Building for a Socialist Brexit
Michael Barker | counterpunch.org | 2018-07-11
In recent years the Tories have been carrying through a veritable bonfire of workers' rights, environmental protections and human rights. This is really nothing new, and few on the left would disagree that the Tories have plans to ignite further bonfires in the near future. The matter of what to do with regards the results…
counterpunch.org/2018/07/11/building-for-a-socialist-brexit/
Court Suspends Lawyer Who Won Ecuador Oil Case Against Chevron
teleSUR /ef | telesurtv.net | 2018-07-11
Lawyer Steven Donziger who won a US$18 billion settlement against Chevron in 2011, was ruled "a threat to the public order." He says decision is "gross injustice."
telesurtv.net/english/news/Court-Suspends-Lawyer-Who-Won-Ecuador-Oil-Case-Against-Chevron-20180710-0026.html
More inconsistencies in account of second UK novichok poisoning
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-07-11
The theory advanced by the government is that "Russia has committed an attack on British soil which has seen the death of a British citizen."
wsws.org/en/articles/2018/07/11/novi-j11.html
'Overdose Prevention' Bill Would Actually Increase Overdoses by Driving People Out of Treatment
Phillip Smith, Independent Media Institute | alternet.org | 2018-07-10
Drug treatment and recovery groups are lining up against the measure, which strips drug patients of crucial privacy protections. | A bill ostensibly intending to reduce opioid overdoses passed the House last month, but rather than cheering it on, drug treatment and recovery advocates are lining up to block it in the Senate. That's because instead of being aimed at reducing overdoses, the bill is actually a means of removing patient privacy protections from some of the most vulnerable people with opioid problems, including people using methadone-assisted therapy to control their addictions. And that, advocates say, is likely to increase–not decrease–opioid overdoses by pushing users away from drug treatment out of fear the information they reveal could be used against them. The fear is real: Unlike other medical conditions, drug addiction leaves patients open to criminal prosecution, as well as stigmatization and other. . .
alternet.org/drugs/overdose-prevention-bill-would-actually-promote-driving-people-out-treatment
'Elections Have Consequences': Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court Nomination Is a Harsh Reminder That Obama Was Right
Matthew Rozsa, Salon | alternet.org | 2018-07-10
The events of the last year-and-a-half demonstrate the moral and logical fallacies of throwing away one's vote. | President Donald Trump has named Brett Kavanaugh, a judge from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to be his second Supreme Court nominee. Like Trump's first pick Justice Neil Gorsuch, Kavanaugh is a man who is likely to push the court to the right on issues like abortion, gay rights, consumer rights and environmental protection. In other words, this is exactly the type of nightmare scenario that liberals feared when Trump was elected to the White House. As a result, it's time for the progressives who didn't vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016 to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth: All of the horrors unleashed by Trump are very much your fault. There is abundant evidence that Clinton would have won. . .
alternet.org/news-amp-politics/elections-have-consequences-brett-kavanaughs-supreme-court-nomination-harsh
The No. 1 Cause of Climate Change the Media Don't Mention
Lee Camp | truthdig.com | 2018-07-10
There are many issues the corporate media will debate in its standard, convoluted, manipulative manner. In fact, most issues will at some point get an hour of glowing fame on the mind-control box. Yet some topics are forbidden, banned from discussion on the mainstream news channels. | One of those issues just happens to be the No. 1 cause of man-made climate change, and a top cause of illness, sickness, torture and environmental destruction in the United States and around the world. So it's concerning that corporate media avoid it as if it's a highly unstable radioactive material being handed to them by Bill Cosby. | That topic is animal agriculture–the raising of the animals most of us eat. | Unlike the media, I do want to get into this topic–partially because it's hugely important and partially because I enjoy doing things that…
truthdig.com/articles/the-1-cause-of-climate-change-the-media-dont-mention/
What a Foiled Plot to Execute Muslims Reveals About Islamophobia in France
Karina Piser | thenation.com | 2018-07-10
What a Foiled Plot to Execute Muslims Reveals About Islamophobia in France appeared first on The Nation.
thenation.com/article/foiled-plot-execute-muslims-reveals-islamophobia-france/
Stormy Daniels Offers Priceless Assessment of Michael Avenatti: He Paints with 'Tears of His Enemies'
Chris Sosa, AlterNet | alternet.org | 2018-07-10
The piece is filled with amazing quotes about the president's chief public foil. | A lengthy and at points cartoonish New York Times profile of adult film actor Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti contains a gem from his client. "Like Trump, Avenatti is all Freudian id, loudmouthed and cocky," Times reporter Matthew Shaer explains. Backing this claim, Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford but prefers the porn moniker, was contacted for the profile about her lawyer's skills. "People forced to play defense tend to get sloppy, they tend to make mistakes. And look, if I didn't think Michael was doing a good job, I would fire his ass," Daniels began. "[E]very time I watch him work, I think, This is what it must have been like to see the Sistine Chapel being painted," she continued. Then came the quote of the year: "But instead of paint,. . .
alternet.org/news-amp-politics/stormy-daniels-offers-priceless-assessment-michael-avenatti-he-paints-tears-his
Trump Trade War: China Refiner Dumps US Crude, Seeks Iranian Oil
Juan Cole | iranian.com | 2018-07-10
Irina Slav at Oilprice.com notes that China's Dongming Petrochemical Group is dropping imports of US crude for its refineries and replacing them with oil from Iran, according to Iran's IRNA news service and Japan Today. Moreover, China is said to be preparing to slap 25% tariffs on imports of American crude, which will likely halt such imports […] | The post Trump Trade War: China Refiner Dumps US Crude, Seeks Iranian Oil appeared first on The Iranian.
iranian.com/2018/07/10/china-seeks-iranian-oil/
Emotions High as Kavanaugh Begins Fight for Confirmation
Staff | truthdig.com | 2018-07-10
WASHINGTON — Conservative Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh plunged into his confirmation battle Tuesday, meeting face-to-face with Senate leaders in what promises to be an intense debate over abortion rights, presidential power and other legal disputes that could reshape the court and roil this fall's elections. | Kavanaugh is a favorite of the GOP legal establishment, and his arrival as President Donald Trump's nominee was greeted on Capitol Hill with praise from Republicans and skepticism from Democrats. There were also pledges of open minds by key senators whose votes will most likely determine the outcome. | Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky called Kavanagh "one of the most thoughtful jurists" in the country but warned of an onslaught of "fear mongering" from liberal groups trying to derail the nomination. He said it was clear that many Democrats "didn't care who the nominee was…
truthdig.com/articles/emotions-high-as-kavanaugh-begins-fight-for-confirmation/
CNN Host Corners Deputy Press Secretary Over Report Kennedy Received Assurances Trump Would Nominate Kavanaugh
Tom Boggioni, Raw Story | alternet.org | 2018-07-10
The anchor was not letting him escape this one. | In an interview with CNN host John Berman, White House spokesperson Raj Shah refused to address a report that President Donald Trump and the White House convinced Supreme Court Justice Anthony to retire by promising to replace him with protege Brett Kavanaugh. Early Tuesday morning, NBC reported that Kennedy had been in negotiations "for months" with the outgoing justice stating, "Once Kennedy received assurances that it would be Kavanaugh (his former law clerk) Kennedy felt comfortable retiring. "Confronted with the accusation by Berman, Shah repeatedly side-stepped the question, instead giving a boilerplate explanation about Kavanaugh's qualifications. "In the selection process, did President Trump speak to outgoing Justice Anthony Kennedy at all about Judge Kavanaugh prior to the nomination? " Berman asked. "The president did speak with Justice Kennedy yesterday to inform him of his choice," Shah. . .
alternet.org/news-amp-politics/cnn-host-corners-deputy-press-secretary-over-report-kennedy-received-assurances
Trump's Energy Offensive Against Iran: An Expert Analysis
Jim Lobe | iranian.com | 2018-07-10
The Trump administration has "gone nuclear" in reportedly demanding that all of Iran's current oil consumers completely eliminate imports of Iranian imports by November 4. This comes in the wake of the OPEC meeting in which, apparently under pressure from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, in particular, its members agreed […] | The post Trump's Energy Offensive Against Iran: An Expert Analysis appeared first on The Iranian.
iranian.com/2018/07/09/trumps-energy-offensive-against-iran-an-expert-analysis/
Trump, the Great 'Visionary Business Guru' is Actually Crashing the Global Economy
Finian Cunningham | mintpressnews.com | 2018-07-10
US President Donald Trump often brags about his visionary business prowess, and his acolytes hail the former property tycoon for his razor-sharp intelligence. Critics and detractors, on the other hand, speak of his impulsiveness and reckless, short-attention span. | The latter uncharitable characterization of the 45th president seems more than amply substantiated this week as he launched a trade war with China and, further, spooked global oil markets over his belligerent showdown with Iran. | Given the dire financial repercussions for the US and, more generally, the international economy from Trump's actions one wonders how he can ever claim to be such a business guru. | First on China, the Trump administration this week finally implemented its threats to raise punitive taxes on $34 billion-worth of Chinese exports. Trump is threatening to ramp up the tariffs on all Chinese traded goods to the…
mintpressnews.com/global-economy-crashing-trump/245665/
Former Navy sailor pardoned by Trump files lawsuit against Obama administration
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-10
A former US Navy submariner has filed a lawsuit alleging that Obama administration officials denied him equal protection under the law, and went easy on Hillary Clinton for the same offenses.
rt.com/usa/432565-sailor-sues-obama-clinton/
Floods and landslides in Japan leave more than 100 dead
wsws.org | wsws.org | 2018-07-10
Natural disasters in Japan are increasing as a result of climate change, but nothing is being done to address this crisis.
wsws.org/en/articles/2018/07/10/japa-j10.html
Scott Pruitt Resigns, So What?
Tom Crofton | counterpunch.org | 2018-07-09
The appointment of an anti-environmental crusader to run the EPA was a disaster for sure, but the blueprint for fouling our Ecological nest has been in the DNA of our culture from Day 1. Pruitt's narcissism and need for taxpayer funded perks is almost a caricature of the spoiled rich kid grown old and entitled,…
counterpunch.org/2018/07/09/scott-pruitt-resigns-so-what/
As Brexit Throws UK Gov't in Turmoil, 'We See Only the Shadows' of What is Really Happening
Jared Porter | therealnews.com | 2018-07-09
Prof. John Weeks talks about what is behind the Brexit maneuvering that has led to Boris Johnson's and David Davis's resignations from Theresa May's cabinet and how this will affect the process by which the UK plans to leave the European Union | The post As Brexit Throws UK Gov't in Turmoil, 'We See Only the Shadows' of What is Really Happening appeared first on The Real News Network.
therealnews.com/stories/as-brexit-throws-uk-govt-in-turmoil-we-see-only-the-shadows-of-what-is-really-happening
Can Iran Legally Close the Strait of Hormuz?
Faramarz Davar | globalresearch.ca | 2018-07-09
Note to readers: please click the share buttons above | On Tuesday, July 3, President Hassan Rouhani implicitly threatened to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz and prevent countries from exporting their oil through it if Iran was not allowed to …
globalresearch.ca/can-iran-legally-close-the-strait-of-hormuz/5646968
The Persecution of Rafael Correa
Joe Emersberger | counterpunch.org | 2018-07-09
An Ecuadorean judge has issued an arrest order for former President Rafael Correa. Correa is accused of having masterminded an attempted kidnapping of the right wing former legislator, Fernando Balda, in 2012. Balda was in Colombia at the time evading a prison sentence in Ecuador for libel. The kidnapping was foiled within a few hours…
counterpunch.org/2018/07/09/the-persecution-of-rafael-correa/
CIA-Linked Military Contractor Used Arizona "Black Site" to Secretly Jail Dozens of Migrant Children
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-07-09
A major U.S. military and CIA contractor has been detaining dozens of migrant children inside a vacant Phoenix office building with dark windows, no kitchen and only a few toilets, according to a new investigation by Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Reveal learned about what some are calling the "black site" for migrant children after one local resident filmed children in sweatsuits being led into the building. The building was leased in March by MVM, a defense contractor that Reveal reports has received nearly $250 million in contracts to transport immigrant children since 2014. We speak with the lead reporter on this story, Aura Bogado, in Oakland, California. She is the immigration reporter for Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting.
democracynow.org/2018/7/9/cia_linked_military_contractor_used_arizona
NATO: Bolster Inquiries Into Afghan Civilian Deaths
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-07-09
NATO helicopters land at an Afghan and US Special Forces base in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, July 7, 2018. | © 2018 Reuters | (Brussels) — NATO has failed to fully investigate alleged unlawful airstrikes in Afghanistan, which may contribute to rising civilian casualties, Human Rights Watch said today. Member countries attending the NATO Summit in Brussels on July 10-11, 2018, should call for impartial NATO investigations into airstrikes causing civilian loss in order to minimize civilian harm in future attacks. NATO members should also press the Afghan government to hold its forces accountable for serious violations of the laws of war. | At the 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw, member states endorsed a new policy on the protection of civilians that included measures "to prevent, deter, pre-empt, and respond to situations in which…
hrw.org/news/2018/07/09/nato-bolster-inquiries-afghan-civilian-deaths
Report reveals outdated NASA policy poses contamination risk for Earth, universe
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-08
As humans boldly go where no one has been before, the guidelines on how to prevent contamination of these destinations with earthly microbes and vice versa do not meet the reality, according to a new report.
rt.com/usa/432345-nasa-space-aliens-report-threat/
US Justice Kennedy's Legacy on Gay Rights
Human Rights Watch | hrw.org | 2018-07-08
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy arrives for U.S. President Donald Trump's address to a Joint Session of Congress in Washington, U.S., February 28, 2017. | © 2017 Reuters | President Donald Trump is set to announce his nominee to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who will step down this summer after 30 years on the bench. A swing vote on a deeply divided court, Kennedy sided with the majority on many troubling decisions but was also a key figure in several that advanced human rights protections, including on gay rights, abortion rights, and affirmative action. | In Lawrence v. Texas in 2003, the Supreme Court struck down a Texas law prohibiting same-sex sexual activity. It was a 6-3 ruling with Kennedy writing the majority opinion. It invalidated sodomy laws in 13 other states,…
hrw.org/news/2018/07/08/us-justice-kennedys-legacy-gay-right
New EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler, Former Coal Lobbyist, Aims to Continue to Dismantle EPA from Inside
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-07-06
Following Scott Pruitt's resignation, EPA Deputy Administrator Andrew Wheeler will become the agency's acting administrator. Wheeler is a former lobbyist for Murray Energy, the nation's largest underground coal mining company. He's also the former chief of staff for Oklahoma Republican Senator Jim Inhofe, who is known as the most notorious climate-denying lawmaker in Washington. In one of his most famous stunts, Inhofe brought a snowball onto the Senate floor in 2015 in order to prove that global warming was a hoax.
democracynow.org/2018/7/6/new_epa_chief_andrew_wheeler_former
EPA accused of 'suppressing' hazardous formaldehyde report
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-06
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials have accused staff appointed by departing agency head Scott Pruitt of suppressing a report warning that most Americans are exposed to hazardous levels of formaldehyde.
rt.com/usa/432006-epa-supressed-formaldehyde-report/
As Scott Pruitt Resigns, Former EPA Officials Warn His Radical, Anti-Science Agenda Harmed Nation
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-07-06
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has resigned, amid an onslaught of financial and ethics scandals and widespread opposition to his campaign to roll back key environmental protections. President Trump announced Pruitt's resignation via Twitter. Trump later told reporters, "Scott Pruitt did an outstanding job inside of the EPA. We've gotten rid of record-breaking regulations, and it's been really good." At the time of his resignation, Pruitt was facing more than a dozen federal investigations into ethical misconduct, ranging from lavish spending to asking subordinates to help his wife find a job. Just earlier this week, CNN reported Pruitt kept a secret calendar and schedule in an attempt to hide his meetings with many industry executives.
democracynow.org/2018/7/6/as_scott_pruitt_resigns_former_epa
China Approves US$5Bn Loan for Venezuelan Oil Development
TEV | venezuelanalysis.com | 2018-07-05
Venezuelan officials said Chinese cooperation opens up alternative networks outside the sanctions of the United States.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/13918
Twitter accuses Republican senators of defiling America after spending July 4 in Moscow
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-05
A group of Republican senators have been accused of treason after spending July 4 in Moscow. Real patriots spend Independence Day eating potato salad on US soil, according to astute Twitter users.
rt.com/usa/431791-senators-russia-july-4/
Cosmic radiation from giant star system heading towards Earth — NASA (VIDEO, PHOTO)
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-04
A star system containing two gigantic suns is blasting cosmic rays into space and NASA scientists have found that the radiation is making its way towards Earth on intergalactic winds.
rt.com/usa/431705-cosmic-rays-heading-earth/
Americans ask Russians to fix their space-toilet
RT | rt.com | 2018-07-04
When you want a job done right, send in the Russians. NASA has renewed a contract with Russian firm Energia to maintain and repair toilets on board the US segment of the International Space Station.
rt.com/usa/431742-russians-fix-american-space-toilet/