(2019-04-15). Progressives Push Democrats to Prioritize People Over the Pentagon. truthdig.com The current political brawl over next year's budget is highly significant. With Democrats in a House majority for the first time in eight years, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and most other party leaders continue to support even more largesse for the Pentagon. But many progressive congressmembers are challenging the wisdom of deference to the military-industrial complex — and, so far, they've been able to stall the leadership's bill that includes a $17 billion hike in military spending for 2020. | An ostensible solution is on the horizon. More funds for domestic programs could be a quid pro quo for the military incr…
(2019-04-15). Saying Goodbye to Planet Earth. truthdig.com Editor's note: The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed a former oil and mining industry lobbyist as secretary of the interior. President Donald Trump's nomination of David Bernhardt, a government official during the George W. Bush administration, easily survived challenges by environmentally minded senators and others. It came amid rapidly mounting scientific evidence that global warming is an existential threat to huge numbers of species, including Homo sapiens. | In the reposted column below, first published on Truthdig on Aug. 19, 2018, Chris Hedges writes about climate change and interviews a scientist who is a…
(2019-04-15). Iran Calls Pompeo's Accusations of Meddling in Venezuela 'Ridiculous'. telesurenglish.net The Spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Mousavi responded on Sunday to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's allegations of meddling in Venezuelan internal affairs. | RELATED: | Iran Orders 60,000 to Evacuate Flood-hit Oil City | Mousavi called Pompeo's accusations of Iran's alleged meddling in Venezuelan affairs 'ridiculous', while maintaining his country's support for a peaceful settlement, absent of foreign intervention. | "Donald Trump's U.S. wants to turn Latin…
(2019-04-15). Beto Talks About the Costs of War. thenation.com Beto Talks About the Costs of War…
(2019-04-15). Trump's 'Deal of the Century' to Not Include Palestinian State. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century" to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict will be absent of a Palestinian state, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. | RELATED: | Bolivian Lawmakers Ask for US Intervention in a Letter to Trump | The Washington Post article said Trump's deal promises to improve the lives of Palestinians, but will not recognize a fully sovereign Palestinian state. | This peace deal is expected to be rolled out some time in late Spring or earl…
(2019-04-15). It's Time for $15 and a Union. counterpunch.org Last month, McDonald's announced a dramatic about-face in its political priorities. After years of strikes and protests from labor activists, the burger giant has decided to end its involvement in lobbying campaigns against increasing America's paltry $7.25 federal minimum wage. It's a big victory for the Fight for $15. It's been less than a decade More
(2019-04-15). The Prosecution Of Julian Assange Is A Threat To Journalists Everywhere. dissidentvoice.org 
Supporters of Julian Assange gather outside Westminster Court after Assange's arrest (Photo by WIktor Szymanowicz for AFP-NurPhoto) Take action to protect Julian Assange. Click here to read about what you can do. Support the Embassy Protection Collective. The United States is recognizing its fake coup president, Juan Guaido, in Venezuela and we understand that his people …
(2019-04-15). The Assange Arrest is a Warning from History. dissidentvoice.org 
The glimpse of Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London is an emblem of the times. Might against right. Muscle against the law. Indecency against courage. Six policemen manhandled a sick journalist, his eyes wincing against his first natural light in almost seven years. That this outrage happened in the heart of …
(2019-04-15). ILPS condemns arrest of Julian Assange, Demands his immediate release as journalist. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following April 14 statement from the Office of the Chairperson, International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS). | We, the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS), strongly condemn the arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange by British authorities under the direction of the US government. We defend his rights as a journalist and demand his immediate release. | Assange has earned the ire of the US for exposing the truth about US behind-the-scenes machinations in its drive to carry out foreign interventions and launch wars of aggression for regime chang…
(2019-04-15). Chomsky: Assange and Lula the Same Case to Silence Their Voices. telesurenglish.net U.S. intellectual Noam Chomsky voiced his concerns Friday over the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during an interview with Democracy Now, calling the situation a "scandalous in several respects." | RELATED: | The Assange Arrest is a Warning From History | The world-renowned linguist and academic said that this is just a new case of "efforts to silence" dissident voices. Chomsky compared Assa…
(2019-04-15). A Marriage of Conscience: Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning. globalresearch.ca "About suffering they were never wrong," wrote W. H. Auden in the poem "Musée Des Beaux Arts." | These lines occurred to me last week when all eyes were focused on the brutal British seizure of Julian Assange from the Ecuadorian …
(2019-04-15). Punishing the Past, Impeding the Future: the Arrest of Assange. counterpunch.org I met Assange two years ago at the Embassy of Ecuador in London, and remembering what he had told me during our encounter I think one can understand why he was arrested today. Assange mentioned to me that he was investigating how Google was planning to make use of the immense quantity of information at More
(2019-04-15). Delegitimising Journalism: The Effort to Relabel Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca "Your honour, I represent the United States government". The Westminster Magistrates Court had been left with little doubt by the opening words of the legal team marshalled against the face of WikiLeaks. Julian Assange was being targeted by the imperium …
(2019-04-15). Julian Assange Is Guilty Only of Revealing the Evil Soul of US Imperialism. globalresearch.ca Julian Assange was bundled away by British police after Lenin Moreno, the president of Ecuador, gave the green light for the expulsion of the Wikileaks publisher from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Assange's arrest represents an abuse of power, …
(2019-04-15). The Prosecution of Julian Assange Is a Threat to Journalists Everywhere. globalresearch.ca The arrest of Julian Assange not only puts the free press in the United States at risk, it puts any reporters who expose US crimes anywhere in the world at risk. As Pepe Escobar wrote | "Let's cut to the …
(2019-04-15). Why the Assange Allegation Is a Stitch-up. globalresearch.ca I am slightly updating and reposting this from 2012 because the mainstream media have ensured very few people know the detail of the "case" against Julian Assange in Sweden. The UN Working Group ruled that Assange ought never to have …
(2019-04-15). Is Assange to be the Sacrificial Lamb to the Slaughter? globalresearch.ca With the unlawful seizure of the Wikileaks publisher and founder Julian Assange the powerful have established an ominous prelude to this year's upcoming Easter holidays. | And how is the world reacting to this demonstration of power? Those who question the …
(2019-04-15). What Happened to "Journalism" in the "Greatest Democracy on Earth"? globalresearch.ca Before discussing the arrest of Assange in some depth, by way of an introduction, its important to mention a Gore Vidal observation | "We Americans should stop going around babbling about how we're the greatest democracy on earth, when we're not …
(2019-04-15). Victor Laszlo: Role Model for Assange, Manning and Snowden. globalresearch.ca This writer's favorite film of all time, right ahead of Seven Days In May and JFK is of course Casablanca. The film had it all, from WW2 suspense to old fashioned romance… with a good dose of twists and turns. …
(2019-04-15). "Stunning and Revealing" — DCCC Demands Loyalty Oath From Political Consultants. therealnews.com 
As Jeff Cohen points out, political fear of progressives and corporate power have pushed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) towards strategies for stopping primary challenges…
(2019-04-15). The mountain of corporate debt will be the seed of the next financial crisis. mronline.org 
What have they done with the money? Have they invested in research and development, in production, in the ecological transition, in creating descent jobs, warding off climate change? Not at all! | Source
(2019-04-15). Humanity's shame: 113 million people on the verge of starvation. uwidata.com 
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) report on global food crisis, two-thirds of the world's population are faced with hunger, most of whom are simultaneously trying to survive the wars that led to scarcity in the first place. It's difficult to emotionally distance yourself enough from the terrifying and …
(2019-04-15). The American War Machine Is Out of Control. truthdig.com 
From Somalia to Syria, U.S. wars are off the charts. With the 2020 election around the corner, there might be yet another war on the horizon.
(2019-04-15). Down the Rabbit Hole—Leary as Fiction. counterpunch.org 
1962 was a year on the cusp. John F. Kennedy and his promise of a United States leading the world into a future of liberty and justice for all guided the liberal masses in the Midwest, California and Harvard Square. Critiques of this brave new world driven by a profit-based idealism had yet to become More
(2019-04-15). Venezuelan right wing runs out of cards to play. workers.org 
This article was published on April 12 on pagina12.com.ar. Translation by Michael Otto. For the third time since January, the United States has convened a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to address the issue of Venezuela. The goal this time was to get Juan Guaidó recognized as the . . . | Continue reading Venezuelan right wing runs out of cards to play at Workers.org
(2019-04-15). Defiant resistance: the Venezuelan crises and the possibility of another world. mronline.org 
Bob Dylan once said, "Let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late." February 23rd, 2019, was the day that Juan Guaidó, the self-proclaimed President of Venezuela, had "authorized" "humanitarian aid" to enter Venezuela, an attempt to force the Maduro government, and thus the Venezuelan people, to their knees. | Source
(2019-04-15). Bully Donald's Firings: Why do They Slink Away & Stay Silent? counterpunch.org Snarling Donald Trump, after being selected as President by the Electoral College, brought one undeniable quality to the office — a lifetime of bullying people below him. During his career as a failed gambling czar and corporate welfare king, deceitful Donald bullied his employees, (many of whom are undocumented), consumers, and creditors (profitably jumping ship More
(2019-04-15). Wikileaks Reveals: CIA's UMBRAGE Allows Agency to Carry out 'False Flag' Cyber Attacks. globalresearch.ca This Mint Press article was first posted on Global Research on March 10, 2017 | A new release of CIA documents by Wikileaks indicates that the intelligence agency has the means and the intent to mask the cyber-attacks it commits by …
(2019-04-15). International Criminal Court: US/NATO Imperial Tool. globalresearch.ca Time and again, the ICC breaches its mandate, calling for "end(ing) impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern." | The court consistently ignores US/NATO imperial war crimes, prosecuting their victims instead. | Established by the Rome Statute of …
(2019-04-15). Omar Says More Death Threats Coming Since Trump Pushed Video. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — Rep. Ilhan Omar says she's faced increased death threats since President Donald Trump spread around a video that purports to show her being dismissive of the 2001 terrorist attacks. "This is endangering lives," she said, accusing Trump of fomenting right-wing extremism. "It has to stop." | Her statement late Sunday followed an announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that she has taken steps to ensure the safety of the Minnesota Democrat and the speaker's call for Trump to take down the video. | Soon after Pelosi's statement, the video disappeared as a pinned tweet at the top of Trump's Twitt…
(2019-04-15). ICC Refuses to Investigate Crimes in Afghanistan, U.S. Torture. globalresearch.ca In what human rights groups call an appalling decision, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II decided not to grant the Prosecutor's request to open an investigation into alleged crimes committed in Afghanistan and on the territory of other States Parties implicated …
(2019-04-15). 'Pompeo has Lost His Mind': Chinese Ambassador to Chile. telesurenglish.net "There are numerous examples, including the relentless blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba for more than half a century, President Trump's construction of a separation wall along the border between the United States and Mexico, and the very little assistance provided by the United States to Haiti and Central American countries. Chileans are also well aware that Chile's development achievements are not the result of American charity."
(2019-04-15). Syria's Assad meets with Iraqi security adviser in Damascus. telesurenglish.net Syria's President Bashar al-Assad held a meeting with Iraq's top security official in Damascus on Sunday (April 14). | RELATED: | Arreaza Meets Syria's Assad, Says Venezuelan Right Promotes 'Violence, Death' | Assad's meeting with Iraq's National Security Adviser Faleh al-Fayyad focused on regional and bilateral issues, according to SANA news agency. | Syrian ambassador to Iraq Sattam al-Dandah was also present in the meeting. | The meeting comes one day after the…
(2019-04-15). Trump Building Up a Campaign Cash Advantage. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's reelection campaign is set to report that it raised more than $30 million in the first quarter of 2019, edging out his top two Democratic rivals combined, according to figures it provided to The Associated Press. | The haul brings the campaign's cash on hand to $40.8 million, an unprecedented war chest for an incumbent president this early in a campaign. | The Trump campaign said nearly 99% of its donations were of $200 or less, with an average donation of $34.26. | Trump's fundraising ability was matched by the Republican National Committee, which brought in $45.8 mill…
(2019-04-15). US Pushing for War with Venezuela: Moncada. telesurenglish.net The President of the United States (US), Donald Trump, is secretly preparing for a war against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela's Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Samuel Moncada, said on his Twitter account. | RELATED: | US Forces Ready to Attack Venezuela: Southern Commander | "Trump's war against Venezuela is in full swing even if its leaders deny it publicly. It is a clandestine multi-national operation, a crime on a large-scale that was planne…
(2019-04-15). Preparing for "Tomorrow's Wars," India Shoots Down Satellite. globalresearch.ca Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a special "address to the nation" last Wednesday to boast that India had become only the fourth ever country to shoot down a satellite. | The Defence Research and Development Organisation's success in using an …
(2019-04-15). America Just Declared War on Iran and Nobody Blinked. globalresearch.ca It is no longer a question of if Americans will die in a conflict with Iran, but when. | The United States has long been engaged in a secret shadow war with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), dating back to …
(2019-04-15). US Threatens Venezuela at UNSC as IMF Freezes Funds. globalresearch.ca The United States pressured the United Nations to recognize self-proclaimed "Interim President" Juan Guaido during a Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Wednesday. | US Vice President Mike Pence told the UNSC that "the time has come" for the UN to recognize …
(2019-04-15). Terrorist Designations: Trump and Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. counterpunch.org It's designed to give the US more leg room in the sanction stakes but may end up having its own hemming consequences. The designation by the Trump administration of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organisation was meant to expand options for the US while shutting others out. While Trump attempts to More
(2019-04-15). The Government is Hard at Work Keeping Tax Preparation Complicated and Expensive. counterpunch.org "Congressional Democrats and Republicans," reports ProPublica, "are moving to permanently bar the IRS from creating a free electronic tax filing system." Specifically, the House Ways and Means Committee just advanced a bill perversely called the "Taxpayers First Act." If passed by Congress and signed into law, it would become illegal for the IRS to "compete" More
(2019-04-15). Medicare for All 64-Year-Olds. counterpunch.org The push for universal Medicare was given new momentum by Bernie Sanders campaign for the 2016 Democratic nomination. While it is still quite far from becoming law in even an optimistic scenario, it is certainly now treated as serious political position. This is probably best demonstrated by the fact that the Medicare for All (M4A) More
(2019-04-15). State of Apocalyptic Nature: A Contract with Gaia. counterpunch.org As for the individual, every one is a son of his time; so philosophy also is its time apprehended in thoughts. It is just as foolish to fancy that any philosophy can transcend its present world, as that an individual could leap out of his time or jump over Rhodes. The very fact that something More
(2019-04-15). The Border, Trumpian Madness and the Clash of Demographics. counterpunch.org Operation Wetback and its aftermath represented, it now seems from the perspective of history, a watershed moment. A threshold had been crossed. Low-wage, non-white labor (deprived of legal rights), long the mainstay of California's huge and profitable agriculture industry, had become an essential feature of the economy more broadly. And in subsequent years, this labor system, "pioneered" as it were, in California and the southwest, would become a crucial feature of the economy nationally. More
(2019-04-15). Diego Garcia: The "Unsinkable Carrier" Springs a Leak. counterpunch.org The recent decision by the Hague-based International Court of Justice that the Chagos Islands — with its huge U.S. military base at Diego Garcia — are being illegally occupied by the United Kingdom (UK) has the potential to upend the strategic plans of a dozen regional capitals, ranging from Beijing to Riyadh. More
(2019-04-15). As Earth Day Falls During Passover. counterpunch.org Hodology, they tell me, is the study of paths — Dirt or gravel, wide or narrow strip of bright brown earth through grass — the paths leading in are hodos in, and hodos out, ex hodos — that's your exodus — preceded by ten plagues, of which the first is blood — The rivers flood More
(2019-04-15). Trump, Climate Change and the Parable of the Two Dogs. counterpunch.org Occasionally we are surprised by Mr. Trump when he makes pronouncements that none of us thought to be within his realm of expertise. Of course, those realms are so all inclusive, as we have learned during the course of his presidency, that we should not be surprised. His recent pronouncements on wind, and wind related More
(2019-04-15). Climate Change Parallax. counterpunch.org There exists a very seductive delusion that once we cool (or heat) the planet to the proper temperature that the majority of our ecological ills will be over. This is a dangerous self-dectption. "Climate change" per se is not the problem. Temperature fluctuations (increases) reflect underlying carnage caused to nature by excessive human activity. Once More
(2019-04-15). 'I Don't Want to Stay in a Country That Doesn't Want Me As Badly as I Want It'. thenation.com 'I Don't Want to Stay in a Country That Doesn't Want Me As Badly as I Want It'
(2019-04-15). Moving Stories: From Poverty to Despair, Refugees Moved from Greece's Samos Island to the Mainland. globalresearch.ca Abshir's | Just over a week ago Abshir, from Somalia, was transferred from Samos to a mainland refugee camp at Nea Kavala in northern Greece. He was part of around 350 refugees taken that day from Samos as part of the …
(2019-04-15). The Western Left Needs to Stop Commusplaining to China and Russia. mintpressnews.com If the West is so concerned about Chinese and Russian citizens wanting to drive decent cars and to wear elegant clothes, why don't they push for an end to the production of these items in their own end: in France, Italy, the United States?