Daily Archives: August 20, 2020

2020-08-20: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-20). The Belarusian Labor Strike Movement Could Bring Down Lukashenko. globalresearch.ca Belarus' disproportionate budgetary dependence on five big businesses makes it extremely vulnerable to economic destabilization if the tiny percentage of the country's population employed in those companies join in the nationwide labor strike movement to remove Lukashenko. | "The Economic Factor …

Ben Norton (2020-08-20). USAID Document Exposes New US Plot to Overthrow Nicaragua's Elected Socialist Government. globalresearch.ca A disturbing new document outlines plans for a US regime-change scheme against Nicaragua's elected leftist government, overseen by USAID, to bring about a "market economy" and a purge of Sandinistas. | *** | A newly released document exposes a US government operation …

Ben Norton (2020-08-20). How the US Helped Push Lebanon to the Brink of Collapse, and Now Threatens More Sanctions. globalresearch.ca While the media blames the crisis in Lebanon solely on corruption, the US government unleashed a "maximum pressure" campaign to push regime change and crush Lebanese resistance with sanctions and aggressive hybrid warfare. | *** | As the people of Lebanon suffer …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-08-20). The Assassination of Yasser Arafat was Ordered by The Israeli Cabinet: "We will Choose the Right Way and the Right Time to Kill Arafat." globalresearch.ca First published on November 19, 2013. | Author's Note | Who killed Hariri, Who killed Arafat? | According to the August 18, 2020 verdict by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) in The Hague Salim Ayyash was found guilty of killing Prime Minister …

Diana Johnstone (2020-08-20). Memoir of a World Watcher: Diana Johnstone. globalresearch.ca We discuss Diana Johnstone's memoir, "Circle in the Darkness": | Yugoslavia under Tito; bombing of Serbia; Camp Bondsteel; spook revelation journalism; | Paris in 1968; anti-war movement of the '60s; legacy of Charles de Gaulle; Europe occupied since WWII; | the Greens; …

Michael D. Yates (2020-08-20). "Your Economics Professor is almost Certainly a Charlatan: A review with commentary of My Mis-Education in 3 Graphics," a film by Mary Filippo. mronline.org Mary Filippo began in 2004 to audit economics classes in the hope that she could "learn something about globalization. Does it really help people in developing countries? What are its downsides?" She did not learn these things.

Monika Zgustova (2020-08-20). Prague's Fights Over Kundera: Biography From the Files of the Secret Police. counterpunch.org In 2008, while I was staying in Prague, a scandal broke out involving the Czech writer Milan Kundera, who has lived in Paris since 1975. Respekt magazine published an article claiming that Kundera had informed on a foreign spy of Czech extraction who was staying that night in the students' residence of which Kundera was

Staff (2020-08-20). The Tight Rope #DemConvention Watch Party Ro Khanna Zephyr Teachout Howie Hawkins. therealnews.com Cornel West and Tricia Rose bring you live coverage and commentary of the final night of the 2020 #DemConvention featuring Joe Biden's speech from Wilmington, Delaware and confirmed guests Congressman Ro Khanna, Zephyr Teachout, Howie Hawkins, and Angela Walker.

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-20). Trump Regime Unilaterally and Illegally Imposing Snapback Sanctions on Iran. globalresearch.ca Unanimously adopted Security Council Resolution 2231 that affirmed the JCPOA nuclear deal eliminated UN sanctions on Iran. | Its provisions and the P5+1 approved nuclear agreement are binding international and US constitutional law under the Supremacy Clause — Article VI, Clause …

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-20). Trump Regime Further Escalates War on China's Huawei. globalresearch.ca Chinese tech giant Huawei calls itself "an independent, privately-held company that provides information and communication technology (ICT)…connect(ing) over three billion people in (over) 170 countries." | The company is leading the race to roll out 5G technology, its market potential worth …

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-20). The Hariri Assassination: Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Verdict. Fake Justice on Behalf of Israel. globalresearch.ca In May 2007, Security Council Resolution 1757 established the STL "on the outskirts of the Hague." | Ten SC members voted "yes," none "no," Russia, China, South Africa, Indonesia, and Qatar abstaining. | Five judges were involved in proceedings, Judge David Re…

Megan Cassella, Nicole Gaudiano, and Mackenzie Mays (2020-08-20). Teachers Unions Test Goodwill with Strike Threats, Hardball Negotiations. zcomm.org As schools prepare to open, in addition to safety measures, some unions are pressing for police-free schools, canceling rents and mortgages, and bans on new charter programs and standardized testing.

Dr. Pascal Sacré (2020-08-20). The COVID-19 Vaccine. The Imposition of Compulsory Vaccination with a Biometric Health Passport? globalresearch.ca The COVID-19 vaccine… | Is this THE final goal of this crisis, to impose a compulsory vaccination on everyone, with a biometric health passport and without it, the impossibility to move, to buy, to eat? | The near future will tell. | With …

Dr. Russell Blaylock (2020-08-20). Face Masks Pose Serious Risks to the Healthy. globalresearch.ca First published by GR on May 26, 2020 | "By wearing a mask, the exhaled viruses will not be able to escape and will concentrate in the nasal passages, enter the olfactory nerves and travel into the brain." — Russell Blaylock, …

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano (2020-08-20). All Spying All the Time: The Insatiable Appetite of the US Government to Spy on Everyone in America. globalresearch.ca During this summer of madness in Portland, Oregon, and sadness over COVID-19, two below-the-radar events occurred implicating the insatiable appetite of the United States government to spy on everyone in America. Regular readers of this column know that the feds …

Center For Food Safety (2020-08-20). 750 Million Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes Approved for Release in Florida Keys. globalresearch.ca The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) yesterday approved the first-ever U.S. release of genetically engineered mosquitoes. Despite public outcry and scientific dispute over the human health and environment risks posed by this field trial, the approval permits the release …

Anthony Hall (2020-08-20). Was COVID-19 a Cover for an Anticipated or Planned Financial Crisis? globalresearch.ca A major sign of financial distress in the US economy kicked in in mid-September of 2019 when there was a breakdown in the normal operation of the Repo Market. This repurchase market in the United States is important in …

Julian Rose (2020-08-20). Planet in Crisis, Higher Values of Society Corrupted, The Expression of Moral and Ethical Values. globalresearch.ca One cannot fail to recognise the ubiquitous crisis in all forms of leadership that exists on the planet today. Qualities of wisdom, courage and statesmanship, once admired and emulated by aspiring people of principle, have been undermined and sterilised via …

Abayomi Azikiwe (2020-08-20). Privatization of Urban Areas? American Cities Need Bailouts Not More Usurious Bond Schemes. globalresearch.ca On August 14, the final abandoned home was demolished with the more than $265 million in Hardest Hit Funds initially designed to preserve neighborhoods as opposed to their destruction in the majority African American city of Detroit. (See

Rannie Amiri (2020-08-20). The Hariri Assassination: Israel 's Fingerprints. globalresearch.ca This incisive article by Rannie Amiri focussing on Israel's spy ring in Lebanon was first published by Global Research on July 23, 2010. The article also addresses the role of the UN sponsored Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) | Is it …

Jacob G. Hornberger (2020-08-20). The CIA Versus the Kennedys. globalresearch.ca Former Congressman Ron Paul and his colleague Dan McAdams recently conducted a

WSWS (2020-08-20). COVID-19 cases surge on college campuses as Yale administrator warns students to prepare for deaths. wsws.org Despite overwhelming scientific evidence and the most recent experiences of school like UNC-Chapel Hill and Notre Dame, many schools are still pushing forward with reopening plans.

Lauren Novosat (2020-08-20). University Greed in the Midst of a Global Pandemic. zcomm.org This is the way of the modern University administration—they are sneaky, they are greedy, and they care nothing for the health and safety of their students…

Staff (2020-08-20). Headlines for August 20, 2020. democracynow.org Kamala Harris Accepts Democratic Party's Nomination for Vice President, Hundreds of Wildfires Choke California, as Coronavirus Sidelines Prisoner Firefighters, U.S. Records Nearly 1,300 New Coronavirus Deaths as PPE Shortages Persist, NYC Teachers' Union Threatens Strike If Schools Reopen Without Safety Measures, New Zealand Deploys Troops to Enforce Quarantine; Zambian Vice President Positive for Coronavirus, Emails Reveal Swedish Epidemiologist Urged Coronavirus Spread to Attain Herd Immunity, Iran's Official COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 20,000 as Trump Pushes for New Sanctions, European Union Readies Sanctions A…

RT (2020-08-20). 'Loneliness epidemic': Half of American singles aren't looking for a relationship or even seeking casual dates, Pew poll shows. rt.com Half of single adults in the US aren't looking for casual dates, let alone a committed relationship, reflecting a trend toward more reclusive lifestyles in Japan and other developed nations, a new Pew Research Center poll showed. | Fifty percent of Americans who aren't in a relationship aren't seeking a

The Canary (2020-08-20). Williamson was warned of algorithm's impact on poorer pupils last month. thecanary.co Gavin Williamson was warned the exams algorithm would disadvantage poorer pupils around a month before it was axed, it has emerged as the embattled education secretary came under fresh scrutiny.Jon Coles, a former Department for Education director-general, issued a clear warning to Williamson that hundreds of thousands of students could receive the wrong grades, it became clear on Thursday as pupils learned their GCSE results.But Williamson pushed on with using the algorithm in England until he came under cross-party fire after nearly 40% of A-level students had their results downgraded.The Cabinet minister was h…

The Canary (2020-08-20). Record GCSE grades 'likely to prompt more students than ever to attend college'. thecanary.co More students than ever are likely to progress to A-levels and vocational courses following steep rises in the GCSE pass rates for maths and English, college leaders have said.Nearly three in four (71.2%) entries in England received a grade 4 or above — broadly equivalent to a C or above — in English this year, compared with 61.8% last year, according to data published by exams regulator Ofqual.The pass rate for maths has increased by 7 percentage points. Two in three entries received a grade 4 or above, compared with 59.6% in 2019.(PA Graphics)David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of College…

Prof. Juan Cole (2020-08-20). In Further War Crime, Israelis Cut Electricity to Gaza, Idling 50,000 Factory Workers. globalresearch.ca The government of far right Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu cut off fuel for the sole power plant in the Gaza Strip, a small Palestinian territory surrounded on three sides by and blockaded by Israel. As a result, on Monday …

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-08-20). Berlin Dismisses Washington's Threats: The Construction of the Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline with Russia Will Proceed. globalresearch.ca Although the U.S. can threaten Germany, now during the American election campaign, threats cannot prevent the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany. It is interesting to observe how for the first time this century …

South Front (2020-08-20). Video: In Mysterious Incident US Military Lost Two MQ-9 Reapers over Idlib. globalresearch.ca The shaky stability established in Syria after the end of the Turkish attack on the Syrian Army in Idlib in February and March of 2020 has collapsed. | Just a day after the confrontation between the US military and the Syrian …

_____ (2020-08-20). Defund The Police Movement Can Learn From Corrupt Gun Trace Task Force. popularresistance.org "I Got A Monster" is a page turner that's as hard to put down as it is disturbing. What's more, it could not be more relevant to our times. Through extensive reporting, authors Baynard Woods and Brandon Soderberg show that repressive police tactics — like throwing civilians into unmarked cars and fabricating and planting evidence — are more than recent national news topics. They have been used for years against Black communities. | Immaculately researched, the authors use court documents, wiretaps, interviews, and body camera footage to recreate the unraveling of one of the greatest police scandals of…

_____ (2020-08-20). Detroit Teachers Vote Overwhelmingly To Authorize Safety Strike. popularresistance.org During an emergency special meeting Wednesday, members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) voted to authorize a potential safety strike aimed at pressing the Detroit Public Schools Community District to implement basic science-based safety protocols before schools reopen during the continuing coronavirus pandemic. | The vote authorizes the DFT executive board to call a safety strike if the union and the school district do not reach an agreement. Members voted 91 percent in favor of authorizing a safety strike.

The Canary (2020-08-20). 2019 saw record levels of annual loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet, study finds. thecanary.co The annual ice mass loss from Greenland in 2019 broke the previous record melt in 2012 by 15%, a new study suggests. | The Greenland Ice Sheet is one of the largest contributors to sea level rise, and is associated with about 0.76mm per year, out of the total of about 3.5mm per year rise in global mean sea level from 2005 to 2017, researchers say. | Using the satellite missions Grace (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) and its follow-on mission Grace-FO, experts have been able to quantify ice mass loss by tracking changes in gravity. | Ingo Sasgen from the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar…

The Canary (2020-08-20). Contact tracing apps 'unlikely to contain Covid-19 spread without support'. thecanary.co Contact tracing apps are unlikely to be effective in reducing the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) unless there is a large-scale uptake by the population and it is supported by other public health control measures, scientists have said. | Their findings, published in the journal Lancet Digital Health, are based on a review of data from 15 scientific studies published between January and mid-April this year. | The researchers, led by University College London, also said evidence on the effectiveness of automated contact tracing systems is limited and there is an "urgent need for further evaluation of these apps".

yenisafak (2020-08-20). UN health body weighs in on Africa schools reopening. yenisafak.com As schools re-open in many African states, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday stressed the need to continue preventive measures against coronavirus.In a media briefing, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Africa director of WHO, said the issue needs to be addressed with the same urgency that we have seen in opening up economies and businesses.Moeti said the WHO's advice is to weigh the risks, to use the data on COVID-19 cases in the community to guide decisions on re-opening schools "and to put in place measures to enable physical distancing […] as well as ensuring students wear masks and are able to wash their…

yenisafak (2020-08-20). 'About 75% patients feel COVID-19 effects months after recovering'. yenisafak.com Almost three-quarters of patients have reported symptoms of COVID-19 three months after recovering, according to a new study in the UK.The study of 110 patients was carried out by North Bristol NHS Trust as part of its Discover project, which aims to identify the long-term effects of the virus — "Long COVID."A total of 81 patients out of 110 — almost 74% — experienced symptoms, including breathlessness, excessive fatigue, and muscle aches, after 12 weeks, the research found.Although the majority had recovered from the initial symptoms, such as a high fever, cough, and losing their sense of smell…

yenisafak (2020-08-20). 'Efforts to block Turkish energy ships will pay price'. yenisafak.com Anybody who tries to block Turkish energy exploration in its coastal waters will regret it, said the head of a Turkish political party on Thursday."Anyone who dares to confront our navy and research ships in the [Eastern] Mediterranean or the Aegean will pay the heaviest price," Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said in a written statement.Bahceli reiterated that Turkey's rightful actions are in line with international law, adding that they "upended global plans."Greece, France, Egypt, and other countries have moved to deprive Turkey of Mediterranean energy resources and box it in,…

yenisafak (2020-08-20). Cuba to begin clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Cuba will begin the first stage of a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine Aug. 24, officials said Wednesday.The Finlay Vaccine Institute registered a clinical trial for one of its candidates at the Cuban Public Registry of Clinical Trials. The SOBERANA 01 trial is on phase I and II and involves 676 volunteers between the ages of 19 and 80."Achieving an effective vaccine against COVID-19 is a priority for our entire science and innovation system at BioCubaFarma. Today we see how solid and accelerated progress has been made in this project in the Finlay Institute," said Eduardo Martínez, president of the BioCubaFa…

Global Research News (2020-08-20). Selected Articles: Was COVID-19 a Cover for an Anticipated or Planned Financial Crisis? globalresearch.ca We hope that by publishing diverse view points, submitted by journalists and experts dotted all over the world, the website can serve as a reminder that no matter what narrative we are presented with, things are rarely as cut and …

Zoà´ Carpenter (2020-08-20). School Reopenings Are Only Going to Get More Chaotic. thenation.com School Reopenings Are Only Going to Get More Chaotic…

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-19). Lukashenko Just Hinted at a 'Phased Leadership Transition' in Belarus. globalresearch.ca Belarusian President Lukashenko's announcement that presidential elections will follow a planned constitutional referendum possibly paves the way for a "phased leadership transition" in the Color Revolution-beleaguered former Soviet Republic, one which opens up an opportunity for Russia to protect its …

Andrew Korybko (2020-08-19). The Fake News About Iran & the Taliban Aims to Achieve Three Strategic Objectives. globalresearch.ca The CNN report earlier this week alleging that Iran paid bounties to the Taliban to kill US troops aims to reinforce the narrative that Tehran supports "terrorists", portray the country as an obstacle to peace in Afghanistan, and lastly prompt …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-08-19). Covid-19: Lockdown of the Global Economy of Planet Earth. Diabolical Project: The Closing Down of 193 National Economies Is Not "A Solution" globalresearch.ca Planet Lockdown. Devastating economic and social consequences. | We are living one of the most serious crises in modern history. | According to Michel Chossudovsky, the coronavirus pandemic is used as a pretext and a justification to close down the global …

Staff (2020-08-19). Return to Sender: Amid National Outcry, Trump's Postmaster General Drops Plans to Gut USPS — For Now. democracynow.org After massive public outcry against cuts to mail service ahead of November's election, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has announced he will suspend changes to the U.S. Postal Service until after the election, when a record number of voters are expected to cast ballots by mail. President Trump has admitted he's working to undermine the USPS in order to make it harder to vote by mail in November. We speak with Lisa Graves, executive director of the policy research group True North Research, who says Louis DeJoy is "the most partisan person, in 100 years at least, to head…

Rick Sterling (2020-08-19). Keep It Real: "Circle in the Darkness: Memoirs of a World Watcher". Review of Diana Johnstone's Book. globalresearch.ca Diana Johnstone has written a compelling and insightful book. It is mostly a review and analysis of significant events from the past 55 years. It concludes with her assessment of different trends that are being debated on the Left today …

Margaret Kimberley (2020-08-19). You can't understand capitalism without race. mronline.org The centrality of race in the devilment of capitalism continues to be resisted by "the sort of hardline, orthodox folks who only look at class, alongside the sort of liberals and so-called racial multiculturals who have the misconception that race no longer matters," said Charisse Burden-Stelly, professor of Africana Studies and Political Science at Carleton College.

Anthony Cartalucci (2020-08-19). The Complete Guide: US Government Role in Thailand's "Student Protests" thealtworld.com Virtually every aspect of "student protests" in Thailand are funded and backed by the US and aimed at destabilizing a key partner of China, reversing Thai-Chinese relations, and advancing Washington's Beijing containment policy. | Thailand is a key partner of China's and has pivoted toward Beijing at Washington's expense; | Protesters are backed by pro-US billionaire-led opposition parties; | US-backed billionaire-led opposition vowed months ago to "take to the streets;" | US government funds core protest leader Anon Nampa via National Endowment for Democracy (NED); | US also funds orgs trying to "rewrite" Thaila…

Staff (2020-08-19). DSA-backed challenger has a shot at Baltimore's city council. therealnews.com Educator Franca Muller Paz saw the way COVID-19 impacted her students and that inspired her third party run.

Catherine Henchek, CPS parent and member of Parents 4 Teachers (2020-08-19). In Chicago, teacher-community solidarity forces district to put safety first. liberationnews.org The school district's turnaround shows what can happen when unions and community members work together.

RT (2020-08-19). The second coming of the Soviet Union? Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine will one day reunite, says Moscow professor. rt.com Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine will "sooner or later" reunify into a single state, as they share a common Orthodox-Slavic culture, according to Vladimir Sokolov, Professor at Moscow's RANEPA university. | Sokolov, who teaches in the Department of Civil Service and Recruitment Policy, believes the three neighboring countries will reunite, prompted by the "general decline of Western values." | Read more | | In a…