Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

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Member of House Intelligence committee says she can’t talk about post 9/11 assassination program involving Blackwater. “Yeah, I can’t—I really can’t, I don’t think even at this point, tell.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/14/ ... ce_tied_to

Senate passes bill to roll back Dodd-Frank restrictions on major banks. “I urge my colleagues to ask themselves — whose side are we on? The side of special interests and Wall Street, or taxpayers and homeowners and students and workers?” http://thehill.com/policy/finance/37849 ... dodd-frank

Toys R Us reportedly seeking permission to sell off its inventory. “Toys ‘R’ Us said on Thursday it is seeking approval to liquidate inventory in its 735 U.S. stores, which debtors anticipate will close by the end of this year.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-toys ... SKCN1GR0E6

Democratic candidate wins tight special election for Pennsylvania’s vacant seat in Congress. “(Conor) Lamb, for all his fresh-faced charm, ran and won as a Trump Democrat – a flashback to the “Republican Lite” candidacies the Democrats specialized in during the Clinton ’90s and ’00s.” https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/n ... ry-w517866

Muslim groups suspect incoming Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of being a hater. “After the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013, Pompeo — then a member of Congress — falsely accused American Muslim organizations of not condemning terrorism. Despite a steady stream of such condemnations since the Sept. 11 attacks — including many in the hours after the Boston attacks — Pompeo accused American Muslims of being ‘potentially complicit’.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act ... advocates/

Supporters of incoming CIA director Gina Haspel using the “Nuremberg defense” to justify her participation in torture program. “She was following orders.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/15/was ... na-haspel/

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says “konnichiwa” to third generation Japanese-American congresswoman, before responding during hearing to concerns about defunding of internment camp history programs. “The phrase ― which, let’s remember, (Colleen) Hanabusa’s grandfather imprisoned on Oahu was a U.S. citizen ― means “good afternoon” or “good day” in Japanese.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ry ... 2217fd44c6

Court orders release of Parkland, Florida high school shooting video. “(Deputy Scot) Peterson stood by the building for about 26 minutes.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 428147002/

Comedian who ordered Trump merchandise discovers most of it is made overseas in low wage countries or is unlabelled. “…he was a little surprised when he came across two products that didn’t have nation of origin labels at all, because when (Jimmy) Kimmel looked at import law, it said that ‘failure to properly report product origin can result in substantial penalties’.” http://time.com/5201084/jimmy-kimmel-on-trump-merch/ If I were a betting man, I’d bet those unmarked items were made in a Muslim-majority country, like Indonesia or Bangladesh.

Jealous girlfriend accused of attacking sleeping boyfriend with sword. “On March 3, the 30-year-old reportedly taped a samurai sword underneath the couple’s bed and waited for Lovell to fall asleep. The enraged girlfriend then began to hack at her boyfriend in the dark.” http://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/03/15/w ... boyfriend/

New Miami pedestrian bridge collapses. “It stretched 174 feet and weighed 960 tons, according to the release, and was built using what are called “Accelerated Bridge Construction” methods being worked on at the university.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/gra ... g-several/ A 960 ton pedestrian bridge? This must be a typo.

Trump mangles story about Japanese ‘bowling ball’ test on imported cars. “When he said, ‘If the hood dents, then the car doesn’t qualify’, that would be a test of the strength of the hood. In contrast, the test is all about a person’s head and the force it has to absorb in (a pedestrian strike) accident.” http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter ... ball-test/ In other words, if the hood is too rigid it could kill the pedestrian, so the bigger the dent the better.

Biggest operator of U.S. radio stations files for bankruptcy. “IHeart, with about 850 radio stations and 17,000 employees worldwide, filed for Chapter 11 protection Wednesday in Houston, a move that allows iHeart to keep operating while it tries to cement its turnaround plan.” http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-i ... story.html

Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticizes Wells Fargo CEO’s pay raise. “The firm announced this week that it paid Sloan $17.4 million for 2017, a 36 percent increase from a year earlier.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... tor-warren

Parent company of grocery store chain Winn-Dixie to file for bankruptcy. “Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie grocery stores, said it’s restructuring to save $500 million, but will be forced to file bankruptcy and close 94 stores.” http://www.newsweek.com/winn-dixie-bank ... ceo-847416

Federal appeals court throws out law requiring investment and insurance brokers to act in the best interests of their clients. “In a 2-1 ruling, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said the fiduciary rule bears the hallmarks of “unreasonableness” and constitutes an arbitrary and capricious exercise of administrative power.” http://thehill.com/regulation/court-bat ... ciary-rule “The lawsuit stems from a challenge the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and eight other business and financial groups brought against the rule.”

Police shooting of pregnant, unarmed 16 year old in Hayward, California receiving little press coverage. “The undercover officers were dressed in plain clothes and armed with AR-15 rifles when they ambushed the car of teenagers.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... a-no-video

New Hampshire state trooper cleared in fatal shooting of fleeing suspect shot in the back. “(Trooper) O’Toole told investigators that (Jesse) Champney repeatedly said he had a gun and would shoot him and refused O’Toole’s demands to stop during the foot chase.” https://www.chron.com/news/crime/articl ... 753705.php

Supreme Court accused of making up its own legal doctrine on police immunity. “One provision (of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871) said that ‘any person’ who acts ‘under color of any law’ and who deprives someone of ‘any rights, privileges or immunities secured by the Constitution shall be liable to the party injured’. It includes no exceptions and gives no officials immunity.” http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-p ... story.html

Attorneys at Chicago double police shooting trial accuse paramedic of changing his testimony. “It’s not until (DiGiovanni) had conferred with the city’s lawyers that the bodies started moving outside.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... story.html

Protesters demand that Elgin, Illinois officials release video of fatal police shooting. “Police said (Decynthia) Clements, 34, had a knife and was shot early Monday by Lt. Christian Jensen after an hour-long standoff that came after she fled from a traffic stop.” http://www.dailyherald.com/news/2018031 ... s-released

Jury clears Zion, Illinois police officer who shot fleeing, teenage suspect twice in the back. “Andrew Stroth, one of the family’s lawyers, said (Justus) Howell’s relatives were ‘devastated’ by the verdict. He said that surveillance video of the shooting ‘speaks for itself’.” https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/jury- ... lling-him/

Anti-abortion group makes huge donation to Democrat facing primary challenge. “Now that progressive primary challenger Marie Newman is ‘within striking distance’ of ousting Blue Dog Democrat Rep. Dan Lipinski in Illinois’s 3rd District, a right-wing group that typically backs Republicans has made a ‘six-figure investment’ in a ‘last-minute push’ to bolster the anti-choice incumbent.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -big-money

Oklahoma to move to new method of executing prisoners after drug companies cut off access to execution drugs. “According to the Independent, the American Veterinary Medical Association has deemed the use of nitrogen gas as unacceptable for euthanizing animals, and has said it would take several minutes for a 70-pound animal to die if the gas was administered.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ill-people

U.S. falls to 18th in ‘happiness’ ranking. “The World Happiness Report ranks countries according to per capita GDP, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and corruption levels.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... larming-18

Elizabeth Warren introduces bill that would jail bankers. “Today, I introduced the Ending Too Big to Jail Act, which would help make sure big bank executives are hauled out of their corner offices in handcuffs the next time they break the law.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... all-street If you trick a convenience store clerk into giving you $10 too much in change you would probably go to jail, so why not bankers who cheat?

Facebook has reportedly hidden a web page that touted the site’s power to influence the outcomes of elections. “Facebook’s (campaign on behalf of) Florida’s Republican Gov. Rick Scott ‘used link ads and video ads to boost Hispanic voter turnout in their candidate’s successful bid for a second term, resulting in a 22% increase in Hispanic support and the majority of the Cuban vote’. Facebook’s work with the Scottish National Party, a political party in the U.K., was described as ‘triggering a landslide’.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/14/fac ... -meddling/

Ford recalls more than 1.3 million vehicles over faulty steering wheels. “The Dearborn, Michigan company said it was ‘issuing a safety recall in North America for approximately 1.3 million 2014-18 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles for potentially loose steering wheel bolts that could result in a steering wheel detaching from the steering column’.” http://www.ibtimes.com/ford-cars-safety ... ed-2662815

Canadian journalist suggests Trump may have fabricated the entire meeting with Justin Trudeau that he referred to in a recent speech. “The Canadians are unsure what meeting Trump’s referring to…. (the) anecdote (about the trade deficit) from Trump most resembles a chat they may have had by phone.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/trump- ... s-trudeau/

Spanish government digs hole deeper, raids offices of Catalan regional government. “Spanish police searched the seat of the Catalan regional government in Barcelona on Thursday as part of an investigation into how last year’s banned independence referendum was funded.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/spanish-poli ... 34274.html

U.S. movie rating system flags gun carnage but not gun violence. “When comparing the PG-13 theatrical release of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) to the R-rated ‘Ultimate Edition’, both feature the same kind of violence, but only the latter shows the blood spray and human suffering that results, including shots of blood being smeared on walls, clouds of blood after people are shot, and blood spraying on the wall after a character is hit with an assault rifle. Screenrant described the Ultimate Edition as being ‘a bit more realistic’ because of its inclusion of human suffering after the gunfire.” https://fair.org/home/republicans-want- ... lets-look/

House “School Safety” bill does not contain any gun control measures. “The protests came as the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill authorizing $50 million in grants to schools for safety protocols and training.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/15/ ... n_controls

Turkish forces encircle city of Afrin in Syria, cut off city’s water supply. “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to crush the Kurdish YPG militia, known as the People’s Protection Units, who control Afrin.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/15/ ... y_of_afrin

New CIA director accused of running ‘black site’ in Thailand where prisoners were tortured, and of then destroying evidence. “Had President Obama prosecuted (Gina) Haspel and other CIA torturers at the time, she would have gone to prison. But Obama, in his quaint timid way, said he wanted to look forward, not back.” https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-co ... ector.html

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson fired with a tweet. “Tillerson said Trump had called him around noon Tuesday from Air Force One, while en route to California — several hours after the president had publicly announced Tillerson’s firing on Twitter.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white- ... or-n856091 Trump keeping it classy, as always.

Video of fatal 2014 courtroom shooting of defendant finally released. “Authorities have identified the U.S. marshal only as Jane Doe. An FBI investigation found the shooting was legally justified.” https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900 ... oting.html

Hillary Clinton tells audience in India that many of the women who voted for Trump did so because they were pressured to by men. “At another point in the talk, Clinton, whose campaign slogan was “Stronger Together,” said that the reasons married white women voted for Trump was due to ‘ongoing pressure to vote the way that your husband, your boss, your son, whoever, believes you should’.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpos ... story.html Maybe where Hillary lives the men get to peek over the curtains at the polls?

ICE spokesman quits over inflated agency estimates of the number of fugitives who escaped Oakland raids. “We were never going to pick up that many (800) people.” https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/art ... 748022.php

Armed teacher accidentally fires pistol in class, injuring three. “”I think a lot of questions on parents’ minds are, why a teacher would be pointing a loaded firearm at the ceiling in front of students.” http://www.ibtimes.com/school-teacher-d ... ts-2662427

Science teacher accused of feeding sick puppy to snapping turtle. “Police told FOX13 the dog was alive when it allegedly was presented as a meal for the turtle.” http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/13/sc ... s-say.html I remember dissecting live frogs, pinned to a board, in biology class, one frog for each pair of students.

Dog dies after flight attendant allegedly ordered passenger to stow it in overhead bin. “Eventually, the pet owner, whom United declined to name, complied with the flight attendant.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/busi ... d-dog.html We all know what happens to airline passengers who don’t comply with the instructions of flight attendants.

Family of Seth Rich sues Fox News over stories that he leaked Democratic National Committee emails. “Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that Fox, Zimmerman, and Butowsky created a “smear campaign” against the family and manipulated Rich’s parents by inducing them to hire Rod Wheeler, an independent investigator Fox used to back up its claim, to help solve their son’s murder.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/briannasacks/s ... creating-a

Trump administration accused of concealing data from the public, such as worker safety statistics. “Trump administration officials seem eager to dish off the record about the daily drama of a dysfunctional White House,” Alan Zibel, research director for Public Citizen’s Corporate Presidency Project, said in a statement. “But they routinely suppress far more consequential information about how Trump’s dangerous worker safety, public health, and environmental policies will impact Americans.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ate-agenda

New Zealand’s deputy head of mission in the U.S. is apparently worried about the possibility of a progress challenge to the Democratic Party establishment. “A Sanders-Warren ticket could win big in 2020,” declared the headline. “No it couldn’t,” responded Beresford in a tweet that was later deleted. “Please get your shit together or we will all die.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... we-all-die

Military commander tells Congress he has no idea what Saudi aircraft are doing after U.S. refuels them. ““General Votel, does CENTCOM track the purpose of the missions it is refueling? In other words, where a U.S.-refueled aircraft is going, what targets it strikes, and the result of the mission?” (Senator Elizabeth) Warren asked. “Senator, we do not,” Votel replied.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/14/yem ... th-warren/

Review of the movie “The Young Karl Marx”. “Raoul Peck, then, can’t really take credit for making Marx sexy again. Capitalism and all its attendant horrors did that for him. What he, Marx, and Engels offer are a few prescriptions for today’s young socialists looking to challenge capitalism: better theory, more practice, and maybe even a few wild parties along the way.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/13/the ... -has-come/

11% of Disneyland workers surveyed say they were homeless part of last year. “Among ‘cast members’ who’ve worked more than 15 years, 52 percent don’t make above $15 an hour, and 67 percent ‘can’t afford to pay their monthly bills’.” http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capita ... rt-2660390

Company tracks customer returns for retail giants. “The Retail Equation has information on customer returns that date as far back as 2004.” http://www.ibtimes.com/retail-equation- ... ns-2662301

Atomwaffen, an American neo-Nazi group, is armed, dangerous and plotting a race war. “Just how many people belong to Atomwaffen is unknown. The ex-member told ProPublica that the group has enlisted about 80 members across the country, many of whom joined after the deadly events in Charlottesville last summer.” https://www.propublica.org/article/atom ... hate-group

Farm workers on hunger strike to get Wendy’s to buy its produce from worker friendly farms. “In New York City, dozens of farmworkers with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers are in the middle of a five-day fast outside the Manhattan office of Nelson Peltz, the board chair and largest shareholder of Wendy’s.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/14/ ... od_program

TSA allegedly searching electronic devices of airline passengers taking domestic flights. “The ACLU Foundation of Northern California filed a lawsuit against the TSA on Monday demanding that the government disclose its policies for searching the computers and cellphones of domestic travelers, arguing that anecdotal accounts have raised concerns about potential privacy invasions.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ic-flights

Video of another encounter between military jets and UFO released. “The (Department of Defense) has not identified any of the mystery aircraft, leading some to believe that they could be extraterrestrial technology manned by alien visitors.” http://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy- ... hey-2018-3 Sorry guys, but after the Phoenix Lights and the testimony of government insiders about decades of sightings and contacts, the cat is already out of the bag. Now we want to know about communication, how long its been going on and what they’ve been telling you.

Exposure to lead may be causing heart disease. “…the new study found that even minute levels of lead substantially increase the risk of death, especially from heart disease.” https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/en ... 412754002/

Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee says no evidence of collusion between Trump campaign and Russians. “And the GOP-led investigation also discovered ‘problematic contacts between senior Intelligence Community officials and the media’.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/12/house-r ... g-end.html

Winston Churchill’s hidden past as an imperialist war criminal. “In Afghanistan, Churchill declared that the Pashtuns ‘needed to recognise the superiority of [the British] race’ and that ‘all who resist will be killed without quarter’.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/glo ... -murderer/

House Homeland Security bill would allow the president to send Secret Service agents into polling places. “History has shown that the presence of law enforcement at the polls has the effect of chilling voter turnout, especially among minority communities.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... end-secret

The drug dealers Trump will not be going after. “Purdue spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the 1990s convincing doctors and patients that OxyContin should be used for chronic pain rather than for acute, temporary pain that a patient might have after surgery, or for end-of-life care.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -crisis-it

U.S. by far the world’s biggest arms dealer. “New research completed by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) found that the global arms trade rose by about 10 percent from 2013 to 2017, during which the U.S. increased its sales by about 25 percent and accounted for about a third of global weapons exports.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... arms-trade

Web founder says reforms are needed. “What was once a rich selection of blogs and websites has been compressed under the powerful weight of a few dominant platforms. This concentration of power creates a new set of gatekeepers, allowing a handful of platforms to control which ideas and opinions are seen and shared.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... pen-letter

Japan’s ruling conservative party embroiled in corruption scandal. “The finance ministry admitted on Monday that it had altered official documents surrounding the decision to provide an 85% discount on the appraised value of the land (to be used for a conservative school project favored by the first lady).” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... sm-scandal

New book exposes details of Israel’s assassination program, claims country has carried out almost 2,000 targeted killings. “…the U.S., Israel, Russia, North Korea, and many other members of the community of nations continue to murder their opponents without having to account for it.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/11/isr ... tion-book/

Politicians may be partially responsible for hate crimes against U.S. Muslims. “If spikes in anti-Muslim activity only occurred due to terrorism, we would expect to see more incidents following high-profile attacks like the Boston Marathon bombing and Charlie Hebdo, but we didn’t. What we do have are folks running for elected office who are using megaphones to talk about how dangerous Muslims are.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/11/ant ... amophobia/

White House press secretary calls poisoning of former Russian spy in England an “indiscriminate” attack. “The use of a highly dangerous nerve agent against U.K. citizens on U.K. soil is an outrage. The attack was reckless, indiscriminate and irresponsible.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/sarah- ... criminate/

Government compliance with Freedom of Information Act requests is low according to investigators. “People who asked for records under the Freedom of Information Act received censored files or nothing in 78 percent of 823,222 requests, a record over the past decade.” https://apnews.com/714791d91d7944e49a28 ... ov’t-files I’ve been waiting for three years now to find out the identity of an American who went into a coma and died after his 2015 arrest by Tokyo police, and the details of the incident, which was not reported on by U.S. media. “The (State) Department currently has a backlog of approximately 11,000 cases.” Oh, and they didn’t receive my second request for all agency correspondence regarding my original request.

Hawaiian government says no records kept of of activities or communications of state’s top officials during false missile attack alert except for emails. “We are not aware of any state agency that maintains the governor’s office cell/office phone records, instant messages or text messages.” https://sg.news.yahoo.com/hawaii-refuse ... 03430.html

U.N. accuses Honduras of using excessive force against protesters after contested election. “The security forces shot dead at least 16 people, including two women and two children, out of at least 23 people known to have died during the protests, the U.N. human rights office said in a report.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-hondu ... KKCN1GO229 Compare news coverage with coverage of election violence in Venezuela.

Myanmar’s government accused of building military bases on land taken from Rohingya refugees. “Security forces have bulldozed houses and started constructing at least three new security facilities in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, said Amnesty International’s Remaking Rakhine State report, which was published on Monday.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/ ... 29214.html

Trump tells crowd it may be time to start killing drug dealers, Democrats are blocking his appointments (just like Obama’s!) and his election was “one of the greatest nights in the history of television”. “I think (capital punishment for drug crimes) is a discussion we have to start thinking about. I don’t know if we’re ready — I don’t know if this country’s ready for it.” http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-do ... ies-2018-3 Maybe Rodrigo Duterte is one of his new hires?

Steve Bannon tells right-wing party congress in France not be be ashamed of being racists. “Let them call you racists…. Wear it as a badge of honor.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201 ... 413727002/

Afghanistan veteran kills three at veteran counseling non-profit in California. “(Albert Wong) joined the active-duty Army in 2010 and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 for a year.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/us/y ... oting.html

Oklahoma teachers’ union threatens state-wide strike. “Earlier this week, (the Oklahoma Education Association) announced April 23 as the statewide teacher walkout date, but moved it up to April 2 just one day later in response to pushback within its own membership and nonmember teachers.” http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/educatio ... 0bfd8.html

Russian president Vladimir Putin suggests minority groups in Russia may have been responsible for U.S. election hacking. “Maybe they’re not even Russians. Maybe they’re Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews, just with Russian citizenship.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/puti ... ss-n855151

Oakland coffee shop says “no cop” policy is to protect its customers. “Controversy erupted after Hasta Muerte Coffee in Oakland, Calif. refused to serve a Latino police sergeant citing its policy of ‘asking police to leave for the physical and emotional safety of our customers and ourselves’.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.3867469

Florida passes bill to ban child marriages. “(Sherry) Johnson was 9 when she was raped by a church deacon, 10 when she gave birth and 11 when she married the man. Johnson said her church pressured her mother to consent to the marriage and a judge approved it.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 413284002/

ICE agents snatch California mom off the sidewalk in front of her traumatized daughters. “She is being held on suspicion of being in the country illegally.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html Video is here (if you don’t mind Google running javascript on your computer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJg2Pj_dP98

Special educators say students like Nikolas Cruz are not receiving needed counseling and treatment. “Experts say many schools are poorly trained at dealing with students with behavioral disabilities and mental illnesses, and they often focus more on disciplining students than providing them help.” http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/browa ... story.html

Sri Lankan government blocks social media due to ethnic violence. “These platforms are banned because they were spreading hate speeches and amplifying them.” https://gizmodo.com/sri-lanka-blocked-f ... 1823676276

Thousands of demonstrators, led by indigenous community, march against oil pipeline plan. “The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion would nearly triple the flow of oil from Alberta’s tar sands to the Pacific Coast.” https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/articl ... 743497.php

Costco targets the doomsday prepper market. “The wholesale superstore has rolled out a $6,000 food kit featuring 36,000 servings of food that can feed a family of four for a year, according to its online listing.” http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2018/ ... l-kit.html “Packaged discreetly for privacy in shipping.” Wouldn’t want those pesky neighbors to get any ideas. “Sorry, no room in this lifeboat!”

House bill would ease rules on companies hit by data breaches, consumer group cries foul. “This is simply an attempt to set weaker laws as the ceiling for what states can do to protect consumers.” http://www.latimes.com/business/lazarus ... story.html

Slow, expensive, burger-making robot loses job to humans. “In a statement Miso Robotics, which made Flippy, said it was testing the code that controls the robot to ensure that it can cook quickly enough to fulfill orders at peak times.” http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43343956

Multiple state governments passing or considering gun control legislation. “Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island, who faces a tough reelection bid, signed an executive order on Monday for a “red flag” policy that allows relatives or the police to ask judges to temporarily strip gun rights from those showing warning signs of violence. California, Connecticut, Indiana, Oregon and Washington state also have red flag laws and more than a dozen other states are considering similar measures, according to the Associated Press.” http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/states-i ... d=53441193

Peace activist Medea Benjamin says Trump’s military parade has a hidden agenda. “…she argued the ‘real cost’ of Trump’s parade is how it ‘ramps up the glorification of militarism, priming the US public for continuing the endless wars we are already in as well as potential new wars. Perhaps Iran? Progressives must oppose the parade, wrapped up as a tribute to veterans, since we know that the best way to show support for veterans is to stop war. And we have to counter it with a massive peace parade’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... nt-endless

Doctors in Quebec ask government to give their pay increases to nurses, hospital workers. “These increases are all the more shocking because our nurses, clerks, and other professionals face very difficult working conditions, while our patients live with the lack of access to required services because of the drastic cuts in recent years.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... healthcare

Sanders tells Democratic Party not to intervene in primaries. “Having tasted what it feels like to have the Establishment-wing of the Democratic Party put its thumb on the scale when he ran for president in 2016, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is telling the congressional campaign arm of the party to stop working against progressive candidates in contested primary races this election season.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ogressives

Philippine president accused of putting U.N. special envoy on terror watch list. “The attack against the special rapporteur is taking place in the context of widespread extrajudicial executions and ongoing attacks against voices who are critical of the current government, including human rights defenders.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... t-hit-list

“Pharma bro” gets seven year sentence for securities fraud. “Shkreli rose to infamy in 2015 when, as the CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, he raised the price of Daraprim, a lifesaving drug used by some AIDS patients, from $13.50 per pill to $750.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... ourt-trial

Men push back against “toxic masculinity” messaging. “If you’ve always found men such as Weinstein despicable and pathetic, it’s disorienting to find yourself in the same category as him by virtue of also having a penis.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ally-toxic

Elizabeth Warren calls out Senate Democrats who voted to roll back banking regulations. “(The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act is) a cleverly misnamed bill that would peel back regulations on 25 of the 32 largest banks in the country, removing a slew of consumer protections while relaxing stress tests and other reporting requirements for a range of financial institutions that were developed in the aftermath of the Great Recession.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/09/eli ... tion-bill/

Mom allegedly threatens school shooting over phone left at reception desk. “If I don’t get my phone back, I’m going to come back and shoot up the school!” https://nypost.com/2018/03/09/mom-accus ... ront-desk/

Black mom taken down by Pittsburgh area police officer after she complains about white theater manager calling her children “animals”. “A North Versailles police officer’s actions are being questioned after video of a controversial arrest went viral, gaining more than 1 million views on Facebook.” http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/03/ ... est-video/ You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3egl6TaDQEE

ACLU files class action lawsuit on behalf of migrants and asylum seekers separated from their children. “The class action seeks to represent all adult parents in immigration custody who have a minor child separated from them without a hearing to prove the parent is unfit to care for them.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/detain ... istration/

Trump supporter wins $876 million Pentagon contract. “(Peter Thiel’s) data-mining startup, Palantir Technologies Inc., won a much-contested contract to provide software to the U.S. Army.” https://finance.yahoo.com/news/peter-th ... 09914.html

Turkish court says journalist should have been charged with espionage for publishing video of country’s intelligence agents smuggling weapons into Syria. “On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the lower court should have sentenced (Can) Dundar on espionage-related charges, which carry a 15-20 year sentence, rather than the lesser charge of disclosing confidential information….” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-turke ... KKCN1GL24F

Villagers seek justice after Nigerian air force intervenes in grazing dispute, allegedly killing 78 in air raid. “Residents of the Adamawa villages described being fired upon by a fighter jet and military helicopter as they attempted to flee while, at the same time, hundreds of herdsmen were staging a revenge attack on the communities for earlier killings over grazing rights.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-niger ... KKCN1GL2CP

New York Times tries to make amends for not running obituaries of notable women. “(The list) includes the pioneering anti-lynching journalist Ida B. Wells; the writer, the poet Sylvia Plath; Qiu Jin, who was known as China’s Joan of Arc; the groundbreaking photographer Diane Arbus; the woman who helped engineer the Brooklyn Bridge, Emily Warren Roebling; Charlotte Brontë, who wrote Jane Eyre; Henrietta Lacks, whose (cancer) cells led to a medical revolution; (and) Ada Lovelace, who is considered to be the world’s first computer programmer.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/9/o ... ome_of_the

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

102
Hundreds protest Sacramento police shooting. “Anger over the shooting (of Stephon Clark) drew hundreds of protesters to City Hall on Thursday, where members of Black Lives Matter and other activists condemned the incident as yet another case of officers shooting an unarmed black person.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

List of winners and losers as Congress passes appropriations bill. On the ‘winners’ list….”Defense contractors: The Pentagon gets $144 billion for new hardware, including missile defense. It’s the biggest increase since the Iraq War was launched 15 years ago.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pow ... e48d05b4a/

“Guccifer 2.0” linked to Russian intelligence, but no proof given that it was actually the Russians who hacked the DNC’s emails. “An investigation into emails from Guccifer, who communicated with people on social media, through blog posts, and elsewhere, provided investigators the break they needed to track down who was behind the account that wreaked havoc on the 2016 election.” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/201 ... oscow.html Several media outlets are misleading the public, at least in their headlines, that Guccifer is a GRU officer = GRU hacked DNC emails. He CLAIMED he hacked them. It’s not the same thing.

Trump imposes tariffs on some Chinese imports. “It was the boldest example to date of Trump’s “America first” agenda, the culmination of his longstanding view that weak U.S. trade policies and enforcement have hollowed out the nation’s workforce and ballooned the federal deficit.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... story.html As the saying goes, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day”. It will probably be good for U.S. workers, but not for corporate businesses. Stock markets around the world fell in response to projected drop in profits. “Stock markets around the world saw sharp falls Friday, with investors worrying over a potential trade war.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/23/global- ... alate.html

Trump appoints imperialist neo-con as his third National Security Advisor. “John Bolton strongly supported every war the US has fought, believes there should be no limits how (the) US fights it’s wars, and strongly supports starting new regime change wars with Iran and nuclear-armed N. Korea.” http://www.businessinsider.com/john-bol ... ter-2018-3

Austin bomber had black roommate, who was arrested by heavily armed, unspecified law enforcement agents and held overnight, but eventually released. “(The man’s mother), who spoke during an interview Thursday, said (Collin) Thomas, who is black, was handcuffed, taken into custody by SWAT officers and questioned about the bombings.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.3891324 Guilty until proven innocent!

Giant swirl of floating plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean is now reportedly twice as big as Texas. “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of plastic, floating trash located halfway between Hawaii and California, has grown to more than 600,000 square miles, a study published Thursday finds.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sci ... 446405002/

Transparency group blames western governments for Egypt’s military dictatorship. “The international community must understand that not only is it doing a major disservice to the people of Egypt by providing support to the armed forces with few strings attached, it is also contributing to the security crisis in the country and region.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/ ... 29380.html

Police accused of using dead people’s fingers to unlock their phones. “One example given in the report is using the fingerprint of an overdose victim to unlock their phone and potentially identify their drug dealer.” http://www.businessinsider.com/police-a ... nes-2018-3 I asked him if it was ok if we searched his phone and he didn’t object.

Commentators point out that Facebook sharing your data with third parties is precisely how Facebook makes money. “This is exactly Facebook’s business model,” Chester Wisniewski, a senior security analyst at Sophos, told Tom’s Guide. “Except they want to be the ones doing the analytics and making all the money.” https://www.tomsguide.com/us/facebook-p ... 26823.html

Tukwila, Washington cops arrested 911 caller due to his immigration status. “When Wilson Rodriguez Macareno called 911 to report a trespasser on his property Feb. 8, it was he — not the intruder — who was hauled away in handcuffs.” https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/a ... 771780.php

CLOUD Act reportedly buried in appropriations bill. “Buried in the 2,232-page omnibus spending bill that the U.S. House passed Thursday is a piece of legislation that digital privacy advocates warn “expands American and foreign law enforcement’s ability to target and access people’s data across international borders.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... nding-bill

Florida school district requires students to use clear backpacks. “Robert W. Runcie, the superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, sent a letter to the families of Stoneman Douglas High students imposing the new backpack rule, reminiscent of security measures at airports and professional sports venues.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/us/f ... packs.html

Fatal crash involving self-driving Uber and pedestrian reveals serious problems with the technology. “John M Simpson, privacy and technology project director with Consumer Watchdog, said the video revealed a “complete failure” of Uber’s technology and its safety protocols, and said all testing programs on public roads should be suspended while the case is under investigation.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... sh-arizona

Case against Pulse gunman’s wife reportedly falling apart in court as evidence emerges that FBI misled judge. “Using geo-location data from cell phone records as well as documentary evidence showing the couple’s whereabouts, the FBI concluded – long before (Noor) Salman was arrested – that it was impossible that Salman went to Pulse with her husband on that date (to case the nightclub, as she had confessed after 17 hours of interrogation).” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/22/at- ... osecutors/

Mother of Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi jailed for posting video of her daughter’s confrontation with soldier. “The ruling could have a chilling effect not just on journalists, but also on Palestinian activists who routinely record their encounters with Israeli troops, both to document abuses and to provide a measure of accountability.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/22/isr ... g-soldier/

Britain reportedly pioneered ‘enhanced interrogation’ techniques in Northern Ireland. “Documents uncovered by Irish broadcaster RTE revealed that the British government lied to the European Court of Human Rights about the severity of the techniques and the long-term physical and psychological consequences for the victims.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/22/ire ... n-torture/

Trump congratulates Putin on his re-election to a fourth term. “Asked whether the Trump administration believes that Russia conducted a ‘free and fair’ election, (White House press secretary Sarah) Sanders said the administration is focused on U.S. elections.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

Senate votes to let the president do whatever he likes with the country’s military. “Trump scored a victory on behalf of the executive branch’s ability to launch and sustain military operations in new countries without first getting authorization from Congress.” https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/ ... war-powers Someone needs to sue to make the Supreme Court rule on this blatant violation of the Constitution.

Israel admits it blew up suspected Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007. “Israel is not a signatory to the (Non-Proliferation Treaty) and has long refused to confirm or deny reports by foreign governments that it holds nuclear weapons.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ar-reactor

Minneapolis police officer charged in fatal shooting of woman who reported hearing a sexual assault. “(Mike) Freeman, Minneapolis’ top prosecutor, had delayed his decision in December, saying his office needed more time and that he lacked sufficient evidence to charge (Officer) Noor.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-minn ... SKBN1GW2O8

Fox News analyst resigns, calls network a “propaganda machine”. “Fox has degenerated from providing a legitimate and much-needed outlet for conservative voices to a mere propaganda machine for a destructive and ethically ruinous administration.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/tomnamako/ralph-peters

California teacher caught on student’s cell phone video criticizing the military is fired by school board. “I do believe the military is not the best option for my students.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Former French President accused of taking millions in campaign donations from former Libyan dictator Moammar Kadafi. “The investigation centers on claims that Kadafi and his supporters secretly handed over almost $61.4 million in illegal donations to Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign, more than double the $25.8 million candidates were allowed to spend at the time.” http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-fran ... story.html

British comedian found guilty of hate crime for video featuring dog making apparent Nazi salutes in response to Nazi slogans. “For any comedians making jokes in Britain, I’d be very, very worried about your future because the context and intent, apparently they don’t matter anymore.” http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/03/21 ... o-dog.html

EPA director’s trip to Italy reportedly cost taxpayers about $120,000 if you include cost of connecting flight and security staff. “Pruitt’s own first-class tickets for the trip cost more than $7,000 and included a return flight on Emirates, an airline that boasts one of the most luxurious first-class services in the world.” http://thehill.com/policy/energy-enviro ... italy-trip

Tempe police chief says she suspects Uber not at fault for death of pedestrian since it was dark and the victim was not using a crosswalk. “Traveling at 38 mph in a 35 mph zone on Sunday night, the Uber self-driving car made no attempt to brake, according to the Police Department’s preliminary investigation.” https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/ar ... 765481.php Video of road ahead and of back up driver released: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RASBcc4yOOo

German cops raid BMW’s headquarters. “BMW has admitted updating about 11,400 vehicles — 750d and M550d saloons — with incorrect software that could have affected their emissions.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/20/investi ... index.html

United Airlines stops taking PetSafe reservations due to shipping errors. “In 2017, 1.3 out of every 10,000 animals the carrier transported in cargo holds died, according to the Transportation Department, compared with 0.47 out of every 10,000 across all airlines that reported data.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... story.html

Democratic Party reportedly recruiting a large number of its candidates from the national security community. “National security operatives (57) outnumber state and local government officials (45), lawyers (35), corporate executives, businessmen and wealthy individuals (30) and other professionals (19) among the candidates for Democratic congressional nominations.” https://popularresistance.org/democrats ... andidates/

Unarmed Sacramento man shot dead by police in his own backyard after they mistook his cell phone for a gun. “The police department said officers were responding to a report that someone was breaking car windows nearby.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.3886562 Officers reportedly fired 20 shots at Stephan Clark. “Department spokesman Sgt. Vance Chandler said each of the two officers involved in the shooting fired 10 shots, for a total of 20 shots fired. Chandler said he did not know how many times Clark was hit.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/ ... 55609.html

Former Harris County, Texas assistant DA accused of concealing evidence in murder trial, county also accused of packing grand juries with law enforcement officers. “A prosecutor who obtained a wrongful conviction that sent a Houston man to death row for nearly 10 years didn’t just withhold evidence but also denied under oath that he had information that supported Alfred Dewayne Brown’s alibi, court records show.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the ... yne-brown/

Bill to curb school violence lacks protections for students say activists. “For example, if a student has an erroneous report made against them, there are no guidelines ensuring that the reported student will be guaranteed due process, and no government recommendations are included in the bill on how grant recipients can avoid abuses to their system.” https://rightsanddissent.org/news/house ... -pipeline/

Austin bomber, a home-schooled, Christian conservative, had reportedly been fired from his job for under-performance. “‘He was very quiet and introverted’ and did not have any confrontations with management, the owner said, adding that he was given several warnings for not meeting expectations before he was fired.” http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-aus ... story.html Media and politicians slow to label white serial bomber a terrorist. “The suspect has been identified as Mark Anthony Conditt, a 24-year-old white male—reigniting a familar conversation on who is and isn’t labeled a “terrorist” by the mainstream media and American politicians.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... snt-called

Trump administration takes down web page with health advice for lesbian and bi-sexual women. “The page was replaced with a fact sheet about lesbian and bisexual women’s health that was last updated in 2009, but the page can only be navigated to by conducting a word search on the (Office of Women’s Health) site.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... xual-women

EU regulators give green light to Bayer-Monsanto merger. “This merger will create the world’s biggest and most powerful agribusiness corporation, which will try to force its genetically modified seeds and toxic pesticides into our food and countryside.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... erfromhell

White House budget chief overruled bureaucrats, stripped impact estimate from proposed “tip-sharing” rule that would require tipped employees to hand over their tips to employers. “While the Labor Department ultimately concluded that the rule could cost workers $640 million per year in earned tips, EPI found that the actual number would be somewhere around $5.8 billion—with $4.6 billion of that coming from the pockets of women.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... aling-rule

Progressive challenger loses to seven-term incumbent by less than 2,000 votes in Illinois Democratic congressional primary. “Although (Dan) Lipinski has faced mounting criticism for his conservative stances on reproductive and LGBTQ rights, healthcare, and immigration, he retained the support of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ut-victory

NSA targeted bitcoin users accorded to leaked Snowden documents. “The NSA collected some Bitcoin users’ password information, internet activity, and a type of unique device identification number known as a MAC address, a March 29, 2013 NSA memo suggested.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... nts-reveal

Teenage Palestinian girl who slapped and kicked soldier after her cousin was shot in the head with a rubber bullet gets 8 months in prison and steep fine. “A high-profile trial with images showing (Ahed) Tamimi smiling while in shackles has thrown the teenager into the centre of a debate regarding Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... hs-in-jail

More irregularities turn up in Russian election. “In the town of Ust-Djeguta, in southern Russia near Georgia, Reuters reporters photographed 17 people who appeared to cast two ballots. Leila Koichuyeva, a member of the election commission, when shown the pictures of people who apparently voted twice, said: ‘They could be twins’.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... n-election Yes, adult twins that still wear the same clothes on the same day! Just a conspiracy theory?

French bird population has dropped sharply, researchers suspect pesticides have killed off their food supply. “Recent research… has uncovered similar trends across Europe, estimating that flying insects have declined by 80%, and bird populations (have) dropped by more than 400 (million) in 30 years.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... pesticides

Inept federal response to Hurricane Maria being used to leverage “shock doctrine” privatization campaigns says author. “The first step was to be the immediate privatization of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, known as PREPA, one of the largest public power providers in the United States and, despite its billions of dollars in debt, the one that brings in the most revenue.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/20/pue ... -recovery/

Company aligned with government in Turkey buys up outlets accused of being critical of country’s ruling party. “The Dogan Media group owned the newspapers Hurriyet and Posta, and two of Turkey’s main entertainment and news channels, Kanal D and CNN Turk.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/worl ... dogan.html

U.N. human rights watchdog claims armed groups in Libya are abusing civilians and migrants. “Armed groups execute and torture civilians in Libya in almost complete impunity seven years after the revolution that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, the United Nations human rights office said on Wednesday.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-libya ... KKBN1GX1JI

56 reportedly killed in government airstrikes on Eastern Ghouta, Syria. “Among the reported victims were 16 children and four women who had taken shelter in a school, which was reportedly hit with an airstrike on Monday night.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/21/ ... ern_ghouta

Uber vehicle in self-driving mode kills pedestrian. “The Tempe Police Department reports the Volvo XC90 SUV was in autonomous mode when the crash occurred, though the car had a human safety driver behind the wheel to monitor the technology and retake control in the case of an emergency or imminent crash.” https://www.wired.com/story/uber-self-d ... edestrian/

Senate Democrats “under pressure” not to confirm torture site manager Gina Haspel as CIA director. “(California Senator Diane) Feinstein raised alarms on the left last week by telling reporters that Haspel had been “a good deputy director,” citing a personal dinner with the three-decade agency veteran.” https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/ ... ons-471532

Cambridge Analytica director tells journalist posing as a potential client how to set a honey trap, take down an opponent with bribes, hide assistance from a foreign consultant. “We have a long history of working behind the scenes.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/c ... r-nix.html

400 bomb threats sent to British schools as part of a video gamer dispute. “A report by Sky News says the reports were “spoofed” to look like they were coming from VeltPvP, a Minecraft server site, apparently in an attempt to get the site’s domain suspended.” https://kotaku.com/someone-made-400-sch ... 1823905955

Only one of the perpetrators of the My Lai massacre, in which an estimated 500 civilians were slain, was ever punished, by 3 1/2 years of house arrest. “Meanwhile, the government’s unwillingness to prosecute torturers, despite its treaty obligations, shows that it sometimes remains willing to tolerate war criminals as it fights its enemies, and that the public is often oblivious to misbehavior by its soldiers.” https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/ar ... 50/555671/

I don’t think “foreign agent” means what you think it means. “A U.S. peace group hosts a public meeting featuring delegates from a Japanese peace group touring the U.S. to talk about nuclear weapons abolition; a wealthy British philanthropist makes a significant contribution to a small U.S. charity doing research and policy advocacy to support Alzheimer’s patients; a D.C. registered lobbyist, bankrolled by the Russian government, meets with members of Congress to lobby for policies that benefit Russia. Guess which one wouldn’t be required to register as a foreign agent?” https://rightsanddissent.org/news/fara/

New York City police officers accused of brazenly and repeatedly lying in court. “Officer Martinez tapped the bag with his foot and felt something hard, he testified. He opened the bag, leading to the discovery of a Ruger 9-millimeter handgun and the arrest of the woman. But a hallway surveillance camera captured the true story: There’s no laundry bag or gun in sight as Officer Martinez and other investigators question the woman in the doorway and then stride into the apartment.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/18/nyre ... -york.html

ICE accused of detaining asylum seekers to discourage them from staying. “In October 2016, (Ansly) Damus fled violent, political persecution in Haiti…. a judge granted him asylum — not once, but twice…. and yet the U.S. government has put him behind bars.” https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-ri ... um-seekers

Vallejo, California couple to receive $2.5 million after police claimed woman’s abduction was a hoax. “Police realized the couple were telling the truth after a disbarred Harvard University-trained attorney, Matthew Muller, was implicated in another crime and tied to the abduction.” http://wkrn.com/2018/03/19/couple-to-ge ... on-a-hoax/

CLOUD Act would allow the government to receive data on Americans collected by foreign governments, without a warrant. “A judge need not approve the data collection before it is carried out. At no point need probable cause be shown. At no point need a search warrant be obtained.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -cloud-act

Journalist suggests better questions for the next time 60 Minutes interviews Saudi leader. “Is it not a moral outrage for one of the richest countries in the Middle East to be starving the poorest country in the Middle East (Yemen)? https://theintercept.com/2018/03/19/the ... ournalism/

Minnesota bill would outlaw ranked choice voting. “Unlike traditional first-past-the-post voting systems — in which the candidate with the biggest number of votes wins — under ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates on their ballot instead of voting for just one. If no one gets a majority of votes in the first round, next-preference votes are counted until a candidate gets most of the votes.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/19/ran ... publicans/ In other words, you could vote for Jill Stein as your first choice, Vermin Supreme as your second choice and Hillary Clinton as your third choice. If no one gets a majority in round one, your Stein vote goes to Supreme. If no one gets a majority in the second round, your Supreme vote goes to Clinton.

FBI tracked Black Lives Matter activist traveling to a protest but claims it doesn’t investigate First Amendment activity. “This is clearly just tracking First Amendment activity and keeping this activity in an intelligence database.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/19/bla ... veillance/

39% of Americans surveyed said the U.S. succeeded in achieved its goals in Iraq. “There are still American troops in Iraq—seven died last week, bringing the count of U.S. military fatalities in the country since 2003 to 4,540. The death toll for Iraqis has been much more severe; an estimated 200,000 civilians have died violently there over the same time period. The civil war and chaos that the U.S. invasion created resulted in the rise of ISIS.” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/201 ... -idea.html Well, if the goal was to keep a war going for more than 15 years so that trillions in tax dollars could be diverted to defense contractors, it worked!

Vladimir Putin re-elected, Communist Party candidate accuses government of election fraud. “The Communist party’s candidate Pavel Grudinin came a very distant second with around 12 percent. Afterwards, he called it the “filthiest” election in recent times.” http://www.euronews.com/2018/03/19/russ ... d-calls-it You know it’s got to be bad if a Leninist party complains about unfair elections!

Turkish coalition forces take Syrian, Kurdish-majority city of Afrin. “The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says nearly 200,000 people have fled the Afrin region in recent days, and cites witnesses who say intense clashes between Turkish-backed forces and YPG Syrian Kurdish fighters are ongoing.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... y-of-afrin British volunteer killed during attack. “Friends of Ms. (Anna) Campbell in Syria told the BBC she was killed by Turkish airstrikes, describing her as a feminist with ‘sincerity and courage’ who wanted to fight for women’s liberation in the Middle East.” http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43453292 Turkish coalition forces accused of looting the city. “AFP news agency journalists in Afrin also saw rebels break into shops, restaurants and houses, and leave with food, electronic equipment, blankets and other goods. They were then transported out of the city.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43457214

High school staff wanted Nikolas Cruz to undergo involuntary mental health evaluation, but their recommendation was not acted on. “Ex-Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Scot Peterson and two school counselors recommended in September 2016 that the 19-year-old Cruz should forcibly undergo a mental health evaluation under Florida’s Baker Act, documents obtained by the Associated Press show.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.3882425

Unclear if Trump’s proposed death penalty for opioid trafficking will apply to doctors and pharmaceutical companies. “The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when appropriate under current law.” https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/ ... ump-423902

Democratic city councilman apologizes for floating theory that Jews control the weather. “I want to apologize to the Jewish Community and anyone I have offended,” (Washington, D.C.) Councilman Trayon White Sr. (D) said in a statement to The Washington Post.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... heory-that

Actor claims that United Airlines flight crew cracked jokes about dogs in the overhead storage bins during his flight. “In the wake of the dog’s death, Division Chief Carvana Cloud confirmed in a statement provided to PEOPLE that the Animal Cruelty Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Texas was partnering with the Animal Cruelty Taskforce to launch an investigation into the dog’s death.” http://people.com/pets/graham-mctavish- ... rhead-bin/

After fourth Austin bomb blast, authorities have not released the races of the two male victims in their 20s. “(Police Chief Brian) Manley originally suggested they could have been hate crimes since all the victims were black or Hispanic, but now says that investigators aren’t ruling out any possible motive.” http://time.com/5205002/austin-texas-explosion-injured/

Los Angeles County DA criticized for not charging officer in fatal shooting of unarmed homeless man, Brendon Glenn. “Her decision illustrates how even at a time of intense nationwide scrutiny of police officers and calls to hold them more accountable for using deadly force, it remains extremely rare to prosecute officers for on-duty shootings.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html
Los Angeles neighborhoods banning RV parking street by street to keep away the homeless. “Facing complaints about trash, clogged roads and other hazards, the city has banned them from remaining overnight on street after street, but has often ended up merely moving the problem.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Bernie Sanders says war is not the answer. “People in…the United States, and all over the world are sick and tired of spending billions and billions of dollars on nuclear weapons, war planes, missiles, bombs, and tanks.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -oligarchy Then why did you endorse Hillary Clinton instead of running with Jill Stein?

Water protectors stand up to Kinder Morgan and the Canadian government, vow to stop tar sand pipeline. “I’m standing up for Indigenous rights, for clean water, and for a safe, liveable climate and look forward to doing so alongside the ever growing movement against this dangerous pipeline.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... n-pipeline

Intelligence agency wants to use your social media photos to find their enemies. “The Finder program seeks to fill in the gaps in photo and video geolocation by developing technologies that build on analysts’ own geolocation skills, taking in images from diverse, publicly available sources to identify elements of terrain or the visible skyline.” https://arstechnica.com/information-tec ... ial-media/

River water in Mosul reportedly contaminated by ‘thousands’ of decaying corpses. “We all drink from this water and it is full of bodies. There are a few here, but if you go up the river, there are a thousand there, even more than that, including children, women and elderly.” http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/170320182 “Data provided by some media outlets and international organizations put the death toll among civilians at 45,000.”

139 protesters calling for release of arrested opposition leaders arrested in Maldives. “Maldives President Abdulla Yameen has extended the state of emergency for 30 days through March 22 after declaring it on Feb. 5 following an order by the Supreme Court for nine opposition leaders to be released.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/maldives-pol ... 23784.html

Catalan leader accuses European countries of ignoring imprisonment of her colleagues. “Clara Ponsati, an ex-minister in the Catalan government, claimed her former colleagues were being used as ‘hostages’ by Madrid to ‘blackmail’ the movement ‘into surrender’.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 56466.html

Chinese leader re-elected unanimously. “The party’s People’s Daily hailed (Jinping) Xi’s unanimous re-election in an editorial on its WeChat account, using language once more associated with Mao Zedong to say he was a ‘leader loved and respected by the people’ and the ‘helmsman of the country’.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/xi ... 7adf83f16d

Hacker Adrian Lamo dead at 37. “Lamo, who testified about (then Bradley) Manning’s release of documents to WikiLeaks, was confirmed dead on Friday by authorities in Sedgwick County (Kansas). The coroner’s office has not responded to inquiries about the cause of his death.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... -wikileaks

Alabama sheriff reportedly made $750,000 in three years by saving money on feeding prisoners, gets to the keep the difference. “Alabama has a Depression-era law that allows sheriffs to “keep and retain” unspent money from jail food-provision accounts.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... each-house No conflict of interest there!

Five Manhattan doctors charged with receiving huge kickbacks for prescribing opioid nasal spray to patients. “The sordid details were spelled out Friday in a federal indictment charging the quintet with collecting huge sham speaking fees as payback for over-prescribing a highly-addictive fentanyl spray.” http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc ... -1.3878737

Black counter-protester beaten by white nationalists found non-guilty of assault. “(DeAndre) Harris maintained that he had been swinging at Crews’ flagpole, and ultimately, it was this argument Judge Robert Downer sided with, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove that Harris intended harm to Crews.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... ed-of-assa

Southwest Airlines allegedly boots family from plane after their frightened, small child acted up before takeoff. “…(the girl’s father) asked the (flight attendant) for a minute to calm her down she walked away and called people to remove him.” http://www.businessinsider.com/father-a ... deo-2018-3

National debt has reportedly increased by $1 trillion so far during Trump administration. “(The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget) calculated that with December’s tax cuts and January’s budget-busting spending deal, Mr. Trump has already signed legislation that will add at least $2.4 trillion to the debt in the next decade and, should Congress make those policies permanent, could add as much as $6 trillion.” https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/20 ... t-14-mont/

Prisoner at San Luis Obispo County Jail in California died after 46 hours in restraining chair. “A video released yesterday has contradicted county officials’ versions of events leading up to (Andrew Holland’s) death in January 2017.” https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/o ... g-12207576

Turkish forces accused of bombing Syrian hospital. “The humanitarian catastrophe in Syria deepened after an airstrike on a hospital in Afrin left sixteen people dead including two pregnant women, as thousands fled the city.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/0 ... -hospital/

Researcher accused of passing Facebook data to political consultants. “All told, the Times says Kogan handed over more than 50 million profiles to Cambridge Analytica, including information from app users’ friends — who had never consented to forgoing their data. Around 30 million of those profiles contained enough information to build psychographic profiles, the newspaper says.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... p-campaign

No mention of climate change in disaster agency’s four-year forecast. “The new (FEMA) document doesn’t mention climate, global warming, sea-level rise, extreme weather, or any other terminology associated with scientific predictions of rising surface temperatures and their effects.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... on-climate

Texas chemical plant explodes, Trump administration criticized for delaying risk management rules. “In June, Scott Pruitt, the man appointed by Trump to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), delayed implementation of the Chemical Disaster Rule until February 2019.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ocks-texas

Bernie Sanders accuses media of not covering the country’s transition into an oligarchy. “We need to ask the hard questions that the corporate media fails to ask: who owns America, and who has the political power? Why, in the richest country in the history of the world are so many Americans living in poverty?” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -fill-void

Not My Dog. Family who shipped German Shepherd on airline gets Great Dane instead. “United said in a statement that the dogs were somehow put on the wrong flights during a connecting flight in Denver.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... -in-kansas

Canadians and Britons accused of meddling in 2016 election and violating federal ban on foreign agents managing campaigns. “It was clear that as a company largely run and staffed by Britons and Canadians, apart from Bannon and Mercer at the top, Cambridge Analytica – which was to go on to work on Donald’s Trump presidential election campaign – had a looming problem.” https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... -political

Whistle-blower claims Cambridge Analytica’s methods were based on military psychological warfare programs. “When (Christopher Wylie) turned up at SCL’s offices in Mayfair, he had no clue that he was walking into the middle of a nexus of defence and intelligence projects, private contractors and cutting-edge cyberweaponry.” https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/m ... nnon-trump

Congressman Paul Ryan reportedly sold bank shares after 2008 confidential meeting on possible banking crisis. “Public records show that on the same day as the meeting, Ryan sold stock in troubled banks including Wachovia and Citigroup and bought shares in Goldman Sachs…” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/ ... ing-crisis

Assassinated Brazilian politician, Marielle Franco, was anti-police brutality activist. “Investigators reportedly determined that the bullet casings found at the crime scene had been purchased by the Federal Police in 2006.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/16/mar ... brutality/ Massive crowd turns out to protest killing. “… tens of thousands of people filled the streets of Rio de Janeiro Thursday to protest the apparent assassination of 38-year-old city council member and human rights activist Marielle Franco.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/16/ ... ncilmember

Australian man fined for using valid fare chip implanted in his hand instead of actual transit card. “The 34-year-old was convicted, fined $220 and ordered to pay costs of $1,000 for attempting to travel without a ticket.” https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... re-evasion “…this is the next evolution… from paper tickets to Opal cards to something which… we don’t have to actually carry… at all.” He paid his fare but got a huge fine anyway – good work Sydney!

Sacramento County, California deputies accused of accessing bank accounts of elderly woman with dementia, sending her to the Philippines. “… (Rosalie) Achiu’s house was listed for sale, several withdrawals were made from her bank accounts and one deputy opened a joint bank account with Achiu, the attorney said. The deputies also accompanied Achiu to her bank and had it drill out the locks of her safe deposit box.” https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la- ... story.html

District attorney says $10,000 donation from police union during investigation did not influence her decision not to prosecute officers over slaying. “Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley accepted a $10,000 campaign donation from the Fremont police union just months before her office cleared Fremont police officers of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of (unarmed) pregnant teen, Elena Mondragon.” https://www.eastbayexpress.com/SevenDay ... gnant-teen

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review rules that citizens have a right to request the court’s secret findings, but may not actually get them. ACLU spokesperson says, “We look forward to finally being able to make our case that the public has a right to see important court decisions concerning the legality of the government’s expansive surveillance activities.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/zoetillman/the ... ver-public

Veterans and peace activists travel to Vietnam to mark 50th anniversary of My Lai (me-lie) massacre. “Some scholars estimate as many as 3.8 million Vietnamese died during the war. Up to 800,000 perished in Cambodia, another 1 million in Laos.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/16/ ... i_massacre

An estimated 1 million students participate in walk out to protest gun violence. “In a historic day of action, more than a million students from over 3,000 schools walked out of classes to protest gun violence on Wednesday.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/15/ ... s_walk_out

Lawsuit alleges Escambia County, Florida deputies used excessive force when they tasered mentally ill man repeatedly during arrest, leading to his death. “(Cody) Healey then went into cardiac arrest and was taken to Baptist Hospital, where he was put on life support in the Intensive Care Unit.” https://www.pnj.com/story/news/crime/20 ... 432137002/

Lawsuit claims Mississippi man was shot three times during police chase, mauled by dog because officers mistakenly assumed he was trying to evade a police “checkpoint”. “Deputies started their pursuit because they believed (Robert) Salley was avoiding the roadblock.” https://www.wcbi.com/federal-lawsuit-cl ... -deputies/

Yankton, South Dakota police officer accused of injuring several citizens during encounters over minor violations. “‘He threw me into the brick wall and tackled me to the ground.’… Collin Bertram was cited for underage drinking.” https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/ ... 407711002/

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

103
Police release videos of Alton Sterling shooting. “At no time does (Sterling) strike, push or kick at anybody. He’s asking questions.” http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/ ... 92a3f.html

Stephon Clark autopsy reveals he was shot six times in the back, once in the side of the neck and once in the leg, cops turned off audio on body cameras after the shooting. “While discussing whether to perform CPR, one officer said: “Hey, mute.” The audio went silent for two minutes.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43598831 Were they maybe coming up with the “he advanced towards us with his arm extended” story?

Scott Pruitt apparently got a real deal when renting D.C. townhouse from energy lobbyist’s wife. “Pruitt paid $50 for each night that he physically stayed in the condo, which sits a stone’s throw from the Capitol…” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ene ... -scrutiny/

Federal prosecutors want to use testimony of an anonymous, former informant in trials of Trump inauguration protesters. “This is part of a trend in which law-enforcement officials want ever-greater access to information about individual citizens, while seeking to further shield themselves.” https://www.cvindependent.com/index.php ... protesters

17 Palestinian protesters reportedly killed, 1,400 injured by Israeli troops on border with Gaza. “Israeli officials estimated tens of thousands of Palestinian protesters marched in Gaza toward the border fence between Israel and Gaza during protests called the March of Return.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/30/midd ... index.html

Federal court rules that immigration detainees have a right to have abortions. “Lawyers for the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for sheltering children who illegally enter the country unaccompanied by a parent, have said the department has a policy of ‘refusing to facilitate’ abortions.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 475294002/

Politicians and police unions allegedly intervening to stop parole of Black Panther. “The fact that the (parole) board now faces fierce backlash and pressure to reverse its decision from powerful police unions and politicians risks stymying further steps in the right direction when it comes to freeing inmates like (Herman) Bell.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/29/her ... -new-york/

Tesla vehicle was reportedly in autopilot mode during fatal Highway 101 crash in California. “This is the second confirmed fatal crash on US roads in which Tesla’s Autopilot system was controlling the car.” https://www.wired.com/story/tesla-autop ... alifornia/

Republican tax cuts disproportionately benefit the wealthy says tax watchdog group. “…according to (the Tax Policy Center’s) new report, the top one percent of earners will receive an average annual tax cut of around $33,000 just from individual (income) tax changes under the GOP law. The poorest Americans, by contrast, will see an average break of about $40 per year.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ar-poor-40

Federal judge rules that trial into alleged climate change cover-up by oil companies can proceed. “The attorneys general of New York and Massachusetts are investigating whether the oil and gas giant lied to investors and the public about evidence of climate crisis in past decades.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... dge-hidden

John Bolton’s super PAC accused of also using Cambridge Analytica’s targeting services. “The Trump campaign reportedly paid nearly $6 million to Cambridge Analytica over the course of the 2016 presidential campaign, and the Bolton Super PAC reportedly paid Cambridge Analytica $1.1 million since 2014.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/26/opin ... index.html

Michigan State University allegedly seeded Richard Spencer event protest crowd with undercover officers. “The nine officers listed as “undercover” on the manifest hail from MSU campus police, Michigan State Police, and the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office, as well as two officers from the Department of Correction’s Absconder Recovery Unit (which hunts for fugitives).” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/30/msu ... er-antifa/

Wife of journalist killed, journalist seriously wounded in apparent assassination attempt in France. “Rahim Namazov was an outspoken critic of the Azeri (Azerbaijan) political leadership and served time in prison before seeking exile in France in 2010.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-franc ... KKBN1H60ZY

Companies flouting age discrimination laws, firing massive numbers of older workers. “ProPublica estimates that in the past five years alone, IBM has eliminated more than 20,000 American employees ages 40 and over, about 60 percent of its total US job cuts during those years.” https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justi ... old-heads/

Amy Goodman interviews director of film about the last three years of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, King in the Wilderness. “…down in the South, you would have a couple hundred Klansmen, you’d be scared. But in Chicago, there were thousands of people, and they were enraged, and you could hear them. It was an angry crowd.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/25/ ... vil_rights

Country still recovering from 2008 financial melt-down, but business on Wall Street is booming. “Median household net worth remains below where it stood in 1998, according to the Federal Reserve, even as households take on more debt than ever before.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/16/news/ec ... index.html

Bank to pay $2 billion for misrepresenting mortgages to investors. “Prosecutors say that between 2005 and 2007 Barclays sold investors packages of mortgages that were worth less than the bank claimed, costing the investors billions of dollars. More than half of the $31 billion in mortgage packages eventually defaulted…” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/bus ... al-crisis/ No one is going to jail for billions in fraud, life goes on for the 1%.

New Jersey cops raid Domino’s after delivery driver was unable to deliver their pizza. “Video obtained exclusively by News 4 shows the two Jersey City police officers storming a Domino’s on Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City and pushing the branch’s manager up against a wall in an incident the manager, Mena Kirolos, said was spurred because of a missed pizza delivery Tuesday evening.” https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/J ... 41573.html

State Department wants visa applicants to hand over more data. “Under the proposal, visa applicants would be required to provide “identifiers” they’ve used on social media platforms in the previous five years as well as previously used telephone numbers, email addresses, and international travel.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/maryanngeorgan ... edia-email And they have to unlock their phones and computers at the airport. That should boost tourism!

EPA director was reportedly living in D.C. townhouse owned by wife of energy industry lobbyist. “Hart’s company has lobbied for a number of energy companies, including Cheniere, Norfolk Southern and Exxon Mobil, and against the federal Clean Air Act.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pr ... 12dc9af84e

Lawsuit alleges Glenview, Illinois police officers beat passenger after traffic stop, resulting in his hospitalization. “After the driver was taken into custody on what the lawsuit complaint says was suspicion of traffic offenses, (Peter) Wildhage was told he was free to leave and began walking away from the scene.” https://www.journal-topics.com/articles ... ive-force/

Paterson, New Jersey officials agree to pay $80,000 to settle lawsuits over three police beatings. “The lawsuit claimed that the two brothers were attacked without warning by the officers, who allegedly punched, kicked and dragged them into a police vehicle…. charges (filed) against the two brothers eventually were dismissed.” https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/ ... 453589002/

Father claims tip about the wrong “Bryan” led to fatal shooting of his son by federal agents. “In addition to lying about (having a video of his son holding a gun), he said police lied to the public when saying (Bryan) Liles had a federal warrant out for his arrest.” https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/03/18/ ... -identity/

Family claims West Valley, Utah police invaded their home the after death of their baby, who had been sent home from the hospital but then died after they took her back. “We were grieving and didn’t want to be bothered.” http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-new ... 1053052701

New ICE policy allows detention of pregnant migrants. “Since the new policy went into effect, ICE has detained more than 500 pregnant women, according to the Huffington Post.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... nant-women

Former director of chemical weapons watchdog agency claims his children were threatened by Trump’s new national security advisor John Bolton. “We know where your kids live. You have two sons in New York.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/29/joh ... kids-opcw/ Bolton refused to admit occupation of Iraq was a disaster. “…with 5 percent of the total population of Iraq dead (about 1 million people), thousands of US troops dead and trillions of dollars of taxpayer funds bled away, he told the Washington Examiner that he still thought the Iraq War was worth it.” http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/4396 ... lification

Texas woman sentenced to five years in prison for voting in 2016 election. “The laws that regulate felons who wish to vote are so complex and varied, that election officials in many states have trouble keeping up with them, said Marc Mauer, executive director for The Sentencing Project.” http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local ... 91024.html

PR firm reportedly monitored social media accounts of accusers of gymnastics doctor Larry Nasser. “…the Lansing State Journal has revealed Michigan State University paid a public relations firm more than a half-million dollars to monitor the social media accounts of the female athletes coming forward to accuse the MSU and USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/29/ ... cial_media

EPA issues ‘talking points’ to employees downplaying human role in climate change. “While there has been extensive research and a host of published reports on climate change, clear gaps remain including our understanding of the role of human activity and what we can do about it.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ep ... 59a31387d7

Trump wants to use Pentagon funds to build border wall. “He has suggested to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and congressional leaders that the Pentagon could fund the sprawling project, citing a ‘national security’ risk.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

Facebook deactivates accounts of Palestinian news organization. “Facebook disabled Safa’s account, along with the accounts of 10 Safa editors, just after 5 p.m. on Saturday, without issuing a warning or providing an explanation, a manager of Safa’s social media team told The Jerusalem Post.” http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Confl ... ent-547065

Ecuadoran embassy cuts Julian Assange’s access to the internet. “The source of Ecuador’s recent concern appears to be a series of tweets in which Assange suggested that only “circumstantial” evidence suggests Russia is behind the nerve agent poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in the U.K. earlier this month.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... e-internet Which, strictly speaking, is actually true. Russia had the motive, means and opportunity to do it, but there is no evidence (that has been shared with the public) directly linking them to the attack.

Former Russian spy and his daughter were apparently poisoned at their front door. “Police have also searched a variety of sites around Salisbury, including a pub, a restaurant and a cemetery.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/eu ... story.html I found a partial timeline of events here: https://news.sky.com/story/how-the-spy- ... y-11288348 Looks like they arrived in downtown Salisbury at around 1:40 pm, hit the pub around 2:20 pm, left the restaurant at around 3:35 pm, and someone reported to police at around 4:15 pm that they were seen passed out in the park. So if they were exposed to this powerful military nerve agent at his door even as late as 1:30 pm, they were somehow still able to walk out of the restaurant two hours later.

Poland to buy $4.75 billion missile system from the U.S. “(The Patriot system) is an advanced surface-to-air missile system designed to defend against aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43574308 So would the U.S. be ok with Cuba getting a similar system from Russia?

Trump fires another agency director. “(Shulkin) had agreed to reimburse the government more than $4,000 after the VA’s internal watchdog concluded last month that he had improperly accepted Wimbledon tennis tickets and that his then-chief of staff had doctored emails to justify his wife traveling to Europe with him at taxpayer expense.” http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/ ... n-54081049 Shulkin claims he was ousted for opposing Republican plan to privatize the VA. “They saw me as an obstacle to privatization who had to be removed.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/outgoi ... hy-allies/

Florida to implement criminal justice database. “Promoted as a bipartisan transparency measure, the new system will gather data on all future cases across 67 counties, fully anonymized to protect identity, and track recidivism rates following incarceration to show the public how people cycle through prisons.” https://www.thenation.com/article/our-s ... re-broken/

Supreme Court hears second ‘gerrymandering’ case. “The Supreme Court has ruled that racial gerrymandering (creating bizarre election districts that disperse or concentrate voters based on their race) is illegal, but has recognized that a degree of partisan gerrymandering will take place and is OK.” https://www.npr.org/2018/03/28/59622040 ... -in-3-acts

92% of women who took an online survey said they had been harassed at music events. “…the incidents included experiences of spoken harassment, groping, sexual gestures, stalking, being yelled at and being photographed or videoed without permission.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyle ... story.html

Justice Department charges FBI agent accused of leaking informant recruitment techniques to the press. “The charges do not name the reporter or news organization but specify that (Terry) Albury allegedly possessed and shared the information between February 2016 and Jan. 31, 2017 — the same date that the Intercept published an entry to its “FBI’s Secret Rules” series on how the bureau assesses potential informants.” http://www.startribune.com/justice-dept ... 478203203/

Texas art teacher’s lawyer claims the woman was fired after telling her students about her wife. “The fact is that she was placed on leave after years of exemplary work based on a single parent complaint.” https://www.dallasnews.com/news/mansfie ... e-language

Self-driving Chevy Bolt gets ticket for not yielding to pedestrian in crosswalk. “According to Cruise data, KPIX reported, the pedestrian was 10.8 feet away from the vehicle while in self-driving mode.” http://www.businessinsider.com/gm-cruis ... ian-2018-3

Business analysts blame Tesla’s automobile production problems on robots. “Tesla has tried to hyper-automate final assembly.” http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-ro ... -it-2018-3

Palantir employee reportedly created Cambridge Analytica’s targeting algorithms, using that controversial Facebook data. “The rogue employee is Alfredas Chmieliauskas, who used his personal Gmail to pursue a side relationship with Cambridge Analytica, according to emails provided by Palantir to Bloomberg.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -analytica

Viral meme about the U.S. being “3rd in murders” is ‘pants on fire’ untrue. “Controlling for population size, most criminologists use the (homicides) per 100,000 metric. By that standard, we found the United States ranked 94th.” http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter ... er-cities/ In other words, there are a lot of murders in the U.S. since it has a big population, but that doesn’t mean it has a high murder rate.

North Carolina becomes 18th state to ban shackling female prisoners during childbirth. “I am unaware of any cases of women or girls in labor attempting to escape.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... her-states

Most Americans say they are not getting bigger paychecks after Republican tax cuts. “A new CNBC poll found that less than a third of those surveyed earlier this month reported taking home more money because of the new tax code, compared with 16 percent who said they were unsure and 52 percent who said their take-home pay did not go up. ” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... st-gop-tax

Republicans allegedly planning to pass balanced budget amendment after running up huge deficit caused by tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, and by their giant military budget. “A balanced budget amendment is the GOP dream, because it means (the tax cuts) for the rich will ‘force’ them to cut programs for the poor and middle-class.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ced-budget

Uber program to test self-driving cars in Arizona was initially concealed from the public. “Because of Arizona’s regulatory vacuum, neither Uber nor (Governor) Ducey were obliged to inform the public that Uber’s cars would now be driving themselves on public roads.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... doug-ducey

Safety Eric Reid allegedly getting the ‘Kaepernick’ treatment. “Once again, NFL teams are turning their back on a talented player in the prime of his career because he dared to kneel when most of the NFL stood.” https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... em-protest

Manafort and Gates allegedly collaborated with Russian with links to Russian intelligence agency during presidential campaign. “During his first interview with the special counsel’s office, (Manafort lobbying firm lawyer Alex) Van der Zwaan admitted that he knew of that connection, stating that Gates told him Person A was a former Russian intelligence officer with GRU.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... on-reveals

68 die in Venezuelan prison fire. “The fire is said to have broken out after a disturbance involving detainees.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... n-kills-68

Mexican police officers found guilty in death of journalist. “Mexico remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for reporters and media workers.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ist-guilty

Trump associate who loaned Kushner Companies millions for real estate deals was reportedly on the board of a Putin-created Russian investment fund. “In 2011, then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin kicked off the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), a $10 billion private equity fund aimed at boosting foreign investment in Russian companies and state assets, and turning Moscow into a global financial center. (Stephen) Schwarzman served on the international advisory board…” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/03/28/trump ... e-mystery/

Judge throws out many of the charges against frat members involved in death of Penn State pledge Tim Piazza. “Piazza consumed 18 drinks in 82 minutes, then fell down the stairs at the fraternity house. No one called for help for nearly 12 hours, and Piazza later died of head, spleen and lung injuries.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/judge- ... zas-death/

Secretary of Defense Mattis lets slip during press conference that despite previous denials by his military officers, the U.S. is sometimes involved in planning Saudi bombing raids in Yemen. “When we’re doing the planning, we have shown them how you have what we call no-strike zones.” https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcript ... -pentagon/

Retired Supreme Court justice John Stevens floats abolishing the 2nd amendment. “Stevens called (the amendment) ‘a relic of the 18th century’ and says repealing it would eliminate the only legal rule that protects sellers of firearms in the United States.” https://www.npr.org/2018/03/27/59725942 ... -amendment Despotism, however, is not a relic of the 18th century. The Declaration of Independence states, “…when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce (the People) under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” Without a 2nd amendment how does that happen? Teenagers with signs demanding that the Constitution be restored?

No charges for Baton Rouge officers who fatally shot Alton Sterling. “We have concluded that the officers in question acted as reasonable officers under existing law and were justified in their use of force.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/27/us/a ... index.html

Facebook housing ads can allegedly avoid people with children, women, disabled and immigrants. “The National Fair Housing Alliance and other groups allege in the new complaint that tests of Facebook’s platform revealed that the company allows housing advertisers to block ads from women, families with children, and users with interests suggesting a disability or particular national origin.” https://www.mediapost.com/publications/ ... g-ads.html

Two aircraft over Arizona see the same UFO. “(The failure to issue an official FAA incident report) does seem somewhat odd considering some sort of unidentified craft was flying along highly trafficked air routes at jet altitudes that didn’t have a transponder, did not appear on radar, and was not communicating with air traffic control.” http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19 ... er-arizona

Veteran commits suicide in Veteran’s Administration medical center waiting room. “St. Louis Police Officer Michelle Woodling said the 62-year-old man committed suicide inside the hospital waiting room at 4:19 a.m. Monday.” http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crim ... fe2ea.html

Walmart to remove Cosmopolitan magazine from checkouts after complaint by sexual exploitation group. “The (National Center on Sexual Exploitation), which changed its name from Morality in Media in 2015, has been working to cover or remove Cosmo from store shelves for years, deeming it porn.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/201 ... 462328002/

Pakistan’s prime minister required to go through TSA security screening at JFK airport. “In a video that has gone viral on social media, Abbasi, dressed in a maroon polo t-shirt and black trousers can be seen putting on his belt after clearing the security check.” https://www.thestatesman.com/world/emba ... 11723.html

North Korean and Chinese leaders meet in Beijing. “China backed North Korean forces in the Korean War of 1950-53, during which hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers died.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/worl ... korea.html

Biggest oil and gas companies reportedly got $25 billion in tax cuts from Trump tax bill. “Just 17 American oil and gas companies reported a combined total of $25 billion in direct one-time benefits from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.” https://psmag.com/economics/tax-bill-oi ... ny-bonanza

Progressive primary challenger goes after Democratic governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo. “As most New Yorkers would tell you, he’s cleaned up Albany about as well as Donald Trump has drained the swamp.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ery-speech

Heineken ad called racist. “The bottle (of Heineken Light) passes several black people (as it slides down the bar) before it arrives to a lighter-skinned woman. The tag line: Sometimes lighter is better.” https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... pper-tweet

Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand proposes living wage job guarantee. “The idea is simple. The government guarantees a job with livable wages and benefits to anyone who wants one.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... -guarantee

NRA admits to making money transfers between accounts containing foreign donations (?!) and accounts for political activities. “Transfers between accounts are made as permitted by law.” https://www.npr.org/2018/03/27/59727917 ... ction-work

Woman crashes her car while trying to prove to her children that God exists. “The episode echoes the plot of Carrie Underwood’s popular country song “Jesus, Take The Wheel“—except that Jesus did not take the wheel in this instance.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/atlant ... -god-real/

Sri Lankan politicians and police reportedly caught on video participating in anti-Muslim riots. “Dozens of mosques and Muslims’ homes and businesses were destroyed by the Buddhist mobs in the central Sri Lankan province, causing the government to declare a state of emergency.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/27/ ... m_violence

Second day of protests in Sacramento after fatal police shooting of man armed with cell phone. “Hundreds of demonstrators calling for justice in the fatal shooting last weekend of 22-year-old Stephon Clark marched for hours and blocked traffic near the California state capitol building on Friday afternoon, according to ABC station KGO.” http://abcnews.go.com/US/protests-rock- ... rmed/story

Average Wall Street BONUS (not salary) for 2017 is $184,220. “Banks are expected to be among the biggest beneficiaries of lowering the corporate tax rate to 21 percent.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/bus ... -all-year/

Linda Brown, of Brown v. Board of Education, dies at 76. “It was Brown’s father, Rev. Oliver Brown, who sued the Topeka school board to allow his daughter the right to attend an all-white school in the Kansas capital city.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/li ... c9e5fa5aa1

‘Fake news’ law proposed in Malaysia includes harsh penalties for journalists. “The vague and broad definition of ‘fake news,’ combined with severe punishments and arbitrary arrest powers for police, shows that this is nothing but a blatant attempt to shield the government from peaceful criticism.” https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/26/mal ... s-illegal/ The country’s Prime Minister is embroiled in a long-running corruption scandal and an election is scheduled.

Rock star Prince reportedly had an extremely high level of fentanyl in his blood when he died. “Authorities said they would be investigating possible prescription drug diversion, which is the transfer of legal drugs into illegal distribution or use.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/marcusjones/pr ... ogy-report

Senate Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell wants to legalize hemp. “If approved, the act would allow states to control their own hemp regulations by removing federal restrictions.” http://thehill.com/policy/energy-enviro ... al-product

Government report shows that the cost of the top 20 prescription drugs used by Medicare recipients went up almost 10 times faster than the rate of inflation. “Over the past five years, the prices for each of the 20 increased, on average going up 12 percent per year.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ns-seniors

Trump administration ‘infested with swamp creatures’. “The advocacy group Public Citizen has identified at least 36 former lobbyists in the administration who are working on issues for which they recently lobbied…” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ists-trump

Stormy Daniels claims she was threatened over Trump affair. “That’s a beautiful little girl. It’d be a shame if something happened to her mom.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... air-threat

Canadian Prime Minister apologizes for executions of indigenous leaders. “Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has exonerated six indigenous chiefs, more than 150 years after they were executed by the colonial government of British Columbia.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ous-people

Feds side with Chamber of Commerce in Seattle anti-unionization case. “By allowing (ride share) drivers to form an organization and bargain to set prices and working conditions, the Chamber argued, the drivers were setting up what amounted to an illegal cartel.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/26/ube ... n-seattle/

Border Patrol’s 100 mile “Constitution-free zone” effects 2/3 of Americans. “Some 200 million people live within that 100-mile zone, which encompasses most major U.S. cities from east to west and north to south, including New York and Seattle, Detroit and Philadelphia.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/two-th ... free-zone/

Turkish leader threatens to invade Iraq if necessary to remove Kurdish forces from Sinjar. “The PKK says it entered Sinjar in 2014 to help defend the Yazidi people against the ‘Islamic State’.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/ ... 01595.html

Washington Post article on U.S. military intervention in Africa omits key option, in addition to possibly changing battlefield tactics or building more bases. “… left completely out of the discussion is anyone who thinks the US military shouldn’t be intervening in Africa at all.” https://fair.org/home/for-wapo-what-nex ... tting-out/

Trump’s new national security advisor John Bolton reportedly videotaped message to Russian group with ties to Putin. “The Bolton video appears to be another plank in a bridge built by Russia to conservative political organizations inside the United States.” https://www.npr.org/2018/03/22/59589741 ... ghts-video Bolton reportedly told Iranian Leninists that they will celebrate the overthrow of the Iranian government in Tehran ‘before 2019’. “In case there was any doubt among the exiles that Bolton might not advise Trump to overthrow Iran’s government, (Rudy) Giuliani assured (the MEK) that “if anything, John Bolton has become more determined that there needs to be regime change in Iran, that the nuclear agreement needs to be burned, and that you need to be in charge of that country.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/23/her ... -end-2018/ Let the betting begin! Will the next war be with Iran or North Korea? Leninists in or Leninists out?

Catalans clash with police after independence leader arrested in Germany. “In central Barcelona, protesters chanted ‘Freedom for the political prisoners’ and ‘This Europe is shameful!’ as they headed to the offices of the European Commission and the German consulate. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43535970

March for Our Lives speaker Emma Gonzalez wrote a Cuban flag patch during her speech. “In another seeming attempt to discredit mass school shooting survivor Emma González, the outspoken teenaged gun control advocate, a widely shared meme fixated on a patch that was sewn on the shoulder of the jacket she wore during her speech at the March for Our Lives really in Washington, D.C., on 24 March 2018.” https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/emma- ... lag-patch/ Like people were “fixated” on the Nazi symbols sported by white nationalists Charlottesville?

Las Vegas hotel releases Steven Paddock videos. “Cops have that innate sense to pick out somebody that’s not acting right. I never would have looked at this guy twice.” http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/37784256 ... en-paddock Las Vegas police resisting public records requests from the media. “We feel disclosure of all the documents is not appropriate.” http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/37789594 ... -1-october Covering their posteriors, or is there something else to hide?

Obama spoke at “an event” organized by a “non-profit organization” in Japan, but the mainstream media apparently didn’t want to name the event or the group. Japan’s public broadcaster has named the event though, and a Japanese Google search did the rest. “Obama addressed the Fourth Global Opinion Leaders Summit on Sunday at the invitation of a nonprofit group that organized the event.” https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180325_18/ Could the reason for the vague news stories be because the “non-profit group” is apparently (according to a Japanese Wikipedia article) a weird, far-right Shinto religious sect with close ties to the country’s ruling party, which has also hosted Bill Clinton, Colin Powell and Tony Blair? “The World Opinion Leaders Summit… is an international organization sponsored by the NPO World Development Cooperation Organization, which is presided over by Shinto Hidehisa of Shintoism New World Religious World Mate Guru Political conference.” (per Google Translate) https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/世界オピニオンリーダーズサミット

Cambridge Analytica staff who advised Republican candidates were not Americans. “Its dirty little secret was that there was no one American involved in it, that it was a de facto foreign agent, working on an American election.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

Critics say police showed empathy for Austin bomber because of his race. “When a law enforcement official described a cellphone recording left by the Austin serial bomber as ‘the outcry of a very challenged young man’, the remark caused an outcry of its own.” https://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/ ... bout-race/

Prosecutors in trial of Pulse shooter’s widow allegedly hid from the defense that Omar Mateen’s father was an FBI informant. “Mateen’s father, Seddique Mateen, was on the government’s witness list but was never called to testify.” http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/pul ... story.html

Houston deputy fatally shoots unarmed black man walking in traffic with his trousers around his ankles. “It’s difficult to imagine how this shooting could possibly be justified.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... xas-deputy

An estimated 70 marchers arrested in Belarus, but protesters allowed to gather in the park. “Last year more than 700 people were arrested during a 25 March opposition rally, prompting warnings from the EU, which had lifted sanctions on Belarus after Lukashenko freed imprisoned opposition politicians in 2016.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... tion-rally

U.S. aid to Afghan government ‘mismanaged’. “As a result, (Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan) officials did not have assurance that $3.1 billion in U.S. direct funding was used entirely for the intended purposes.” https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2018 ... y-managed/

Mexican military and drug cartel clash on U.S. border. “Authorities said marines were ambushed three separate times in Nuevo Laredo, a city across the border from Laredo, Texas.” http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/n ... 94139.html

Tens of thousands of Americans march to restrict ownership of modern rifles to only the police and the military. “They want a ban on large magazines that go into rifles, and they want a ban on assault rifles.” https://www.npr.org/2018/03/24/59664749 ... ves-in-d-c Counter protesters point out that previous ban had no apparent impact (since so few people are murdered with rifles). “We tried assault weapons bans for 10 years. There was really no change.” http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/us-wor ... ally-in-dc Black Lives Matter activist points out the difference between how their protests are received compared to those of gun control activists. “When we go out into the streets, when we protest, when we demand for our lives to matter, we’re given heavy police repression.” https://newsone.com/3777189/parkland-fl ... -movement/ Subjects of the Queen of England rally against gun ownership in the U.S. “Thousands of UK supporters gathered in solidarity outside the US embassy in London and the US consulate in Edinburgh.” https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/uk-n ... n-control/ Sorry Brits, you’re 240 years too late!

Craigslist shuts down its personal ads in response to sex trafficking law. “U.S. Congress just passed HR 1865, ‘FOSTA’, seeking to subject websites to criminal and civil liability when third parties (users) misuse online personals unlawfully.” http://www.newsweek.com/craigslist-pers ... ion-859099

World Health Organization says the estimated 167,000 refugees fleeing Turkish attack on Afrin are in need of assistance. “Children, women, and men have undertaken harrowing journeys to flee Afrin and need urgent health assistance.” http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/2cb4 ... 29b074f97e

Facebook reportedly logged phone data of Android users who agreed to share their contact info. “While scanning the information Facebook had stored about his contacts, Dylan McKay discovered something distressing: Facebook also had about two years worth of phone call metadata from his Android phone, including names, phone numbers, and the length of each call made or received.” https://arstechnica.com/information-tec ... id-phones/

Public employees in France go on strike to protest ‘labor reforms’. “(President) Macron has proposed cutting 120,000 public employee jobs over five years, while raising taxes on pensions and introducing a merit-based system of pay.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/23/ ... or_attacks

Most of the chemical spills that occurred during Hurricane Harvey were not made public. “AP reporters catalogued more than 100 Harvey-related toxic releases, most of which were never made public, including spills of carcinogenic compounds like benzene and vinyl chloride, and the release of nearly half a billion gallons of industrial wastewater mixed with stormwater from one chemical plant in Baytown alone.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/3/23/ ... usly_known

2o injured during protests after Spain arrests Catalonian independence leaders. “There are two million people who want to leave Spain and they can’t put us all in prison.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43523811

Military suppressed the blogs of soldiers in Iraq who tried to honestly relate their experiences. “I’m having a hard time being okay with all the dead civilians.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ir ... c9e5f2089c

Senator John McCain asks Gina Haspel about her involvement with torture program in letter to CIA. “He asked for an account of Haspel’s role in the detention and interrogation program, including whether she directed “enhanced interrogation techniques” or could have stopped them, and if she was directed to destroy tapes or other potential evidence of the use of such techniques.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKBN1GZ2FW

Britain’s chemical warfare lab is only 8 miles from site of nerve agent attack. “Britain’s military research facility at Porton Down said it could not have been the source of the nerve agent that poisoned Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the city of Salisbury this month, the BBC reported on Friday.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/uks-porton-d ... iness.html I wonder if there was a bounty on Skripal’s head? That would explain the odd timing of the attack, just before the Russian election and upcoming World Cup in Russia. But who has access to nerve agent? I suggest they ‘follow the money’ and see if anyone at Porton Down buys a Jaguar or a yacht in the near future.

Camden, New Jersey cops beat up innocent man says his lawyer. “The surveillance video, which (Edward) Minguela said he obtained from the liquor store, shows him holding his hands up as an officer approaches him and takes him to the ground. He then punches Minguela 12 times in the head while two other officers appear to hold him down, and others look on.” http://www.nj.com/camden/index.ssf/2018/03/post_39.html

Some patients with large debts avoid seeking medical treatment. “This holds true for roughly 23% of U.S. adults with $10,000 to $25,000 of debt and 27% of those with $25,000 in debt or more.” http://www.ibtimes.com/debt-prompts-pat ... ws-2665827

Immigration detainees allege they were beaten, pepper-sprayed and held in solitary confinement. “The officers used epithets (‘terrorist’ and ‘boy’ and ‘n*’) in combination with beatings, broad and indiscriminate use of pepper spray, and routine and arbitrary use of segregation and other violations to demean and injure the men.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/24/wee ... tion-jail/

Anti-prostitution group allegedly made large donations to King County, Washington law enforcement officials, asked them to portray arrested customers as clients of sex trafficking organizations. “As part of signed agreements for the funding, (Valiant) Richey and other law enforcement officials in King County were required to frame the activities of sex buyers and men involved with The Review Board as sex trafficking, according to court records and internal documents obtained through public records requests — even though there was no evidence of trafficking in these cases.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/24/dem ... ng-county/

Democratic Congressional primary in Texas pits ex-teacher and Bernie Sanders supporter Rick Treviño against DCCC endorsed former Air Force intelligence officer Gina Ortiz Jones. “…Treviño has endorsed the full range of Sanders policies: from ‘Medicare for All’ to tuition-free college. Ortiz Jones on the other hand is keeping many of her policy positions vague, preferring to talk about her desire to ‘make college affordable’, for instance.” https://theintercept.com/2018/03/23/tex ... mary-dccc/

Canadian journalist facing charges after covering indigenous protesters. “(Justin) Brake embedded with Indigenous demonstrators at the Muskrat Falls dam project in Labrador in October 2016 (following them after they broke a court injunction against trespassing).” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ng-protest

55% increase in acute hunger due to global conflicts. “Wars and conflicts are driving hunger in a way we’ve never seen before.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -wont-stop

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

104
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s children believe there was a conspiracy to kill their father 50 years ago today. “In recent years, (Attorney William) Pepper has tracked down witnesses in Memphis who support his theory of the case: that J. Edgar Hoover used his longtime assistant, Clyde Tolson, to deliver cash to members of the Memphis underworld, that those shadowy figures then hired a sharpshooting Memphis police officer, and that officer — not Ray — fired the fatal shot.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ret ... as-framed/ “Many of the documents from the FBI’s original investigation remain classified and won’t be released to the public until 2027.” https://qz.com/1243402/who-killed-marti ... niversary/

Lawyer linked to Paul Manafort sentenced to 30 days for lying to FBI. “(Alex) Van der Zwaan also deleted emails rather than turning them over to authorities, including one from Person A [a former Russian intelligence officer] directing him to communicate using encrypted applications, and others showing he explored leaving the law firm to work directly for Gates and Manafort around 2012 and 2013.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pu ... story.html

Trump’s plan to send troops to Mexican border was also employed by Obama and W. “The 2012 operation under Obama was called Operation Phalanx, and involved 1,200 personnel, but had more aviation assets, Martin says.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-milita ... ecedented/

Former U.S. Senator calls on Justice Department to investigate fatal shooting of Black Lives Matter activist Muhiyidin Moye in New Orleans. “…Moye was contacted to help organize the Black Lives Movement in New Orleans and this seems to be a Civil Rights Action that should be further investigated by the United States Justice Department.” http://syllabusmagazine.com/here/former ... amin-moye/

Judge in Kansas voter registration case scolds Secretary of State Kris Kobach for not complying with court’s orders. “(Federal Chief District Judge Julie Robinson) questioned why Kobach had had no problem getting Kansas’ 105 counties to require birth certificates and similar documents from voters in recent years, yet denied he could make them mail postcards or comply with other aspects of her orders.” http://kcur.org/post/judge-kansas-motor ... h#stream/0

Dept. of Homeland Security concerned about unauthorized cell tower simulators operating in Washington, D.C. area, which can capture information from cell phone users. “Cell-site simulators were previously deployed by US troops in the Middle East but were later modified for domestic law enforcement use.” https://gizmodo.com/dhs-acknowledges-my ... 1824295933

Hate letters distributed anonymously in the U.K. encourage citizens to commit acts of violence against Muslims. “The letter lists a point system which grants participants points for harassing, torturing, and killing Muslims.” https://www.valuewalk.com/2018/04/punis ... rifies-uk/

High cost of college leaving many students in poverty according to study. “Overall the study concluded 36 percent of college students say they are food insecure. Another 36 percent say they are housing insecure, while 9 percent report being homeless.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... tudy-finds

San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office clears Daly City, California police officers in death of unarmed suspect. “Officers intervened and after a brief struggle with (Warren) Ragudo used a Taser to restrain him. Shortly after being placed in handcuffs, Ragudo ‘was not responsive’.” https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/03/ ... ans-death/

Asheville, North Carolina police release video of altercation with black jaywalker who was choked, beaten and tasered. “The officers pursue him, (Officer) Hickman saying in the video, “You’re gonna get f***** up hardcore”.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... jaywalking

Michigan state agency approves Nestle’s request to pump and bottle even more of the state’s free groundwater. “As Michigan Radio’s Lindsey Smith reported, the (Department of Environmental Quality) received a unprecedented number of public comments on Nestle’s proposal. 80,945 commenters were against the request. 75 were in favor.” http://michiganradio.org/post/state-app ... wal-permit This is what democracy looks like?

Merger of Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media would reportedly give company access to about 70% of U.S. households. “Current F.C.C. regulations prohibit companies from owning stations that together reach more than 39 percent of households.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/busi ... rship.html

Woman who invited ex-boyfriend over for dinner is charged for trying to kill him. “Perez began spraying the man with the gasoline while saying, ‘you are going to pay’, police said.” http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/bre ... story.html

FBI does not generally make electronic recordings of its interrogations. “…as all experienced investigators and prosecutors know, perfectly lawful and acceptable interviewing techniques do not always come across in recorded fashion to lay persons as proper means of obtaining information from defendants.” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/04/02/are-j ... -fbi-says/

Federal judge says Orange County, California communities can’t raze tent cities and then cite people for homelessness. “… a federal judge raised the prospect of barring local governments from enforcing anti-camping ordinances if officials cannot create temporary shelters for hundreds being swept out of tent cities.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/judge- ... -homeless/

UK experts unable to prove source of nerve agent used in attack. “Gary Aitkenhead, chief executive of the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down, told Sky News that researchers were able to identify the substance used in the attack against Sergei and Yulia Skripal…. But Aitkenhead said the British investigators have not been able to say where the deadly agent was manufactured.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/br ... story.html

Human rights group calls shootings of Gaza protesters ‘unlawful’ and ‘calculated’. “The Israeli government has not shown that the demonstrators throwing rocks or Molotov cocktails posed a grave threat to the well-protected soldiers deployed on the other side of the border fence, nor has Israel claimed that any Palestinian crossed the border on March 30.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/04/03/isr ... calculated

1940 census data used to round up Japanese Americans. “The historical record is clear that senior Census Bureau staff proactively cooperated with the internment, and that census tabulations were directly implicated in the denial of civil rights to citizens of the United States who happened also to be of Japanese ancestry.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ret ... s-in-wwii/

Four arrested at anti-drone protest outside Creech Air Force Base. “Clark County jail records show four women ranging in age from 62 to 75 were held on misdemeanor jaywalking and failure to disperse charges.” https://www.military.com/daily-news/201 ... vegas.html

Los Alamos museum puts Japanese Hiroshima and Nagasaki exhibit on hold due to anti-nuke theme. “Heather McClenahan, executive director of the Los Alamos Historical Museum, said the museum’s board of directors felt uncomfortable about the exhibit’s call to abolish nuclear bombs.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-museum-st ... 15518.html (Sarcasm alert!) Maybe you could balance the exhibit by including some pro-nuclear weapon material, possibly sponsored by military contractors? You wouldn’t want to be accused of unfairly favoring one side on this issue, like the clear anti-Nazi bias on display at the Holocaust Museum. Having stand-offs between governments armed with nuclear weapons could actually be beneficial to the future of humanity, by developing human resistance to radiation through the offspring of nuclear war survivors, or as a solution to over-population.

Locals say many civilians killed in Kunduz airstrikes. “Hundreds of people were attending a graduation ceremony at the madrassa in a Taliban-controlled district in northeastern Afghanistan on Monday when Afghan Air Force helicopters struck, witnesses have told AFP.” https://dailytimes.com.pk/223480/afghan ... ir-strike/

Egyptian police raid news website’s office, arrest staff. “The raid came two days after the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, an official oversight body, told the website, Masr al-Arabia, to pay 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($2,849) as a fine for republishing a New York Times article on alleged irregularities during last week’s presidential election.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/egypt-police ... 06072.html

Antarctica’s ice sheets being melted from below. “A new study in the journal Nature Geoscience found that warm ocean water is melting Antarctica’s ice sheets from below, contributing to sea level rise.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/3/h ... s_glaciers

Memphis convenience store clerk charged in shooting death of shoplifter. “The teen swiped a beer from the store without paying and walked out, according to police records obtained by WREG.” http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/n ... 65084.html

Sinclair Broadcasting, Trump defend ‘fake news’ public service announcement, but critics still concerned. “News anchors looking into camera and reading a script handed down by a corporate overlord, words meant to obscure the truth not elucidate it, isn’t journalism. It’s propaganda.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/me ... 477531002/ Sinclair Broadcast Group reportedly ran ‘Terrorism Alert Desk’ story on burkinis, the swimsuits some Muslim women wear to cover their bodies. “That is not about terrorism!” (comedian John) Oliver said incredulously. “It’s just about Muslims!” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sty ... ing-reach/

EPA says new pollution and mileage standards are too high for automakers to meet. “The E.P.A. on Monday — announcing its official decision to reverse the rules — said that those standards were too expensive for automakers to meet and would ultimately hurt car owners by making vehicles costlier.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/clim ... rules.html

South African anti-apartheid activist Winnie Mandela dead at 81. “(Winnie Madikizela-Mandela) and her former husband Nelson Mandela, who were both jailed, were a symbol of the country’s anti-apartheid struggle for three decades.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43621112

Oklahoma and Kentucky hit by state-wide teacher strikes. “Classes were canceled Monday for hundreds of thousands of students across two states as striking teachers rallied at capitols in Oklahoma and Kentucky to demand improved funding for education.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 478102002/

Department of Justice sets quotas for immigration judges. “In the memo, obtained by CNN and sent to all immigration judges on Friday, the Justice Department lays out specific measures of performance for judges, including completing at least 700 cases per year — the equivalent of roughly three per day…” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/02/poli ... index.html

Supreme Court rules against victim of police shooting, two judges dissent. “(Amy) Hughes was nowhere near the officers, had committed no illegal act, was suspected of no crime, and did not raise the knife in the direction of Chadwick or anyone else.” http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-p ... story.html

Supreme Court rules that auto dealer service advisors are exempt from overtime pay, joining auto mechanics and sales staff. “Automobile dealers are very powerful at the local level, they contribute a great deal to political campaigns, so it’s not at all surprising that they were able to convince Congress to exempt a large number of their employees.” https://www.scpr.org/news/2018/04/02/82 ... n-overtim/

“Affluenza” teen released after doing two years for fleeing to Mexico while on probation for DUI accident that killed four and injured nine. “A juvenile court judge initially drew widespread criticism after sentencing Couch to 10 years of probation.” https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Afflu ... 99203.html

Some Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students complaining about security measures infringing on their rights. “Sarah Chadwick… one of the people behind the #NeverAgain movement, posted on Twitter that her school is “starting to feel like a prison” due to the stronger security protocols being put in place.” https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/New ... 92813.html

Witness in Russiagate investigation reportedly tells special counsel that Erik Prince was involved in setting up back-channel to Russian government after the election. “A witness cooperating with Mueller has told investigators the meeting was set up in advance so that a representative of the Trump transition could meet with an emissary from Moscow to discuss future relations between the countries…” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... story.html

Plot thickens in Skripal nerve agent poisoning. “The daughter of a Russian spy poisoned with a nerve agent had allegedly gained access to a £150,000 “secret bank account” just days before she was attacked….. A High Court judge indicated last month that Yulia’s boyfriend had not been in contact with the Salisbury hospital.” https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/s ... t-12292621

Tax dodger extraordinaire Donald Trump calls out Amazon for tax dodging. “The president, who repeatedly promised to release his own tax returns only to renege once elected, attacked Amazon again on Thursday morning, tweeting that the company pays ‘little or no taxes to state & local governments’, while using the US postal service as its ‘Delivery Boy’.” https://gizmodo.com/trumps-claim-that-a ... 1824186065

U.S. stock markets fall about 2%. “The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more than 700 points Monday afternoon. Shares rebounded some, but the big board still closed down 458 points.” http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/04/02/ ... trade-war/

Disney Cruise Line allegedly sends security guards armed with rifles to deal with family of pregnant woman with children who was barred from boarding. “So we are leaving and trying to find flights for tomorrow and they sent out guys with AR-15s when my dad was talking to the desk about not being able to get on.” http://www.ibtimes.com/pregnant-woman-b ... ds-2668401

Director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, tasked with protecting consumers from financial scams, suggests his agency might be ‘the very definition of tyranny’. “The bureau is far too powerful, and with precious little oversight of its activities.” https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... wn-agency/

Gay dating site Grindr allegedly shared users’ HIV status and personal details with third parties. “Because the HIV information is sent together with users’ GPS data, phone ID, and email, it could identify specific users and their HIV status, according to Antoine Pultier, a researcher at the Norwegian nonprofit SINTEF, which first identified the issue.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/azeenghorayshi ... us-privacy

Texas seeking permission to impose time and appeal limits in death penalty cases. “A spokeswoman for the state’s attorney general framed the request to the Justice Department as a necessary way to avoid ‘stressful delays’ and cut down on the ‘excessive costs’ of lengthy federal court proceedings.” https://www.chron.com/news/article/Expr ... o-14608100

Leftist candidate leading in Mexico’s presidential race. “According to the poll by Parametría, former Mexico City mayor Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) holds 38 percent of the vote, showing a clear advantage over second-place Ricardo Anaya of the conservative National Action Party-led left-right coalition and third-place Jose Antonio Meade of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ips-trumps

French rail unions strike against government labor reforms. “Unions and politicians on the left fear that even if the state owned 100% of shares, transforming the rail operator into a publicly listed company could lead to privatisation.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... opposition

U.S. to give Israel $705 million for missile defense system. “The U.S. provides $3.1 billion in military aid to Israel each year under a 10-year security arrangement. The $705 million is a separate allocation, and is up from the $600 million provided for missile defense last year.” http://abcnews.go.com/International/wir ... d-54021200

An estimate 4.5 million displaced in Democratic Republic of Congo due to political instability and civil war. “Across the country the security situation has deteriorated markedly as government authority has collapsed, emboldening rival militia groups who hold sway over large areas of territory, often competing for the DRC’s rich resources.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ls-in-east

Study shows Americans more divided over political identities than by policies. “Regarding health care, the structure of the Affordable Care Act was initially devised by the conservative Heritage Foundation and implemented in Massachusetts as “Romneycare.” Once it became Obamacare, the Republican team leaders deemed it bad, and thus it became bad.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/03/pol ... epublican/

Trump administration received requested increase in spending for school sex abstinence programs, despite their poor performance. “Thus, although theoretically completely effective in preventing pregnancy, in actual practice the efficacy of [abstinence-only] interventions may approach zero.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/02/don ... ed-policy/ Maybe Trump should record some inspirational video messages for the students?

Trump makes April National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. “Sexual assault crimes remain tragically common in our society, and offenders too often evade accountability.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 475350002/

EPA approved pipeline deal for company represented by Scott Pruitt’s landlord’s husband. “At the same time that Pruitt had access to the ($50/a night, open-ended, pay only for nights used, walking distance to the Capitol) condo, the EPA signaled its approval for a pipeline project from Enbridge Inc.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sc ... 46b64577c3

Egypt’s president re-elected with 97% of the vote. “Announcing the final results on Monday, Egypt’s election commission said there had been a 41.5 percent turnout, lower than the 47 percent in the 2014 election.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/ ... 19879.html

Candidate who supported same sex marriage wins Costa Rican presidential election. “Alvarado Quesada won over 60 percent of the vote, beating out conservative candidate Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz, who made his anti-abortion views and opposition to LGBTQ rights a centerpiece of his campaign.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/2/h ... e_equality

New Orleans police believe Black Lives Matter activist Muhiyidin d’Baha may have been killed during a robbery attempt. “…the NOPD shed light on the progress of its investigation into the mysterious death of d’Baha, legal name Muhiyidin Moye, who was found bleeding on the street opposite his bicycle after being shot in the thigh at about 1:24 a.m. on Tues, Feb. 6 in Bienville Street in New Orleans, La.” https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/The ... ed-robbery A guy on a bicycle does not seem like high-value target for an armed robber though.

Ronald Reagan-backed Guatemalan strongman Efrain Rios Montt dead at 91, having never served a day in jail for genocide. “In the panoply of commanders who turned much of Central America into a killing field in the 1980s, General Ríos Montt was one of the most murderous. He was convicted in 2013 of trying to exterminate the Ixil ethnic group, a Mayan Indian community whose villages were wiped out by his forces.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/01/obit ... -dead.html

Federal jury finds Austin, Texas police officer guilty of using excessive force in arrest of jaywalker. “Before the verdict, (Jeremy) King’s attorney, Brian McGiverin, said APD’s internal affairs had already cleared the officers of any misconduct.” http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/j ... 1031509214 Video of the incident can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02o4rluRP5Q

Sacramento deputy implicated in hit-and-run accident involving protester. “A 61-year-old woman was struck by a police vehicle as it peeled away from protesters demonstrating against the police killing of Stephon Clark in what was described by the victim and protesters as a hit-and-run.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pos ... deo-shows/

UN general secretary calls for investigation into shootings of Palestinian protesters on the border of Gaza, local health officials claim 773 wounded by gunfire. “The violence erupted on Friday after mass demonstrations took place demanding the right of return for Palestinian refugees and their descendants to land in Israel.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ammunition Some of those killed were reportedly hit in the back as they fled. “The fact that you have a video of 30 seconds showing this guy running away and being shot means you don’t see the context or what he was doing beforehand.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/0 ... w-unarmed/

Sinclair Broadcast Group has its 193 TV stations run the same public service announcement/editorial on ‘fake news’. “The FCC has emphasized Sinclair-friendly deregulation during the Trump presidency, with Chairman Ajit Pai helping to ease the rules on owning multiple TV and radio stations in the same market.” https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/a ... 792032.php Why is this a problem? Check out what this looks like in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL1zwMtz_Ho

Fort Worth cop caught on video pummeling suspect. “Fort Worth police confirmed Sunday that two officers struck a man as they struggled to handcuff him over the weekend.” https://www.dallasnews.com/news/fort-wo ... gle-arrest

Turkey’s defense minister warns France not to ‘invade’ northern Syria. “If France takes any steps regarding its military presence in northern Syria, this would be an illegitimate step that would go against international law and in fact, it would be an invasion.” https://nation.com.pk/01-Apr-2018/franc ... ion-turkey Turkish troops in northern Syria? Completely different!

88 out of 91 White House interns for 2018 appear to be white. “The White House intern photo is like a Where’s Waldo for a non-white person.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/01/poli ... index.html

Pennsylvania agency claims video of fatal 2015 police shooting is exempt from public records disclosure law. “Magdalene C. Zeppos, an appeals officer with the (Office of Open Records), ruled the videos fall under a section of the Right to Know Law that exempts records that are part of a criminal investigation.” http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/open-r ... -1.2320893

One Austin police officer fired, one suspended after beating of prostitution suspect. “As they got to the patrol car, Stallings ‘pushed her onto the hood of the patrol vehicle’. As the woman struggled, Mathis delivered six knee strikes to her body, according to the memo. Austin-Travis County EMS medics were called when the officers realized the woman had a cut on her lip.” http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/a ... 1089849093

Five Rapides Parish, Louisiana deputies charged over undescribed excessive force incident at detention center. http://www.kalb.com/content/news/4-RPSO ... 81833.html
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

105
Constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget fails to reach 2/3rds needed in the House, critics point out recent Republican tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, and their massive increase in military spending. “The amendment would have required Congress to balance the budget in five years, a goal that would require massive cuts to entitlement spending [i.e., Social Security and Medicare] and likely some tax hikes [but not on the wealthy or corporations apparently].” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ba ... c89ce6c4c3

Senator unimpressed by new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director’s performance. “Not only has the CFPB not initiated a single enforcement action, it’s withdrawn lawsuits against four payday lenders that charged consumers triple-digit interest rates.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -consumers

Foreign owners of U.S. stocks will reportedly be the biggest beneficiaries of Republican tax cuts. “The bottom line is that foreigners own a large chunk of U.S. corporations and will get a big windfall.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/80-per ... gners-cbo/

Meat production is destroying the planet says conservationist. “Basically, chickens are in direct competition with the world’s starving children. The irony is that chickens are winning.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/charle ... ven-knows/

Trump administration reconsiders TPP free trade pact. “‘In a series of broken promises Trump made to the working people of this country, rejoining the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership would be the biggest yet,’ warned Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in a tweet on Thursday.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... oining-tpp

Actors’ union says no more ‘private auditions’ in hotel rooms. “SAG-AFTRA, the labor union for actors in film and television, has issued a guideline calling on producers and executives to avoid arranging meetings in hotel rooms or private residences.” https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/a ... l-meetings

London police tell Russian embassy in UK that Yulia Skripal says she doesn’t need their help, and that she does not want to be interviewed by the media. “The Russian embassy in the UK has dismissed the statement and said there was ‘no possibility to verify it’, adding it ‘only strengthens suspicions that we are dealing with a forcible isolation of the Russian citizen’. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... ia-skripal Russian journalists visit hospital, are asked to leave by security and forced to delete their video. “By all appearances, the central hospital in the city of Salisbury is not guarded at all. At least, there’s not a single person at the entrance, and a little ways away only one police car is on duty. Nothing is taped off, and the treatment of local residents is continuing here.” https://uk.news.yahoo.com/russian-tv-th ... 00031.html

California secessionists to begin collecting signatures for ‘Calexit’ referendum. “Sentiment to split from the Union ran as high as 32 percent in polls taken soon after Trump assumed office last year.” https://smmirror.com/2018/04/resistance ... ve-result/

Uninvited candidate in governor’s race dragged off Connecticut debate stage. “Gubernatorial candidate Lee Whitnum was charged with breach of peace and trespassing after officers were forced to drag her off the stage during a (Democratic Party) forum Monday.” https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/ ... 819714.php

West Virginia suspect who was allegedly body slammed while handcuffed files lawsuit. “(Mark) Messer was taken to Logan General Hospital before being transferred to a Charleston hospital, where he was unconscious and on life support for 17 days, according to the lawsuit.” https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/cops ... 38586.html

Republican Senator Ben Sasse describes hate speech as ‘hurting someone’s feelings’ during Facebook hearings, claims First Amendment is under threat. Sasse: “Forty percent of Americans under age 35 tell pollsters they think the First Amendment is dangerous because you might use your freedom to say something that hurts somebody else’s feelings.” Washington Post fact checkers: “The survey found that 40 percent of American millennials, or people from ages 18 to 34 at the time, said ‘the government should be able to prevent people from saying offensive statements about minority groups’ in some circumstances.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fac ... dangerous/

Seattle Seahawks allegedly uninvited Colin Kaepernick to a workout after he declined to discuss his plans concerning future national anthems. “Finding a backup quarterback is an offseason need for the Seahawks, as Russell Wilson is the only passer currently on the roster.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/n ... 511389002/

Seven Portland, Oregon cops and one Multnomah County deputy reportedly fired at homeless man with knife, an additional 12 officers were present during the shooting. “Witnesses told FOX 12 that Elifritz rushed into the shelter, started cutting his own neck with a knife and refused to put the knife down when officers came in and ordered him to surrender.” http://www.kptv.com/story/37915456/port ... s-released Some of the officers involved in the shooting have been accused of using excessive force in previous incidents involving mentally impaired suspects. “(In a 2010 incident involving an unarmed suspect, Officer) Phifer fired a Taser into the man’s back several times. Phifer then punched the man in the ribs at least six times. According to the federal report, Phifer and another officer Tased the man six more times before handcuffing him and then taking him to a mental health hospital.” https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtow ... ntally-ill

Chicago to pay $2.3 million to settle police shooting lawsuit. “(Jaquise) Evans’ lawyers specifically accused city lawyers Matthew Hurd and Scott Cohen of letting (Officer) Salvador commit perjury in a deposition when he said he had never previously been a defendant in a lawsuit. It turned out both men had represented Salvador in a previous lawsuit.” https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/city- ... isconduct/

Relatives of NYC police shooting victim Saheed Vassell demand that city release video of the incident. “The NYPD released edited video of Vassell prior to the shooting, opting not to make public the complete video of his death.” http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bro ... -1.3930608

Fremont, California police refusing to release videos of shooting incidents. “Police said the man — who was wanted for a probation violation and had fled from an officer earlier that week — pointed a gun at officers and likely fired at them, as a revolver with three expended shell casings was found next to his body after he collapsed in the intersection of Fremont Boulevard and Nicolet Avenue.” https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/12/ ... anted-man/ This is an odd story, because revolvers do not eject fired shell casings, they remain inside the weapon. They are also refusing to release video of the fatal shooting of an unarmed suspect who allegedly tried to beat up a police officer.

Elgin, Illinois officers simultaneous shot and tasered mentally disturbed motorist as she exited her car, which she had lit on fire, while holding a knife. “Decynthia Clements, a 34-year-old mother-of-one, was shot and killed following an hour-long standoff with Elgin police on the morning of March 12.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ficer.html

Royal Oak, Michigan police officer reportedly shot fleeing DUI suspect spotted in restaurant drive thru lane. “The suspect then fled the drive-thru, crashing head-on into a minivan a quarter-mile away on 13 Mile.” https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/ ... 506142002/

Having kid’s cut toe cleaned and anti-bacterial ointment applied in emergency room costs her insured parents $937. “We had no idea how deep the cut was, whether we could just wrap a Band-Aid around it.” https://www.vox.com/health-care/2018/4/ ... c-patients

Guess who’s backing Gina Haspel’s appointment as CIA director? “The officials (who signed) the letter make up a veritable who’s who of individuals who escaped accountability for their actions in the Bush administration. They also include individuals who have developed a reputation as advocates for The Resistance™ to President Donald Trump.” https://shadowproof.com/2018/04/10/whos ... -director/ And, wait for it… Henry Kissinger.

30 ‘national security experts’ sign letter supporting Mike Pompeo as secretary of state. “Keith Alexander, the former director of the National Security Agency under President George W. Bush and President Obama; former Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, former chief counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jamil Jaffer and former House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers tout Pompeo’s qualifications and express concerns about the current state of the agency in the letter.” http://thehill.com/homenews/382790-form ... -of-pompeo Pompeo accused of consorting with Muslim-haters. “Pompeo also frequently appeared on radio shows with Frank Gaffney, another leading Islamophobe who spuriously accused various Democrats of clandestine ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wor ... a-problem/

Louisiana bill would “hyper-criminalize” pipeline protests. “We have laws on trespass. We have laws on any damage to property, … these are already crimes in this state and every other state. But this is an attempt to try to… multiply the impact of those laws when you are protesting against a pipeline or any of those other (locations of) what they call ‘critical infrastructure’.” http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?opt ... 8581fddf62

Two Israeli teenagers arrested after refusing to serve in country’s military. “Alon and Ze’evi refused conscription due to their ‘unwillingness to contribute to the oppression of the Palestinian people’, according to a statement by Mesarvot — Political Refusal Network, an organization that is aiding the two objectors.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/two-teena ... -join-idf/

Democratic and Republican groups in Nevada reportedly barred journalist from covering their events. “Within the past two weeks, the Red Rock Democratic Club and the Nevada Republican Men’s Club each denied access to (Las Vegas Review-Journal political reporter Ramona) Giwargis.” https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news ... -coverage/

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan leaving Congress at the end of his term ‘to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father’. “Friends say that after Ryan passed tax reform, his longtime dream, he was ready to step out of a job that has become endlessly frustrating, in part because of President Trump.” https://www.axios.com/paul-ryan-not-run ... 3fdb5.html But he hasn’t cut federal funding for Medicaid or privatized Social Security yet! “In 2004, Ryan pushed a plan to privatize Social Security so extreme that even George W. Bush called it ‘irresponsible’.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-al ... 92656.html “If he (is) indeed preparing to run for (president) in 2020, distancing himself from President Donald Trump’s political narrative would not be a bad idea.” http://www.ibtimes.com/why-did-paul-rya ... er-2671349

New Zealand says “no” to new offshore drilling projects. “By ending new oil and gas exploration in our waters, the fourth largest Exclusive Economic Zone on the planet is out of bounds for new fossil fuel exploitation.” https://mashable.com/2018/04/12/new-zealand-oil-gas/

Battle between French police and environmentalist squatters enters third day. “The protesters call the area Z.A.D., the French initials for Zone to Defend — a play on the official name, Zone for Future Development.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/worl ... tters.html

Houston gas station owner shoots (black?) customer during price dispute, doesn’t get arrested. “(Cameron) Carson said he paid around $1 for the snack, Allen told Click2Houston, but the store owner argued that he should have paid $2.15.” http://www.star-telegram.com/news/polit ... 75584.html

Researcher who found that rich people are more likely to break the rules says he gets hate mail. “We tell stories about success and pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps and having special talents that get us into this school or what have you. And our work really challenged those cultural myths of success. It said: “Well, maybe part of the reason people have more than others is because of unethical behavior”.” http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la ... story.html

News media accused of stoking war, enabling Trump. “They pretended to learn lessons from Iraq but have actually learned nothing.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ump-attack

Trump tweet warns Russians in Syria that missiles are coming. “The past two decades of U.S. military intervention in the Middle East—including President Trump’s unauthorized airstrikes on Syria last year—only confirm the failure of this approach to advance humanitarian outcomes.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ming-syria Military expert says it’s likely a mistake for U.S. to get deeply involved in Syrian conflict. “Seventeen years of indecisive wars of choice have demonstrated time and again that when it comes to the intractable Middle East, sometimes the prudent path is to force those on the ground with direct interests at stake to do the heavy lifting and eradicate problems in their backyards.” http://nationalinterest.org/feature/the ... yria-25306

Q & A with Mark Zuckerberg heats up on day two, this time in the House. “You are collecting personal data on people who are not Facebook users. Yes or no?” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... -back-foot Zuckerberg accused of dodging questions. “Again and again, before both Senate and House committees, Zuckerberg pleaded ignorance about the company he created and has controlled for 14 years.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/11/mar ... s-or-both/

Detained immigrants have reportedly filed large numbers sexual abuse complaints. “In response to inquiries for this article, ICE told The Intercept that it had received 1,448 allegations of sexual abuse between fiscal years 2012 and March 2018, with 103 recorded so far this fiscal year (which began in October 2017).” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/11/imm ... e-ice-dhs/

Human rights group criticizes China for broadcasting forced, scripted ‘confessions’ of activists on television. “Confessions by a range of suspects have been aired on China Central Television, the nation’s official broadcaster, including those by a British corporate investigator, a Chinese-born Swedish book publisher and dozens of Chinese activists who agitated for change.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ons-report

Parkland, Florida teacher reportedly charged with failing to safely store a firearm after leaving loaded handgun behind in restroom. “Sean Simpson, a chemistry teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, left the Glock 9mm handgun in a men’s room at the Deerfield Beach Bar, reported the Miami Herald.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/parkla ... -restroom/

Pentagon stops taking delivery of F-35 fighters after Lockheed Martin balks at fixing defect. “This isn’t the first time technical errors have disrupted the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program.” http://thehill.com/policy/defense/38271 ... eed-report

Lynching memorial to open in Montgomery, Alabama on April 26th. “The memorial captures the brutality and the scale of lynchings throughout the South, where more than 4,000 black men, women and children, died at the hands of white mobs between 1877 and 1950.” http://wtkr.com/2018/04/09/this-new-lyn ... n-history/ This didn’t just happen in the South! http://www.monroeworktoday.org/explore/ ... dexif.html

Corporal punishment still allowed at schools in 19 states, many others allow use of restraints. “…Mizner and other advocates emphasize that corporal punishment does not improve behavior and is instead traumatizing to students, turning classrooms from safe sites where scholarship and inquiry can flourish into places full of danger and fear.” http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/4409 ... restrained

FBI allegedly used journalists FOIA request to hunt down whistle-blower. “(Terry) Albury accessed the document on February 19, 2016, approximately one month and ten days prior to the FOIA request…” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pos ... leblowers/

Black NFL player makes a joke at the airport, goes to jail. “…(Trevor) Davis was checking in for his flight on Hawaiian Airlines, when an agent at the ticket counter asked him a routine question about whether he had any explosives in his luggage. The third-year player was said to have answered, ‘Yeah,’ before turning to his female companion and asking her, ‘Did you pack the explosives?'” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ear ... to-hawaii/

Facebook reportedly tells users whose data was shared with Cambridge Analytica that some of them may have had their private messages exposed. “A Facebook spokesperson confirmed that the app, which was designed by Cambridge University researcher Aleksandr Kogan to collect data on Americans on behalf of Cambridge Analytica’s British counterpart SCL, requested access to user inboxes through the read_mailbox permission.” https://www.wired.com/story/cambridge-a ... -messages/

White House national security advisor resigns. “Tom (Bossert) led the White House’s efforts to protect the homeland from terrorist threats, strengthen our cyberdefenses and respond to an unprecedented series of natural disasters.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/10/us/p ... urity.html

Victim of alleged Russian government attack with a chemical warfare nerve agent, Yulia Skripal, released from British hospital. “Both patients have responded exceptionally well to the treatment we’ve been providing.” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/ex-s ... h-hospital If you wanted someone dead, would you use an apparently ineffective weapon that could be easily traced back to you? Or would you just use a knife and make it look like a robbery attempt that went bad? We know that Kim Jong Un’s brother was apparently aware that he had been attacked with a chemical agent, that he went directly to the authorities before showing any symptoms, but then died before he even got to the hospital. But the Russians bungled it? “Kim Jong Nam can later be seen seeking assistance from employees at the airport. Malaysian authorities said he died minutes later on the way to a hospital.” http://abcnews.go.com/International/ass ... d=45608779

Sinclair Broadcast Group cancels conservative news program after host threatened to sexually torture a male student activist. “A conservative commentator who sent a violent and vulgar tweet saying he would use ‘a hot poker’ to sexually assault a 17-year-old survivor of a Florida high school shooting has resigned from a St. Louis TV station after several advertisers withdrew from his show.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jamie-allm ... avid-hogg/

Four men charged in attack on gay couple. “Four men surrendered to authorities Tuesday, two days after they attacked a gay couple following the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade, police said.” https://www.local10.com/news/crime/susp ... police-say

Police claim woman has confessed to killing her wife. “Prosecutors say she strangled her wife to death and had two others help her cover up the crime by stabbing the victim to make it appear that the victim was robbed.” https://www.seattlepi.com/local/crime/a ... 821082.php

European agency alerts airlines to possible missile strikes on Syria. “Eurocontrol said that air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles could be used within that period and there was a possibility of intermittent disruption of radio navigation equipment.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mide ... SKBN1HI01E

Myanmar soldiers sentenced for participation in massacre of Rohingya Muslims. “The Rohingya men from the northern Rakhine village of Inn Din were buried in a mass grave in early September after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbors and soldiers.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myan ... SKBN1HH2ZS

Facebook did not report its Cambridge Analytica leak to Federal Trade Commission admits CEO because it assumed the leaked data had been deleted. “Facebook did not notify the FTC — which signed a consent decree with the tech company in 2011 requiring that Facebook notify users if their personal data is shared beyond their specified privacy settings — Zuckerberg said…’We considered it a closed case’.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/10/mark-zu ... -leak.html

As Bernie Sanders fights to block Mike Pompeo’s appointment as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is reportedly advising him. “Clinton, for one, has been willing to help.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... reportedly

Poor People’s Campaign announces its agenda for peace and social justice. “The Democrats talk about the middle class. The Republicans talk about the military. No one’s talking about the poor.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... nda-combat

Most companies still not sharing huge tax cuts with their employees. “A mere four percent of workers have received one-time bonuses or wage increases thanks to Republicans’ changes to the tax code, according to available data.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ll-workers

Apple software reportedly disabling touchscreen if not repaired by Apple. “Users who have had a screen repair performed by a third party, rather than with Apple, on their iPhone 8 smartphones found that the iOS 11.3 update stopped the touchscreen from working, reports Motherboard.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... eens-apple

Dozens of Hanford nuclear site workers reportedly exposed to radiation during cleanup. “The federal government has halted the plant’s demolition following the admission that at least 42 workers have been contaminated with the radioactive particles.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/10/ ... clear_site

Most popular Black Lives Matter page on Facebook reportedly run by white guy in Australia. “Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, told CNN that Black Lives Matter had, suspecting the page was a scam, contacted Facebook about removing it a few months ago.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/09/technol ... book-page/

The hidden danger of weapons of mass destruction. “…the Mars Bluff (South Carolina) incident is one of about a dozen unplanned (nuclear weapon) drops that took place in the 1950s before the military decided not to carry nuclear warheads on training runs.” https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2018 ... a-history/

Israel blamed for attack on Syrian airbase. “Reports that one of the Iranians killed on Monday was a colonel in the country’s drone program suggested that Israel had become increasingly concerned about Iran’s unmanned aircraft capabilities.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/worl ... -base.html

Annual budget deficit to top $1 trillion by 2020. “Deficits are growing as the Trump administration enacted a tax overhaul this year that will lower federal revenue and Congress approved a roughly $300 billion spending increase.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... 0-cbo-says Note that this is the ANNUAL budget deficit, NOT the national debt, which currently stands at more than $21 trillion. https://www.davemanuel.com/us-national-debt-clock.php

French police and protesters clash during raid at site of proposed but canceled airport. “Some 2,500 police took part in the evacuation which authorities said started at 6 a.m.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fran ... SKBN1HG0IK

Republican candidate in Idaho walks back his support of death penalty for women who have abortions. “There should be no abortion and anyone who has an abortion should pay.” http://boisestatepublicradio.org/post/i ... -abortions

Right-wing party wins election in Hungary, prime minister’s top priority is going after liberal organizations. “What they are calling the “Stop Soros” bill is designed to crack down on liberal nongovernmental organizations, think tanks and other institutions that, in the eyes of the government, have worked against their agenda and on behalf of the migrants (Prime Minister Viktor) Orban seeks to keep out.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/eu ... story.html

Alameda, California county government votes 4-1 to discontinue national Urban Shield militarized police event ‘as currently constituted’. “Urban Shield grew out of the gradual merger of first responder training and counter-terrorism training.” https://www.blackagendareport.com/victo ... convention One vendor at the event reportedly “invited buyers to choose the skin tone of their target from three available choices: brown, browner, and black.”

100% scores on ACT and SAT no guarantee of acceptance at top universities. “As recently as five years ago, Stanford was rejecting about 69 percent of applicants with perfect SAT scores.” https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/02/ ... versities/

Durham, North Carolina city council opposes foreign tactical training of its police force. “The council opposes international exchanges with any country in which Durham officers receive military-style training since such exchanges do not support the kind of policing we want here in the City of Durham.” http://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/cou ... 67584.html

Judge rules that law enforcement agencies and security contractors must comply with discovery requests of pipeline protester Chase Iron Eyes’ attorneys. “At the trial in November, we look forward to presenting a complete picture of what really happened at Standing Rock.” https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/n ... y-demands/

Woman fired for flipping off Trump motorcade is suing after losing her job. “While acknowledging that the First Amendment protected my right to extend my middle finger, my boss told me that ‘corporate protection’ dictated that he terminate me on the grounds of a social media policy that prohibits ‘obscene’ or ‘inappropriate’ content.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... story.html

Consumer and child advocacy groups file complaint against YouTube for collecting data on children and targeting them with ads. “Google has built a global and very lucrative business based on kids’ deep connections to YouTube.” http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywo ... story.html

Apple claims its facilities world wide are now 100% powered with renewable energy. “We’re going to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible with the materials in our products, the way we recycle them, our facilities and our work with suppliers to establish new creative and forward-looking sources of renewable energy because we know the future depends on it.” https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/09/apple ... an-energy/

Oregon’s governor to sign net neutrality bill into law. “ISPs that sell Internet service to Oregon state agencies will be required to publicly disclose whether they block or throttle lawful Internet traffic or engage in paid prioritization (subject to reasonable network management).” https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/201 ... -will-sue/

Household debt worldwide hits record $237 trillion. “Ireland and Italy are the only major countries where household debt as a percentage of GDP is below 50 percent.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -last-year

Some Simpsons fans disappointed by weak response to controversy over Indian character Apu and missed opportunity to address stereotypes. “Rather than apologizing for the offense the series has caused and the racist stereotypes it has strengthened, the writers merely argue that being politically (correct) makes stories and art worse and that there’s nothing to be done to fix the transgressions of the past.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/ ... 498462002/

Women’s Lives Matter protester arrested outside Bill Cosby trial. “The unidentified woman ran in front of Cosby toward a bank of TV cameras but was intercepted by sheriff’s deputies and led away in handcuffs.” http://time.com/5233128/topless-protest ... sby-trial/

Resistance to Trans Mountain pipeline by British Columbia provincial government leads Kinder Morgan to put project on hold. “While we have succeeded in all legal challenges to date, a company cannot litigate its way to an in-service pipeline amidst jurisdictional differences between governments.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... n-pipeline

Trump lashes out after FBI raids his lawyer’s office. “Donald Trump declared an ‘attack on our country in a true sense’ was under way after FBI agents conducted a raid on the office of his longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, on Monday.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... -documents

Kern County, California sheriff reportedly told law enforcement officers that killing suspects was better for the county than wounding them. “Which way do you think is better financially – to cripple them or kill them – for the county?” An unidentified man offscreen said “kill them”, to which (Sheriff Donny) Youngblood replied: “Absolutely. Because if they’re crippled we get to take care of them for life.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... youngblood

Agencies recruiting domestic workers for Middle East accused of pressuring women to take contraceptives. “While no women were prepared to speak openly about being forced to take contraceptives, the Guardian found that many recruitment agencies make migrant workers take Depo-Provera, an injectable contraceptive that lasts for three months.” https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve ... ng-in-gulf

Lawsuit accuses Assad government of targeting journalists. “The documents provide detailed and unprecedented evidence to support the claim that (Marie) Colvin was deliberately hunted and killed as part of a policy by the Assad regime to eliminate journalists.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/09/mar ... ria-assad/

Former U.S. ambassador claims Trump administration wants to send some Vietnamese refugees back to Vietnam. “Most of the (8,000) people targeted for deportation — sometimes for minor crimes — were war refugees who had established lives in the U.S. after fleeing the Vietnam War more than 40 years ago, (Ted) Osius wrote in an essay this month for the American Foreign Service Association.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/us-amb ... -refugees/

Journalist accuses Brazilian right of using any means necessary to keep Workers’ Party out of power. “… there are a lot of factions in Brazil that have spent 16 years trying to defeat PT (the Workers’ Party) at the ballot box, and have failed to do so and have now used anti-democratic means—impeachment and the court system—to destroy the party, to destroy the ability of the two people who have been elected to actually exercise political power.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/9/g ... ing_jailed

Keystone pipeline leak almost twice as big as previously disclosed. “Robynn Tysver, a spokeswoman for Calgary-based TransCanada Corp, which owns the pipeline, told the Aberdeen American News some 9,700 barrels of oil leaked in the Nov. 16 (South Dakota) spill…. The original estimate was 5,000 barrels.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tran ... SKBN1HE0T7

At least 70 Syrians reportedly killed in suspected government chemical weapons attack. “A spokeswoman said reports on the ground suggested a much higher number of around 180 dead…. She said there were reports of people being treated for symptoms including convulsions and foaming of the mouth, consistent with nerve or mixed nerve and chlorine gas exposure.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43686157

One killed in Trump Tower fire, New York City did not require installation of sprinklers in the 58 floor building. “FDNY commissioner Daniel Nigro noted on Saturday that the upper, residential floors of Trump Tower do not have sprinklers — a measure required in new buildings since 1999, but which President Trump, then a private citizen and property developer, lobbied to try and prevent.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-towe ... residence/

Florida high school shooting victim Anthony Borges, who was shot five times, blames school district and local authorities for the incident. “You knew (Nikolas Cruz) was a problem years ago and you did nothing. He should have never been in school with us.” http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/flor ... t-54296203

Pope allegedly tells journalist that bad people who don’t repent just disappear. “A hell doesn’t exist, the disappearance of sinning souls exists.” https://www.vox.com/2018/3/30/17179952/ ... ri-italian But some survivors of near-death experiences, the ones who don’t experience peace and a welcoming light, say it’s awful anyway. “It wasn’t even revolting or scary, just infinite sadness and nothingness.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... -like.html

Trump Organization allegedly failing to collect New York sales tax on its internet sales. “New York businesses are subject to national rules requiring sales tax be collected by online retailers with a physical presence in a state.” http://fortune.com/2018/04/07/the-trump ... st-states/

Four Apollo astronauts claim to have seen alien craft. “(Buzz) Aldrin, 88, was a part of the test that also analyzed interviews from astronauts Al Worden, Edgar Mitchell and Gordon Cooper.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/ar ... d=12028755

Japan introduces marine assault force. “The formation of the Japanese marine brigade is controversial because amphibious units can project military force and could, critics warn, be used to threaten Japan’s neighbors.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japa ... SKCN1HE069

Sinclair Broadcast Group runs anti-merger ad with editorial warning about its content. “After the ad concluded, a voiceover labeled it ‘misleading’ and said it ignored ‘thousands of hours’ of (neutral) local news coverage. It also said the group behind the ad has a ‘liberal bias’.” http://thehill.com/homenews/media/38217 ... mentary-of

Former lawmaker accuses private equity firms of bringing down Toy R Us chain. “…the closing of one of the world’s most recognizable brands did not come solely from e-commerce, but also from pillaging by pirates.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/ ... 491434002/

NYPD urged to release all video of fatal shooting of mentally ill man in Brooklyn. “We have (only) seen up to the point of engagement.” http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc ... -1.3922600

Police in Utah shoot apparently unarmed robbery suspect after home invasion. “Braden says the man who tried to get into his house was a young, African-American male and he doesn’t believe he was armed.” http://fox13now.com/2018/04/08/man-who- ... ty-speaks/

Projection shows what will happen if economic inequality continues to increase at the same rate. “The shocking findings of the new report produced by the UK’s House of Commons Library claims that if trends which began after the 2008 financial crisis continue, the 1% will control 64% of world’s money in just 12 years’ time.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... lds-wealth

National Security Council spokesperson Michael Anton resigns. “…a Hillary Clinton presidency is Russian Roulette with a semi-auto. With Trump, at least you can spin the cylinder and take your chances.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... hite-house

21 years ago, a U.S. Marine unit patrolling the Mexican border shot an 18 year-old Texan herding his goats. “Dressed in ghillie suits, the shrub-like outfits snipers wear to conceal their location, the Marines were officially there to offer support for a Border Patrol unit…” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/06/bor ... hernandez/

U.S. diplomat in Pakistan runs red light, kills motorcyclist. “Pakistani TV stations have aired footage showing a white vehicle running a red light and striking a motorcyclist, who can be seen flying through the air.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/th ... story.html

With more than a dozen police officers present, many armed with ‘assault rifles’, man with a knife is shot dead inside Portland, Oregon homeless shelter. “Three witnesses to a fatal officer-involved shooting late Saturday night at a Southeast Portland homeless shelter say the man police killed had burst into the facility and was slashing and stabbing himself with a knife before he was killed by officers.” https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/ind ... stifi.html All these cops and no one had a taser? Or is that only to obtain compliance after they have you on the ground?

YouTube reportedly blocking residents of 28 countries from viewing documentary about Israel’s occupation of Palestine. “Most of the countries YouTube has blocked from seeing the video are European.” https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-n ... rotesters/

Trump reportedly surprised that CIA didn’t kill target’s family. “The Washington Post reported Thursday that, after watching a recorded video of a drone strike in Syria in which officials waited until the target was outside of his family’s home, Trump asked, “Why did you wait?”” http://thehill.com/homenews/administrat ... ll-targets

Israeli soldiers shoot more protesters on Gaza border, kill one journalist. “Israeli troops opened fire from across the border, killing at least nine Palestinians and wounding 491 others — 33 of them seriously — in the second mass border protest in a week, Gaza health officials said.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/israel-hamas ... 38334.html

Skripal’s both recovering from nerve agent attack, British authorities say their pets were victims of dehydration. “There was a search, but they didn’t notice the animals?” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... s-are-dead

71% of Silicon Valley IT workers were not born in the U.S., 63% of Seattle IT workers are reportedly not U.S. citizens. “The Seattle Times did not include in its report a breakdown for Silicon Valley of how many foreign-born tech workers are U.S. citizens, versus visa holders. But the paper’s research indicated that 63 percent of Seattle’s foreign-born tech workers were not American citizens.” https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/17/ ... port-says/

97 Tennessee meatpacking plant employees arrested during IRS/ICE raid. “The production workers were required to work overtime without being paid extra for their overtime hours, according to the informant.” http://www.wowktv.com/news/nearly-100-d ... 1105502997 It sounds as if almost the entire workforce was arrested, because 87 vehicles were reportedly observed in the parking lot.

Michigan to stop distribution of free bottled water to Flint residents. “The state had been handing out bottled water and filters at several distribution points across the city (due to lead contamination after water supply switch) and will stop once the current supply runs out.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/07/us/f ... index.html

Department of Homeland Security reportedly taking bids for software to search media and social media content, supply information on authors. “In his tweet, (DHS press secretary Tyler) Houlton maintains that the database of journalists is ‘standard practice of monitoring current events’ and suggests that those suspicious of its purpose are ‘tin foil hat wearing, black helicopter conspiracy theorists’.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ho ... 3485e4bb1d

Federal judge rules that modern rifles are not protected by the 2nd amendment. “The AR-15 and its analogs, along with large capacity magazines, are simply not weapons within the original meaning of the individual constitutional right to bear arms.” http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_ ... lt_weapons Unlike the individually-owned rifles used by American colonists to fight the British army?

Vietnamese pro-democracy activists receive long prison sentences. “They were charged with affiliating with a group called Brotherhood for Democracy, whose purpose was to change the leadership of the Communist Party and build a multiparty system.” https://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/ar ... 810846.php

Puerto Rico announces plan to close 1/4 of its public schools. “Puerto Rico’s Education Department said Thursday that 283 schools would close by the start of the new school year, leaving open just 828.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... its-public

Robert Mercer-funded group allegedly targeted swing voters with anti-Muslim video ads. “The ads ‘were viewed millions of times on Facebook and Google’, Bloomberg wrote, citing internal documents.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... muslim-ads

British Petroleum tells Australian regulators that oil spill cleanups ‘boost local economies’. “When pitching a proposal to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight of the southern coast of Australia in 2016, according to newly revealed documents, oil giant BP attempted to allay regulators’ concerns by claiming that any future oil spill would actually be a ‘welcome boost’ to the local economy.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... st-coastal

Facebook reportedly sought medical records from healthcare providers for research project. “Facebook’s pitch, according to people familiar with the project, was to combine what a health system knows about its patients with what Facebook knows.” https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/ne ... r-research Facebook executives reportedly have the power to make their private messages vanish. “TechCrunch reported late Thursday that Facebook has been using a secret tool to delete messages sent by its executives from the inboxes of their recipients, without disclosing the deletions to the recipients or even recording there was ever a message in the first place.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... executives

Watchdog groups criticize selection for leader of New York Federal Reserve Bank. “The process for selecting the President of the New York Federal Reserve was plagued with conflicts of interest and was dominated by the financial industry.” http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york ... cts-2018-4

NYPD seeking access to all New York state drivers license photos. “Georgetown University’s Center on Privacy and Technology discovered in 2016 that at least half of American adults are already searchable by license photos, as 26 states allow cops to search motor vehicle registries for matches.” https://futurism.com/facial-recognition-nypd-problems/

Mexican military admits it hit passersby with helicopter gunfire during battle with drug gang, after evidence confirms it. “Expert Anselmo Apodaca of the attorney general’s office said investigations concluded the bullets that hit the family’s car came in through the vehicle’s roof at a 45-degree angle.” http://abcnews.go.com/International/wir ... s-54297254

More details emerge on U.S. attack on Yemen village. “So, when the Navy SEALs went in there initially, they assumed their village was under attack from the Houthis, hence it escalated very quickly into a firefight, and you saw the death of this Navy SEAL…. Once the Navy SEALs came under attack, there was—the helicopters then came in, drones, fighter jets and everything else, and they pretty much razed the entire village.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/6/h ... _the_white

3,100 Google employees sign petition opposing use of the company’s AI program for military projects. “Last month, news emerged that Google had partnered with the Defense Department on Project Maven, an effort to build AI systems that can process and analyze countless hours of video footage taken from aerial drones.” https://www.pcmag.com/news/360239/googl ... ai-project AI researchers boycott South Korean university over school’s alleged autonomous weapons program. “We should not let robots decide who lives and who dies.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tech ... SKCN1HB392

Blacklist run by previous Korean governments reportedly included more than 10,000 artists. “Oh detailed how (the Korean Film Council) had colluded with the government, and revealed for the first time that the policy extended not only to Park’s regime. It also collaborated with the regime of previous president Lee Myung-bak.” http://variety.com/2018/film/asia/korea ... 202744674/

ACLU sues Orange County, California over secret jail informant program. “The ACLU claims that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Orange County district attorney’s office have colluded to plant a large number of informants in jail cells for decades in order to obtain damning information from defendants who are charged with crimes and are awaiting trial.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ac ... a1eb200063

Press and courts accused of bias against Muslim suspects. “Cases of attempted violence by Muslims received 7 1/2 times more coverage from major media outlets, while successful plots were covered twice as much.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/05/mus ... osecution/

Facebook increases its estimate of size of data leak to election consulting firm. “In total, we believe the Facebook information of up to 87 million people—mostly in the US—may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.” https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-ex ... analytica/

Bail bond companies accused of taking advantage of their customers. “As commercial bail has grown into a $2 billion industry, bond agents have become the payday lenders of the criminal justice world, offering quick relief to desperate customers at high prices.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/31/us/b ... rtion.html

More that 1 million undocumented migrants now have California drivers licenses. “As of March 30, about 1,001,000 immigrants have obtained the licenses, which are renewable after five years.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Montana Democratic Party sues to keep the Green Party off the ballot. “The Green Party needed signatures from at least 5,000 registered voters from at least 34 of the state’s 100 House districts to qualify its candidates for the June primary ballot.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-gov ... 87419.html

Chicago suburb bans modern firearms, imposes $1,000 a day fine for violators. “The Deerfield ordinance contends ‘assault weapons’ are not covered by the Second Amendment.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/tanyachen/chic ... ic-weapons

Local residents upset over fatal NYPD shooting of mentally ill man armed with a shower head. “Listen, (blind musician) Ray Charles could see that man was crazy.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... -had-a-gun

Oil company report predicted climate change and negative impacts. “In a confidential 1988 report titled ‘The Greenhouse Effect’, Shell researchers wrote that planetary warming largely driven by burning fossil fuels could ‘create significant changes in sea level, ocean currents, precipitation patterns, regional temperature and weather’ — changes that they predicted would ‘impact on the human environment, future living standards and food supplies, and could have major social, economic and political consequences’.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sh ... f3b24440d5

Islamic State financed its operations primarily through taxes rather than oil smuggling or ransoms. “Analysts suggest that the annual income from these taxes amounted to $800 million annually, or around six times the estimated returns from selling oil.” https://qz.com/1245672/new-documents-sh ... ng-people/

German court refuses to extradite Catalan independence leader. “The German court said the rebellion charge Puigdemont faced in Spain was not a criminal offense in Germany, while the violence component that would justify a high treason charge was also lacking.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spai ... SKCN1HC2C1

Family wants teacher who had sexual contact with their son jailed for life. “The parents of a 13-year-old Arizona boy say the married teacher accused of performing sex acts on him in her classroom and her car is a ‘monster’ who should ‘spend the rest of her life in prison’.” http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/30/pa ... rison.html

Trump still claiming states are allowing massive voter fraud. “In many places, like California, the same person votes many times.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald ... ds-n863096

Malaysian government passes ‘fake news’ law. “Any information about (the 1MDB corruption scandal, in which the prime minister has been implicated) that has not been verified by the government, he said, ‘is deemed as fake news’.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/worl ... s-law.html

Study finds racial disparity in school disciplinary action. “While about 15.5 percent of American school children are black, they make up 39 percent of students who are suspended from school.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... us-schools

Seven arrested for trespassing at Georgia nuclear sub base. “The seven (peace activists) chose to act on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who devoted his life to addressing the triplets of militarism, racism and materialism.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... se-georgia

Muslims groups reach legal settlement with NYPD over mass surveillance program. “…the department collected intelligence on ordinary people at mosques, restaurants and schools starting in 2002…. the blanket surveillance failed to produce a single intelligence lead.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... settlement

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin apartment explosion caused by explosives lab. “Court records say a state Department of Justice agent found an ‘explosives laboratory’ and white supremacist literature while investigating a fatal explosion at a Wisconsin apartment building.” http://www.startribune.com/homemade-exp ... 478883243/

Bernie Sanders criticizes Democratic Party in speech. “The business model, if you like, of the Democratic Party for the last 15 years or so has been a failure…. people sometimes don’t see that because of the charismatic individual named Barack Obama.” http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3818 ... -a-failure

Turkey has reportedly kidnapped 80 of its citizen from other countries. “In covert operations in 18 countries, Turkey’s intelligence agency has snatched around 80 Turkish citizens who the government wanted for alleged links to the country’s 2016 failed coup, a top Turkish official said Thursday.” https://www.usnews.com/news/world/artic ... -countries

Macedonia says it regrets snatching German citizen, handing him over to CIA, who allegedly tortured him repeatedly. “Five months later—long after the CIA concluded (Khaled) el-Masri was innocent—he was flown to Albania and left by the side of a rural road in the middle of the night.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/5/h ... cia_prison

10,000 participate in Memphis march in memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. “At 6:01 p.m., a moment of silence was held, then bells tolled 39 times, once for each year he lived.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/5/h ... er_king_jr

Tax evasion whistle-blower arrested in Spain on Swiss warrant. “(Hervé) Falciani, an IT specialist, fled from Switzerland to France in 2008 with a list of 130,000 names of organisations and individuals who were using the Swiss banking system to launder money and evade taxes.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... witzerland

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

106
CIA says Gina Haspel not to blame for destroying torture videos, she was just following orders. “It was not her decision to destroy the tapes.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... estruction If your boss told you to destroy evidence because it looked like there might be an investigation, would you do it? Would you participate in a cover-up?

Eyewitnesses claim Florida deputies were shot from inside the restaurant, not through the window. “Then we see the shooter come out the door. And he’s walking with his gun.” http://www.wfla.com/news/florida/eyewit ... 1131591614 Strange that no media outlets have interviewed anyone inside the restaurant, or the owners or employees of the restaurant. Days later we have no eyewitness account of what actually happened inside the restaurant. Was Highnote a customer? Or did he just walk into a random business and randomly shoot two people for no reason? We also don’t know the suspect’s occupation or race. Some news organization might overlook these details, but all of them?

Chemical weapons inspectors still unable to reach site of alleged gas attack near Damascus. “Six days later, they are still demanding full and secure access to the site, a delay that has sharpened suspicions among local residents and Western governments that Syrian and Russian authorities are using each day that passes for a coverup.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ch ... story.html

Democrats sue Russia, Trump campaign, Wikileaks, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, George Papadopoulos, Roger Stone and Jared Kushner for conspiracy to swing election. “Most of the accusations appeared to be based on news reports and publicly available legal documents and offered little new information about alleged collusion with Moscow.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKBN1HR2BE

Public radio station shames black activist for appearing on Russian news channel. “…Changa’s association with Sputnik may put her credibility at risk, while furthering Russia’s effort to create chaos in the US.” https://fair.org/home/public-radios-mcc ... nt-3159941 I hope Alexei Navalny wasn’t accused of risking his credibility and furthering American efforts to cause chaos in Russia after doing this interview with CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/27/euro ... index.html

Five dead after clashes between police and protesters in Nicaragua. “Protests began Wednesday after a new law was signed increasing tax contributions and cutting pension income in the social security system.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/3- ... 869bf97282 Republicans, take note!

Four dead, more than 150 wounded at fourth protest along Israel/Gaza border. “More than 1,600 have been wounded by live rounds in the past three weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/4-pa ... st-n868036

Leak of documents about Rohingya massacre to journalists was a police sting claims officer. “The reporters have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers at a restaurant in northern Yangon by two policemen they had not met before, having been invited to meet the officers for dinner.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myan ... SKBN1HR12Q

Black lawyer says he was asked to leave his hotel while sitting in the lobby. “Without provocation or warning, I was approached by a security guard who asked me to leave. He said I was loitering. The security guard did not make the same request of my white colleague, who was sitting right next to me.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/op ... 90e551f550

86% of people arrested for possession of marijuana in New York City are non-white, but white and non-white New Yorkers smoke dope at about the same rates. “…the top five neighborhoods for marijuana arrests in New York are all in East Harlem and the south Bronx, areas that are some of the city’s least wealthy, and that are home to many people of color.” https://www.marketwatch.com/story/420-d ... 2018-04-20

State Department’s annual human rights report omits most reproductive rights this year, West Bank and Gaza no longer referred to as ‘occupied territories’. “In what is likely to be the most controversial change, the report strips a section labeled “reproductive rights” that outlined access to contraception and abortion, as well as maternal mortality rates, for every country.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... story.html

Lawyer for Diante Yarber’s family demands Barstow, California police release their video of fatal shooting. “Video evidence (recorded by a bystander) shows the black Ford Mustang Yarber was operating backing slowly away from police when they opened fire.” http://abcnews.go.com/US/family-unarmed ... d=54603667 “He said Yarber was hit ‘an estimated two dozen times’.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/po ... 426daa2a3a

Independence, Missouri police refusing to name suspect shot by officers in January or reveal when he died afterwards, citing continuing investigation. “…open government and police accountability advocates bristled at the idea that police could shoot a person and go more than two months without saying who they are or when they died.” http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/cr ... 84784.html

Bernie Sanders endorses Poor People’s Campaign. “A moral economy is one that says, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, all of our people should be able to live with dignity and security.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... l-building

Interior Department begins process to open Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to fossil fuel drilling. “The Interior Department published a notice in the Federal Register announcing a public comment period and plans to draft an environmental impact statement for creating a leasing program for the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... pen-alaska

Anti-corruption riots hit South African province. “Shops were looted, roads were blocked and vehicles set alight in North West province on Friday in unrest over alleged government corruption and poor public services.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... lth-summit

Lower house of Mexican parliament votes to strip politicians of legal immunity. “This bill will put an end to the impunity that prevails in Mexico’s political circles.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... unity-vote

Journalist and Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King detained and questioned at airport about his activities. “This was a routine inspection typical of daily operations at our ports of entry across the nation.” http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/opn- ... 47744.html When did it become routine to detain and question American citizens about their political activities?

New York farmer claims ICE agents entered his property and arrested his employee without a warrant. “Collins attempted to take photos and video with his phone. When he did that, he said, one of the ICE officers grabbed his phone and threw it into the road.” http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/ ... ed_hi.html

FBI agent found guilty of leaking agency handbook. “(Terry) Albury, according to government documents and press reports, is accused of being the source to a massive investigative project by The Intercept in 2016 entitled “The FBI’s Secret Rules,” which looked at the FBI’s confidential handbook for conducting investigations and many of the controversial tactics the agency uses when investigating political groups and religious and ethnic minorities.” https://www.cjr.org/watchdog/terry-albury.php

Background checks up 44% in Florida after push for more gun restrictions. “When you talk about banning whatever is vaguely defined as ‘assault weapon’, the fact that it isn’t well-defined makes it more threatening to gun owners because they don’t know what they need to go out and get.” http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c ... 51584.html
Comey accused of hypocrisy after stressing the importance of honesty, since his agents have posed as reporters, omitted information from transcripts and pressured suspects to sign false confessions. “The FBI was exposed for lying for more than three years regarding its deployment of sniper teams around the Bundys’ ranch prior to the Bundys summoning supporters to protect them.” http://thehill.com/opinion/criminal-jus ... ure-not-so
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Florida sheriff blames criticism of police for apparently random shooting of deputies by 59 year-old suspect who then committed suicide. “What do you expect happens when you demonize law enforcement to the extent it’s been demonized?” http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/depu ... e-54604199 State’s attorney: “People will want to know why, and we may never have an answer for them.” One day after the shooting and they are already talking about never finding a motive? There is probably more to this story that we aren’t being told.
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‘Fearless Girl’ statue to be placed outside NY Stock Exchange, facing the building. “‘Fearless Girl’ was designed to call attention to a State Street Global Advisors initiative to increase the number of women on corporate boards.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/19/news/co ... index.html
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Philadelphia police commissioner admits Starbucks arrests were a mistake. “I should have said the officers acted within the scope of the law, and not that they didn’t do anything wrong.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... -speak-out
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Pharmaceutical companies also making money selling drugs for patients addicted to prescription painkillers. “Amid a push by the Trump administration and many states to expand access to medications that help treat addiction by curbing cravings and withdrawal symptoms, the report also found that the number of people newly prescribed these medications, including buprenorphine and naltrexone, nearly doubled over the course of 2017, to 82,000 per month from 42,000.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/heal ... ction.html
Sneetches!
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Foreign investors buying shares in Chinese surveillance camera company. “The company is well placed to outperform as China plans to add 400 million surveillance cameras through 2020, according to Morgan Stanley.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ance-stock
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Universities accused of glaring double standard on free speech after tweet calling Barbara Bush an ‘amazing racist’ is condemned as ‘beyond free speech’. “…in the face of conservative outrage over controversial leftwing views, colleges are quick to condemn and censor. But when racism, hate speech and pro-fascist views emerge, university presidents regularly declare their unwavering commitment to free speech rights – no matter the content.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... -blackface So, was Barbara Bush racist?

“As President Bush battled criticism over the response to Hurricane Katrina, his mother declared it a success for evacuees who “were underprivileged anyway,” saying on Monday that many of the poor people she had seen while touring a Houston relocation site were faring better than before the storm hit. “What I’m hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas.” https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/07/us/n ... r-off.html

Republican party allegedly plotting to take out moderate Republican congressman. “(Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina) has fought for a higher minimum wage, tougher regulations on Wall Street, and stronger limits on big money in politics. He has called for restrictions on government surveillance, sharply criticized the leadership of his party for being too cozy with K Street lobbyists and corporate interests, and waged a one-man battle to rein in United States-backed wars raging throughout the Middle East.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/18/wal ... blishment/

Attorney for Noor Salman accuses prosecutors and FBI of knowingly concealing the truth. “The prosecutor’s role is to bring out the truth. The government here, instead of saying, “Hey, we’ll bring the truth out.” If the truth hurt them, they obscured it. If the truth would embarrass the FBI, they obscured it. If the truth would undermine their claims, they obscured it. And at every stage on it, they did not like the truth. And that to me was striking in this case.” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/04/20/attor ... isconduct/

Tennessee legislature cuts funding for Memphis in retaliation for removal of Confederate statues. ““Today is a demonstration that bad actions have bad consequences, and my only regret about this is it’s not in the tune of millions of dollars,” state Rep. Andy Holt (R) said Tuesday on the floor, comparing the statue removals to ‘what ISIS’ does — an apparent reference to destruction of ancient sites like Palmyra in Syria by the Islamic State militant group.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pos ... kk-leader/

Three Kansas men found guilty in Garden City anti-Muslim bomb plot. “They wanted the explosions to occur during Muslim prayer times when more potential victims would be there, ‘packed in like sardines’.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tr ... ebe0207801

Federal judge finds Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach in contempt of court in voter registration case, orders him to pay plaintiffs’ legal expenses. “The Court is troubled by Defendant’s failure to take responsibility for violating this Court’s orders, and for failing to ensure compliance over an issue that he explicitly represented to the Court had been accomplished.” http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics ... 68109.html

Stormy Daniels releases sketch of man who she claims threatened her to keep quiet about Trump affair. “Oh it’s a beautiful little girl, would be a shame if something happened to her mom. Forget about this story, leave Mr. Trump alone.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nati ... story.html

Former Playboy model Karen McDougal settles lawsuit with National Enquirer over Trump affair story. “The parent company of the National Enquirer, American Media Inc. (AMI), reportedly paid McDougal $150,000 for the rights to her story about the alleged affair in an August 2016 deal. But the story never ran.” http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/04 ... ffair.html

Woman sucked out of Southwest Airlines flight was reportedly wearing her seat belt. “She apparently was wearing a seat belt, but was partially sucked out of the plane.” https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/south ... ve-stream/

Prosecutors in Trump inauguration protest trial claiming union membership of protesters is suspicious. “In prosecutions against Inauguration Day protesters, the government contends some of the defendants’ union memberships qualify as evidence of a conspiracy to commit a crime.” https://shadowproof.com/2018/04/16/pros ... rotesters/

After 59 years, Castro family lets go of the reins. “On Thursday, for the first time since the Cuban revolution nearly six decades ago, the island nation will hail a leader outside the Castro family.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... generation

Paul Ryan blames senior citizens for huge projected budget deficit, not recent tax cuts or military spending increases. “That was going to happen. The baby boomers retiring was going to do that.” http://thehill.com/homenews/house/38325 ... inevitable

Cincinnati 911 dispatcher who mishandled call from teen crushed inside van is reassigned. “She will return, but not in call-taker capacity.” http://people.com/human-interest/kyle-p ... er-family/

Houston 911 operator gets 10 days in jail for hanging up on 825 callers. “When questioned about the short calls, Ogg’s office said in a news release that Williams told investigators she often hung up because she did not want to talk to anyone at those times.” https://www.click2houston.com/news/form ... -on-people

‘Terry stops’ (aka ‘stop and frisk’) by police, based on ‘reasonable suspicion’, are unconstitutional argues author. “(Justice William) Douglas wrote: “To give the police greater power than a magistrate is to take a long step down the totalitarian path.”” http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/4 ... -amendment

Trump tweet that mentioned California ‘breeding concept’ has people confused, Homeland Security secretary passes when asked to explain. “Soooo many Sanctuary areas want OUT of this ridiculous, crime infested & breeding concept.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/18/poli ... index.html

Video of Syracuse University fraternity initiation leaked. “I solemnly swear to always have hatred in my heart for n*ggers, sp*cs and most importantly the f*ckin’ k*kes…. You f*ckin’ k*kes, get in the f*ckin’ showers!” http://dailyorange.com/2018/04/su-suspe ... -surfaces/ They do appear to be drunk, but still, its what they were thinking.

Starbucks apologizes for arrest of black customers, Philadelphia police department doesn’t. ““It is important for me to say that, in short, these officers did absolutely nothing wrong,” (Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard) Ross said.” https://whyy.org/segments/as-fallout-ov ... s-by-cops/ Arrests were clearly racist says writer. “One thing is clear: the Philadelphia police officers committed a very discriminatory and unconscionable act when they arrested those men. Commissioner Ross is making the situation even worse by defending those actions.” https://nextshark.com/starbucks-trying- ... ices-turn/

New Jersey LA Fitness gym reportedly fires three employees after two black men were thrown out after being badgered by the staff to repeatedly show their passes. “As the two men continued to work-out, police officers showed up and started to question them about their memberships.” https://nypost.com/2018/04/18/la-fitnes ... -incident/

Maine’s supreme court rules that ranked choice voting system approved by the state’s voters should be implemented for 2018 elections. “Fifty-two percent of Maine voters supported the system in a November 2016 ballot initiative, but lawmakers passed a bill last year delaying its implementation until December 2021 and argued that the state could not use a new voting system without direction from the legislature.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... oting-2018

Corker-Kaine 2018 AUMF bill (yes, Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s running mate) would authorize continuation of the six wars the U.S. is currently involved in, give President Trump the authority to expand them, and would let him start new ones without the approval of Congress. “Instead of further endorsing perpetual war, we need to insist on an AUMF that is narrow, clearly defined, and respects Congress’s constitutional duty to debate and authorize military action.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... urb-trumps

Family of prisoner tortured to death in Afghanistan by the CIA wants to know what they did with his body. “The Geneva Conventions and other international treaties require that prisoners who die in custody in wartime be buried in marked graves, that the graves’ locations be recorded in a registry, and that their families be notified and allowed access to the gravesites when hostilities end.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... mands-body

Wall Street’s mandatory dispute arbitration board has reportedly only awarded 17 women sexual harassment compensation in 30 years. “Three and a half times that number wound up being dismissed or denied — 60 cases in all.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/18/in- ... ight-body/

Subaru latest auto company to admit cheating on fuel consumption and emissions data. “The falsification of data on exhaust gases by Subaru is similar to the incident that dogged Volkswagen, but the German auto manufacturer produces a lot more vehicles than Subaru, and therefore that scandal was at a much larger scale.” http://www.ibtimes.com/subaru-altered-f ... ls-2673272

Auburn, Michigan students displaying Confederate flags at protests. “What began with six trucks bearing the flags on Tuesday, April 17, parked along Bryant Boulevard, adjacent to (Bay City Western High School) at 500 W. Midland Road, has grown to feature dozens of vehicles parked in the same spot on Wednesday.” https://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/ind ... et_wi.html

Kansas City fire department employee (KCK or KCMO?) who was fired after allegedly spitting on a black child and calling the child’s grandfather a nigger, reportedly gets his job back pending his trial. “(Terrence) Skeen’s lawyer, Tom Bath, said his client’s side of the story ‘will all come out at the trial’, but he’s pleading not guilty and is back on the job, after being ‘suspended incorrectly’.” https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn- ... 14334.html

7 year-old dragged off Memphis area school bus by his legs by a teacher, mom claims he was injured. “Another parent of a child at the school contacted me Friday evening, and she said she had video of the teacher dragging my (son off) the school bus.” https://www.fox13memphis.com/top-storie ... /733248376

Two CIA sources suggests Gina Haspel was not just in charge of one black site, but actually ran the agency’s interrogation program. “To the best of my understanding, she ran the interrogation program.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-cia-l ... on-program

Nerve agent used on Skripals may have been from old batch allegedly sold to organized crime figures after fall of Soviet Union. “Exposure to even a large dose of such a normally lethal poison more than 25 years after it was first produced could account for the apparent lack of normal symptoms associated with exposure to that kind of nerve agent experienced by the Skripals, as well as for their relatively speedy recovery.” https://original.antiwar.com/porter/201 ... l-mystery/

Israeli extremists vandalize Palestinian village. “Vandals cut down more than two dozen olive trees and spray-paint walls in a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank with the phrase “Death to Arabs” on Wednesday in an apparent hate attack.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestini ... te-attack/

Law enforcement organizations backing tougher laws on protesters. “According to research conducted for In These Times in partnership with Ear to the Ground, law enforcement in at least eight states—Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Washington and Wyoming—lobbied on behalf of anti-protest bills in 2017 and 2018. The bills ran the gamut from punishing face coverings at protests to increasing penalties for “economic disruption” and highway blockage to criminalizing civil protests that interfere with ‘critical infrastructure’ like oil pipelines.” http://inthesetimes.com/features/police ... trump.html

Libertarian group is mapping Customs & Border Patrol roadblocks. “CBP agents operating these (internal) checkpoints routinely violate the constitutional rights of citizens and (others) who are forced to pass through them to get to work, go to the store, or make it to a vacation destination in the American Southwest.” https://www.cato.org/blog/introducing-c ... nt-america

California anti-terror ‘fusion center’ tracked fake news ‘Antifa revolution’ rumors. “Email discussions about the November 4 protest were exchanged as late as October 24, 2017, roughly two weeks after Newsweek, Snopes and other outlets ran stories debunking the conspiracy.” http://www.newsweek.com/antifa-civil-wa ... ity-885251

Supreme Court rules that law used to deport immigrants with criminal records is too vague. “Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the part of the Immigration and Nationality Act in question was so “fuzzy” over what constitutes the kind of aggravated felony that requires an immigrant’s deportation that it violated the constitutional protection of due process.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

Sandy Hook parents sue Alex Jones over conspiracy theory stories. “… Jones has aired several segments accusing the parents of the children who were killed [in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School] of lying and calling them “crisis actors” involved in an elaborate plot.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/nidhiprakash/p ... -are-suing If they win, will it mean that UFO, JFK, RFK, MLK and 9/11 conspiracy theories are actionable too? Could defendants subpoena the government for evidence? What about stories that the government is monitoring telephone and email communications, assembling facial recognition databases using ID photos, or tracking drivers using license plate cameras?

CIA director Mike Pompeo reportedly met secretly with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “The CIA declined to comment. The White House declined to comment as well…” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nati ... story.html So North Korea knew about this, but the American public didn’t.

Some Trump supporters unhappy with military strikes on Syria. “This is not why Donald Trump got elected.” http://thehill.com/policy/defense/38361 ... over-syria

Woman sucked out of Southwest Airlines plane after window broken by part flying off engine. “There was blood on the windows… her arms were actually out of the airplane and her head was out of the airplane.” https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/lo ... 08613.html

Driver in Hart family crash reportedly had a blood alcohol level of 0.102%. “No one was wearing their seat belts, according to California Highway Patrol.” http://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/w ... -533219576

Yet another House Republican to step down. “43 House Republicans have announced this cycle they are retiring, running for another office or resigning outright, including (Charlie) Dent and House Speaker Paul Ryan.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/17/poli ... index.html What the heck is going on? Inquiring minds want to know!

Remnant of Syrian Democratic Forces (the rebranded YPG) keeping remaining IS fighters pinned down. “U.S. officials admit the Afrin campaign cost valuable SDF forces in the fight against ISIS, with as many as 1,700 troops being sent off by the SDF to fight the Turks.” http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/04/17 ... ghold.html

New Zealand’s prime minister to become an unwed mother. “She’ll have help with childcare from the baby’s father, Clarke Gayford, her partner of four years.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/new- ... ve-n866441

71 year-old activist nun targeted for deportation from the Philippines. “Philippines’ Intelligence services (NICA) said they had a photos of her raising a clenched fist with the banner “Stop Killing Farmers” as well as wearing a Philippines agricultural union T-shirt.” http://www.newsweek.com/what-catholic-m ... nun-888372

IRS tax payment website crashes. “The agency said individuals and businesses that were originally due to file Tuesday will now have until Wednesday night.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/17/treasur ... utage.html

160 year-old Bon-Ton department store chain to close all its stores. “The liquidation of the company’s more than 200 stores is expected to take 10 to 12 weeks.” https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/bu ... 523376002/

San Francisco declares war on electric rental scooters. “We cannot overstate the public safety hazard that operating motorized scooters pose on City sidewalks.” https://slate.com/business/2018/04/san- ... oters.html

T-Mobile settles ‘faked connection’ FCC case for $40 million. “… the calling party believes the phone is ringing at the called party’s premises when it is not.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... iled-calls

Tech companies pledge not to develop or deploy cyberweapons. “In addition to Microsoft and Facebook, ARM, Cisco, LinkedIn and Oracle signed Tuesday’s tech accord. But missing are several big names including Apple, Google, and Intel.” https://www.pcmag.com/news/360479/tech- ... r-business

New Jersey becomes 11th state to implement ‘automatic voter registration’. “The new law requires the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission to automatically register any eligible voter who applies for a permit, license, or ID card unless they opt out.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... gistration

Russia tries to ban Telegram messenger app with limited success. “Russia last year also passed legislation forcing (Virtual Private Networks) to block sites blocked by the government. Many have not complied, and the law has not been widely enforced.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... legram-app

5th day of mass protests in Armenia. “The ex-president had formally stated he would “not aspire” for the prime minister position. But on Monday the country’s parliament unanimously chose Mr. Sargsyan for the post.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43794910

Private immigrant detention facility accused of making detainees work for miniscule wages to earn money for basic necessities, like toilet paper. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement rules specify that work is to be voluntary and compensated at the rate of $1 per day. The regulations also state that detainees must be provided with hygiene supplies like toothpaste and soap.” http://www.ibtimes.com/immigrant-detain ... it-2672747

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev still blocked from talking to the media. “The Attorney General has determined that Special Administrative Measures (SAMs) are warranted to safeguard national security and the safety of individuals and the community.” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/04/17/dzhok ... grinds-on/

Security firms reportedly collecting Facebook photos for facial recognition databases. “… over the last five years a secretive surveillance company founded by a former Israeli intelligence officer has been quietly building a massive facial recognition database consisting of faces acquired from the giant social network, YouTube and countless other websites.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrew ... c30f4e7f18

Many law enforcement agencies, including local cops, now have hacking tools to crack iPhones. “Police forces and federal agencies around the country have bought relatively cheap tools to unlock up-to-date iPhones and bypass their encryption, according to a Motherboard investigation based on several caches of internal agency documents, online records, and conversations with law enforcement officials.” https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/arti ... ift-police

Greek protesters try to pull down Harry Truman statue, are stopped by riot police, several injured. “First unveiled near the American Embassy in 1963, the statue has been repeatedly targeted in protests and was twice bombed by far-left militant groups in the mid-1980s. It has been pulled down twice and vandalized on several occasions.” http://kutv.com/news/local/greek-protes ... man-statue

Russian journalist falls five stories to his death. “Maksim Borodin, 32, was a reporter for the Yekaterinburg’s Novy Den website, gaining national attention for his reports on the Russian private military company Wagner, and local repute for his investigations into prisons and corrupt officials in his native Sverdlovsk region.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... om-balcony

Cambridge, Massachusetts police officers accused of using excessive force during tackle arrest of calm, naked man talking with officers. “Police say the man resisted arrest once on the ground and the officer struck the man to gain compliance.” http://time.com/5242248/black-harvard-s ... ene-video/

Sean Hannity exposed as secret client of Trump attorney Michael Cohen. “Pause for a moment to reflect upon what one Sean Hannity might do with news that an MSNBC personality had hidden a relationship with a Clinton attorney under criminal investigation.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/16/media/s ... index.html

Federal judge certifies class in Facebook facial recognition lawsuit. “The lawsuit alleges that Facebook gathered biometric information without users’ explicit consent.” http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43792125

Sacramento police waited about six minutes before providing medical assistance to Stephon Clark. “Video released Monday confirms officers waited about five minutes from the time Clark was shot before they approached his body. They then spent about one minute handcuffing and searching him before beginning to administer CPR.” http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article209077754.html

Trump-owned businesses have allegedly made more than $15 million thanks to political and public spending. “President Donald Trump’s U.S. businesses have raked in $15.1 million in revenue from political groups and federal agencies during his run for office and presidency, with about 90 percent coming from his own campaign, according to a new report from Public Citizen.” http://www.wisconsingazette.com/news/pu ... 08cea.html

Starbucks arrests would not have been news without social media claims writer. “This story, it is safe to say, would not have been a story without Twitter and YouTube. ‘Two men ejected from Starbucks’ is not the sort of hook that would have once captured the imagination of a city editor.” https://slate.com/technology/2018/04/th ... itter.html Two points: First, they were not ‘ejected’, they were arrested, handcuffed and held for 8 hours. Second, what kind of new editors would consider a story about two black guys getting arrested for simply waiting for someone in a coffee shop not interesting enough to cover? Editors who were initially told not to run the story, until it was too big to ignore? Seems like a huge coincidence that none of the mainstream media (in the U.S.) would touch this until it was viral on social media.

After Syria missile strikes, Congress has apparently lost any control over presidential use of military force. “…most US military action since 2001 has been covered by a sweeping Authorization of Use of Military Force that covers actions against terror organizations linked to the 9/11 attacks. But the US attacked Syria’s actual government, not a terror group, on Friday, which legal experts say stretches the framework of the law.” http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-sy ... war-2018-4

Large asteroid just misses earth, public apparently not informed. “Astronomers spotted an asteroid as big as a Walmart store or a city block just hours before it buzzed our planet Saturday.” https://www.cnet.com/news/asteroid-2018 ... -15-years/

Four baboons being used for medical research stage break-out. “Three of the baboons were recaptured within 20-30 minutes of escaping. The fourth baboon returned to the enclosure on his own.” https://www.ksat.com/news/baboons-used- ... -institute

Republican tax cuts still unpopular. “Who knew that giving massive tax cuts to the wealthy, rich CEOs, and big corporations at the expense of working families wouldn’t resonate with voters?” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... shows-most

Justin Trudeau say Kinder Morgan pipeline ‘will be built’. “If Trudeau believes he can ram this pipeline through, he is misreading both the constitution and the electorate, while underestimating the opposition on the ground.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... eline-push

Conflicting accounts of fatal police shooting of ‘suspicious’ black driver in Walmart parking lot in Barstow, California, one passenger wounded. “The San Bernardino county sheriff’s department said officers were responding to a ‘call of a suspicious vehicle’ and attempting a ‘traffic stop’ when Yarber, the driver, ‘suddenly reversed the vehicle’ and hit a patrol car and then allegedly accelerated…. Diante (Yarber’s) aunt, …said she has since retrieved the car and that it did not appear it had rammed into police vehicles.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... california

Japan releases names of members of biological warfare unit. “Japan has disclosed the names of thousands of members of Unit 731, a notorious branch of the imperial Japanese army that conducted lethal experiments on Chinese civilians in the 1930s and 40s as it sought to develop chemical and biological weapons.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... -world-war

Eleventh ETHA journalist detained in Turkey. “ETHA’s website, which has been blocked in Turkey for roughly two years by the country’s communications authority (BTK), features domestic and international news stories that focus on… ‘oppressed’ groups.” http://www.dw.com/en/turkey-targets-lef ... a-43412287

Republican official resigns over Playboy model scandal. “The deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee, Elliott Broidy, has resigned over revelations he paid $1.6 million to a former Playboy model to keep quiet about their affair, which resulted in her having an abortion.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/16/ ... air_payoff

Two black men arrested at Philadelphia Starbucks were reportedly held by police for 8 hours after ‘waiting for a meeting while black’ incident. “(Lauren Wimmer’s) clients, who declined to be identified, were released eight hours later because the district attorney found no evidence of a crime, she said, adding the Starbucks manager was white.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/bus ... defensive/

51 year-old shoplifter dies after being detained by employees. “A trio of grocery staffers restrained the alleged thief on the ground until police arrived, cops said. By then, he was unresponsive.” http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bro ... -1.3934755 He was reportedly homeless and was stealing food.

Governor of Kentucky Matt Bevin accuses teachers of exposing their students to multiple dangers by striking. “As surely as we’re having this conversation, children were harmed, some physically, some sexually, some were introduced to drugs for the first time, because they were vulnerable and left alone.” https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/ ... er-protest

Sarasota, Florida officers who tased suspect 13 times cleared of excessive force allegations by their own police department. “The report concluded that while the stun gun was activated 13 times, only one of the activations held proper conductivity.” http://www.bradenton.com/news/local/cri ... 58299.html

Nikki Haley claims Syrian refugees don’t really want to be resettled in the U.S., explaining why so few have been admitted (11 so far in 2018). “Not one of the many that I talked to ever said we want to go to America.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... nald-trump

An epidemic of referee abuse in the U.S. “According to US Soccer, around 60% of referees nationally do not re-register for a second year.” https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... eree-abuse It’s just a game people!

Alabama teen gets 30 years for death of his burglary accomplice – who was fatally shot by police. “Unlike in the vast majority of fatal shootings by police officers, someone is going to prison for the 2015 death of 16-year-old A’Donte Washington in Alabama. It just isn’t the police officer who shot him.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... eith-smith

Chemical weapons inspectors reportedly denied access to site of alleged attack. “According to the UK delegation to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the OPCW’s director general briefed its executive council that inspectors had arrived in Damascus on Saturday but had not been allowed to visit Douma, a town just outside the Syrian capital.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... douma-site

Basques may be charged with terrorism over bar fight. “Since 2015, when Spain broadened its legal definition of terrorism in response to the jihadist threat in Europe, a total of 66 people have been convicted under the new provisions, according to Amnesty International. They have included musicians, film-makers and journalists jailed or fined for their lyrics or posts on social media.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... or-related

7 killed, 17 hospitalized in South Carolina prison violence. “Prisons spokesman Jeff Taillon announced the grim outcome after State Law Enforcement Division agents helped secure Lee Correctional Institution around 3 a.m. Monday.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... ison-fight

Tens of thousands protest outcome of Hungarian election. “…Hungarians took to the streets of Budapest on Saturday to protest what they called a deeply undemocratic election last week that delivered two-thirds of the seats in Parliament to the ruling [right-wing] Fidesz party which won just 47 percent of the national popular vote.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/15/hun ... democracy/

Journalists say they are unable to get additional information about Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev. “If Tamerlan was just some lone nut, wouldn’t the government want to dump all it knows about him out in the public? Why is everything about him still ‘classified’ five years later?” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/04/16/tamer ... d-history/

Philadelphia cops arrest two black guy sitting in a Starbucks, apparently for waiting for someone to arrive before ordering coffee. ““The entire incident, including the actions of the responding officers, is under internal investigation. Once we gather all the facts, we will comment further,” said police in a statement.” http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/0 ... cks-video/ It sounds like the police don’t really know why they arrested these guys.

A maximum of one alcohol drink a day is the new health recommendation say researchers. “The threshold for low-risk drinking, the researchers found, is about seven beers a week for men and women alike.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyle ... story.html

Facebook spent $7.3 million on security for Mark Zuckerberg in 2017. “Because of the high visibility of our company, our compensation & governance committee has authorized an ‘overall security program’ for Mr. Zuckerberg to address safety concerns due to specific threats to his safety arising directly as a result of his position as our founder, Chairman, and CEO.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/13/faceboo ... urity.html

GM to cut 1,500 jobs due to low demand for small cars. “Sales of the Cruze slid more than 30% between 2014 and 2017, as the market shifted strongly away from small cars to SUVs.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/13/news/co ... index.html

Elon Musk admits it was a mistake to try to automate auto production. “Humans are underrated.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ut-model-3

Nearly 1,000 more Palestinians injured by Israeli troops during one day of border protests. “One Palestinian was killed and 968 others injured in Gaza on Friday, Palestinian health officials said, as Palestinian protesters demonstrated for a third week along the border fence between Gaza and Israel.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/13/midd ... index.html

Missiles hit Syrian chemical weapons targets. “The U.S., Britain and France carried out airstrikes early Saturday against three sites in Syria in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack last week by President Bashar Assad’s regime.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... s-on-syria Trump declares ‘mission accomplished’, apparently unaware of George W. Bush’s infamous ‘mission accomplished’ speech one month after the invasion of Iraq. “Although Bush did not utter the phrase during his televised address, he stood under a ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner and spoke of how the US and its allies had ‘prevailed’.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... complished Trump administration reportedly basing its authority to launch attacks on Syria without Congressional approval on secret finding that Congress can’t read. “Soon after the 2017 strikes, two prominent Democrats, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Rep. Adam Schiff from California, wrote to Trump and requested ‘a detailed analysis of the legal precedents and authorities supporting the action in Syria’. They have not received any response.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/14/don ... -cant-see/

Hundreds of progressive Democrats planning to run for office in 2018 elections. “The time is up for corporate Democrats, for politicians who campaign as Democrats but govern as Republicans.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... candidates

UK Labour Party leader calls for peace talks and for all foreign military forces to leave Syria. “The humanitarian priority must be to halt the killing on all sides.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... rces-syria

Instead of Colin Kaepernick, Seahawks reportedly sign quarterback who has never played in a regular season NFL game. “(Stephen) Morris was first signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jaguars in 2014, but has never taken a live regular-season snap in stints with Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Indianapolis and Washington.” https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... ontroversy

In 2016, more than 6,300 Americans were reportedly evicted per day. “There were about 2.3 million people evicted from their homes.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/13/ ... cted_every

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

107
CIA and FBI get another extension from Trump administration on JFK assassination documents. “On Thursday Trump gave the agencies until Oct. 26, 2021, to fully lift the veil of secrecy – almost 58 years after the events in Dallas.” http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation- ... 06954.html

Millions of teachers not covered by Social Security. “Fifteen states do not offer all of their teachers Social Security coverage, and that means about 40 percent of the workforce is not covered.” https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/04 ... l-security

Woman in Georgia nursing home dies after being ‘eaten alive’ by mites. “I would seriously consider calling this a homicide by neglect.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -home.html

Police militarization: Maine cops in camouflage yank handcuffed suspect’s head up by his hair for arrest photo. “At the time of his arrest the team needed to confirm his identity with Unified Command.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pos ... g-manhunt/

Britain’s Home Secretary resigns after memo mentioning deportation targets emerges. “Those affected belong to the ‘Windrush generation’, named for the ship Empire Windrush, which in 1948 brought hundreds of Caribbean immigrants to Britain, which was seeking nurses, railway workers and others to help it rebuild after the devastation of World War II.” http://time.com/5259236/british-uk-ambe ... -windrush/ Thanks for all your help!

New Justice Department handbook for prosecutors omits lines about the importance of a free press and public trials. “The updated media contacts policy includes language about balancing ‘the right of the public to have access to information about the Department of Justice’ with other factors in deciding whether to release information.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/zoetillman/the ... ss-freedom

Days of protests in Spain after judge charges gang rape suspects with lesser crime of sexual abuse. “Under Spanish law, the lesser charge of sexual abuse differs from rape in that it does not involve violence or intimidation.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-29/2 ... pr/9708232 They were still sentenced to 9 years in prison though.

Amnesty International calls for arms embargo on Israel. “Despite international condemnation, the Israeli army has not retracted its illegal orders to shoot unarmed demonstrators.” https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conf ... ael-552986

Westworld characters hint at the park’s true purpose. “In essence, William has sketched out a vision of Westworld as a flesh-and-blood internet, where private information isn’t quite as private as one might think…” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live- ... ed-1101684

67% of respondents tell pollsters that the U.S. is run on behalf of ‘a few big interests’. “Just 21 percent say the government is run for the benefit of all.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... gn-finance

Tree gifted to U.S. by French president Macron and featured in ceremony at White House has been removed. “The tree came from Belleau Wood, north-east of Paris, where 1,811 Americans died in a ferocious battle in June 1918.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... n-vanished

John Bolton touts ‘Libya model’ for North Korea de-nuclearization, apparently oblivious to what he is actually suggesting. “Eight years after Gaddafi (abolished his nuclear weapons program), he was overthrown by rebels with the backing of NATO.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/john-b ... fis-death/

As supply of farm labor dwindles due to deportations, Trump pitches ‘guest worker’ program to his supporters. “The employment picture is so good, so strong, that we have to let people in.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/watch- ... t-workers/

Montgomery, Alabama newspaper apologizes for past coverage of lynchings. “The Advertiser was careless in how it covered mob violence and the terror foisted upon African-Americans from Reconstruction through the 1950s. We dehumanized human beings. Too often we characterized lynching victims as guilty before proven so and often assumed they committed the crime.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/alabam ... ver-wrong/

ICE sometimes jails and even deports U.S. citizens, one man held for more than 3 years before being released. “Since 2012, ICE has released from its custody more than 1,480 people after investigating their citizenship claims, according to agency figures.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Investigators hunting ‘Golden State Killer’ may have misused commercial genealogy website. “Users uploading genetic data into the GEDMatch website currently have to click on a button saying that the DNA is theirs ‘or the DNA of a person for whom you are a legal guardian or have obtained authorization’.” https://www.technologyreview.com/s/6110 ... al-killer/

Handcuffed, black suspect choked unconscious by white Henry County, Georgia police officer. “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/de ... aed1ba3cc5

Lawsuit claims American Airlines’ decision not to divert a flight, combined with the plane’s non-functioning emergency equipment, led to the death of a 25 year-old passenger. “The lawsuit alleges that the doctor on the flight told the crew they needed to immediately divert the plane to the nearest airport so that Oswell could receive proper medical care. But… the pilots chose not to follow the doctor’s request, according to the lawsuit.” http://abcnews.go.com/US/american-airli ... d=54759312

Paul Ryan accused of firing House chaplain over tax reform prayer. “May their efforts these days guarantee that there are not winners and losers under new tax laws, but benefits balanced and shared by all Americans.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pa ... aed1b83cf6

Spy for corporate intelligence firm claims he became a double agent. “For several years, K2 Intelligence, an investigative firm based in New York, paid him to represent himself as a crusading documentary filmmaker and to spy on activists campaigning to ban the use of asbestos, the dangerous construction material.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/busi ... agent.html

Europe bans almost all outdoor use of bee-killing pesticides widely used elsewhere. “Member states have voted in favor of an almost complete ban on the use of neonicotinoid insecticides across the EU.” http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43910536

Federal appeals court upholds Texas law requiring government issued ID to vote. “The (Texas) Legislature… loosened the restrictions last year by passing a new law, known as Senate Bill 5, that allowed voters who lacked one of the seven approved forms of ID to cast a ballot if they signed an affidavit stating why they could not obtain an approved ID. Those voters must show an alternative form of identification…” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/us/t ... er-id.html I’m sure there are many voters who COULD obtain a government issued ID, but what if they just don’t want to?

Photos show Mike Pompeo shaking hands with Kim Jong-un. “The photographs were taken during the visit of Pompeo, then the CIA director, to Pyongyang over Easter.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... ate-senate

Bill Cosby found guilty of sexual assault. “Cosby was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a former basketball player who was 30 years old at the time of the alleged incident.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... al-assault

Three more killed, hundreds more wounded by Israeli troops during another round of Gaza border protests. “The Gaza health ministry said 200 people were wounded by gunfire, including a Palestinian journalist who was hit in the foot by a bullet.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... aza-border

Arizona and Colorado teachers strikes enter second day. “Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on Friday announced a deal with state legislative leaders to raise teachers’ pay 20 percent by 2020, as educators stayed away from classrooms a second straight day in a spreading revolt over salaries and school funding.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/arizon ... y-walkout/

Russian lawyer who met with Trump campaign about “adoptions” now admits she has ties to the Russian government. “Since 2013, I have been actively communicating with the office of the Russian prosecutor general.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/27/us/n ... neral.html

Defense industry claims it needs 5% annual growth to operate efficiently. “The American defense-industrial base needs Pentagon budgets to grow at least 5 percent per year to remain healthy and stable, the industry’s leading trade group said in a report released Wednesday.” https://www.defensenews.com/congress/20 ... ia-report/ Yeah, and I need a Ferrari. You guys are why we can’t have nice things like national health insurance and affordable college tuition.

U.N. human rights official calls violence against Gaza protesters ‘excessive’. “The loss of life is deplorable, and the staggering number of injuries caused by live ammunition only confirms the sense that excessive force has been used against demonstrators – not once, not twice, but repeatedly.” https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conf ... aza-552888

Court orders National Weather Service to rehire Chinese-American hydrologist, with back pay. “…(Sherry) Chen is among a string of scientists and researchers of Asian descent who have been wrongly accused of espionage, including Chinese-American professor Xiaoxing Xi, Eli Lilly scientists Guoqing Cao and Shuyu Li, and NASA contract worker Bo Jiang.” https://sg.news.yahoo.com/chinese-ameri ... 15364.html

Mike Pompeo accused of failing to disclose business deals with companies controlled by Chinese government. “Documents seen by HuffPost Wednesday show that Sentry International, a Kansas company where Pompeo served as president, imported products from two subsidiaries of the state-owned oil company China National Petroleum Corporation.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mi ... a23f1f0103

Federal civil rights prosecutors want to charge police officer who used choke hold on Eric Garner. “Eric Garner died in 2014 after (Officer) Pantaleo choked him to death during an encounter where Garner was believed to be selling untaxed cigarettes.” https://lawandcrime.com/civil-rights/ci ... -let-them/

Trump supporter’s attorney claims his client was persecuted for his religious beliefs when he was thrown out of a New York City bar for wearing a Trump hat, judge doesn’t buy it. “How many members are in this spiritual program that your client is engaged in?” https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/20 ... s-judge-r/

Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower claims one of Steve Bannon’s goals was suppressing progressive voter turnout. “If by (disengagement) you mean discouraging particular types of voters who are more prone to voting for Democratic or liberal candidates, if that’s what you mean by that term, then yes.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 552067002/

Malaysian authorities release photo of one of the alleged assassins of Palestinian professor. “On Saturday, as he walked outside his apartment building in suburban Kuala Lumpur, (Fadi al-Batsh) was gunned down in a hail of at least 14 bullets by two men on a motorcycle.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/worl ... aysia.html

More Turkish journalists sentenced to prison. “Fourteen of the defendants, who work for Cumhuriyet, one of Turkey’s oldest newspapers, were given sentences of up to 7 1/2 years.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nati ... story.html

Former California police officer accused of long string of rapes and murders. “Based on DNA evidence, law enforcement officials said Wednesday they believe (Joseph) DeAngelo is the notorious East Area Rapist in Sacramento County and the Golden State Killer in Southern California, a mysterious, deft and unusually cruel serial assailant who allegedly raped as many as four dozen women and murdered a dozen people.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article209792989.html

Department of Housing and Urban Development proposes tripling rents of its poorest clients. “The cap on rent for the poorest families would rise to about $150 a month — three times higher than the existing $50 ceiling.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/won ... subsidies/

Police commissioner (a former Hillary Clinton fundraiser) resigns after video shows her trying to intervene in a traffic stop involving her daughter. “I’m just telling you who I am.” https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/201 ... orruption/

Judge releases video of 2014 police shooting in which a Wendy’s robber and ‘Cops’ TV series sound man were killed in a hail of police gunfire. “It later turned out that the weapon Washington had was an Airsoft pellet gun.” http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/480889421.html The video can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... TgF7r7ApH8

Ford announces plan to sell only one model of car, the Mustang, in the United States, all of its other vehicles will be crossovers, SUVs or trucks. “With the exception of extreme performance or fuel efficiency, there really is no downside to owning a utility vehicle, and there are many advantages in terms of functionality, flexibility and safety.” https://www.detroitnews.com/story/busin ... /34244867/ I’m looking into my crystal ball and seeing a replay of the 1970s – everyone is buying gas guzzlers and then suddenly the price of gas skyrockets. Since no small cars are being made in the U.S., huge numbers of foreign cars are imported, and U.S. auto workers start losing their jobs.

Fewer parents getting married. “About one-quarter of parents living with a child in America in 2018 are unmarried, up from 7% five decades ago, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data released Wednesday.” https://www.marketwatch.com/story/singl ... 2018-04-26

New Castle, Pennsylvania police officer on leave after after video of him bashing suspect’s head into the floor goes viral. “A photo of the scene, after the arrest, shows the blood splattered floor where the man’s head had split open during the attack.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rrest.html

U.S. drops to 45th in the world in ‘freedom of the press’ ranking. “When foreign leaders see the U.S. president denounce the media on a regular basis, it gives them free rein to do the same.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... edom-index

EPA unveils new rule that bans use of studies with confidential data for policy-making. “The new policy mandates that the EPA only rely on studies with data that is publicly available, which significantly limits what scientific research the agency can use because so many reports include personal health and proprietary information that must remain confidential.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ule-change

Man from Qatar claims he was tortured by the FBI after being accused of belonging to al-Qaida after 9/11 attacks. “He alleges that on 11 March 2004 he was “dry-boarded” – socks stuffed down his throat and tape wrapped round his head as he sat shackled to the floor. “I was choking, I was dying,” he said.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... ccountable

America’s hidden history of racial terror. “The end of Reconstruction ushered in a widespread campaign of racial terror and oppression against newly freed black Americans, of which lynching was a cornerstone.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... ry-alabama

Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, has beheaded 48 people so far in 2018. “(Human Rights Watch) said Saudi Arabia had carried out nearly 600 executions since the beginning of 2014, more than a third of them in drug cases.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... g-offences

An estimated 2.5 million Latin Americans have been murdered since 2000. “One-quarter of all global homicides are concentrated in four countries – Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela…” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ide-report

“Incel” movement started out as a one-woman effort to create a support group for lonely people. “The aim was to create an inclusive community, embracing those whose sex lives had been marginalised for reasons ranging from rigid gender norms to mental illness or social awkwardness.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... nto-attack

Democratic Party leader recorded urging progressive candidate to drop out of Colorado primary race. “The decision, (Levi) Tillemann was told, had been made long ago. It wasn’t personal, (Steny) Hoyer insisted, and there was nothing uniquely unfair being done to Tillemann, he explained: This is how the party does it everywhere.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/26/ste ... tillemann/

Senate Intelligence Committee requests records of Green Party’s internal foreign policy discussions, Jill Stein campaign says that has nothing to do with Russian interference in the election. “The (Stein campaign’s response) letter says that if the investigators are interested in the campaign’s foreign policy plans, the Stein campaign is providing material related to those and there is also additional material available publicly on the internet.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/26/rus ... elligence/

Sacramento County’s district attorney has reportedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars from law enforcement groups over the course of her political career. “The Intercept identified at least 15 different law enforcement-related contributions, totaling more than $150,000, including loans, in support of (Anne Marie) Schubert’s 2014 bid to become district attorney.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/25/ste ... -attorney/

Trump’s revelations during Fox & Friends phone interview raise eyebrows. “In the most stunning part of the interview, Trump said that most of Cohen’s work isn’t as an attorney, but as a private businessman. Trump also said he had “nothing” to do with Cohen’s private business interests and claimed that Cohen only performs a “tiny little fraction” of the legal work done on his behalf.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/trump- ... s-moments/

Amnesty International says families of IS members face discrimination in Iraq. “In Iraq, women accused of having ties to ISIS are facing widespread human rights violations inside Iraqi refugee camps, including being denied food and healthcare, facing sexual exploitation and being refused identification cards that would allow them to travel, work and enroll their children in school.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/25/ ... punishment



California ballot proposal for independence from the U.S. (also known as Calexit) is approved by state election officials. “Those in favor of secession have to meet an October deadline to collect 365,880 signatures from registered voters in order to put the measure on the ballot.” http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch ... collecting

Man suspected in Toronto van attack may have targeted women, social media post links him to group of ‘rejected’ males. “The Facebook posting by Mr. Minassian praised ‘incels’, or involuntary celibates, a term used in a (now banned, 40,000 member) Reddit group where men vented frustrations that tipped into misogyny.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/worl ... mpage.html

Waffle House shooting suspect showed clear signs of mental instability long before attack. “Instead of using resources to help, monitor, and treat them before a tragedy occurs, our society will only act once it happens and use our dollars to throw them in prison or pursue the death penalty.” http://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/04/24/w ... -reinking/

Thousands of Armenian-Americans march in Los Angeles to commemorate 1915 massacres in Turkey. “Draped in red, blue and orange, the sea of demonstrators was led by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to demand that Turkey recognize the 1915 atrocities that led to the systematic killing of 1.2 million Armenians.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Wayback Machine disputes MSNBC host Joy Reid’s claim that archived version of her blog was hacked. “The newly surfaced posts, from 2005–2007, make reference to Anderson Cooper — who came out in 2012 — as ‘the gayest thing on TV’, state that ‘most straight people cringe at the sight of two men kissing’, and recount that the author was unable to attend Brokeback Mountain, a love story about two cowboys, because she ‘didn’t want to watch the two male characters having sex’.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephbernstei ... chive-reid

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director reportedly told bankers that ‘pay to play’ is how things get done in Washington, cites his time as a member of Congress. “If you’re a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you’re a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/us/m ... ureau.html

Even after $1 billion government fine, Wells Fargo shareholders approve pay raises for bank’s executives. “Shareholders voted Tuesday 92.4 percent in favor of the bank’s executive compensation plan, based on preliminary results released at Wells Fargo’s annual meeting in Des Moines, Iowa.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... executives

36% of New York’s employees want to start their own businesses according to survey. “Thirty-six percent of New York workers plan to quit their day jobs and pursue self-employment in the next five years, according to a survey conducted by FreshBooks, an accounting software for small businesses.” https://www.wkbw.com/news/survey-36-of- ... f-employed Sounds like there are a lot of unhappy employees out there. Starting a business is a very risky act of desperation.

Racine County, Wisconsin residents may lose their homes to make way for Foxconn factory. “It was extremely personal for these residents; having your carefully maintained residence, or in at least one case, recently built dream home, designated as blighted.” http://beltmag.com/blighted-by-foxconn/

Minnesota appeals court allows pipeline defendants to use ‘necessity’ defense. “In a victory for activists who shut down a tar sands pipeline as part of a multi-state protest in 2016, a Minnesota appeals court has ruled that the “valve turners” can present a defense that their action was necessary because of the threat that fossil fuel production poses to the planet.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... e-pipeline

Conservative news commentators call Bernie Sanders (yet unannounced) plan to offer living wage jobs to unemployed Americans a ‘vote-buying operation’ and ‘communism’. “Expressing disbelief that a politician would deign to embrace a widely popular idea that could bring massive numbers of voters to the polls and drastically reduce inequality, President Donald Trump’s favorite show Fox & Friends ran a segment on Tuesday sliming Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) plan to guarantee every American a decent-paying job as a mere ‘vote-buying operation’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... can-decent “Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) plans to announce a federal jobs proposal that would guarantee every adult American a job with at least a $15 per hour wage and health benefits. We’ve seen this play before after the Bolshevik revolution 101 years ago.” http://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/3 ... -care-plan They hate the idea, just like they hated Social Security and Medicare. A large pool of unemployed workers keeps employees’ jobs at risk and wages down.

Federal judge says DACA program should continue until the government can explain exactly why believe it is illegal. “DACA’s rescission was arbitrary and capricious because the Department failed adequately to explain its conclusion that the program was unlawful.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... t-dreamers

Canadian police officer arrested Toronto van murder suspect without shooting him, even though the man took a shooting pose with his cell phone. “Get down,” the officer, identified by sources as Ken Lam, shouts repeatedly. “Kill me,” the man responds. “I have a gun in my pocket.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ect-arrest

In one of the richest cities in the world, 1/3 of Hong Kong’s elderly live in poverty, some recycle cardboard to survive. “(Wong) starts her day at 7 am and often works until 9 pm, seven days a week. For her efforts, she receives about HK$41 (£3.60) per day.” https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018 ... ng-poverty

New York City police union reportedly flooded parole board with 367,000 online letters opposing parole of 70 year-old Black Panther by sending 62 separate letters for each person who clicked to send a message via their website. “Considering that the union itself has nearly 50,000 active and retired members, the fact that fewer than 6,000 individuals clicked on the automated complaint system speaks against, rather than for, mass public anger at Bell’s parole.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/25/her ... rk-police/

James Comey accused of repeating agency’s past mistakes while director of the FBI. “Despite this professed appreciation for (Dr. Martin Luther) King and his aim to right the wrongs of the bureau’s past (as he claims in his book), Comey presided over many of the same racialized tactics and assumptions in his tenure as FBI director: broadly targeting the Muslim-American community, coercing informants, trafficking in racial profiling, surveilling Black Lives Matter and Standing Rock activists, and largely standing aside amid police violence and misconduct.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/24/jam ... e-muslims/

JFK autopsy contained glaring omissions, and reported damage to the president’s head conflicted with the observations of Parkland Hospital’s doctors. “(Dr.) Clark, who had the closest look (and let’s remember that the skull and brain were his specialty) described ‘a large, gaping wound in the right posterior part, with cerebral and cerebellar tissue being damaged and exposed’…. But the (military) autopsists reported only a small hole (6 x 15 millimeters) back there.” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/04/25/jfk-a ... ale-brain/

Waffle House massacre suspect was initially eligible to be bonded out of jail. “Davidson County Judge Michael Mondelli did not give a reason for overturning the bond order issued by a night magistrate following the arrest of Travis Reinking, but his decision followed a public outcry over the possibility that the suspect could potentially be freed from jail.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/judge- ... ic-outcry/

Greek fascists got tips from cops according to tapped phone calls. “…Tasos Pantazis, head of Golden Dawn’s Perama branch, boasted of a counterterrorism police officer providing him with the identity of an informant.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/ ... 15599.html

Greek fascists attack asylum-seekers. “… a mob of far-right militants attacked a crowd of asylum seekers Sunday night who had gathered for a peaceful demonstration on the island of Lesbos, throwing stones, bottles and flares, and sending at least a dozen migrants to the hospital.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/24/ ... um_seekers

U.S. allegedly has a “first strike” policy for using nuclear weapons – so does Russia. “In the case of Russia, a first strike would attempt to annihilate Russia’s major cities and its power to make war.” https://www.thenation.com/article/the-s ... ies-about/

American Airlines passenger reportedly tased 10 times during Miami plane removal. “Officer Desroches attempted a total of 10 deployments of his (Electronic Control Weapon) for a duration of 50 seconds.” http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c ... 04409.html Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQzkubXI_-E

Jury deadlocked in trial of border patrol officer who fatally shot 16 year-old Mexican boy who was throwing rocks at him across the border. “(Agent Lonnie) Swartz fired 16 shots late on Oct. 10, 2012, through a 20-foot (6-meter) fence that sits on an embankment above Mexico’s Calle Internacional, a Nogales street lined with homes and small businesses.” https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/crime/ ... 858626.php How would Americans feel if a Mexican officer shot a Texas kid for throwing rocks at him, and a Mexican jury refused to convict him, of anything?

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student questioned by officers after posting photos of his trip to gun range with his father. “At that point, I asked whether I could record the interview. They said no. I asked if I had done anything wrong. Again, they answered no.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... range.html

Likely Democratic presidential candidates pledging not to take donations from corporate Political Action Committees (PACs), but no mention of taken money directly from corporations, or of taking PAC money from wealthy donors. “Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) followed the lead of Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Monday when she announced that she would reject donations from corporate PACs, just a few weeks after a town hall attendee pointedly questioned her about her stance on such contributions.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... nder-swear

Trump orders Border Patrol not to admit asylum seekers at Mexican border. “There have already been cases of people being illegally turned away by border officials when trying to request asylum at the U.S. border.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ence-entry

Saudi coalition bombs wedding in Yemen, kills and estimated 20 people, including the bride. “More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in the war in Yemen since 2015, and another two million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ing-dozens

Citizen activist who detected lead contamination in Flint, Michigan water supply and proved it was affecting the entire city wins environmental award. “(LeeAnne Walters) found lead levels as high as 13,200 ppb—more than twice the level the EPA classifies as hazardous waste.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... dman-prize

Golf club calls police to report black members who are playing too slowly. “A golf club in Pennsylvania has apologized for calling police on a group of black women after the co-owner and his father said they were playing too slowly and refused requests to leave the course.” https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... en-members

Chinese rape victim accuses her university of orchestrating a cover-up. “(Yue Xin) accused administrators of suggesting she might not be able to graduate and asking what her mother and grandmother would think of her behaviour.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... m-petition

Armenian prime minister steps down after eleven days of protests. “The demonstrations were sparked by Sargsyan’s decision to take on the post of prime minister after serving for more than a decade as the country’s president, provoking anger among opposition parties and other protest groups.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... r-protests

Finland ends trial of ‘basic income’ scheme. “Since January 2017, a random sample of 2,000 unemployed people aged 25 to 58 have been paid a monthly €560 ($684) , with no requirement to seek or accept employment. Any recipients who took a job continued to receive the same amount.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... -two-years

Border Patrol accused of inflating number of assaults against its agents. “In response to questions from The Intercept, Coleman explained in an email that ‘an incident in the Rio Grande Valley Sector on February 14, 2017, involved seven U.S. Border Patrol Agents assaulted by six subjects utilizing three different types of projectiles (rocks, bottles, and tree branches), totaling 126 assaults’.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/23/bor ... d-cbp-fbi/

Puerto Rico blackout caused by subcontractor working to restore island’s power. “Attempting to repair a downed wire on Wednesday, a bulldozer got too close to a live, high-voltage line, triggering a chain reaction that left most of the island’s 3.4 million residents without power.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/23/pue ... atization/

Sean Hannity allegedly received assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for some of his real estate deals. “The Georgia (apartment complex) purchases were funded with mortgages for $17.9m that Hannity obtained with help from HUD, which insured the loans under a program created as part of the National Housing Act. The loans, first guaranteed under the Obama administration, were recently increased by $5m with renewed support from Carson’s department.” https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/ ... carson-hud

Broward County, Florida prosecutors clear detention center guard who broken 14 year-old’s nose. “Fourteen-year-old Andrew Ostrovsky was sent to the Broward Regional Juvenile Detention Center after being charged with joyriding in his father’s Dodge van in January 2017. Records show he was five feet, six inches tall and weighed 120 pounds.” https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/ ... 79679.html

White Tarrant County, Texas official sentenced to probation in election fraud case, same county where a black woman was sentenced to five years in prison for voting before her rights had been restored. “The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Justice of the Peace Russ Casey resigned from his job after admitting to submitting fake signatures that helped secure his place on last month’s primary ballot.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/white- ... an-voting/

109 retired military officers sign letter opposing Gina Haspel’s appointment as CIA director. “[W]e do not accept efforts to excuse her actions relating to torture and other unlawful abuse of detainees by offering that she was ‘just following orders’, or that shock from the 9/11 terrorist attacks should excuse illegal and unethical conduct.” https://www.axios.com/gina-haspel-milit ... 1c6da.html

Trump’s national security advisor John Bolton allegedly ran think tank that promoted anti-Muslim fake news stories. “The sensationalized headline of one story said the German government was ‘confiscating homes to use for migrants’.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white- ... nk-n868171

Attorney for DNC lawsuit defendant Roger Stone asks DNC to preserve its server so that claims of Russian hacking can be investigated. “[We] intend to test the basic underlying claims that ‘Russians’ hacked, stole, and disseminated DNC data, rather than the various other plausible scenarios, including internal theft.” https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/20 ... mp-russia/

Jailed Egyptian journalist to receive press award. “Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, better known as Shawkan, will be awarded the 2018 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize, the United Nations cultural branch announced on Monday.” http://www.dw.com/en/jailed-egyptian-ph ... a-43492792

Comcast mimics Sinclair Broadcast Group by having its stations run “Comcast Cares” stories. “…MSNBC host Al Sharpton comparing Comcast to Nelson Mandela: ‘This is, I think, the way we can bring the world to where Mandela wanted us, where corporations don’t become expansive and influential just for personal wealth, but for a purpose, so that we have the ability to do good.”” https://fair.org/home/msnbcs-creepy-com ... lair-lite/

700 children reportedly separated from their parents after crossing U.S. border. “The idea of punishing parents who are trying to save their children’s lives, and punishing children for being brought to safety by their parents by separating them, is fundamentally cruel and un-American.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 15781.html

Largo, Florida detectives reportedly entered funeral home, tried to use dead man’s finger to unlock his phone in front of his fiancee. “Linus Phillip, 30, was fatally shot six times in the back by a Largo police officer last month after authorities say he tried to drive away before an officer could search him.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... orida.html

Cops take down black woman who asked for plastic silverware at restaurant, rip off her clothes. “In the course of the altercation, her clothes are pulled down to reveal her breasts as white patrons continue to eat in the background.” http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index ... k_wom.html

Armenian police arrest hundreds of protesters and detain opposition leaders. “The public prosecution service confirmed that three opposition leaders had been detained on suspicion of organising an illegal protest.” https://www.euractiv.com/section/armeni ... rotesters/

Nicaraguan government reverses course on pension ‘reforms’ after 26 die during protests. “The overhaul had sought to shore up Nicaragua’s troubled social security system with a combination of reduced benefits and increased taxes.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/doze ... rm-n868216

At least 57 killed in Kabul, Afghanistan by suicide bomber. “The attacker detonated his explosives as the Afghan authorities distributed national identity cards in the western part of Kabul, the capital, part of a push by the government to get more people to register to vote.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/22/worl ... tions.html

Half-naked man accused of shooting four people at a Nashville Waffle House had been detained in July for entering a restricted area near the White House. “When I saw him get out of his pickup truck, all he had on was his jacket.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nati ... story.html

Woman fined $500 by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol for not declaring apple passed out on Delta flight. “Crystal Tadlock told Fox 31 Denver, toward the end of her flight from Paris, flight attendants passed out apples in plastic bags as a snack.” http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/04/2 ... snack.html

Wells Fargo hit with $1 billion fine for overcharging borrowers. “In Friday’s announcement, the CFPB and the OCC penalized Wells for improperly charging fees to borrowers who wanted to lock in an interest rate on a pending mortgage loan and for sticking auto loan customers with insurance policies they didn’t want or need.” http://lmtribune.com/business/wells-far ... feedc.html

LA Starbucks accused of letting white guy use the restroom after denying access to a black guy. “There should have been a sign right there that says ‘whites only’, because that’s how they treated it.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/starbucks- ... of-racism/

Google collecting huge amounts of data on its users. “The internet giant keeps a detailed log of users’ web browsing and location history stretching back nearly a decade, even when people think their privacy is protected in ‘incognito’ mode.” https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6114042/g ... st-bidder/

Animated satellite images show impact of human activity on the environment. “The Earth is changing dramatically.” https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2018/04/22/n ... he-planet/

Scott Pruitt reportedly met with lobbyist Steven Hart at the EPA last summer, Hart also lobbied EPA in first quarter of 2018. “Pruitt’s connections to the prominent lobbyist have been under intense scrutiny since last month, when media reports first revealed that the EPA chief rented a luxury Capitol Hill condo from a corporation co-owned by Hart’s wife for just $50 a night.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ondo-lease

Michael Bloomberg says he’ll cover $4.5 million U.S. dues for Paris climate agreement. “America made a commitment and as an American, if the government’s not going to do it, we all have responsibility.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... imate-pact

DeKalb County, Georgia fires seven suspected ‘ringleaders’ of bus driver sickout. “Whether the school bus drivers can succeed in winning their demands and maintaining broad popular support remains to be seen, but the protest provides an important test case on whether these teacher movements will lead to a broader working-class uprising or stay limited to organizing among a narrower band of white-collar professionals.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/22/geo ... d-a-price/

Yazidis in northern Syria say they being pressured by Turkish-backed forces to convert to Islam. “Islamist rebel fighters, who are allied to Turkey and have occupied Yazidi villages in the area, have destroyed the temples and places of worship the Kurdish-speaking non-Islamic sect according to local people.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 10696.html

Palantir software telling the authorities a lot more than they need to know about people. “One woman in the (LAPD’s) system, for example, who wasn’t suspected of committing any crime, was identified as having multiple boyfriends within the same network of associates…” https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2018 ... ter-thiel/

Some Minneapolis residents worried after observing unannounced B2 bomber activity over their city. “Strange reports of up to 10 B-2 stealth bombers flying above Minneapolis started circulating on social media Thursday evening.” https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/04 ... heres-why/

59 year-old Broward County, Florida woman with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease dies after being jailed without her medication and yelled at by judge. Her crime: fighting with her daughter over a fan. “Porter told the Miami Herald that once (Sandra Faye) Twiggs was released from jail and taken back home, she was starving, dizzy and borderline breathless.” http://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/ ... 96684.html

Cop points rifle at anti-Nazi protesters, several arrested for wearing masks. “At one point, an officer pointed what seemed to be a modified AR-15 at the faces of counter-protesters, none of whom appeared to be armed.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ge ... b631e65f49

Witnesses saw customers and gunman exit Chinese restaurant after shooting of Florida deputies. “The men noticed something was wrong when they saw a horrified woman bolt out of the restaurant with her hand covering her mouth.” http://www.wfla.com/news/florida/witnes ... 1131441251 So why hasn’t the media interviewed any of these customers or the staff of the restaurant? Was there some kind of altercation? Was the gunman a customer? Why did the sheriff say they were shot from outside?

Amnesty International awards Colin Kaepernick its Ambassador of Conscience Award. “When high profile people choose to take a stand for human rights, it emboldens many others in their struggles against injustice.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... nors-colin

Basque separatist ETA apologizes for terrorism, suggests democratic path to independence from Spain. “We know that, owing to the necessities of all kinds of armed struggle, our actions have hurt people who bore no responsibility whatsoever.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... y-violence
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

108
Senator hints that damaging information about CIA director nominee Gina Haspel is being hidden from the public. “I think the agency is covering up her background, because if the American people knew what I knew, I think there would be many senators who would say, ‘Look, there’s no choice but to reject her confirmation’.” https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/ ... e-showdown

White House medical unit accused of passing out prescription medication to staffers with little physician oversight. “The allegations shine light on a little-known office on White House grounds skirting some of the most basic medical protocols for years, including under former President Barack Obama.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/27/poli ... index.html

Cambridge Analytica allegedly deleted raw Facebook data but kept personality profiles. “The Guardian has obtained leaked emails suggesting that Cambridge Analytica avoided explicitly agreeing to delete the derivatives of that data, such as predictive personality models.” https://www.engadget.com/2018/05/06/cam ... ntil-2017/

China demands that U.S. airlines stop referring to Taiwan as a country. “The strongly worded letter demands that all public-facing content, across the world, must follow ‘Chinese law’.” http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/04/27/chi ... t-beijing/

Transportation Secretary Chao accused of boosting her father’s shipping business with joint interviews. “Any business that can demonstrate these kinds of connections sends a very positive message as to how successful the business is and how effective it would be to work with them.” https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/ ... ent-569686

Five rural Illinois counties declare themselves ‘sanctuaries’ for gun owners. “With all these sanctuary cities, we just decided to turn it around to protect our Second Amendment rights.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-i ... story.html

Chicago Tribune workers win union recognition. “It’s long past time that the journalists at the Tribune and its community publications have a say in how our newspaper operates.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... bune-union

Facial recognition program used by British police to scan soccer crowd reportedly had 92% false positive rate. “According to the Guardian, the South Wales police scanned the crowd of more than 170,000 people who traveled to the nation’s capital for the soccer match between Real Madrid and Juventus. The cameras identified 2,470 people as criminals.” https://gizmodo.com/facial-recognition- ... 1825809635

Giant food conglomerate Nestle to market Starbucks coffee. “Nestle will pay Starbucks $7.15 billion as part of a global coffee alliance in which the Swiss-based food giant is getting the rights to market the U.S. coffee company’s products around the world outside Starbucks’ coffee shops.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-star ... SKBN1I80CG

Maryland recognizes ‘Catonsville Nine’ with historical marker. “On May 17, 1968, nine Catholic activists raided the Selective Service Office in Catonsville and burned several hundred draft files to protest the Vietnam War.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... r-movement

Trump administration accused of conspiring with Israel to undermine U.S. treaty with Iran. “The use of an Israeli private security firm to dig for dirt on senior members of the Obama administration linked to the Iran nuclear deal, as revealed in today’s Observer, shows how far President Donald Trump and the hawks around him are willing to go to destroy the agreement.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... l-analysis

Book alleges that companies are pressuring their employees on how to vote, to make donations to PACs. “Managers ranked employee mobilization efforts as more effective for influencing policy than any other activity except lobbying – more than donating to candidates and more than buying political advertising.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... n-lobbying

Green Party candidate sues Ohio counties over destruction of ballot images. “In 2010, the Brennan Center was involved in litigation in the Bronx where, thanks to ballot images accessed through a FOIA request, they were able to determine that machines had been miscounting ballots due to a technical issue. Over 20,000 votes were lost in the governor’s race alone.” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/05/07/ohio- ... servation/ This is important because, as the Green Party discovered after the 2016 election, it is almost impossible to get states to conduct recounts.

Trump reportedly spent $400 million in cash buying real estate before entering politics. “It shows that Trump had access to far more cash than previously known, despite his string of commercial bankruptcies and the Great Recession’s hammering of the real estate industry.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html If he was raking in so much cash in rent then it should be reflected on his tax forms. If not, where did all that cash come from?

Al Jazeera journalist’s book recounts his six year as a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay prison camp. “(The doctors) actually told us: ‘We will torture you until death. But we won’t let you die. You will live in the space between life and death’.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/ ... 11693.html

Turkish opposition candidate complains of ‘media embargo’. “‘If the media embargo ordered by the Palace continues, we will hold our rallies in front of TV stations’, he said, referring to the 1,000 room presidential palace built by Erdogan in Ankara.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-turke ... KKBN1I70D9

More than 1,600 anti-Putin protesters reportedly arrested in Russia. “They chanted ‘Russia without Putin’, ‘Putin is a thief’ and ‘Out with the czar!’” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/th ... story.html

Power company accused of hiring actors to pack public hearing in New Orleans. “’If you need speakers to present at a council meeting, we can provide talented and well-spoken individuals to advocate for the cause’, the company says on its website.” https://thelensnola.org/2018/05/04/acto ... -meetings/

Off-duty Orange County, California cop reportedly pointed gun at convenience store customer, ordered him to return the mints he had just paid for. “(Jose) Arreola… told the officer repeatedly that he paid for the Mentos, but the officer continued pointing the gun at him.” http://abc7.com/off-duty-oc-cop-pulls-g ... g/3430295/

Thousands of suspects in Saudi Arabia allegedly being held without trial. “Official data from the interior ministry, analysed by (Human Rights Watch), showed that authorities had detained 2,305 people for more than six months without referring them to court.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/saudi-detain ... 34542.html

Most released sex offenders in Miami-Dade county Florida are homeless due to restrictions on where they can live and homeless shelter ban, and now face eviction from homeless encampment. “…they are prohibited from living in most residential areas of the County.” http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c ... 09304.html

Nawabshah, Pakistan breaks world record for April temperature. “Christopher C. Burt, the author of ‘Extreme Weather: A Guide and Record Book’ and a contributor to Weather Underground, said that 122.4 degrees (F), or 50.2 degrees Celsius, appeared to be the hottest reliably measured April temperature ‘in modern records for any location on Earth’.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/worl ... ecord.html And Pakistan is in the northern hemisphere, so that’s just spring.

Thousands gather in France to oppose labor reforms. “About 2,000 members of the security forces, including riot police, were deployed as marchers gathered in warm spring sunshine in Opera square for a protest labelled a “party for Macron”, a tongue-in-cheek “celebration” of the 40-year-old centrist’s first anniversary in power.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... y-in-paris

Men in Jharkhand, India burn 16 year-old girl to death after her family reports rape. “The (local) council (had) ordered two men to do 100 sit-ups and pay a 50,000 rupee ($748) fine, a derisory punishment for a crime that carries a long jail sentence under Indian law.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... hand-state



Green Berets reportedly helping Saudis target missiles in Yemen. “With virtually no public discussion or debate, the Army commandos are helping locate and destroy caches of ballistic missiles and launch sites that Houthi rebels in Yemen are using to attack Riyadh and other Saudi cities.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/03/us/p ... outhi.html

Campus police questioned native Americans on Colorado college tour. “The staffers were aware the two young men were supposed to be on the tour, Gray said, and she said that another parent of a student on the tour called police because the boys were being too quiet.” https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/l ... s-for-tour

Golden State Killer case reveals problems with mass DNA searches, cops reportedly investigated multiple false matches. “Now everybody is under suspicion until we find the person who did it.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Official unemployment rate is below 4%, but the percentage of unemployed people who are actively seeking jobs is still very low. “Unemployment fell to 3.9 percent, the lowest since December 2000, and labor force participation was 63 percent, virtually unchanged since the start of 2018 and close to its lowest level since the 1970s.” https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/ ... 018-568596

Government’s ‘expert witness’ in Trump inauguration protest case will base her testimony on books she’s read about anti-fascist protesters and black bloc tactics. “It’s yet another installment in the ongoing saga of the prosecution’s general disregard for the professed standards of the criminal justice system.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/ ... 14523.html

Judge orders Iran to pay families of 9/11 victims billions in compensation, despite lack of evidence that Iran was involved. “The default order was issued after Iran failed to respond to a 2004 lawsuit alleging that the country provided assistance to the 9/11 hijackers, ABC News reported.” http://www.newsweek.com/iran-must-pay-b ... les-908328

FDA proposes using little sunflowers with “be” on them to inform consumers which products contain genetically modified ingredients. “Among the problems with the proposal, says Hauter, is that the ‘rule refers to GMOs as ‘bioengineered,’ or BE foods. This is a deceptive strategy because most consumers don’t know what that means’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... enetically

Bernie Sanders calls U.S. criminal justice system ‘broken’. “There can be no debate, whether you are a conservative or liberal or something in between, that we have a broken criminal justice system.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... n-americas

After reportedly receiving a $137 million federal tax refund for 2017, Amazon is fighting a city tax that would raise money for affordable housing. “Amazon is using its enormous power to dissuade the city of Seattle from passing a modest tax on profitable corporations to address their severe housing crisis.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... l-tax-aims

Trump administration fails to comply with requirement to report drone strike casualties. “This increased secrecy about the costs and consequences of Trump’s killing policies prevents public oversight and accountability for wrongful deaths.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ne-attacks

Corporations spending tax cut windfall to reward investors and buy back stock. “Apple announced Tuesday it will spend $100 billion buying back its own stock—333 times the amount it has spent on one-time worker bonuses.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -rewarding

Columnist sees similarities among the cast of characters that make up the Trump administration. “Curious minds might wonder why this president chooses to surround himself with so many men [Kellyanne Conway? Omarosa Manigault? Sarah Huckabee Sanders?] who are cocky, unqualified and kooky. For someone so modest, so well-versed in world affairs, and so cogent, it seems so obviously out of character.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... y-giuliani

Chinese government gives German city of Trier a 15 foot Karl Marx statue, despite having discarded Marx’s economic program decades ago. “Marx then moved to London and wrote Das Kapital, arguing that an economic system based on private profit was inherently unstable. Workers were exploited by factory owners and did not own the products of their labor, he said, making them little better than machines.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44009621 When will exploited Chinese workers rise up and break the chains of capitalism?

Georgia prisoner complains of pain during execution. “Two minutes after the pentobarbital began to flow into the vein in his arm, Butts mumbled, ‘It burns, man’.” https://www.ajc.com/news/crime–law/geor ... Z32Dw6Q5M/

NSA triples its collection of U.S. phone data. “In 2017, the NSA obtained orders, as required by the USA Freedom Act, to target 40 individuals. The couple dozen authorizations allowed the agency to collect the more than 500 million call detail records from telecom providers, as the requests allow the NSA to access metadata from every single person a target has been in contact with.” https://gizmodo.com/the-nsa-managed-to- ... 1825789394

CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere hits 410 parts per million. “Prior to the onset of the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide levels had fluctuated over the millennia but had never exceeded 300 parts per million.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201 ... 581270002/

Federal appeals court reinstates lawsuit against FBI agents who allegedly put American Muslims on ‘no-fly’ list to pressure them to become informants. “The men in the case allege that the agents told them they could get off or avoid being placed on the No-Fly List if they agreed to work for the FBI.” https://rightsanddissent.org/news/appea ... to-inform/

Animal rights activists facing felony charges after exposing inhumane conditions at turkey farm. “…this appears to be a case where a corporate supplier of Whole Foods — which touts itself as selling the healthiest and most organic products — is pressing charges against people who exposed animal abuse and threats to the public health.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/04/six ... rkey-farm/

Argentine police accused of intentionally shooting protesters in the head with rubber bullets. “Five people lost eyes when police officers shot them with rubber bullets — an unprecedented number for a single protest.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/03/arg ... a-de-mayo/

Trump administration pushing sexual abstinence instead of contraception for low-income women. “The religious right, working with the Trump administration, seeks to enforce a social order that casts sex not as normal human behavior, but as a luxury item reserved for the wealthy men who can afford it.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/trump- ... t-sex-fun/

Kansas county commissioner facing federal charges for misusing campaign funds. “The case falls under federal jurisdiction because the banks where the alleged illegal dealings occurred are federally insured and the campaign spending reports were sent to Topeka by Gmail, meaning they would have had to have crossed state lines to a Google server and back.” https://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime ... 05994.html Very creative. What if he had mailed the reports, and they had gone to Kansas City, Missouri for sorting before being delivered to Topeka? What if my cell phone service provided has an FCC permit? Does that make any illegal activity on my cell phone a federal crime?

82 more Palestinians shot on border of Gaza. “Israeli troops fired live rounds and tear gas at Palestinians who thronged the Gaza-Israel frontier… injuring about 1,100 people.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-israe ... KKBN1I50XR

Confusion at chemical weapons agency over amount of nerve agent used against former Russian spy and his daughter in England. “Within hours of the report (by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ director that 50 to 100 grams had been used), startled chemical weapons experts were challenging the figure, insisting a miscommunication had occurred.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... y-novichok

Justice Department charges Volkswagen CEO with criminal conspiracy. “A federal grand jury indictment unsealed in Detroit says CEO Martin Winterkorn knew in 2014 that his company’s cars contained software that lowered carbon dioxide emissions under testing conditions, even though the cars’ emissions rose dramatically under real-world conditions.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/4/h ... an_air_act

Arizona teachers win their strike. “In Arizona, tens of thousands of public school employees have ended a week-long strike after Republican Governor Doug Ducey signed a budget bill that will grant teachers and school staffers a 20 percent raise by 2020.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/4/h ... ing_strike

Seven Catholic peace activists charged over Georgia sub base invasion. “We see the billions of dollars it takes to build and maintain the Trident system as stolen resources, which are desperately needed for human needs.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/4/h ... naval_base

French police chase May Day protesters through the streets of Paris, 276 reportedly arrested. “Police estimated 20,000 people gathered for the protest, but unions suggested the number was closer to 55,000, the report said.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/protesters-f ... 07894.html Police in Puerto Rico clash with anti-austerity protesters. “The demonstration was in protest of proposed cuts to retirement benefits and looser labor laws, as well as school closures and slow hurricane recovery efforts.” https://thinkprogress.org/may-day-prote ... 8899783f7/

Corker-Kaine AUMF bill would allow president to detain citizens indefinitely without a trial. “Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., claimed that the bill would ‘basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield’, and individuals could now be imprisoned by the military without charge, ‘American citizen or not’.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/01/nda ... detention/

Oakland, California city government agrees to community oversight of its surveillance programs. “Not only does it require community approval for new technologies, it effectively bars police from implementing surveillance technology without informing citizens.” https://gizmodo.com/oakland-passes-nati ... 1825725697

FBI reportedly monitoring ‘suspicious’ veterans. “The former agents confirmed to NJ Advance Media the existence of a previously unreported national policy championed by the FBI, in coordination with the Department of Defense (DOD), that allows for the tracking of non-active military members it deems high risk.” http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/0 ... im_he.html

Defense Department asks Congress for exemptions from Freedom of Information Act. “For the fourth year in a row, the Department of Defense has asked Congress to legislate a new exemption from the Freedom of Information Act in the FY2019 national defense authorization act for certain unclassified military tactics, techniques and procedures.” https://fas.org/blogs/secrecy/2018/05/d ... -ttp-2018/ Or they could just do what the State Department does, and claim they are working your information request for years and years.

No charges for West Milwaukee, Wisconsin police officers who tasered mentally ill suspect 18 times before he died. “Although pathologists cite the syndrome as a cause of death and emergency room doctors have procedures to treat it, excited delirium is not recognized by the American Medical Association or the American Psychological Association.” https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/loc ... 552071002/

Some San Francisco Bay Area tech workers on H-1B visas were reportedly taking home $800 a month. “Investigators found that the company paid impacted employees well below the wage levels required under the H-1B program based on job skill level, and also made illegal deductions from workers’ salaries.” https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/01/ ... -feds-say/

Trump’s former personal physician claims Trump dictated his health assessment during the campaign. “…shocking basically no one, Bornstein fessed up and revealed to CNN that Trump himself dictated the medical appraisal that declared his own test results ‘astonishingly excellent’.” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/201 ... llent.html

Matt Groening doubles down in Apu stereotyping controversy, says ‘people love to pretend they’re offended’. “One of the best jokes from the show’s glory days depicted Groening as a reclusive crank with an eyepatch, a bolo tie, and a revolver. It would be a shame if, like so many of the show’s predictions, that one came true.” https://slate.com/culture/2018/05/oh-no ... t-apu.html

Judge orders Las Vegas police to release Stephen Paddock shooting videos and recordings. “Police had sought to delay releasing the video footage and records, saying they were part of an ongoing investigation.” http://www.syracuse.com/us-news/index.s ... suite.html “Assault-style rifles are seen in the room, but the view doesn’t include a handgun that police say Paddock used to kill himself before officers arrived.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/lat ... o-54890253 “Police lawyers revealed on Tuesday that the first officer who entered Paddock’s room did not activate his body cam.” https://www.ktnv.com/news/las-vegas-sho ... s-shooting

Cambridge Analytica goes bust, authorities say investigations will continue, ‘successor companies’ monitored. “The (Information Commissioner’s Office) will continue its civil and criminal investigations and will seek to pursue individuals and directors as appropriate and necessary even where companies may no longer be operating.” http://www.businessinsider.com/ico-will ... ica-2018-5

Iowa legislature passes bill that ban abortions when there is a fetal heartbeat. “Republican legislators sent Iowa’s governor a bill early Wednesday that would ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy…” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.3968457

House Republicans nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize for Korean peace agreement that hasn’t been negotiated yet. “Since taking office, President Trump has worked tirelessly to apply maximum pressure on North Korea to end its illicit weapons program and bring peace to the region.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/02/poli ... index.html

British woman stabs boyfriend five times with 10 inch kitchen knife during sex. “She said ‘put the pillow back on your face, trust me’. That’s when she stabbed me.” https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/j ... r-12467648

Cost of Tacoma excessive force incident rises to $1 million after agreement to pay teenagers’ legal expenses. “Video shows Tacoma Police officer Jared Williams, who was working mall security at the time, throw Tillman to the ground and use his taser.” https://www.king5.com/article/news/loca ... -548232211

Federal judge dismisses Andover, South Dakota excessive force lawsuit. “Kathy Fischer had filed suit against Deputy Josh Hoven following a Sept. 12, 2015 altercation outside the Andover Bar in which she claimed Hoven used a straight armbar takedown to subdue her. It resulted in her breaking her nose, a broken tooth and broken bones in her arm and hand.” https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/ ... 570526002/

Malaysia charges first person under new ‘fake news’ law, man will spend 1 month in jail. “He posted (a video) on YouTube on April 21, after a Palestinian lecturer was shot and killed in Kuala Lumpur. In the video, Sulaiman ‘claimed he was with the Palestinian victim during the shooting and made countless calls to the police who arrived the scene 50 minutes later’…” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... e-news-law It would be interesting to know if this ‘fake news’ is true or if it is ‘fake news’ that is really fake. Malaysian cops claim they arrived in 8 minutes.

U.S. Treasury says it needs to borrow a record $488 billion to cover first three months of 2018. “Treasury is facing the need to finance government operations at a time when annual deficits are heading to record levels.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/ec ... 567166002/ The ‘Kansas Miracle’ version 2.0

California introduces new rule to separate employees from contractors. “…the worker is considered an employee if he or she performs a job that is part of the “usual course” of the company’s business. By way of an example, the court said a plumber hired by a store to fix a bathroom leak would not reasonably be considered an employee of that store. But seamstresses sewing at home using materials provided by a clothing manufacturer would probably be considered employees.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/busi ... uling.html

Marco Rubio questions his own party’s corporate tax cuts. “…there’s no evidence whatsoever that the money’s been massively poured back into the American worker.” http://thehill.com/policy/finance/38553 ... ng-workers

Israel accuses Iran of having a secret nuclear weapons program. “Using the code name ‘Project Amad’, Iran covertly sought to design, produce and test five warheads, each mounted with 10 kiloton TNT yields, according to Netanyahu.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/i ... -1.3963717 Hmm, sounds a lot like Israel’s secret nuclear weapons program.

Researchers challenge narrative that most sex workers in the U.S. are being trafficked. “What the study revealed, after interviewing 949 people across 6 cities — 171 of them in Las Vegas — was that many of the assumptions that inform government policy on sex workers are merely myths.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/jennyheineman/ ... esta-fosta

Trump insider Carl Icahn gets EPA ethanol waiver for his oil company. “(Public Citizen is) calling for an investigation into billionaire Carl Icahn, a close friend of Trump’s, receiving an EPA ‘hardship’ waiver worth tens of millions. Icahn’s two refineries posted a combined profit of $286M in 2017 and $115M in the first 3 months of 2018.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... epa-waiver

Government has reportedly paid out more than $60 million to settle Border Patrol cases over 12 years. “The federal government has settled at least 20 wrongful death claims on behalf of CBP, paying more than $9 million to the families of people killed since 2003, in incidents including shooting, beating, use of Tasers and collisions with vehicles.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... the-agency

Internal FDA emails reportedly discuss widespread contamination of food products with herbicides. “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been testing food samples for residues of glyphosate, the active ingredient in hundreds of widely used herbicide products, for two years, but has not yet released any official results.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... nal-emails

121 human rights activists murder in Columbia in 2017 claim plaintiffs at International Criminal Court. “Human rights groups, which documented 609 killings of right defenders from 1 November 2002 to September 2017 in the country, say the Colombian government is failing to investigate the crimes properly.” https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve ... -defenders

Feds charge 57 members of white supremacist gangs for drug trafficking. “The Associated Press reported Monday that defendants were associated with the groups Aryan Brotherhood of Texas and Dirty White Boys, and federal prosecutors have charged them with distributing methamphetamine since 2015.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/feds-a ... g-charges/

Court rules that electronic images of ballots are public records. “The Appellate Division of (New York’s) Supreme Court ruled last week that Essex County’s electronic ballot images are public records.” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/04/30/win-f ... c-records/

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

110
The story you cited is interesting.

"...the NRA claims just under 5 million Americans as members ― or fewer than 8 percent of all gun owners.

To learn about the more than 90 percent of gun owners who don’t fall into this category, HuffPost conducted its own survey of gun owners, in collaboration with YouGov, to interrogate why the majority of gun owners aren’t members of the NRA. HuffPost also ran an informal, supplemental Twitter poll soliciting gun owners’ rationale for declining NRA membership.

The results complicated the narrative of red-state gun owners on one side and blue-state gun control advocates on the other, and unearthed bits of common ground among gun-owning Americans, including about gun safety.

Among the non-NRA gun owners who participated in the HuffPost/YouGov poll in April, nearly half said they didn’t think NRA membership would benefit them personally. One in four respondents selected the response “I disagree with the NRA’s political beliefs” as a reason they chose not to join. Another 22 percent of respondents said they didn’t feel that the NRA represented people like them (whether that was because they didn’t feel like they fit the demographic profile of a typical NRA member ― Republican, middle-aged, white and male ― or another reason wasn’t clear). Respondents were allowed to select multiple options.
Ariel Edwards-Levy

Twenty-three percent of respondents felt that NRA membership, which costs $40 per year or $1,500 for a lifetime membership, was “too expensive” to justify joining the organization. “I’m frugal,” one respondent noted."
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

111
Weapons lab employee fired after publishing article criticizing nuclear deterrence strategy. “(James) Doyle argued in the piece that nuclear deterrence was a ‘myth’ and that declassified documents showed that the world avoided several nuclear catastrophes during the Cold War only by sheer ‘luck’.” https://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/07 ... -arms-race

North Carolina sheriff who agreed to hand over illegal immigrants to ICE loses primary election. “Incumbent Sheriff Irwin Carmichael came in a distant third, with 20 percent of the vote, blaming ‘outside influences’ and the immigration issue for his loss, even as he defended his policies.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/electi ... on-n873651

Candidate in San Francisco’s mayoral race calls out local newspaper for suspiciously provocative interview questions. “Q: Your father is an executive at Kiss Products, a global cosmetics company with hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Why do you never talk about that accomplishment and its impact on your worldview? A: I’m rarely asked about my dad’s career. As a woman who has been an elected official for more than 10 years and who has been involved in San Francisco civic life for nearly 20 years, people generally are more interested in my accomplishments than my father’s.” https://medium.com/@JaneKimCA/no-filter-6f4247335455

Miami police officer reportedly charged with assault on handcuffed suspect. “Just after the second handcuff is secured, an officer identified by officials as Figueroa runs in and (attempts to kick, or pretends to attempt to kick) Suazo in the head. That officer then turns around and dives on Suazo’s head.” https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/ge ... icked.html

White cops beat black teenager outside Wisconsin mall, are caught on video by bystander. “Wauwatosa police received a call from mall security at 4:37 p.m. requesting police assistance with five males inside the mall acting disorderly and causing a disturbance, according to a news release from Wauwatosa Capt. Brian E. Zalewski.” https://www.jsonline.com/story/communit ... 604398002/

Trump fixer Michael Cohen also reportedly offered his ‘consulting’ services to Uber and Ford but was turned down. “The ride-hailing company believed Cohen’s co-ownership of at least 32 taxi medallions with his wife was a possible conflict of interest, the source close to the company told the (Wall Street) Journal.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politic ... -1.3988155

Another Trump supporter who bashed uneducated immigrants who don’t speak English is outed as the descendant of an uneducated immigrant who didn’t speak English. “The documents show that in 1930, one of (Tomi) Lahren’s immigrant great-grandmothers had lived in the United States for 41 years and had still failed to learn how to speak English.” https://www.inquisitr.com/4898790/tomi- ... mmigrants/

People upset by use of a live tiger as a prom prop. “Video posted on social media by @ExplorerNationCCHS, an account claiming to be the school’s student activities committee, shows the tiger in a cage in the center of the dance floor, surrounded by a spectacle of music, lights and fire-eaters.” https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Cag ... 87521.html

Department of Education task force investigating for-profit colleges is reportedly led by a former dean of a for-profit college. “As it currently stands, the investigative team only consists of three employees—it previously had around a dozen—and is supervised by Julian Schmoke, a former dean at DeVry.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -predatory

California doctors who support a national health insurance plan buy ad due to lack of media coverage on the issue. “In addition to pressuring lawmakers in California and nationwide to get behind Medicare for All—which has been surging in popularity over the past year and now has the support of the majority of the American public—the ad insert is also aimed at urging ‘patients to talk to their doctors about how single payer could dramatically reduce drug costs and allow patients to choose their physicians without co-pays, deductibles, and outrageous out-of-network bills’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... acts-about

Michael Bloomberg tells college graduates that dishonesty is the gravest threat to the U.S. political system. “The greatest threat to American democracy isn’t communism, jihadism, or any other external force or foreign power. It’s our own willingness to tolerate dishonesty in service of party, and in pursuit of power.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... -democracy

19 U.S. POWs confessed to involvement in a biological warfare program during the Korean War. Were they all tortured to tell the same lie? “(Joseph Needham) felt that he had more than enough scientific evidence based on the data… about where insects fell, the pathology reports, and all the other evidence that they had gathered, witness evidence, the bomb casings, et cetera to make the case the US was using biological warfare, without any confessions at all.” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/05/14/did-u ... orean-war/

National Security Advisor John Bolton says months of preparation for Trump-Kim North Korea summit will not be necessary. “I think one advantage of having this meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un so soon, in effect, without months and months and months of preparation, is that President Trump will be able to size Kim Jong-un up and see whether the commitment is real.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/bolton ... m-jong-un/ Because when has Trump ever made a bad deal? Except buying that U.S. Football League team, or the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, or those golf courses in Scotland, or his unsuccessful attempts to get Congress to abolish Obamacare, ban Muslims from entering the U.S. and build a wall on the Mexican border, or reach a deal on immigration, or convincing his former lovers to keep quiet. Except for that, there’s no need to let those pesky diplomats and experts obstruct Trump’s innate deal-making skills.

Mike Pence tells college graduates that Trump has inspired Americans with faith. “Faith is rising across America.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/watch- ... president/ It’s true! More people are praying for God to save them, the country and the world now that Trump is president.

Did a Qatari official pay for access to the Trump administration? “Members of the Trump transition team appear to have met on December 12, 2016 with a group from Qatar that included Ahmed Al-Rumaihi, the former Qatari diplomat and current head of a division of Qatar’s massive sovereign wealth fund who is accused in a recent lawsuit of scheming to bribe Trump administration officials.” https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... ls-lawyer/

41 reportedly killed, 1,900 wounded during Monday’s protests on the border of Gaza. “Since the protests began on March 30, Israeli forces have killed at least 90 Palestinians in the coastal enclave and wounded close to 10,500 people.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/ ... 06561.html

Julian Assange reportedly incommunicado for 46 days. “On March 28, under immense pressure from the British and U.S. governments, Ecuador imposed a complete ban on Assange having any Internet or phone contact with the outside world, and blocked his friends and supporters from physically visiting him.” https://consortiumnews.com/2018/05/13/e ... r-assange/

Court orders Justice Department to answer questions about surveillance of Guantanamo defense attorneys. “In August, members of Nashiri’s defense team, accompanied by U.S. military forces at the prison, undertook an authorized inspection of their ostensibly confidential attorney-client meeting room at Guantánamo, unscrewed a light-switch-sized plate — and found a listening device inside.” http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation- ... 39774.html

Only 33 countries have accepted invitation to U.S. embassy opening in contested city of Jerusalem. “Among those present were delegates from Guatemala and Paraguay, which will open their own Jerusalem embassies later this month.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-israe ... KKCN1IE0ZG

Video appears to show battlefield execution of prisoner in Sinai region of Egypt. “Dozens of families Human Rights Watch interviewed in 2016 and 2017 reported numerous arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings by Egyptian military and interior ministry forces.” http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt ... -445977295

Government cuts it losses, decides to shut down plutonium recycling plant after spending $7.6 billion. “The original idea behind the facility near the Savannah River in Aiken, S.C., was to take tons of excess plutonium that the United States produced during the Cold War for nuclear weapons and convert the dangerous material into mixed-oxide, or MOX, fuel for commercial reactors.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... story.html

Trump’s drug pricing plan turns out to be no threat to big pharma. “In fact, the president’s plan has scant initiatives that actually target drugmakers.” https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles ... s-up-short Drug company stocks up after Trump’s speech. “Topher Spiro, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, argued that a major reason pharma stocks rose as Trump formally announced his plan is because the president placed blame for high U.S. drug prices on the low prices in nations with “socialized healthcare”—exonerating American drug giants from any blame for soaring costs.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... tocks-soar

UN human rights office requests permission to investigate deaths of protesters in Nicaragua. “According to reports, at least 47 people, including two police officers and a journalist have been killed in protests, which began as a reaction to social security reforms but widened to include calls for investigations into, and accountability for, the killings; as well as for justice and democracy.” https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1009572

Franklin Township, Ohio police officer caught on video kicking suspect in the head. “A video recorded by a witness shows one officer holding down a man — whose arms are behind his back — while another officer walks around a car and kicks the man in the head and then kneels next to him.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/04/us/o ... index.html

Schizophrenic prisoner injured after being thrown into courthouse elevator by Clayton County, Georgia deputy. “Several broken teeth, cuts to the inside of his face and mouth that required stitches, back, neck, muscle strain issues, he was hurt pretty extensively.” https://www.11alive.com/article/news/vi ... -551329417

Los Angeles agrees to settle fatal police shooting of homeless man for $1.9 million. “In the first case in which LAPD officers’ body cameras captured the fatal shooting of a suspect, a federal jury Thursday found two officers used excessive force in the 2015 killing of a homeless man (Charly Keunang) on L.A.’s Skid Row.” http://www.scpr.org/news/2018/05/10/828 ... ing-leads/

One killed, 146 injured during seventh weekly protest on Gaza border. “Since the Hamas-led marches began in late March, 41 Palestinian protesters have been killed by Israeli fire, including a 40-year-old man shot dead Friday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. More than 1,800 Palestinians have been shot and wounded…” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/1 ... -1.3984049

Bernie Sanders warns Democratic Party not to make the same mistake twice. “…we cannot defeat Trump and the Republican Party with the same playbook, or by supporting the same kind of candidates long favored by the political establishment and financial elite. That is how we got to where we are today.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... candidates Ralph Nader piles on, too. “Democratic Party: stop scapegoating, look in the mirror, and ask yourself why you cannot landslide the worst, the most ignorant, the most corporate indentured, the cruelest Republican Party in history. Look in the mirror.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... old-agenda

As CO2 in the atmosphere hits record level, Trump administration kills NASA carbon monitoring system. “Canceling CMS likely has global ramifications, Kelly Sims Gallagher, director of Tufts University’s Center for International Environment and Resource Policy, pointed out, because the system monitors the Earth’s CO2 levels as nations that have signed on to the Paris climate agreement… pursue policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... monitoring

George W. Bush coins new Winston Churchill quote. “America is indispensable for the world and the dangers of isolation loom.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... h-misquote I have a hard time choosing my favorite George W. Bush quote. It has to be one of these two: “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” Or: “Free nations don’t develop weapons of mass destruction.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushism

CIA memo to Henry Kissinger reveals political murders during Brazilian military dictatorship. “De Souza informs (President) Geisel that 104 such ‘subversives’ were summarily executed by military intelligence in the previous year – a policy a second general insists should continue.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... executions

Another rape victim in India burned to death. “The 16-year-old died from the burns after being set alight by a 26-year-old man who acted after the girl said she would tell her family about the rape.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... e-in-india

After White House chief of staff John Kelly disses under-educated immigrants who can’t speak English and can’t assimilate, genealogist reportedly turns up a surprise. “(Jennifer) Mendelsohn found out through (1900 census records) that Kelly’s great grandfather lived in America undocumented for 18 years and could not ‘read, write or speak English’.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/john-k ... ved-wrong/

Bill Maher trolls Trump. “Why did he pull out (of the Iran nuclear deal)? Because of his obsession with undoing everything that Obama did. If he could bring bin Laden back to life he would.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/bring- ... ion-obama/

Five Alpharetta, Georgia cops pull 65 year-old black woman out of her car for refusing to sign traffic ticket, take her to jail. “After Campbell refused to sign the ticket, which is against the law in Georgia, the officer informed her that she was under arrest.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/police-drag-6 ... d=55090606

Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter asks her supporters not to eat at Waffle House restaurants until the company engages in a dialog over racial incidents. “Dr. Bernice King, the daughter of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is calling for a boycott of the Waffle House restaurant chain after a spate of racially charged incidents that culminated with a police officer choking a black teen in a tuxedo on Tuesday.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/daught ... t-attacks/

Racial justice groups bailing out black moms so they can be at home for Mother’s Day. “The effort is taking place in dozens of cities to call attention to the injustice of cash bail.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/11/ ... is_freeing

Appointing Gina Haspel to lead CIA sends the wrong message. “…all of these countries are essentially going to see this as a carte blanche for conducting torture…” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/11/ ... nfirmed_at

British government apologizes for handing over Libyan oppositionist and his wife to Gaddafi regime. “The British government has formally apologized to a former Libyan rebel leader and his wife, who were kidnapped by CIA agents in 2004 with the help of the British intelligence service MI6 and rendered to Libya, where they faced severe torture in one of Muammar Gaddafi’s prisons.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/11/ ... on_victims

Congress releases Russian Facebook ads, most successful ad was apparently ‘Back the Badge’, which elicited more than 73,000 clicks. “Targeting: People 20 and older who are interested in “State police, Law enforcement in the United States, Police, Sheriffs in the United States, Law enforcement or Police officer, Support Law Enforcement, The Thin Blue Line, Officer Down Memorial Page, Police Wives Unite, National Police Wives Association or Heroes Behind The Badge”. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pol ... ach-month/

Philadelphia poll workers found guilty of election tampering during 2017 special election, steered voters away from writing in Green Party candidate Cheri Honkala. “(Thurman) George, along with three other election workers, was accused of harassment and intimidation against voters who wanted to vote for candidates of their choice, but not the candidate being pushed by the city’s Democratic Party machine (who was also a write-in candidate).” http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/0 ... ion-fraud/

Trump administration reportedly dropping plan to negotiate price cuts for Medicare drugs. “Democrats have been pressuring Trump ahead of his speech to renew his call for Medicare to negotiate drug prices, something that Trump touted on the campaign trail in 2016, in a break with Republican party orthodoxy.” http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/38 ... es-despite

Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development ordered to remove his turban by TSA at Detroit Metro airport. “I will never be asked to take my clothes off. It’s the same thing. It’s a piece of linen.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/10/us/c ... index.html

Judge orders Wells Fargo to pay employees $97 million for missed breaks. “The judge found that Wells Fargo’s California home mortgage consultants and private mortgage bankers did not get the breaks they were entitled to.” https://www.mpamag.com/news/wells-fargo ... 00318.aspx

Michigan approves request to let Foxconn pull 7 million gallons A DAY from Lake Michigan. “The (city of Racine’s) application estimated about 2.7 million gallons will be consumed daily by plant operations and evaporation. The rest will be treated and returned to the lake.” http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-n ... e-michigan So 2.7 million gallons a day will disappear and 4.3 million will be treated and released?

Dick Cheney says ‘harsh interrogation program’ was not torture, should not have been discontinued. “I think (Gina Haspel would) be a great CIA director.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ck-torture

Billionaire reportedly passes on a fraction of his tax cut windfall – to a GOP Super PAC. “Paul Ryan paid (Sheldon) Adelson with a huge tax cut and then Adelson gave some of that money back to Ryan to elect more people who will make Adelson wealthier.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -gop-super

Costa Rica’s new president says country will be fossil fuel free by 2021. “The nation of 4.8 million people already derives 99 percent of its electricity from renewable sources including hydropower and wind.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ident-says

ICE agents storm National City, California home, ignore requests by residents to see a search warrant. “Ma’am you’re watching too much movies.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -home-guns

Israel launches attacks on Iranian targets throughout Syria. “We hit nearly all the Iranian infrastructure in Syria.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... gets-syria

Japanese birthrate hits record low, conservative politician blames women instead of declining quality of life. “Last year about 941,000 children were born in Japan, the lowest number since records began in 1899.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... apanese-mp

Judge orders release of black activist targeted for anti-cop Facebook posts. “(Rakem) Balogun spoke to the Guardian this week in his first interview since he was released from prison after five months locked up and denied bail while US attorneys tried and failed to prosecute him, accusing him of being a threat to law enforcement and an illegal gun owner.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... rveillance

Depression up sharply for adolescents and millennials. “If you don’t have a community to reach out to, then your hopelessness doesn’t have any place to go.” http://www.ibtimes.com/depression-rate- ... ws-2679907

Bystander video shows Warsaw, North Carolina police officer choking black Waffle House customer after removing him from the restaurant for arguing with a server. “(Anthony) Wall was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for the argument inside the Waffle House.” https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/5/1 ... ouse-video

Washington court rules that homeless man has a right to live in his truck. “If cities are not providing reasonable alternatives to homelessness then they can’t punish people for surviving in public when those people have no reasonable alternative—and the Long case is very important in that context.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/seattl ... -homeless/

Gas station clerk allegedly puts gun to black customer’s head over drink top-off, cops say he has to pay for the drink, clerk not charged. “Get your black a** out of my store. I will f****** kill you myself.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/gas-st ... led-drink/

Victims of Turkish security beaten during D.C. visit by President Erdogan file lawsuit. “Video of the May 16 (2017) melee outside the Sheridan Circle residence showed men in suits and olive-green military-style jackets kicking and bludgeoning (anti-Turkey) protesters, including women carrying young children and men in their 60s.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pu ... story.html

Federal judge agrees to let former Abu Ghraib interrogators be deposed anonymously. “CACI, which lost a motion to dismiss the lawsuit last year, said it’s ‘essential’ to question the interrogators to figure out who may have directed any mistreatment of the three Iraqi detainees who are suing.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... in-lawsuit

Gina Haspel’s nomination to lead the CIA was only possible because the Obama administration, the media and the public turned a blind eye to post-9/11 human rights violations. “… this country has not come to terms with all of the acts of torture, kidnapping (and) extrajudicial killing, that was done with the veneer of legalism put over it by very creative, albeit creative in a sort of evil way, lawyers in the Bush administration, (and) what has resulted (from) not holding those torturers accountable is that one of them is now ascending to the highest post in the CIA.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/10/ ... ed_way_for

Trump attorney Michael Cohen allegedly received $500,000 from Russian-controlled firm and payments from others with business before the Trump administration. “Novartis, the pharmaceutical giant, paid Cohen’s company nearly $400,000; AT&T, $200,000; and Korea Aerospace Industries LTD, $150,000.” http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-p ... story.html Michael Cohen accused of ‘shadow lobbying’. “Companies such as the telecoms giant AT&T and Novartis, a major pharmaceuticals firm, confirmed they paid Cohen, the president’s personal attorney, large sums last year in return for what they describe as guidance on navigating the new administration.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... des-us-law Is that what they are calling it now?

Sniffer dogs may have to be put to sleep if Illinois legalizes marijuana claims trainer. “Because many K-9s are trained not to be social so their work won’t be affected, Larner said a number of dogs would likely have to be euthanized…” http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/cr ... 1c28b.html So think about that when you go to the polls – vote ‘Yes’ and Rover gets it!

Retailer calls cops on black teenagers suspected of shoplifting, but police let them go after they show their receipts. “Mekhi Lee, Dirone Taylor and Eric Rogers II said were simply browsing the store for prom clothes last Thursday, when they noticed staff following them around the store.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.3977587

Pharmaceutical distributors claim they are not responsible for opioid abuse crisis. “Congressional investigators found that, between 2007 and 2012, distributors sent more than 780 million hydrocodone and oxycodone (tablets) into West Virginia, which roughly equals 433 pills for every man, woman and child in the state, congressional investigators say.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 589760002/

Iranian hardliners likely to use Trump’s exit from nuclear deal to regain power. “…hardliners will gain politically from this situation, because they’ll attack reformists and moderates like [President] Rouhani that this is evidence of what they had been saying for years, that the US cannot be trusted, and that the US is always prepared to knife you in the back.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... -deal-exit

Undercover NYPD police officers involved in far more fatal shootings than uniformed officers. “In other words, plainclothes officers, estimated to be around around 6 percent of the force, account for 31 percent of all fatal shooting incidents.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/09/sah ... n-clothes/

Maryland police officer shoots ground hog for disrupting traffic. “Warning, groundhogs: Carrol County police will shoot you dead if you do not comply with instructions.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/watch- ... irections/

Records of Gina Haspel’s CIA activities will not be made public during confirmation hearings. “CIA records on Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the intelligence agency’s next director, will not be made public, Senator Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on Tuesday.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-t ... KKBN1I92OL Haspel may have had leadership role in ‘rendition’ and ‘black site’ program. “CIA officers swept up suspects all over the world, in ever-greater numbers…. Some of the detainees turned out be victims of mistaken identity or false accusations.” https://www.propublica.org/article/gina ... tion-cable Haspel tells senators torture program was legal, refuses to denounce it. “I’m not going to sit here with benefit of hindsight and judge the very good people who made hard decisions, who were running the agency, in very extraordinary circumstances at the time.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gi ... 3b2c8ff488

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions blames ACLU for Chicago murders. “(Two researchers) concluded the 58 percent increase [in homicides] was caused by the abrupt decline in ‘stop and frisks’ in 2015.” https://www.districtsentinel.com/sessio ... -increase/ If it’s so effective, maybe we should stop and frisk everyone, not just racial minorities. Who needs that stinky, old Constitution anyway?

Malaysia’s ruling party out of power after 60 years following loss in election. “In an emotional national address on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is accused of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in government funds, said he would ‘accept the verdict of the people’.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/09/worl ... athir.html

Facebook bans foreign ads on Ireland’s abortion referendum, Google bans all ads, neither company will say why. “…several people familiar with the internet giants – and who are in regular contact with them – who spoke to The Irish Times on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, believe that Google and Facebook became fearful in the past week that if the referendum was defeated, they would be the subject of an avalanche of blame and further scrutiny of their role in election campaigns.” https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politic ... -1.3489617

Police interrogate student seen napping in dorm lounge. Yes, she was black. “In what is becoming an all-too familiar episode, a black Yale University graduate student was interrogated by campus police officers early Tuesday morning after a white student found her sleeping in a common room of their dorm and called police.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/09/us/y ... index.html

Monica Lewinsky allegedly uninvited from charity event after Bill Clinton accepts invitation to attend. “President Clinton attended the (philanthropy) summit on Wednesday to introduce Emma Gonzalez, an advocate for gun control and survivor of the Feb. 14 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mo ... 3b2c901b74 I hope they assigned Bill a chaperone.

White guy accused of paying FBI agent $100 down payment to kill his black neighbor. “A 25-year-old South Carolina man tried to enlist a white supremacist group to hang his black neighbor from a tree for $500 in a disturbing murder plot, according to court documents.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.3979444

Tens of thousands of elderly and disabled Louisiana residents reportedly facing eviction from nursing homes. “Louisiana Department of Health Deputy Secretary Michelle Alletto said the agency will notify about 37,000 Medicaid recipients, whose eligibility to receive the benefit could end on July 1, they may have to move out of the nursing and group home facilities because of the lack of state funding.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/09/us/l ... index.html

California moves to require solar panels on new homes and apartment buildings. “The rules apply to building permits issued after Jan. 1, 2020.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 594364002/

Second firm reportedly marketing iPhone cracking devices to law enforcement agencies. “The GrayKey box can apparently unlock an iPhone in about two hours if the owner used a four-digit passcode and three days or longer if a six-digit passcode was used.” https://www.computerworld.com/article/3 ... uying.html

Bernie Sanders introduces legislation to make it easier for employees to form labor unions. “This simply says, when working people want to come together to form a union with decent wages and decent benefits, we will no longer tolerate corporate America denying them that right.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... tore-union

Trump calls negative news coverage ‘fake’, suggests revoking journalists’ ‘credentials’. “Some may excuse the president’s inflammatory rhetoric about the media, but just because the president does not like news coverage does not make it fake.” http://thehill.com/homenews/media/38692 ... t-on-press

Joe Biden thinks it’s unfair to blame billionaires for inequality. “I don’t think 500 billionaires are the reason we’re in trouble. The folks at the top aren’t bad guys.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... are-reason Are you sure about that Joe? “Overall, of five states that responded to a public records request for a list of their top employers of SNAP recipients, Amazon cracked the top 20 in four.” https://theintercept.com/2018/04/19/ama ... ing-wages/ “Walmart workers cost the government about $300 million a year in food-stamp costs, according to Marketplace.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/ ... 92262.html Wildly successful businesses should be able to pay their employees a living wage. But many don’t.

Federal appeals court rules that border agents need a reason to search travelers’ electronic devices. “The 4th Circuit upheld that ruling and found that a forensic search of electronic devices requires ‘individualized suspicion’ of wrongdoing.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/court-says-b ... 12394.html

U.S. one of only four developed countries lacking in social mobility. “The US was among the bottom 50 countries according to a test of how easy it was for people from low educational backgrounds to reach the top quarter of earners. Of those nations ranked in the bottom 50, 46 were developing world nations and four were from the developed world, including the US.” https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... nds-report This does not mean people who lack higher education, it means people whose parents lacked higher education.

Rudy Giuliani claims Founding Fathers shielded Presidents from prosecution while in office. “…we have the real life circumstance going on that the Founding Fathers thought about, which is a president cannot be distracted by a criminal investigation. You can always prosecute him after.” https://www.thenation.com/article/the-t ... ing-about/ So tell us Rudy, which article of the Constitution says this?

Trump administration will reportedly ask for $7 billion in cuts to health insurance program for uninsured children. “U.S. President Donald Trump will request a package of $15 billion in spending cuts from Congress on Tuesday, including some $7 billion from the Children’s Health Insurance Program championed by Democrats, senior administration officials said on Monday.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKBN1I829L

Denver Post employees claim hedge fund owners are running paper into the ground with layoffs. “According to a Nieman Lab report, Digital First in FY2017 saw a 19 percent profit margin of $36 million from its Colorado papers, which also include the Boulder Daily Camera and several others.” https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/l ... anned-tues

Attorney General Sessions says U.S. will split up families who enter the country illegally. “If you don’t like that, then don’t smuggle children over our border.” https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/attorne ... d=54998160

High-profile #MeToo supporter resigns after four women accuse him of physical abuse. “In the article published late on Monday, the New Yorker reported that four women who said they had had romantic relationships or encounters with (New York Attorney General Eric) Schneiderman said they had been subjected to non-consensual physical violence. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-peop ... SKBN1I9049

14 arrested at Seattle protest against Chase Bank. “Protesters blocked all lanes of Second Avenue in front of Chase Bank’s regional office Monday morning, protesting the bank’s investment in a tar sands project.” http://mynorthwest.com/980016/protest-s ... n-seattle/

Trump claims opponents of Gina Haspel’s appointment as CIA director are upset because she was ‘tough on Terrorists’, his critics disagree. “Being responsible for torture doesn’t make you tough on terrorism. It makes you guilty of crimes against humanity.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ia-torture

Rialto, California police deploy three squad cars and a helicopter after neighbor reports black Airbnb guests. “The incident, which went viral after one of the detained women posted footage of the encounter, is the latest in a string of high-profile cases of Americans calling law enforcement on people of color engaged in lawful everyday activities.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... helicopter

Researchers find weedkillers more potent than their active ingredient. “We see the formulations are much more toxic. The formulations were killing the (human) cells. The glyphosate really didn’t do it.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... ingredient

Some foreign workers reportedly treated like slaves in U.K. “Exploitation and abuse of workers is widespread across the UK economy, according to a new report, which finds that 17 sectors are high-risk for mistreatment ranging from wages theft to slavery.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... port-finds

Squatter evictions routine in South Africa, private companies supply the muscle. “Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, a Red Ant leader, watches 650 men, equipped with crowbars and shields, and all dressed in identical red overalls and helmets, move through an illegal squatter camp on the ragged outskirts of Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa. ‘We always win.'” https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-in ... -evictions

Pedestrian fatalities up 46%. “The crashes generally occur where there are no intersections or poorly designed crosswalks that tempt pedestrians to dash across multiple lanes of swiftly moving vehicles.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tri ... oup-finds/

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

112
Doctor says prisoner held at CIA ‘black site’ in Thailand run by Gina Haspel was ‘irreversibly damaged by torture’. “In my over 20 years of experience treating torture victims from around the world, including Syria, Iraq, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr. al-Nashiri presents as one of the most severely traumatized individuals I have ever seen.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/17/gin ... r-torture/

Pope Francis calls for tighter regulation of world’s financial system. “What is morally unacceptable is not simply to profit, but rather to avail oneself of an inequality for one’s own advantage, in order to create enormous profits that are damaging to others; or to exploit one’s dominant position in order to profit by unjustly disadvantaging others, or to make oneself rich through harming and disrupting the collective common good.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... es-rampant

U.N. panel votes to send war crimes investigators to Israel after mass shootings of protesters. “Only the U.S. and Australia voted against the probe, and 14 nations—including Germany, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland—abstained.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... g-massacre

United Way study finds that 43% of American households are unable to afford basic necessities such as housing, food and medical care. “California, New Mexico, and Hawaii have the largest share of struggling families, at 49 percent each.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ford-basic

Facebook to work with Atlantic Council to fight ‘disinformation’. “While Facebook’s statement fawned over the Atlantic Council’s ‘stellar reputation’, critics argued that the organization’s reliance on donations from foreign oil monarchies and American plutocrats puts the lie to the project’s stated mission of shielding the democratic process from manipulation and abuse.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ontractors

U.S. soldiers who occupied Iraq unhappy with Al-Sadr’s election victory. “This is a guy that we’ve been fighting against for so many years. And he’s responsible for the death of quite a few of my friends and their friends and, you know, a lot of destruction.” https://www.npr.org/2018/05/18/61244114 ... s-soldiers Too bad NPR wasn’t around to interview British soldiers bitter about George Washington becoming president, instead of someone respectable, like Benedict Arnold.

Saudi government rounds up women who demanded the right to drive ahead of implementation of reforms which will allow women to drive. “They detained them because they do not want them to publicly claim success.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saud ... SKCN1IJ1Z5

Stephen Paddock reportedly discussed Ruby Ridge standoff and Waco massacre before Las Vegas shooting, believed government was planning to take people’s guns. “A jailed man who gave a statement in November to police and the FBI recalled a man he believed to be Paddock telling him that FEMA ‘camps’ set up after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were ‘a dry run for law enforcement and military to start kickin’ down doors and … confiscating guns’.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ieges.html It’s a bit odd, if Paddock felt this way, that he would do something that would advance what he felt was the government’s agenda – restricting the public’s right to own firearms. And why would he target a country music concert? Sorry, it still doesn’t add up. Ah, wait a minute, what about the ‘Paddock was an undercover informant who got burned by his terrorist clients’ theory, which explains why Paddock had so many guns in his hotel room (how many can you shoot at the same time?), why random Americans were targeted and why his laptop hard drive was missing. It also explains his source of income more believably than the ‘professional gambler’ story. What if he was just pretending to be a right-wing extremist or an arms dealer? It also looks like he tried to entrap a man (who later landed in jail) by offering him money to do something that was clearly illegal, according to the same article: “The man said Paddock became upset and launched into a tirade about gun control when the man rejected an offer of $500 apiece to modify semi-automatic guns to fire automatically.” If someone refused to sell you heroin, would you rant against the War on Drugs or ask him if he knows anyone else who can help him out?

McLennan County, Texas prosecutors having trouble convicting anyone in Twin Peaks motorcycle club shootings, some of the fatalities likely caused by police gunfire. “Texas prosecutors who have failed to convict a single person in the three years since a Waco shooting left nine bikers dead are trying a new tack of targeting fewer cases, but attorneys for the bikers say the evidence is so shaky and the lead prosecutor’s credibility so damaged that it will be difficult to make the remaining charges stick.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/cases-agains ... 37177.html

Victims and community groups reportedly not invited to EPA pollution summit. “While the people suffering from (PFOA, PFOS and PFAS) contamination will not be at the meeting, the manufacturers of the chemicals used in the production of Teflon and other nonstick, water-resistant, and stain-resistant products will be well represented.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/18/the ... ty-groups/

NRA spokesperson blames media coverage for mass shootings. “The media has got to stop creating more of these monsters by over-saturation.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/media- ... shootings/

Revenue reportedly up sharply at Trump golf courses in Ireland and Scotland. “Writing on Twitter, Fahrenthold uses some recent financial disclosures from the Trump Organization to show that revenue at a Trump golf course in Ireland rose by 51 percent year-over-year from 2017 to 2018, while revenue at a Scottish Trump golf course surged by 87 percent year-over-year from 2017 to 2018.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/pulitz ... f-courses/ How would you funnel foreign money to a U.S. politician without being accused of making illegal donations?

Historian claims U.S. has likely become an oligarchy (a society run by the wealthy) instead of a democracy. “You retain the appearance of democracy without having it. I think that’s where this country is right now.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/no-lon ... oligarchy/

Washington Post headline calls progressive Democrats ‘far left’. “The Washington Post (5/16/18) characterized (a) Nebraska congressional candidate as ‘far left’ because she supports universal background checks, raising taxes on the wealthy and decriminalizing marijuana.” https://fair.org/home/the-surprising-po ... -policies/

Canadian doctor shot twice on Gaza border. “As Palestinians vow to continue protesting against the Israeli occupation of Gaza, we speak to a Canadian doctor who was shot by Israeli forces in both legs Monday while he was helping injured Palestinians.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/17/ ... ian_doctor

Gina Haspel confirmed by Senate as CIA director. “Almost all details about Ms. Haspel’s record at the agency were classified, and officials there defied calls from some lawmakers to make them available to the public ahead of the vote.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/17/us/p ... irmed.html

U.S. birthrate in 2017 was the lowest since 1987. “In 2017, women had nearly 500,000 fewer babies than in 2007, despite the fact that there were an estimated 7 percent more women in their prime childbearing years of 20 to 39.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/17/us/f ... tates.html

Trial of second group of Trump inauguration protesters begins, some face 60 year prison sentences if found guilty. “…(the prosecutors) are trying to transform a publicly advertised, First Amendment-protected march into a criminal conspiracy and argue that anyone present is collectively liable for any unlawful acts that may have occurred.” http://www.newsweek.com/anti-trump-j20- ... ail-926827

Republicans battle intelligence community and FBI over identity of confidential source close to Trump campaign. “The Post first reported earlier this month that an FBI informant and top-secret, longtime intelligence source had provided information early in the FBI investigation of connections between Russia and the Trump campaign.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

Nerve agent victim Sergei Skripal released from hospital after apparently botched assassination attempt. “It is fantastic news that Sergei Skripal is well enough to leave Salisbury District Hospital.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brit ... SKCN1IJ10G Someone apparently tried to kill Skripal and his daughter, but I don’t think the KGB, or any other government’s spooks, would use a nerve agent that was too weak to actually kill them.

Mugshots.com owners get their own mugshots published after being arrested on extortion charges. “Jesse T., who was arrested in 2013 but released without charges (being) filed, applied for over 100 jobs with no response after his mugshot surfaced on the website. Mugshots.com wanted $399 from him to remove it…” https://www.dailydot.com/debug/mugshots ... -arrested/

Cambridge Analytica alleged to have engaged in voter suppression campaign. “After the hearing, Wylie told CNN that although he did not take part in vote suppression activities, he alleged that African-Americans were particular targets of Cambridge Analytica’s ‘voter disengagement tactics’, which he said were used to ‘discourage or demobilize certain types of people from voting’, and that campaigns and political action committees requested voter suppression from Cambridge Analytica.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/16/poli ... index.html

Kansas voters say ‘no’ to sales tax to fund mass incarceration, county officials say they are going ahead with jail expansion anyway. “Commissioners maintained Tuesday evening, however, that the jail project would go on despite Proposition 1’s failure, although they’ve also said any expansion would have to be done in phases.” http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2018/may/1 ... s-counted/ This is not what democracy looks like!

More details on progressive wins in Democratic Party primaries. “In the Philadelphia suburbs, centrist Rachel Reddick — a 33-year-old Navy veteran endorsed by Emily’s List — lost the Democratic primary to take on Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R) after “proud progressive” Scott Wallace ran ads attacking her for being a registered Republican until 2016.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pow ... 588799528/

Trump calls illegal migrants ‘animals’. “You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people. These are animals.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 617252002/

Malaysian authorities raid home of former prime minister Najib Razak. “The (multi-billion dollar) 1MDB scandal spawned global probes as investigators tracked a money trail stretching from Switzerland to Singapore and the U.S.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... eport-says

Las Vegas shooting witness said she thought gunfire was coming from helicopters. “As she crouched down, a massive spraying of bullets rained down and the unidentified woman thought the gunfire was coming from helicopters above.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/lat ... s-55214633 There were helicopters?

Donald Trump received large painting from Russian oligarch after Trump Tower meeting with Russian lawyer. “Emin and Aras (Agalarov) have a fairly sizable birthday gift for Mr. Trump and I would like to know exactly how and where we should deliver it on Tuesday.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/senate-testi ... 25066.html Assessed value? Did Trump report it?

Agriculture instructor accused of drowning raccoons during high school class. “The student, who wished to remain anonymous, said the raccoons were put in cages that were then submerged in the water.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/teacher-alleg ... d=55204582 Looks like an IS video.

Man threatens to report restaurant workers to ICE for speaking Spanish. “Your staff is speaking Spanish to customers when they should be speaking English. It’s America.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/nyre ... video.html

School police officer who stood outside during Florida mass shooting retires with $8,702 monthly pension. “The 55-year-old Peterson, a Broward deputy for 32 years, was paid $101,879.03 last year — $75,673.72 in base salary plus overtime and other compensation, according to sheriff’s office records.” http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/browa ... story.html

Another prisoner complains of burning sensation during 23 minute execution in Texas. “After three canceled death dates in one year, lovers’ lane killer Juan Castillo was executed Wednesday night after years of protesting his innocence.” https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texa ... 918627.php

Senate votes to restore ‘net neutrality’. “Today we show the American people who sides with them, and who sides with the powerful special interests and corporate donors who are thriving under this administration.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... ity-repeal

Michigan State University agrees to pay $500 million (that 1/2 a billion dollars) to settle with hundreds of athletes who claim they were sexually abused by Dr. Larry Nassar. “Attorneys representing 332 claimants reached an agreement with representatives from Michigan State during a mediation meeting Tuesday afternoon.” http://www.espn.com/college-sports/stor ... settlement

Rights groups beg Senate not to appoint Gina Haspel as CIA director. “Due to the overwhelming public evidence suggesting Haspel’s participation and compliance with crimes including torture, enforced disappearance, and obstruction of justice, Haspel’s nomination is an affront to human rights.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -detainees

Walmart shoplifter facing 12 years in prison after Tennessee DA charges him with ‘business burglary’. “Lawson’s attorneys argued that charging their client with felony burglary was not appropriate because the store, rather than being a private residence or a warehouse, was open to the public.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... nces-court

FBI reportedly investigating 1,000 suspected ‘lone wolf’ terrorists and 1,000 more ‘domestic’ terrorists. “The second law enforcement official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said rightwing extremists, violent animal rights and anti-abortion extremists, and African-American or left-wing militants fell into this second category.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... ector-says Wow, I must have missed the news stories about the mink ranch massacre, anti-police brutality hijacking and the anti-fascist bombings!

EPA’s policy director reportedly had 90:1 ratio of meetings with industry representatives to health and environment groups. “… while the emails show Dravis having scheduled face-to-face meetings with a parade of lobbyists and business people and getting together on several occasions with far-right policy groups — as well as with at least one consumer group, an organization representing public utilities, and a contingent of labor leaders — they contain only one record of a meeting with a representative of an environmental, health, or community organization during the 10-month period.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/16/sco ... lobbyists/

Security guard checks out ‘suspicious’ black man pushing a stroller. “She told me that she received a complaint from someone who said there was a ‘suspicious man’ walking on the bike path with a baby.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/black- ... baby-park/

Ecuador spent millions monitoring Julian Assange at its London embassy. “The security personnel recorded in minute detail Assange’s daily activities, and his interactions with embassy staff, his legal team and other visitors.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ssy-london

Judge overturns California’s ‘right to die’ law on a technicality. “The plaintiffs argued that the legislature had violated the state constitution by passing the law during a special session called specifically to handle matters of health care funding ― and not end-of-life issues.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ju ... 9345d3d990

Government targeting former CIA employee as ‘Vault 7’ hacking tools leaker. “…despite months of investigation, prosecutors have been unable to bring charges against the man, who is a former CIA employee being held in a Manhattan jail on unrelated charges.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... story.html

Family planning groups sue Trump administration over rule change that allows funding of ‘rhythm method’ and abstinence programs. “The supporting brief was also signed by prosecutors in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/20 ... story.html

‘Protect and Serve Act’ would make attacks on police officers a federal hate crime. “The problem with adding police officers (or the military — another group some Republicans have tried to add) is that they are about as far removed from a vulnerable group as one can imagine…. they literally have the entire government at their backs. That’s who they represent.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the ... real-harm/

Paid activists reportedly showing up at public hearings in New York. “At one of the (power plant) hearings,” said Malick, “a person wearing an orange union shirt told me they were paid two hours of overtime to be there but were upset because when the two hours were up, the person they were supposed to applaud for hadn’t spoken yet.” http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/4 ... id-workers

Dallas/Fort Worth airport workers arrested for allegedly smuggling meth on flights, may have also shipped guns. “Officials say they decided to move in and arrest the workers when recently they began discussing their willingness, for a higher price, to smuggle powerful explosives.” http://www.foxla.com/news/feds-dfw-airp ... ibute-meth Sort of embarrassing after asking millions of innocent Americans to take their shoes off, empty their pockets and go through body scanners.

Maker of OxyContin sued by six states. “The rate of opioid prescription has tripled in the United State since the 1990s and 1 in 15 patients treated with narcotics for pain management in U.S. emergency rooms becomes chronically dependent, Dr. Nicholas Lee, an Austin anesthesiologist, said earlier Tuesday at a legislative hearing here on potential new laws to combat opioid abuse.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 612721002/

The Onion runs scathing satire stories on Israeli shootings of Gaza protesters. “Israeli Soldiers Open Fire On Palestinians Carrying Potentially Dangerous Injured Friends” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ans-onions

Progressive candidates win big in Democratic Party primaries. “Defying national and state-level Democratic establishment forces that have worked to crowd out left-wing candidates and demonstrating that there is a deep hunger among the American electorate for a bold progressive agenda, candidates running on platforms of Medicare for All, free college, and a living wage emerged victorious in several state primaries on Tuesday and tore through the boundaries of what is conventionally considered politically feasible.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ere-deemed

Five Democrats on Senate Intelligence Committee say they will back Gina Haspel’s appointment as CIA director. “We will remember who stood strong against torture in November…” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... turer-gina

Right-wing pundit Ann Coulter tweets about the possibility of the U.S. shooting migrants crossing its borders, like Israelis are shooting Palestinians on the border of Gaza. “Can we do that?” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... r-suggests We could do that, but it would be murder.

Trump resort project in Indonesia gets a new backer. “A billion-dollar resort project being developed in Indonesia by the president’s business empire, the Trump Organization, is to receive $500 million from the Chinese government.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -violation No conflict of interest there!

Trump administration reportedly blocking release of study on drinking water contamination. “The study, conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), reportedly shows that (PFOA and PFOS) are dangerous to human health at far lower levels than previously known or disclosed by the EPA, and have ‘contaminated water supplies near military bases, chemical plants, and other sites from New York to Michigan to West Virginia’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ajor-water

North Carolina teachers stage one day walk out. “It’s a bold move for North Carolina as teachers in the state lack collective bargaining rights; something that they hope helps launch a political movement.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... out-unions

Dodd-Frank reporting reveals six U.S. companies with more than a 2,400:1 CEO to employee pay ratio. “The company with the largest ratio is Mattel, a toy manufacturing company, with a ratio of 4,987:1. The other companies in our database with ratios of over 1,000:1 are McDonald’s, Gap, Live Nation Entertainment, Yum China Holdings, ManpowerGroup, Hanesbrands, Liberty Interactive, Yum! Brands, VF, Ross Stores, Kohl’s, and Walmart.” https://ellison.house.gov/sites/ellison ... Report.pdf

2017 saw bumper crop of billionaires. “The number of billionaires worldwide increased by 14.9% to 2,754 in 2017 as the wealthy benefited from the “remarkable performances in equity markets and global economy”, according to a report by ultra-rich research firm Wealth-X.” https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... h-x-census

Someone running Oklahoma Republican candidate’s Facebook page reportedly suggested that people who are too disable to work should be allowed to starve to death. “If they can take care of themselves without Government assistance, great. If not, let them starve and die. Easy as that.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/oklaho ... od-stamps/ So much for stealth.

U.S. blocks U.N. Security Council resolution on shootings of Gaza protesters. “The Security Council expresses its outrage and sorrow at the killing of Palestinian civilians exercising their right to peaceful protest,” a draft of the statement read, which was seen and reported by AFP. “The Security Council calls for an independent and transparent investigation into these actions to ensure accountability.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/15/u-s-blo ... eaths.html

Four candidates affiliated with Democratic Socialists of America win Democratic primaries for Pennsylvania state House seats. “All four female candidates unseated male state representatives in Tuesday’s primaries.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/16/ ... l_for_dems

Conservative groups to launch attack on public sector unions. “Well run opt-out campaigns can cause public-sector unions to experience 5 to 20% declines in membership, costing hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in dues money. This can affect the resources and attention available for union leaders to devote to political action campaigns.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... nst-unions

Casualties during Monday’s protests in Gaza: 55 dead, 2,700 wounded. “Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since the 1967 Middle East war. It effectively annexed the sector, though this was not recognised by any countries until Mr Trump’s declaration in December 2017.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44116340

Some immigrants have been held in ICE detention for years. “ICE declined to provide current data about the number of people held in prolonged detention, but in fiscal year 2015 — during which ICE detained more than 355,000 people — some 3,166 of them had been held for more than a year, including 169 for more than three years, 32 for more than five years, and five for more than eight years.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/14/ice ... detention/

Scott Pruitt reportedly had his 24/7 security detail in place on Day One at EPA. “I have requested 24/7 protection for the new administrator for the first week at least and then evaluate from there. There will be several Executive Orders signed when (Pruitt) is sworn in that will likely stir the hornet’s nest.” http://thehill.com/policy/energy-enviro ... y-backlash EPA officials had claimed the security detail and first class travel were requested after Pruitt had received numerous death threats and had been verbally harassed on flights.

Poor People’s Campaign launched at White House protest, more than 200 arrested. “The 40 days of planned protests and other activities, organizers said, are intended to highlight the issues of systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation and the societal cost of America’s military buildup.” http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-poo ... story.html

Louisiana coroner rules that death of drug suspect after police chase was a homicide, cites traumatic neck injuries. “(Sheriff Joseph Lopinto) noted that (Keeven Robinson) had a history of asthma and that air quality was poor.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-cour ... on-n873976

White House leakers imply Trump administration is a snake pit. “…“you have to realize that working here is kind of like being in a never-ending ‘Mexican Standoff.’ Everyone has guns pointed at each other and it’s only a matter of time before someone shoots.” http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/20 ... rkers.html

U.S. diplomat in Pakistan evades vehicular homicide charges, is allowed to leave the country. “The diplomat, Col. Joseph Emanuel Hall, a military attaché at the United States Embassy in Islamabad, is accused of having run a red light and fatally hitting a 22-year-old man on April 7.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/worl ... lomat.html

14th foot washes up on British Columbia beach, authorities say not to worry, no evidence of foul play. “Coroners have attributed the disembodied feet to suicide or accident — someone slipping and falling into the sea, for example, or a swimmer being swept into the ocean by a huge wave.” http://www.tbo.com/news/world/A-14th-hu ... _168226932 Uh-huh, feet wash up on beaches all the time….

Thousands of Israeli extremists march through eastern Jerusalem, provoking Palestinian residents. “Some of the marchers held American flags or had American flags draped around them as a show of gratitude to the United States. In previous years, participants had been known to chant “Death to the Arabs” and other racist slogans during the march.” https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.pr ... -1.6078170

World Health Organization calls for ban on trans fats/partially hydrogenated oils as Obama administration ban goes into effect in U.S. “Overall, diets high in these fats increase heart disease risk rates by 21% and death rates by 28%, and they’re also associated with an increased risk for Type 2 diabetes.” http://www.businessinsider.com/trans-fa ... ion-2018-5 Thanks Obama!

Supreme Court refuses to hear Blackwater massacre case. “Without warning, the men opened fire on the crowds, using machine guns and grenade launchers to mow down Iraqi motorists and unarmed civilians, including children.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... ected-iraq

U.S. and Iran backed candidates both lose in Iraqi election. “(Muqtada Sadr’s) Sairoon alliance, which was backed by communist and leftist groups, was well ahead of both the Fatah bloc, made up of Shiite Muslim paramilitary factions loyal to militia leader Hadi Ameri, and the Nasr coalition, which is headed by U.S.-backed Prime Minister Haider Abadi and was widely viewed as the favorite.” http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-iraq ... story.html

Senate Intelligence Committee restricts access to Gina Haspel report. “People briefed on the contents of the memo say that it is not possible to read it and come away without serious doubts about whether Haspel ought to be confirmed.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/14/has ... fied-memo/

Google employees quit over company’s involvement in drone artificial intelligence project. “More than 90 academics in artificial intelligence, ethics, and computer science released an open letter today that calls on Google to end its work on Project Maven and to support an international treaty prohibiting autonomous weapons systems.” https://gizmodo.com/google-employees-re ... 1825729300

There really are ‘death panels’ that decide if people get life-saving medical care, but they aren’t run by the government. “It is deeply disturbing, he said, when an insurance company overrules the ‘decision made by a thoughtful, careful transplant team to utilize one of society’s limited resources — that precious gift to save somebody’s life’.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/13/heal ... index.html

Prison contractor reportedly has a side business – geolocating people’s cell phones for law enforcement agencies without a search warrant. “Using a potential loophole, Texas-based Securus Technologies has been buying the location data to power a web portal that runs the phone-tracking service, according to Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat.” https://www.pcmag.com/news/361159/firm- ... ut-a-warra

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

113
Woman spared 12 years in prison by hospital video showing Aurora, Colorado police assaulting her instead of her assaulting them, but she was jailed for 8 days and lost her job. “If there had not been a video, Williams would have been forced to go to trial on a criminal charge where it would have been her story versus that of three police officers…” https://www.denverpost.com/2018/05/22/a ... ettlement/

Medical examiner rules death of black Center for Disease Control epidemiologist was ‘suicide by drowning’. “Timothy Cunningham, 35, was last seen on February 12. His body was discovered in the Chattahoochee River in the northwestern part of the city on April 3.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/23/heal ... index.html You’ve got to be kidding. How does that work, he chained himself to a heavy object and threw it in the river? This sounds like a historic coverup FAIL.

Milwaukee police release video of tasering and arrest of black NBA player Sterling Brown, after he parked across the lines in a Walgreens parking lot in the middle of the night, which apparently involved five police cars. “What should have been a simple parking ticket turned into an attempt at police intimidation, followed by unlawful use of physical force, including being handcuffed and tased and then unlawfully booked.” http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2358 ... ukee-bucks

FBI admits it massively inflated the number of encrypted cell phones tied to criminal acts. “The FBI’s assertion that 7,775 phones could not be opened by their investigators last year has always struck a discordant note with critics and privacy advocates, who noted that just a year earlier, the FBI had claimed the figure was 880.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... story.html

Ukrainian government accused of paying Trump lawyer $400,000 for White House meeting. “After the fee was paid to Cohen, he had a substantial meeting with Trump, followed by a photo op. One week later, Poroshenko’s government canceled a Ukrainian investigation into Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, who is accused of receiving millions of dollars in illicit payments from pro-Russian interests in Ukraine.” https://qz.com/1286718/ukraine-paid-mic ... ald-trump/

NFL announces new policy requiring players on the field to stand for the national anthem. “The policy subjects teams to a fine if a player or any other team personnel do not show respect for the anthem. That includes any attempt to sit or kneel, as dozens of players have done during the past two seasons to protest racial inequality and police brutality.” http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2358 ... hem-policy Former NFL quarterback Sage Rosenfels questions new national anthem policy. “Forced patriotism is the opposite of freedom.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/former ... ect-photo/ That’s right, North Korean have to cheer for the Great Leader and salute the flag – or else!

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina drug cops accused of routinely conducting ‘no knock’ raids after man gunned down by police files lawsuit. “Based on this testimony, which supports an inference of numerous alleged violations of the knock and announce requirement, the (Drug Enforcement Unit) had a widespread and persistent policy of executing search warrants without knocking and announcing and waiting a reasonable time before entering a private residence.” https://www.myhorrynews.com/news/local/ ... d540a.html

Man sues Springfield, Massachusetts police alleging roadside flashlight beating after he refused to exit his car. “The suit names Officers Christopher Collins and David Suchcicki, who are accused of striking Bernal, and 20 unidentified officers accused of either participating in the alleged beating or standing by without intervening.” http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/ ... e_was.html

Police thought Las Vegas was under a ‘Mumbai-style’ attack due to reports of multiple perpetrators, according to newly released documents. “The officer said it wasn’t known at that time if the ‘attack was expanding or not due to multiple reports coming in of explosive devices and secondary shooters’.” http://news3lv.com/news/local/lvmpd-rel ... -documents

Children detained by U.S. immigration authorities reported beatings and abuse. “Based on 30,000 pages of documents obtained through a records request, the report includes gruesome, detailed accusations of physical and mental abuse at the hands of officers.” http://www.newsweek.com/customs-and-bor ... der-941385

Eleven protesters killed in India by police during two days of demonstrations against copper smelting plant. “Police said efforts to disperse the crowd of several thousand with a baton charge and teargas volleys failed before authorities used live ammunition.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... protesters

Hong Kong’s government decides not to force employers to pay low wage employees for overtime. “Hong Kong has ended two decades of efforts to find a consensus on standardising working hours by deciding not to force bosses to pay overtime wages to low-income workers, settling for guidelines instead.” http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/comm ... s-standard It sounds like many low-income Hong Kong residents are salaried workers who receive the same monthly salary no matter how many hours they are required to work.

Hillary Clinton’s endorsement of Andrew Cuomo for governor of New York may backfire. “Of course, it’s possible Clinton’s name has become so toxic her opposition will actually help (Cynthia) Nixon, in which case, progressives should thank her.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... k-governor

Jury awards woman raped by security guard $1 billion. “Verdicts in the tens of millions of dollars, or even hundreds of millions, are not uncommon, Jeff Dion, director of the National Crime Victim Bar Association said in an email. But he had never heard of a $1bn verdict in a case with a single victim.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... in-damages

Customs and Border Patrol seized money for health clinic in Africa, wants nurse to waive her legal rights to get it back. “Anthonia’s case really demonstrates how abusive civil forfeiture is,” said one of her lawyers, Anya Bidwell, “because she’s an outstanding individual, she’s a US citizen, she wants to do good in the world and if she’s not safe from civil forfeiture then nobody is safe from civil forfeiture.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... ie-lawsuit

Spanish rapper sentenced to 3 years in prison for lyrics that mention political violence (which the government calls ‘glorifying terrorism’), but he may have fled the country. “I’m not going to make it easy for them, it’s legitimate and an obligation to disobey this fascist state.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... cist-state

Bahrain allegedly cracked down on its opposition after Trump administration signaled its disinterest in the country’s internal affairs. “Less than 48 hours (after Trump’s meeting with Bahrain’s king), on May 23, 2017, Bahraini security forces raided the village of Diraz and opened fire at a sit-in…. Five people were killed, including a respected environmental activist, more than 100 were wounded, and 286 were arrested.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/22/tru ... e-bahrain/

CIA torture program may have been aimed at providing justification for the invasion of Iraq, not about collecting real intelligence. “After a portion of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on torture was released in 2014 by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) — against fierce opposition from the CI A — it became known that Ibn Shaykh al-Libi, captured in Afghanistan in 2001, testified (under torture) to just such a link between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda…. CIA agents questioned the validity of his statements from the start, however.” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/05/23/cia-k ... it-anyway/

Taylor, Michigan cops apparently beat man they mistook for a fugitive, but then claimed he was pulled over for stopping abruptly at a stop sign and turning into his driveway without signaling. “(Cody Meredith) said he never resisted officers and didn’t deserve to end up in the hospital.” https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/mic ... e-his-home

Veteran pleads guilty to Ft. Lauderdale airport shooting, is sentenced to five consecutive life sentences plus 120 years, tells judge he doesn’t know why he did it. “I wasn’t thinking about it at the time. There were a lot of things going on in my mind, messages.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/us-vet ... -killings/ Insane or programmed to kill?

Man claims Laurel, Mississippi police officers beat him after he tried to evade (an unconstitutional) police checkpoint. “Police told Barnett to get down on the ground and when he did, they began kicking him…. The police then transported him to the South Central Regional Medical Center, where he was beaten more, (James) Barnett claimed.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/mississippi-p ... d=55355629

CIA reportedly infiltrated Barry Goldwater campaign, some say at Lyndon Johnson’s request. “(E. Howard) Hunt’s assets included a secretary on Goldwater’s campaign staff who provided advance copies of speeches and press releases.” https://www.politico.com/magazine/story ... ter-218415

Judge in trial of Trump inauguration protesters rules that prosecutors withheld video evidence of protest planning meeting. “At pretrial hearing Wednesday afternoon, (Judge) Morin agreed that the prosecution had violated the ‘Brady rule’, which governs the state’s pretrial obligations to disclose exculpatory evidence, but declined to rule on the defense’s motions to dismiss the indictment or suppress the evidence. Morin will rule on those sanctions next week.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/23/j20 ... tas-video/

Tony Blair claims he was unaware of rendition and imprisonment of tortured Libyan opposition activist and his wife. “I didn’t know myself about this case until after I left office, so I’m content to go along with (the May government’s) apology.” https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... kim-belhaj

Rudy Giuliani reportedly represented pharmaceutical company that produces OxyContin. “Giuliani helped Purdue win a deal that limited future prosecution of the company, avoided prison time for its executives and permitted Purdue to continue doing business with the federal government, allowing Purdue to continue raking in billion-dollar profits.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/23/ ... drug_sales

Federal Reserve says 40% of Americans have less than $400 in cash. “That’s an improvement from half of adults being unable to cover (an emergency) expense in 2013.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/22/pf/emer ... index.html

Congress eases Dodd-Frank restrictions on ‘small’ banks. “Under the original Dodd-Frank regulatory rules, banks with as little as $50 billion in assets had to follow these tougher financial rules.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... ller-banks As little as $50 billion? “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon we’re talking about real money.”

U.S. banking industry had a record $56 billion in income in first three months of 2018. “…even without the tax (cuts), net income would have been $49 billion, which also would have been a record.” https://www.vox.com/2018/5/22/17380490/ ... dodd-frank

ACLU and other privacy rights groups call out Amazon for selling facial recognition systems to law enforcement agencies. “People should be free to walk down the street without being watched by the government.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... story.html

Federal appeals court rules that Florida can ban publications in prisons. “…the Florida Department of Corrections has spent the past 15 years impounding issues of Prison Legal News to keep inmates from being tempted to act on ads for prohibited services they might see in the publication.” https://www.courthousenews.com/florida- ... h-circuit/

McDonald’s employees from nine cities file sexual harassment complaints. “Employees of at least 10 McDonald’s locations have filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the last several days, alleging sexual advances, lewd comments by supervisors and instances of inappropriate on-the-job behavior, the activist group Fight for $15 said in a statement Tuesday.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/mcdonalds-wor ... d=55343892

Baltimore County, Maryland police reportedly locked down an entire 7 square mile neighborhood for 12 hours after burglary suspects ran over a police officer, killing her. “She got one shot off.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/22/us/b ... illed.html When did the police get the power to declare martial law?

Three journalists blocked from attending EPA summit on water contamination. “EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox told the barred organizations they were not invited and there was no space for them, but gave no indication of why they specifically were barred.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white- ... ut-n876396

Lawsuits accuse University of Southern California gynecologist of inappropriately touching women during medical examinations. “USC nurses, chaperones and other staff members were regularly present in the examination rooms, observed the inappropriate sexual molestation, and took no steps to stop it as it occurred.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... gynecologi

Trump administration proposes rolling back hunting restrictions in Alaska. “The plan would allow wildlife managers in Alaska to decide on permitting hunting methods such as baiting bears with sweets, trapping wolves and their pups inside their dens as well as using motor boats to shoot swimming caribou.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44215657 What about shooting animals from helicopters, as Sarah Palin advocated?

Judge evicts son from family’s home. “A New York judge today ordered a 30-year-old man to vacate his parents’ home after they took him to court when he refused to leave.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-orders- ... d=55351512

New Jersey school bus knocked off its chassis when hit in traffic accident. “Gallery: School bus ripped apart in horrific collision with truck on Route 80.” http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/0 ... ash_h.html Are motor vehicles supposed to do this after a collision? I think not, but most news reports are focusing on the bus driver.

Huntsville, Alabama police officers will not face disciplinary action, despite bystander video showing them punching a subdued suspect. “The offender continued to actively resist, and as the social media video shows, an officer did strike the offender in large muscle areas, as trained, in an attempt to get the offender to release the officer’s hand.” https://www.al.com/news/huntsville/inde ... video.html Police video of the incident has not been released.

Tax cut timeline: Harley Davidson gets huge tax cut thanks to Republican tax reform law. Company then announces 2019 closure of Kansas City factory. A few days later it announces dividend increase for its stockholders and a $696 million stock buyback. “Meanwhile, Harley-Davidson is opening up a plant in Thailand, where it plans to start production later this year.” https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics ... ty-factory

96% of the earth’s mammals are either humans or their livestock. “When I do a puzzle with my daughters, there is usually an elephant next to a giraffe next to a rhino. But if I was trying to give them a more realistic sense of the world, it would be a cow next to a cow next to a cow and then a chicken.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ll-mammals

Author argues that American society is better described as a powerful elite of 0.1%, a meritocracy-turned-aristocracy of 9.9% and the bottom 90%. “(The 9.9%) are the staff that runs the machine that funnels resources from the 90 percent to the 0.1 percent. We’ve been happy to take our cut of the spoils.” https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ar ... cy/559130/

Trump administration allegedly planning to cut $7 billion from health insurance program for uninsured children. “The GOP tax cuts for the rich aren’t going to pay themselves. That cash has to come from somewhere.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ids-health

Milwaukee to release video of black Bucks player being tased by police during parking dispute. “(Sterling) Brown, then 22 and now 23, was arrested on 26 January after police used a taser while Brown was being questioned by officers over a parking violation in a Walgreens pharmacy parking lot.” https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... cks-player So how often to white motorists get tased over parking violations?

Addiction to money is destroying the planet. “(Cash) addicts will hijack human spirituality, exploit hatred, brainwash the masses, derail democratic politics and tinker with fascism in their desire to have more.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/heres- ... le-living/

Red Cross says health care workers and hospitals are still being targeted in conflicts. “Over 1,200 violent incidents against hospitals and medical personnel have taken place in 16 countries in the two years since the U.N. adopted a resolution demanding that combatants protect staff and facilities treating the wounded and sick, the Red Cross said Tuesday.” https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/us/art ... 935410.php

Another 1,000 bodies reportedly found beneath the rubble of Mosul. “The bodies were said to be of Islamic State (IS) militants, their family members or the civilians prevented by IS militants from leaving homes during the fierce battles and heavy bombardment of the city….” http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-0 ... 198515.htm

Emergency Committee for Rojava seeks to mobilize support for leftist Kurds in northern Syria after Turkish invasion. “Please join us as signatories and supporters in our call for the US and its allies to end their tacit acquiescence in Turkey’s military adventure and restore peace and safety to the people of Rojava.” https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/04/2 ... nd-rojava/

Thai authorities file charges against opposition party after it holds news conference. “The party was charged with violating a ban on political activity, sedition and breaking Thailand’s computer crimes act by publicizing the event online, said Burin Thongpraphai, chief of the junta’s legal team.” https://asiancorrespondent.com/2018/05/ ... riticisms/

Supreme Court rules 5-4 that companies can bar workers from uniting in class action lawsuits, liberal justices dissent. “When workers charge their employers with unlawful conduct — in this case, violations of laws governing wages earned and hours worked — there is strength in numbers.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 355923002/

Las Vegas casino workers to vote on strike as contract expiration approaches. “A majority of ‘yes’ votes Tuesday would not immediately affect the casinos but would give the union’s negotiators a huge bargaining chip by allowing them to call for a strike at any time starting June 1.” https://apnews.com/16633dd0905e4a7fa386f954af897d9f

Prominent British Labour Party member resigns over allegations of anti-Semitism. “Speaking in April 2016, Mr Livingstone, who was defending MP Naz Shah over claims she had made anti-Semitic social media posts, said: ‘When Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews.'” http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44196298 Livingston argues that his historically accurate comments were not anti-Semitic, but that he is resigning to avoid further controversy. Jeremy Corbyn reportedly called Livingston’s resignation ‘sad’, and was immediately accused of anti-Semitism.

Syrian government regains control of Damascus and its suburbs seven years after popular uprising. “Syrian state TV broadcast footage of tanks rolling through a shattered neighborhood once held by rebels, as government troops waved the national flag.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... f-damascus

Baltimore police locked down city schools after an officer was killed by a vehicle. “At around 9:45 p.m., all students had been released.” http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryla ... story.html

Google reportedly drops ‘Don’t be evil’ as its guiding principle. “Google removed “don’t be evil” from its Code of Conduct just in time to work on military grade image recognition ML software for a Pentagon tactical drone program.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... de-conduct Because we all know that Google is on the ropes and has to chuck its principles in order to survive.

Poll finds that voters want Democrats to run on a progressive platform. “A CBS News/YouGov poll (pdf) asked Democrats, Independents, and those who lean toward voting for Democrats to choose between two options for what Democratic candidates’ “first priority” should be. A full 72 percent said they want to see party candidates prioritize a progressive political agenda. The remaining 28 percent opted for merely opposing President Donald Trump’s agenda.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... dates-push

Iraq reportedly sentencing foreign Islamic State wives to death after 10 minute trials. “Foreigners in particular, often carrying babies, are processed with an uncompromising efficiency rarely seen in other parts of Iraq’s judicial system.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... en-of-isis

Tibetan language activist sentence to five years in prison for ‘inciting separatism’. “(Tashi Wangchuk) travelled from a Tibetan area of Qinghai province to Beijing where he attempted to file a lawsuit against local officials for contravening China’s constitution, which maintains that all ethnicities in China ‘have the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written languages’.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... n-language

UK class action lawsuit accuses Google of bypassing Apple’s Safari browser’s privacy settings to collected data on iPhone users for targeted ads. “At the opening of an expected two-day hearing in London on Monday, lawyers for Lloyd’s campaign group Google You Owe Us told the court information collected by Google included race, physical and mental heath, political leanings, sexuality, social class, financial, shopping habits and location data.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... ple-safari

More Saudi feminists arrested ahead of repeal of driving ban. “The arrests, with more feared by human rights campaigners, come amid a high-profile campaign in Saudi media outlets and on social media denouncing the women as ‘traitors’.” https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve ... riving-ban

Foreign policy and national security positions of Republican Party and Democratic Party leader Chuck Schumer are not very different. “There are probably very few people in this room or in America who would say that torture should never, ever be used.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/21/chu ... ible-time/

Little progress being made in Afghan war, despite approximately $700 billion in U.S. spending. “The Trump administration’s revamped Afghanistan strategy has made little progress against the Taliban insurgency, leaving the country a ‘dangerous and volatile’ place nearly 17 years after the U.S. invaded, a government watchdog report said Monday.” https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireSto ... s-55326930

Israeli social media consultant reportedly pitched multi-million dollar ‘social media manipulation’ proposal to Trump campaign. “The New York Times reports the Israeli specialist, Joel Zamel, had already written a multi-million-dollar proposal for a social media manipulation campaign aimed at helping Trump win, ahead of the August 3 meeting, which was organized by Erik Prince, the head of the now defunct mercenary firm Blackwater.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/21/ ... 6_election

Trump not paranoid after all. “In early 2017, President Trump was widely ridiculed for alleging that the Obama administration placed his campaign under surveillance…. We now know there was, indeed, surveillance ordered repeatedly on Trump campaign figures before and after the election.” http://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/ ... indication

22 injured by explosion at Houston area chemical company, 2 seriously. “A total of 20 were transported via ground to local hospitals, and two with more severe burns were flown via helicopter…” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/19/us/e ... index.html

Women detained by ICE for speaking Spanish. “Two U.S. citizens said they were detained last week by a Border Patrol agent in Montana after he overheard them speaking Spanish to each other in a convenience store.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bo ... 3cdba3fb48

Pope Francis reportedly tells gay man, ‘God made you that way and loves you as you are’, despite Catholic Church’s official opposition to homosexuality. “The Los Angeles Times reported that the Vatican did not confirm the pope’s comments given that it was a private conversation.” http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/05/21 ... loves.html

Mayor of New York City will reportedly tell city’s cops to stop arresting people for smoking marijuana. “(Mayor) De Blasio will direct the New York Police Department to hand out summonses — and not arrest — people caught smoking pot by officers in public areas across the city, aides told the New York Daily News Sunday.” http://www.newsweek.com/bill-de-blasio- ... ypd-935753

Europeans get new protections for their personal data. “The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect across the European Union on May 25, introducing much tougher rules on data privacy.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/21/technol ... index.html Sorry Americans, you’re still f&%$ed.

Starbucks coffee shops will now let anyone hang out and use the restrooms, company-wide, even if they don’t make a purchase. “Previously, Starbucks lacked a clear policy and largely left it up to individual locations to decide whether people who didn’t buy anything should be allowed to stay.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... story.html

Department of Housing and Urban Development accused of making it harder for communities to document racial segregation. “HUD announced on Friday evening that it would pull an online assessment tool that communities can use to find data and maps of segregated neighborhoods.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... egregation

Students in favor of stricter gun control laws arrested after ‘die-in’ in front of Paul Ryan’s Washington D.C. office. “The U.S. Capitol Police confirmed that four of the students were detained and face charges for ‘crowding, obstructing, or incommoding’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ng-outside

Senate Democrat who voted against Gina Haspel’s appointment as CIA director says she can’t reveal why she voted ‘no’. “I cross-examined her on the classified material,” (Claire) McCaskill said, “and I was very uncomfortable with her answers.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... el-torture

Police in Texas providing few details of timeline of Santa Fe High School shooting, attack may have lasted 30 minutes. “The length of the attack appeared to go on longer than most mass shootings that last around eight minutes, said Ben Tisa, a former FBI agent.” http://www.bnd.com/news/nation-world/na ... 71284.html

Records reportedly missing from investigation of 2009 fatal police shooting of unarmed suspect in Baltimore. “The I-Team requested the detectives’ statements in a Public Information Act request, but Baltimore Police Department lawyers said the statements couldn’t be found…. Documents show (the car’s passenger) gave a taped statement to investigators, but the Police Department’s lawyers told the I-Team that they can’t locate that record either.” http://www.wbaltv.com/article/documents ... g/20748449

Utah DA clears state trooper in fatal shooting of unarmed driver. “Police say McCray was ‘endangering people’ by driving the wrong way on Legacy Parkway and was ‘using the car as a weapon’ to avoid police, the release says.” http://www.standard.net/Police-Fire/201 ... -justified

Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against Akron police officer who shot unarmed suspect on a bicycle. “(U.S. District Judge Sara) Lioi wrote that Armstead opened fire because he believed Lemmon took an aggressive step toward him and meant to cause harm to him and other officers on scene.” https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice ... nst_c.html

Aurora, Missouri police accidentally shoot woman who reported parole violator. “Another woman in the car reportedly told troopers that (the suspect Mason) Farris came forward from the backseat and pushed down on Hill’s leg, causing her foot to hit the accelerator. Then gunfire rang out.” https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/ ... 607102002/

Dutch garbage men get police protection after ‘recycling rage’ incidents. “Yellow cards are issued to warn people if they have wrongly separated their waste. Red cards are given to repeat offenders, and their rubbish is left to rot on the side of the road, leading to angry confrontations.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... cling-wars

Belgian police shoot 2 year-old in the face after van smuggling migrants refuses to stop, then attempt cover-up. “”The little girl did not die as a result of police gunfire,” (the local prosecutor’s spokesperson) said, suggesting several possible causes including illness, an accident inside the van caused by the driver’s behaviour, or a blow to the head.” https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve ... lice-chase Wow, an even lamer story than the ones made up by U.S. cops!

NAACP asks Supreme Court to hear case involving death of unarmed suspect who was repeatedly tasered. “After 19 tasings, (Khari) Illidge died from cardiac arrest.” https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/inde ... _cour.html

McAllen, Texas sued by man who claims he was kicked in the face after being handcuffed. “(Aaron) Soto, who was taken to UT Medical Center in San Antonio for treatment for a face fracture following the incident, is asking for $750,000 in damages to cover his hospitalization and continued medical and psychological treatment…” http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/ar ... 8ee2c.html

New Jersey man run over by undercover cop sues, claims Jersey City police department tolerates use of excessive force. “(Shiron) Cooper says he bounced off the SUV and then hid behind a tree. When Cooper emerged from behind the tree, he says, (Officer) Ransom accelerated toward him and hit him again and ran over him.” http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2018 ... of_ex.html

Shoplifter beaten by police with flashlights sues city of Beaumont, Texas and police officers. “(Demarcus) Brown suffered a fractured eye socket and required stitches to his head.” http://kfdm.com/news/local/man-who-clai ... ts-lawsuit

Man accused of informing on Trump campaign alleged to have also informed on President Carter for 1980 Reagan campaign. “When the scandal first broke in 1983, the UPI suggested that (Stefan) Halper’s handler for this operation was Reagan’s Vice Presidential candidate, George H.W. Bush, who had been the CIA Director and worked there with Halper’s father-in-law, former CIA Deputy Director Ray Cline, who worked on Bush’s 1980 presidential campaign before Bush ultimately became Reagan’s Vice President.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/19/the ... -election/

3 more Gazans die in the hospital, raising protest death toll to 114. “The rallies, which started on March 30 in the Gaza Strip, are demanding the world’s recognition of Palestinians’ right of return and the lifting of a 11-year blockade on the Gaza Strip by Israel.” http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-0 ... 191710.htm

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

114
Federal court considering two journalists’ lawsuit to be removed from U.S. ‘kill list’. “In their complaint filed in March 2017, Zaidan and Kareem alleged they were included on the kill list as a result of algorithms used by the United States to identify terrorists.” http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/4462 ... -kill-list Mr. Kareem, a US citizen who has survived five targeted air strikes, received a tip from a foreign intelligence official that the US was trying to kill him.

Supreme Court rules 8-1 that police need a warrant to search your property, even if just peeking under a tarp in your driveway, Justice Alito dissents. “The tarp-covered motorcycle parked in the driveway could have been uncovered and ridden away in a matter of seconds. And Officer Rhodes’s brief walk up the driveway impaired no real privacy interests.” https://www.courthousenews.com/warrantl ... igh-court/ So by the same logic, a quick trawl through our cell phone data would be ok too? Or a quick detention and questioning at a police roadblock? Or a quick stop-and-frisk while walking down the street? How about a quick, secret search of our homes (sneak and peek) or a quick analysis of our social network?

More than 40 civil rights groups call on Department of Homeland Security to release more information on surveillance of black activists. “Rather than focusing on the real threat of white nationalists and Neo-Nazis, the government has demonized and criminalized black activists protesting injustice — this is part of a long history of protecting white terrorists while attacking black communities they target.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ed-justify

European experts gather to work out a sustainable food production and distribution system. “Driving the need for the new framework, organizers say, are current failed policies that ignore soil degradation, take aim at obesity while ignoring its root causes, encourage… carbon-intensive practices and fail to fully support smaller farms.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... nable-food

After students at the University of California at Davis voted in favor of boycotting products from Israel in 2015, Roseanne Barr reportedly tweeted, “I hope all the jews leave UC Davis & then it gets nuked!” http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2015/02/ ... ets-nuked/ But that didn’t stop her from getting hired…

ACLU launches movement to stop the separation of parents and children detained by immigration authorities. “Fighting back against the Trump administration’s ‘vile’ new policy of separating young migrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, the ACLU is launching ‘Families Belong Together’ rallies at immigration enforcement offices nationwide on Friday in an urgent effort to ‘end this practice for good’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -immigrant

Dead ICE detainee was reportedly suffering from dehydration and pneumonia. “(Roxsana) Hernandez had been taken to Cibola County Correctional Facility, which contracts with ICE, on May 16, then airlifted to the intensive care unit at a hospital in Albuquerque where she remained until she died on May 25 of cardiac arrest.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... s-systemic

Journalists express concerns over Democratic National Committee’s lawsuit against Wikileaks. “What the language in this suit is calling ‘conspiracy’ is the same thing journalists do all the time—report on leaked or stolen documents.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... aks-severe

39 arrested at California ‘factory farm’ protest. “…dozens of… activists were arrested by local law enforcement after, according to the group, they attempted to enter the farm and access one of the industrial chicken sheds to document conditions and demand the transfer of sick or mistreated birds to the city animal shelter.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... strial-egg

TransCanada pipeline company reportedly showering Nebraska politicians with cash. “The (Associated Press) found that a TransCanada political action committee has given more than $65,000 to campaigning officials within the past year, including $25,000 to GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts’ re-election effort, $15,000 to the Nebraska Republican Party, and $25,500 to state legislators.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... tributions

Ukrainian authorities reportedly faked assassination of Russian journalist. “Arkady Babchenko, the Russian journalist whose murder was dramatically announced by Ukraine on Tuesday, emerged very much alive on Wednesday and said he had faked his own death in order to thwart a plot by Moscow to kill him.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... oscow-plot

Thousands in the UK reportedly trapped in ‘forced’ marriages. “Treated as slaves and subjected to threats and violence, victims endure the added burden of their own families (pressuring) them to stay in these marriages to avoid bringing them shame.” https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve ... tion-finds Not to mention in the situation in countries where this is legal.

TSA accused of blacklisting troublesome passengers. “On Thursday, lawmakers demanded more details about the watch list, which had not been previously disclosed, and suggested that the agency notify people who have been added to it.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/17/us/p ... ners-.html

U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley implies there is no need for an investigation into shootings of Gaza protesters by Israeli troops. “The people of Gaza do not need protection from an external source. The people of Gaza need protection from Hamas.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-blasts ... s-blocked/

Researchers say push to shrink safety net is based on racial resentment. “The findings suggest that political efforts to cut welfare programs are driven less by conservative principles than by racial anxiety, the authors conclude. That also hurts white Americans, who make up the largest share of Medicaid and food-stamp recipients.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/won ... tudy-says/

Wildwood, New Jersey police release snippets of body cam footage from beach altercation with woman accused of drinking on the beach, but there is no video of her kicking the officer in the groin and he doesn’t mention it when describing the incident to other officers. “She tried walking away from me,” he says. “I tried grabbing her, she tried kicking at us, so I slammed her to the ground . . . I hit her a couple of times and put her in cuffs.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... -1.4017867

Woman charged with attempted murder after shooting her husband in the back of the head. “According to deputies, she told them her husband had asked her to do a Google search for a template for a project they were working on. But apparently the way he asked her to do the search upset her.” http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/f ... 82319.html

Left-leaning former mayor of Mexico City, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has a 2 to 1 lead over his rivals in run-up to presidential election. “I don’t have a rooster in this fight because AMLO has his own issues,” said Alvaro Enrique, 56, a driver. “But he’s the only one who might actually do something for the people.” https://www.dallasnews.com/news/mexico- ... idens-lead

Japanese whalers killed more then 300 whales for ‘scientific research’ last summer. “A newly released report shows that, in total, 333 minkes were captured and killed by Japanese fishermen during the 12-week expedition in the Southern Ocean.” https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/0 ... /23446915/

Some Starbucks employees don’t want to be woke, and Philly Magazine just happened to interview two of them. And just those two. “At one point,” said Jamie, “a girl at my table actually had to get up and leave because video after video they showed black people being assaulted by police or black people being verbally assaulted and white people being racially biased toward people of color. It offended her.” https://www.phillymag.com/business/2018 ... ladelphia/ Apparently some journalists are having trouble accepting racial realities as well.

Protesters rally outside Amazon shareholders meeting. “Amazon’s profits come at the expense of our communities, and that’s because of a lack of accountability up at the top.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/tal ... 653678002/

Trump reassures his supporters that Mexico will eventually pay for border wall. “They’re going to pay for the wall, and they’re going to enjoy it.” http://thehill.com/homenews/administrat ... in-the-end

Researchers estimate more than 4,600 Puerto Ricans died in aftermath of Hurricane Maria. “The official death toll in Puerto Rico (64) has been the subject of substantial controversy since Hurricane Maria hit this island, a US territory, (last) September 20(th).” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/29/us/p ... index.html

Canadian government to buy Trans Mountain oil pipeline. “Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline is “a vital project in the national interest” and that its purchase will ensure the expansion is built, despite protests from environmentalists and other groups.” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... gets-built

Mayor of Wildwood, New Jersey defends cop who punched woman who questioned police priorities, after passing an alcohol breath test on the beach. “The police did their job.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/lawyer-woman ... 57314.html Wildwood, New Jersey is not the only beach on the Atlantic coast. Why not go somewhere safe?

Medical supervisor at Cleveland area jail put on leave after he complains to county council about working condition and attitude of jail director. “Last week, Gary Brack went before a (Cuyahoga) county council committee and said there is a shortage of nurses and there is not enough security for medical staff.” http://fox8.com/2018/05/29/cuyahoga-cou ... aking-out/

“Bulletproof Warrior” police training materials leaked. “On page 21, the (course) manual says that (police) “adversaries” are younger, in better shape, (have) been in more gunfights and violent encounters… practice more and don’t hesitate.” https://www.unicornriot.ninja/2018/bull ... -released/

Televangelist claims God told him to buy a multi-million dollar private jet, says it will allow him to reach more people and travel safely. “This dope-filled world, and get in a long tube with a bunch of demons?” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 653202002/

Tennessee Congresswoman claims pornography is a ‘root cause’ of school shootings. “Pornography, it’s available on the shelf when you walk in the grocery store.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 654049002/

Liberal preacher steps down after calling Palo Alto’s social justice efforts ‘a f&%$ing joke’. “In my experience of trying to work with this community for almost 3 years, I believe Palo Alto is a ghetto of wealth, power, and elitist liberalism by proxy, meaning that many community members claim to want to fight for social justice issues, but that desire doesn’t translate into action.” https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/- ... 89711.html

PR firm reportedly interested in buying Gawker, reforming its image as ‘a click baity, salacious gossip site’. “In what can only be described as the best of intentions, Didit and its co-founder Kevin Lee plans to enact ‘a new editorial policy to only post content it considers to be positive’…” https://gizmodo.com/inspiring-content-m ... 1826408001 I’d like to invest in this promising project, but I’ve got all my money tied up in border wall bonds, which are going to be redeemed, with interest, when Mexico pays up.

Canadian hacker who helped expose 500 million Yahoo accounts gets 5 years. “Baratov had previously admitted that his role was to ‘hack webmail accounts of individuals of interest to the FSB’, the Russian internal security service.” https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/201 ... o-5-years/ The FSB outsources its hacking to Canadians? Seriously? Color me skeptical.

Tesla vehicle in autopilot mode hits parked police car in California. “Police Sgt. Jim Cota says the officer was not in the cruiser during the crash Tuesday in Laguna Beach.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/29/tesla-i ... e-car.html

YouTube takes down more than 30 ‘violent’ music videos. “YouTube has removed dozens of music videos as part of a crackdown on ‘UK drill’, (a type of music) which British police claim is linked to a surge in stabbings in London…” https://pitchfork.com/news/youtube-remo ... -uk-drill/

Facebook restrictions on ‘political ads’ includes boosted news stories on some political topics. “‘The principal architect behind the 9/11 attacks has something he wants to tell senators about President Trump’s CIA pick’, said the text of one ad, which linked to a The New York Times article. Facebook told CNN the ad ‘would be deemed political content as it references President Trump’.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/22/technol ... index.html

Ohio hospital accused of denying care to premature newborns. “Despite making it to that critical point in gestation set out by the hospital, Riverside Methodist staff still told Amanda as she labored the boys were coming too early and that its neonatal intensive care unit would not attempt to aid the boys.” https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/u.s.- ... hem-to-die Let me guess, this woman did not have health insurance or her insurance did not cover premature births. The story does not mention the insurance angle at all.

Trump plugs his own perceived achievements in Memorial Day tweet. “Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!” https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... nd-himself Tacky!

Russia warns U.S. that permanent military base in Poland would destabilize Europe. “When we see the gradual expansion of NATO military structures towards our borders…, this of course in no way creates security and stability on the continent.” https://www.usnews.com/news/world/artic ... r-security Americans just do not get it. How about a permanent Russian base in Mexico or Cuba?

European Union to issue economic sanction on Venezuela, demands new election. “…the EU calls for the holding of fresh presidential elections in accordance with internationally recognized democratic standards and the Venezuelan constitutional order.” https://sputniknews.com/world/201805281 ... sanctions/

China approves 13th Ivanka Trump trademark. “(The Trump family’s) global trademarks have drawn the attention of ethics lawyers because they are granted by foreign governments and can confer enormous value.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ivanka-tru ... -3-months/

Some Japanese train stations reportedly using unpleasant, high frequency tone to discourage young people from congregating. “The particular frequency used—17 kilohertz — can generally only be heard by those under the age of 25.” https://www.citylab.com/transportation/ ... ns/560822/

Immigration authorities have reportedly ‘lost’ more than 1,475 children after separating them from their families. “The Houston Chronicle wrote about a 28-year-old Guatemalan who tried to cross the border illegally with his 18-month-old son. When he was deported three months later no one could tell him where his son was beyond saying he was ‘somewhere in Texas’.” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/201 ... clear.html

Irish voters repeal abortion ban. “More than 66 percent of Irish voters chose to repeal the Eighth Amendment, which has effectively banned abortion in the nation since its passage in 1983.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/irel ... ry-n877756

Woman saw something and said something, but no action was taken to stop Lake Hefner shooter. “Belcher said she contacted the Oklahoma City Police non-emergency number on May 6, to report her concerns about (Alexander Tilghman), the videos, his state of mind and that he might have weapons. When she didn’t hear back, Belcher said she called the Oklahoma City FBI field office.” http://kfor.com/2018/05/26/metro-woman- ... r-shooter/

Son of Robert Kennedy says he believes his father was assassinated by a second gunman. “You can’t fire 13 shots out of an eight-shot gun.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ret ... an-sirhan/

New Jersey police officer caught on video punching woman in the head, putting his hand around her throat. “When the police officers initially approached, Weinman said, she agreed to take a Breathalyzer test and it came back negative…. she asked the officers if they didn’t have something better to do ‘than to stop people for underage drinking on the beach’, saying that ‘there’s so much more serious stuff going on’.” https://patch.com/new-jersey/oceancity/ ... d-nj-beach Sounds like her real crime was speaking truth to power.

Another New York City cab driver commits suicide. “Mr. Chow bought a (taxi) medallion in 2011, just as Uber was beginning to operate in New York City. By last year, Mr. Chow was realizing that his $700,000 investment was not paying off.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/27/nyre ... e-nyc.html

Restaurant workers required to work ‘off the clock’ may be barred from participating in class action lawsuit by recent Supreme Court ruling. “…Chipotle has been arguing that 2,814 workers (participating in the class action lawsuit) do not have a valid claim because they signed class- and collective-action waivers when they accepted their jobs.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/su ... 8a880b3e26

Flint, Michigan says 14,000 more water service lines may need to be replaced. “Experts have said lead and galvanized lines became damaged by corrosive Flint River water used by the city from April 2014 until October 2015. Those lines essentially absorbed — and have the potential to release — lead particles.” http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.s ... d_wat.html

Hong Kong pro-democracy activists commemorate Tiananmen massacre, call for an end to one party state in China. “Pro-Beijing figures have said recently that calling for an end to one-party dictatorship is ‘illegal’ and that anyone who does so could run the risk of being disqualified from running for election.” https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/05/28/d ... organiser/

Ellicott City, Maryland hit by second ‘1,000 year’ flood within two years. “Residents said Sunday’s flood seemed even worse than the storm in July 2016 — which was called an extremely rare “one-in-1,000 year event,” and cost the city tens of millions of dollars in damages.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... yland-city

1930’s book based on interviews with the last surviving slave brought to the U.S. is finally published. “The book is the story of Cudjo Lewis; a man born Oluale Kossola in the Yoruba kingdom of Takkoi. Kossola was the last survivor of the last known slave ship to sail from the African continent to America with a human cargo.” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/ ... e-to-light

You can hide embarrassing or controversial web searches on your computer by browsing in ‘private’ mode, but your ISP, search engine provider and web tracking companies still know what you’ve been up to. “Your ISP tracks all the websites you visit, and everything you download or watch. Tracking you straight to your home….. (Web tracker sites) may notice you prefer gay porn, for instance, and tailor your ads based off of this. They’ll get your IP address, your user agent (this is your browser, your location, basic PC details, etc) and some other useful information like how much time you spend on certain videos and what categories you like to go through.” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... y-settings

10 common misconceptions of Trump supporters. “1. Trump is a devoted Christian.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/10-inc ... ieve-true/

Frontier of the free market: New video game called ‘Active Shooter’ allows you to play the role of a school shooter. “…Steam does have some standards, banning hate speech, pornography that’s not properly disclosed and (content that is) ‘patently offensive or intended to shock or disgust viewers’. It was unclear why shooting defenseless school children (at) their desks did not fall under the ‘patently offensive’ description.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/game-m ... kids-cops/

Funding for Trump’s military parade included in House version of defense authorization bill. “House lawmakers overwhelmingly voted for a $717 billion defense bill Thursday, which includes funding for the military parade President Donald Trump asked for.” https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/05 ... 527174459/

Milwaukee police union blames understaffing for excessive force incidents, like the one involving Sterling Brown. “…because officers are frequently mandated to work alone they are at greater risk to be compelled to use higher levels of force.” https://sports.yahoo.com/milwaukee-poli ... 16379.html How can an understaffed police department afford to dispatch five squad cars to deal with a single parking violation? And have multiple officers remain at the scene to surround and badger one parking violator? An officer in an understaffed police department would probably have left a citation on Brown’s windshield and zipped off to his next call (or his next handicapped parking spot stakeout). Maybe the problem is overstaffing?

Border patrol agent shoots female migrant in the head after allegedly being attacked with ‘blunt objects’. “Authorities did not specify what objects were allegedly thrown at the agent.” https://www.lmtonline.com/border-mexico ... 940123.php Like maybe water bottles? UPDATE: Customs and Border Protection changes their story on fatal shooting of 20 year-old female migrant in Texas, medical examiner identifies victim, witness claims her home is now being monitored by Border Patrol agents. “After initially reporting the agent was attacked by migrants armed with ‘blunt objects’, the federal agency on Friday said only that the group ‘rushed’ the officer after ignoring orders to get on the ground.” http://ktla.com/2018/05/25/border-patro ... -in-texas/ Something tells me there is more to this story that we haven’t heard yet.

At least one more media organization notices that New Jersey school bus fell apart after being hit from behind, but driver still charged with homicide. “The passenger compartment of the bus separated from its chassis and overturned in the median of the highway.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/24/nyre ... icide.html

No charges for San Francisco police officers in ‘firing squad’ shooting of Mario Woods. “As Woods got within about 10 feet of August, he and four other officers — Winston Seto, Antonio Santos, Nicholas Cuevas and Scott Phillips — opened fire, striking Woods 20 times…. Less than two minutes elapsed between initial contact and the shooting, according to the district attorney’s report.” https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/SF- ... 941316.php

Charles Eisenstein and Jeremy Lent question neo-liberal claim that we’ve never had it so good. From Eisenstein’s article: “Nicholas Kristof celebrates a decline in the number of people living on less than two dollars a day…. every time an indigenous hunter-gatherer or traditional villager is forced off the land and goes to work on a plantation or sweatshop, his or her cash income increases from zero to several dollars a day. The numbers look good. GDP goes up.” https://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/new-york ... eremy-lent From Lent’s article: “When Pinker does get serious on the topic, he promotes Ecomodernism as the solution (to environmental degradation): a neoliberal, technocratic belief that a combination of market-based solutions and technological fixes will magically resolve all ecological problems. This approach fails, however, to take into account the structural drivers of overshoot: a growth-based global economy reliant on ever-increasing monetization of natural resources and human activity…. As freshwater resources decline, for example, (transnational corporations’) incentive is to buy up what remains and sell it in plastic throwaway bottles or process it into sugary drinks, propelling billions in developing countries toward obesity through sophisticated marketing.”

Government to issue 15,000 more H-2B visas to foreign workers, in addition to the 66,000 already issued. “The huge increase in demand for foreign workers has been fueled by a low national unemployment rate and a dearth of Americans willing to work as seasonal housekeepers and cooks.” https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/20 ... story.html You can either pay higher wages to attract American employees, or import cheap foreign labor and boost your profits. The Trump administration apparently favors the latter.

Man killed inside Portland, Oregon homeless shelter in April was shot numerous times by police. “Portland police officers and a Multnomah County sheriff’s deputy fired 14 bullets, three shotgun blasts and nine less-lethal rounds at a man inside a Portland homeless shelter last month, according to investigative materials released by the Portland Police Bureau Friday.” http://katu.com/news/local/investigativ ... ss-shelter

Investigators release video of last July’s fatal shooting by Utah’s Highway Patrol of a fleeing suspect corralled by officers. “(Lead investigator and police chief Paul) Child said the car started to move again at one point, and that’s what prompted (trooper) Neff to fire.” https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900 ... ooper.html

Bishop Michael Curry and crowd of 2,000 hold ‘Reclaiming Jesus’ candlelight vigil at the White House, event receives little press coverage. “We believe two things are at stake: the soul of the nation, and the integrity of faith. We reject ‘America First’ as a theological heresy for followers of Christ…. we reject xenophobic or ethnic nationalism that places one nation over others as a political goal.” https://news.sky.com/story/royal-weddin ... a-11384699

Another conservative leader hit by corruption scandal, this time in Spain. “Twenty-nine people related to (Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s People’s Party), including a former treasurer and other senior members, were convicted on Thursday of offenses including falsifying accounts, influence-peddling and tax crimes.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spai ... SKCN1IQ11B

Man buys 70 lbs. octopus at fish market and, considering them to be highly intelligent, sets it free in the ocean. “DeGarimore told the San Luis Obispo Tribune he met a friendly octopus while diving in Fiji.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fr ... 2d69cb1589

Israeli Supreme Court rules unanimously that it’s legal for the country’s military to shoot unarmed protesters. “It is worth noting that the Israeli Supreme Court refused to watch video clips documenting Israeli shootings of demonstrators and, rather than actually examining the case, fully accepted the claims presented to it by the state.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... lestinians

DNC chairman reverses himself on the party not intervening in primary elections. “Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez, who said just two months ago that the national party shouldn’t be ‘anointing candidates’ in primary races, was widely rebuked by progressives for his decision this week to endorse New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose reelection bid is being challenged by longtime activist and actress Cynthia Nixon.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... rses-cuomo

Tax fairness groups call on Congress to end tax breaks for companies that shift investments abroad. “As a remedy for the perverse loopholes created by the GOP tax law, the groups are calling on Congress to support the No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act, legislation introduced by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) in February that would eliminate tax breaks for offshore investments and equalize the tax rates companies pay on profits at home and overseas.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ort-effort What about a higher tax on offshore investments?

131 House Democrats vote to approve $717 billion in Pentagon spending and continuation of the circumvention of Congress’s war powers. “”Instead of a blueprint for peace and security, this NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) continues the practice of endless war with no input or oversight from our congressional leaders,” lamented Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), one of 59 Democrats who voted against the bill.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... s-expanded

Senior EPA officials allegedly reached out to climate change denial group for help pushing Trump’s fossil fuel agenda. ““If you send a list, we will make sure an invitation is sent,” (John) Konkus wrote to the then Heartland president, Joseph Bast, in May 2017, seeking suggestions on scientists and economists the EPA could invite to an annual EPA public hearing on the agency’s science standards.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... mails-show

Tree-sitter breaks record with 57 day standoff with pipeline project. “I was and remain tremendously grateful to have been able to make an impact in the struggle against the Mountain Valley pipeline.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ginia-west

Edward Snowden says he thought NSA leaks would empower Obama to end mass surveillance programs. “He campaigned on a platform of ending the kind of mass surveillance that he actually ended up extending and expanding and entrenching. He was given, sort of with a gift-wrap and a bow (with my revelations), a mandate to deliver on all of those promises that previously might not have been possible to work through Congress.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/25/dec ... interview/

Chinese researchers predict Earth will be 4 degrees warmer that pre-industrial temperatures by 2084. “The temperature increase would cause severe threats to ecosystems, human systems, and associated societies and economies.” http://www.ibtimes.com/global-climate-b ... rn-2684072

Trump defends First Amendment right of Chicago police officers to protest against the city’s government, after denying the same right to protest to football players. “You have to stand proudly for the national anthem or you shouldn’t be playing…. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/trump- ... e-country/

Senator John McCain admits that invasion and occupation of Iraq was a mistake. “In his new memoir McCain, who is battling brain cancer, writes that the Iraq War ‘can’t be judged as anything other than a mistake, a very serious one, and I have to accept my share of the blame for it’.” https://www.vox.com/2018/5/25/17394466/ ... ar-mistake

Cuban exile accused of terrorism dies after decades of being sheltered by the United States. “(Luis) Posada Carriles is best known as the suspected mastermind of the 1976 bombing of a Cubana airline jet…. Posada Carriles later publicly admitted ties to a series of hotel bombings in Cuba in 1997.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/25/ ... uis_posada

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

115
Suspect in fatal shooting of Tennessee deputy arrested without incident, but then hospitalized. “…Wiggins was ‘totally obedient’ as he was arrested, Tennessee Highway Patrol Col. Dereck Stewart said…. He will be booked after being treated for the injuries, which were not disclosed.” http://time.com/5298849/tennessee-ambus ... n-wiggins/

U.N. poverty official calls Trump administration policies ‘cruel’. “Donald Trump is deliberately forcing millions of Americans into financial ruin, cruelly depriving them of food and other basic protections while lavishing vast riches on the super-wealthy, the United Nations monitor on poverty has warned.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... easures-un

Paramedics claim they were repeatedly blocked from entering Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after shooting. “Michael McNally, deputy chief for Coral Springs fire-rescue, asked six times for permission to send in specialized teams of police officers and paramedics, according to an incident report he filed after the Feb. 14 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that left 17 people dead.” http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c ... 96004.html

Federal appeals court rules that jabbing protesters in the abdomen with batons is ‘minimal force’, and that even when protesters were hospitalized police supervisors were not liable because there was no clear definition as to what was or was not excessive force. “In today’s decision, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned (Judge) Gonzalez Rogers’s (lower court) ruling and issued a summary judgment stating that university officials and police were not liable for several reasons.” http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/0 ... s-dropped/ I’m not a judge, but I would argue that bruised ribs, wounds requiring stitches, bleeding head wounds, broken noses or bones or damaged wrist nerves would be possible common sense indicators of use of excessive force.

Uber lobbyist reportedly questioned Wyoming legislator about changes to Uber-provided ‘model’ legislation. “The draft (legislation) includes a government-run background check. We need to change it back to the model language (allowing Uber to run the background checks)…. Do you have any idea why they keep straying from the model bill language?” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/01/us/f ... index.html

Google says info box claiming California Republican Party’s ideology is based on Nazism is Wikipedia’s fault, Wikipedia blames vandalism. “The California GOP has formally repudiated (Republican) U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Little, who has praised Adolf Hitler and advocated for limiting the representation of Jews in the government.” http://time.com/5298126/google-wikipedi ... op-nazism/

$17 million spent so far on Mueller corruption probe, about the same or possibly less than what has been spent on Trump’s trips to Mar-a-Lago. “Trump has been to Mar-a-Lago 17 times, for (an estimated) grand total of $17 million in flight and protection costs.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pol ... -has-cost/

50 years after Robert Kennedy assassination, his children are divided over further investigation. “Two of Robert F. Kennedy’s children are calling for a new investigation into their father’s assassination…. But two other children… said this week that they would not support a re-investigation, underscoring how divisive the second-gunman theory continues to be…” https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/ ... story.html

Virginia candidate for Congress reportedly favors ‘benevolent white supremacy’, patriarchy and legalization of incest and pedophilia. “A lot of people are tired of political correctness and being constrained by it.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 663215002/

High school administrator sentenced to 23 to 26 years in prison for shooting student in the head. “During the two-week trial, prosecutors portrayed (Shaun) Harrison, who went by the nickname ‘Rev’, short for ‘Reverend’, as a sinister manipulator who used his authority to recruit (Luis) Rodriguez to sell marijuana.” https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/ ... story.html

Senate Judiciary Committee postpones hearing on FBI’s handling of Clinton email investigation. “A highly anticipated watchdog report on the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email investigation was hit with a new delay Friday as the Senate Judiciary Committee pushed back a hearing with the inspector general.” http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06 ... delay.html

Koch group thanks Democratic Senator from North Dakota for her co-sponsorship of Dodd-Frank rollback. “Americans for Prosperity, one of billionaire industrialists David and Charles Koch’s main political arms, launched a digital ad campaign Friday thanking (Sen. Heidi) Heitkamp for cosponsoring the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, which rolls back Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform regulations on regional and community banks.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 663691002/ With Democrats like this, who needs Republicans?

“Beach Blanket Bedlam” – reporter looks at the legal (and unresolved) issues raised by New Jersey beach beating. “Law enforcement in New Jersey may not request your ID or demand your name — unless they are already issuing you a court summons.” http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/0 ... _beac.html

UK police upset by cosmetic company’s campaign against infiltration of activist groups by undercover police. “Since 1968 several women have had relationships with undercover police officers, not knowing they were using false identities to infiltrate the groups the women belonged to. The Metropolitan police have also been sued by a man who discovered that the father who abandoned him as a child was an undercover officer assigned to spy on his mother.” https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/ ... d-campaign

Real U.S. unemployment rate is more like 7.6% according to economists. “The percentage of Americans 16 or older who are in the labor force is just 62.7%, well below the 66.4% rate that prevailed before the Great Recession.” https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-r ... 2018-06-01

Canadian bowel cancer treatment: better results for 1/2 the price. “Americans do spend considerably more than other countries on health care, in large part because we have high prices not only on drugs but all throughout the health care system.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/01/heal ... index.html

Pentagon claims 499 civilians were killed in U.S. airstrikes in all conflict zones in 2017, monitoring group’s estimate for just Syria and Iraq is far, far higher. “Overall, between 3,923 and 6,102 non-combatants were likely killed in these 766 events in 2017— a 215% increase on the 1,243 to 1,904 civilians estimated as likely killed by Coalition strikes in 2016.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -us-killed

Journalist exposes dubious ‘scientific’ explanations of John F. Kennedy assassination, including attempts to explain why Kennedy’s head jerked back after being shot from behind.”According to the autopsy report, the entrance wound was 6 x 15 millimeters. Why does Nalli want you to think the entrance wound was only 0.67 cm (in diameter) — or only 7 millimeters — when the true “presented area” is over twice the size implied…?” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/05/31/scien ... r-does-he/

Two Halladay Beach, Florida police officers caught on video beating suspect with batons during arrest. “Another witness who shared the video of the arrest on Twitter said the suspect is ‘known around the area to be a mentally challenged individual’.” https://www.local10.com/news/crime/hall ... ith-batons I couldn’t get the video to play, but it’s also here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NMNehGcnK0

Walmart’s ‘$1 a day’ college tuition offer not what it seems to be. “The Walmart program is limited to online degree programs offered by three schools — the University of Florida, Brandman University, and Bellevue University — and specifically focused on bachelor’s or associate degrees in either business or supply chain management.” https://www.vox.com/2018/6/1/17413326/w ... employment

Marco Rubio campaign official wades into Roseanne Barr ‘Planet of the Apes’ scandal, says Barack Obama reminds her of Curious George – but not in a racist way. “…I truly think Obama resembles the Curious George cartoon, who I think is an adorable character.” https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/rubi ... e-10400271

Department of Defense accused of recording attorney-client phone calls of U.S. citizen being held in Iraq, after being told by a judge not to do it. “The surveillance may have run afoul of a federal judge’s order issued in December calling for the Pentagon to give the ACLU “immediate and unmonitored access” to the prisoner by phone or videoconference.” https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/ ... lls-618626 Of course they are claiming it was just an accident, a big misunderstanding.

Judge dismisses some charges against Trump inauguration protesters. “Ultimately, Chief Judge Morin found the prosecutor intentionally withheld exculpatory evidence…. Morin sanctioned the government by dismissing the conspiracy to riot charge with prejudice for the ten defendants who brought today’s motion.” https://rightsanddissent.org/news/in-li ... 20-trials/

Standing Rock pipeline protester sentenced to three years in prison. “The legacy of genocide and broken treaties has shown us that when indigenous people stand up to protect the water and the land from the colonization of resources, we will always be met with repression and violence. This struggle continues.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/31/ ... _in_prison

U.N. human rights officials blame Mexican security forces for disappearances in Nuevo Laredo. “The U.N. Human Rights Office in Mexico documented the disappearance of 21 men and two women in Nuevo Laredo from February until May 16, but local human rights organizations said there have been at least 40 disappearances in this period.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/u-n ... es-n878941

Seven Puerto Rican students facing charges over tuition hike protest. “Eleven students were originally charged following the protest, facing up to 18 years in prison before the most severe charges were dropped. Four students were eventually cleared altogether, but seven are still facing charges ranging from intimidation of public authority to violating the right of assembly, restriction of liberty, and rioting.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/31/uni ... -protests/

FOIA request reveals that Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel advised Obama administration on how to politicize gun control efforts after Sandy Hook massacre. “Go for a vote this week before it fades. Tap peoples emotion. Make it simple – assault weapons. When I did brady bill and assault weapons for clinton we always made it simple. Criminals or war weapons.” http://thebaltimorepost.com/former-whit ... tragedies/ For some reason they are never called ‘war weapons’ when law enforcement agencies are using them.

Trump considering pardons for former ‘Apprentice’ collaborators. “(Rod) Blagojevich, a Democrat, did an 11-episode stint on Trump’s reality show ‘The Apprentice’ in 2010…. Trump produced Stewart’s ill-fated Apprentice spinoff ‘The Apprentice: Martha Stewart’…” https://nypost.com/2018/05/31/trump-app ... tice-pals/ Trump has pardoned a Republican who violated political donation laws. “(Dinesh) D’Souza was charged in Manhattan federal court with campaign-finance violations, for using straw donors to make campaign contributions to a Republican candidate, in 2014.” https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-co ... ha-stewart

If one more state ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment, and if Congress extends the deadline, it could be added as an amendment to the Constitution. “The ERA sat at the 35-state ratification level for more than four decades until 2017, when Nevada lawmakers approved it, becoming the 36th. On Wednesday, Illinois became the 37th.” https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics ... o-illinois

Journalist Joy Reid under attack again, this time for questioning government’s account of 9/11 attacks on Twitter 12 years ago. “how and why did WTC 7, which wasn’t hit by an aircraft, collapse? For that matter, why did any of the WTV [sic] buildings fall…? … Somehow I think it will be a generation before we get the full story on what happened on 9/11?” http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/31/media/j ... index.html Real journalists are skeptical and ask questions. Why is questioning the government’s account a problem? Governments lie all the time, and journalists often catch them lying. Could more than 3,000 architects and engineers really be mistaken? https://www.ae911truth.org/

Spanish parliament ousts conservative government in response to corruption convictions. “Friday’s vote was the culmination of years of corruption allegations against (Mariano) Rajoy’s Popular Party.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/01/euro ... index.html

European Court of Human Rights finds Romania and Lithuania violated the EU’s human rights agreement by hosting CIA ‘black sites’. “Both (countries) contravened the European Human Rights Convention which prohibits torture, illegal detention and the death penalty.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-righ ... SKCN1IW1PF

Two twelve-year-old boys shot by police in Croatia. “Croatian police said on Thursday they seriously wounded two 12-year-old migrants from Iraq and Afghanistan after opening fire on a van which refused to stop.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/0 ... -migrants/

Florida jury awards family of police shooting victim $4, officer was justified to shoot the man through his garage door after he closed it. “Testimony showed (Gregory Hill Jr.) was playing Drake’s “All Me,” a song rife with F-bombs and N-words. The (neighbor) took offense and called police.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/31/us/f ... index.html

Australian regulator threatens banks with prosecution over sale of shares. “The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission said Friday that it expected prosecutors to bring ‘criminal cartel’ charges against Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and the Australian bank, ANZ.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/01/investi ... index.html Interesting to see the words ‘criminal cartel’ and the names of major banks in the same sentence.

Weak sales leads to closure of 72 more Sears stores. “Sears says it’s identified about 100 stores that are no longer making a profit, and 72 of those locations will close soon.” http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/us-and- ... les-plunge

Goldman Sachs VP reportedly charged with insider trading. “The SEC alleges that Jung traded on at least 12 companies working with Goldman Sachs on transactions in advance of the announcements of those deals.” http://thehill.com/policy/finance/39012 ... er-trading

Group of South Carolina Boeing workers say ‘Union Yes!’. “Of the 169 workers who cast ballots, 104 — or 61.5 percent — voted in favor of having the International Association of Machinists union represent them in collective bargaining.” https://www.postandcourier.com/business ... 99745.html

Many mid-term elections will be decided by electronic voting machines that produce no paper record. “More than 140 of November’s congressional elections will be decided using electronic voting machines with no verifiable paper trail, leading to concerns among election officials that any hacking or tampering will be undetectable—and accurate recounts or audits in the event of extremely close races, difficult to verify.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... d-midterms This is no accident; the people in charge are not idiots.

Researchers say meat and dairy products have huge negative impacts on the environment. “The new analysis shows that while meat and dairy provide just 18% of calories and 37% of protein, it uses the vast majority – 83% – of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... t-on-earth

President of Ecuador says Julian Assange has to avoid making political statements if he wants to remain in London embassy. “Let’s not forget the conditions of his asylum prevent him from speaking about politics or intervening in the politics of other countries. That’s why we cut his communication.” https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/ ... nin-moreno

British firms tried to justify not promoting women into top management positions. “All the ‘good’ women have already been snapped up.” “We have one woman already on the board, so we are done – it is someone else’s turn” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44310225

Banning drug felons from food stamps program cost Florida millions says researcher. “With approximately 19,000 banned offenders, this implies the ban has cost Florida over 70 million dollars to date, a number that grows with every new (drug) trafficker who resorts to crime to make up for the lost benefits.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/01/foo ... p-welfare/

Protester death toll in Nicaragua hits 100. “At least 16 people were killed and 88 injured on Wednesday and into the early hours of Thursday as pro- and anti-government supporters clashed in a number of cities, the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH) said Thursday in an updated toll.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/death-toll-n ... 51588.html

FBI arrests fourth Paterson, New Jersey police officer, accusing him of assaulting hospital patient and not reporting beating committed by another officer. “…the unnamed officer pushed the wheelchair and punched the… victim in the face, federal authorities said. As the victim was falling from that blow, (Officer) Then allegedly grabbed him by the neck and pushed him to the ground, authorities said.” https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/ ... 655200002/

Federal Reserve rolls back 2008 financial crisis rule. “The Federal Reserve has voted to loosen the Volcker Rule…. (which) bars banks from using customers’ deposits to make the banks’ own risky bets.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/31/ ... lcker_rule Just like gambling, but with other people’s money!

John Bolton has reportedly appointed a senior figure from anti-Muslim extremist group as his chief of staff. “The Southern Poverty Law Center designated (the Center for Security Policy) an anti-Muslim extremist group, saying its main focus is, quote, ‘demonizing Islam and Muslims under the guise of national security’.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/5/31/ ... phobe_bush

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

116
Pulse nightclub shooting survivors sue Orlando and its police department over response to attack, claim officers were hesitant to confront shooter during rampage that lasted about 3 hours. “As the people were running out of the club, thinking that they were safe, the police were there waiting for them, and, essentially… arrested every single victim there and held them for 10 to 12 hours…. They were not free to leave, they were not free to call their loved ones, they were not even free to go to the bathroom or to get water.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/31-orlando-po ... d=55714401

Senator concerned about treatment of immigrant families explains his concerns. “They’re inflicting trauma on children, to influence parents. Who does that? What civilized society does that? What faith tradition in the world would inflict trauma on children to influence their parents?” https://www.thenation.com/article/senat ... -children/

Utah prosecutors using rustling laws to charge animal rights activists with felonies for rescuing severely neglected animals. “Taking an animal only catapults into a felony if the animal is being bred or raised by a commercial animal enterprise.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/07/ani ... eld-foods/

Trump says he’s ready for negotiations with North Korean leader. “I don’t think I have to prepare very much. It’s about attitude. It’s about willingness to get things done.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/07/poli ... index.html Hopefully the Senate will be allowed to approve or disapprove whatever deal Trump wings, unlike NAFTA and the Iran nuclear deal, which were inexplicably not submitted to the Senate for approval. “(NAFTA) was signed by President Clinton as simple legislation, not as a treaty.” http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/ ... e-approval

Psychiatry professor claims man imprisoned for Robert Kennedy assassination, Sirhan Sirhan, was likely hypnotized, may have been a distraction from the real assassin. “(Dr. Daniel P.) Brown remains adamant that Sirhan was a victim of a larger scheme, put in place as a distraction while a second gunman fired the fatal shots to Kennedy.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tru ... -fall-guy/

Former Cambridge Analytica CEO tells House of Commons committee that his company has been unfairly targeted and is the subject of ‘ludicrous conspiracy theories’. “If you’re sitting where I am right now, you’d probably feel quite victimized.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ca ... story.html

Restaurant manager reportedly pleads guilty to enslaving black employee. “Between 2009 and 2014, prosecutors said that he admitted using violence, threats, isolation and intimidation to compel a man with an intellectual disability to work for more than 100 hours a week without pay.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-s-c- ... ck-worker/

1,600 detained illegal migrants to be held in federal prisons. “The result of the new (zero tolerance) policy has been a massive increase in the number of immigrants being detained, which led ICE to seek out additional bed space.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 683086002/ Sounds very expensive and not very safe.

Sean Hannity, a possible target in the Mueller probe, has reportedly suggested that witnesses might try destroying any evidence in their possession, like witnesses allegedly did during the Hillary Clinton investigation. “…delete all your emails and then acid wash the emails and hard drives on the phones, then take your phones and bash them with a hammer into little itsy bitsy pieces, use bleach bit, remove the SIM cards, and then take the pieces and hand it over to Robert Mueller, and say, ‘Hillary Rodham Clinton, this is equal justice under the law.’” https://thinkprogress.org/hannity-advis ... c1296cc35/

U.S. had hottest May on record, more than 5 degrees F above average. “The record (average) warmth broke the previous record of 64.7 degrees set in 1934 during the Dust Bowl era when sweeping drought conditions and dust storms crushed agriculture across the Midwest.” https://nypost.com/2018/06/07/may-was-t ... or-the-us/

Suicide rates up more than 30% in half of U.S. states. “The rise in suicide rates was highest in the central, northern region of the U.S., with North Dakota, for example, seeing a 57.6 percent increase since 1999.” https://www.npr.org/sections/health-sho ... amatically

Mike Pence shadows Trump at FEMA meeting. “….Pence was captured in an extreme sycophantic moment as he robotically removed a water bottle from a conference table after President Donald Trump—for no good reason that anyone on Earth has yet thought of—did so first.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ntic-water

San Francisco man in a suit, with a briefcase, caught on video repeatedly kicking homeless man in the head. “The attack took place in the city’s Tenderloin…. The neighborhood, like all of San Francisco, has steadily gentrified in recent years, with more tech company offices moving into the area.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... melessness What a metaphor for our society!

Senate staffer charged over leaks after federal prosecutors seize reporter’s phone and obtain her email records. “The seizure of (Ali) Watkins’ communications records was the first such action against a reporter during the Trump administration, though the justice department used similar tactics during the Barack Obama presidency.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... -reporters

Census citizenship question is designed to suppress responses claims Robert Reich. “Asking whether someone is a citizen could cause some immigrants — not just non-citizens, but also those with family members or close friends who aren’t citizens — not to respond for fear that they or their loved ones would be deported…. The result would be a systemic under-counting of immigrant communities – with two grossly unfair results (less federal funds for their community and less representation in Congress).” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/republ ... unnoticed/

FBI reportedly interrogated as many as 10 Muslim high school students in Plano, Texas after the arrest of a Muslim convert from their school in a terror sting, without informing their parents. “The FBI showing up unannounced to a school to question minors — only presumed knowledgeable (of a crime) by nature of their race or religion — outside of the presence of any other adult, guardian and counsel is a blatant overreach and abuse of power.” https://truthout.org/articles/is-the-fb ... l-consent/

Judge orders bond hearings for long-term ICE detainees. “In granting the preliminary injunction and certifying the class, U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco found a recent Supreme Court decision that detainees do not have the right to a bond hearing after six months did not overrule Ninth Circuit law saying they do.” https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-or ... detainees/

Donald Trump commutes sentence of drug queenpin who trafficked ‘tons of cocaine’. “Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight criminal counts related to a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking operation involving more than a dozen people.” https://www.thedailytimes.com/news/nati ... 230a4.html ‘Quintessential entrepreneur’ led ‘multi-million-dollar’ drug ring. “And clearly the impact of 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of cocaine in this community is very significant.” https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7964949 ... n_2231997/

More than 118,000 registered voters reportedly left off Los Angeles County voter lists during primary election. “Supervisor Hilda Solis, whose district stretches from downtown Los Angeles to South Gate and east to Pomona, said that she was concerned that some voters in her district left their polling places ‘very upset’ after learning their names weren’t listed. In a written statement, she added that ‘many of those left off rosters were individuals of color’.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Army officer takes armored vehicle for 60 mile joy ride in Virginia, with a police escort. “Witnesses said he got out and started walking around before police sent a dog to attack him, shot him with a Taser and took him into custody.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/latest-man-c ... 54008.html No mention of him being armed.

Former deputy director of the FBI wants immunity from prosecution before he testifies about Hillary Clinton email investigation. “Under the terms of such a grant of use immunity, no testimony or other information provided by Mr. (Andrew) McCabe could be used against him in any criminal case.” http://www.newsweek.com/andrew-mccabe-d ... ils-960666

California judge who sentenced white Stanford athlete to 6 months for sexual assault is recalled by voters. “(Brock) Turner ended up only serving three months due to good behavior.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201 ... 674551002/

Army base reports pizza delivery man to ICE, they arrest him. “An ICE spokeswoman told the paper that a judge had ordered (Pablo) Villavicencio deported in 2010.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-arrest ... tary-base/

Surveillance video catches Mesa, Arizona police officers beating unarmed black man unconscious after he leans against a wall instead of sitting down as instructed. “The misconduct of these officers would have gone unnoticed of it had not been captured by surveillance videos at the apartment complex where the assault occurred.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world ... 49229.html You can watch the video here, the assault begins a little after 2:15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... N4lRVAWpuE

San Francisco mayoral election to be decided by ranked-choice voting. “Breed’s lead was shrinking but solid until Kim, who finished third with 22.8 of first-place votes, had her voters reassigned. More than 3 in 4 went for Leno, reflecting the candidates’ similar views—and the success of a strategy in which the two candidates who (would have) otherwise split the city’s left-wing block explicitly asked their voters to pick the other as a second choice.” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/201 ... oting.html

University student admits falsely accusing athletes of raping her, will serve one year in prison. “The woman who made up rape allegations against two Sacred Heart University football players pleaded guilty on Tuesday to lying to police.” http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/06/06/wo ... ayers.html

68th anniversary of D-Day: 29,000 U.S. soldiers reportedly killed during Normandy invasion. “There were reports of ‘fierce fighting’, but the first dispatches did not mention that thousands of soldiers were cut down by German gunfire before they could make it off the beach. More than half a century would go by before the true horror of what happened on the first day of the invasion… was finally depicted…” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/d ... -1.1090824

U.S.-backed Iraqi party deposed in election authorizes hand recount of every ballot cast. “(Parliament) also replaced the leadership of the election commission and annulled the votes of overseas and displaced Iraqis.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44390092 Guess which party wins after the recount?

After court blocked an effort to send him to Saudi Arabia, Trump administration suggests dumping American man accused of fighting for IS somewhere in Syria. “That move would render moot John Doe’s habeas corpus petition challenging the right of the U.S. to continue holding him without charges.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/u-s- ... ia-n880761

Director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fires entire 25 member advisory board. “On Monday, 11 (Consumer Advisory Board) members held a news conference and criticized (Director Mick) Mulvaney for, among other things, canceling legally required meetings with the group.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/bus ... ory-board/

Shareholders of Google’s parent company vote down diversity proposal. “Employees and shareholders have challenged the company to address the persistent under-representation of women and racial minorities in the company’s U.S. workforce relative to the national population.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alph ... SKCN1J22BS

Jet Blue says no more rodent support animals, only cats, dogs and… miniature horses. “Horses were officially recognized as service and support animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act after a 2010 court ruling.” https://jalopnik.com/jetblue-the-law-sa ... 1826618989

U.S. Steel to reactivate second moth-balled furnace at Illinois plant, bring back 300 laid off workers. “The actions come after President Donald Trump’s announcement of greater tariffs on imported steel.” http://www.wtae.com/article/us-steel-re ... s/21097186

New owner Bayer to drop toxic Monsanto brand name. “Bayer’s decision to drop the name means Monsanto products like Roundup will still be Roundup, but now they will be Bayer’s Roundup, not Monsanto’s Roundup. Roundup will still contain glyphosate.” https://qz.com/1297749/the-end-of-the-m ... -monsanto/

Researchers discover that thousands of wage theft lawsuits and regulatory decisions have been won against major corporations. “Among the dozen most penalized corporations, Walmart, with $1.4 billion in total settlements and fines, is the only retailer. Second is FedEx with $502 million. Half of the top dozen are banks and insurance companies, including Bank of America ($381 million); Wells Fargo ($205 million); JPMorgan Chase ($160 million); and State Farm Insurance ($140 million). The top 25 also include prominent companies in sectors not typically associated with wage theft, including telecommunications (AT&T); information technology (Microsoft and Oracle); pharmaceuticals (Novartis); and investment services (Morgan Stanley and UBS).” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... rporations

Pattern of voter suppression observed in 2017 state legislature election in Virginia. “Only when Hutchinson’s mother called Hanover Democrats, a committee for electing Democrats, who then summoned their lawyers, did poll workers reluctantly hand out the provisional ballot. Hutchinson said they first told her grandmother repeatedly that her vote would not count and told the octogenarian, who has trouble walking, that she would have to stand in the registrar’s office while waiting.” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/06/07/did-v ... l-victory/

One Trump inauguration protester acquitted, charges dropped against three others. “While the wheels are coming off of Kerkhoff’s prosecution, there is still a jury deciding the fate of three people. And there are still over 40 defendants with trials scheduled as far off October.” https://rightsanddissent.org/news/anoth ... dismissed/ Article also points out that of the 200 people originally charged with felonies, not a single defendant has been found guilty of any offense by a jury.

Trump seems to not know the words to ‘God Bless America’ at his White House patriotism event. “As Common Dreams reported in January of this year, the president struggled to mouth the words of the actual “National Anthem” before the national college football championship game in Atlanta.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ruly-great Or just skip to the video here: https://twitter.com/Deadspin/status/100 ... 54/video/1

Video shows police breaking into Chelsea Manning’s apartment with guns drawn. “The Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland confirmed with The Intercept that ‘concerned parties’ had called about Manning’s safety on May 27 after she posted the troubling tweets, prompting police to conduct a ‘welfare check’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ed-chelsea

SWAT team storms home of Florida school shooting survivor. “(The caller) said there was someone in the home with a weapon,” said Broward Sheriff’s Office public information officer Gina Carter. “SWAT responded. They cleared the home. It was a hoax and we will be investigating.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nati ... story.html

Fox News accused of showing Eagles football players kneeling in prayer before a game, but misleading their viewers to believe they were kneeling during the national anthem. “The show’s executive producer has released a statement acknowledging that ‘no members of the team knelt in protest during the national anthem throughout regular or post-season last year’ and apologizing for ‘the error’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -denigrate

Bullying of garment workers by supervisors reportedly widespread. “More than 540 workers at factories that supply the two retailers have described incidents of threats and abuse, according to two separate reports published last week by Global Labour Justice on gender-based violence in Gap and H&M’s garment supply chains.” https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve ... south-asia

Democratic party insiders backing New Jersey incumbent with troubling history. “Every major Democratic power broker in the state quickly endorsed (Senator Robert) Menendez for re-election in 2018…” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/04/dem ... -party-is/

Researcher claims search engine results can sway undecided voters. “Since 2013, I’ve been involved in the design and execution of a long series of experiments that have demonstrated how search engines can influence undecided voters’ candidate choices through nearly undetectable manipulations to search rankings.” http://www.ibtimes.com/when-will-google ... cy-2687361

More secret airstrikes under Trump administration, but with less oversight. “U.S. military activity—in particular, airstrikes and raids in the Middle East and Africa, not to mention Afghanistan—has not only accelerated under the Trump administration, but targeted killing campaigns are reportedly operating under fewer constraints and with less transparency than even under the notoriously secretive Obama administration.” http://www.theamericanconservative.com/ ... ump-style/

Turkish troops reportedly begin incursion into northern Iraq. “The Turkish army has pushed about 25 km into northern Iraq toward (the) Qandil mountain area to clear Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants, local media reported late Monday.” http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-0 ... 230233.htm

Vietnamese court upholds long sentences imposed on pro-democracy activists. “Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-vietn ... KKCN1J02FB

Photo leaks of mass immigration trial. “Taking photographs of federal court proceedings is strictly forbidden. But in the federal courthouse in Pecos, Texas, someone apparently felt so bad about the new policies that they secretly shot a photo — obtained by The Intercept and published at the top of this page — of dozens of immigrants clogging a court in orange jumpsuits.” https://theintercept.com/2018/05/29/zer ... -children/

Trump calls Mueller investigation ‘unconstitutional’, claims he has the power to pardon himself. “As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/6/5/h ... on_himself

Milwaukee police release additional Sterling Brown parking violation arrest videos, one shows Brown with facial injuries. “Later, an ambulance comes to take Brown, who suffered bruises to his face and on his back where he was tased.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/mil ... ng-n880171

Federal panel on school safety will not address issue of firearms in schools says head of commission. “Testifying before the Senate appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the Federal Commission on School Safety, which she chairs, will not look at the role of guns in a recent spate of school shootings.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/be ... 78259c3ac6

No charges for Wildwood, New Jersey police officers who beat sober woman accused of underage drinking on a New Jersey beach. “Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland made the announcement Tuesday.” http://pix11.com/2018/06/05/officers-in ... l-charges/

114 arrested by ICE at Ohio garden centers. “The Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents, carrying weapons, showed up at two Corso’s Flower & Garden Centers–one in the Lake Erie resort town of Sandusky and the other in the nearby town of Castalia and arrested 114 suspected illegal immigrants in one of the largest immigration stings in years.” http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/06/05/ic ... s-114.html

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman rumored to be attending Kim-Trump summit. “The zany, 6-foot-7 ex-baller — who has struck up an unlikely bromance with the pint-sized, 5-foot-7 Kim, and has visited the rogue regime five times in the past — took some of the credit for getting the two leaders together…. ‘Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un are pretty much the same.'” https://nypost.com/2018/06/05/dennis-ro ... im-summit/

Judge orders Puerto Rico to release death certificates of suspected hurricane victims. “Data about Hurricane Maria deaths has been the Puerto Rican government’s “best kept secret,” with officials blocking journalists and academics from obtaining basic mortality data, said Carla Minet, executive director of the Center for Investigative Journalism in Puerto Rico.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/05/us/p ... index.html

State Department spokesperson mentions D-Day as an example of the United States’ long, strong relationship with Germany. “Looking back in the history books, today is the 71st anniversary of the speech that announced the Marshall Plan. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the D-Day invasion. We obviously have a very long history with the government of Germany,” (Heather) Nauert continued. “And we have a strong relationship with the government of Germany.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politic ... story.html

Former Fox News reporter Carl Cameron accuses Roger Stone and others in Trump campaign of either knowingly or unknowingly working with Russian intelligence. “…FBI investigators were able to track Guccifer2.0 online and determined he was an officer of Russian military intelligence…” https://thinkprogress.org/former-fox-ne ... f6ddd09d8/

Jeff Bezos makes a lot, lot more than his employees do. “Bezos’s wealth theoretically increased $10 billion within the first two weeks of the year, and he was up $30 billion by early March—at which point, according to our calculations, Bezos was making an insane $230,000 per minute. Meanwhile, the median Amazon employee’s (annual) salary in 2017 was $28,446.” http://time.com/money/5301812/jeff-bezo ... er-salary/

Women are reportedly carrying 2/3rds of the country’s student debt. “More women take out loans, and when they do, they borrow more money.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/05/pf/coll ... index.html

Owner of dog found dead after Delta Airlines flight says he had to fight to get the body. “Delta Air Lines refused to hand over the dog that had been dead for hours, according to its owner and now a legal battle’s brewing over what the Pomeranian’s owner calls the airline’s ‘suspicious’ activity.” https://www.tmz.com/2018/06/05/delta-ai ... sy-report/

McDonald’s gradually replacing cashiers with ‘kiosks’. “While (McDonald’s spokesperson Terri) Hickey did not say roughly how many cashiers are being replaced by kiosks, she said the restaurants are shifting those workers to other roles.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/venessawong/mc ... estaurants

Woman cured of cancer using her own ‘boosted’ white blood cells. “… 90 billion of these cancer-targeting cells were injected back into the patient, along with drugs designed to ‘take the brakes off’ the patient’s immune system.” https://boingboing.net/2018/06/05/immunotherapy.html

More than 90% of UPS workers who voted authorized Teamsters union to take strike action. “United Parcel Service Inc. workers authorized their union to call what would be the first strike since 1997, giving negotiators more leverage in talks to replace a labor contract that expires at the end of July.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -if-needed

Four square mile area of rural Wisconsin declared ‘blighted’ to allow property to be seized for development of Foxconn complex. “There’s nothing wrong with any of these properties. They are beautiful properties.” https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/bu ... 671976002/

NASA wants to privatize International Space Station. “In an interview with the Washington Post published Tuesday, (NASA administrator Jim) Bridenstine says he is in talks with international companies about commercial management of the space station.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/05/61711162 ... al-compani

Skeleton of new type of dinosaur sold by owner to private collector, scientists peeved. “Paleontologists who wish to see the skeleton formally studied, verified, and classified had called on the auction house to cancel the sale entirely so that more research could be conducted. Obviously that didn’t happen.” http://bgr.com/2018/06/05/dinosaur-auct ... es-fossil/

Last of the Nazi-to-NASA rocket scientists dies. “Georg von Tiesenhausen,who has died aged 104, was the last surviving member of the team of German rocket scientists who worked with Wernher von Braun at the German V-2 factories during the Second World War and later followed him to America to work on the US space programme.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/ ... -obituary/

Theory of evolution challenged by DNA research suggesting almost all animal life on earth emerged 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. “In a massive genetic study, senior research associate at the Program for the Human Environment at Rockefeller University Mark Stoeckle and University of Basel geneticist David Thaler discovered that virtually 90 percent of all animals on Earth appeared at right around the same time.” http://www.techtimes.com/articles/22879 ... e-time.htm



U.S. senator blocked from inspecting detention facility for immigrant children. “Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley posted a video showing he was denied entry to an immigrant detention center housing children who had been separated from their parents.” http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/inde ... entry.html

White House cancels Super Bowl event. “The Philadelphia Eagles Football Team was invited to the White House. Unfortunately, only a small number of players decided to come, and we canceled the event.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ph ... 9b529d357f I guess a lot of players on that Football Team don’t like Donald Trump.

FBI accuses Paul Manafort of witness tampering. “The FBI says that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort attempted to tamper with witnesses — even going so far as to allegedly coach their testimony — in a federal tax and lobbying case against him.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201 ... 671740002/

Supreme Court rules in favor of Colorado baker who refused to make cake for same sex wedding. “The outcome of cases like this in other circumstances must await further elaboration in the courts, all in the context of recognizing that these disputes must be resolved with tolerance, without undue disrespect to sincere religious beliefs, and without subjecting gay persons to indignities when they seek goods and services in an open market.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/04/poli ... index.html Does this included respecting religious beliefs that advocate ethnic cleansing? “1 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— 2 and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. 3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.” Deuteronomy 7:1-4

Koch groups to push free trade. “The paid media campaign from three Koch-affiliated groups — Freedom Partners, Americans for Prosperity and the Libre Initiative — will promote the traditional free-market view of open trade as beneficial to all countries involved.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/p ... icans.html

Court orders Maine to respect the wishes of voters and expand Medicaid. “The ruling is a blow to Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who opposes expansion and said he would not submit a plan unless lawmakers in the state found a way to pay for it without tax increases and without taking money from the state’s surplus funds….. Voters in November passed Medicaid expansion through a ballot measure that had the support of 59 percent of voters.” https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/poli ... d-medicaid

Kris Kobach calls controversy over his replica .50 caliber machine gun at parade a ‘snowflake meltdown’. “…the ‘very real looking’ gun ‘with visible ammunition rounds hanging from it’ was (allegedly) pointed at the crowd.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/mor ... -his-jeep/

Jordan’s prime minister resigns in response to anti-austerity protests. “After four nights of anti-government protests in Amman and other cities, Jordan’s King Abdullah II summoned Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki to the palace, where Mulki tendered his resignation.” https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/ ... t-protests

New U.S. ambassador to Germany tells interviewer he wants to promote the anti-establishment right in Europe, German politicians are alarmed. “I know you are still quite new at your post, but it is not part of the job description of an ambassador to interfere in the politics of his guest country…” https://qz.com/1296039/richard-grenell- ... the-right/

Residents of Hong Kong hold annual vigil on anniversary of 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. “Hong Kong police estimated that as many as 17,000 people participated in the vigil Monday at its peak…. Rally organizers, meanwhile, claimed more than 100,000 took part.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/04/hong-ko ... china.html

18,000 troops from U.S. and 20 other countries hold military exercise near Russia’s northwestern border. “Saber Strike 18 is not a provocation of Russia but an exercise with our Allies.” http://www.dw.com/en/nato-war-games-180 ... a-44059579

Amnesty International says airstrikes on Raqqa may have been a war crime. “The rights group accuses the coalition of killing and injuring thousands of civilians in attacks that were at times ‘disproportionate or indiscriminate’, during its offensive to flush ISIS militants from their de facto capital.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/05/midd ... index.html

Facebook accused of sharing personal data with device makers. “Facebook’s partnerships allowed device makers to obtain user data such as relationship status, religion and political leanings, and also allowed for the sharing of data on users’ Facebook friends, according to the (New York) Times report.” http://thehill.com/policy/technology/39 ... tices-with

Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s lawyer, suggests that presidents are immune from prosecution until they are impeached. “Giuliani said impeachment was the initial remedy for a president’s illegal behavior ― even in the extreme hypothetical case of Trump having shot former FBI Director James Comey to end the Russia investigation rather than just firing him.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tr ... 43b7cd633e

Dallas woman allegedly shot her husband to stop him from beating their cat. “Upon arrival, investigators said 47-year-old Mary Harrison confessed that she had shot her husband, Dexter Harrison, as he beat the family cat during an argument.” http://abc7.com/woman-killed-husband-as ... e/3556577/

Kansas secretary of state and candidate for governor Kris Kobach criticized for displaying replica .50 caliber machine gun during parade. “Shawnee Community Christian Church pastor Johnny Lewis says there were audible gasps from parade-goers as Kobach rode by.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/kan ... e-55617534

Alleged collaborator in Russian government’s election tampering effort getting better treatment than accused whistle-blower. “… (Reality Winner) got a banana (for Christmas). (Paul Manafort) got to go to the Hamptons…” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/03/rea ... -manafort/

Film ‘Discreet Airlift’ examines efforts in North Carolina to expose local involvement in CIA rendition and torture program. “The North Carolina Commission of Inquiry on Torture comprises a group of academics, former government officials, legal experts, and local community leaders whose goal is to fill the gap in accountability created by the Obama administration’s failure to prosecute individuals involved in torture and other abuses.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/03/tor ... of-vision/

Review of journalist Seymour Hersh’s recently published professional memoir. “‘Reporter’ demonstrates that Hersh has derived three simple lessons from (the ‘mere gook’) rule: 1) The powerful prey mercilessly upon the powerless, up to and including mass murder. 2) The powerful lie constantly about their predations. 3) The natural instinct of the media is to let the powerful get away with it.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/02/sey ... -reporter/

Civil liberties groups demand more details on the more than 1/2 billion telephone call records collected by the NSA in 2017. “While the law directs the intelligence community to report the number of unique identifiers (unique accounts, devices, or individuals swept up by the agency), officials have said that they do not possess the technical ability to do so.” http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity ... collection

Private equity firms accused of gutting Toys R’ Us, abandoning lifetime employees without severance pay. “The new owners quickly took the company into bankruptcy, defaulting on that giant ($5 billion) debt, after paying themselves $200 million (including tens of millions in performance bonuses to the C-suite in the same year the company declared bankruptcy).” https://boingboing.net/2018/06/03/are-t ... ses-6.html

Trump to host his first White House ‘iftar’ dinner, to celebrate the end of Muslim Ramadan. “Trump faced backlash last year for breaking with nearly two decades of tradition by forgoing the commemorative dinner embraced by Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, who started the dinners at the White House.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... dan-dinner No, it’s not an Onion story!

Trump claims U.S. has an $800 billion trade deficit, is being charge tariffs of up to 100% by other countries. “When you’re almost 800 Billion Dollars a year down on Trade, you can’t lose a Trade War!…. If we charge a country ZERO to sell their goods, and they charge us 25, 50 or even 100 percent to sell ours, it is UNFAIR and can no longer be tolerated. That is not Free or Fair Trade, it is Stupid Trade.” https://www.business-standard.com/artic ... 043_1.html The article does not fact-check Trump’s claims, but according to Snopes the ‘goods’ deficit is $810 billion, but there is a $244 billion ‘services’ trade surplus. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/is-th ... 0-billion/

Thousands of Gaza residents attend funeral of slain protest medic who was wearing a first aid vest. “Razan al-Najar, 21, was shot dead as she ran towards the border fence on Friday to help a casualty, Palestinian health officials said.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44343263

Populist coalition takes power in Italy. “The so-called ‘government of change’ is based on an untested and unusual alliance: a government contract drawn up between two populist parties — the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, led by Luigi di Maio, and the anti-migrant, Euroskeptic League, led by Matteo Salvini. ” https://abcnews.go.com/International/po ... d=55606871 Imagine an alliance between the Green Party (minus its left wing) and Trump supporters….

Venezuela releases 39 opposition activists, but Leopoldo Lopez still under house arrest. “Among the 39 prisoners set free under strict conditions was Daniel Ceballos, who had been detained for four years for promoting protests as mayor of the western city of San Cristóbal, according to Venezuela’s Supreme Court.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/worl ... oners.html

Indian troops break up funeral procession in Kashmir, sparking rioting. “Police said the marchers were defying a government order that bans assembly of more than four people in the city.” https://abcnews.go.com/International/wi ... s-55603682

FBI agent reportedly shoots Denver night club patron by accident after retrieving pistol that fell out when he did a backflip on the dance floor. “He picked the gun up and it went off, shooting another person in the leg.” https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/96 ... -drops-gun

Former Missouri governor Eric Greitens’ campaign may have received help from up to $6 million in ‘dark money’. “Typically, political money goes dark when it is funneled through social welfare organizations – commonly known as 501(c)(4) nonprofits because of the relevant section of the tax code – or trade associations that are also called 501(c)(6) nonprofits. Political money can also hide when it is obscured through limited liability companies, or LLCs.” https://www.salon.com/2018/06/02/missou ... d_partner/

California candidate for governor Gavin Newsom accused of boosting Republican candidate by stressing endorsements of Trump and NRA, in order to avoid facing another Democrat in the general election. “Helping out a Republican in Tuesday’s nonpartisan primary may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s the result of the Golden State’s “top two” system for picking who will be on the ballot in November.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ca ... 43b7cccbd7

Protesters turn out to oppose separation of migrant children from their parents. “Protesters gathered in more than two dozen cities across the country on Friday to condemn the Trump administration’s practice of separating immigrant parents and children at the Southern border.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/01/61625782 ... tion-polic

EPA director Scott Pruitt accused of using court-side basketball tickets of coal executive, claims they were not a gift. “EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox confirmed the purchase, saying it was valued at $130 per seat, paid in cash. Wilcox did not explain why Pruitt paid cash for the seats.” http://thehill.com/policy/energy-enviro ... ive-report

Bernie Sanders speaks at Disney workers rally. “Emphasizing the themes he relied on during his unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, Sanders told the crowd at an Anaheim church that the Walt Disney Co. should share its financial success with its employees.” http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-b ... story.html I don’t know about ‘unsuccessful’. He was ahead of Donald Trump in the polls, he just wasn’t on the ballot.

As Wildwood, New Jersey visitors cancel their hotel reservations after viral beach beating video, city’s mayor keeps digging the hole. “She was a combatant more than a woman.” http://nj1015.com/mayor-trashes-woman-a ... est-video/ ‘Wildwood police deployed on local beach neutralize enemy combatant, suffer no casualties’.

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

117
Yes, it’s true, Canada does impose a 270% tariff on U.S. milk, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “Canada levies a tariff of 270 per cent on milk, 245 per cent on cheese and 298 per cent on butter in an effort to keep U.S. and other foreign dairy imports out.” http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-t ... -1.4697529

Honduran migrant found dead in Texas cell, had fought with agents over separation from his family. “After being told his family would be separated, Muñoz became upset and struggled with agents, according to an agent who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case. Muñoz was taken to a jail where, authorities say, he committed suicide.” http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-bor ... story.html

High school kills valedictorian’s mic at graduation ceremony after she tries to speak out about how her school handles sexual assaults. “(Lulabel) Seitz said she was frustrated by the administration’s response after she said she was sexually assaulted on campus, The Press Democrat reported.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 687648002/

Lawsuit accuses state Democratic parties of laundering millions of dollars for Hillary Clinton campaign. “The scheme was designed to circumvent campaign contribution limits, said Dan Backer, a Virginia campaign finance attorney (reportedly working for a pro-Trump PAC) who filed the lawsuit.” https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/poli ... o-clinton/

TSA reportedly gave 96 year-old woman in a wheelchair a six minute pat-down. “… Jeanne LaBrier Clarkson shared the six-minute clip to the social network of her nonagenarian mother, Evelyn LaBrier, being screened in her wheelchair by two female TSA security agents at (Washington D.C. area Dulles International) airport.” http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/06/0 ... trage.html

Kim Jong Un impersonator says he was detained by security officials when he arrived in Singapore. “He claims police at Changi Airport held him for two hours on Friday, before telling him to stay away from the Sentosa Island, where President Trump and the real Kim Jong Un will be meeting on June 12, and the Shangri-La Hotel, where President Trump will reportedly be staying.” http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/06/0 ... rival.html

Pope appeals to energy executives to stop extracting fossil fuels. “During a closed-door meeting with oil executives at the Vatican on Saturday, Pope Francis gravely warned against further fossil fuel exploration and extraction, arguing that continued use of dirty energy could ultimately ‘destroy civilization’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ll-destroy

Animal rights activist charged with felony in North Carolina for rescuing sick goat. “The law should encourage the rescue of animals rather than the abuse of animals.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... aving-sick

Bernie Sanders says national health insurance is not rainbows and unicorns, less wealthy countries have done it. “Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) strongly pushed back against Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz’s argument—heard for years from centrist Democrats and Republicans, despite a wealth of evidence to the contrary—that a Medicare for All system would be prohibitively expensive for the United States and is not a ‘realistic’ proposal.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... dicare-all

Public defender says the wealthy get preferential treatment when it comes to arrest, arraignment and bail. “It’s not that I and other public defenders oppose the fact the (Paul) Manafort and (Harvey) Weinstein and (Bill) Cosby are at liberty. It’s that the process available to them is never available to our clients.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/09/pau ... nequality/

Turkey’s prime minister admits that his country’s troops are 30 kilometers inside Iraq. “Yildirim said a long term presence on Iraqi territory was a necessity for Turkey and did not violate its neighbor’s sovereignty.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mide ... SKCN1J41U7

See the political cartoons the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette didn’t run. “Four were directly critical of President Donald Trump, and two alluded to racism.” https://fair.org/home/anti-trump-cartoo ... t-gazette/

New York Times publishes story about progressive Democrat with the headline ‘Democratic Candidate Who Criticized Israel Faces Charges of Antisemitism’, even though her accusers are her Republican opponents, and even though one of them points out that it actually has nothing to do with antisemitism, just criticism of Israel. “The New York Times was much more polite when it did a glossy profile (11/25/18) on an actual, literal Nazi in November last year—a piece widely criticized for providing softball coverage of rising white nationalism.” https://fair.org/home/with-literal-nazi ... tisemitic/

More questions emerge about Robert Kennedy assassination. “Prosecutors withheld the autopsy report from (Sirhan) Sirhan’s defense lawyers until six weeks into the trial, showing that Kennedy had been shot at point-blank range from behind. Five other people in the hotel pantry standing behind Kennedy, including Schrade, were hit by bullets fired from in front of them.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/tru ... ssination/

Trial of second group of Trump inauguration protesters ends with acquittals and deadlocked jury. “Even if the US Attorney’s Office decides not to pursue (the) charges on which the jury deadlocked, there are still nearly 40 protesters facing charges.” https://rightsanddissent.org/news/secon ... -mistrial/

Democrats pass new rule, candidates who run for office as Democrats have to be Democrats. “The Democratic National Committee (DNC) adopted a new rule on Friday aimed at keeping outsider candidates like Bernie Sanders from trying to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.” http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/39 ... a-democrat

Mesa cops caught on video apparently torturing teen suspect to get him to incriminate himself. “”Where’s the gun?” one of the officers said. “No gun!” the teen replies, seemingly in pain.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mesa-polic ... -of-force/ “Seemingly in pain”? If you can’t watch the video there, you can see part of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEbcpMGb5iw

Trump administration tells federal court it can gut Obamacare by abolishing key provisions. “Guaranteed issue requires insurers to offer coverage to everyone regardless of their medical history. Prior to the ACA, insurers often rejected applicants who were ill or had pre-existing conditions or only offered them limited coverage. Under another provision, the community rating provision, insurers were not allowed to set premiums based on a person’s health history.” http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/06/ ... -care-act/

Former CIA officer found guilty of selling secrets to China. “It is a sad day when an American citizen is convicted of spying on behalf of a foreign power.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/08/poli ... index.html And even sadder when he’s a former government employee who probably got to retire at 50 with a generous pension! “After completing five years of qualifying overseas service, (Federal Employees Retirement System) participants may be eligible to participate in the FERS CIA Special Category retirement system. FERS Special Category allows an employee to retire at age 50 with 20 or more years of service.” https://www.cia.gov/careers/benefits.html

Mexican boy who entered U.S. at 3 was sent back to Mexico at 19, then murdered three weeks later. “Manuel Antonio Cano Pacheco, 19, was expected to graduate from high school in Des Moines in May, but he drew the scrutiny of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after he was convicted of a misdemeanor drug charge last year.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ma ... fb82677d83

Four killed, 620 wounded at Gaza border demonstration. “Friday’s deaths bring the total number of Palestinians killed at the Gaza border to 124 since protests there began on March 30, including 60 people killed in a single day last month.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-isra ... SKCN1J41VH

44 killed, 60 wounded in Syria airstrike. “Warplanes, which are likely Russian, targeted the village of Zardana in northern rural Idlib overnight and caused the highest death toll in a single attack on the region including 11 women and six children.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/ ... 26432.html

Challenging findings of Bureau of Labor Statistics report, others say about 30% of U.S. workforce is doing some type of gig work. “The (BLS) data takes into account only people’s primary jobs. That disqualifies a large segment of the gig workforce, including people who supplement their regular income with freelance or contract work to get by.” https://www.technologyreview.com/s/6113 ... -gig-work/

Google has had a long relationship with government agencies. “Author Yasha Levine says the company has been selling customized versions of its software to US intelligence agencies since 2003, and ramped up after Google bought Keyhole, a CIA-backed project that became Google Earth. And the early research that led to the creation of the Google search engine itself was funded by two key defense-related grants.” https://www.cjr.org/the_new_gatekeepers ... litary.php Google promises to limit uses of its AI programs. “Google pledged Thursday that it will not use artificial intelligence in applications related to weapons, surveillance that violates international norms, or that works in ways that go against human rights.” https://nypost.com/2018/06/08/google-pl ... veillance/

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau drops $109 million fine against New Jersey mortgage company. “In 2014, PHH was accused by the CFPB of running a 15-year kickback scheme that enabled the company to collect hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit payments…. for referring business to mortgage insurance companies.” http://www.nj.com/burlington/index.ssf/ ... _case.html

New FCC rules enhance ban on ‘slamming’ and ‘cramming’. “While these practices are already illegal, the FCC says the new rules will now place ‘a clear ban on misrepresentations made during sales calls’ and provide ‘an explicit prohibition against placing unauthorized charges on consumers’ phone bills’.” https://gizmodo.com/fcc-approves-new-ru ... 1826675536

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

118
Immigration employee may have accessed confidential Homeland Security travel database to pressure reporter about her sources. “The passenger records may be shared only with Homeland Security personnel ‘who have a need to know the information as part of the performance of their official employment duties’, according to a privacy assessment the department completed in 2015.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... story.html

House Appropriations Committee strips amendment that would limit the president’s ability to start new wars. “The committee voted 22-30 against the amendment, from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), to sunset the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), which is still used as legal justification for military operations against terrorist groups.” http://thehill.com/policy/defense/39212 ... -last-year

U.S. Court of Appeals rules that use of sound cannon on New York City protesters was excessive force. “The (2nd Circuit Court of Appeals) rejected the appeals of two NYPD officers who had sought qualified immunity in a federal civil rights suit accusing them of using unconstitutionally excessive force by using the ‘area denial’ function of (a Long Range Acoustic Device) against Black Lives Matter protesters, observers, and bystanders in December of 2014.” https://rightsanddissent.org/news/nypd- ... urt-rules/

Former FBI Director James Comey did not follow established procedures during Clinton email investigation says Department of Justice Inspector General. “While we did not find that these decisions were the result of political bias on Comey’s part, we nevertheless concluded that by departing so clearly and dramatically from FBI and department norms, the decisions negatively impacted the perception of the FBI and the department as fair administrators of justice.” https://finance.yahoo.com/news/comey-br ... 32718.html Comey reportedly used a private email address for certain FBI projects. “The report from the Office of Inspector General ‘identified numerous instances in which Comey used a personal email account (a Gmail account) to conduct FBI business’.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/talalansari/ja ... -email-use

New York files lawsuit against Trump Foundation. “(Attorney General Barbara Underwood) said a 20-month state investigation found that (Donald) Trump had repeatedly violated laws that set the ground rules for tax-exempt foundations — most important, that their money is meant to serve the public good, not to provide private benefits to their founders.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

Federal appeals court rules that government can stiff health insurance companies promised Obamacare money. “The court agreed with the Trump administration that insurers are not owed any money, because congressional Republicans passed legislation that required the program to be budget neutral.” http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/he ... e-payments

Mesa police accused of beating man during traffic stop and then beating him a second time at the hospital. “I was searched, I was thrown to the ground, I was heaved into a wall, I was Tased, I was punched over and over by multiple cops, I was (gouged) in the eye and I was hit in the head with a massive police flashlight…. I had to have my ears sewn back on, I had to have my head stapled back together…” https://abcnews.go.com/US/arizona-polic ... d=55886351

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial cartoonist fired after 25 years in dispute over unpublished work. “(Rob) Rogers estimated that about 90 percent of the rejected cartoons were Trump-related.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ca ... a52779908d

Protests held around the country in opposition to separations of migrant families. “Marches and rallies took place or were planned for later in the day in more than a dozen states, including California, Texas, Michigan and New York, to draw attention to what organizers characterized in a statement as the Trump administration’s ‘cruel and inhumane treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers’.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fa ... ay-n883171

Two men sentenced to $5,000 fine, community service and probation by Louisiana court for slitting of dog’s throat. “The charge of aggravated animal cruelty carried a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of up to $25,000.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 703876002/

School pulls yearbook after student’s quote is attributed to Nazis. “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... story.html

UK gay rights activist arrested in Moscow for holding sign. “Putin fails to act against Chechnya torture of gay people.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/14/euro ... index.html

More than 100 Mexican politicians have been assassinated in less than a year. “Since September, 113 politicians, including 43 candidates running for office, have been killed, according to Etellekt, a Mexican political consulting agency.” https://www.vox.com/world/2018/6/14/174 ... ez-obrador

Kellogg’s Honey Smacks breakfast cereal linked to salmonella outbreak which has affected people in 31 states. “Kellogg launched an investigation with the third-party manufacturer that produces Honey Smacks after the Food & Drug Administration, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contacted the company about reported illnesses.” https://www.today.com/health/kellogg-co ... sk-t131053

Farm couple deed land on Keystone pipeline route to native American tribe. “It’s also part of the historic route that Ponca tribe members were forced to take when the U.S. government relocated them to present-day Oklahoma in 1877.” http://www.ketv.com/article/farmers-on- ... e/21530133

Seattle city council accused of holding secret deliberations on reversal of tax on large employers. “… when you have seven council members issuing a statement together, saying this is our collective thinking, well, how did they do that? It suggests there was some kind of private discussion before time to put that statement together.” https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-ne ... peal-vote/

Increase in suicide and mental illness may be the result of unrealistic social expectations. “We should stop telling people who yearn for a deeper meaning in life that they have an illness or need therapy. Instead, we need to help people craft lives that are more meaningful and built on a firmer foundation than personal success.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/ ... 687388002/

Jeff Bezos gets suggestions on how he can give back to society – treat his employees fairly and stop dodging taxes. “The current retirement plans, including a one percent match on our 401(k), suggest that you place little value in your employees’ future financial security.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... post-think

Federal judge allows American journalist’s lawsuit against ‘kill list’ to proceed. “Due process is not merely an old and dusty procedural obligation,” U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer said in her ruling allowing the case to proceed. “Instead, it is a living, breathing concept that protects U.S. persons from overreaching government action.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... judge-says

Scientists observe three-fold increase in the rate of Antarctic ice melt. “The study found that from 1992 to 2011, Antarctica lost about 83.8 billion tons (76 billion metric tons) of ice per year, causing an annual sea level rise of 0.2 millimeters. Between 2012 and 2017, ice loss per year tripled to 241.4 billion tons, amounting to a 0.6 millimeters sea level rise per year.” http://www.dw.com/en/rate-of-antarctic- ... a-44213680

‘We The People’ conference features progressive Democrats. “”We are here to send a message to the leaders of the Democratic party: we must do more than resist, and put forward an agenda that puts Main Street before Wall Street.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ple-summit

Maine’s voters approve ‘ranked choice voting’ – for the second time. “Hours before polls had even closed on Tuesday, Republican Governor Paul LePage said he would ‘probably not certify the election’ and called RCV ‘the most horrific thing in the world’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... tionsagain

Some Tesla employees claim Elon Musk has created a hazardous work environment. “While the billionaire’s loose tongue and overly optimistic pronouncements may still excite his legions of fans and customers, many factory workers feel that they have become collateral damage.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... d-promises

Money and politics: Initiative to split California into three states will appear on the November ballot in California thanks to a billionaire’s funding of petition drive. “On Tuesday, elections officials said a sample of the signatures projects more than 402,468 of them are valid — more than enough to be included on a November ballot…. vendors were told in March they would be paid $3 per signature — higher than many of the other proposals found on card tables set up outside stores and other public areas.” http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol- ... story.html

Berkeley police accused of siding with alt-right against anti-fascists. “The authorities consistently treated (Daniel) Quillinan as a victim even though he was visibly armed with a knife, a wooden ‘shield’ and a ‘flagpole’…. The resulting criminal trial against five anti-fascist protesters – who are accused of assaulting Quillinan during a roughly 15-second altercation – is, according to activists, the latest example of US law enforcement aggressively targeting left-wing demonstrators…” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... court-case

NYPD officials dispute figure of 42,000 New Yorkers on the department’s ‘gang database’. “In her own testimony to City Council yesterday, (Prof. Babe) Howell noted that her figures were based on the NYPD’s own responses, largely in the form of Freedom of Information disclosures, one of which the department did not fulfill until she sued them.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/14/nyp ... rmot-shea/

Federal grants from ‘Countering Violent Extremism’ program mostly overlook extremism in white communities. “…minority communities, particularly Muslims, are the focus of the anti-terror grants despite surging white supremacist political violence. Some 85 percent of the grants… target Muslims and other minority groups…” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/15/cve ... an-center/

Trump reportedly tells Fox News that he wants Americans to listen to him like North Koreans listen to Kim Jong Un. “Hey, he’s the head of a country, and he’s the strong head — he speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/trump- ... m-jong-un/

Kurds in occupied Afrin reportedly facing harassment and persecution from Turkish backed militias. “Many Kurds in Afrin suspect that the enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic social norms on secular Kurds is intended to encourage the ethnic cleansing of Kurds from Afrin.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 99206.html “Turkey-backed rebels in northwest Syria’s Afrin have seized, looted and destroyed Kurdish civilians’ property after taking control of the region in March, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-midea ... KKBN1JA29O

Angry Trump calls news media ‘Our Country’s biggest enemy’. “President Donald Trump is apparently not happy about the way his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is being depicted by the media and on Tuesday called ‘FAKE NEWS’ America’s ‘biggest enemy’.” https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/0 ... /23458122/

Some Las Vegas police officers ordered to turn off body cameras during Las Vegas mass shooting. “‘Cameras are off? Cameras off? Cameras are off?’ (a female officer) says. An officer repeats ‘Camera is off’, and each (of the four videos) ends.” https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/sho ... -shooting/

Saudi coalition bombards key port of Hodeidah in Yemen. “The United Nations is struggling to avert disruption to the port, the main lifeline for food aid to a country where 8.4 million people are on the verge of starvation, potentially the world’s worst famine for generations.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yeme ... SKBN1JA0N2

Australian unit in Afghanistan allegedly flew Nazi flag. “The flag was briefly raised above an Australian Army vehicle in Afghanistan in 2007. The commander took immediate action to have the offensive flag taken down.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... gotry.html Australian special forces rookie allegedly executed prisoner as part of an initiation ritual. “…a junior trooper on his first deployment to Afghanistan was pressured by higher-ranking soldiers to execute an elderly, unarmed detainee, witnesses claim.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... c-leg.html

FEMA response in Puerto Rico was hampered by supply shortages and personnel problems. “Internal briefing documents show FEMA never had 500 generators on the island before the storm — it had 25. Its plastic roof program was out of plastic, and the most tarps FEMA ever produced was 125,000 — months after people needed them.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/14/60858816 ... ther-story

Hawks claim if Trump removes U.S. troops from Korea, China will dominate Asia. “It’s a huge win for China.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/13/asia ... index.html Of course if the Russians would withdraw their troops from the borders of Ukraine and western Europe, that would be positive and would ‘reduce tensions’.

There are an estimate 15,000 nuclear bombs in the world, but scientists say it would only take 100 to destabilize every society on the planet. “Professor Pearce said modeling showed that if the US were to fire 1,000 nuclear warheads, 50-times more Americans would die (of starvation) than did on 9/11, even if no missiles were fired back.” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/201 ... ar-autumn/

Some Republicans want to let banks in on the high interest, short term, ‘payday loan’ market action. “Sixty-three percent of Americans don’t have enough in their savings account to cover a $500 emergency expense, so making sure Americans have access in times of need is incredibly important.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/14/61965577 ... tyle-loans

A two bedroom apartment is out of reach for anyone working full-time for minimum wage. “Not even in Arkansas, the state with the cheapest housing in the country. One would need to earn $13.84 an hour — about $29,000 a year — to afford a two-bedroom apartment there. The minimum wage in Arkansas is $8.50 an hour.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/won ... n-the-u-s/

Apple’s upcoming iOS 12 will block attempts (after 1 hour) to use the USB port to hack phones. “The feature disables data transfer through the Lightning port one hour after a phone was last locked, preventing popular third-party hacking tools used by law enforcement from accessing the device.” http://ktla.com/2018/06/13/apple-to-rel ... k-iphones/

Pro-tech/business candidate wins San Francisco mayor’s race. “(London) Breed, a moderate, received significant support from the city’s business and tech elite, while Leno and Kim tried to form a united progressive front, asking their own supporters to choose each other as their second choices.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... lack-woman

British territories upset over investment transparency law. “The territories, which include the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands, fear an end to tax secrecy will undermine the financial services industries on which local economies depend since privacy-seeking investors will simply move their portfolios to other secretive regimes.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... en-secrecy

Canadian citizen reportedly imprisoned for eight months by country’s immigration authorities. “(Olajide) Ogunye was approached by border agents and detained outside his Toronto home in June 2016, even though he produced citizenship papers and a government-issued health card.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... -detention

Black Waffle House customer allegedly arrested at gunpoint after dispute over carryout order. “1. This couple never even received their food 2. It was a to-go order 3. They disputed a $1.50 charge on the receipt 4. Waffle House called the police – who arrested them.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/watch- ... nge-juice/

Trump reportedly promises end to U.S. military exercises in Asia, hints at future withdrawal of U.S. troops. “We have, right now, 32,000 soldiers in South Korea, and I’d like to be able to bring them back home.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/12/poli ... index.html Trump calls Kim ‘very talented’. “Well, he is very talented. Anybody who takes over a situation like he did at 26 years of age and is able to run it, and run it tough. I don’t say it was nice.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white- ... au-n882266

Facebook records all of your searches. “California senator Kamala Harris asked in detail about the scope of Facebook’s data collection, and whether it ‘collects and permanently stores’ every search users make for another person on Facebook. The company answered that indeed, it did keep all the records of your online stalking.” https://qz.com/1303802/facebook-knows-e ... r-your-ex/ But you can delete this information by visiting your Activity Log and opening a hidden “Search History” tab. Unlike searches on other search engines, these are directly tied to you.

Senators hold hearings on use of military force. “… it would be hard to overstate the depth and breadth of the dangers to the Constitution, civil liberties, and human rights that the Corker-Kaine (Authorization for Use of Military Force) would cause.” https://www.thenation.com/article/new-b ... dless-war/

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals says police authority to use deadly force is limited by circumstances, lawsuit over fatal shooting of man with scissors by two Newport Beach, California police officers with assault rifles should proceed. “The panel pointed out that in addition to having surrounded the front door of the 7-Eleven and taken cover behind their cars the night Vos died, the (eight) officers had less-lethal weapons they could have used, including tasers and dogs.” https://www.courthousenews.com/ninth-ci ... ing-death/

Dancing FBI agent who accidentally shot bar patron is charged with second degree assault, released on bail until his trial. “(Chase) Bishop was charged with second-degree assault by Denver District Attorney Beth McCann, who said additional charges are possible pending the results of a blood-alcohol-content, or BAC, analysis.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/back-flipping ... d=55841114

Dozens arrested around the country at protests connected with Poor People’s Campaign. “More than 100 people in Kentucky, Kansas, California, New York, Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. were arrested or blocked from entering government buildings.” https://thinkprogress.org/more-than-100 ... 9287534c5/

Federal judge refuses to block AT&T/Time Warner merger. “The decision ‘will give AT&T market power to raise the price of Time Warner content (HBO, CNN, sports, etc.), and, secondly, it will lead to further vertical mergers in this industry that will harm consumers’.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/12/busi ... -case.html

Defense stocks down after Trump-Kim summit. “Shares of Raytheon, which makes Patriot and Tomahawk missiles, closed 2.8% lower. Lockheed Martin, which supplies the Pentagon with air and missile defense systems as well as the F-35 Stealth fighter jet, tumbled 1.3%. And Northrop Grumman, which has increased its focus on cyber warfare and missile defense systems more recently, declined 1.5%. Boeing, which makes Apache helicopters and aerial refueling aircraft, dipped 0.1%. General Dynamics, a Navy shipbuilder, fell 1.6%.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/20 ... 693927002/ Don’t worry guys, Trump is probably just smart enough not to fight Iran and North Korea at the same time.

United Airlines staff allegedly told mom that her plane was not taking off until she turned her child’s baby seat in the wrong direction. “In (her social media) post, she said her eight-month-old daughter was 18 pounds and in accordance with the rules, was below the recommended weight for forward-facing seats. So she made it a point to always put her in rear facing car seats on flights.” http://www.ibtimes.com/united-airlines- ... ms-2690351

Trump tweets ‘mission accomplished’ after summit with Kim Jong Un. “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea…. President Obama said that North Korea was our biggest and most dangerous problem. No longer – sleep well tonight!” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/sleep- ... ng-tweets/ Not an Onion story!

Trump administration reportedly considering housing immigrant children separated from their parents in tent cities on military bases. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is eyeing Fort Bliss, an Army base close to El Paso, as a potential location for a cluster of temporary shelters that could house between 1,000 and 5,000 children, McClatchy reported.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/trump- ... en-report/

Historian claims 70% of Korean War casualties were civilians. “Basically, the apparatus of firebombing that was used to level German and Japanese cities during World War II was redirected to North Korea, which had 15 or 16 cities of modest size, and they were all just wiped off the face of the Earth.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/6/12/ ... bombing_in

Police chase ends in park when driver suspected of speeding smashes into playground and hits three children, leaving two in critical condition. “The children — ages 2, 3 and 4 — were at the Bohanon Park in Minneapolis Monday morning when the SUV crashed into the swings where they were playing, according to an incident report obtained by ABC St. Paul affiliate KSTP-TV.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/suv-crashes-p ... d=55830913

University of California-Berkeley to turn ‘People’s Park’ into dorms. “‘There was a lot of blood shed in that park back in the day’, Reitz said, in reference to the ‘Bloody Thursday’ protests in 1969 that left one man dead and another blinded for life after police used buckshot on the crowd.” http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/06/11/uc ... using.html

White House officials asked to give summary of Trump administration’s foreign policy stance, one reportedly sums it up as, ‘We’re America, bitches!’. “Other notable descriptions of Trump’s doctrine included ‘permanent destabilization creates American advantage’, and ‘No friends, no enemies’…” https://www.salon.com/2018/06/11/were-a ... -official/

5-4 Supreme Court decision allows Ohio to drop voters who don’t vote regularly and who fail to respond to postcards. “Congress enacted the (National Voter Registration Act) against the backdrop of substantial efforts by states to disenfranchise low-income and minority voters, including programs that purged eligible voters from registration lists because they failed to vote in prior elections,” Sotomayor wrote (in her dissent). “The Court errs in ignoring this history and distorting the statutory text…” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/11/poli ... index.html

Philadelphia police reportedly tackle and arrest Pride marcher for trying to burn ‘Blue Lives Matter’ flag, department spokesman says it was strictly a safety issue. “It’s not an issue with the flag, the issue is being in a crowd of people and trying to pour lighter fluid on it. It has nothing to do with the flag.” http://www.nj.com/cape-may-county/index ... _flag.html

Federal authorities accuse New York City’s Housing Authority of covering up poor maintenance. “The people who suffer as a result of NYCHA’s misconduct are its residents, including lead-poisoned children; elderly residents without heat in the winter; asthma sufferers whose condition is worsened by moldy and pest-infested apartments; and disabled residents without functioning elevators.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ne ... rs-n882046

Saudi/U.S./UAE coalition reportedly bombs cholera clinic in Yemen. “According to (Doctors Without Borders), the clinic in the city of Abs was empty at the time and no patients or medical personnel were injured or killed in the attack, but the building—which the group says was clearly marked on its roof as a healthcare facility—is now completely non-functional and operations have now been suspended in the area.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -treatment

Afghans march for peace. “I can be killed if I stay home or if I go to my shop, so I have decided it is much better to die for peace so the next generation of my family can enjoy peace.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... occupation

Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump sign an agreement to work towards an agreement. “Missing from the joint statement was the definition, promoted up until now by the Trump administration, of ‘complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement’. Asked at a press conference why those terms were missing, Trump said: ‘There was no time. I am here one day’.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... rth-summit Trump finally finds a world leader he gets along with. Canada out, North Korea in?

U.S. reportedly offered North Korea ‘security guarantees’ if it gets rid of its nuclear weapons. “The United States is willing to offer North Korea ‘unique’ security guarantees if it embarks on ‘complete verifiable and irreversible denuclearization’, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday.” https://www.timesofisrael.com/pompeo-sa ... uarantees/ So how does that work? A powerfully ally, like China or Russia, could guarantee North Korea’s security, but almost by definition an opponent can only give you an assurance that it will not attack you. You know, like Hitler gave Stalin. And why wasn’t this in the agreement they signed?

Group opposing Washington DC initiative to raise the minimum wage for tipped employees (from $3.33 to $15 per hour) is pretending to be defending employees. “The National Restaurant Association is by far the largest donor to the No on 77 campaign, having provided $25,000 of the $58,550 raised by the campaign to date.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/11/sav ... employees/

Not just Russia, says investigative journalist. “It is a major mistake to place all focus on Russia. We know that Trump’s team has colluded with Israel. We know they colluded with Saudi Arabia. We know they colluded with the United Arab Emirates.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/10/mor ... d-the-uae/

State Department spokesperson complains about lack of coverage of Trump meeting with embassy staff in Singapore, press responds. “One possible explanation for lack of coverage of this event could be that it was closed to the press.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/trumps ... backfires/

Someone is assassinating Catholic priests in the Philippines, and the country’s president is blaming jealous husbands. “You had an affair [with a wife] of a vice mayor, a police officer, a soldier, a business tycoon. You would really get killed.” http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/06/11 ... geted.html

Protesters in Vietnam battle police over special economic zones. “One of the most controversial provisions of the draft law was to allow foreigners to lease land in the three special economic zones for up to 99 years.” https://abcnews.go.com/International/wi ... w-55797318

Tesla worker tells National Labor Relations Board that he was asked to leave by security for passing out union literature. “Hearings for the case are scheduled to continue through Thursday and resume in late September.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesl ... SKBN1J803Z

U.S. roads so bad that pizza delivery company is fixing the potholes itself. “Domino’s has been hiring work crews to repair potholes in a number of cities, including Burbank, CA (five holes fixed), Bartonville, TX (eight holes), an impressive 40 holes fixed in Milford, DE, and an astounding 150 potholes filled in Athens, GA.” https://jalopnik.com/dominos-is-fixing- ... 1826736405

Germany authorities say almost 800,000 Mercedes diesel automobiles world-wide have software to cheat on emissions tests. “Germany’s Transport Ministry ordered Daimler to recall 238,000 cars in Germany because of unauthorized defeat devices.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/11/german- ... evice.html

Some Cheesecake Factory locations in California owe janitors millions in pay for time spent waiting to be released says state’s Labor Commissioner. “Authorities say workers logged up to 10 hours of unpaid overtime a week.” http://www.kcra.com/article/cheesecake- ... e/21280969

Land Rover moving Discovery production to Slovakia. “A spokesman for (Jaguar Land Rover) said the Slovakian plant had been developed over several years and the latest move was unconnected to the Brexit headwinds that led to it announcing 1,000 UK jobs would go in April.” https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... s-solihull

Director of White House National Trade Council says ‘there’s a special place in hell’ for people like the prime minister of one of our closest allies. “There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door…. That’s what weak, dishonest Justin Trudeau did, and that comes right from Air Force One.” https://theweek.com/speedreads/778185/t ... h-betrayal Another episode of ‘Amateur Hour at the White House’.

Ballots from recent Iraqi election damaged in warehouse fire, outgoing speaker of parliament says it’s a plot to thwart recount. “The crime of burning ballot box storage warehouses in the Rusafa area is a deliberate act, a planned crime, aimed at hiding instances of fraud and manipulation of votes, lying to the Iraqi people and changing their will and choices.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/ ... 18409.html But how would opposition parties steal the election? Doesn’t the governing party control the election machinery? However, if you burn the ballots, it’s impossible to prove there wasn’t election fraud…

Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong sentenced to prison. “…(Edward Leung) was sentenced to 6 years in jail on Monday for rioting and assaulting police…. Two other defendants in the case, Lo Kin-man and Wong Ka-kui, were jailed 7 and 3.5 years respectively for rioting.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hong ... SKBN1J707U

FCC’s internet neutrality rules expire tomorrow. “Net neutrality rules were enacted to keep internet providers from blocking certain websites and changing the speed of access to some content. The idea was to keep the internet open and uncensored.” https://www.inquisitr.com/4936466/net-n ... scheduled/

Fox & Friends host Abby Huntsman reportedly calls Singapore summit a ‘meeting between the two dictators’. “Regardless of what happens in that meeting between the two dictators, what we are seeing right now ― this is history.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fo ... b7a0de46ca

Government employees have to tape Trump’s discarded documents back together in order to preserve them as presidential records. “Sometimes the papers would just be split down the middle, but other times they would be torn into pieces so small they looked like confetti.” https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/ ... tem-635164

Democratic Party seeking to reduce influence of ‘super-delegates’ to make the nomination process more democratic, but some well-connected party members are resisting. “(Bob) Mulholland, a DNC member and longtime key player in California Democratic politics, sent an email Friday to other DNC members from the Golden State that implied Russian President Vladimir Putin might be behind the reform effort.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bo ... 7a3d73e7bb

New Jersey cops fatally shoot fleeing woman accused of shoplifting. “LaSahanda Anderson, 36, was speeding toward police in a Nissan Armanda when an officer shot and killed the Philadelphia resident in the parking lot of a Marshalls store, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.” http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/ind ... ng_to.html

Yemen’s Houthi militia accused of torturing and killing prisoners. “We’ve documented at least 117 cases of death in custody that seem to have either been caused by torture or neglect.” https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/featu ... 05320.html

Residents of Spain’s Basque region form human chain as pro-independence protest. “Tens of thousands of people from Spain’s Basque Country joined hands to form a human chain running some 202 kilometres (125 miles) on Sunday to call for the right to hold a regional independence vote.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-spain ... KKBN1J60JF

Audit of Amazon supplier Foxconn in China finds labor law violations. “Those working overtime were being paid at the normal hourly rate instead of the time-and-a-half required by Chinese law and by Amazon’s own supplier code of conduct.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... -illegally

Elizabeth Warren calls out Democrats who voted for bank deregulation bill. “…Warren said she agrees with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that too many Democrats lack the ‘guts’ to take on Wall Street and argued that her party’s struggles will continue until all of its members are ‘willing to take on the billionaire class’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... lling-take

Kinder Morgan pipeline leak reportedly 48 times larger than initially claimed. “On Saturday, with its bailout from the Canadian taxpayer confirmed by (Prime Minister) Trudeau, Kinder Morgan declared after an investigation that, actually, 4,800 liters of crude oil had leaked during the May 27 spill—48 times more crude than first reported.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... s-48-times

Congresswoman calls for reunification of mothers and their children after visiting distressed immigration detainees. “…Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) on Saturday visited over 170 immigrant women detained by the Trump administration at a federal facility in Washington and found that the ‘vast majority of the mothers have not spoken with their children in weeks and they have no idea where they are’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -end-cruel

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

119
Man arrested at city council meeting while making a public comment wins Supreme Court case, but the court fails overturn his arrest on the grounds of free speech or petitioning for a redress of grievances and sends the case back to the local court, saying he may have to prove there was a conspiracy by city officials to silence him. “…(Riviera Beach, Florida) officials had him arrested at a City Council meeting when he refused to stop speaking about public corruption (in Palm Beach county).” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 594594002/

Supreme Court declines to resolve political gerrymandering case, says Wisconsin voters in specific election districts must demonstrate how they were injured to have a legal right to sue. “In Wisconsin, Republicans, who controlled the state legislature, drew district lines so that even when the Democrats won a decisive statewide victory in terms of votes, the GOP carried nearly two-thirds of the legislative seats.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/18/60601702 ... o-in-place

Federal judge overturns Kansas ‘show your papers’ law that requires voters to prove they are U.S. citizens when registering to vote. “Defendant (Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach) insists that these numbers (of non-citizens who have attempted to vote) are just ‘the tip of the iceberg’. This trial was his opportunity to produce credible evidence of that iceberg, but he failed to do so.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ju ... 6c16c652a0

Trump orders military to set up Space Force. “This follows a statement the president made in March during an address at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, in which he said, ‘Space is a war-fighting domain, just like the land, air and sea’.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... story.html Millions of Americans without health insurance, the country still engaged in multiple wars, Puerto Rico in ruins, bridges and roads crumbling, schools underfunded, students owe trillions in education loans, ice caps melting, massive drug problem, Social Security underfunded, prisons understaffed, passenger railroad network shrinking, election technology at risk of being hacked, but there is still money for being the first country to militarize space!

Inspector General’s report failed to address possible FBI tip off of Trump campaign ahead of James Comey’s announcement reopening of Hillary Clinton email investigation just before the election. “(Rudy Giuliani) said he had expected (the reopening of the investigation) three or four weeks previous to that and had been hearing since July about FBI agents who were upset that Hillary Clinton wasn’t being charged.” https://www.salon.com/2018/06/18/heres- ... -campaign/ IG Horowitz says his investigation is still ongoing. “Sources familiar with the matter confirmed last Friday that Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s office was still probing possible leaks to Giuliani or other Trump supporters.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKBN1JE2ZH

White House immigration hardliner Stephen Miller is reportedly the great-grandson of asylum seekers. “Miller’s great grandparents found refuge in the US after escaping anti-Jewish persecution in Antopol, Belarus in 1903, according to Vanity Fair.” http://www.businessinsider.com/stephen- ... ees-2018-6

The five living First Ladies have all spoken out against separation of detained families at the border. “Rosalynn Carter… weighed in, calling the policy a disgrace and that she has seen first hand the trauma of separating children from their parents.” https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ladies- ... d=55986862

UK’s prime minister announces an extra 20 billion pounds per year for the country’s National Health Service, says the money will come from the ‘Brexit dividend’, economists are skeptical. “If you look at the arrangement we’ve come to with the European Union in terms of paying our exit bill — and you add to that the commitment the Government’s already made to keep funding farmers and so on — there is literally, arithmetically, no money.” http://www.businessinsider.com/economis ... end-2018-6

‘Bernie Sanders of Mexico’ poised to become the country’s next president. “We are going to lower the salaries of those who are on top to increase the salaries of those on the bottom.” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018 ... -in-mexico

Republican voters like Kim Jong Un better than Nancy Pelosi: poll. “The Ipsos survey conducted for the Daily Beast found that among Republicans, 19 percent indicated they hold a favorable opinion of Kim, while 17 percent said they have a favorable opinion of Pelosi.” http://thehill.com/homenews/house/39275 ... han-pelosi

Audi executive arrested in Germany in connection with investigation into software for spoofing diesel emissions tests. “A judge in Germany has ordered that (Rupert) Stadler be remanded in custody, it said, to prevent him from obstructing or hindering the diesel investigation.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/18/audi-ce ... -says.html

JPMorgan bank agrees to pay $65 million to settle charges its employees tampered with a benchmark for interest-rate derivatives. “JPMorgan, which didn’t admit or deny the regulator’s findings that its traders sought to rig ISDAfix from 2007 through 2012, joins Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc., Barclays Plc and other lenders in paying fines.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... hmark-rate

Man accuses landlord of refusing to allow subleasing to Muslims. “So if I get anybody, as long as it’s not a Muslim, I’d be OK?” Caldwell asks during a taped conversation. “Yes.” https://kfor.com/2018/06/18/landlord-re ... ng-muslim/

Accounting firm KPMG rapped by UK regulator. “Auditors at KPMG don’t challenge management enough, aren’t sufficiently skeptical and are inconsistent in their execution of audits, according to the report by the Financial Reporting Council.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... lator-says But that’s how companies LIKE it!

Head of Department of Homeland Security claims there is no policy in place to separate families crossing the border together. “We do not have a policy of separating families at the border. Period. — Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen (@SecNielsen) June 17, 2018” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ion-policy

Civilians own more guns than world’s police or militaries according to survey, especially in the U.S. “The majority of the (world’s small) arms, 85% (857m), are estimated to be held by civilians (including individuals, private security firms, non-state armed groups and gangs); while law enforcement agencies own 2% (23m) and military stockpiles account for 13% (133m).” https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve ... ey-reveals

West Point graduated Spenser Rapone discharged from the Army over his social media posts and political beliefs. “His open advocacy of communism attracted the criticism from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio who then urged the U.S. military to dismiss Rapone for supporting the country’s enemies.” http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/06/19/we ... arged.html

Lower House of New York’s legislature passes single payer health care bill for the fourth time. “The Republican-led Senate is not expected to take up the measure before lawmakers adjourn for the year…” https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/20 ... versal-he/

Hundreds of protesters march to tent city in Tornillo, Texas built to house detained immigrant children. “Journalists have not been allowed access to the tent city.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/17/62081306 ... grant-kids

Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center calls cops on seven members of Congress attempting to interview detained parents separated from their children. “(Carolyn) Maloney tweeted that the group was allowed in more than an hour later after ‘banging on the door’ and telling ICE staff and local police that they would not move until they were let in.” http://thehill.com/homenews/house/39268 ... ion-center

House Republicans demand release of Department of Justice documents. “Lawmakers have demanded documents related to the FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email server, the firing of FBI official Andrew McCabe and the surveillance starting in 2016 of a former campaign aide to President Donald Trump.” https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/ ... abe-650395

Russia raises age of retirement to 65 even though life expectancy for Russian men is 66. “The Russian Confederation of Labour (KTR) said official statistics showed the average life expectancy of men was less than 65 in more than 60 regions of Russia.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 02576.html

Rohingya refugees claim ban on wearing pants was one of many restrictions they faced in Myanmar. “Cellphones, sunglasses, motorcycles, anything suggestive of wealth or high status could also get Rohingya fined, arrested or beaten.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as ... story.html

Labor markets tight but wages not rising due to a large reserve of part-timers and gig-economy employees. “…there are now many more involuntary part-time workers than in the past.” http://www.businessinsider.com/supply-a ... ken-2018-6

France may fine General Electric if it fails to meet job creation pledge. “GE had committed to create a net 1,000 new jobs by the end of this year when it bought the energy business of France’s Alstom in 2014…. But GE had created only 323 jobs by the end of April…” https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44512839

Former France Telecom executives facing harassment charges. “According to Le Monde, judges investigated cases involving 39 employees: 19 were suicides, 12 were attempted suicides and eight were cases of depression.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/france-tel ... -suicides/

List of all the companies now owned by AT&T. “It owns dozens of brands, as well as the rights to some of the most popular shows on TV. It has dozens of cable channels…” http://bgr.com/2018/06/16/att-time-warn ... -they-own/

Journalists and politicians describe immigrant children being held in ‘cages’ without any toys or books. “I saw chain link cages full of unaccompanied children. They sat on metal benches and stared straight ahead silently.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... g-facility

Black activist released from prison after serving 40 years. “At Sims Africa’s trial, no evidence was presented that she or the three other women charged alongside her had brandished or handled firearms during the siege. Nor was there any attempt on the part of the prosecution to prove that they had had any role in firing the shot that killed (Officer) Ramp.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... hia-police

Bexar County, Texas sheriff’s deputy accused of molesting small child, threatening her mother with deportation. “(Sheriff) Salazar said investigators suspect that the girl had been assaulted multiple times over the course of several months.” https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2 ... eriff-says

Trump calls news media ‘enemy of the people’. “Why was the FBI giving so much information to the Fake News Media. They are not supposed to be doing that, and knowing the enemy of the people Fake News, they put their own spin on it – truth doesn’t matter to them!” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/trump- ... my-people/

Turkish warplanes attack targets in Iraq, 35 Kurds reportedly killed. “Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan had said on Saturday that Turkish warplanes had struck a meeting of the outlawed PKK in Qandil, where he believed high-profile militants had been hit.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mide ... SKBN1JD0N5

German intelligence agency accused of conducting widespread surveillance in Austria. “”The scale of the surveillance was enormous,” Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said of the spy effort, which reportedly involved around 2,000 targets and took place between 1999 and 2006.” http://www.dw.com/en/austria-angry-at-g ... a-44257734



Guantanamo Bay prison camp marks 6,000th day in operation. “It is outrageous that the U.S. government continues to perpetuate the myth of an ‘endless war’, as a supposed justification for holding prisoners indefinitely without charge or trial, when this is, in fact, a policy for which there is no justification whatsoever.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... closegitmo

Former Bank of Canada official says it’s likely that some pipeline protesters are going to have to die in order to complete the now government-owned Trans Mountain pipeline. “It’s going to take some fortitude…” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... d-so-be-it

Paul Manafort jailed over witness tampering allegations. “Saying the court could not ‘turn a blind eye’ to accusations by prosecutors of witness tampering, a judge on Friday sent Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for President Donald Trump, to jail — revoking his house arrest as he faces trial on numerous charges.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -jail-over

Government contractors reportedly to be paid millions for assisting with the detention of child migrants taken from their parents. “… (former CIA contractor) MVM as well as the defense contractor General Dynamics are rapidly hiring new employees to oversee the dozens of detention centers for children who have been taken from their parents or guardians after crossing the border.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... r-families

How to ‘manage’ information on the internet. “Censorship 2.0 is based on the idea that there are three ways of achieving the government’s desire to keep information from the public – fear (punishment), friction (making it difficult to find information) and flooding (overwhelming the public with random information).” https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... nformation

Still no explanation for Saudi airstrike on Yemeni wedding which killed 23 and wounded 60. “The Saudis have provided no explanation for the strike on Al-Raqah (a request for comment to the Saudi embassy in Washington went unanswered.)” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/16/yem ... airstrike/

Second member of same native American tribe run over by Border Patrol vehicle, driver reportedly flees accident. “‘They just ran me over, bro’, (Paulo) Remes can be heard saying in the video, which was taken Thursday in the village of Topawa (Arizona).” https://www.buzzfeed.com/juliareinstein ... oodham-ice

After spending $8.6 billion to stop opium production in Afghanistan, U.S. has little to show for its efforts. “In 2017 alone, poppy cultivation was thought to support 590,000 full-time jobs — which is more people than are employed by Afghanistan’s military and security forces.” https://taskandpurpose.com/afghanistan- ... ar-report/

Death toll from unrest in Nicaragua hits 164. “The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, which has monitored the violence, said 164 people have been killed in the eight weeks of clashes between pro-Ortega forces and protesters armed with rocks, slings and homemade mortars, with hundreds more injured.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/nicaragua-re ... 00051.html

Almost 2,000 Americans have been arrested since March while protesting on behalf of the poor. “…43.5 percent of all of the people in this country are poor…. Upwards of 250,000 people die every year from poverty.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/6/15/ ... olicies_on The Poor People’s Campaign has a big protest planned for June 23rd in Washington, D.C., with events to also be held around the country. https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/rideshare/

Visitors to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello plantation no longer able to opt out of slavery exhibits. “Previously, Monticello held two separate tours — one of the house and one of Mulberry Row, where the enslaved people lived and worked. In other words, visitors could decide whether to experience this darker side of history.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/16/62031143 ... ly-hemings

BBC documentary reveals plot of Iranian leftists who targeted the 1998 World Cup match between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the U.S. in Lyon, France. Hundreds of members of the ‘terrorist’ MEK/MKO party attended the match and smuggled political banners and t-shirts into the stands. After FIFA ordered TV broadcasters not to show the protest, the group executed Plan B, a rush onto the pitch, but they were thwarted by French soldiers after the French government was tipped off. In the documentary, an Iranian FIFA official claims he overhead the protest leaders discussing their plans in the parking lot! More likely, there was a spy in their organization or their phone calls were being monitored. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswmtw These left wing extremists decided not to use bombs or machine guns publicize their cause, but their non-violent tactics were thwarted by censorship and espionage. By the way, Iran beat the U.S. 2-1, knocking them out of the tournament.

Florida woman who allegedly shot her estranged husband in the testicles during a dispute over an air conditioner is reportedly arrested after failing to show up in court. “(Kimberly) Dunn allegedly told investigators that the shooting was unintentional and that she was only hoping to scare the men, the station reported.” http://abc7ny.com/woman-allegedly-shot- ... t/3610057/

Seven Las Vegas police officers open fire on man in vehicle. “The officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reportedly shot and killed the man after he tried to run them down with his car, according to investigators.” http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/seven-o ... 1243282671 So they were all standing together in a small group, or the driver was swerving around trying to hit them one by one? Or was he just trying to drive away?

San Francisco police officer shoots fleeing man in the back after he was spotted in proximity to an open container of alcohol in public. “The videos do not appear to show (Oliver) Barcenas holding a gun. Nor do they show officers retrieving a pistol from him.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/vi ... b2263a0e19

Nassau County, New York police cleared in fatal shooting of man who allegedly threatened them with a piece of broken glass. “When they arrived, they encountered 43-year-old Alan Goyano who was holding an approximately 9-inch piece of glass and officers asked him to put it down, according to police.” http://abc7ny.com/shooting-of-man-charg ... y/3603790/

Cottonwood Heights, Utah police release edited video of aftermath of police shooting. “No video was recorded of the officer, who was on his way to work, firing at (Zane) James after police say he fled on a dirt bike and then on foot the morning of May 29.” https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900 ... oting.html

Kansas City police fatally shoot fleeing topless woman with fake sword. “I stood on my porch for three hours and watched every cop in Kansas City show up and then armored vehicles and just lots of force show up for a young lady that was just hiding. She obviously was scared and something was wrong with her.” http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/cr ... 60674.html Kansas City police fatally shoot two men fighting over a golf cart, only one of whom was reportedly armed. “Police on Friday identified the men killed as Robert A. White, 34, and Timothy D. Mosley, 33, and said they recovered a gun ‘from one of the deceased men’.” http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/cr ... 87264.html

Inspector General’s report claims ‘dozens’ of FBI employees from ‘all levels of the organization’ leaked Clinton email investigation stories to the press, many received gifts from journalists. “We identified instances where FBI employees improperly received benefits from reporters, including tickets to sporting events, golfing outings, drinks and meals, and admittance to nonpublic social events.” http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06 ... eport.html

About 46 immigrant children a day have been separated from their families, parents are allegedly being told their children are being taken away for a bath. “The Trump administration separated 1,995 children from 1,940 adults from April 19 to May 31, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said Friday.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald ... cy-n883716 I’m not usually one to hysterically accuse the Trump administration of being Nazis, but are they really telling parents that their kids are being taken away ‘to get a bath’? OK, the Nazis said they were going ‘to the showers’, and no one is getting killed here, but still it’s extremely creepy (if it’s true).

Some of the detained migrant children will be housed in tents near the Mexican border. “As of last week, over 570 unaccompanied children were in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol, and nearly 300 of those had been held for more than 72 hours, the limit for holding an immigrant of any age at a border station.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigr ... as-n883281

Trump blames Democrats for separations of detainees and their children. “Until the (zero tolerance) policy was announced in April, such families were usually referred for civil deportation proceedings, not requiring separation.” https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation ... story.html

Minneapolis cops reportedly told ambulance crews to sedate suspects with ketamine. “Minneapolis police officers have repeatedly requested over the past three years that Hennepin County medical responders sedate people using the powerful tranquilizer ketamine, at times over the protests of those being drugged, and in some cases when no apparent crime was committed, a city report shows. On multiple occasions… the ketamine caused heart or breathing failure, requiring them to be medically revived.” http://www.startribune.com/at-urging-of ... 485607381/

Proposed UK law would make taking photos of women’s underwear a crime. “As well as carrying a maximum two-year sentence, it would also allow, in the most serious cases, those convicted to be placed on the sex offenders register.” https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44496427 The most serious cases?

Citibank agrees to pay huge settlement for manipulating key interest rate. “The bank settled with attorneys general in 42 states for $100 million.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/15/news/co ... index.html

Port of Vancouver will reportedly pay $500,000 to settle open meetings lawsuit over private oil terminal deliberations. “…the payment will cover court costs and fees incurred by Columbia Riverkeeper, Sierra Club and Northwest Environmental Defense Center.” https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/ind ... _500k.html

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

120
Supreme Court rules that law enforcement needs a warrant to track cell phone users except in emergencies. “As with GPS information, the time-stamped (cell phone location) data provides an intimate window into a person’s life, revealing not only his particular movements, but through them his ‘familial, political, professional, religious and sexual associations.’” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/us/p ... d5045ec1a6

U.S. had carried out an estimated 550 drone strikes in Libya since 2011. “Probably very few people outside the U.S. government are even aware the U.S. is fighting in Libya, let alone conducting hundreds of lethal drone strikes there.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/20/lib ... e-strikes/

Berkeley city council subcommittee reverses course on banning the city’s police from attending Urban Shield event, some members say restricting police training in any way ‘could be in violation of the city charter or municipal code’. “During Monday’s meeting, Councilwoman Susan Wengraf said she had come to believe the June 4 subcommittee vote — which she had opposed — might actually violate the city charter and municipal code.” https://www.berkeleyside.com/2018/06/20 ... ban-shield

Trump tries to deflect outrage over his ‘baby jails’ by pointing out that some American families have been ‘permanently separated’ from family members by immigrants committing crimes, but these deaths are exceptional according to researchers. “While any death is tragic, a February 2018 study by the Cato Institute using 2015 crime statistics from Texas found immigrants in the country illegally were 25 percent less likely to be convicted of homicide than native-born Americans.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/22/62254033 ... -and-crime

Democratic Party candidate arrested in Maine while trying to deliver supplies to detained migrant children. “Zak (Ringelstein) is being arrested right now after trying to deliver toys, books, water, and blankets to children imprisoned in @realDonaldTrump’s internment camp. #mepolitics #resist — Zak Ringelstein (@RingelsteinME) June 22, 2018” http://thehill.com/latino/393647-maine- ... ion-center

Environmental group wins Freedom on Information Act lawsuit after EPA refuses to hand over Scott Pruitt’s official emails. “In total, the documents provided for the 10-month time period amount to 25 pages containing the two emails and nine text messages.” https://thinkprogress.org/epa-pruitt-em ... ac78bc1ce/

Lawsuit claims asylum seekers held for weeks without lawyers. “After crossing the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum, 123 men have been detained for weeks, spending up to 23 hours per day in cells and denied access to attorneys at a federal detention center in Sheridan, Ore., a lawsuit filed Friday by the American Civil Liberties Union alleges.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pos ... t-alleges/

13 year old who recorded meeting with Manteno Middle School officials about missed detention sessions faces felony charges. “Two months later, in April, (Paul) Boron was charged with one count of eavesdropping – a class 4 felony in Illinois.” https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois ... principal/

Beach jogging woman imprisoned for more than two weeks after accidentally crossing into Washington state from Canada. “It was just unfair that there was nothing, no sign at the border. It’s like a trap…” http://www.newsweek.com/jogger-crosses- ... eks-992319

U.S. State Department official allegedly threatened to pull country from U.N. Human Rights Council over its report on U.S. poverty. “The 20-page Alston report found that the United States has among the most chronic rates of poverty among all nations in the developed world and that President Trump’s policies are likely to exacerbate them.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/won ... sequences/

British university sends students email with inspirational quote – from Nazi general Erwin Rommel. “Unfortunately, the staff member did not recognize the name attributed to the generated quote.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/wor ... 725753002/

After Trudeau slams Trump over family separations, it turns out that Canada does it too. “In one report by McGill University, which talked to 20 families who were detained in immigration centers in Toronto and Laval about their experiences, it was found that half of the time children were separated from their parents at some point in the process of seeking asylum.” http://www.newsweek.com/canada-detains- ... ump-989698

18 Mexican candidates for mayor have been assassinated ahead of elections. “Almost all of the 18 candidates killed across the country so far have been running for local posts in the July 1 elections, which will also decide the presidency, governorships and Congress.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/18- ... -2-n885706

Philippine government labels indigenous rights activists as terrorists. “…the list also named more than 30 indigenous activists and leaders, including Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a Philippine national and UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, who branded the allegation of terrorism links ‘baseless, malicious and irresponsible’.” https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve ... l-killings

City of McKinney, Texas settles with family of then 14 year-old teenage girl tackled by police officer at pool party. “(Former) McKinney police Cpl. Eric Casebolt is shown in a screen shot from video of an altercation in which he pulled his gun on a group of teenagers at a pool party.” http://www.star-telegram.com/news/state ... 50864.html

Amazon employees ask Jeff Bezos to stop marketing artificial intelligence-based facial recognition system to law enforcement agencies. “Dear Jeff, We are troubled by the recent report from the ACLU exposing our company’s practice of selling AWS Rekognition, a powerful facial recognition technology, to police departments and government agencies. We don’t have to wait to find out how these technologies will be used. We already know that in the midst of historic militarization of police, renewed targeting of Black activists, and the growth of a federal deportation force currently engaged in human rights abuses — this will be another powerful tool for the surveillance state…” http://www.businessinsider.com/over-100 ... ice-2018-6

Black Maine resident claims he had his groceries seized, was banned from the supermarket and was visited by police after he questioned Shaw’s policy of asking for his ID and his wife’s ID when they bought a bottle of Japanese sake. “I said that’s OK, I didn’t know about the policy, I want to know its real… I’m a young black man in America. I want to make sure I’m treated the same as everyone else.” http://www.sunjournal.com/shaws-executi ... aco-store/ This news story and multiple others fail to address the question of whether or not this is a real policy. If a 43 year-old goes to the grocery store with his 17 year-old daughter and 13 year-old son and tries to buy a bottle of wine, will he be denied his purchase because the two teens are underage? It seems pretty unlikely, and rather easy to evade. “You two wait for me in the car, I’m going to get in line and check out now.”

Toys ‘R Us closing all of its stores on June 29th. “The store closings mean that around 31,000 employees will ultimately be laid off.” https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/ ... s-closing/ “The toy chain collapsed mainly (because of) its inability to service a huge debt load piled on it by its private equity buyers, KKR & Co LP (KKR.N) and Bain Capital LP, amid tepid sales and a broader shift toward online shopping.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-targ ... SKCN1G61KY

Orlando International to be the first airport to require digital facial scans of all international passengers, including U.S. citizens. “… some privacy advocates say there are no formal rules in place for handling data gleaned from the scans, nor formal guidelines on what should happen if a passenger is wrongly prevented from boarding.” https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/nati ... 10171.html In the past U.S. citizens were allowed to opt-out, but they were not informed that they were allowed to opt-out (as I can personally testify). They really, really wanted to obtain facial scans of U.S. citizens, to the point of misleading them about it being voluntary. Now it will be mandatory – everyone gets a mug shot. Creepy.

U.S. methane emissions estimated to be 63% higher than reported by EPA according to study. “It appears that abnormal operating conditions must be largely responsible, because the observation frequency was too high to be attributed to routine operations like condensate flashing or liquid unloadings alone.” https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/06 ... estimated/

Facebook accused of tagging non-political ads as restricted political ads. “The Wild Cow, a vegetarian restaurant in Nashville, felt the effects of the new policy as well when Facebook took down an ad for a fundraising show the restaurant was hosting for a local dog-rescue group.” http://www.startribune.com/a-day-care-a ... 486325621/

Performance artist sells $28 bottles of “Hot Dog Water” (bottle of water with a cooked hot dog floating inside) at festival, people buy it. “People who read the fine print on the bottle labels learned that hot dog water isn’t really a health elixir. It was just Bevans trying to make a point about consumerism, marketing and how vulnerable people can be to a good pitch, especially when it comes to products said to be backed by science.” http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-w ... 68189.html

Art gallery owner arrested after installation of giant heroin spoon outside pharmaceutical company’s headquarters. “A colossal spoon, stained to symbolize burnt heroin, was installed Friday morning outside of Purdue Pharma’s Tresser Boulevard headquarters by protesters hoping to draw attention to the pharmaceutical company’s alleged role in the opioid epidemic.” https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/ ... 017303.php

Ralph Nader asks why former First Ladies are willing to stand up for immigrant children but not for children hurt by U.S. military action. “Would be nice if Laura Bush and Michelle Obama had expressed similar heartfelt concern for the tens of thousands of children killed or seriously maimed by the wars of their husbands in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. -R — Ralph Nader (@RalphNader) June 22, 2018” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -thousands

Oil train derails into flooded Iowa river. “The derailment occurred around 4:30 am local time near the Sioux-Lyon County border, and one or more train cars spilled oil into the floodwaters of the Rock River.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... loodwaters

Protesters play recording of crying children outside home of Homeland Security director. “Wielding signs calling for Nielsen’s resignation, the demonstrators led chants of ‘o justice, no sleep!’ just steps away from the front door of the DHS secretary’s home.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... utside-dhs

More arrests as Poor People’s Movement rallies in Washington D.C. “As members of the movement chanted ‘Stop the war! Feed the poor!’ outside the Capitol, inside the building, members of the U.S. House were narrowly passing a Farm Bill which demonstrates that, as Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) put it, ‘Republicans are waging war on anti-poverty and anti-hunger programs’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... arrests-dc

Detained immigrant children allegedly given powerful anti-psychotic drugs to control their behavior. “After being taken to the (Shiloh Treatment Center in Manvel, Texas), children who had arrived in the U.S. without parents or guardians were given drugs including Clonazepam, Divalproex, Benztropine, and Duloxetine—used to treat seizures, Parkinson’s disease, and depression.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -detention

Instead of sexually harassing their female colleagues, Doctors Without Border employees allegedly patronized African prostitutes, but that also resulted in a ‘toxic culture’. “There was this older colleague, who actually moved a woman into the (charity) compound. It was pretty obvious that she was a prostitute but he’d call her his girlfriend.” http://www.france24.com/en/20180621-msf ... ut-borders OMG! Luckily the Anti-Sex League is on it. You have three choices guys – celibacy, homosexuality or masturbation (without pornography). Stop creating a toxic environment for women by trying to have sex with them.

Some of the drawbacks of a world of autonomous vehicles. “Now manufacturers, governments and city authorities will know where we’re going, what we’re doing and when. If anyone doesn’t like what we’re doing, they will be able to stop us, withdraw technical and accident cover, stop us using particular roads or streets, or just shut us down.” http://www.ibtimes.com/driverless-cars- ... en-2693700

Conservationists discover a picture of the pelt of a protected jaguar that once frequented the Huachuca Mountains in Arizona. “Seven male jaguars have been seen in the Southwest since 1996, all but one in Arizona.” https://tucson.com/news/local/jaguar-th ... c08a6.html

Nevada politicians allegedly lobbied to win ‘Opportunity Zone’ designation for Republican Party donor. “Treasury officials had initially deemed that Storey County’s income levels were too high to qualify, based on the metrics they had used to judge every other nomination for the special tax status. But after weeks of prodding from Nevada officials, Treasury relented…” https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... story.html

Washington Post accused of failing to call a bigot a bigot. “In an exemplar of elite media mealymouthing, the Post defines (and laments) (Corey) Stewart’s embrace of white supremacist ideas, and the people who act on them, not as him being a white supremacist, but as ‘court[ing] white supremacists’, his racist comments not as him being a racist, but his ‘seeing…pandering to racism [as] a valuable tactic’.” https://fair.org/home/wapo-cant-believe ... -means-it/

Kansas election officials reportedly told to continue requiring citizenship documents for voter registration, despite federal judge’s order to stop the practice. “Danedri Herbert, a spokeswoman for (Kris) Kobach, told the news outlet that state officials still need time to fully understand the court’s ruling on the law…. ‘I think ‘immediately’ is kind of open to interpretation,’ she told the Capital-Journal.” http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch ... -was-ruled

President Trump reverses family separation policy. “For days, Trump and his top administration officials were unwilling to unilaterally reverse the separation policy, insisting that congressional action was required.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpos ... story.html

Airlines refuse to fly migrant children separated from their families, American Airlines denies any knowledge of having conducted such flights in the past. “We have no knowledge” of whether authorities have flown migrant children on their planes, the statement said, “but we would be extremely disappointed to learn that is the case.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/20/62197274 ... g-families Unaccompanied migrant children reportedly arrive at La Guardia airport in New York. “American Airlines later released a statement saying that, after customers and employees expressed concerns, they were assured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement that ‘these individuals are being reunited with family members who live in the United States’.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/nyre ... -york.html

East Pittsburgh police shoot fleeing, unarmed 17 year-old. “We believe he was hit three times,” (Superintendent McDonough) added. “He was hit in various places on his body.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/20/us/p ... oting.html

Chicago boy shot in the head lay on the street under a sheet for about an hour before bystanders noticed he was still moving. “(Erin Carey, 17) was pronounced dead at 1:14 a.m. Tuesday, about 20 hours after he was shot, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... story.html

Los Angeles police release partial, edited video of arrest of suspect who died about an hour after being tasered. “(Jose) Chavez continued to struggle after being placed in handcuffs, and his breathing ‘became labored’ and then stopped as officers took him out toward the sidewalk, Hamilton said in the video.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Prison officials accused of making it harder to send books to prisoners. “In spring 2017, the Arizona Department of Corrections instituted a policy requiring books intended for individual prisoners to come from major publishers and retailers.” https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2 ... libraries/

Some detained migrant children say they were severely mistreated. “Virginia’s governor ordered state officials Thursday to investigate abuse claims by children at an immigration detention facility who said they were beaten while handcuffed and locked up for long periods in solitary confinement, left nude and shivering in concrete cells…. ‘They also put a bag over your head. It has little holes; you can see through it. But you feel suffocated with the bag on.'” https://apnews.com/amp/afc80e51b562462c89907b49ae624e79

Activist artists alter billboard. “We make kids disappear — ICE,” reads the altered billboard, originally an ad for a junk-removal service with the slogan, “We make junk disappear.” https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/calif ... 04494.html

Ban on separating families at the border may be temporary. “(Homeland Security) Secretary Nielsen privately told lawmakers the Administration may go back to separating children from their parents.” http://thehill.com/homenews/house/39356 ... ume-family

ICE closes Portland, Oregon office ‘due to security concerns’. “Similar protests have bubbled to the surface outside — and occasionally even inside — ICE offices and detention facilities in Baltimore, Los Angeles, San Francisco and even on Capitol Hill, where an interfaith network of local congregations gathered Thursday morning to denounce the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policy.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/21/62224340 ... across-u-s

Non-Hispanic white American population shrinking. “White fertility has gone down.” http://www.newsweek.com/race-america-us ... ime-988309

Obama administration cyber security official claims he was ordered to ‘stand down’ on Russian election hacking. “(Michael) Daniel confirmed reports that he, along with other National Security Council officials who were working on efforts to aggressively counter the Russian attack, was given a ‘stand down order’ in August 2016 as disputes erupted inside the Obama administration on how to respond.” https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama-a ... d=56029328

Panama Papers tax haven firm reportedly did not know who owned most of the companies registered with them. “Two months after becoming aware of the data breach, Mossack Fonseca was unable to identify the beneficial owners of more than 70% of 28,500 active companies in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) as well as 75% of companies in Panama, according to new documents seen by BBC Panorama.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44553932

People in multiple western democracies tell pollsters their governments rarely serve their interests. “When asked ‘do you feel that your government is acting in your interest?’ 64 percent of respondents living in democracies said ‘rarely’ or ‘never’.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-demo ... SKBN1JH1XE

Should Juneteenth be a national holiday? “Two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery had finally come to an end in Texas. That day — June 19, 1865 — would come to be celebrated by black Americans all over the country…” https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/06/june ... very-union

171 court cases involving Standing Rock pipeline protesters still remain to be tried. “According to Andrea Carter, who is the legal director for the Water Protector Legal Collective (WPLC), 103 out of the remaining 171 cases are warrant cases, meaning that they are currently not set for trial and the defendants have not made an initial court appearance… 70 cases are open and set for trial, she expects them to be resolved between June and October of this year.” https://rightsanddissent.org/news/stand ... r-protest/

Koch-financed groups reportedly campaigning against public transportation projects. “Since 2015, Americans for Prosperity has coordinated door-to-door anti-transit canvassing campaigns for at least seven local or state-level ballots, according to a review by The New York Times.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/19/clim ... ansit.html Article also points out their conflict of interest: “One of the mainstay companies of Koch Industries… is a major producer of gasoline and asphalt, and also makes seat belts, tires and other automotive parts.”

Self-employed and small businesses to get same Obamacare exemption as large employers. “Critics of the rule often point out that association health plans would not be mandated to cover Obamacare’s ‘essential health benefits’, but this is the exact same exemption Democrats made in 2010 for large employer plans, which cover roughly 160 million people, or half of all Americans.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... story.html

Marine who reportedly belonged to white supremacist group and allegedly attacked a counter-protester during the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia ‘Unite the Right’ march is punished at court-martial but will remain in the military. “The marine was sentenced to 28 days of confinement, was demoted two ranks and will lose two-thirds of a month’s pay, ABC News reported.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... rt-martial

Fox News host Laura Ingraham tells viewers that detention centers for immigrant children ‘are essentially summer camps’. “More kids are being separated from their parents and temporarily housed in what are essentially summer camps, or as The San Diego Union Tribune described them today, as basically looking like boarding schools.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/la ... b9e9a4840c “The judge said, ‘You may go to jail, or you may go to Camp Green Lake.’ Stanley was from a poor family. He had never been to camp before.” (from ‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar)

Attorney General Sessions says it’s unfair to compare detention camps for illegal migrants and asylum seekers to Nazi concentration camps. “Well, it’s a real exaggeration, of course. In Nazi Germany, they were keeping the Jews from leaving the country.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/je ... b9e9a43e7d Shaking my head… Keeping them in Germany by shipping them to occupied Poland for extermination.

Police groups opposing California bill to restrict use of deadly force. “A pair of U.S. Supreme Court cases three decades ago created a legal precedent that police can kill suspects if a “reasonable” officer in similar circumstances would have acted the same way. (Assembly Bill) 931… would limit that justification to situations where officers have no available alternatives to protect themselves or others.” https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-go ... 52784.html

CEO of non-profit operating detention centers for immigrant children reportedly earning $1.5 million a year. “The nonprofit, Southwest Key Programs Inc., is to be paid more than $458 million in fiscal 2018, according to the data — the most among the organizations, government agencies and companies that run a detention and care system for immigrant children on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -nonprofit

More than 100 workers reportedly arrested at Salem, Ohio meat company. “ICE officials said the number of workers arrested was likely to climb once the operation concluded.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/19/us/i ... index.html

More than 1,000 protest at El Paso immigrant processing center. “Our message is, free our children now.” https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local ... 007861.php

U.S. withdraws from U.N. Human Rights Council after criticism of it treatment of immigrant families. “‘The thought that any State would seek to deter parents by inflicting such abuse on children is unconscionable,’ (U.N. high commissioner on human rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein) said Monday, in comments opening the 38th session of the Human Rights Council.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/19/62143522 ... ts-council

Canadian legislature approves legalization of recreational marijuana. “The measure legalizes marijuana possession, home growing, and sales for adults.” https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics ... -bill-c-45

NASA official warned Congress about global warming 30 years ago. “Thirty years later, it’s clear that (James) Hansen and other doomsayers were right.” http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/06/ ... rning.html Hansen calls for global carbon tax. “Rather than non-binding international accords like the Paris agreement—which he has criticized for years—Hansen is in favor of taxing fuels that produce carbon.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ng-climate

Prime minister of Ethiopia tells country’s parliament that government security forces abused citizens. “Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said his country’s security institutions tortured and committed ‘terrorist acts’ against its own citizens in the past, in a rare and candid admission.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/ ... 21984.html

Julian Assange marks 6th year in Ecuador’s London embassy. “An international group of lawyers appealed to the UN’s Human Rights Council this week regarding concerns that Assange’s protracted confinement is having a severe impact on his physical and mental health.” https://www.cnet.com/news/vigil-for-the ... in-london/

Microsoft employees protest ICE contract. “We believe that Microsoft must take an ethical stand, and put children and families above profits.” https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-employees ... 1826965297

Republican budget proposal for 2019 calls for huge cuts in social programs. “… House Republicans on Tuesday quietly unveiled their 2019 budget proposal that calls for $537 billion in cuts to Medicare, $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, and four billion in cuts to Social Security over the next decade in an effort to pay for their deficit-exploding tax cuts for the wealthy.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ck-nations

Protests against Trump administration immigration policies to be held nationwide on June 3oth. “Groups involved in planning the demonstrations include the ACLU, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, MoveOn, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... n-families

Italy’s right-wing interior minister proposes an ‘answer’ to the country’s ‘Roma question’ – deportation. “Unfortunately we will have to keep the Italian Roma because we can’t expel them.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... eo-salvini

Number of people driven from their homes worldwide hit record high in 2017. “The figure of 68.5 million displaced people – 3 million higher than the total population of the UK – includes 25.4 million refugees, 40 million internally displaced and 3.1 million asylum seekers.” https://www.theguardian.com/global-deve ... ecution-un

Some Polish judges say they are being harassed by their own government. “Judges involved in politically sensitive cases or who have expressed opposition to threats to judicial independence have told the Guardian they are frequently threatened with disciplinary proceedings and even criminal charges, and in many cases are subjected to allegations of corruption and hate campaigns orchestrated by leading (Law and Justice party) politicians.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... timidation

‘Anti-natalists’ are not having children in order to save the planet. “The trees are being cut down on our behalf. Plastic waste is being dumped and minerals are being mined not because of bad people, but because of people. Having fewer of us, there will be less of those effects.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ate-crisis

34,361 migrants are estimated to have died trying to reach Europe (or after reaching Europe). “… deaths do not just occur at sea, but in detention blocks, asylum units and town centers. Some 400 have taken their own lives; more than 600 have died violently at the hands of others.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... -bodycount

Federal judge dismisses lawsuits over FBI background check that cleared Charleston, South Carolina church shooter Dylann Roof, judge says government has immunity. “Wrongful death lawsuits filed by survivors and family members of victims of the shooting alleged that at least one of the background check databases maintained by the federal government had information that should have prevented the firearm sale.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/us-jud ... cizes-fbi/

Burlington, Iowa police refusing to release video of accidental police shooting of woman during domestic disturbance call. “Investigators said (Officer) Hill was trying to protect himself from the family’s German shepherd mix when he slipped on some ice, and he said the gun went off after he fell down.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/offici ... t-toddler/

Feds charge former CIA employee with leaking ‘Vault 7’ government hacking programs. “Schulte worked in the CIA’s Engineering Development Group, according to people with knowledge of his employment history as well as the group’s role in developing cyberweapons.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... story.html

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

121
Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy announces his retirement, Donald Trump will nominate his successor. “The nomination battle will likely ignite a firestorm on Capitol Hill as it comes just a year after Republicans changed the rules of the Senate in order to push through the nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s first nominee.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/27/poli ... index.html Justice Kennedy wrote the court’s opinion on the Citizens United case. “Kennedy argued that independent expenditures, by definition, could not have a corrupting effect on elected officials,” says Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. “By definition, because the political spender did not obtain a signed agreement for a favor in exchange for the political spending. There are perhaps five people in Washington, D.C. who think this reflects how political spending works. That would be Justice Kennedy and the four justices who joined him.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/28/far ... t-history/

Chairman of House Natural Resources Committee wants to investigate foreign ties of U.S. environmental groups. “We are interested in environmental litigation by U.S. based 501(c) organizations against the Department of Defense and its negative impact on our national security.” https://thinkprogress.org/house-republi ... 37e505261/

Green candidate Laura Wells will oppose Congresswoman Barbara Lee in California general election in November. “Laura Wells’s name will appear alongside Lee’s on the November ballot because she won 77 percent of the official write-in vote and therefore placed second in the top-two primary.” http://sfbayview.com/2018/06/running-gr ... -the-wars/

Progressive Democrats win governor’s race primaries in Maryland and Colorado. “Progressive candidates also won two gubernatorial primaries, with 2016 Bernie Sanders ally and former NAACP head Ben Jealous winning in Maryland and Rep. Jared Polis in Colorado.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/27/poli ... index.html

Supreme Court rules that public employee unions must represent non-members for free. “Twenty-two states – including populous ones such as California, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania – have allowed unions to assess the fees on nonunion members, who benefit from collective-bargaining agreements anyway.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/fo ... 739414002/

East Pittsburgh police officer charged with homicide after shooting fleeing, unarmed teen in the back. “You do not shoot somebody in the back if they are not a threat to you.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/police-office ... d=56196640

Kingsland, Georgia police officer charged with manslaughter in shooting death of fleeing motorist, autopsy and body camera video not released. “According to Phillips, that evidence must have shown Green was either shot in the back, or far enough way he couldn’t have been a threat to Presley during the traffic stop that turned deadly.” https://www.news4jax.com/news/georgia/c ... tally-shot_

Republican immigration bill fails to pass in House of Representatives by embarrassingly large margin (301-121). “The Republican compromise voted on Wednesday would have provided a shot at citizenship for hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children.” http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06 ... floor.html

Tennessee Republican proposes crowdfunding border wall. “Today, U.S. Congressman (sic) Diane Black (R-TN-06) introduced the Border Wall Trust Fund Act, which would create an account at the U.S. Treasury dedicated to holding public donations for the completion of the wall along the United States’ southern border.” https://black.house.gov/media/press-rel ... t-fund-act Are the Mexican government’s donations to the Border Wall going into this trust fund too? Or is that a separate account?

ICE agents accused of snatching detainee’s partner, breaking lawyer’s foot. “The 3 a.m. encounter ended up with the family in tears, Martinez with a fractured foot after she says she was shoved (out the door) by an ICE agent, and Luis detained and placed in removal proceedings…” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pos ... -a-family/

Federal judge orders Border Patrol to stop separating families and to reunited those already separated. “Any children younger than 5 must be reunited within 14 days of Tuesday’s ruling, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego ruled.” http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/06/27/fe ... order.html

U.S. Supreme Court overturns ruling that allowed internment of Japanese Americans. “In a 5-4 decision, the court’s conservative majority upheld President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from several Muslim majority nations, but in doing so they also took the chance to note that the 1944 decision allowing Japanese internment was ‘gravely wrong’…. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor accused the court of overlooking the clear parallels between the two cases.” http://time.com/5324434/supreme-court-t ... korematsu/

Jury in Quintonio LeGrier lawsuit awards family $1 million, but judge reverses their award since they also indicated that the shooting was justified. “(Officer) Rialmo shot and killed Quintonio LeGreier, 19, and his neighbor, Bettie Jones, while responding to a disturbance call in 2015…. Rialmo alleges that LeGrier swung a bat at him.” http://abc7chicago.com/judge-rejects-ju ... s/3664462/

Alexandria, Virginia man dies after being restrained by six police officers. “Once (Christopher) Paul was restrained, paramedics were allowed to enter the home, Roessler said. As medics were assessing him, Paul experienced a medical emergency. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.” https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/loca ... 99431.html

Nominee to head Internal Revenue Service reportedly failed to disclosed that he owned property in a Trump development. “(Charles) Rettig, a tax lawyer from Beverly Hills, reported on a committee questionnaire about assets and income that he had 50 percent ownership in two rental units in Hawaii. But he didn’t include that they were located in the Trump International Hotel and Tower Waikiki Beach Walk…” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... ded-resort

FBI claimed former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort received a $10 million loan from Russian oligarch. “In an affidavit attached to the July 2017 (search warrant) application, an FBI agent said he had reviewed tax returns for a company controlled by Manafort and his wife that showed a $10 million loan from a Russian lender identified as Oleg Deripaska.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ru ... ow-n887196

Three hospitals in rebel held area of Syria hit by airstrikes. “A medical charity and a monitoring group said the facilities in the towns of Saida, Jizah and Musayfira, east of the city of Deraa, were hit overnight.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44628879 Wow, what a coincidence!

Trump administration reportedly deporting some migrants without their children. “Reuters tracked at least six Central American migrants last week after they were deported while their children remained in U.S. shelters or, as in the case of Garcia’s daughter, in the custody of sponsors.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... JO01U?il=0

Marketing company accused of leaving data on hundreds of millions of U.S. citizens and businesses exposed on the internet. “Aside from the sheer breadth of the Exactis leak, it may be even more remarkable for its depth: Each record contains entries that go far beyond contact information and public records to include more than 400 variables on a vast range of specific characteristics: whether the person smokes, their religion, whether they have dogs or cats, and interests as varied as scuba diving and plus-size apparel.” https://www.wired.com/story/exactis-dat ... n-records/

Facebook accused of manipulating users into handing over their data. “When choosing the privacy-enhancing option, such as disabling face recognition, users are presented with a tailored set of consequences: “we won’t be able to use this technology if a stranger uses your photo to impersonate you,” for instance, to scare the user into enabling it.” https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/27/study ... s-privacy/

Trump Federal Trade Commission appointee reportedly represented at least 54 companies before joining the agency. “The only [thing] Andrew Smith should be running is the competition for the greatest revolving-door figure in the Trump era,” said Jeff Hauser, who runs the Revolving Door Project. “The competition has been fierce for the last 18 months, but out of nowhere comes the Federal Trade Commission.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/27/andrew-smith-ftc/

Federal judge rips ICE over vague ‘gang affiliation’ charges against immigrant teenager. “Judge Sweet says, ‘This is not even probable cause.’ He’s like, ‘What you’re asserting against this young man is not evidence.’ I hope that that will empower other people to say, you know, just because the government says something, it doesn’t mean that it’s true.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/27/fed ... detention/

Trump stands up for Putin, accuses FBI of corruption. “Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election! Where is the DNC Server, and why didn’t Shady James Comey and the now disgraced FBI agents take and closely examine it? Why isn’t Hillary/Russia being looked at? So many questions, so much corruption! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 28, 2018”

White BART rider in San Francisco summons cops over man eating a burrito on the train. “Yes, can we get a policeman on board here,” he says into the intercom. “We’ve got someone dining in the first car.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/watch- ... ops-https/

Black students settle racial harassment lawsuit against their high school. “Yerington Police Chief Darren Wagner told the Reno Gazette Journal in an October 2017 interview that he was not investigating the threats posted on social media because they were protected as free speech and that the family’s police statements were shredded accidentally.” https://wtop.com/education/2018/06/rura ... ettlement/

Billionaire couple accused of dumping sick dogs on animal rescue shelter, refusing to pay for their treatment. “Crazy dog adoption lady trying to squeeze the Shoen’s for $$$,” Sylvia Shoen wrote back. “This b*tch will never see a copper penny!” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/trump- ... void-fees/

Miami-Dade police officers reportedly used excessive force on littering suspect then lied on their police reports but were not disciplined. “MDPD detectives punched the suspect on video and later lied on their arrest affidavits, prosecutors discovered last August. But State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle’s office never charged the officers…. Despite the clear violations detailed in the memo, MDPD spokesperson Det. Alvaro Zabaleta confirmed that the two officers involved are still active and that the department’s internal affairs investigation ‘revealed no criminal or wrongdoing; therefore, there is no disciplinary action forthcoming’.” http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami ... e-10471151

Amnesty International accuses senior Myanmar military officers of involvement in Rohingya atrocities. “Our report also shows that the crimes against humanity implicate each level of the Myanmar military, from soldiers on the ground who committed the atrocities; to field commanders who ordered or directly oversaw the crimes; to ultimately the senior-most levels of the military, including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.” https://www.dw.com/en/myanmar-military- ... a-44416739

German citizen charged with terrorism in Turkey after making movie about slaughter of Yazidis by Islamic State. “The PKK swept in from their mountain bases to save Yazidis in Sinjar as IS overran the area in 2014.” https://www.dw.com/en/kurdish-german-si ... a-44420346

Leaked ICE undercover operations manual reveals that informants can break laws, forge credentials and impersonate professionals who their targets would tend to trust. “Then there’s the list of personas undercover informants can adopt, which include priests/clergy, lawyers, doctors, therapists, and ‘news media’. Naturally, some of these roles involve the harvesting of privileged communications…” https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180 ... tors.shtml

Supreme Court upholds Trump’s ban on visitors from Muslim countries. “The Supreme Court’s approval of President Trump’s travel ban barring entry to some 150 million people from five overwhelmingly Muslim countries is likely to be judged by history as one of the court’s greatest failures — in a league with Dred Scott v. Sandford, which helped bring on the Civil War (by ruling that slaves are property without any legal rights), and Korematsu v. United States, which upheld the wartime detention of more than 110,000 Japanese Americans and noncitizens of Japanese descent.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... story.html

Supreme Court rules that California cannot force ‘pregnancy crisis centers’ to disclose to clients that they are not medical facilities and do not employee health care providers. “…unlicensed clinics offer pregnancy tests and limited ultrasounds, and, to an unskeptical eye, they can look very much like a licensed medical facility. The personnel wear surgical scrubs or white coats and ask clients to fill out medical history questionnaires.” https://www.npr.org/2018/06/26/60642767 ... cy-centers Does this mean I can set up a ‘cancer treatment center’ without a medical license, impersonate a doctor and treat people with vitamins, avocado pits and magic crystals? Or maybe a ‘legal crisis center’ that looks like an attorney’s office, where I charge people for advice that I look up on the internet, without actually having any legal training? The Supreme Courts seems to be saying that state regulators would be violating my First Amendment rights if they insisted that I disclose to my clients that I am providing services without any training.

Congressional Budget Office warns of ballooning federal deficit. “The budget office’s annual look at the government’s long-term financial outlook paints a grim picture, projecting soaring deficits in the coming years, with debt ultimately peaking at more than 152% of the nation’s gross domestic product.” http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-p ... story.html

Reality Winner pleads guilty to leaking classified government report on Russian attempts to hack U.S. election infrastructure, something Trump dismissed at one point as being ‘ridiculous’. “The report described two cyberattacks by Russia’s military intelligence unit, the G.R.U. — one in August against a company that sells voter-registration-related software and another, a few days before the election, against 122 local election officials.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/us/r ... -plea.html

IRS releases new postcard-size tax form, but it looks just like the old tax form with some information left off, which you will now need to complete on separate schedules. “Don’t confuse creating a postcard with simplifying a tax filing, it’s not the same thing at all.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/postcard-s ... mplicated/ In Japan, most employees who have only one employer have their tax bill calculated for them by their company, and more or less income tax is withheld on the last check of the year to make their tax bill come out to zero, meaning they don’t have to file tax returns at all! https://blog.gaijinpot.com/japan-year-e ... justments/

Montana man claims he was raped by his ex-girlfriend, who was hiding in his home before threatening him with a machete. “The ex-boyfriend told authorities he engaged in the sexual activity because he feared for his own safety, KPAX reported.” https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-worl ... 49404.html

‘Baby jail’ employee reportedly told detained migrant children that if they talked to the press there could be unforeseen consequences. “If for whatever reason you talk to a reporter, you know what’s going to happen to your case? It’s going to be on the news — and then one doesn’t know what is going to happen.” http://www.businessinsider.com/detained ... ers-2018-6

Myanmar troops who participated in ethnic cleansing operation against the country’s Muslims implicated by survivors and by their own social media posts. “The (Rohingya) are quiet now,” Sai Sitt Thway Aung, the 99th (light infantry division) soldier, posted on his Facebook page on Sept. 5. “(Rohingya) villages have burned.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myan ... JM1X7?il=0

Spanish doctor accused of stealing child from political prisoners. “Campaigners say officials took babies from “unsuitable” mothers – often communists or leftists – and gave them to families connected to the regime. They say it continued after Franco’s death into the 1980s.” https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/0 ... /23468291/

Algeria accused of dumping African migrants in the desert without food or water. “There were people who couldn’t take it. They sat down and we left them. They were suffering too much.” https://apnews.com/9ca5592217aa4acd836b9ee091ebfc20

Democratic socialist beats moderate, 10-term, Wall Street-friendly incumbent in New York City primary election. “(Alexandria) Ocasio-Cortez, a former Bernie Sanders organizer, has never held elected office. Ocasio-Cortez ran a low-budget campaign and was outspent by an 18-1 margin.” https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/prima ... e-updates/

Separated immigrant families will not be reunited while parents are in custody says Health and Human Services secretary. “The administration will reunite children with their parents quickly only if the parents drop their claims for asylum in the U.S. and agree to be deported.” http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-p ... story.html

In San Francisco, families earning less than $117,000 are considered ‘low-income’. “A report out this week from the Department of Housing and Urban Development finds the median price for a single-family home in the Bay Area is now $935,000.” http://www.ktva.com/story/38516216/fami ... n-bay-area

Omaha, Nebraska non-profit CEO was reportedly paid an annual salary of $933,444. “Nebraska’s attorney general says the board responsible for overseeing Goodwill Omaha allowed the charity to stray from its core mission of providing jobs for the needy and disabled while top executives received excessive payments.” http://nebraska.tv/news/local/report-la ... 06-26-2018

Blind man claims he was assaulted by police officer in Phoenix, Arizona convenience store restroom, but that he went to jail. “Marco kept screaming, ‘I’m blind. I can’t see. I’m blind. I’m blind,'” Gastelum said. “You can clearly see that he’s blind. I don’t know how you can miss that.” https://www.12news.com/article/news/loc ... -567141949

Supreme Court tosses 1944 Japanese internment ruling. “This question of whether Korematsu is or is not good law has been kicking around for several decades now,” he said. “It looks as though the Supreme Court decided finally to try to put the question to rest.” https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/art ... 028660.php

Maoists in India clash with militarized police. “The Maoist rebels (also known as Naxalites), inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting the Indian government for more than four decades, demanding land and jobs for tenant farmers, the poor and indigenous communities.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/maoist-rebel ... 35934.html

Washington Post article says Mexico’s likely next president ‘is a lot like Trump’, but most people would probably disagree. “As mayor of Mexico City, López Obrador subsidized subway fares and gave stipends to senior citizens and single mothers. As president, Trump and his allies in Congress doled out ‘close to $5 trillion in tax cuts almost exclusively for the wealthy’, including a corporate tax cut of $1.5 trillion…” https://fair.org/home/for-wapo-subsidiz ... -trillion/

More than 2,500 arrests during six weeks of the ‘Poor People’s Campaign’, but the movement received little mainstream news coverage. “Thousands of people gathered in Washington, D.C. on Saturday where the Poor People’s Campaign capped off 40 days of action with a rally and march to further energize its call for a ‘moral revival’ and intention to ‘move forward together, not one step back’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ays-action

Scott Pruitt FOIA emails reveal more ties to lobbyists. “…a month after becoming EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt told top executives with the American Petroleum Institute that he was looking to fill regional director positions within the agency. The emails are the latest evidence Pruitt sought to recruit members of the fossil fuel industry to work at the EPA.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/6/26/ ... l_industry

Trump claims illegal immigrants have killed 63,000 Americans in less than 17 years, which would mean 3% of the population commited about 25% of all murders. “Illegal immigrants made up about 6.4 percent of the Texas population in 2015 but only accounted for 5.4 percent of all homicide convictions. Legal immigrants made up 10.4 percent of the Texas population but accounted for only 1.6 percent of homicide convictions. Native-born Americans made up 83 percent of the Texas population but accounted for 93 percent of all homicide convictions.” https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/have- ... 0-us-9-11/

Former Trump campaign official tells black Fox & Friends guest he is ‘out of his cotton-picking mind’. “David Bossie’s comments today were deeply offensive and wholly inappropriate. His remarks do not reflect the sentiments of FOX News and we do not in any way condone them.” http://thehill.com/homenews/media/39384 ... cking-mind

California ballot initiatives with wealthy backers much more likely to make it onto the ballot. “Meanwhile, proposed initiatives that might protect civil liberties, increase public safety or simply be popular with Californians can fail to gain traction without the millions of dollars needed to gather the hundreds of thousands of voter signatures required to qualify for the ballot.” https://www.salon.com/2018/06/24/califo ... e-process/

Turkish president Recep Erdogan claims easy victory in election despite polls showing a closer race. “The survey of 3,000 respondents in 26 of Turkey’s 81 provinces showed Erdogan receiving 48.3 percent of votes in the first round, with the main opposition party candidate, Muharrem Ince, seen at 31.4 percent.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turk ... SKCN1J124P Election watchdog claims key ballot security precaution undermined by Turkish election officials. “With four days to go until snap elections on June 24, Turkey’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) has decided to remove a requirement that ballots be stamped by polling station officials in order to be considered valid and counted, according to a report by the Cumhuriyet daily.” https://stockholmcf.org/turkish-electio ... cal-polls/

Migrant children taken from their parents at the border have been moved around the country. “The children who were forcibly separated from their parents at the border by the United States government are all over the country now, in Michigan and Maryland, in foster homes in California and shelters in Virginia, in cold, institutional settings with adults who are not permitted to touch them or with foster parents who do not speak Spanish but who hug them when they cry.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

EU law could end up killing off memes. “It would mean that any website or platform that allows users to post images, footage, sound or code would have to use content recognition technologies — branded “censorship machines” by critics — to filter out just about anything that infringes on a copyright, and either prevent the platform from uploading or push it to seek licenses.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/end- ... ng-n885726

China to increase potential bank lending by $107 billion. “The country’s central bank said late Sunday that it is set to release as much as 700 billion yuan ($107 billion) into the financial system by reducing the amount of deposits that most commercial banks are required to hold.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/25/news/ec ... index.html

Unarmed, black, Silver Spring, Maryland man fatally shot by police officer, was apparently not a suspect, just a ‘suspicious person’ walking in the neighborhood. “”The officer encountered an African American man in that area and attempted to speak with him, but the man became combative and a physical altercation occurred,” a police statement after the shooting said.” https://patch.com/maryland/silverspring ... oul-report

Harley-Davidson to move more production abroad to avoid foreign tariffs. “Increasing international production to alleviate the EU tariff burden is not the company’s preference, but represents the only sustainable option.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/25/news/co ... index.html

California woman mistakes Mexican-American U.S. citizens for an illegal alien, calls Mexicans ‘rapists’, ‘animals’ and ‘drug dealers’. “Guzman, 27, works in construction on weekends to supplement his full-time job in IT as a systems administrator. He and his mother were clearing a yard in Running Springs, 80 miles east of Los Angeles, when the woman approached.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... rug-dealer

AT&T facilities reportedly key components of NSA’s FAIRVIEW internet surveillance program. “Central to the internet spying are eight “peering link router complex” sites, which are pinpointed on the top-secret NSA map. The locations of the sites mirror maps of AT&T’s networks, obtained by The Intercept from public records.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ls-how-att

Supreme Court lets gerrymandered election districts in North Carolina and Texas stand. “After years of litigation and undeniable proof of intentional discrimination, minority voters in Texas—despite constituting a majority of the population within the state—will continue to be underrepresented in the political process.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -and-north

Trump administration allegedly telling immigrants that if they waive their legal rights and agree to be voluntarily deported they can get their children back. “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a fact sheet over the weekend stating that detained parents who sign a so-called “voluntary departure order”—paperwork that simply expedites deportation—can be reunited with their children.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... bait-expel

80,000 voter registrations may appear incorrectly in Maryland primary voter rolls. “Voters who paid to renew a driver’s license or made other purchases did have their updated information sent to the Board of Elections. But information was not relayed to the Board of Elections for voters who logged on only to change their voter information, according to the (Motor Vehicle Administration).” http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryla ... story.html

Someone creates satirical http://www.trumphotels.org website with pictures of immigrant detention facilities, notes they also offer child accommodations. “Visitors to trumphotels.org are greeted with a landing page featuring photos of immigrants detained behind chain-link fences and children wrapped in emergency blankets.” http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-ho ... icy-2018-6

Federal judge rules that oil companies cannot be held legally liable for the effects of global warming, which they knew about but failed to disclose. “(San Francisco and Oakland) are trying to get five oil and gas giants, including Bay Area-based Chevron, to help cover the costs of dealing with sea-level rise, like picking up the tab for seawalls. However, (Judge) Alsup, noting that Congress and the White House, not the judiciary, are responsible for addressing the fallout from fossil fuels, granted the industry’s request to dismiss the suits.” https://www.sfchronicle.com/science/art ... 025637.php Does this mean the federal government gets to clean up the problem of lung cancer that resulted from tobacco companies covering up medical research?

Two Lockport, New York warehouse employees crushed to death in industrial accident. “The preliminary investigation determined 11 slabs of (DuPont) Corian, a material used to make countertops and benchtops, collapsed onto the workers as it was being unloaded from a trailer. Each slab weighed about 800 pounds.” https://buffalonews.com/2018/06/25/vict ... dentified/

Salesforce employees ask CEO to drop Customs and Border Patrol contract. “In March, Salesforce publicly announced its work with CBP, which is part of the US Department of Homeland Security and is one of the agencies tasked with enforcing President Trump’s Mexico border policies, as an opportunity to ‘modernize its recruiting process, from hire to retire, and manage border activities and digital engagement with citizens’.” https://finance.yahoo.com/news/salesfor ... 41000.html

Restaurant in Ohio accused of making black customers show their receipts before leaving. “Chante Spencer, who was present during the incident, believes they were racially profiled and falsely accused of being guests who would skip out and not pay.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 733023002/

Interpol allegedly scraping the internet for recordings for voice identification database. “People choose to upload material online for various reasons, but I doubt it’s to let police and arms companies then enroll them into secret databases made available to police around the world.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/25/int ... -database/

Supreme Court refuses to block lawsuit against Sonoma county deputy who shot 13 year-old Andy Lopez, who was holding a plastic gun. “The 5-foot-3 boy was seen carrying a plastic gun that Deputy Erick Gelhaus, an Iraq war vet, thought might be an AK-47…. As Andy turned toward him, Gelhaus fired eight shots and killed him.” http://www.marinij.com/article/NO/20180 ... /180629878

Minneapolis police accused of shooting fleeing black suspect. “Police confronted (Thurman) Blevins and told him not to move, said witness James Lark. Officers then used a Taser on Blevins, who tried to run away, witnesses said. That’s when shots rang out. ‘I heard 9, 10, 11, 12 shots,’ Lark said.” http://www.startribune.com/police-flock ... 486366821/

Guantanamo Bay prison camp started out as a camp for asylum seekers. “In the early 1990s… tens of thousands of Haitians and Cubans set sail for America, seeking asylum. They were interdicted and detained at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/history-l ... immigrants

Video made by distant bystander shows Antwon Rose fleeing Pittsburgh police as they open fire. “In the short clip taken from a second floor window, Rose, 17, can be seen running from the car during a traffic stop. Three shots then appear to come from the officer’s gun.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... harsh.html On third night of protests over the shooting, driver plows through demonstrators but no reported injuries. “Police are looking for a black sedan that drove through the crowd late Friday, said Chris Togneri, the city spokesman.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/23/us/p ... index.html Either there were no cops at the demonstration (which is hard to imagine) or he just made a clean getaway.

White San Francisco woman accused of calling police to report an 8 year-old black girl selling bottled water without a permit. “Jordan was selling the water bottles outside the family’s apartment building, which is across the street from AT&T Stadium, where the Giants were playing that day, Austin said.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/all ... 728682002/

Border Patrol reportedly set up immigration checkpoints on two interstate highway in New England. “Travelers have the right to remain silent… (but) Travelers who refuse to cooperate may be referred to a secondary examination area to allow agents to conduct additional questioning to determine the traveler’s citizenship or residency.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/23/us/m ... index.html In other words, if anyone dares to exercise their 4th and 5th amendment rights they will be probably be detained for questioning and possibly searched, without any probable cause or even suspicion that a crime has been committed.

Thousand march in protest after five Spanish men found guilty of gang ‘sexual abuse’ of an 18 year-old girl are released on bail while awaiting their appeal. “Under the (Spanish) criminal code, rape must involve violence or intimidation. The judges ruled that there was not sufficient evidence of violence or intimidation, and they noted what they said was the passivity of the victim during the assault.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/21/worl ... sault.html

Rail company says about 230,000 gallons of Canadian tar sands oil spilled into Iowa river after train wreck. “BNSF spokesman Andy Williams said 14 of 32 oil tanker cars that derailed Friday just south of Doon in Lyon County leaked oil into surrounding floodwaters from the swollen Little Rock River.” https://www.mprnews.org/story/2018/06/2 ... derailment

Walgreen’s pharmacist reportedly refuses to fill prescription for miscarriage-inducing medication for woman whose fetus has no heartbeat, says it violates his personal beliefs. “Arteaga said she told the pharmacist her baby was not viable and that she did not have a choice, but ‘he still said no’.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/nidhisubbarama ... iption-for

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

122
Petition demands release of body cam video from Montgomery, Maryland police shooting of unarmed pedestrian. “The letter signed by the 600 individuals used (Robert) White’s case to broadly bring up concerns about training, the use of force, the handling of body camera footage and interactions with African-Americans, as well as interactions with mentally ill or developmentally disabled individuals.” https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2018 ... er-spring/

Pfizer raises prices of about 100 of its drugs. “The increases, which took effect July 1, are just over 9 percent on average, well above the rate of inflation, which is about 2 percent.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pfizer-hik ... port-says/

Kentucky’s governor cuts health insurance benefits of almost 1/2 million of the state’s Medicaid recipients after judge throws out work requirement. “The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services calls the cuts an “unfortunate consequence” of Friday’s ruling by a federal judge who said Kentucky can’t require (the state’s 460,000) poor people to get jobs to keep their Medicaid benefits.” https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory ... e-56313909

Mexico’s new leftist president Andrés Manuel López Obrador crushed his opponents in the election, winning with an estimated 53% of the vote. “López Obrador’s closest rival, Ricardo Anaya from the National Action party (PAN), received around 22% while José Antonio Meade, a career civil servant running for the Institutional Revolutionary party, or PRI, which ruled Mexico for most of last century, came in third with around 16%.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... de-victory

Poll: 67% of Americans favor abortion rights for women. “The Kaiser Family Foundation poll of 1,492 Americans found that 67 percent support the ruling that legalized abortion rights for the whole country, while 29 percent would like the Supreme Court to overturn it.” https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-n ... ws-n887751

Companies using corporate tax cut windfall for record setting buy backs of their own stock. “Stock repurchases hit nearly $190 billion in the first quarter for the S&P 500, according to preliminary results from S&P Dow Jones Indices. The last time that record was set was just before the Great Recession, when companies bought up almost $172 billion of buybacks.” https://www.nbcnews.com/business/econom ... ts-n886621

South Korea lowers its work hour limit to 52 hours a week. “South Korea has the third highest number of hours worked of 37 countries tracked by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development…” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/02/heal ... index.html United States has no limit on the number of hours an employee can be required to work. “There is no limit in the (Fair Labor Standards) Act on the number of hours employees aged 16 and older may work in any workweek.” https://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime_pay.htm

Border Patrol accused of coercing citizens to make statements at immigration checkpoints. “‘You can answer me if you are a U.S. citizen, you can sit here for the rest of the day, or you can pull over there and talk to somebody. . . . If you refuse to answer, that’s on you. We’re going to have you pull over there and wait it out. . . . You are not free to go until you talk and answer my question.’ CBP ultimately detained this man for over 30 minutes – a prolonged period of time that far exceeds the brief detention allowed under the law.” http://www.concordmonitor.com/Time-to-s ... H-18438279

Community with workshops for the blind disbanded after the fall of the Soviet Union, some former residents reduced to begging. “Natali’s parents used to work in Ponichala’s community facilities, but the definition of work has since changed for them. Now work is what Natali’s mother calls going to the train station to beg for money.” https://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/02/euro ... index.html

Supreme Court’s Janus and Citizens United decisions are apparently at odds with each other; shareholders can’t opt out of funding corporate speech but those represented by unions can now opt out of funding union speech. “…when it came to collective corporate speech, Justice Anthony Kennedy, in Citizens United, was quick to dismiss the concerns of a shareholder objecting to corporate speech in favor of the important speech rights of the collective. If a dissident within the group could hold up group political speech with a veto right, as the court’s dire prognostication went, what fate awaits America’s media corporations and all the others who want to engage in cooperative speech?” https://slate.com/news-and-politics/201 ... other.html

White Catholic priest allegedly tells black family holding a funeral to take their casket and ‘get the hell out of my church’ after someone accidentally knocked over a chalice. “Adding even further insult to the grieving family, (Pastor) Briese then also called the police, who arrived as the family was carrying Hicks’ casket out of the church.” https://www.dailydot.com/irl/priest-cal ... ral-goers/ Would this EVER happen to a white family?

Ron Paul’s Twitter account reportedly tweets racial caricatures, he blames staffer. “So someone on your staff is a racist antisemite? Oh well, whew. That’s a much better explanation.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ro ... 827cba060b

Philippine mayor accused of drug corruption shot by sniper during ceremony. “The distance from the position was extraordinary. It could not be done by an ordinary person.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44681855

Turkish police attempt to break up Istanbul gay pride march. “They fired tear gas on groups in some areas and were seen elsewhere pushing and shouting at participants.” http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/police ... bul-134072

89 year-old black woman had to pee outside in the grass after Charlotte, North Carolina gas station allegedly refused to let her use their employee restroom. “Unfortunately, Ms. Redic was at one of our small kiosk stations that does not have a restroom accessible to the public.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ev ... 4a8b262e8e

British intelligence agencies believed Russia and China were reverse-engineering alien technology. “The UK spooks were of the belief the Chinese or Soviets were using the aliens’ secrets to develop fast aircraft that were invisible on radars.” http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/07/ ... ht-so.html

Hong Kong residents hold their annual pro-democracy protest. “In the past, protesters have gathered on the main football pitches inside Hong Kong’s Victoria Park. But since last year, when China’s President Xi Jinping paid a visit to mark 20 years since the handover, that area has been given over to a pro-Beijing rally.” https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/07/01/p ... rganisers/

Rhode Island sues oil companies over climate change. “They have known for decades that those (climate) impacts could be catastrophic and that only a narrow window existed to take action before the consequences would be irreversible. They have nevertheless engaged in a coordinated, multi-front effort to conceal and deny their own knowledge of those threats, discredit the growing body of publicly available scientific evidence, and persistently create doubt in the minds of customers, consumers, regulators, the media, journalists, teachers, and the public about the reality and consequences of the impacts of their fossil fuel pollution.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... against-21

Former Obama administration Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner reportedly running firm that makes high interest loans to the poor. “This industry is a pipeline to transfer money from the poor to the ultra-rich.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ithner-now

Polish bill would reportedly allow the government to collect information on COP24 environmental summit attendees. “…the law empowers Polish authorities to solicit other countries for information on COP24 attendees coming from abroad, including any police records and intelligence gathered by state surveillance. This information can be collected “without the knowledge or consent” of the people it’s collected from, and stored through March 2019.” https://theintercept.com/2018/07/02/cop ... lance-law/ We all know how dangerous those environmentalists are!

It’s the vision thing. “Socialism is inextricable from Ocasio-Cortez’s success because it’s the secret behind her ability to do what the Democratic Party has long failed to do — articulate a holistic progressive vision for America.” https://theintercept.com/2018/06/30/the ... socialism/

Walmart reportedly selling ‘Impeach Trump’ t-shirts. “…Walmart also sells “Donald Trump Superman”, “Trump 2016 Don’t Just Hope for Change Vote For It” and “Donald Trump Make America Great Again 2016 Presidential Campaign” t-shirts.” http://www.ibtimes.com/walmart-selling- ... ia-2696924 It’s all about making a buck.

Federal judge blocks lawsuit against Michigan state officials, says kids do not have a right to literacy. “Filed on behalf of Detroit students, it sought to hold a dozen state officials — including Gov. Rick Snyder — accountable for what plaintiffs said were systemic failures that deprived Detroit children of their right to literacy.” https://www.freep.com/story/news/educat ... 748052002/

‘Bernie Sanders of Mexico’ wins presidential election by a landslide. “Lopez Obrador, 64, who was a losing candidate in the last two presidential contests, has championed a leftist, populist agenda that has resonated in a nation where many are fed up with corruption, rising crime and a slumping economy.” http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-ame ... story.html

Portland State University police fatally shoot man trying to break up a fight. “(The) man was shot after a holstered handgun he was carrying fell onto the ground and he appeared to be trying to pick it up, according to the witness.” https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/ind ... icers.html

TSA screeners now reportedly asking passengers to remove snacks from their carry-on luggage. “Passengers at airports across the country are reporting that increasingly TSA agents are instructing them to remove their snacks and other food items from their carry-ons and place them in those ubiquitous plastic bins for separate screening.” https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/ ... 038574.php

Black senators introduce anti-lynching bill which would make it a federal hate crime. “The proposed legislation cites more than 4,700 lynchings reported in all but four states between 1882 and 1968, calling lynching the ‘ultimate expression of racism in the United States following Reconstruction’ and noting that ’99 percent of all perpetrators escaped punishment by state or local officials’.” http://abc13.com/politics/proposed-legi ... e/3682384/

July 1st was the 50th anniversary of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. “Countries with nuclear weapons will move toward disarmament, countries without nuclear weapons will not acquire them and all countries can access peaceful nuclear energy.” https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion ... f-nuclear/

Sweden becomes fifth European country to define rape as sex without consent. “Rape had previously been defined as a sexual act carried out with the use of violence or threat.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ffect.html

Even immigrants who request asylum at an official port of entry are being separated from their children. “Separations at ports of entry have happened ‘even when families have presented sufficient evidence of parentage, even where they do not have signs of neglect or abuse … even when the child is able to speak for themselves and say’ this is my parent, Ramos said.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Seattle, Washington bans plastic straws and cutlery. “Officials said the measure is needed as part of the city’s continuing efforts to reduce waste and prevent petroleum-based plastics from contaminating compost and polluting marine waters.” https://www.seattlepi.com/local/komo/ar ... 041847.php

Carrying a balance on your credit card doesn’t improve your credit rating. “More than one in five credit card users have carried a balance to help improve their credit scores, according to a study released Monday by CreditCards.com.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... card-bills

Chinese scientists claim they have developed a portable laser rifle. “Ten years ago its capabilities would have been the preserve of sci-fi films, but one laser weapons scientist said the new device is able to “burn through clothes in a split second … The pain will be beyond endurance.” http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomac ... d-set-fire

Lawsuit accuses ice cream company of shorting customers. “Two people from California filed a federal class-action lawsuit charging that Halo Top underfills its pints ‘dramatically so at times’.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/lawsuit-charg ... d=56231007

Giant tech firms receiving billions in tax breaks. “Giant technology companies in the US, which include some of the world’s most profitable firms, have been pledged at least $9.3bn in state and local subsidies over the last five years – much of it coming from the coffers of cities and states with failing infrastructure, struggling schools and broken budgets.” https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018 ... tax-breaks

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s father reportedly had his own architecture firm, and she actually grew up in a wealthy suburb of New York, attending Yorktown High School where only 2% of the students qualify for free or reduced price lunches. “When she was about five, Ocasio-Cortez’s family moved to the house in Westchester County, a detail that (her official) bio omits.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ounty.html

Philadelphia cops zip-tied 85 year-old rabbi at immigration protest. “Identified by Twitter user @StanceGrounded, Rabbi Waskow can been seen sticking his hands out for the pull-ties to be placed on his wrists as the officer had to help him out of his chair and and hold him up so he could use his cane.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/watch- ... -facility/

Conservative Christians hopeful that Trump’s next Supreme Court appointment will lead to a reversal of abortion rights for women. “There is a high level of confidence within the community that overturning (Roe v. Wade) is actually, finally possible.” https://apnews.com/c3ce142c486e41d2b14b ... e-reversal

Protesters around the world march against President Trump’s ‘zero tolerance’ immigration policies. “More than 750 “Families Belong Together” marches took place in all 50 US states and Twitter showed sister demonstrations in London, Munich, Paris, Hamburg, Tokyo, and others cities around the globe.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... y-policies

Rudy Giuliani addresses Iranian Islamic Marxist group (The People’s Mujahedin) in Paris, says they should replace the current government in Iran. “The mullahs must go, the ayatollah must go, and they must be replaced by a democratic government which Madam (Maryam) Rajavi represents.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... aris-rally

Istanbul’s Gay Pride march banned due to ‘security concerns’, activists vow to hold it anyway. “Gay pride parades have been banned in Istanbul for the last three years.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turk ... SKBN1JP2Y7

Former journalist and member of Turkey’s parliament charged with terrorism related offense for publishing leaked transcript of a phone call which included President Erdogan, which implicated the president in a corruption scandal, in 2014. “Mr Erdem is accused of publishing illegal wiretappings, allegedly of Mr Erdogan who was premier at the time and other senior officials, when he was the editor of opposition newspaper Karsi in 2014.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44662319

After looting Toys R Us and driving the company into bankruptcy, private equity firms stiff employees on severance pay. “The workers are owed roughly $75 million in severance. The company’s bankruptcy lawyers and advisers, by comparison, are expected to be paid as much as $348 million in fees.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/30/busi ... osing.html Capitalism at its finest.

Protester blocks Virginia pipeline construction project for one day, goes to jail. “According to police, (Emily) Satterwhite affixed herself to the boom of an excavator using a common protest device called a ‘sleeping dragon’…” http://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Black ... 56471.html

Because religion! Fox News host explains why denying gays wedding cakes is ok, but denying a Trump administration official fried chicken is ‘left wing intolerance’. “That baker had no problem serving gays, he didn’t want to make the wedding cake because that was contrary to his religious beliefs!” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/fox-ne ... ing-cakes/ “It does strike me as remarkable that the apparent penalty for throwing someone out of a restaurant is to receive bomb threats and death threats and hate mail.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201 ... 733196002/

Conservative gadfly Dinesh D’Souza reportedly retweets message with ‘burnthejews’ hashtag. “I did not see the hashtag.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/rightw ... tes-tweet/

NSA deleting ‘hundreds of millions’ of electronic records of Americans it says may have been collected in error. “Under the Freedom Act, the agency took in 151 million call-detail records in 2016 and 534 million such records in 2017, according to government reports.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/29/us/p ... urged.html

Director of President Trump’s National Economic Council claims U.S. budget deficit is ‘coming down rapidly’, but Congressional Budget Office says otherwise. “The CBO said on June 7 that the federal deficit was $530 billion so far in the 2018 fiscal year — $97 billion more than it was at this point last year.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/29/larry-k ... dence.html

State Department official suggests changes to U.N. declaration on racism, says ‘nationalism’ is not bad, ‘xenophobia’ (fear of foreigners) is too vague and could mean anything, and that governments are not obligated to do anything about hate speech. “To refer to the ‘rise’ of racism resumes [sic] (1) there was some more innocent time when racism didn’t exist in the world; or (2) racism is increasing over some unspecified previous time,” Veprek writes. “Is there evidence for either of these assertions?” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/29/poli ... index.html

White woman allegedly tells black teen he doesn’t belong at their community pool, threatens to call the police, hits him. “No child including mine or anybody else’s ever, ever, deserves that type of abuse or treatment or to be struck not once, not twice, but three times by someone that is upset because of the color of someone’s skin, and they feel as though they don’t belong at their swimming pool.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/29/us/p ... index.html

Police reportedly ID’ed newspaper shooting suspect using facial recognition technology. “Anne Arundel County police chief Timothy Altomare told reporters Friday that police sent an image of Jarrod Ramos to the Maryland Combined Analysis Center, which compared his photo to others in the Maryland Image Repository System (or MIRS), which is stocked with millions of images of known offenders as well as driver’s license photos.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/tal ... 744344002/

Jury awards $17 million to man held in prison for 21 years after detectives used false testimony to convict him. “Jacques Rivera filed the lawsuit against former CPD detective Reynaldo Guevara, two other detectives and the City of Chicago, alleging that the officers manipulated a key witness who was only 12 years old.” http://abc7chicago.com/society/jury-rul ... m/3676850/

Lancaster, Pennsylvania police officer tasers man after he sits down as ordered but doesn’t extend his legs the right way. “Williams sat down on the curb, but when he did not stretch his legs as instructed, the officer shocked him in the back — prompting the town’s mayor to launch an investigation into the cop’s use of force.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... story.html

700 protests against the Trump administration’s ‘zero humanity’ immigrant detention policies planned around the country on Saturday. “Dozens of social justice groups were mobilizing their ranks to participate in the Families Belong Together protests this week, including Planned Parenthood, Win Without War, and National Nurses United.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... o-humanity

Food safety testing finds antibiotic resistant ‘super bugs’ on U.S. meat. “Specifically, the federal testing detected antibiotic resistant bacteria on: 79 percent of ground turkey; 71 percent of pork chops; 62 percent of ground beef; and 36 percent of chicken breasts, legs, things, or wings.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... arket-meat

Bernie Sanders invites CEOs to discuss income inequality. “In four separate letters delivered on Thursday, Sanders invited Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Steve Easterbrook of McDonald’s, Doug McMillon of Walmart, and Bob Iger of Disney to ‘sit on a panel with their own employees and explain why it’s acceptable that they receive huge compensation packages while their very own workers are struggling to put food on the table’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ng-workers

North Korea accused of secretly ramping up nuclear weapons production by U.S. intelligence agencies. “There is absolutely unequivocal evidence that they are trying to deceive the U.S.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/north-kore ... -u-n887926

Five people removed from SkyWest flight after dispute between woman and flight attendant over putting her phone in ‘airplane mode’. “What followed was a mutiny by other passengers. ‘She was complying!’ said one male passenger.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/passenger-to ... 07762.html

Nine arrested outside Portland, Oregon ICE office. “Officers moved in at sunrise and were able to unblock the entrance to the facility that had been closed for more than a week, said Rob Sperling, spokesman for Federal Protective Service, which is responsible for protecting federal buildings.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/federal-offi ... 32885.html

Facebook quiz app allegedly exposed users’ personal data, for years. “Since NameTests displayed their user’s personal data in javascript file, virtually any website could access it when they would request it.” https://medium.com/@intideceukelaire/th ... 483418eff8

Shopping for a new cell phone while black: Fresno, California police force man to crawl out of T-Mobile store at gunpoint, on his stomach. ““What are you guys doing in there?” one officer asks. “Just trying to get a new phone,” Vincent replies.” https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/ar ... 80189.html

Comedian who pranked Donald Trump with phone call on Air Force One reportedly gets late night visit from the Secret Service. “Alright, I didn’t answer & they have left, but my neighbors said they showed their badges. — John Melendez (@stutteringjohnm) June 30, 2018” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/06/comedi ... w-hes-run/

Black suspect charged with hate crime for calling cops ‘Nazis’ during his arrest. “(Robbie) Sanderson is not the only Pennsylvania resident to face ethnic intimidation charges for what appears to be simply making comments to the police that could be considered racist. The Appeal identified at least three other such cases in the state in 2016.” https://theappeal.org/a-black-man-calle ... ate-crime/

Boy throwing stones reportedly fatally shot in the head by Israeli troops on border of Gaza. “The 13-year-old was fatally shot in the head and a 24-year-old man died of gunshot wounds to his leg and abdomen, the Gaza Health Ministry said. More than 130 wounded were evacuated to hospitals for treatment with at least three in serious condition, the ministry said.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/palestinians ... 51465.html

Some journalists still blaming decades of job market collapse on robots. “… the reason millions of manufacturing workers lost their jobs in this period was decisions on trade policy by leaders of both political parties, not anything the robots did. That changes the story of the collapse of political parties (the theme of (Thomas) Friedman’s piece) a bit.” https://fair.org/slider/soaring-cost-of ... o-buy-one/

Young, detained migrants are reportedly appearing in court alone. “One immigration lawyer in California described a 3-year-old child separated from their family climbing a table during a deportation proceeding, saying, ‘It really highlighted the absurdity of what we’re doing with these kids’.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/6/29/ ... roceedings

575 arrested at Washington, D.C. sit-in protest against separating immigrant families. “Amid unrelenting daily images of distraught immigrant children separated from parents and herded into fenced enclosures, women sat on the floor of the Senate Hart Office building’s 90-foot-high atrium.” http://time.com/5325904/trump-immigrati ... st-senate/

Former ICE spokesperson, who says he was told to lie to the media about the number of migrants who escaped San Francisco bay area raids, gets a visit from Homeland Security agents during his CBS interview. “I could not fathom staying at an organization that was OK with lying to the American public. I hate that. In 17 years in the military, at the Department of Defense as a civilian, at NASA, and now at Homeland Security, I have never been asked to lie. I have never been asked to perpetuate a lie, which is the same as lying.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-ice ... istration/

Mayor of Pittsburgh suburb urges police to use fire hoses on anti-police brutality protesters demonstrating against shooting of Antwon Rose, posts picture from 1963 showing firemen blasting black anti-segregation demonstrators. “The mayor of Arnold, Westmoreland County issued an apology early Wednesday after screenshots of posts to her personal Facebook page that call for ‘rioters to be destroyed by a water canon (sic)’ circulated on social media…. ‘I’m posting this so the authorities everywhere sees (sic) this … bring the hoses.'” http://www.wtae.com/article/arnold-mayo ... s/21941216

Democratic governor of California Jerry Brown signs bill banning cities from imposing soda taxes. “Four cities in California have moved in recent years to raise taxes on soda and other sugary beverages in an effort to combat diabetes, heart disease and other weight-related health issues.” http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch ... n-soda-tax Speechless….

State Department report warns other governments not to separate families. “Even at their best, residential institutions are unable to meet a child’s need for emotional support that is typically received from family members or consistent caretakers with whom the child can develop an attachment.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/28/us/p ... rants.html

72% of those polled say social media companies engage in political censorship. “Americans simply don’t trust those companies to be impartial when it comes to partisan politics, the study found.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... heir-views There actually is censorship going on, but not the kind that most people think of. Those who can afford to run ads have their views widely shared (with very few restrictions) while those who can’t are blocked from reaching large numbers of people.

New California data privacy law aims to hold companies accountable for use of people’s data. “Although most privacy advocates support the law, some expressed lingering concerns because it includes a few loopholes. Technology companies can, for example, “share” people’s data even if a consumer bars them from selling it. And the law allows companies to charge higher prices to consumers who opt out of having their data sold.” http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/28/technol ... index.html

Poll finds that 32% of Americans want to increase the amount of legal immigration, 24% want it to decrease and 38% want it to remain at the current level. “Overall, 35 percent of respondents believe that most immigrants are in the country illegally, which Pew noted was incorrect…. According to Pew estimates, 75 percent of immigrants in the United States have legal status as of 2015, the most recent year of available data.” https://www.courthousenews.com/american ... oll-shows/

Reunification of separated immigrant families going very, very slowly. “On Tuesday, the secretary of Health and Human Services said there were 2,047 migrant children in its care as a result of being separated from their parents at the border so the parents could be prosecuted on criminal charges. Six days prior, the government had said there were 2,053 such children.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/27/poli ... index.html

Iraq threatens to execute more than an estimated 3,100 suspected IS members. “Iraq’s prime minister has ordered the immediate execution of all death row terror convicts after ISIS killed eight hostages…. AP estimated that 3,130 people have been sentenced to death for links to ISIS and other militant links since 2013.” http://www.newsweek.com/iraq-orders-hun ... ed-1000896

Trump’s claim that North Korea has already returned the remains of 200 U.S. soldiers killed during the Korean War does not stand up to examination. “We have not yet physically received them,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, but said that he is “optimistic” it would take place “in the not-too-distant future.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tr ... aa2f7e5080

New Japanese law limits overtime to 100 hours per month. “The bill, the most important legislation in the current session under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is a major turning point in the history of Japan’s labor practices.” https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Japan- ... t-overtime Does that include unpaid overtime, or does it only apply to paid overtime?

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

123
Federal Protective Service officers mow down peaceful protestors at Portland ICE facility with pepper ball machine guns. “The video shows Department of Homeland Security agents firing non-lethal weapons at protesters. At one point, an agent jumps on a protester and (uses) a Taser to subdue the person.” https://www.kgw.com/article/news/specia ... -572787816

Trump Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh defended Guantanamo military commissions, argued U.S. is not bound by international law. “The federal courts are not roving enforcers of international law. And the federal courts are not empowered to smuggle international law into the U.S. Constitution and then wield it as a club against Congress and the President in wartime.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/br ... 23e263ca03

Republican bill targeting anti-fascist protesters would send disruptive, masked counter-protesters to prison for up to 15 years. “People should not go to prison for attending protests…. And 15 years is an extraordinary sentence for behavior, no matter how threatening; convicted murderers often aren’t incarcerated that long.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ho ... 23e263c2d5

Right-wing defenders of free speech silent on government’s failed prosecution of Trump inauguration protesters. “The attempt to put 234 people in prison for the action — including legal observers, reporters, and people who were simply hanging around watching the protest — would have had chilling implications for free speech, making it legally acceptable to arrest and prosecute nonviolent protesters on the sole basis that someone near them had carried out property damage during a protest.” https://jacobinmag.com/2018/07/free-spe ... repression

Undercover police officer orders only black man at apartment complex pool to prove he lives there, and after he does she tells him to leave anyway. “She didn’t introduce herself, she didn’t say hello,” said (Shayne) Holland. “She says, ‘do you live here?’ I’m like, ‘yes, I live here, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t live here.'” https://www.theindychannel.com/news/loc ... -profiling

Democrat who lost to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York’s 14th U.S. Congressional District primary will reportedly appear on the general election ballot as the candidate of the Working Families Party. “He chose not to show Ocasio-Cortez and the WFP respect by allowing us to put Ocasio-Cortez on our ballot line.” http://www.businessinsider.com/alexandr ... bid-2018-7

Man appointed by New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to revitalize economy of upstate New York found guilty of bid-rigging. “… at the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Dr. Kaloyeros and Todd R. Howe, a former lobbyist with ties to Mr. Cuomo, conspired to defraud Fort Schuyler Management Corporation, a nonprofit real estate arm of SUNY Polytechnic, by steering lucrative contracts to two firms whose executives were significant donors to Mr. Cuomo’s campaign.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/12/nyre ... cuomo.html

Sean Spicer calls President Trump ‘a unicorn, riding a unicorn over a rainbow’. “His high-wire act is one that few could ever follow.” http://www.businessinsider.com/sean-spi ... bow-2018-7

Biscayne Park, Florida police department accused of framing black people for unsolved crimes. “If they have burglaries that are open cases that are not solved yet, if you see anybody black walking through our streets and they have somewhat of a record, arrest them so we can pin them for all the burglary.” http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/20 ... stats.html

Neo-Nazi who stopped Nebraska train claims he was high on acid. “A search of Wilson’s home outside of St. Louis found ‘hollowed out’ portions of walls where he concealed ‘propaganda relating to the National Socialist movement, body armor, ammunition, and pressure plates that can be used to make an explosive device’…. a fully automatic machine gun and a short-barrel rifle…” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/wh ... 69a785839a

Trump insists again at NATO press conference that he’s a ‘very stable genius’. “Trump in January defended his mental fitness for office…. “Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart.” http://thehill.com/homenews/administrat ... ble-genius Yes, that guy’s a regular Wile E. Coyote. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STeVTzWelns

Wall Street has reportedly cost public employee pension funds more than $600 billion in lost returns due to high fees and questionable investments. “… most people (including policymakers) still have no idea that skimming fees off public employees’ retirement savings has become one of the largest sources of profits for Wall Street moguls.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... payers-600

Walmart reportedly patents employee surveillance technology. “A need exists for ways to capture the sounds resulting from the people in the shopping facility and (to) determine performance of employees based on those sounds.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... op-workers

Rights groups ask federal court to intervene in Guantanamo ‘indefinite detention without trial’ cases, with some prisoners having been held for 16 years without being charged. “The government says my detention is legal because of the indefinite war against terrorism. When terrorism ends, the war will end. So, never.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -detention

Federal tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans have reportedly cost the country $5.1 trillion in lost revenue. “At a time when tens of millions of Americans are suffering from ‘massive levels of deprivation’ and ‘appalling rates’ of poverty, the tax cuts rammed through by George W. Bush, extended in part by Barack Obama, and built upon by Trump ‘have mostly benefited those who are least in need of help’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -and-trump

Trump visits ‘hot spot’ and throws a bomb at Britain’s prime minister, Theresa May. “I’m just saying I think (Boris Johnson) would be a great prime minister.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/13/poli ... index.html

Donald Trump calls Europe’s acceptance of millions of war refugees ‘very, very sad’. “I think allowing millions and millions of people to come into Europe is very, very sad. I think you’re losing your culture.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tr ... c958f9b3c5

Ireland’s senate passes bill to ban imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Israel’s defense minister urges his government to close its embassy in Ireland. “Ireland has strongly condemned the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank — considered illegal under international law.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/12/midd ... index.html

Until recently, extensive personal information of ‘closed’ Facebook group members was reportedly accessible by third parties. “During his research, Trotter found that he could use Grouply.io or a manual process to download the personal details of members of other closed Facebook groups – including other sensitive circles, such as those meant for people recovering from drug addiction, men living with HIV or individuals identifying as gay in countries where same-sex partnerships are criminalized.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/11/faceboo ... phole.html

Spain establishes ‘truth commission’ to investigate Franco government’s crimes. “An estimated 140,000 people disappeared during and after the civil war, not including those killed in combat.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... era-crimes

Civil libertarians concerned about Supreme Court nominee’s opinion on mass, warrantless NSA data collection. “(Brett) Kavanaugh wrote that the collection of these records did not constitute a “search” under the Fourth Amendment…. But he added that even if it was a “search” under the Fourth Amendment, the government was allowed to take the records because it had a ‘special need’ in preventing terrorism, overriding the privacy interests of people whose records were taken without a warrant.” https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news ... nsa-ruling

Green Party to be removed from Montana ballot after Democrats sue. “To qualify for the ballot, the Montana Green Party needed to gather 5,000 signatures from at least 34 of the state House districts…. But Montana Democrats, in a court filing, argued the Green Party gathered enough signatures from only 30 of the state House Districts, not the 34 required.” https://helenair.com/news/government-an ... ed50d.html

91 year-old Mexican man beaten near Los Angeles in apparent hate crime. “She was yelling at him, ‘Go back to your country,’ or ‘Go back to Mexico,’” Borjas told the Times. “It was racist.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 771596002/

FBI agent accused of accidentally shooting man at nightclub gets his gun back, ‘no additional charges’ after lab results. “(Chase Bishop) had his protection order modified at Tuesday’s hearing to allow him to carry his service weapon in accordance with FBI rules—which typically require agents to carry while working and while off duty.” https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/c ... apon-again

Only 4 of 102 migrant children under 5 have reportedly been reunited with their parents. “In total, the administration said it expects to ultimately reunite 75 of the 102 children with their parents.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-say-j ... ine-looms/

Anti-ICE protester files excessive force lawsuit against Philadelphia anti-terrorism officer. “The suit also criticizes ‘the improper deployment of paramilitary police units, including the Counter Terrorism Unit, to confront peaceful protesters’.” http://www.philly.com/philly/news/polit ... 80710.html

Resident calls cops on black paperboy after he retrieves newspaper delivered to the wrong home. “I noticed they were walking up to houses with nothing in hand and one of them came back with something. It seemed kind of suspicious.” http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nationa ... story.html

Chinese pro-democracy activist sentenced to 13 years in prison. “Qin Yongmin, 64, has already spent a total of 22 years behind bars.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-44789492

Overworked Japanese nurse admits to poisoning patients. “… (Ayumi) Kuboki told investigators that informing families of a patient’s death was a burden…. In order to avoid the responsibility, Kuboki said she targeted patients near death so that they would die at a time when another nurse would have to tell the family…” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/wor ... 773071002/

38 more Nicaraguans die amid political violence. “Thirty-one anti-government and three pro-government protesters were among those killed. Four police officers also died in the clashes.” https://thinkprogress.org/nicaragua-dea ... bd79eb64e1

Couple married 9 years considering divorce so they can afford health care for disabled daughter. “… Maria could become a single, jobless mother of two on paper — and qualify for Medicaid.” https://nypost.com/2018/07/10/army-vet- ... alth-care/

FCC proposal: Staff would only look at the complaints of people who can afford to pay. “If the consumer isn’t happy with the outcome of the informal complaint, their only other option would be filing a formal complaint and paying the $225 to do so.” https://gizmodo.com/ajit-pais-fcc-doesn ... 1827500381

Black farmers accuse seed company of selling them inferior soybean seeds. “After losing millions of dollars, the farmers took the seeds to experts at Mississippi State University to have them tested. They say the tests show the seeds sold to the black farmers were not certified Stine seeds.” http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/386 ... wsuit-says

Reddit user apparently banned for suggesting that Redditors contact the news media when they see hate speech, in order to force the platform’s hand. “Remember Anderson Cooper’s piece on /r/jailbait? Immediately banned. I say we start flooding news tip lines every time we see egregious hate speech that isn’t being banned.” https://arstechnica.com/information-tec ... that-user/

Apple fixes iPhone glitch that crashed some phones when messages included the word ‘Taiwan’ or the country’s flag emoji. “… iOS contains code that hides the Taiwanese flag emoji on devices set to the China region. Apparently the code worked for iOS devices set to China, but caused crashes on devices set to other regions.” https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/11/ap ... emoji-bug/

Federal judge green-lights Roundup herbicide lawsuits. “Lawsuits by more than 400 farmers, landscapers and consumers who claim Roundup caused them to develop non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of blood cell cancer, have been consolidated before (Judge) Chhabria.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mons ... SKBN1K02ME

Rumor that Trump struck retirement deal with Justice Kennedy gains traction after White House deputy press secretary refuses to deny it. “White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah on Tuesday declined multiple opportunities to deny a report that President Donald Trump struck an undisclosed agreement with outgoing Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy over replacing him with Brett Kavanaugh—Kennedy’s former law clerk.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... edy-struck

Former ICE detainees sue, claim they were mistreated while in custody. “Immigration authorities in California shackled nine women in a hot windowless van for hours, causing them to struggle for breath, faint and vomit, according to a new lawsuit…. the women were also denied food and water for roughly 12 hours during a 24-hour journey.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... california

Drug company accuses Nevada prison officials of obtaining execution drug ‘through subterfuge’. “The company said the license (of the state’s chief medical officer) was used on a purchase order in a deliberate attempt to dupe a drug wholesaler, Cardinal Health, into believing that the 90 vials of the medicine were to be used by a doctor in legitimate medical treatment.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... ny-alleges

Kentucky’s governor meets chess club in predominantly African American neighborhood of Louisville and says something stupid. “Not something you necessarily would have thought of when you think of this section of town.” https://www.courier-journal.com/story/n ... 772315002/

After Oklahoma voters approve medical marijuana, state health department proposes many restrictions. “…the requirement to put a pharmacist in every dispensary will be financially impossible to comply with except for a limited number of dispensaries owned by pharmacists.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/oklaho ... t-approve/

Trump pick for Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, opposed prosecution or questioning of sitting presidents in journal article. “…in a 2009 Minnesota Law Review article, he wrote that “Congress might consider a law exempting a President — while in office — from criminal prosecution and investigation, including from questioning by criminal prosecutors or defense counsel.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/09/poli ... index.html

Republican candidate for governor of Georgia explains state’s primary race. “This primary felt like it was who had the biggest gun, who had the biggest truck, and who could be the craziest.” http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch ... o-could-be

Detained migrants claim they suffered miscarriages during detention. “The women were allegedly denied medical care, shackled around their bellies, and abused while locked up at various detention centers across the Southwest operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” https://nypost.com/2018/07/09/pregnant- ... practices/

Former Trump chauffeur sues for overtime pay. “Noel Cintron, who is listed in public records as a registered Republican, sued the Trump Organization for about 3,300 hours of overtime that he says he worked in the past six years.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... d-overtime

FBI closely tracked folk singer due to his political activities. “Van Ronk was not kept from having a career as a folk singer, much in the way that Pete Seeger was ‘allowed’ to play colleges and smaller venues while having his national career torpedoed.” https://truthout.org/articles/newly-une ... -van-ronk/

Manhattan’s DA wants access to police disciplinary files. “Whether an officer has a disciplinary record — such as lying on an official report — could lead prosecutors to drop criminal charges. Furthermore, without information about an officer’s past misconduct, prosecutors cannot fulfill their legal obligation to hand over evidence that might help exonerate a defendant.” https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikehayes/nypd ... rosecutors Does this happen fairly often?

Re-elected Turkish president reportedly appoints his son-in-law finance minister. “A clap of thunder sounded the moment after Mr. Erdogan took his oath (of office), and rain descended upon the crowd gathering to celebrate the inauguration across town in the gardens of the presidential palace.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/worl ... rn-in.html

Widow of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo leaves China for Germany. “She (had) been under de-facto house arrest since 2010 after her husband, Liu Xiaobo, was awarded the Nobel peace prize in absentia for his activism in China.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... for-europe

Four-mile long stretch of glacier in Greenland plunges into the sea. “The total amount of ice that fell into the ocean was about 10 billion tons, as the break rippled across the entirety of the glacier’s ice face in half-mile-deep water…” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ene ... the-ocean/ Goodbye Mar-a-Lago!

Extreme income inequality in India increasing as the number of billionaires hits the mid-80s. “… in 2016, to be counted among its richest 1% required assets of just $32,892, according to research from Credit Suisse. Meanwhile, the top 10% of earners now take around 55% of all national income – the highest rate for any large country in the world.” https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/j ... super-rich Or maybe not… “The report also found that the three richest people in the U.S. own the same amount as the bottom half of America’s population.” http://time.com/money/5112233/oxfam-wea ... s-richest/ It sounds as if wealth in the U.S. is more concentrated than in India!

Nissan admits some emissions and fuel economy data were fabricated. “The company did not say how many cars were affected by the falsifications, which were uncovered during voluntary tests of all parts of Nissan’s operations conducted in the wake of last year’s scandal.” https://www.news18.com/news/auto/nissan ... 06901.html

Attorney generals of ten states and District of Columbia investigating agreements among restaurant franchisees not to steal each other’s employees. “The U.S. Justice Department has said that no-poach agreements are illegal under antitrust law since they restrict competition for employees and potentially deprive workers of better job opportunities.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKBN1JZ2NX

Los Angeles area postal worker found dead in her delivery vehicle in 117 degree heat. “Salvatore said that when it’s 100 degrees outside, it can be 10-15 degrees hotter inside the mail trucks, which do not have air conditioning.” https://www.dailynews.com/2018/07/09/us ... king-heat/

Apple releases hack-resistant iOS update, security firm claims it has already figured out how to crack it. “Apple released iOS 11.4.1 this morning, and with it came a new software mechanism that blocks passcode cracking tools favored by law enforcement…. However, researchers at cybersecurity firm ElcomSoft have found a loophole that resets the one-hour counter so long as you plug a USB accessory into the iPhone’s Lightning port…” https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/9/17550 ... -accessory

55% of American doctors surveyed say they are ‘burned out’. “…most doctors are saddled with huge student debt, make far less than they did before, but are being asked to do more than ever, to work harder than ever, in an environment filled with information overload.” https://consumer.healthday.com/general- ... 35560.html

Antisemitic letter written by Protestant reformer Martin Luther up for auction. “For these Jews are not Jews, but devils incarnate who curse our Lord.” http://www.ibtimes.com/martin-luther-fa ... on-2698487 And then there are his comments about the peasants who rose up against feudalism. “…murdering, thieving hordes of the peasants…. must be knocked to pieces, strangled and stabbed, covertly and overtly, by everyone who can, just as one must kill a mad dog.” https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/45612 ... +rebellion

American woman keeps her maiden name, gets pulled aside at U.S. border for interrogation, receives unsolicited advice. “Then they asked why if she was my daughter I didn’t have the same last name. I told them I had already established my career and earned my doctorate with my last name Acosta so I had decided not to change it.” The officer then said “maybe you should have taken your husband’s last name so you could prove you were her mom.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/vacati ... last-name/

Puerto Rican flag shirt sets off clueless nationalist, who refuses to admit that Puerto Rico is an American territory. “If you’re an American citizen, you should not be wearing that shirt in America!” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/angry- ... g-part-us/

Pregnant woman arrested for driving on a suspended license claims she was put in restraints and then viciously beaten by a jail employee after they exchanged insults. “She said other officers watched as she was hit and pepper-sprayed while defenseless on the ground.” https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/jac ... e-attorney

Wife of conservative supreme court justice claims Jim Jordan sex abuse cover-up allegations are part of a conspiracy. “Jim Jordan is under attack, with false accusations, because he threatens the elite.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/claren ... ens-elite/

Iranian woman says she’s been sentenced to 20 years in prison for anti-hijab protests. “Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer who represented (Shapark) Shajarizadeh and other women, was arrested last month.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/iranian-woma ... 06701.html

Update on Green Party’s election integrity efforts. “In Wisconsin, we are in a protracted legal battle to examine a critical piece of voting software that controls the actual counting and tallying of votes, referred to as ‘source code’…. After the recount effort revealed the failure of Detroit’s voting machines, state officials announced that voting machines across the state would be replaced by the 2018 primaries…. In April 2018, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State ordered all counties to replace their aging voting machines by the 2019 elections with voting systems that use paper ballots.” https://www.votingjustice.us/with_midte ... _can_trust

Woman confronts Steve Bannon in Richmond, Virginia bookstore, reportedly calls him ‘a piece of trash’, store’s owner calls the police. “On Saturday, the reaction to Black Swan Books was swift…. one woman accused the owner of turning the store ‘into a safe space for white nationalists’.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/loc ... -of-trash/

Nearly 100 immigrant children under 5 still waiting to be reunited with their parents. “U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw ruled that the administration had until late Saturday to release the list and until Tuesday to define its plans for reuniting those children with their families.” http://thehill.com/homenews/administrat ... en-under-5

ICE now reportedly targeting immigrants for ‘driving without a license’. “By far the most commonly cited offenses in the ICE data were DUI and other, largely unspecified traffic tickets — some dating back decades. While the data did not elaborate on the non-DUI traffic offenses, driving without a license likely accounted for the lion’s share, according to John Sandweg, who headed ICE as an acting director during the Obama administration.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ic ... 27ccf2af63

Most Trump Foundation donations in Palm Beach County allegedly went to groups that held fundraisers at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. “Nearly all of the $706,000 in donations made by the Donald J. Trump Foundation in Palm Beach County since 2008 went to charities that hosted lavish fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago — the president’s highest-profile business in the county.” https://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/na ... OVQ8UnXKN/

California deputy district attorney criticized over his alleged social media posts. “‘Being a loud-mouthed c*** in the ghetto you would think someone would have shot this bitch by now …’ (Michael) Selyem commented on a video of Congresswoman Maxine Waters in June according to The San Bernardino Sun.” http://www.newsweek.com/san-bernardino- ... ts-1013216

Defense contractor accused of leasing office space to house immigrant children. “Reveal reporters confirmed that according to the lease, ‘the building is not allowed to be used for sleeping or cooking and can be used only for general business office purposes’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... s-perverse

Tourist vents about Egypt on Facebook, is sentenced to eight years in prison. “In her viral video clip, Mazbouh complained about sexual harassment she experienced from young men in the streets as well as from taxi drivers.” http://www.newsweek.com/tourist-gets-ei ... pt-1013235 I’m sure jailing tourists who complain is just what the country needs to revive its struggling tourism industry!

Iraqi police accused of shooting protesters near Basra. “Police sources said eight protesters were wounded in the shooting while a local mayor said one demonstrator was killed and three were wounded.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq ... SKBN1JY0AE Nice to see that all those years of fighting and trillions spent to bring democracy to Iraq have paid off!

Elderly New Jersey woman on oxygen dies after power company disconnects her for falling behind on her electric bills. “We put one ice pack by her side and one on the other side. We were fanning her. It was so hot in here, she couldn’t breathe – it was unbearable.” http://6abc.com/health/woman-dependent- ... l/3729096/

White guy accused of calling police on black pool patron is identified. “The man, later identified as Adam Bloom by the Glenridge Homeowners Association, reportedly asked the woman, Jasmine Edwards, for her address and ID to prove she was a member…. ‘Nobody else was asked to (show) their ID’, Edwards tells officers in the video.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/wh ... 827cbfd30b

Federal prosecutors dismiss charges against remaining 38 Trump inauguration protesters. “The charges from the beginning were overly broad, and filed against far too many people.” https://www.npr.org/2018/07/06/62672866 ... -day-riots

Heat records set in southern California. “Among the places that set all-time records were Van Nuys Airport (117 degrees), Burbank Airport (114), UCLA (111), Santa Ana (114) and Ramona (115), according to the National Weather Service.” http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort reportedly requests permission to import 61 foreign workers. “The Mar-a-Lago club asked for 40 H-2B visas for servers and another 21 for cooks.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 764053002/

Ann Frank’s family tried to flee Nazis by legally emigrating to the U.S., but they ran out of time. “…an application that Mr. Frank said he submitted in 1938 languished in an American consulate in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, amid a swell of similar applications and was lost in a bombing raid in 1940.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/06/us/a ... e-usa.html

EPA accused of delaying release of report linking formaldehyde to cancer. “In a Jan. 26 letter to top EPA officials, Kimberly Wise White, who leads the American Chemistry Council’s Formaldehyde Panel, wrote, ‘As stated in our meeting, a premature release of a draft assessment … will cause irreparable harm to the companies represented by the panel and to the many companies and jobs that depend on the broad use of the chemical’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... y-industry

Amazon accused of allowing sales of racist merchandise on its website. “Hangmans (sic) Noose Lynching Decal Sticker… Made in the USA… 6 year outdoor grade vinyl…” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/am ... 827cbfcd43

Woman who climbed Statue of Liberty is a former immigrant, now a U.S. citizen. “Michelle Obama – our beloved (former) first lady that I care so much about – said, ‘When they go low, we go high,’ and I went as high as I could.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... -interview

Trump administration stops Obamacare ‘risk adjustment’ payments. “When (risk adjustment schemes) work properly, the insurers with the healthy customers basically send money over to the ones with the sicker customers.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ob ... 4a8b2d96cb

Robert Kennedy’s grandson marries former CIA agent. “Robert Kennedy III and Amaryllis Fox tied the knot on Saturday at the Kennedy Compound on Cape Cod.” http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... dding.html Sounds like a Romeo and Juliet scenario…. I don’t see any U.S. news coverage of this. Oh, it’s a local story on Boston.com https://www.boston.com/culture/celebs/2 ... next-month

Mark Zuckerberg becomes third richest person in the world by micro-targeting Facebook users with ads by using their personal data. “Zuckerberg, with $81.6 billion, jumped ahead of Buffett, $81.2 billion, on Friday as Facebook shares rose by 2.4 percent, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.” http://thehill.com/homenews/news/395931 ... rson-alive

FCC plans to cut government communication subsidy for native Americans. “The FCC under Ajit Pai has taken particular interest in dismantling much of the Lifeline program, which helps to make broadband internet and both landline and mobile phone services available to low-income Americans.” https://gizmodo.com/fcc-refuses-to-back ... 1827418859

Thousand of anti-gun violence protesters in Chicago block interstate. “Last year more than 3,000 people were shot in Chicago, more than 600 of them fatally.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... trol-march Most of the gun violence in Chicago is gang-related however, so there is not much that politicians can do. Gangsters don’t buy their guns at gun shows or gun shops and they don’t submit background checks. “Roughly 90 percent of this gun violence, police say, flows from gangs.” http://www.newsweek.com/2016/12/23/chic ... 32034.html

Some companies claiming they use artificial intelligence to perform tasks are actually using low-paid humans. “In 2016, Bloomberg highlighted the plight of the humans spending 12 hours a day pretending to be chatbots for calendar scheduling services such as X.ai and Clara…. In 2017, the business expense management app Expensify admitted that it had been using humans to transcribe at least some of the receipts it claimed to process using its ‘smartscan technology’.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... -companies

Turkish government fires 18,632 more public employees. “Turkey has dismissed thousands of state employees under an emergency decree for alleged links to terrorism groups.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... rror-purge And who is replacing these ‘terrorists’? Ruling party supporters?

El Paso police officer pulls gun on gang of unarmed little boys. “In the video, a half-dozen young boys shout at the officer, who pulls out his handgun and points it at them, saying, ‘Back up! Back up, [expletive]!'” https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2 ... cial-media

Self-defense key chains illegal in Texas. “Ninja swords, daggers and machetes are all allowed in public—so are AR-15 assault rifles, shotguns and pistols. But possessing a pink plastic keychain shaped like a cat (head) could lead to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine…” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/pink-p ... rds-legal/

Western governments, including Israel, accused of arming neo-Nazis in Ukraine. “Under pressure from the Pentagon, a clause in the annually renewed defense bill banning US aid to Ukraine from going to the Azov Battalion was repeatedly stripped out.” https://electronicintifada.net/content/ ... aine/24876

Acting director of the Environmental Protection Agency is reportedly a former coal industry lobbyist. “(Andrew) Wheeler is a former coal industry lobbyist and the former chief of staff for Oklahoma Republican Senator Jim Inhofe, who is known as the most notorious climate-denying lawmaker in Washington.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/7/6/h ... inistrator

Asylum seeker reunited with her 8 year-old daughter after being separated for 55 days. “Gonzalez-Garcia says an immigration agent wished her a ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ before her daughter was taken from her without explanation and housed in a Texas detention center.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/7/6/h ... er_55_days

At least 64 dead, millions displaced by massive flooding in southern Japan. “We’ve never experienced this kind of rain before.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ja ... 827cc1583f

Video shows LA police arresting unarmed black motorist at gunpoint. “Los Angeles police have responded after a video showing at least five officers with their guns drawn as they arrest a woman, who appears cooperative and unarmed, drew ire from the some in the community.” https://ktla.com/2018/07/02/lapd-respon ... g-suspect/

Resident calls police on black politician visiting her Oregon constituents. “Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Democrat who is running for a second term this fall in the state House of Representatives, said she was knocking on doors and talking to residents for two hours along Southeast 125th Avenue in Clackamas.” https://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascou ... ys_he.html

Attorney General Sessions withdraws Obama administration guidelines on encouraging racial diversity in higher education. “Rescinding the guidelines does not change official U.S. policy, but marks a return to the George W. Bush-era approach of “race-neutral” college admissions.” http://thehill.com/homenews/administrat ... -promoting

Polish Supreme Court justice defies new ‘mandatory retirement at 65’ law aimed at purging the court of ‘politically unreliable’ judges. “Through legislation and personnel changes, PiS (the Law and Justice Party) has already taken de facto control of much of the judicial system since taking power in 2015, including the constitutional court and prosecutors, who now report directly to the justice minister.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-p ... JU0M1?il=0

Mexico’s new president promises to fight poverty, says people should not have to leave the country out of necessity. “An estimated 44 percent of Mexicans live below the poverty line and 7.6 percent in extreme poverty, according to Coneval, a Mexican social development agency.” http://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/ ... -to-the-us

President Trump wanted to invade Venezuela claims ‘senior official’. “Trump… continued to press Latin American leaders about the possibility, including on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly when he dined with many of those leaders — all of whom said they did not want a US invasion of Venezuela.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/04/poli ... index.html

35 reportedly injured during apparent ‘ethnic cleansing’ operation in Israel. “The Jahalin Bedouin community that lives in Khan al-Ahmar set up camp in the area as early as 1953, long before two Jewish-only settlements were built around it.” https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpic ... 45982.html

D.C. Metro workers hold wildcat strike, show up late for work. “Frontline members are reacting today to frustration with the WMATA General Manager [and] the arbitration of contract issues, including absentee policy and criminal background checks.” https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/loca ... 36591.html

California billionaire reportedly backing Arizona ballot initiative to require the state to produce 1/2 its energy from renewable sources, power companies allegedly funding opposition. “(Arizona Public Service’s) parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., funneled $1.18 million to Arizonans for Affordable Energy to oppose the initiative in the first three months of the year.” http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-s ... story.html

Statue of Liberty is not a ‘free speech zone’. “National Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis told The Associated Press that at least six people were taken into custody for unfurling the (Abolish ICE) banner.” https://www.npr.org/2018/07/05/62605206 ... of-liberty

EPA director Scott Pruitt resigns. “It… comes two days after an exclusive CNN investigation revealed a former top aide alleged Pruitt and his staffers held regular meetings to ‘scrub’, alter or remove controversial events from his (public) calendar.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/05/poli ... index.html

Trump tells crowd that black member of Congress has a low IQ. “I said it the other day, yes, [Maxine Waters] is a low-IQ individual. Honestly, she’s somewhere in the mid-60s, I believe.” http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07 ... rally.html Yikes!

Military reportedly purging its ranks of foreign volunteers. “The service members affected by the recent discharges all enlisted in recent years under a special program aimed at bringing medical specialists and fluent speakers of 44 sought-after languages into the military.” http://time.com/5331398/us-army-immigra ... ischarged/

Aerospace engineer with a security clearance, working for a defense contractor, is allegedly a member of a violent, right-wing extremist group. “(Michael Miselis) is also part of an organization called the Rise Above Movement, or RAM, that espouses hateful views of Muslims, Jews, and immigrants. He was videotaped beating an African-American protestor in Charlottesville and attacking demonstrators at a Trump rally in Berkeley, California.” https://qz.com/1321903/northrop-grumman ... -division/

Former MSNBC host Ed Schultz, who left the network after reportedly being told NOT to cover Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, dies at 64. “It’s five minutes to air and I get a phone call from Phil Griffin, ‘You’re not covering this!'” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... tz-dead-64

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development report claims U.S. employees’ share of national income is dropping. “Workers’ share of national income [in the U.S.] dropped about eight percentage points between 1995 and 2013, faster than anywhere but Poland and South Korea over that time.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ryone-else

48 Texas gas stations fined for price gouging during Hurricane Harvey. “The stations are accused of charging drivers $3.99 or higher for a gallon of gasoline or diesel after Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster…. Paxton said there were reports of some stations charging as much as $8.99 (a gallon) for gas.” https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local ... -570967452 But… the free market!

Former computer hacking firm employee accused of stealing company’s malware. “A 38-year-old former NSO employee has been accused of stealing the firm’s malware and attempting to sell it for $50 million in cryptocurrency on the dark net, according to a widely reported indictment first published by Israeli press.” https://gizmodo.com/ex-employee-of-secu ... 1827360767

Investigation finds that black drivers in Missouri really are much more likely to be stopped by police. “A study published last month by the state attorney general’s office confirmed what many fear about ‘driving while black’ in Missouri. It concluded black motorists were 85% more likely to be pulled over in traffic stops last year.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... k-st-louis

Lions suspected of eating rhino poachers. “An axe and three pairs of shoes and gloves were found later when police and an anti-poaching unit arrived.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... an-reserve

Japan executes 7 members of extremist cult responsible for nerve agent attacks. “Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, confirmed (Shoko) Asahara’s execution. The justice ministry later confirmed that six other senior cult members were executed on the same day.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... rs-reports

White man calls police on black woman using her community pool, even though she has an access card. “The racist man demands that the officer actually swipe the keycard to prove that it works.” It does. Too bad for her though – she’s just been detained and interrogated for ‘attempted swimming while black’ and her accuser just walks away. https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/watch- ... k-moms-id/

Mother of 1 year-old detained while seeking asylum is reunited with her son after almost three months, says the child appears to be traumatized and shows signs of having been neglected. “When I took off his clothes he was full of dirt and lice. It seemed like they had not bathed him the 85 days he was away from us.” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/m ... separation

Border Patrol accused of boarding Canadian fishing boats in international waters. “Laurence Cook, chairman of the advisory board for Lobster Fishing Area 38, said Wednesday that some Canadian vessels were boarded by American agents who asked about possible illegal immigrants.” https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8723 ... ing-boats/

More than 5,2oo bodies recovered so far from beneath the rubble of Mosul, Iraq. “The total number of bodies retrieved during the past months reached 5,228, including 2,658 civilians and 2,570 bodies for the extremist Daesh (Islamic State group) militants…. we believe that there are 500 to 700 more bodies under the debris.” http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-0 ... 304599.htm

U.S. harboring a Vietnamese opposition group accused of orchestrating bomb attacks in Vietnam. “(The group) received money from the California-based Provisional Government of Vietnam…. A U.S. embassy spokesman said at the time the group was not designated a terrorist outfit by the U.S. State Department.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-vietn ... KKBN1JV138 Interesting that Reuters calls the bombers ‘terrorists’ instead of terrorists, and have you ever heard of a ‘terrorist outfit’ before?

China issues travel advisory for its citizens visiting the U.S. “The embassy warned Chinese tourists to be aware of issues including expensive medical bills, the threats of public shootings and robberies, searches and seizures by customs agents, telecommunications fraud and natural disasters.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chin ... SKBN1JT0T5

Facebook personal data sharing investigation widens. “Facebook discovered in 2015 that Cambridge Analytica, which wasn’t yet working for President Donald Trump’s campaign and other Republican candidates, had obtained Facebook data to create voter profiles. Yet Facebook didn’t disclose that information to the public until March (2018), on the eve of the publication of news reports about the matter.” https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

29 protesters at Philadelphia ICE office arrested after failing to disperse. “The police surge cleared the way for access to a secure entrance to the building.” http://www.philly.com/philly/news/aboli ... 80703.html

Governor of Massachusetts signs gun confiscation bill into law. “…the law… gives judges the power to issue an “extreme risk protection order” taking away a person’s guns after a family member, current or former romantic partner, housemate, or local police official signs an affidavit saying the person may pose a risk of causing bodily injury to themselves or someone else.” https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/ ... story.html Are they also going to take away their knives, motor vehicles, baseball bats, ice picks, scissors, box cutters, flammable liquids, wire, rope, neckties, pillows, fireworks/gunpowder, wine bottles, hammers and yard tools?

Severely injured subway rider begs bystanders not to call an ambulance. “After a woman’s leg became trapped by a subway train in Boston, the bone exposed through her thigh, she reportedly pleaded with bystanders: Don’t call an ambulance. ‘Do you know how much an ambulance costs?’ she wept, according to The Boston Globe.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 756068002/

Trump accuses Obama administration of granting citizenship to Iranians as part of nuclear deal. “He had every opportunity to call people in his own Department of Homeland Security and State Department to ask whether or not this was true. And they would have told him it wasn’t. Instead, he relies on Fox News.” https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/03/media/ ... index.html

FAA says no need to set minimum seating space on airliners. “FlyersRights.org challenged the FAA in court for allowing airlines and manufacturers to squeeze more passengers onto flights. As seating got more cramped, the group argued there is a safety risk for evacuations and a health risk for passengers who could develop deep-vein thrombosis.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/201 ... 755707002/ It’s called ‘regulatory capture’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulatory_capture

App developer employees reportedly allowed to read some Gmail user’s emails. “… the news that third-party developers — and especially their employees — could read people’s emails may come as a surprise to people who didn’t quite understand what they were signing up for or the extent that human eyes would be involved.” https://www.cnet.com/news/third-party-g ... es-emails/

Researchers say your Android phone is probably not recording and transmitting your audio to target you with ads, but it may be recording screen shots and sending them to third parties. “In other words, until smartphone makers notify you when your screen is being recorded or give you the power to turn that ability off, you have a new thing to be paranoid about.” https://gizmodo.com/these-academics-spe ... 1826961188

Immigrants with children who are requesting asylum reportedly being given two choice – leaving the U.S. with or without their children. “Although a federal judge last week ordered the reunification of migrant children and parents forcibly separated under the Trump administration’s so-called “zero tolerance” policy, attorneys for detained migrants told journalists that their clients are being presented with a form that features only two options: 1) I am requesting to reunite with my child(ren) for the purpose of repatriation to my country of citizenship. Or 2) I am affirmatively, knowingly, and voluntarily requesting to return to my country of citizenship without my minor child(ren) who I understand will remain in the United States to pursue available claims of relief.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ng-parents

64% of Americans want the Supreme Court to overturn its own Citizens United ruling, which lifted restrictions on corporate political donations. “Recent survey data has found that a large majority of Americans most certainly don’t agree with (Justice) Kennedy’s conclusion that unlimited corporate political expenditures do not corrupt politics.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... t-overturn

Anti-ICE blockades spread to additional cities. “(In addition to San Francisco and Philadelphia) Occupy ICE demonstrations have also emerged in Portland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Detroit and New York.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... n-families

Senate Intelligence Committee says more evidence that Russia boosted Trump during election. “A Republican-controlled Senate panel has said that further evidence has been found to support a US intelligence assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help elect Donald Trump…. No further detail was given.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... nate-panel

Police union lodges complaint over two books on South Carolina high school’s summer reading list. “Thomas’s book (The Hate U Give) was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, but also includes a character, the main protagonist’s uncle, who is a black police officer and positive role model. It has won prizes including the Waterstones children’s book award, while All American Boys is the recipient of the Walter Dean Myers award for outstanding children’s literature.” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/ ... ading-list Streisand effect! (When someone tries to censor something that is relatively unknown and it results in creating huge interest and curiosity, resulting in far more people seeking it out than ever would have if there had been no attempt at censorship.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

Rioting in Nantes, France after police fatally shoot man attempting to flee traffic stop. “There were fires in the (dumpsters), the cars. They were breaking everything. It lasted ages,’ (a witness) said, adding that the situation later calmed down. Violence also broke out in two other areas, Dervallières and Malakoff, where cars were set on fire.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... -shot-dead

U.S. may have become a ‘zombie democracy’. “Barack Obama was sometimes criticized for being a ‘celebrity president’ whose soaring, quasi-religious rhetoric masked what was essentially a standard [neo-]liberal-technocratic platform. But the subsequent election of Trump — a literal reality TV entertainer — seems to epitomize the extent to which democratic politics has been reduced to a pageant of entertainment and provocation.” https://theintercept.com/2018/07/04/how ... an-review/

Chilean judge finds nine former soldiers guilty of murder of folksinger Victor Jara after 1973 right-wing coup. “He had been held, along with around 5,000 other political prisoners, in a sports stadium where he was interrogated, tortured and then killed.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/nine-e ... ctor-jara/

Norwich, Connecticut police issued court summons to white gang that jumped on the hood of a black woman’s car and smashed out her window after she reported them for attacking a black man in the street. “Police said five people were charged but were not taken to jail and no mugshots were taken.” https://fox61.com/2018/07/03/exclusive- ... d-toddler/

Sexual abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq may have also been used against female prisoners. ‘You must come and kill me, because I’ve been defiled…. I’m no longer fit. I can’t be a wife… and I can’t be married.” https://truthout.org/video/seymour-hers ... -programs/

Cuban environmentalist released from prison early after being sentence to 1 year for insulting forest rangers. “Amnesty International had called Ruiz Urquiola, who has a history of criticizing the government on environmental issues, a ‘prisoner of conscience’ after he was sentenced on May 8 for calling two forest rangers ‘rural police’.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/cuban-enviro ... 00025.html

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

124
Israel bombs Gaza after Palestinians shoot first Israeli soldier at border. “Over 135, mostly unarmed, Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the border protests began on March 30.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-pum ... nian-fire/

Man yelling at woman in parking lot near Clearwater, Florida fatally shoots her boyfriend after he pushes the man to the ground. “…Pinellas County Sheriff telling us he will NOT press charges against (Michael) Drejka because he was defending himself under the ‘Stand Your Ground’ law.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC2mxTjeHFs The man who was shot was black, the shooter was apparently white. The video shows the shooting victim stepping back away from the man after shoving him to the ground.

Charlotte, North Carolina will host 2020 Republican convention – because no other cities submitted bids. “The (Republican National Committee) said five other cities expressed interest earlier in the year. But four of the five told the Charlotte Observer that they declined to submit bids, while officials in the fifth said they had no knowledge of any bid.” http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-p ... story.html

Candidate for CIA inspector general post withdraws his name from consideration after allegations by former agency employees that they suffered retaliation for whistle-blowing. “Andrew Bakaj and Jonathan Kaplan, two of the retired officials whose complaints are now public, alleged that Sharpley punished them for reporting wrongdoing within the office. There are additional complaints from employees who have not revealed their names.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/20/poli ... index.html

Man on a bicycle fatally shoots another man on a bicycle. “Hausknecht, 65, was biking north when he passed the shooter going in the other direction, (Houston Executive Assistant Police Chief Troy) Finner said. The shooter turned, fired two shots at Hausknecht and rode away on his bike…” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/20/us/b ... index.html

Feds settle lawsuit with man who posted instructions for making guns using a 3D printer. “The government has agreed to allow Wilson and his company to post plans, files and 3D drawings in any form…. The government also agreed to pay nearly $40,000 of Wilson’s legal fees.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... ntable-gun

Pharmacist accused of harassing transgendered woman trying to fill hormone prescription. “He just kept asking, loudly and in front of other CVS staff and customers, why I was given the prescriptions,” she said…. “I felt like the pharmacist was trying to out me as transgender in front of strangers.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/20/heal ... index.html

Wichita, Kansas event for progressive candidate James Thompson ahead of August 7th Democratic primary, featuring Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, moved to a larger venue due to response. “You are very lucky to have someone brave enough to run in this district too, because that is what it takes — change takes courage.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/20/poli ... index.html

Interior Secretary accused of not releasing his meeting schedule, and when obtained through FOIA requests important details were allegedly omitted. “In some cases, names are redacted. In others, aides note some of the meeting attendees but not all, or use non-descript terms like ‘personal’ and ‘hold’, including when Zinke met with a federal contractor.” https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/19/poli ... index.html

Bank refused to deposit black man’s check compensating him for 23 years in prison after wrongful conviction. “The check is from the state of Illinois to him and I can’t attribute any other reason except they’re discriminating against him because he’s a black male.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... story.html

GOP leaders say they will not be inviting Russian president Vladimir Putin to speak to Congress. “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan said they have no intention of inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to address Congress when he meets with President Donald Trump this fall.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 810145002/

New York City’s lawsuit against fossil fuel companies dismissed by federal judge, who rules it’s ‘illogical’ to sue the companies since climate change is an issue for the federal government to resolve. “The city’s coastline is vulnerable to sea-level rise, which is largely due to climate-related factors, and… rising temperatures could result in an estimated 30% to 70% increase in heat-related deaths in the summer of 2020. As a result, New York City sought compensatory damages for its climate change-related costs from the companies….” https://mic.com/articles/190358/judge-d ... -companies

White business owner spits on black security guard over parking dispute. “I’ve encountered somebody saying a racial slur, somebody not being too happy with security, but never ran into where an individual, especially a white individual, felt comfortable enough to spit on me.” https://www.wxyz.com/news/carhartt-seve ... -black-man

Wells Fargo to give back ‘tens of millions’ to customers who had certain add-on services billed to their accounts. “…the bank has been charging monthly fees to hundreds of thousands of customers for dozens of products they didn’t fully understand or know how to use. Pet insurance, legal services and other… services were just some of the add-ons.” http://abc7.com/business/report-wells-f ... s/3794545/

Frozen dinners being recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. “Any microwavable dinners with “Hungry Man Chipotle BBQ Sauced Boneless Chicken Wingz” and a best-by date of Sept. 6, 2019, are being recalled. Dinners impacted by the recall will have the establishment numbers “EST. P138” or “P-138″ on the side of the carton.” https://www.wsls.com/consumer/recalls/c ... a-concerns

163 people in 10 states sickened by McDonald’s salads. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the problem is caused by the Cyclospora parasite that is transmitted in foods contaminated with fecal matter.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/fo ... 806682002/ The wonders of capitalism.

Thousands turn out for progressive rallies in Kansas. “The two rallies on Friday—both of which were filled to capacity, with the Wichita event drawing an estimated 4,000 Kansans—were organized on behalf of progressive congressional candidates James Thompson and Brent Welder, both of whom are running on platforms that mirror those of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez: Medicare for All, a living wage, tuition-free public college, robust support for unions, and other central progressive priorities.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... and-ocasio

Researchers find widespread use of social media to spread sophisticated political propaganda. “In 30 of the 48 countries examined, Oxford researchers discovered ‘evidence of political parties using computational propaganda during elections or referenda’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... nformation

Toddler reunited with parents 5 months after being separated at U.S. border. “A 15-month old baby who came to symbolise the US government’s draconian policy of separating migrant families did not recognise his parents when they were reunited in Honduras on Friday, his tearful mother has said.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... separation

Conservative activist reportedly calls Ronald Reagan a ‘known womanizer’. “We’ve been here before,” (Rev. Robert) Jeffress told the Fox host. “Back in 1980, evangelicals chose to support a twice-married Hollywood actor who was a known womanizer in Hollywood. His name was Ronald Reagan.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/trumps ... idelities/

Intoxicated suspect arrested after altercation with Memphis police officer appears to have been severely beaten in mug shot. “The confrontation… escalated when Pszczola pushed an officer and tried to punch him, court records said. The officer then struck the suspect in the face, and Pszczola fell to the ground, according to court records.” https://www.accessatlanta.com/news/nati ... x8cBothbN/

BBC documentary alleges that in the 198os Donald Trump threw parties attended mostly by teenage models. “Models who attended these parties are alleged to have been as young as 14 or 15.” https://www.spin.com/2018/07/trump-sex- ... ry-models/

Chinese-made ‘Make America Great Again’ hats reportedly held up in customs due to president’s tariffs on imports. “In particular, manufacturers are finding that their ‘Keep America Great’ hats and ‘Trump 2020’ flags are being held up at U.S. customs, thus delaying their delivery to customers.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/trump- ... s-tariffs/

17 dead in Missouri ferry accident after boat sinks during storm. “According to National Weather Service Meteorologist Kelsey Angle, a storm warning was in effect from 6:32 to 7:30 p.m…. There were life jackets on board, but (Sheriff) Rader couldn’t comment on if the passengers were wearing them.” http://bransontrilakesnews.com/news_fre ... 3f7c1.html I thought this only happened in what President Trump calls ‘shithole’ countries.

Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook won’t take down Holocaust denial material. “So apparently Mark Zuckerberg is under the impression there’s some good faith debate going on over whether the Holocaust happened?” https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-44883743

Fox News host Tucker Carlson questions U.S. membership in NATO. “Do we really plan to defend Montenegro or many of the other NATO members? How about Estonia? How about Slovakia? Are you ready to have your kids die in those countries?” https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video ... negro.html

Former head of French president Emmanuel Macron’s security detail, now a senior aide, reportedly filmed beating protesters with riot police. “… the man identified as (Alexandre) Benalla is seen grabbing a young man around the neck, repeatedly hitting him and even stomping on his stomach.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ai ... 5c73c36130

Philippines to deport Australian nun for political activism that ‘poses a risk to public interest’. “She advocates for human rights and workers’ welfare and has joined rallies against President Rodrigo Duterte and his government, which has been criticized for stifling dissent and for its brutal war on illegal drugs in which thousands of mostly poor suspects have died.” http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-nun- ... story.html

Former CIA director John Brennan calls Trump’s press conference with Putin ‘treasonous’. “Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of ‘high crimes & misdemeanors’. It was nothing short of treasonous.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... with-putin

Multiple heatwaves affecting countries around the world in Europe, Africa, Near East, Japan and North America. “Montreal, in Canada, recorded the highest temperature in 147 years of record-keeping on July 2. The heat wave there killed more than 70 people. Thermometers in Japan, Russia and Algeria, among other places, were also on fire.” https://www.dw.com/en/the-global-heat-w ... a-44699601

Rights group claims ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims was carefully planned by Myanmar’s military. “Genocide doesn’t happen spontaneously.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/19/worl ... ocide.html

Customer stiffs waiter with Arabic name, leaves racist note on receipt, gets banned from restaurant. “In a photo of the receipt (Khalil) Cavil posted on Facebook the next day, the customer appears to have circled the server’s first name and written, ‘We don’t tip terrorist’.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/re ... 86f48af672

62 Democrats form ‘Medicare for All’ caucus. “Healthcare cannot be a luxury that’s only available for the wealthy and well-connected—it is a human right.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... care-every But during the first two years of the Obama administration, when Democrats controlled the House, Senate and White House, we got Romneycare instead…

18 Democrats vote their support for ICE. “As Alex Kotch reported for The Young Turks, at least one of the Democrats who voted yes—Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas)—has accepted and defended donations from the private prison industry, which is seeing a massive profit increase thanks to President Donald Trump’s inhumane anti-immigrant agenda.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -embracing

Transparency group sues NYPD for all available, unedited, video of Miguel Richards police shooting. “Police unions have been battling the department and city over the release of body-camera footage — with the city arguing it should be made public in the interest of transparency and the unions charging that the videos constitute ‘personnel records’ exempt from disclosure without a court order.” https://nypost.com/2018/07/19/activists ... -shooting/

Polk County, Iowa deputy fatally shoots suspect during traffic stop. “The reason for the traffic stop has not been specified…. When the driver got out of the vehicle, it appeared that he had a weapon in his hands, so a deputy fatally shot him, (Sheriff’s department spokesperson Rich) Blaylock said. Blaylock declined to say Tuesday whether the driver had a weapon.” https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story ... 791165002/

Man assisting crash victims awarded $640,000 after being put in chokehold by police. “When officers arrived, they instructed Hunter and a friend of his to step away from the car crash. …Federal Way Police Officer Kris Durell thought Hunter was ignoring commands so he ‘approached him from behind and began to choke him’.” https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/0 ... force-case

Ohio police officer charged with using excessive force, alleged to have repeatedly struck restrained suspect. “The indictment alleges the former Put-in-Bay officer injured the man by punching and striking him multiple times in the head and body on August 25, 2017.” https://www.wdtn.com/news/ohio/ex-polic ... 1310402377

EPA allegedly suppressed report on the dangers of formaldehyde, but aired out Director Pruitt’s new desk for a week to reduce his exposure. “Last month it emerged key figures in the EPA were suppressing an agency report, completed just before Donald Trump took office, that found that a majority of Americans inhale unacceptably high levels of formaldehyde vapor in the course of daily life, which puts them at risk of developing cancer of the blood, throat and nose.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... yde-report

Violence escalates in Cameroon conflict over use of English in schools. “Cameroon’s military has been accused of burning villages and killing unarmed civilians in the country’s minority English-speaking regions.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... h-speaking

Arrest foils plot to massacre entire population of New York town inhabited by black Muslims say prosecutors, residents want plotters charged with terrorism. “From February to April of this year, Robert R. Doggart, a 63-year-old Tennessee man who ran for U.S. Congress in 2014, was hatching an elaborate plan to massacre the inhabitants of Islamberg, a Muslim community in the Catskills mountains of New York, according to the FBI and federal prosecutors.” http://www.watershedpost.com/2015/tenne ... skills-mus

Unmarked grave with 48 bodies discovered in Sugarland, Texas, bringing total found in the area to 95. “Bodies at the site, which construction crews discovered in April, likely belonged to African-American prison inmates who were forced to work on (sugar) plantations. Artifacts, including chains, have also been uncovered.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bodies-bla ... ugar-land/

Court strikes Proposition 9, which would have asked California voters if they want the state to be divided into three states, from the ballot. “Whether you agree or not with this initiative, this is not the way democracies are supposed to work.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 798773002/ Yes, and you shouldn’t have to be extremely wealthy to get your issue on the ballot either.

Convenience store owner accused of shooting man stealing beer. “Defoe, police said, stole three 18-packs of Natural Ice beer from the store on Tuesday night and hopped into his Toyota Camry…. security video appears to show Hasan pointing the gun directly into Defoe’s car window and shooting as he backs up and drives away.” http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/07/18/fl ... s-say.html

Activist groups to hold Confront Corruption and Demand Democracy candlelight vigils. “The Confront Corruption and Demand Democracy vigils are being organized by several sponsoring groups, including Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Common Cause, CREDO Action, Democracy for America, Greenpeace, Hip Hop Caucus, MoveOn, People’s Action, Public Citizen, and the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ion-vigils

Coalition calls for a ban on AI weapons systems (aka ‘killer robots’), members pledge not to participate in their development. “More than 160 companies and groups from three dozen countries and 2,400 individuals from 90 countries are backing the pledge, which was developed by the Boston-based Future of Life Institute (FLI) and unveiled Wednesday during the annual International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) in Stockholm, Sweden.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... ian-future

Discrimination lawsuit reveals prosecutorial misconduct. “While Rodriguez-Coss’s lawsuit had nothing to do with how federal prosecutors behaved in a courtroom, both sides dredged up alleged misconduct in how they handled death penalty cases.” https://theintercept.com/2018/07/18/pro ... h-penalty/

Anti-bacterial chemicals used when processing poultry accused of making employees sick. “The (Washington) Post article appeared two years after an inspector at a poultry plant in New York state where PAA and chlorine were used died after his lungs bled out. In the years since, complaints about chemical exposure at other plants have emerged. Yet… neither the Food and Drug Administration nor USDA focus on plant workers’ health or safety when reviewing chemicals used in meat and poultry plants. Nor has the Occupational Safety and Health Administration set a permissible exposure limit for PAA.” https://theintercept.com/2018/07/19/mor ... s-norbest/

Trump and Putin both retract comments made at Helsinki summit. Trump claims he meant to say, ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia.’ Putin says $400,000 was donated to Clinton campaign by fugitive businessman, not $400 million. “Mainstream Media has completely ignored #Putin’s comment that Browder funneled $400 million to Hillary.” https://theintercept.com/2018/07/18/put ... en-russia/ No worries Vlad, we didn’t even hear about it.

Transparency group releases Nelson Mandela’s U.S. intelligence community files, which it had to sue to obtain. “South Africa’s first black president, who died in 2013 and remains a global icon for his struggle against apartheid and message of reconciliation after 27 years in prison, was regarded with suspicion by Washington during the Cold War and remained on the U.S. terrorism watchlist until 2008.” https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/us-int ... de-public/

Israel’s parliament passes watered-down ethnic identity law that still gives special status to the country’s Jewish residents. “Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/isra ... lf-n892636

Documentary “Generation Wealth” examines the country’s changing values. “… I started to think that the stories that I had done about all of these different topics maybe told a larger story about the way we had changed and… how the American dream had changed and how we’ve gone from a dream characterized by hard work and frugality and discipline and discretion to a kind of balloon dream more about celebrity and bling and narcissism.” https://www.marketplace.org/2018/07/17/ ... than-money

Anti-slavery group accuses North Korea of being a ‘slave state’. “North Korea is essentially a slave state that uses its own citizens for the Kim regime’s benefit.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wor ... estimates/



Electronic voting company admits it installed remote access software on some of its systems. “Election-management systems are not the voting terminals that voters use to cast their ballots, but are just as critical: they sit in county election offices and contain software that in some counties is used to program all the voting machines used in the county; the systems also tabulate final results aggregated from voting machines.” https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/arti ... -to-states

Federal Reserve Board Chairman says sharp drop in economic growth being shared with employees is ‘very troubling’. “Testifying in front of the Senate Banking Committee, (Jerome) Powell expressed concern that the share of profits going to American labor had fallen ‘precipitously’ for more than a decade and was not reversing course.” http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-f ... story.html

Finnish security tackled journalist with sign at Trump-Putin press conference. “As I was shoved out of room. I think I shouted, ‘I wanted to ask about nuclear weapons!’ and ‘This is a free press in Finland?'” https://www.thenation.com/article/came- ... questions/

Only ‘visibly Muslim’ person in the audience was asked to leave Al Bihani v. Trump Guantanamo court hearing. “The hearing was about to begin, so I quickly sat in the front row. However, a courtroom security officer told me I had to move because that row was reserved for attorneys. After I moved… he then told me I needed to put my phone away, which I promptly did, though with some frustration. As a result, and after sitting in the courtroom for less than five minutes, I was escorted out, and once outside, the officer told me that when he gave me orders, I had to listen without giving him attitude. Then he told me I wouldn’t be let back in to observe the hearing.” https://truthout.org/articles/white-sup ... uantanamo/

Google hit with $5 billion fine by EU for Android restrictions. “Our decision stops Google from controlling which search and browser apps manufacturers can pre-install on Android devices or which Android operating system they can adopt.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/10/eu-hits ... -fine.html

Woman who tried to hang toddler and then ran over two men with a car sentenced to probation. Yes, she’s white. “‘This offense was aggravated, if not wholly caused, by abuse (by) Nataliia’s husband,’ defense attorney Brockton Hunter said.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 791189002/

Video of fatal police shooting of Chicago barber released without audio. “The material that everybody wants to see, when the investigation is wrapped up, when they’re complete, they’ll get that material,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said… “I think this material that the superintendent of the police department released provided for the right reasons of public safety the information but … it’s not complete. That will happen in due time.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... story.html

Human rights group says child immigration detainees were severely mistreated. “We see a policy of enforced hunger, enforced dehydration and enforced sleeplessness coupled with routine insults and physical assaults.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mi ... 86f485ade8

House Republican accuses Google of blocking searches for information about Jesus. “Rep. Lamar Smith, R–Texas, accused Google of blocking searches to ‘Jesus, Chick-fil-A and the Catholic religion’, none of which are blocked by Google. ‘Jesus’ returns almost a billion results.” https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ ... ia-n892206

Animal rights group reveals abuse at corporate pig facility. “If pig factory farmers abused even one dog or cat the way they abuse thousands of pigs, they would be jailed for cruelty to animals.” https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2 ... 788684002/

Judge sides with Trump administration, rules federal family planning funds can be earmarked for programs advocating abstinence and ‘natural’ methods of reducing the probability of pregnancy. “The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)… released a funding announcement in February, where they told interested parties they’ll be giving Title X dollars to groups who cooperate with faith-based organizations and have a “meaningful emphasis” on “stable, healthy marriages” and avoid “sexual risk.” The 60-page announcement made no mention of contraception, but instead, emphasized infertility services.” https://thinkprogress.org/trump-appoint ... 24cb629f8/ What do you call couples who use the rhythm method of birth control (aka calendar-based contraception)? Parents.

Lawsuit alleges Kushner Companies harassed tenants in rent-controlled apartments to encourage them to leave. “… over the past three years, more than 250 rent-stabilized apartments — 75 percent of the building — were either emptied or sold as the Kushner Cos. was converting the building to luxury condos.” https://www.npr.org/2018/07/17/62996619 ... ches-probe

‘No time limit’ on nuclear disarmament of North Korea. “(President Trump’s) latest comments on the timeline for denuclearisation appear to shift from his position ahead of the summit with Mr. Kim, when he said denuclearisation should start ‘without delay’. Following the meeting, he said the process would start ‘very quickly’.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44868727



Trump says Putin’s denials of U.S. election hacking were very persuasive, Russia may not be responsible for U.S. election hacking after all. Media and Deep State go nuts. “At a news conference after the summit, President Trump was asked if he believed his own intelligence agencies or the Russian president when it came to the allegations of meddling in the elections. ‘President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be,’ he replied.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44852812 I think it’s safe to say that the turmoil going on in the U.S. now has far exceeded Russia’s wildest dreams, as the politerati tear each other to shreds over what was actually a pretty run-of-the-mill attempt at election tampering (hacked and leaked emails, inflammatory Facebook ads, phishing attempts on election officials) which probably did not effect the outcome of the election. A bigger deal by far would be if they helped Trump get the Republican nomination, either as a planted Russia-friendly candidate or simply as a wild-card who would create political chaos. Mucho bonus points if they influenced James Comey (directly or indirectly) to announce the reopening of the Hillary Clinton email investigation right before the election. It seems likely that, whatever the extent of the political interference, that it’s payback for overthrowing the Russia-friendly government in Ukraine (which is Russia’s Canada). All that being said, better relations with Russia would not be the end of the world, and would save the U.S. (and Russia) trillions in nuclear and conventional military spending. After the disastrous and incredibly expensive wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a little ‘peace dividend’ would be much appreciated by the taxpaying U.S. public. But you’re probably going to have to vote Green to actually get that, because Trump is just going to to blow it all on another war, probably in Iran this time.

Judge orders halt in deportations of reunited migrant families after allegations that parents are being forced to agree to deportation to get their children back. “The government gives reunited parents the option of being deported with their children or being deported alone while leaving their children in the USA to make their own claim to stay in the country (according to a lawyer representing the ACLU).” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 788276002/

Russian citizen charged with attempting to influence National Rifle Association and other conservative organizations on behalf of her government. “(Maria) Butina is accused of trying to cultivate relationships with American politicians to establish ‘back channel’ lines of communication and seeking to infiltrate U.S. political groups, including an unnamed ‘gun rights organization’, to advance Russia’s agenda.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pu ... story.html What timing!

‘Our Revolution’ fires its National Justice director Tezlyn Figaro after she points out that unlimited immigration hurts unskilled workers already in the U.S. “The (Democratic Party) claims to champion the economic well-being of black and Hispanic Americans. Yet it also supports unfettered immigration, which, according to a vast amount of economic literature—including a report by the National Academy of Sciences—depresses wages and reduces job opportunities for minority American workers.” https://www.newsweek.com/democrats-immi ... on-1026181

Treasury Dept. and IRS say social-welfare organizations that advocate for specific policies and similar ‘non-political’, non-charity groups will no longer have to provide ‘dark money’ donor information. “…the move frees labor unions, issue advocacy organizations, veterans groups and other nonprofits that do not receive tax-exempt money from meeting confidential disclosure requirements set in place decades ago.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKBN1K704F

Vineland, New Jersey police reportedly mauled unarmed suspect with attack dog AFTER shooting him three times. “After (Rashaun) Washington was shot he took a few steps and collapsed where a memorial now stands. But witnesses also said after Washington fell police released the K-9.” http://6abc.com/neighbors-capture-vinel ... -/3773131/

Drug store manager calls police on black woman trying to use a coupon. “I don’t take issue — not then, not now — with him not accepting the coupon,” she said. “It’s how he didn’t accept the coupon.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cv ... er-n891596

Bernie Sanders CEOs vs. Workers Town Hall: “How does it happen that there are major corporations in America where CEOs receive extravagant compensation packages, who pay their workers wages so low that many of them are forced to rely on food stamps, Medicaid, and public housing—subsidized by taxpayers—to survive?” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... nd-poverty

Inspired by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling that lifted caps on political donations, PBS documentary “Dark Money” hits theaters. “… you could just see political power slipping out of the hands of the average citizen and into the hands of a handful of super-rich people.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... -corporate

Trump administration: mission accomplished in War on Poverty. “Anti-poverty advocates are rejecting a new Trump administration report that ridiculously declares the ‘War on Poverty is largely over and a success’.” https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/ ... claims-war

Israeli parliament to vote on ‘apartheid’ bill. “The proposed legislation would allow the state to ‘authorize a community composed of people having the same faith and nationality to maintain the exclusive character of that community’.” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/ ... segregated

Mexico’s new left-populist president cuts his own pay by 60%. ” Lopez Obrador said he will take home 108,000 pesos a month, which is $5,707 at current exchange rates…. The transition team calculates that current Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto makes 270,000 pesos a month.” http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-mexi ... story.html

Amazon workers in Germany, Spain and Poland go on Prime Day strike. “The Verdi services union called the one-day strike to back its demand for labor contracts that guarantee healthy working conditions at fulfillment centers run by the world’s largest e-commerce company.” https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ ... ay-n891691

Clayton, Missouri police reportedly accused black students of leaving IHOP without paying, even after they showed their receipts. “Even though some of the students had receipts showing they had paid for their meals, police made all of them walk three blocks back to the restaurant, with six squad cars following them…. the manager told officers the students were not those who had left without paying.” https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/met ... 0082f.html But they’re black!

International Criminal Court outlaws ‘crimes of aggression’. “Claims alleging that armed force has been used against the ‘sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence’ of another state can, from Tuesday, be taken to the tribunal in The Hague. The new offense cannot, however, be enforced retrospectively over conflicts such as the 2003 Iraq invasion.” https://www.theguardian.com/law/2018/ju ... uk-law-war

Australian authorities release video of death of aboriginal man while in police custody. “Shocking video footage of the death in custody of an Indigenous Australian man has been aired in court for the first time, depicting five officers restraining a man who said 12 times that he could not breathe.” https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... iginal-man They were trying to stop him from… eating cookies in his cell.

Brett Kavanaugh allegedly screwed journalist’s lawyer out more than a decade of legal fees in JFK assassination case. “On the issue of compensation for successful FOIA litigants, (Senior Justice) Henderson said the prospective Supreme Court justice ignored the letter of the law while siding with a “recalcitrant” CIA over a working journalist — i.e., me — who had uncovered information of genuine public benefit.” https://theintercept.com/2018/07/17/bre ... court-cia/

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposes a Democratic version of GOP’s Freedom Caucus. “The current (Congressional Progressive Caucus), made up of 78 members, is too amorphous to act as a united bloc, which saps it of its strength, Ocasio-Cortez argued.” https://theintercept.com/2018/07/16/oca ... as-a-bloc/

Colin Kaepernick still blacklisted for kneeling during national anthem in protest of police shootings. ” I believe that what has happened to Kaepernick is the single biggest injustice done to an athlete in my lifetime. It is on par with Muhammad Ali being stripped of his championship belt and being banned from boxing for three years because he was a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War.” https://theintercept.com/2018/07/14/col ... -500-days/

Election software vendor VR systems claims it was never hacked by Russia, despite Robert Mueller indictment apparently claiming it was. “Compare that once more to the NSA report, which noted that Russian ‘cyber actors used the vr.systems@gmail.com account to contact U.S. email addresses 1 to 122 associated with named local government organizations’.” https://theintercept.com/2018/07/13/a-s ... otherwise/

IS forces in Afghanistan ‘remarkably resilient’. “(General John) Nicholson admits that an insurgency that receives support from a neighboring country — not to mention sanctuary — is almost impossible to defeat.” https://abcnews.go.com/International/is ... d=56545752

Basra protests in Iraq spread to more cities as citizens protest unemployment and lack of basic services. “Protests have spread to more Iraqi cities after a week of violent demonstrations in the oil-rich city of Basra where at least seven people were killed, dozens wounded, and hundreds arrested, police and activists said.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/ ... 30993.html

Jailed Reuters journalist in Myanmar claims police arranged their meeting, handed him documents he had not requested. “At the time of their arrest, the reporters had been working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in the village of Inn Din in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-myanm ... KKBN1K50XS

Discrepancies noted between Zapruder and Nix films of John F. Kennedy assassination, and neither match testimony of Secret Service agent Clint Hill. “In the Zapruder film of the assassination, Jackie goes only just beyond the middle of the trunk before retreating. In the Nix film, Jackie goes noticeably further out on the trunk…. Hill said he saw JFK’s head come apart after he reached the car. But we know from all the films that JFK was shot in the head almost immediately after Hill got off the running board of the follow-up car.” https://whowhatwhy.org/2018/07/12/jfk-a ... tampering/

Pussy Riot claims responsibility for invasion of playing field during World Cup final. “Protest group Pussy Riot, long a thorn in Vladimir Putin’s side, claimed responsibility Sunday for four people who brought the World Cup final to a brief halt by running onto the field dressed in police uniforms as the Russian president and a global audience watched.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/s ... /36888599/

Protesters in Helsinki urged action on human rights, environment and nuclear disarmament. “Basically, (Trump and Putin) care about themselves, their power, their future. And this is very, very irresponsible, because in every corner of the planet, we start to see that climate change is an existential threat to the people and the planet. And if these two leaders will not talk about it, then we will speak about these things in the streets and in the squares. And that’s what we’re doing. And secondly, we need to talk about human rights, because both are eroding human rights. Both are a danger to rule of law and democracy.” https://www.democracynow.org/2018/7/16/ ... tin_summit

DEA reportedly sold compromised cell phones to suspected drug dealers, which either contained surveillance software or used encryption codes known by the government. “… anyone who might accept such a tactic when the targets are suspected drug traffickers should consider a hypothetical scenario in which agents secretly gave such non-secure devices to journalists or activists.” https://rightsanddissent.org/news/dea-f ... xpression/

Roswell, Georgia police officer accused of flipping coin to decide whether to arrest speeding suspect. “The officer used a coin toss app on a cell phone, according to Roswell Police Chief Rusty Grant.” https://abcnews.go.com/US/officers-caug ... d=56572114

Indiana reportedly paid $21 million to clean up contamination left behind by closed Pence family gas stations, Kentucky and Illinois have paid about $1.7 million each.”The (Associated Press) found that Indiana has spent an average of $500,000 to clean up each site left behind by Kiel Bros. Oil Co., which went bankrupt and closed down in 2004.” http://thehill.com/homenews/administrat ... nce-family

Tens of thousands in London protest against Trump visit. “Donald Trump is president of one of the most powerful countries in the world and the message he is sending is that torture is OK.” https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-44826146 Trump claims many of the Britons who turned about to protest during his visit were actually his backers. “Some of them are protesting in my favor, you know that? There are many, many protests in my favor.” https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/07/1 ... _23482417/ You had one of the largest London protest turnouts ever Donald!

28 civilians reportedly killed by U.S. coalition airstrike in eastern Syria. “The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based monitor with ties to the Syrian opposition, reported that ‘at least 54’ people were killed in U.S.-led coalition airstrikes targeting ISIS near an ice factory at the Muzan junction, just east of Al-Soussa in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor.” http://www.newsweek.com/us-coalition-sa ... ns-1023229 That’s about one civilian killed for every suspected member of IS killed!

Grand jury indicts 12 Russians for tampering with U.S. election just days before Trump-Putin summit. “The indictment lodged by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., accuses the Russian spies of hacking into the Democratic National Committee and the presidential campaign of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and of releasing emails obtained… with a goal of influencing the election.” https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/13/special ... with-.html The timing is interesting.

Judge order Los Angeles Times to remove material from story about police corruption trial. “The article described a plea agreement between prosecutors and 45-year-old detective John Saro Balian (who is accused of working with organized crime groups). But the plea deal, which was supposed to be filed under seal, was accidentally made available in a public online database of federal court documents, according to the Times.” http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/07/16/ca ... mafia.html

Highest paid university presidents made more than $1 million in fiscal year 2017. “Here are the Top 10 highest paid in the country in 2016-17, based on base salaries, bonuses, deferred compensation and other forms of pay.” http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/educat ... story.html I wonder if this has anything to do with the astronomical cost of higher education?

Facebook now says it will NOT be removing fake news stories from its news feed. “Instead, Facebook’s strategies against false information will push such stories down in the News Feed so fewer users see it, Facebook spokeswoman Lauren Svensson told CNN later in an email exchange.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/tal ... 786388002/

72 year-old Florida man accused of attempting to burn down condominium after being evicted. “Stolper, who had lashed out at his neighbors and the building’s board of directors in the past, told witness Luis Diaz on Thursday that he was ‘going to burn down the building with all the f___ing Jews’, the Miami Herald reported.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mi ... fdcc5a5e6b

Hillary Clinton back in the fight, takes a shot at Trump administration. “You know, I used to worry that they wanted to turn the clock back to the 1950s. Now I worry they want to turn it back to the 1850s.” http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/07/14/h ... convention

ICE family detention facility had 886 empty beds. “ICE’s biggest facility in Dilley, Texas, can hold 2,400 parents and children — but on June 27 and 28 it was at just 63 percent capacity, with 886 beds empty, the detainee logs showed. Although the beds were empty, the government was still paying for them.” https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/20 ... ties-belo/

Steve Bannon and Sam Brownback argue British anti-Muslim activist ‘Tommy Robinson’, who was jailed for making a video outside a court where Muslims were on trial, which a judge ruled was prejudicial to the defendants, is being mistreated by the British government. “Sam Brownback, Trump’s ambassador for international religious freedom, reportedly raised the issue of Robinson’s treatment with the British ambassador to the U.S., and suggested that the Trump administration could publicly criticize the case if the U.K. did not treat Robinson more sympathetically.” http://thehill.com/homenews/media/39708 ... defense-of Do people have a religious freedom to stir up hatred against members of other religions? It it possible that these defendants just happened to be Muslims, and that Robinson was interfering with them receiving a fair trial?

Plutonium reportedly stolen from backseat of government rental car. “While the Idaho National Laboratory depicted the site of the theft – a Marriott hotel parking lot — in a report to the Energy Department as a secure spot with high walls on two sides, a clear line of sight to the hotel’s front door, and patrolling guards, San Antonio police statistics show that theft was just one of 87 at the Marriott hotel or its parking lot in 2016 and 2017.” https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local ... 071072.php

Ceasefire in Gaza after intense battle. “In a day of fierce fighting on Saturday, Israel carried out dozens of air strikes in Gaza, killing two people, and Gaza militants fired more than 100 rockets across the border, wounding three people in a southern Israeli town.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza ... ng-n891506

Progressive News Service https://progressivenewsservice.wordpress.com
"When and if fascism comes to America... it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism'." - Halford Luccock
"Liberty without socialism is privilege and injustice. Socialism without liberty is slavery and brutality."
— Mikhail Bakunin

Re: Some recent news stories that got my attention

125
SilasSoule wrote: Sat Jul 21, 2018 9:51 pmCustomer stiffs waiter with Arabic name, leaves racist note on receipt, gets banned from restaurant. “In a photo of the receipt (Khalil) Cavil posted on Facebook the next day, the customer appears to have circled the server’s first name and written, ‘We don’t tip terrorist’.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/re ... 86f48af672
Allegedly fake.
Waiter 'entirely fabricated' widely-reported racism claims
The story was widely covered by the media - including the Washington Post, The Sun and the Daily Mail - in an illustration of how false claims can spread online and be picked up by the mainstream press.
Within days of the image being shared online, the post had been shared more than 18,000 times and attracted more than 7,000 comments. Many of those commenting had expressed their support for Mr Cavil.
According to reports, Mr Cavil has apologised for making the fake claims.

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