(2019-03-21). Beto O'Rourke Owes His Career to the GOP. truthdig.com To understand Beto O'Rourke as a candidate, it's vital to go beneath the surface of his political backstory. News watchers are already well aware of the former Texas congressman's good looks, charisma, youthful energy and fundraising prowess. But most remain unaware of an inconvenient truth that could undermine the O'Rourke campaign among the people who matter most — the ones who'll be voting to choose the Democratic presidential nominee next year. | O'Rourke is hardly eager for those upcoming voters to realize that the growth of his political career is rooted in an alliance with powerful Republicans that b…
(2019-03-21). On Ilhan Omar, Assad Fetishism, and the Danger of Red-Brown "Anti-Imperialism" counterpunch.org 
Perhaps no elected official has ever been subjected to the level of vitriol, threats, and attacks that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), the first Black Muslim woman ever elected to Congress and one of only two Muslim women there, has. And while we cannot be surprised that Omar was mercilessly attacked by the Israel Lobby and its various appendages and mouthpieces for speaking plainly about Israel's policies and its influence in US politics, the degree of viciousness was appalling. More
(2019-03-21). Selected Articles: US Broke its Teeth in Venezuela? globalresearch.ca 
A future without independent media leaves us with an upside down reality where according to the corporate media "NATO deserves a Nobel Peace Prize", and where "nuclear weapons and wars make us safer". | . | . | | | If, like us, this is …
(2019-03-21). And Now Algeria. counterpunch.org 
It has now been nine years since protests broke out across the Middle East and North Africa. After citizens took to the streets, the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen all were deposed during the Arab Spring. What about Algeria — the tenth-largest country in the world, the largest in Africa and a country More
(2019-03-21). Chilean Rights Groups Call for Protests to Welcome Bolsonaro. telesurenglish.net Chilean social and political organizations called for demonstrations to reject the presence of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who traveled Thursday to Santiago to participate in the Forum for the Latin American Progress and Development (Prosur), a meeting convened by the right-wing Latin American governments in an attempt t…
(2019-03-21). Media Blackout as Israel's Largest Banks Pay Over $1 Billion in Fines for US Tax Evasion Schemes. mintpressnews.com Similar revelations about other banks and offshore tax-evasion schemes — such as those contained in the Panama Papers — led to global protests and even the resignations of some world leaders,…
(2019-03-21). Sudan Dissolves State Oil Company, Blasts Egypt's Intrusion. telesurenglish.net Sudan's Prime Minister Mohamed Tahir Ayala dissolved the state-owned Sudanese Petroleum Corporation and dismissed its secretary general, Azhari Ibrahim Bassbar, state news agency SUNA said Wednesday. | RELATED: | Sudan: Opposition Leader Jailed for a Week for Protests | Ayala ordered all the corporation's assets, documents and employees be transferred to the oil ministry, SUNA said, without giving a reason for the move. The Sudanese Petroleum Corporation was responsible for importing p…
(2019-03-21). After Pressure on Twitter, Christine Assange's Account is Restored; Venezuela's Teleseur Now Hit. consortiumnews.com UPDATED: The Twitter account of Julian Assange's mother was restored on Wednesday night after her supporters sent a flood of messages to Twitter. Teleseur English Hit By Same Restrictions Christine Assange, the mother of WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange,… Read more →
(2019-03-21). Greedy Boeing's Avoidable Design and Software Time Bombs. commondreams.org A woman lays on the coffin of her loved one during a memorial service for the Ethiopian passengers and crew who perished in the Ethiopian Airways ET302 crash at Selassie Church on March 17, 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. All 157 passengers and crew perished after the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 Flight came down six minutes after taking off from Bole Airport. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1136539308.jpg…
(2019-03-21). Goodbye to the Internet: Interference by Governments Is Already Here. globalresearch.ca There is a saying attributed to the French banker Nathan Rothschild that "Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes its laws." Conservative opinion in the United States has long suspected that Rothschild was right …
(2019-03-21). Will Grounding of Boeing's 737 MAX 8 Planes Affect US-China Trade Relations? Russia's Competing Aircraft Irkut MC-21. globalresearch.ca Following two 737 MAX 8 crashes, killing all passengers and crew members onboard, China was the first nation to ground the planes. | It's the largest buyer of Boeing's most popular passenger aircraft — with 97 of its 371 planes delivered …
(2019-03-21). Uniting Fatah, Not Palestinians: The Dubious Role of Mohammed Shtayyeh. counterpunch.org Political commentators sympathetic to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Fatah Movement, in particular, fanned out as soon as the news was announced of Mohammad Shtayyeh's appointment as the new Palestinian Prime Minister. It is no surprise to witness this gush of support and enthusiasm, for Shtayyeh is a Fatah man, par excellence. Gone are More
(2019-03-21). Electric sabotage: how an electromagnetic weapon works. mronline.org 
E Bombs, or electromagnetic explosive devices, are weapons of rudimentary design and high destructive potential. The first public and verifiable references of their existence and use in warlike conflicts date from 2001 when the United States included them in its extensive arsenal in the service of preventive war in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan. | Source
(2019-03-21). Broadway's "Hamilton" and the Willing Suspension of Reality-Based Moral Consciousness. counterpunch.org 
Ben Cronin: "Hamilton was against slavery the way a Prius-driving Californian with stocks in Exxon Mobil and Nestle is against global warming — notionally." Michelle Obama: "Best piece of art in any form that I have ever seen in my life" Lyra D. Monteiro: "This is everybody's story. Which, it isn't. It's still white history. More
(2019-03-21). Optional Fatherhood Liberates Christians From Abortion Jihad. counterpunch.org 
Moneyed men can usually win the silence or compliance of troublesome women by paying them off. It's news when this traditional strategy fails, as with Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and CBS chief Leslie Moonves. And even these recentlyfallen exceptions succeeded for decades in wielding their wealth and clout to keep women they'd misused at bay. More
(2019-03-21). The Wall Street Bailouts, Bernie and the Washington Post. counterpunch.org 
Glenn Kessler, the Washington Post Fact Checker gave Bernie Sanders two Pinocchios yesterday for saying that the Wall Street banks got a trillion dollar bailout. Kessler raises several points of contention. First, whether the Wall Street banks actually got that much money. Second, whether it can really be called a bailout since the government made More
(2019-03-21). The Supreme Court and Dual Citizenship. counterpunch.org 
As AIPAC preps for its annual policy conference entitled "Connected for Good" with an expected attendance of 20,000 committed Zionists, its most zealous Zionist Congressional supporters will also likely be in attendance; that is, those who have signed the loyalty oath as well as those who retain dual citizenship to Israel and are thereby entitled More
(2019-03-21). Nebraska flood damage losses hit $1.4 billion, more states flooded. peoplesworld.org 
LINCOLN, Neb. — State officials say the flooding that swept Nebraska has caused nearly $1.4 billion in estimated losses and damage. Gov. Pete Ricketts said Wednesday that roads, levies and other infrastructure have sustained an estimated $449 million in damage. Damage to private homes and businesses has reached $85 million so far. The flooding has …
(2019-03-21). Venezuela and Socialism — Mailbag with Paul Jay. therealnews.com 
Trump says socialism has proven a failure — Paul Jay joins Taya Graham to discuss viewer comments and questions…
(2019-03-21). Kushner, Inc.: Vicky Ward on How Jared and Ivanka's Greed & Ambition Compromise U.S. Foreign Policy. democracynow.org 
House Democrats are continuing to probe how President Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner received a top-secret security clearance despite concerns from the CIA. The New York Times recently reported Trump ordered then-Chief of Staff John Kelly to grant Kushner the clearance despite the judgment of intelligence officials. Kushner failed to report over 100 foreign contacts on his initial application for clearance, which was denied by the FBI after a background check into his financial history and contacts with foreign investors. Kushner later revised his application three times, and was ultimately granted…
(2019-03-21). Trump's Secrecy Insulates U.S. Public from CIA Drone War. therealnews.com 
Trump just revoked an Obama-era reporting requirement about civilian drone strike casualties. While it lacked full transparency, it was better than the renewed secrecy that will surround the CIA's drone war program now…
(2019-03-21). Over 72 Killed as Overloaded Ferry Sinks in Iraq's Tigris River. telesurenglish.net At least 72 people died when an overloaded ferry sank in the Tigris river near Mosul in Iraq, medical sources told Reuters on Thursday. | Most of the casualties on the ferry were women and children who could not swim, said the head of Mosul's Civil Defence Authority Husam Khalil. | A separate source in the Civil Defence Authority said the boat had been loaded with twice its capacity, causing it to capsize. | Mobile phone footage showed the ferry sinking into the muddy water and people shouting for help. | The rescue team was retrieving survivors and had rescued 12 people so far, Khalil said. | Police and m…
(2019-03-21). The War on Iraq : Five US Presidents, Five British Prime Ministers, More than Thirty Years of Duplicity, and Counting…. globalresearch.ca Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. He had walked into possibly the biggest trap in modern history…
(2019-03-21). On the Anniversary of the Shock and Awe Bombing of Iraq. globalresearch.ca 16 years ago today, I was watching the Iraq Shock & Awe bombing campaign after having interviewed Weapons Inspectors who told us that there were NO WMDs in Iraq while showing us their inspection reports. I was doing research for …
(2019-03-21). Boeing Debacle Shows Need to Investigate Trump-era Corruption. counterpunch.org Once considered the "world's gold standard for aircraft safety," the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was conspicuously slower than the rest of the world to take appropriate action after a tragic airline crash in Ethiopia credibly called into question the safety of the Boeing 737 Max 8. That there were problems with Boeing's software was not unknown More
(2019-03-21). The Boeing Blackout. counterpunch.org On October 29, 2018, Lion Air's Flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed into the Java Sea after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board. That crash has not been mentioned once on NBC's Meet the Press with Chuck Todd in the twenty episodes since. On March 10, More
(2019-03-21). Public Health Challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. counterpunch.org The dramatic health situation in Venezuela, where the national health system has all but collapsed, invites an assessment on how Latin America and the Caribbean are doing regarding the health status of the population. While in the last decades, Latin America and the Caribbean have experienced measurable gains in several health indicators such as life More
(2019-03-21). Trump's Sly Encouragement of Lawless Violence. counterpunch.org Racism is not natural. Babies — black, brown, white — explore the world and each other with wonder, not hate. Racism has to be taught. It is learned behavior. To assume that a person is inherently superior or inferior to another based upon race is unnatural and ungodly. Racism is used for political manipulation and More
(2019-03-21). Is Kamala Harris the Centrist We Need? counterpunch.org In 2016 Bruce Dixon recounted that the Democrats have employed a sheepdog in all the recent past elections: "1984 and 88 the sheepdog candidate was Jesse Jackson. In 92 it was California governor Jerry Brown. In 2000 and 2004 the designated sheepdog was Al Sharpton, and in 2008 it was Dennis Kucinich. This year it's Vermont senator Bernie Sanders." The purpose of the sheepdog is to shepherd radical and progressive voters back into the Democratic Party. More
(2019-03-21). All Southern States are Not the Same: Mississippi's Challenge. counterpunch.org Virginia over the past several years has become more purple while Mississippi has remained deep red. Democrats won more legislative and congressional seats in Virginia. As I pointed out in my last piece, that trend was kicked off by a successful constitutional based lawsuit against the racially based gerrymandering that the Virginia legislature had created. Court cases More
(2019-03-21). Making Nuclear Weapons Menacing Again. thenation.com Making Nuclear Weapons Menacing Again…
(2019-03-21). Millennials Are the Most Indebted Generation. They Can Thank Joe Biden. truthout.org Joe Biden is trying to appeal to younger voters as he is expected to launch his bid for the presidency. However, for years, Biden made it his mission to block student debt forgiveness, leaving many young people facing a lifetime of debt. | Biden's potential candidacy comes at a time when the U.S. debt crisis is reaching unprecedented levels across all consumer sectors. | Student debt broke $1.5 trillion in the first quarter of 2018 a…
(2019-03-21). Bolsonaro at Langley: New US Lapdog Pays Homage to the Empire. mintpressnews.com FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA — Brazil's new fascist president, Jair Bolsonaro, touched down in Washington to pay homage at the CIA headquarters and to visit President Donald Trump, with whom he met on Tuesday. All reports are that the meeting between the two heads of state went very well — not surprisingly, given how similar their politics and personalities are. Bolsonaro shares Trump's penchant for racist, xenophobic remarks, calling immigrants from poor countries "the sc…
(2019-03-21). Is It Really All that Surprising that Trump Wants Brazil in NATO? globalresearch.ca Feigning shock and publishing moralizing polemics isn't going to change the fact that it was entirely predictable that Trump's "Fortress America" grand strategy would ultimately see the US seek to expand its premier multilateral security structure across South America in …
(2019-03-21). For Whom the Bell Tolls? Capital and Labor and the Global Financial Crisis. globalresearch.ca With the onset of the so-called "global financial crisis" in 2008 the world capitalist system suffered a shock that shook its very foundations, threatening the functioning of key financial institutions and the economies at the centre of the system. However, …
(2019-03-21). Globalising the Christchurch Shootings: Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan, Gallipoli and Invasion. globalresearch.ca Never let a bloody and opportune crisis pass. In New Zealand, there is talk about gun reform after attacks on two Christchurch mosques left fifty dead. There have been remarks made in parliament about unchecked white supremacy growing with enthusiastic …
(2019-03-21). Video: Nowruz: How Millions Celebrate the Persian New Year. globalresearch.ca During Nowruz, the Persian New Year celebration, each vibrant item on the haftseen table has its own symbolic meaning. | Nowruz is one of the oldest holidays in the world that is celebrated every spring. | . | . | * | Note to readers: …
(2019-03-21). Monetary Policy Takes Center Stage: MMT, QE or Public Banks? globalresearch.ca As alarm bells sound over the advancing destruction of the environment, a variety of Green New Deal proposals have appeared in the US and Europe, along with some interesting academic debates about how to fund them. Monetary policy, normally relegated …
(2019-03-21). Video: The Expanding Global Footprint of US Special Operations. globalresearch.ca Introduction | With the possible U.S. military withdrawal from Syria in the news on a daily basis, the mainstream media has been quick to parrot the DOD's claim that 2,000 troops, mostly special operations forces, are to be withdrawn from the …
(2019-03-21). Huge Defeat for Imperialists: The U.S. Broke Its Teeth in Venezuela. globalresearch.ca The miserably failed "humanitarian aid" delivery into Venezuela on February 23 is another nail in the coffin of the U.S. government's coup attempt against President Nicolas Maduro and the Bolivarian revolutionary process in Venezuela. | Before this day, the U.S. government …
(2019-03-21). Beware Foreign Policy 'Experts' Who Are Shills for Imperialism. globalresearch.ca Aside from government officials the dominant media is fond of quoting "experts" from foreign policy think tanks when discussing Canada's role in the world. While presented as neutral specialists, these opinion shapers are generally entangled with powerful, wealthy, elites. | Take …
(2019-03-21). Monsanto Asks Trump EPA to OK Drift-prone Pesticide on 90 Million Acres of Corn. globalresearch.ca The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today it will consider allowing the highly drift-prone pesticide dicamba to be sprayed on up to 90 million acres of corn. | Dicamba is produced by Monsanto, which is now owned by Bayer. Drift …
(2019-03-21). New Zealand Mosque Massacre: White Supremacy and Western Wars. globalresearch.ca The mass murder and wounding of 97 Muslim worshipers in Christchurch, New Zealand (NZ) which took place on Friday, March 15, 2019, has profound political, ideological and psychological roots. | First and most important, Western countries led by the Anglo-American world …
(2019-03-21). Stealing Venezuela's Assets: US-based Citigroup to Sell Venezuela's Gold "Placed as Collateral" globalresearch.ca Citigroup Inc is planning to sell several tons of gold placed as collateral by Venezuela's central bank on a $1.6 billion loan after the deadline for repurchasing them expired this month, Reuters reported, citing four sources with knowledge of …
(2019-03-21). Video: The Illegal NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia. globalresearch.ca 28. Jun Vice President Milo Dubak delivered a blistering speech at the United Nations in Geneva today strongly condemning the illegal NATO bombing of Yugoslavia one week before the 20th anniversary of the tragedy. At the 40th Session of the …
(2019-03-21). Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of the Federal Reserve. globalresearch.ca Ever wonder why US banking is what it is—prone to periodic crashes and crises? How banking evolved in the US from 1781 up to the creation of the central bank, the Fed, in 1913? Why the Federal Reserve was created …
(2019-03-21). Palestinian-owned School Demolished by Israeli Forces. globalresearch.ca The owner of the demolished school building, Muhammad Alqam, insists that he issued all necessary permits at the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality before beginning construction. | *** | A Palestinian-owned school building that was under construction, in the Shuafat refugee camp, in occupied …
(2019-03-21). The NCAA's Shameless Exploitation of 'Student-Athletes'. truthdig.com When Zion Williamson's foot broke through the sole of his Nike shoe on February 20th, the sporting world stood still. | The consensus number one player in college basketball was playing in the biggest game of the season — North Carolina versus Duke — and suffered his startling injury in the opening minute. Williamson's sprained knee cost Nike $1.1 billion in stock market valuation the next day. | The injury came on the doorstep of March Madness, the NCAA's most profitable event of the year — to the tune of $900 million in…
(2019-03-21). Elizabeth Warren versus Joe Biden. progressive.org Is Biden's not-very-progressive record a huge mismatch for the current political moment?
(2019-03-21). 'Surrounded by the Fire of War': Remembering NATO's 1999 Aggression in Yugoslavia. progressive.org "NATO's war didn't leave Yugoslavia any better off. It tore apart families and left the region straddled with debt, picking up the pieces."