Daily Archives: 2019-08-06

2019-08-06: News Headlines

Staff (2019-08-06). 'John Bolton Tried to Assasinate Me'. truthdig.com In a new interview with The Grayzone Project's Max Blumenthal, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sits down to discuss Washington's plots against him, crippling U.S. sanctions on food distribution and allegations of corruption within his administration. He also reflects on what he considers a campaign within corporate media to malign his democratically elected government. Watch the full video of their conversation above.

United Nations (2019-08-06). Help African farmers cope with climate change threats, UN food agency urges. un.org African farmers need help to cope with the threats of climate change, with national policies that protect them and make them resilient, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, has declared, following a major conference on food security in the continent.

Staff (2019-08-06). Headlines for August 6, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Condemns White Supremacy After El Paso Massacre Despite His Own Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric, Trump Supporter Who Sent Pipe Bombs to CNN and Democrats Sentenced to 20 Years, Tensions Mount over Kashmir as Pakistan Reacts to Revocation of Special Status, Puerto Rican Senate, San Juan Mayor Sue over Pierluisi's Appointment as Governor, China Weakens Currency, Halts U.S. Crop Imports as Trade War Ratchets Up, U.S. Imposes Economic Embargo Against Venezuela, Drone Attack Kills 42 People in Libya, R. Kelly Charged with Prostitution and Solicitation of a Minor, Galveston Police Apologize for Shocking Photo Showing Mou…

WSWS (2019-08-06). Leading Pabloite Gilbert Achcar provided counter-insurgency advice to British Army. wsws.org The pseudo-left groups are enlisting in the service of the military and security apparatus, providing their academic expertise on the nations of Africa and the Middle East targeted by imperialism.

Michael Harris (2019-08-06). Inaugural International Teff Super Grain Day. indybay.org Everyone is invited to celebrate International Teff Super Grain Day with us or at an Ethiopian Restaurant in your community.

Lucas Koerner (2019-08-06). NPR Shreds Ethics Handbook to Normalize Regime Change in Venezuela. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-06_at_11.20.01_am.png

Aboulfotouh Kandil (2019-08-05). Stuck abroad: U.S. child begs Trump and Congress to save his life. peoplesworld.org On Sun., July 7, 2019, Egyptian authorities arrested a U.S. citizen, Reem Desoky, and her child, Mustafa Hamed, when they arrived at the airport in Cairo. The mother and her son live in Lancaster, Penn. Reem was sent to jail and Mustafa was given to his uncle Noor Desoky. Reem was arrested over Facebook posts, …

Binoy Kampmark (2019-08-05). The Retainer Solution: the European Union, Libya and Irregular Migration. counterpunch.org There is a venom in international refugee policy that refuses to go away: officials charged with their tasks, passing on their labours to those who might see the UN Refugee Convention as empty wording, rather than strict injunction carved upon stone. They have all become manifest in the policy of deferral: humanitarian problems are for More

United Nations (2019-08-05). Monday's Daily Brief: Independent experts on Myanmar, Guterres denounces US mass shootings, Libyan airport violence, UN Spokesperson on Kashmir. un.org Our main stories today: Myanmar companies bankroll 'brutal operations' of military; UN chief renounces shootings in the United States; 'Repeated indiscriminate' shelling of Libyan airport raises concern; UN voices 'concern' over Kashmir; and new UN agriculture chief reaffirms commitment with Italy on development…

Conn Hallinan (2019-08-05). Rivers of Dust: Water and the Middle East. counterpunch.org Syria and Iraq are at odds with Turkey over the Tigris-Euphrates. Egypt's relations with Sudan and Ethiopia over the Nile are tense. Jordan and the Palestinians accuse Israel of plundering river water to irrigate the Negev Desert and hogging most of the three aquifers that underlie the occupied West Bank. More

Staff (2019-08-05). Headlines for August 5, 2019. democracynow.org White Supremacist Kills 20 People After Hate-Fueled Gun Rampage in El Paso, Gunman with Misogynistic Past Kills 9 People in Dayton, OH Shooting Spree, General Strike Grips Hong Kong as Protesters Refuse to Back Down, India Revokes Kashmir's Special Status as Tensions Mount in Disputed Region, Iran Seizes Tanker as Tensions Between Iran and U.S. Remain High, Russian Police Arrest 800+ Protesters as Crackdown on Dissent Continues, Sudan's Military Rulers and Opposition Leaders Sign Transition Agreement, 3 Mexican Journalists Killed in Under a Week, Pierluisi Sworn In as Puerto Rico's New Governor as San Juan Mayor…

Lucas Koerner (2019-08-05). NPR Shreds Ethics Handbook to Normalize Regime Change in Venezuela. fair.org The Reagan administration in 1982 coerced National Public Radio (NPR) to cover more favorably the US terrorist war then being waged against Nicaragua. | As Greg Grandin writes, Otto Reich, head of the administration's Orwellian propaganda outfit known as the Office of Public Diplomacy, informed the public network that his office had contracted "a special consultant service [to listen] to all NPR programs" on Central America. Dependent on state funding, NPR promptly buckled under pressure, reassigning reporters viewed as "too easy on the Sandinistas," and…

Monica Moorehead (2019-08-04). Freed MOVE members welcomed in Brooklyn, N.Y. workers.org Long-time MOVE supporter, Orie Lumumba, organized a welcome-home reception on July 27 for Janine Africa, Janet Africa and Eddie Africa, members of the MOVE communal family. These fighters for environmental justice and for revolution were falsely arrested and convicted in 1978 for killing a white cop in Philadelphia, when their . . . | Continue reading Freed MOVE members welcomed in Brooklyn, N.Y. at Workers.org

United Nations (2019-08-02). Security Council gravely concerned by Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, demands immediate end to violence hampering response. un.org The UN Security Council on Friday expressed grave concern about the current Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and stressed the urgency of broad cooperation in the response, as "the disease could spread rapidly, including to neighbouring countries, possibly having serious humanitarian consequences and impacting regional stability."

United Nations (2019-08-02). Friday's Daily Brief: Security Council Ebola response, UNICEF chief on 'devastating week' for children in Middle East and North Africa, climate and migration links. un.org Our main stories today: Security Council concern over DRC Ebola outbreak, head of UNICEF deplores 'devastating week' for children in MENA region, climate crisis to have 'extensive' effect on human settlement…

Binoy Kampmark (2019-08-02). The Retainer Solution: The European Union, Libya and Irregular Migration. dissidentvoice.org There is a venom in international refugee policy that refuses to go away: officials charged with their tasks, passing on their labours to those who might see the UN Refugee Convention as empty wording, rather than strict injunction carved upon stone. They have all become manifest in the policy of deferral: humanitarian problems are for …

Staff (2019-08-02). Headlines for August 2, 2019. democracynow.org Pentagon to Receive $1.48 Trillion Under Two-Year Budget Deal, Russia Declares Nuclear Arms Treaty "Formally Dead" as U.S. Withdraws, Trump Threatens to Impose Steeper Tariffs on Chinese Goods, Puerto Rico Faces Succession Crisis as Disgraced Governor Resigns, Video Shows Dallas Police Mocking Man Who Died in Their Custody, Dozens Killed as Two Attacks Rattle Yemen's Port City of Aden, Four Killed as Sudanese Soldiers Fire on Peaceful Pro-Democracy Activists, Third Case of Ebola in Congolese City Sparks Fears in Neighboring Rwanda, U.S. Prepares to Withdraw Thousands of Troops Amid Peace Talks with Taliban, July…

susan_p (2019-08-02). South Africa: Transforming community protests into an uprising. greenleft.org.au There were protests galore in the build up to South Africa's May 8 national elections, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the people's victory against Apartheid. Protests occurred in many parts of the country but predominately in Gauteng, the nation's industrial heartland, and in the Western Cape, with its legacy of colonialism. | The correlation of protests and elections is not new in South Africa. What was new, however, was the ferocity and proliferation of the protests. The images of chaos in the country's urban working class townships during the elections implied that there was a crisis underlying S…

Vijay Prashad (2019-08-02). Homage to OSPAAAL, the organisation of solidarity for the peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. mronline.org Dear Friends, Greetings from the desk of the Tricontinental: Institute of Social Research. A few days ago, the 9th Asia Pacific Regional Conference of Solidarity with Cuba came to a close. At the final meeting, Prachanda—the co-chair of the Nepal Communist Party—articulated a sentiment that is shared by billions of people around the world. Cuba, he said, 'is […] | Source

pip.hinman (2019-08-02). Boycott HP products to show solidarity with Palestinians. greenleft.org.au Not many people know about the role of IT giant HP in Israel's grave violations of Palestinian rights and its system of military occupation, racial segregation and oppression. | Just as many companies profited from the South African Apartheid regime, HP is today profiting from Israel's apartheid policies towards Palestinians. It supplies Israel with technology, equipment and information that is used in its ongoing violations of Palestinians' rights. | July marked a year since Israel adopted its Jewish "nation-state" law, giving constitutional status to its apartheid policies towards Palestinian citizens of Israel…

United Nations (2019-08-01). Ten years on, crisis in Nigeria 'far from over'; UN and humanitarian partners urge support for millions still affected. un.org Ten years after the start of a violent insurgency in north-east Nigeria plunged the country into a humanitarian crisis that is "still far from over", the United Nations and its aid partners have underscored the need to "collectively redouble efforts" to help the most vulnerable.

Staff (2019-08-01). Headlines for August 1, 2019. democracynow.org Presidential Hopefuls Take Aim at Joe Biden During Second Night of Debates, Protesters Confront Joe Biden over Immigration Record, Protesters Confront NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio over Eric Garner's Death, NY Medical Examiner: Layleen Polanco Died of Epilepsy in Solitary Cell, U.N. Warns 21st Century's Worst Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding in Syria, Trump Administration Sanctions Iran's Foreign Minister, Sudan Schools Closed After Soldiers Massacre Students, Greenland Ice Melts at Rapid Pace as Temperatures Climb 30 Degrees Above Normal, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Promotes Climate Justice Proposal, 66 Seek Medical Care…

Staff (2019-07-31). Headlines for July 31, 2019. democracynow.org Sens. Sanders and Warren Tout Progressive Vision for 2020 as 2nd Democratic Debate Kicks Off, Detroit Activists Call on 2020 Dems to Tackle Pollution, Implement Green New Deal, North Korea Launches 2nd Ballistic Missile Test in Under a Week, 130 Hunger-Striking Prisoners in Egypt Decry Inhumane Treatment, Senators Question DOD Nominee John Hyten over Sexual Assault Accusations, Virginia Delegate Protests Trump Speech: "You Can't Send Us Back!", House Report Says Trump Adviser Ran Campaign Speech by UAE, Saudi Officials, California Bill Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose 5 Years of Tax Returns, 2 Chicago…

United Nations (2019-07-31). Wednesday's Daily Brief: World Breastfeeding Week kickoff, Second Ebola death on DR Congo's eastern border,‚ÄØUN chief lauds climate activist Thunberg, Afghan bus attack, and outgoing UN agriculture chief hands over reigns. un.org Our main stories today cover: ‚ÄØWorld Breastfeeding Week kickoff, Ebola on DR Congo side of Rwandan border, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg to said to UN climate summit, UN chief condemns deadly Afghan bus attack and UN agriculture agency chief marks last day.

United Nations (2019-07-31). UN working 'intensively' to stop Ebola in eastern DR Congo, following second case in major border town. un.org Senior UN officials tasked with controlling the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have responded to Tuesday's confirmation of a second case of Ebola in Goma, a major trading town in the vast country's restive east, near the border with neighbouring Rwanda, which resulted in the death of the patient.

United Nations (2019-07-31). FROM THE FIELD: Turning waste into a business in the slums of Yaoundé, Cameroon. un.org The increasing volume and complexity of waste associated with modern economies is posing a serious risk to ecosystems and human health. Every year, an estimated 11.2 billion tons of solid waste are collected worldwide, according to the UN Environment Programme.

Dean Baker (2019-07-29). The Dangerous Austerity Politics of the Washington Post. fair.org Washington Post ( 7/17/19) | The Washington Post ( 7/17/19) ran a column this month by Maya MacGuineas, the president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, one of the many pro-austerity organizations that received generous funding from the…

CounterSpin (2019-06-14). Sandy Cioffi on Nigerian Oil, Riki Ott Looking Back at Exxon Valdez Spill. fair.org Media…

2019-08-06: Social Media Postees

'John Bolton Tried to Assasinate Me'
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-08-06
In a new interview with The Grayzone Project's Max Blumenthal, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sits down to discuss Washington's plots against him, crippling U.S. sanctions on food distribution and allegations of corruption within his administration. He also reflects on what he considers a campaign within corporate media to malign his democratically elected government. Watch the full video of their conversation above.
truthdig.com/videos/john-bolton-tried-to-assasinate-me/

NPR Shreds Ethics Handbook to Normalize Regime Change in Venezuela
Lucas Koerner | commondreams.org | 2019-08-06
commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-08-06_at_11.20.01_am.png …

Help African farmers cope with climate change threats, UN food agency urges
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-06
African farmers need help to cope with the threats of climate change, with national policies that protect them and make them resilient, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, has declared, following a major conference on food security in the continent.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1043761

Leading Pabloite Gilbert Achcar provided counter-insurgency advice to British Army
wsws.org | 2019-08-06
The pseudo-left groups are enlisting in the service of the military and security apparatus, providing their academic expertise on the nations of Africa and the Middle East targeted by imperialism.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/06/achc-a06.html

Inaugural International Teff Super Grain Day
Michael Harris | indybay.org | 2019-08-06
Everyone is invited to celebrate International Teff Super Grain Day with us or at an Ethiopian Restaurant in your community.
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/08/06/18825237.php

Stuck abroad: U.S. child begs Trump and Congress to save his life
Aboulfotouh Kandil | peoplesworld.org | 2019-08-05
On Sun., July 7, 2019, Egyptian authorities arrested a U.S. citizen, Reem Desoky, and her child, Mustafa Hamed, when they arrived at the airport in Cairo. The mother and her son live in Lancaster, Penn. Reem was sent to jail and Mustafa was given to his uncle Noor Desoky. Reem was arrested over Facebook posts, …
peoplesworld.org/article/stuck-abroad-u-s-child-begs-trump-and-congress-to-save-his-life/

NPR Shreds Ethics Handbook to Normalize Regime Change in Venezuela
Lucas Koerner | fair.org | 2019-08-05
The Reagan administration in 1982 coerced National Public Radio (NPR) to cover more favorably the US terrorist war then being waged against Nicaragua. | As Greg Grandin writes, Otto Reich, head of the administration's Orwellian propaganda outfit known as the Office of Public Diplomacy, informed the public network that his office had contracted "a special consultant service [to listen] to all NPR programs" on Central America. Dependent on state funding, NPR promptly buckled under pressure, reassigning reporters viewed as "too easy on the Sandinistas," and…
fair.org/home/npr-shreds-ethics-handbook-to-normalize-regime-change-in-venezuela/

The Retainer Solution: the European Union, Libya and Irregular Migration
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-05
There is a venom in international refugee policy that refuses to go away: officials charged with their tasks, passing on their labours to those who might see the UN Refugee Convention as empty wording, rather than strict injunction carved upon stone. They have all become manifest in the policy of deferral: humanitarian problems are for…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/05/the-retainer-solution-the-european-union-libya-and-irregular-migration/

Monday's Daily Brief: Independent experts on Myanmar, Guterres denounces US mass shootings, Libyan airport violence, UN Spokesperson on Kashmir
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-05
Our main stories today: Myanmar companies bankroll 'brutal operations' of military; UN chief renounces shootings in the United States; 'Repeated indiscriminate' shelling of Libyan airport raises concern; UN voices 'concern' over Kashmir; and new UN agriculture chief reaffirms commitment with Italy on development…
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1043731

Rivers of Dust: Water and the Middle East
Conn Hallinan | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-05
Syria and Iraq are at odds with Turkey over the Tigris-Euphrates. Egypt's relations with Sudan and Ethiopia over the Nile are tense. Jordan and the Palestinians accuse Israel of plundering river water to irrigate the Negev Desert and hogging most of the three aquifers that underlie the occupied West Bank.
counterpunch.org/2019/08/05/rivers-of-dust-water-the-middle-east/

Freed MOVE members welcomed in Brooklyn, N.Y
Monica Moorehead | workers.org | 2019-08-04
Long-time MOVE supporter, Orie Lumumba, organized a welcome-home reception on July 27 for Janine Africa, Janet Africa and Eddie Africa, members of the MOVE communal family. These fighters for environmental justice and for revolution were falsely arrested and convicted in 1978 for killing a white cop in Philadelphia, when their . . . | Continue reading Freed MOVE members welcomed in Brooklyn, N.Y. at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/08/04/freed-move-members-welcomed-in-brooklyn-n-y/

Security Council gravely concerned by Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, demands immediate end to violence hampering response
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-02
The UN Security Council on Friday expressed grave concern about the current Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and stressed the urgency of broad cooperation in the response, as "the disease could spread rapidly, including to neighbouring countries, possibly having serious humanitarian consequences and impacting regional stability."
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1043651

Friday's Daily Brief: Security Council Ebola response, UNICEF chief on 'devastating week' for children in Middle East and North Africa, climate and migration links
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-02
Our main stories today: Security Council concern over DRC Ebola outbreak, head of UNICEF deplores 'devastating week' for children in MENA region, climate crisis to have 'extensive' effect on human settlement…
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1043661

The Retainer Solution: The European Union, Libya and Irregular Migration
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-08-02
There is a venom in international refugee policy that refuses to go away: officials charged with their tasks, passing on their labours to those who might see the UN Refugee Convention as empty wording, rather than strict injunction carved upon stone. They have all become manifest in the policy of deferral: humanitarian problems are for …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/08/the-retainer-solution-the-european-union-libya-and-irregular-migration/

South Africa: Transforming community protests into an uprising
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-02
There were protests galore in the build up to South Africa's May 8 national elections, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the people's victory against Apartheid. Protests occurred in many parts of the country but predominately in Gauteng, the nation's industrial heartland, and in the Western Cape, with its legacy of colonialism. | The correlation of protests and elections is not new in South Africa. What was new, however, was the ferocity and proliferation of the protests. The images of chaos in the country's urban working class townships during the elections implied that there was a crisis underlying S…
greenleft.org.au/content/south-africa-transforming-community-protests-uprising

Boycott HP products to show solidarity with Palestinians
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-08-02
Not many people know about the role of IT giant HP in Israel's grave violations of Palestinian rights and its system of military occupation, racial segregation and oppression. | Just as many companies profited from the South African Apartheid regime, HP is today profiting from Israel's apartheid policies towards Palestinians. It supplies Israel with technology, equipment and information that is used in its ongoing violations of Palestinians' rights. | July marked a year since Israel adopted its Jewish "nation-state" law, giving constitutional status to its apartheid policies towards Palestinian citizens of Israel…
greenleft.org.au/content/boycott-hp-products-show-solidarity-palestinians

Homage to OSPAAAL, the organisation of solidarity for the peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2019-08-02
Dear Friends, Greetings from the desk of the Tricontinental: Institute of Social Research. A few days ago, the 9th Asia Pacific Regional Conference of Solidarity with Cuba came to a close. At the final meeting, Prachanda–the co-chair of the Nepal Communist Party–articulated a sentiment that is shared by billions of people around the world. Cuba, he said, 'is […] | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/02/homage-to-ospaaal-the-organisation-of-solidarity-for-the-peoples-of-asia-africa-and-latin-america/

Ten years on, crisis in Nigeria 'far from over'; UN and humanitarian partners urge support for millions still affected
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-01
Ten years after the start of a violent insurgency in north-east Nigeria plunged the country into a humanitarian crisis that is "still far from over", the United Nations and its aid partners have underscored the need to "collectively redouble efforts" to help the most vulnerable.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1043581

Headlines for July 31, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-31
Sens. Sanders and Warren Tout Progressive Vision for 2020 as 2nd Democratic Debate Kicks Off, Detroit Activists Call on 2020 Dems to Tackle Pollution, Implement Green New Deal, North Korea Launches 2nd Ballistic Missile Test in Under a Week, 130 Hunger-Striking Prisoners in Egypt Decry Inhumane Treatment, Senators Question DOD Nominee John Hyten over Sexual Assault Accusations, Virginia Delegate Protests Trump Speech: "You Can't Send Us Back!", House Report Says Trump Adviser Ran Campaign Speech by UAE, Saudi Officials, California Bill Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose 5 Years of Tax Returns, 2 Chicago…
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/31/headlines

Wednesday's Daily Brief: World Breastfeeding Week kickoff, Second Ebola death on DR Congo's eastern border,‚ÄØUN chief lauds climate activist Thunberg, Afghan bus attack, and outgoing UN agriculture chief hands over reigns
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-31
Our main stories today cover: ‚ÄØWorld Breastfeeding Week kickoff, Ebola on DR Congo side of Rwandan border, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg to said to UN climate summit, UN chief condemns deadly Afghan bus attack and UN agriculture agency chief marks last day.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1043561

UN working 'intensively' to stop Ebola in eastern DR Congo, following second case in major border town
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-31
Senior UN officials tasked with controlling the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have responded to Tuesday's confirmation of a second case of Ebola in Goma, a major trading town in the vast country's restive east, near the border with neighbouring Rwanda, which resulted in the death of the patient.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1043501

FROM THE FIELD: Turning waste into a business in the slums of Yaoundé, Cameroon
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-31
The increasing volume and complexity of waste associated with modern economies is posing a serious risk to ecosystems and human health. Every year, an estimated 11.2 billion tons of solid waste are collected worldwide, according to the UN Environment Programme.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1043541

The Dangerous Austerity Politics of the Washington Post
Dean Baker | fair.org | 2019-07-29
Washington Post ( 7/17/19) | The Washington Post ( 7/17/19) ran a column this month by Maya MacGuineas, the president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, one of the many pro-austerity organizations that received generous funding from the…
fair.org/home/the-dangerous-austerity-politics-of-the-washington-post/