(2019-12-24). Disconnected at Christmas… Bah Humbug! globalresearch.ca John and Yoko Lennon's 1971 'Happy Christmas …' song begins with "So this is Christmas and what have you done?….". Well, this holiday season, replete with the usual suspects of mass consumer spending, massive traffic jams and accidents, mass pleas …
(2019-12-24). River Otters on the Rise: Monitoring, Research and Results Presentation. indybay.org Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401…
(2019-12-24). MI5 Given the Go-ahead to Allow Informants to Commit Crimes. globalresearch.ca Human rights campaigners today vowed to appeal against a "knife-edge" divided tribunal ruling which allowed MI5 to continue authorising informants to commit serious criminal offences. | Privacy International, Reprieve, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) and the Pat Finucane …
(2019-12-24). India's Discriminatory New Citizenship Law. globalresearch.ca India's 2019 Citizenship Act expedites the process for persecuted minorities of Pakistani, Afghan and Bangladesh nationality who resided in India since 2014. | It applies only for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains, and Parsis, Muslims excluded. | According to the UN Human …
(2019-12-24). Court: Trump Administration Unlawfully OK'd Longline Fishing Off California. indybay.org OAKLAND, Calif., December 21, 2019 — A federal district court has ruled that the National Marine Fisheries Service failed to adequately analyze threats to critically endangered leatherback sea turtles when it allowed longline fishing off California. The Trump administration violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act in failing to consider the best available science on impacts to leatherbacks.
(2019-12-24). 'Role play'? Swedish schoolkids made to kneel in gender-segregated MUSLIM prayer & told to listen to Koran in Arabic. rt.com 
A Swedish school decided to familiarize its fifth-graders with Islamic worshipping by having a teacher recite Koranic verse to them and having them pray facing Mecca, in a bizarre set-up the educators called "role play." | An offbeat "religion lesson" was taught at the Bjurbäck school situated in the south of Sweden, according to Samhallsnytt news outlet. An outraged parent said pupils were told to face the Kaaba and kneel on prayer mats, while the whole class was divided by gender, with girls forced to the back of the room. | His daughters "did not even want to be there because they could not understand…
(2019-12-24). FROZEN Lego bricks may be missing link in evolution of quantum computers (VIDEO). rt.com 
Lego, the wildly popular children's toy made up of interlocking plastic blocks and an array of gears and figurines, may actually provide the next big breakthrough for quantum computing, according to new research. | As a toy, the only limitation when it comes to Lego is the imagination of the child (and perhaps the bank balance of their parent) but as a material for science, its potential is only just now being unlocked, over 50 years since it was first introduced by Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen. | Researchers from Lancaster University recently placed a Lego figurine and four lego blocks inside the…
(2019-12-24). Feeling nervous? Blame evolution for making human brain more susceptible to anxiety, study suggests. rt.com 
Depression can come from many things, such as reading Twitter too often, but a new study has revealed that feeling lousy is partly the fault of changes in the brain over the course of human evolution. | Serotonin and dopamine are critical to keeping us upbeat and positive, but a gene tasked with transporting these chemicals to our brain has evolved to carry less of these neurochemicals, a research team led by Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, has concluded. | Vesicular monoamine transporter 1 (VMAT1) is one of the genes responsible for delivering mood-boosting neurotransmitters to our brain. By reconstructin…
(2019-12-24). Monopoly of sovereign issuance of money is 'clearly over' – RT's Boom Bust. rt.com 
The world could be potentially on the brink of another financial crisis, but the rise of cryptocurrencies could become a hedge against recession, according to Nolan Bauerle, Director of Research at Coindesk. | He talks to Boom Bust about the future of crypto, saying that "A lot of bitcoin people have been talking about this exact scenario since 2010." | There was a private issuance of money before the Federal Reserve was established in 1912 when companies and banks issued their own currencies, Bauerle says. | He explains that "The monopoly of sovereign issuance of money is clearly over," and that private is…
(2019-12-24). 'What's a foreign hand doing here?' Indians outraged over German students' protesting against citizenship bill. rt.com 
A German exchange student in India was deported from the country after participating in demonstrations against a new citizenship bill, local media reported. Indians have been raising alarm over foreigners joining the protests. | Jakob Lindenthal, a post-graduate student in physics at the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT) in Chennai, was allegedly ordered by immigration officials to leave India after he had joined in on anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) rallies. | Photographs of Lindenthal show him hold placards reading "No democracy without dissent" and "1933-1945: We have been there" — apparently d…
(2019-12-24). German student says he's told to leave India after joining protests. yenisafak.com A German exchange student said on Tuesday that Indian authorities had ordered him to leave the country after he took part in protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new citizenship law.Jakob Lindenthal, a 24-year-old pursuing a master's degree in physics, said he took part in two rallies in the southern city of Chennai against the law, which critics say discriminates against India's minority Muslims.A photo circulated on Twitter shows Lindenthal holding a sign that reads: "1933-1945 We have been there," a reference to Nazi Germany.Lindenthal said he was summoned to a meeting with India's immigration autho…
(2019-12-23). Sanders report shows how Millennial generation is 'being punished with crushing student debt and low-paying jobs'. mronline.org 
"In the richest country in the history of the world, we have an obligation to turn this around and make sure our kids live healthier and better lives than we do." | Source
(2019-12-23). University students in Philadelphia protest anti-Muslim laws in India. workers.org 
On Dec. 19, over 60 demonstrators at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia denounced India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, which pose immediate threats to Muslims. Indian students demonstrate Dec. 19 against Modi government's anti-Muslim laws Speakers, signs and chants criticized passage of a discriminatory amendment to India's citizenship laws . . . | Continue reading University students in Philadelphia protest anti-Muslim laws in India at Workers.org
(2019-12-23). The Christmas Truce of 1914: Abolish All Wars. Indict Today's War Criminals in High Office. globalresearch.ca The Christmas Truce of 1914 has become an enduring image of the triumph of man's spirit over adversity which should send a strong message to the architects of today's wars including Donald Trump, Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron and Benjamin Netanyahu.
(2019-12-23). The Spirit of Christmas: War Criminals George W. Bush and Tony Blair banned from the Birthplace of Jesus Christ. globalresearch.ca "Bush and his supporters have marred the teachings of Christ. Their entry into the church will tarnish it as [Bush's] hands are covered in the blood of the innocent,"
(2019-12-23). Impeachment Indicts Both Parties and Clarifies Our Tasks in 2020. globalresearch.ca The Democratic Party's electoral strategy of impeaching Donald Trump is backfiring. Before impeachment, Trump was losing to each of the leading Democrats, but the latest Impeachment Indicts Both Parties and Clarifies Our Tasks in 2020 appeared first on Global Research.
(2019-12-23). The 2010 — 2020 UN News Decade in Review, part one. news.un.org The teenage years of the Twenty-First Century are nearly over and, as we prepare to enter the 2020s, UN News takes a look back at some of the big stories on our global patch, that unfolded between 2010 and 2019: welcome to our three-part Decade in Review. | In part one, which takes in the period between 2010 and the end of 2013, we focus on the devastating Haiti earthquake, the beginning of the ongoing Syrian conflict, the inspiring work of Malala Yousafzai in favour of girls' education, and the creation of what has now become "the world's most dangerous UN mission", in Mali.
(2019-12-23). Betsy DeVos's Vision for an Indebted Future? A Robotic Student Loan Chatbot. truthout.org It's almost 2020, and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is still hellbent on keeping student borrowers in debt. | Earlier in December, DeVos gave the keynote presentation at the annual Federal Student Aid Training Conference in Reno, Nevada. Addressing financial aid professionals, she laid out her agenda for a future in which American students are "responsible consumers of education" and "free to learn" — but not with the right to a debt-free…
(2019-12-23). Classic Orwellian Obfuscation: U.S. States Condemns DPRK, Syria, China, Zimbabwe, Iran, Venezuela, Russia for Human Rights Abuses. globalresearch.ca The gloves came off, revealing the iron fist in the velvet glove of U.S. obfuscation condemning innumerable countries for abuse of human rights; a recorded vote was required on December 18, exposing which countries actually vote in support of UN …
(2019-12-23). In the Footsteps of Xuanzang in Kyrgyzstan. globalresearch.ca At the start of the Tang dynasty, in the early 7th century, a young wandering monk embarked on a 16-year long voyage from the imperial capital Chang'an (today's Xian) to India to collect Buddhist manuscripts. At the time Chang'an …
(2019-12-23). Reuters Shields OAS over False Claims that Sparked Bolivia Coup. globalresearch.ca Organization of American States (OAS) election monitors published a "final report" on December 4— 22 days later than promised—on Bolivia's October 20 presidential election, won by President Evo Morales. The tardy release of the final report contrasted sharply with …
(2019-12-23). Video: Tropical Christmas. Noella Be Nice! by Nat Ya. globalresearch.ca Merry Christmas in the Tropics. | Christmas Greetings from Global Research | Noella… Be nice!: | Sung by Nat Ya, featuring Snowflake & Elizsabeth | Get the song here | Starring Hainsley Lloyd Bennett as Snowflake, Paola Crisostomo as the Cool Angel. | Sandro Rizzo, Alberto …
(2019-12-23). Iraq and Afghanistan: The Hidden Costs of Forever War. globalresearch.ca Kelley Vlahos has done excellent reporting on the terrible effects of toxic burn pits on Americans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The illnesses and deaths caused by this toxic exposure are among the ongoing, mostly ignored costs of decades of …
(2019-12-23). Is the UK Government Set to Define the Boycott of Israel as 'Antisemitic'? globalresearch.ca One of the first bills to be introduced by Britain's new Conservative government will reportedly stop "local authorities from boycotting individual companies", a move described as targeting the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement. | The Conservative Party election manifesto…
(2019-12-23). Seventy Years of U.S. Destabilisation in China. U.S. Sponsored Uyghur Insurgency in Xinjiang. globalresearch.ca China's exit in October 1949, from the sphere of US control, was perhaps the heaviest blow to strike American post-World War II global hegemony. China's successful drive for independence had been anticipated in Washington for many months.
(2019-12-23). The Russia-Germany Pipeline Nord Stream 2: Washington to "Free" Europe from Freedom to Decide for Itself. globalresearch.ca Nord Stream 2 is a pipeline project extending from Russia to Germany that — when completed — will provide a secure means of exporting Russian natural gas to Western Europe — circumventing a now volatile Ukraine all while tying Russia …
(2019-12-23). The Trudeau Government Joins the Global Majority on Israel-Palestinian Relations. globalresearch.ca The Chief Executive of B'nai Brith Canada has condemned as anti-democratic a vote in late 2019 by Canada's Trudeau government. In one of its first major international acts, Trudeau's minority government sided with 166 other member states of the United …
(2019-12-23). As bombas Atómicas no Japà£o Foram Destinadas a Terminar a Guerra e a salvar vidas? globalresearch.ca Há alguns anos, um escritor americano chamado Greg Mitchell escreveu um livro elucidativo sobre a enorme ocultaàßà£o forjada pelo governo dos Estados Unidos sobre o lanàßamento da primeira bomba atómica no Japà£o, e a censura a que foi sujeito o …
(2019-12-23). John Lennon, Celebrated in Havana. globalresearch.ca The anniversary of John Lennon's death (December 8) was marked in Cuba. Criticism followed on social media: Cuba repressed Beatles music forcing kids under the covers. Abel Prieto and Guille Vilar, youth in Cuba at the time, say it's not …
(2019-12-23). #WouldYouShootMeToo Hashtag Trends After Reports Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Asked Snipers to Target Indigenous Protesters. globalresearch.ca Revelations from The Guardian's reporting Friday that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police wanted snipers to train their weapons on Indigenous water protectors resisting the construction of a natural gas pipeline in unceded Wet'suwet'en territory sparked outrage across the country and …
(2019-12-23). The Right to Healthy Food: Poisoned with Pesticides. globalresearch.ca Environmentalist Dr Rosemary Mason has just written an open letter addressed to three senior officials in Britain: John Gardiner, Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the British government; Chris Whitty, …
(2019-12-23). Impeachment: The Road to Nowhere Leads to . . . Nowhere. globalresearch.ca Capping months of mind-numbingly repetitive "debates," the Democrats in the House of Representatives voted on Dec. 17 to impeach President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The votes on each charge were nearly identical …
(2019-12-23). Ban on Uranium Mining: Conservation Groups Applaud Senate Launch of Grand Canyon Protection Bill. globalresearch.ca Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) yesterday introduced the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act. The bill will make permanent a ban on new uranium mining on about 1 million acres of public land adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park. | A companion bill …
(2019-12-23). BDS Movement: Boris Johnson's BDS Ban Recalls Margaret Thatcher's Support of Apartheid South Africa. globalresearch.ca The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement hit back at UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plans to ban public authorities from participating in the international movement boycotting Israeli goods. | "Boris Johnson's government, like the anti-Palestinian Trump administration, is more …
(2019-12-23). CO2 and Climate Change, Old and New. counterpunch.org How long has science known about CO2-induced climate change, and are we clever enough today to geo-engineer our way out of cooking ourselves to extinction? In brief: a long time, and most likely no. Clive Thompson has written engagingly about the 19th century scientists — Joseph Fourier (1768-1830), Eunice Newton Foote (1819-1888), John Tyndall (1820-1893), More
(2019-12-23). Strategie e costi nella guerra dei gasdotti. globalresearch.ca Mentre si affrontano in un duro scontro sull'impeachment del presidente Trump, Repubblicani e Democratici depongono le armi per votare al Senato quasi all'unanimità l'imposizione di pesanti sanzioni contro le società partecipanti alla realizzazione del North Stream 2, il raddoppio del …
(2019-12-22). Seemingly Coordinated ISIS/al-Qaeda Attacks On Syrian Oil/Gas Fields & US' Russia/Libya Hypocrisy. 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 (12/21/19). 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 …
(2019-12-22). The battle in ELA: Garfield High victory over charter Green Dot takeover. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – 2019 marked the ten-year anniversary of the successful fight to stop the charter school Green Dot from taking over Garfield High School. The threat started with the so-called Public School Choice 1.0, approved by the then pro-charter Los Angeles Unified School District board and Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines in 2009. Low-performing schools were to be put on a bid list. This allowed charter schools like Green Dot and others to write up a bid or proposal to take over and manage a publicly-funded school. | Garfield High School (GHS) was on the hit list and was put into a bid process. Corporate G…
(2019-12-22). Charter School Transparency and Accountability Remain Low. dissidentvoice.org 
Transparency and accountability have never been the strong suits of non-profit and for-profit charter schools. Unlike the nation's public schools, all charter schools (about 7,100) are run by unelected individuals, and many, if not most, charter schools regularly violate open-meeting laws, are not subject to public records laws, and avoid audits. In these and other …
(2019-12-21). China detaining millions of Uyghurs? Serious problems with claims by US-backed NGO and far-right researcher 'led by God' against Beijing. thegrayzone.com Claims that China has detained millions of Uyghur Muslims are based largely on two studies. A closer look at these…
(2019-12-21). ICC To Investigate Israeli Government War Crimes & UN Again Contradicts US Claims Of Iran "Proof" 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 (12/20/19). 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 …
(2019-12-20). Activists Demand a Migrant Justice Platform as Democratic Candidates Discuss Immigration in Debate. democracynow.org 
Protesters for immigrant rights demonstrated outside the Democratic debate Thursday in Los Angeles, displaying a banner that read "Migrant Justice on Day One" and demanding a moratorium on deportations and immigrant worker protections. We look at how the candidates responded, with Erika Andiola, chief advocacy officer for RAICES, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services. "I'm really happy that immigration came up this time around," she notes. "In the past few debates, the issue didn't even come up."
(2019-12-20). Israel Bombs Gaza, 2020 NDAA's Israel Focus, Iran Excuse Now In Afghanistan & West Bank Take Over. 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 (12/19/19). 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 …
(2019-12-18). Protests Paralyze India After Racist Anti-Muslim Law Passed. therealnews.com 
Modi's government using brutal violence against students and workers to stop demonstrations. Professor Sumit Ganguly examines the legal, moral and political significance anti-Muslim laws and the growing movement to oppose Hindu nationalism.
(2019-12-18). Mexico Finds "World's Largest Lithium Deposit" Just Before US Focus & $1.4 Trillion War-Aimed NDAA. 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 (12/17/19). 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 …
(2019-12-17). Democratic Candidates Focus on Public Education at Historic Forum with Civil Rights & Labor Groups. democracynow.org 
Ahead of the last Democratic presidential debate of the year this Thursday, seven candidates appeared Saturday at the historic Democratic Presidential Forum on Public Education in Pittsburgh, an event organized by public education organizations, unions, civil rights organizations and community groups. We play highlights from the forum and get response from Keron Blair, director of the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools in Atlanta; Jitu Brown, national director of the Journey for Justice Alliance; and Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education Action. She recently authored a report titled "S…
(2019-12-17). Presidential Hopefuls Vie for Votes of Public Education Supporters. progressive.org At a Pittsburgh education forum, seven candidates were forced to take a stand on charter schools.
(2019-12-17). For Many of the World's Children, Education Proves Elusive. progressive.org Especially in countries with widespread human rights abuses, kids—especially girls—don't get the chance to go to school.
(2019-12-17). US Regime Change In Mexico, US Bombs Afghan Hospital, Saudis Get Involved In Syria & More OPCW Leaks. 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 (12/16/19). 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 …
(2019-12-16). Midwest Dispatch: Minnesota Runs a Huge Budget Surplus Amid Higher Education Cuts. progressive.org State Republicans want new tax breaks, not a strong university system.