2019-12-13: News Headlines

RT (2019-12-13). 'Impossible black hole' discovery in Milky Way may have been just that, as scientists spot major errors in research. rt.com A recent theory about an "impossibly" large black hole roughly 70 times the mass of the Sun, and rumored to be residing in our own Milky Way, appears to have been debunked, as three separate papers claim it really is impossible.

Joan Roelofs (2019-12-13). The Science of Lethality. counterpunch.org While the Pentagon's preeminent mission is to increase lethality of the forces, DARPA notes that its cyborg technology is also used to "augment the loss of functionality from injury or disease," such as implants controlling the use of prosthetics. Nevertheless, it sees a great need for social research to dispel resistance to cyborgs or robots (synthetic autonomous agents) on ethical grounds. More

Stephen Lendman (2019-12-13). Temporary Ceasefire? China and US Agree on Phase One Trade Deal? globalresearch.ca According to the Wall Street Journal, China and the US agreed on "roll(ing) back existing tariffs on Chinese goods and cancel(led) new (15%) levies" on another $156 billion worth of its imports scheduled to be imposed on December 15. | The …

EWG (2019-12-13). New York Becomes Third State To Ban Brain-Damaging Pesticide. globalresearch.ca Beginning next year, a neurotoxic pesticide that at low doses can trigger brain and behavioral damage in children will be banned from use by agricultural operations in New York State. | Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed the state's Department of Environmental …

Andre Vltchek (2019-12-13). Indigenous Bolivia Ready to Go to War Against Fascism. globalresearch.ca Bolivia, December 2019, three weeks after the fascist coup. It is devilishly cold. My comrade's car is carefully navigating through the deep mud tracks. Enormous snow-covered mountain peaks are clearly visible in the distance. | The Bolivian Altiplano; beloved, yet always …

Donald Monaco (2019-12-13). The Politics of Impeachment. globalresearch.ca The decision by Democrats sitting on the House Judiciary Committee to approve Articles of Impeachment that will be affirmed in a full vote of the House of Representatives just handed Donald Trump a probable victory in the 2020 election barring …

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-13). UN Counters US Claims Of "Proof" Iran Attacked Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu Impunity & Turkey Sanctions. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/12/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

(2019-12-13). D.C. Judge to Hear Legal Challenge to Trump's Border-wall Emergency. globalresearch.ca The Center for Biological Diversity will defend its lawsuit Monday challenging President Donald Trump's emergency declaration to pay for his border wall. The Trump administration is asking a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit, filed in February with Defenders …

Bill Van Auken (2019-12-13). Pentagon chiefs say US troops to stay in Syria for years. globalresearch.ca Barely two months after US President Donald Trump's demagogic announcement that he was pulling US troops out of northeastern Syria to fulfill his campaign promise to bring a halt to Washington's "endless wars," the senior civilian and uniformed Pentagon chiefs …

Adam Ramsay (2019-12-13). The Tory War on Truth — and How to Fight Back. globalresearch.ca "There's all these facts flying around on social media — you don't know what to believe". | Wes lost his job as a builder in the crash and these days works as a receptionist at a major employer in Crewe. He …

Thomas Drake (2019-12-13). Kafka Down Under: the Threat to Whistleblowers and Press Freedom in Australia. counterpunch.org It was the head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre who finally admitted before an Australian Parliament committee that she had unilaterally directed and pressured CyberCon to drop myself and an academic research professor (an Australian citizen) from the University of Melbourne as speakers. I viewed the extraordinary pressure exerted by the Australian Cyber Security Centre More

Stephen Lendman (2019-12-13). Conservative Landslide: Boris Johnson's Tories Triumph Over Progressive Change in UK Elections. globalresearch.ca With ballot counting nearly completed, Boris Johnson-led Tories appear to have won a near 80-seat House of Commons majority — 364 seats to Labor's 203, Sottish National Party's 48, Liberal Dems 11, DUP 8, Sinn Fein 7, other small parties …

Nino Pagliccia (2019-12-13). Colombia and The Revolutionary Process. globalresearch.ca In order to have a revolutionary process, it is necessary to go through revolutionary stages. First, what's needed is a raised consciousness that may trigger some outrage by a sector of society which may subsequently grow into sustained protests. The …

Philip A Farruggio (2019-12-13). Three Ring Circus. globalresearch.ca Remember when we all were kids and the circus came to town? Inside the 'Big Tent' or arena we would sit and view all the many goings on from the three rings in front of us. It was highly entertaining… …

Nefta Freeman (2019-12-13). Abstract Leftism Leaves Bolivia and Global South in Crosshairs of Imperialism. globalresearch.ca "Progressive leftists" in the U.S., also known as liberals who claim to oppose U.S. Empire but tolerate all of its crimes, cannot be described as anything less than nauseating. Anything short of outright U.S. military invasion or bombing of a …

Stephen Lendman (2019-12-13). Trump Wants Criticism of Israel Equated with Anti-Semitism. globalresearch.ca Trump wants anti-Semitism redefined. An executive order perhaps already signed is all about stifling legitimate criticism of Israel. | It's about wanting the Jewish state absolved of occupation, colonialism, and apartheid crimes against humanity. | The International Court of Justice (ICJ) affirmed …

Fight Back (2019-12-13). Anakbayan-USA holds 3rd congress. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – On November 30, Anakbayan-USA had their Third Congress, with more than 200 members from 12 chapters across the country in attendance. They learned lessons on solidarity, talked about the economic situation in the United States and reported back on the progress being made on a national and local level. | Anakbayan-USA had three national organizations they invited to speak on their "International Solidarity" panel: the Palestinian Youth Movement, Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, and National Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). | CISPES and PYM spoke on bridging the gap…

WSWS (2019-12-13). Australia: Thousands attend climate change rally in Sydney. wsws.org While bushfires ravaged the state, workers and students gathered to protest government inaction on climate change.

WSWS (2019-12-13). Wave of teachers strikes confront attacks on pensions and working conditions in Brazil. wsws.org Bolsonaro's government and its Economy Minister Paulo Guedes have made it clear that they aim to privatize all public services, including schools.

RT (2019-12-13). Shocking VIDEO shows 14-year-old being brutally beaten on school bus for allegedly wearing MAGA hat. rt.com A disturbing video shows a Florida teenager being attacked by a group of students, purportedly because he had been seen wearing a 'Make America Great Again' hat. The parents of the victim said that their son was hospitalized. | In the short clip, a young man is approached by a girl who suddenly strikes out at him. The teen tries to get up from his seat on the school bus, but is quickly pushed down, where he is punched and hit repeatedly. The girl then appears to thrust his head against the side of the bus several times. Two other students are also seen landing blows. High-pitched screaming is heard throughout…

Stephen Lendman (2019-12-13). The Russian Terrorism (SMART) Act: Who are the State Sponsors of Terrorism? globalresearch.ca According to proposed Senate legislation, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism USA wants leading advocate of global peace and stability Russia labeled with this designation. | The measure also calls for Donbass freedom fighters in Donetsk and Lugansk, unwilling to …

Gerald Meyer (2019-12-12). Sinatra's birthday today: We remember when "Old Blue Eyes" was red. peoplesworld.org This article first appeared in Science and Society in the Fall of 2002 and was run later in Political Affairs. The version that follows is abridged. Gerald Meyer taught history for many years at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York and authored the biography of him entitled "Vito Marcantonio: Radical Politician." …

Staff (2019-12-12). Betsy DeVos Forced Students Defrauded by For-Profit Colleges to Repay Loans. truthout.org Education Secretary Betsy DeVos overruled career staff at the department's Borrower Defense Unit, deciding to force student borrowers to partially pay back their loans even though they had been defrauded by for-profit colleges, according to documents obtained by NPR. | More than 200,000 borrowers called for the U.S. Department of Educatio…

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2019-12-12). The Bloomberg Factor: Authoritarianism, Money and US Presidential Politics. globalresearch.ca Political rottenness may be bottomless. Consider the following description of a political aspirant for the White House, this person being from the Democratic Party. His "liabilities as a political candidate are so glaringly obvious that it's easy to dismiss his …

Abayomi Azikiwe (2019-12-12). Sudanese Transitional Government Faces Profound Challenges. globalresearch.ca Interim Prime Abdallah Hamdok of the Republic of Sudan visited the United States during early December seeking to have sanctions lifted against his newly-created administration. | In meetings with members of Congress and the National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien, who …

Andrew Korybko (2019-12-12). Ukraine Might Finally See Peace, Unless the US 'Deep State' Sabotages It First. globalresearch.ca The intense diplomatic efforts undertaken by Presidents Putin and Zelensky finally yielded credible hope that peace might eventually return to Ukraine following their first-ever face-to-face meeting during this week's Normandy Summit in Paris, but the greatest obstacle that both leaders …

Peter Koenig (2019-12-12). NATO Summit — and 2020 Planned Aggression. globalresearch.ca A recent article " NATO is Brain Dead" described the obsolescence Of NATO and NATO's defense mechanisms against non-existence enemies. Amazing — with pretense of protection and security in Europe and the world, against Russia and China and fighting …

GMWatch (2019-12-12). Glyphosate and Roundup Proven to Disrupt Gut Microbiome by Inhibiting Shikimate Pathway. globalresearch.ca Fatty liver disease and death of liver tissue were also confirmed in rats fed regulatory permitted and thus presumed safe doses of the weedkiller | The primary mechanism of how glyphosate herbicides kill plants is by inhibiting an enzyme called EPSPS, …

Tho Bishop (2019-12-12). The Warfare State Lied About Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. They Will Lie Again. globalresearch.ca Today the Washington Post published a bombshell report titled "The Afghanistan Papers," highlighting the degree to which the American government lied to the public about the ongoing status of the war in Afghanistan. Within the thousands of pages, consisting …

Alex Anfruns (2019-12-12). Bolivia: The 21st Century Coup d'État and Its Crimes Against Humanity. globalresearch.ca After the coup d'état, repression is advancing by leaps and bounds in Bolivia. The dictatorship persecutes the "narco-traffickers", "vandals" and "terrorists", that is to say: the social movements, former members of the government, peasants and indigenous people who demonstrate and …

Michael Welch (2019-12-12). Award-Winning Journalist Vanessa Beeley Faces "Deplatforming" at Six Canadian Venues. globalresearch.ca Vanessa Beeley, the award-winning journalist who has gained notoriety for her on the ground reporting on the Syrian conflict has faced opposition in her efforts to speak to Canadian audiences at the invitation of local anti war activists. | According …

Paul Antonopoulos (2019-12-12). Libya Is Likely to Become a Proxy Battlefront Between Greece and Turkey. globalresearch.ca Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan has certainly opened up pandora's box in Libya that is now difficult for him to close after he made a series of gross miscalculations and aggression against Greece. This has triggered a crisis all across …

South Front (2019-12-12). Video: Militants Push Syrian Army Back in Southern Idlib. globalresearch.ca On December 11, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Army and the special forces unit, known as the "Red Bands", attacked and captured the area of al-Katibat al-Mahjura in southeastern Idlib. Units of the Syrian Army deployed there were caught …

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-12). Trump Signs EO Saying Judaism Is Now A Nationality, New Toothless NDAA Allows Yemen & Iran Wars. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/11/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

IMEMC News (2019-12-12). Soldiers Shoot A Medic, Abduct Thirteen Palestinians In West Bank. imemc.org Israeli soldiers shot, on Thursday at dawn, a medic and abducted thirteen other Palestinians, including a university student, in several parts of the occupied West Bank. In Ramallah, in central West Bank, the soldiers invaded Ein Misbah neighborhood and Surda Junction, and resorted to the excessive use of force against …

Jeff Bryant (2019-12-12). A New Report Finds Massive Waste and Abuse in Federally Funded Charter Schools. progressive.org During the eight years that these federal grants were available, $504,517,391—28 percent of the total amount given out—went to charter schools that never opened or that have already closed.

Zero Hedge (2019-12-12). Deutsche Bank Breaks Down How Tomorrow's Election Will Impact UK Markets. globalresearch.ca A team of Deutsche Bank macro analysts led by Oliver Harvey has produced its latest note economic note about Brexit expounding on the bank's near-to-medium-term view on the outlook for British markets. | The bulk of the note is an examination …

IMEMC News & Agencies (2019-12-11). Israeli Authorities Thwart Progress of Students and Schools over Archaeological Sites. imemc.org (Photo courtesy of Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) Israeli occupation authorities, Tuesday, notified a Palestinian school in the town of Samou, to the south of Hebron, to stop working, claiming that it has been constructed in an area which threatens archaeological sites. Palestinian Ministry of Education said, in a statement, …

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-11). US Accuses Iran Of "Increasingly Sophisticated" ROCKET Attacks, Clinton Meddling & Afghan Implosion. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/10/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Slava Zilber (2019-12-11). Lecturer slams the 'absolute rotten failure to the core of our media system' in its reporting on Corbyn. thecanary.co Smears about Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn have once again dominated mainstream media coverage this election. But as Jewish media activist and researcher Justin Schlosberg told The Canary recently, the evidence simply isn't on the side of Corbyn's detractors. And for him…

StudentNation (2019-12-11). What Do Young People Think About Impeaching Trump? thenation.com What Do Young People Think About Impeaching Trump?

RT (2019-12-11). Experts baffled after finding thousands of strange HOLES in the seabed off California (IMAGES). rt.com Researchers scanning the deep seabed off the coast of California at the site of a proposed wind-energy farm have made an alarming discovery: thousands of mysterious holes, some as deep as 5 meters (16 feet). | Scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) discovered some of these 'pockmarks' during a sonar survey of the area 20 years ago. However, new and much more detailed studies of the seafloor have revealed the alarming extent of the situation, with over 5,200 pockmarks spread out across 1,300 square kilometers. | And the problem doesn't stop there. | The MBARI also says that these h…

Fight Back (2019-12-10). Chicago: Striking unions honored at People's Thanksgiving. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – Thunderous applause greeted officers and strikers from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 at an event sponsored by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). The 28th People's Thanksgiving, a fundraiser for Fight Back! brought over 100 people together to recognize the historic Chicago Public School strike by the two unions. | In the words of CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates, "The work we do is to dismantle white supremacy." She vowed that the union will be "bolder, more aggressive and impatient" and to have a "Chicago that reflects the nee…

RT (2019-12-10). Nearly 175 Saudi aviation students grounded after Pensacola base shooting. rt.com Some 175 Saudi Arabian military aviation students have been grounded in a "safety stand-down," just days after Saudi Air Force lieutenant Mohammed Alshamrani shot and killed three sailors at Pensacola Naval Air Station. | "A safety stand-down and operational pause commenced Monday for Saudi Arabian aviation students," Navy spokeswoman Lieutenant Andriana Genualdi told Reuters on Tuesday, explaining that the grounding covered Naval Air Station Whiting Field and Naval Air Station Mayport in addition to Naval Air Station Pensacola. | Alshamrani, one of several hundred foreign aviation trainees at the Pensacola ba…

Fight Back (2019-12-09). Arizona educators, progressives confront ALEC summit and Betsy DeVos. fightbacknews.org Tucson, AZ – On December 4, a coalition of union educators, immigrant rights, police crimes, and climate change activists confronted the agenda of corporations like UPS and energy industry giants and billionaires like Charles Koch and Sheldon Achelson. At its height the crowd numbered around 200 with signs reading: "ALEC: Oligarchy in progress" and "Privatization, criminalization, incarceration, climate change, imperialism: #ALECisBehindIt." | The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a notorious organization of hardcore conservatives, was holding its States and Nation Policy Summit in Arizona. ALEC hoste…

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-09). Iran False Flag, Bolivia's Coup Gov Seeks Israel's Help, Israel's Been In Yemen 'Since Day One'. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/8/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

news.un (2019-12-09). Human Rights Day celebrates 'tremendous activism' of the world's young people. news.un.org Activists, students and UN officials came together on Tuesday to pay tribute to young people's "tremendous activism" in promoting human rights for everyone.

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-08). Israel Bombs Gaza, Israeli Bot Group Caught Spreading Hate & US Admits Houthis Not "Iran Proxy" thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/7/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Julie Hollar (2019-12-07). How Media Turn Support for Public Schools Into Opposition to Children of Color. fair.org Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic presidential candidates are rejecting the Obama administration's embrace of charter schools, and media observers aren't taking kindly to it. "Minority Voters Chafe as Democratic Candidates Abandon Charter Schools," blared a recent New York Times headline ( 11/26/19). "The front-runners for the presidential nomination are moving away from the charter school movement, and black and Latino families ask why their concerns ar…

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-06). The US Is Manufacturing A War With Iran Under Cover Of The Impeachment Distraction. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/5/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …