France Turns Up Heat On Epstein Accomplice RT America (9/24/19) French investigators have searched the home and offices of Jean-Luc Brunel, modeling agent and friend of Jeffrey Epstein, accused of supplying girls for the latter’s infamous pedophile ring. Meanwhile, Brunel himself has seemingly vanished. RT America’s John Huddy reports. Link to 5-Minute Video
“We were the first fire district to pass this resolution. We won’t be the last.” [Editor’s Note: This group has done amazing work in the effort for truth about the 9/11 attacks. The A&E for 9/11 Truth web site is a good resource. Given the world changing and ongoing impacts, we deserve to know the truth of what happened on that day. The issue does not get the coverage it deserves. — Mark L. Taylor] By Ted Walter Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth (7/27/19) They started off by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Ten minutes later, they were reading…
Outlook /BBC (6/25/19) Joseph Heller’s funny, tragic satirical anti-war novel was published in 1961 and sold millions. For many it epitomised the growing anti-establishment mood of the 1960s. Heller had served in a bomber squadron during World War Two. Though his experiences provide the setting for the book, its target was actually the America of the 1950s. Using interviews with the author from the BBC archive, Alex Last tells the story behind Catch-22. Link to 9-Minute Audio ***** Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ At 50 Morning Edition Saturday / NPR (7/6/19) Fifty years ago Kurt Vonnegut published his anti-war novel Slaughterhouse-Five. NPR’s…
The Young Turks (10/16/19) Is Joe Biden partially responsible for the huge amount of debt students now have? Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian, hosts of The Young Turks, break it down. Link to 23-Minute Video
“Perhaps the last person at Fox News with a shred of integrity, and he has far more than that, Shep Smith simply seems to have become fed up with the whorehouse in which he was the only competent and honest piano player. Those of us of a conspiratorial bent might note that Smith’s departure coincides roughly with Attorney General Bill Barr’s having had a chat with Rupert Murdoch. What is certain is that Chris Wallace is the only one left in that shop with enough of a conscience to cover honestly the gotterdammerung that seems to be descending on Camp Runamuck. The…
When you are the son of a famous and powerful politician, you are showered with opportunity, whether you deserve it or not. This is nepotism, but it is also, if we are being direct, a form of corruption. Moral corruption. By Hamilton Nolan The Guardian (10/11/10) One of the peculiar stupidities of the American political mind is its resolute refusal to hold two separate ideas at once. Our dominant political narrative is like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book for morons, offering only a conservative red storyline or a liberal blue storyline, with nothing in between or outside those primary color bounds. Politicians themselves, out…
“Birds are important indicator species, because if an ecosystem is broken for birds, it is or soon will be for people too.” By Julia Conley Common Dreams (10/11/19) In a new study published Thursday by the National Audubon Society, scientists say that saving hundreds of bird species from extinction by the end of this century is entirely possible—but that without commitment from policymakers to end human-caused global warming, two-thirds of North America’s birds could be gone by 2100. The report, “Survival by Degrees: Bird Species on the Brink,” found that 389 out of 604 North American bird species are at risk of…
A unique organizing strategy. By Chris Hedges On Contact (10/5/19) Host Chris Hedges talks to activist Christine See and Rory Varrato of Extinction Rebellion about the upcoming non-violent, disruptive civil disobedience events during the week of October 7 in cities across the world. Protesters demand an end to the corporate control of the political and economic systems that they claim are leaving us all unprepared for a future of climate emergency. Link to 27-Minute Video
Whistleblower Edward Snowden gives a warning to a high-tech software audience at Web3 Foundation. His message is not just for techies. His warning about the growing threat to our identity, politics and freedom from governments & corporations. He ends on a surprisingly hopeful note:”Stay free!” Link to 63-Minute video
By Eoin Higgins Common Dreams (10/2/19) Furious family farmers flamed Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue Wednesday after comments he made on the future of the dairy business that cast doubt on the future of small farms during a stop in Wisconsin Tuesday. “In America, the big get bigger and the small go out,” said Perdue. “I don’t think in America we, for any small business, we have a guaranteed income or guaranteed profitability.” The secretary added that in his view the industry was leaving smaller producers behind. “It’s very difficult on an economy of scale with the capital…
What does the corporate ag industry have to hide? The Intercept (10/12/19) This video includes graphic images some readers may find disturbing. The meat industry depends, more than anything else, on walls. The walls of farms and slaughterhouses prevent consumers from seeing what the production of their food really looks like. They prevent journalists and activists from exposing unethical, even criminal acts within. They enable corporations to paint happy, bucolic pictures of their operations that bear no resemblance to the reality of modern-day factory farming. To get inside those walls, over the last two decades, dozens of activists have gone…
“Now I am an island of one again.” — Trump statement on Syria. ***** “…..The Kurds and Turkey have been fighting for many years. Turkey considers the PKK the worst terrorists of all. Others may want to come in and fight for one side or the other. Let them! We are monitoring the situation closely. Endless Wars! — Trump tweet (10/13/19) ***** “Keep telling yourself it can’t happen here. Keep telling yourself the sun’s shinning, garbage trucks show up as scheduled, the school crossing guard gets your kids safely across the street, and that sitcom you like didn’t get canceled….
The ghastly irony of our times has been that the very people who promised to make their countries great again have done the most to destroy what made them great in the first place. By Ian Buruma Post Syndicate (10/8/19) NEW YORK – The late Alan Clark, a British politician of the Margaret Thatcher era, chiefly known for his womanizing and his hard-right views, once lamented to me the decline of the British fighting spirit that built empires and won wars. Half in jest, I suggested that this aggressive disposition was still there among British soccer hooligans who ransack…
By Abbey Zimet Common Dreams (10/4/19) Awash in what Charlie Pierce calls our national, sputtering, demonic “John Le Carré novel starring the Marx Brothers” – now at its “smoking arsenal” stage – it’s comforting to remember the resisters out there. Since the Bush era, tireless Freeway Bloggers largely in California and the West have been busy operating on the First Amendment principle that if you put up a sign over highways where a gazillion, bored, trapped drivers spend hours every day, multitudes will ineluctably see it before someone gets around to taking it down. Their website boasts compelling arguments: “Impeach,” “Deport Racists,”…
Murphy’s Law; 8/16/2019 To The Editor: A Representative Democracy such as ours can only be sustained if it represents its citizens’ wants and needs. If not, it becomes a failed state that represents only an elite wealthy and the elected representatives themselves. This is the path upon which the The U.S. and Wisconsin is currently travelling. The Marquette polling shows us that the vast majority of Wisconsinites favor: * Health care through the Medicaid Expansion * Fair and competitive district maps for our legislators * Legal medical marijuana * Higher taxes on the wealthiest residents * Universal background checks on…
Go see this film. Take your teens. Take your resolve. By Michael Moore Michael Moore’s Facebook Page (10/6/19) On Wednesday night I attended the New York Film Festival and witnessed a cinematic masterpiece, the film that last month won the top prize as the Best Film of the Venice International Film Festival. It’s called “Joker” — and all we Americans have heard about this movie is that we should fear it and stay away from it. We’ve been told it’s violent and sick and morally corrupt — an incitement and celebration of murder. We’ve been told that police will…
“The question of our time is this: will we tolerate it? Or will we take back our democracy from the oligarchs who run this country?” By Julia Conley Common Dreams (10/7/19) For the first time in U.S. history, the 400 wealthiest Americans paid less in taxes last year than people in any other income group, thanks to decades of tax cuts and loopholes benefiting the rich. A year after the Republican tax plan—often called the #GOPTaxScam by critics—was passed into law, the richest people in the country were subject to a 23 percent rate in local, state, and federal taxes….
Bernie Commercial That Would’ve Won The 2016 Election If Aired Nationwide. So Pass It Along NOW! Link to 5-Minute Video
Sen. Ron Johnson’s Loopy, Nonsensical Ukraine Answer Is The GOP Trump Defense In A Nutty Shell By Chris Cillizza CNN (10/7/19) With each passing day, the ongoing attempts of Republican elected officials to defend President Donald Trump’s behavior are getting more and more ridiculous. The latest example? Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson’s pained and downright bad attempt to change the subject when asked by NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd to explain a quote he gave to The Wall Street Journal. Here’s the start of that exchange: … Read the Rest
By Tim Nelson MPR (10/7/19) The Minneapolis police union is touting its support for President Trump in the wake of a new city policy that blocks officers from appearing in uniform with the president during a campaign rally this week. Trump is scheduled to speak at Target Center in Minneapolis on Thursday. Ahead of the rally, the city told its police force that officers could not wear their uniform while showing support for candidates at political events or in political ads. Police union president Bob Kroll unveiled the new T-shirt on his Facebook page over the weekend and said they are available for…
“Russia is waging an information warfare campaign against the U.S. that didn’t start and didn’t end with the 2016 election. Their goal is broader: to sow societal discord and erode public confidence in the machinery of government. By flooding social media with false reports, conspiracy theories, and trolls, and by exploiting existing divisions, Russia is trying to breed distrust of our democratic institutions and our fellow Americans.” — Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) (10/8/19) ***** “In no way have we Abandoned the Kurds, who are special people and wonderful fighters. Likewise our relationship with Turkey, a NATO and Trading partner,…
“A dead fish never smells better a week later.” By Matthew Chapman Raw Story (10/8/19) On Tuesday’s edition of MSNBC’s “All In,” Never-Trump GOP strategist Rick Wilson highlighted the Republican strategy to protect President Donald Trump from impeachment: Trick Democrats into holding the vote too early, so Trump and his inner circle won’t have as much of an opportunity to blurt out incriminating facts or obstruct justice. “I saw someone make the point today that the reason Republicans are trying to press Nancy Pelosi for a vote now is they think the politics of this will get worse the longer it…
No, we don’t want to go back to the way it was before Trump. We have to go forward. By Robert Reich RoberReich.com (10/9/19) I keep hearing that the Democratic primary is coming down to someone who’s “electable” versus someone who has “ideas.” This is pure nonsense. Beating Donald Trump requires getting out the vote. And in order to get people to turn out and vote, a presidential candidate has to be inspiring. Which means big ideas, a vision of an America that could become a reality if we all got behind it, a sense of where we need to…
“For Isis it is very good news.” Democracy Now! (10/7/19) U.S. troops have begun withdrawing from northeast Syria as Turkey prepares to invade Kurdish-controlled areas of the country. For years, the Kurds have been close allies to the United States in the fight against ISIS. On Sunday, however, the White House released a statement that surprised many in the region, announcing that Turkey would be “moving forward with its long-planned operation in Northern Syria,” following a phone call between President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in that operation,…
By Ron Legro Angry Progressives Facebook Page (10/7/19) So you’re the CEO and chairman of the board of a major international megacorporation and your firm’s bottom line is ailing. What to do, what to do? Why screw your employees big time, that’s what. As usual. GE (formerly General Electric) a couple of years ago joined the many public and private institutions that in recent years have decided to renege on obligations — many of them contractual through collective bargaining agreements — to claw back promised pension benefits for retired employees. Two years ago GE summarily whacked promised retiree health…
By Travis Gettys Raw Story (10/9/19) President Donald Trump’s spiritual adviser Paula White says she was ordered by God to serve the Republican president. The prosperity gospel pastor explained that she was compelled to serve as chair of Trump’s evangelical advisory board. “Literally, the God aspect, like, what God told me to do, how I even got involved, because the one thing that I said, I’ll never do politics,” White said. “But when it came down to it, it wasn’t about doing politics, it was about an assignment. To say no to President Trump would be saying no to…
“Vice President Pence is the Ivanka Trump of the vice presidency. He expects us to be appreciative of the fact that he’s working within this administration on behalf of the people, but in moments of consequence he disappears. In moments of scandal, he suggests he knows nothing about it. He and Ivanka are complicit. She hides behind her $5,000 dresses and $10,000 bags, Vice President Mike Pence has mastered hiding behind this professed evangelical humility. Neither one are credible.” — Former Florida Republican Rep. Dave Jolly, Ex-GOP lawmaker calls for impeachment hearings on Pence and Barr in scorching attack on Trump…
The greatest diplomatic triumph for the American Sangh was rehabilitating Modi’s tainted reputation in the United States. Gabbard played a significant part in that project. By Pieter Friedrich The Caravan (9/1/19) TULSI GABBARD, a United States Congresswoman, entered the historic First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles to the strains of Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” She shook hands with her cheering fans, leaped on stage with a smile, accepted a garland of white flowers from a supporter, folded her hands in greeting and said, “Aloha.” It was a sunny Saturday morning in March 2019, and she was campaigning for…
“Gaves Me Goosebumps.” By Jake Johnson Common Dreams (10/4/19) A video created by independent producer Matt Orfalea in support of Sen. Bernie Sanders went viral Friday as progressives praised the five-minute ad for offering a powerful counter to the corporate media’s consistently negative portrayal of Sanders and his 2020 presidential campaign. “Legit gave me goosebumps,” wrote one Twitter user, a sentiment that was echoed across social media in response to the video. The video juxtaposes the media caricature of Sanders as an unsmiling, loud, and angry curmudgeon with clips showing the friendly and compassionate senator many supporters experience in person at rallies and…
Alarm bells. By Kate Aronoff The Guardian (10/5/19) The standard lines from Democrats about Hunter Biden and his business dealings in China and Ukraine have been consistent: Donald Trump has abused the office of the president by asking foreign leaders to investigate Biden’s son, and there is absolutely no proof that either Joe or Hunter Biden have done anything to break the law. Any questionable dealings by Biden’s son also pale in comparison to ethical breaches on the part of Ivanka, Eric or Donald Trump Jr, who have routinely blurred the lines between the extended Trump Organization – the family’s business empire…
By David Siders Politico (10/5/19) The latest batch of fundraising reports released this week confirmed a new reality of presidential politics: the traditional, big-dollar model of funding a presidential campaign is going the way of landlines and the VCR. With Elizabeth Warren’s announcement Friday that she had raised nearly $25 million in the last three months — slightly less than Bernie Sanders reported Tuesday — two candidates who didn’t hold traditional donor events became the top two fundraisers in Democratic primary. And they both blew past the ones who did. Warren and Sanders, who raised $25.3 million, both finished about…
“Trump has been acting like a bank robber who beat one rap because of a technicality, and so decides to rob every bank in sight.” — Author and Intercept correspondent James Risen, Donald Trump’s Call With Ukrainian Leader, One Day After Robert Mueller’s Congressional Testimony, Shows the President Is a Brazen Criminal (9/26/19) By Dan Peak The Commoner Call (10/7/19) Dear Fellow Readers, The Big Picture. I will keep this high level then get to the news. I typically like jumping in with the important new news. News as important as, “Whistleblower’s attorney says team now representing ‘multiple’ officials”. I can…
“Restoring the Constitution.” The Daily Kos (10/6/19) Because impeachment has been used so infrequently in our government’s history—not to mention the generation of people born after 1999 who have never lived through an impeachment process before—it’s understandable why the whole thing can seem unclear. That’s where Impeachment University comes in. Impeachment University is a weekly online course with legal experts, policymakers, and activists intent on building public understanding of and urgency for an impeachment inquiry. It’s all about empowering each other to take action—especially in the face of lies and corruption from the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress. It’s crucial that…
China encouraging and subsidizing production and export of fentanyl and other drugs of abuse to US. Fresh Air (9/4/19) ‘Fentanyl, Inc.’ author Ben Westhoff says the synthetic opioid, while useful in hospitals, is killing more Americans as a street drug than any other in U.S. history. More than 70,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year. Westhoff talks about how it moves from China to your corner. Link to 35-Minute Audio
“No petroleum company warehouse has ever had a battering ram used on it by the police.” By Jake Johnson Common Dreams (10/6/19) London police on Saturday raided a building Extinction Rebellion activists were using to store supplies ahead of a climate demonstration planned for Monday, a preemptive action environmentalists condemned as an unlawful crackdown on a peaceful protesters. The Guardian reported that “10 people—seven women and three men—had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance.” Video of the raid, which shows police using a battering ram to break into a south London building, quickly went viral Saturday as activists…
Those arrested came “ready to remove the coal #BucketByBucket” in order to shut down the region’s largest coal-fired power station. By Jon Queally Common Dreams (9/29/19) Nearly 70 climate activists were arrested in New Hampshire on Saturday after hundreds of people descended on a coal-fired power plant—part of a series of coordinated global actions over recent weeks aimed at spotlighting the urgent threat of global warming while demanding a rapid and just transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy system. The direct action at the Merrimack Station power plant—the largest plant of its kind in New England—was organized by a…
Battle-hardened far-right extremists who trained in Ukraine were returning home to the US and Europe, with violence on their minds. [Editor’s Note: Here is the real US/Ukriane scandal that will likely have direct, violent right wing extremist blowback in the US. — Mark L. Taylor] By Ben Norton The Grayzone (9/23/19) A far-right soldier in the United States Army has been arrested by the FBI for plotting bomb attacks targeting American media outlets and Democratic politicians. While serving in the US military, this right-wing extremist gave fascist militants in Ukraine and other countries information on how to build bombs, including what he…
By Rachel Glickhouse ProPublica (3/22/19) Update, Aug. 7, 2019: This story has been updated to reflect the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Gilroy, California. We are in the third year of our “Documenting Hate” project, a partnership with more than 170 newsrooms. The project has included creating a database of reported potential hate crimes and bias incidents, from harassment to murder, and telling the stories of the people and communities affected by these acts. We’re also tracking media coverage of hate crimes around the country. Last weekend, 22 people were killed in El Paso, Texas, by a young man the authorities suspect of harboring…
Democracy Now (10/1/19) House Democrats subpoenaed President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani Monday, seeking documents related to his work in Ukraine. Last week, Guliani admitted on television that he had urged the Ukrainian government to investigate Trump’s political rival and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. This comes as House Democrats continue to build their case for impeaching the president, following a whistleblower complaint focused on a phone call in which Trump asked the Ukranian president to do him a “favor” investigating the actions of Democrats, including Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Meanwhile, Trump is continuing to threaten…
In recent interviews of several big-money Democratic donors and fundraisers in the business community, CNBC has found that this opinion is becoming widely shared as Warren surges against Joe Biden. By Brian Schwartz CNBC (9/26/19) Democratic donors on Wall Street and in big business are preparing to sit out the presidential campaign fundraising cycle — or even back President Donald Trump — if Sen. Elizabeth Warren wins the party’s nomination. In recent weeks, CNBC spoke to several high-dollar Democratic donors and fundraisers in the business community and found that this opinion was becoming widely shared as Warren, an outspoken critic of…