Old Treaty With Iran. iranian.com The drums of war are beating over Iran and Syria as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday morning responded to the United Nations' top court ordering the US to lift sanctions on "humanitarian" goods to Iran. Pompeo made a series of threatening statements targeting Iran as well as Syria, which also comes after the latter received delivery […]

Shane Quinn (2018-10-03). History of World War II: Hitler's Favorite Commando and Committed Nazi: Otto Skorzeny. globalresearch.ca As late as February and March 1945 the SS commander Otto Skorzeny, and his forces, were enjoying military headway on the Eastern front, however brief and temporary at this stage. Skorzeny's efforts to frustrate the heroic Soviet troops in …

Democracy Now! (2018-10-03). Headlines for October 3, 2018. democracynow.org Indonesia: Tsunami Death Toll Tops 1,400 as Volcano Erupts on Sulawesi, NYT: Trump's Wealth Comes from Family, Fraud and Tax Dodging, FBI Wrapping Up Kavanaugh Probe Without Interviewing Key Witnesses, Trump: "It's a Very Scary Time for Young Men in America", World Court: U.S. Must Lift Humanitarian Sanctions Against Iran, Suicide Bomb in Afghanistan Kills 13, Injures Dozens, Ethiopia: 44 Killed in Ethnic Violence, FLOTUS Visits Former Slave Trading Fortress in Ghana, U.S. Admitted 22,000 Refugees in FY 2018, Lowest Number in 40 Years, Shipwreck Off Morocco Kills 34 Refugees Heading to Spain, Presidential Alert T…

Salman Rafi Sheikh (2018-10-03). EU Punches The US In The Face Over Trade With Iran. iranian.com As we analyzed previously for NEO in this piece, the US policy of sanctions vis-à -vis Iran has put it in diplomatic isolation, forcing its most trusted ally since the Second World War, Europe, in an antagonistic position. While the reason for this geo-political distance lies in a series of withdrawals and policy reversals the Trump […]