2019-10-17: News Headlines

Rick Sterling (2019-10-17). Sorting Facts From Fiction About the US Withdrawal From Syria. mintpressnews.com If one believes in the restoration of international law and the tenets of the UN Charter, then the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from northern Syria is a good thing. Here are some facts and history that explain why.

Martin Hart-Landsberg (2019-10-17). What the New Deal can teach us about winning a Green New Deal: Part V—summing up the New Deal experience. mronline.org Growing awareness of our ever-worsening climate crisis has boosted the popularity of movements calling for a Green New Deal. At present, the Green New Deal is a big tent idea, grounded to some extent by its identification with the original New Deal and emphasis on the need for strong state action to initiate social-system change […] | Source

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2019-10-17). War is Good for Business and Organized Crime: Afghanistan's Multibillion Dollar Opium Trade. Rising Heroin Addiction in the US. globalresearch.ca Despite president Trump's announced US troop withdrawal, the Afghan opium trade continues to flourish. It is protected by US-NATO occupation forces on behalf of a nexus of powerful financial and criminal interests.

Jeff Bryant (2019-10-17). How Billionaire Charter School Funders Corrupted the School Leadership Pipeline. commondreams.org Broad's investments in education reform were about redesigning schools "to function like corporate enterprises." (Photo: Eli Broad/Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

South Front (2019-10-17). Video: Syrian Army Entering Kobani and Raqqa. globalresearch.ca On October 16, units of the Syrian Army entered the city of Raqqah for the first time since 2014. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has controlled the city since 2017, when they with help from the United States seized …

South Front (2019-10-17). Video: Syrian Kurds' Protection Deal with Assad Explained. globalresearch.ca The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reached a groundbreaking deal with the Assad government. | This happened on October 13 evening after the US-led coalition expectedly abandoned their 'local partners' in face of Turkey's Operation Peace Spring and an 'accident …

Noelle Hanrahan (2019-10-17). Mumia Abu-Jamal Just One Step from Freedom. globalresearch.ca From the minute Mumia picked up a microphone and a pen at the age of 14, Philadelphia's notoriously racist police department has been seeking to silence him. Just look at the FBI files- documenting that the Philadelphia PD Civil Disobedience …

Jewish Voice for Peace (2019-10-17). More Than 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza Have Bone Infections after Being Shot by Israeli Forces. globalresearch.ca Gaza | Treating drug-resistant infections in Gaza under the blockade | Medicin Sans Frontieres 2 Sept. 2019-More than 7,400 Palestinians have been injured by live ammunition during protests in Gaza. About half of those suffering from open fractures, in which the bone …

Firas Samuri (2019-10-17). Could Turkish Aggression Boost Peace in Syria? Has Triggered Exit of US, Britain and France. globalresearch.ca On October 7, 2019, the U.S. President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of American troops from northeast Syria, where the contingent alongside Kurdish militias controlled the vast territories. Trump clarified that the decision is connected with the intention of Turkey …

Jonathan Cook (2019-10-17). Israel Prepares to Turn Bedouin Citizens into Refugees in Their Own Country. globalresearch.ca The decades-long struggle by tens of thousands of Israelis against being uprooted from their homes — some for the second or third time — should be proof enough that Israel is not the western-style liberal democracy it claims to be….

Edward Curtin (2019-10-17). When Time Stands Still. globalresearch.ca The intimate human experience of time standing still is universal, although rare. When we undergo it, we are stunned. Silence seems to enclose us. It is the correlative to the more common experience of time passing at different speeds, sometimes …

Elijah J. Magnier (2019-10-17). Winners and Losers in the Turkish Attack on Kurds in Syria? globalresearch.ca Turkish forces invaded north-east Syria (NES) only when it had coordinated with the US to define the red line of the invasion. Moreover, both superpowers, the US and Russia, protected Turkey by blocking an EU-drafted UN resolution to halt the …

Mark Taliano (2019-10-17). "Voices from Syria": Syria's War for Humanity. globalresearch.ca Global Research Publishers bring you "Voices from Syria", an important book by Mark Taliano. The book is available for order on our online store. | Click HERE to order. | Mark Taliano is an author and independent investigative reporter who …

Eric Toussaint (2019-10-17). Global Economic Volatility. Towards a New Financial Crisis. Socio-Political Reactions. globalresearch.ca Read the first part of this series here. | The elements of a new international financial crisis are in place. Although we do not know when it will break out, it is unavoidable, and its impact on world economy will …

Steven Sahiounie (2019-10-17). Bashar al-Assad Government Poised to Fulfill the Promise of Regaining all Syrian Territory. globalresearch.ca "Our proposal is for the terrorists to lay down their arms, leave their equipment, destroy the traps they have created, and leave the safe zone we designated, as of tonight," Turkish President Erdogan said. "If this is …

Sara Flounders (2019-10-17). U.S., NATO, Turkey Out of Syria! globalresearch.ca The conflict within the U.S. ruling class about the Turkish invasion of northern Syria has created some confusion about events there. The latest new development — an alliance of Kurdish-based forces with the Syrian national army to defend the border …

Alison Banville (2019-10-17). Truth About Syria."How Could Corporate Journalists Get Away with Their Lies…" globalresearch.ca Damascus, December 2018. Two great independent journalists sit down together: | Eva Bartlett and Vanessa Beeley | Eva Bartlett: 'when I arrived on the 29th (of December 2018) I was told that, aside from yourself (gestures to Vanessa Beeley), I was …

Stephen Lendman (2019-10-17). Uneasy Damascus/Kurdish Alliance. globalresearch.ca Throughout most of Obama's war, now Trump's, against Syrian sovereign independence and territorial integrity, Kurdish YPG fighters and their politicians allied with US imperial aims for their own self-interest — including support for jihadists used as Pentagon/CIA proxy foot soldiers….

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2019-10-17). Russia-Africa Summit: The Roadmap to Africa, Shift in Geopolitical Relations. globalresearch.ca Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent warm greetings to African leaders, business people and participants early October, signaling that everything is set for the first Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, southern coastal city of Russia. | The message reads, in part: | "Today, …

Drago Bosnic (2019-10-17). US Plot to Transfer Thousands of ISIS Terrorists from Syria to Iraq. globalresearch.ca A senior Iraqi security expert disclosed that Washington is attempting to transfer 3,000 members of the ISIS terrorist group from Syria to Iraq. Hafez Al-Basharah told the Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website on Tuesday that the US which has created and …

Dr. Derek Ford (2019-10-17). The US Bids to Extradite DPRK Businessman from Malaysia 'Solely Based on Politics'. globalresearch.ca The legal battle over the extradition of Mun Chol-Myong to the United States continues, as Malaysian courts postpone judgment until the end of October. Mun is a 54-year-old citizen of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea who has lived in …

Prof. James Petras (2019-10-17). United States and Venezuela: A Historical Background. globalresearch.ca First published on Global Research on May 18, 2019. | "Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world and they own it and we want it" — (Anonymous Trump official) | Introduction | US hostility and efforts to overthrow the Venezuelan government …

Tony Cartalucci (2019-10-17). US Finally Bombs French Factory in Syria Infamous for Funding ISIS. globalresearch.ca As spectacular and indicative of America's sinking fortunes in Syria as its bombing of its own military base in northern Syria was — it is also an indicator of something else much more sinister. | CNN in its article, " US

Rick Sterling (2019-10-17). Why Withdrawing US Troops from Northern Syria Is Good. globalresearch.ca The foreign policy elite is in an uproar. They claim "we have abandoned our allies". They question "how can America be trusted?" They say the decision to withdraw from northern Syria was a "gift" to Russia, Iran, and Assad…. even …

Shane Quinn (2019-10-17). Planet Has Been Heating Up for Almost Two Centuries. globalresearch.ca First published by Global Research on September 4, 2018 | Note to readers: please click the share buttons above | The Irish scientist John Tyndall, one of the most distinguished physicists in modern history, provided evidence in 1861 that human-generated gases …

Ryan Cristián (2019-10-17). Iran 'Has Evidence' US, Israel, Saudis Attacked Tanker & Why The Kurds In Syria Are Just Terrorists. 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 (10/16/19). 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 …

Larry Romanoff (2019-10-17). History of America's Labor Movement. globalresearch.ca In contrast to most other industrialised nations, the US has never accepted the concept of labor unions, which were always denigrated in the media as a kind of dangerous socialism that would exploit workers. But it was always true that …

Andrew Korybko (2019-10-17). Will Iran be the Next to Withdraw from Syria? globalresearch.ca The smoothness with which the US' "sudden" withdrawal played out and the Pentagon's decision not to militantly enforce the so-called "deconfliction line" along the Euphrates River after the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) triumphantly crossed it en route to protecting their …

Jennifer Nava (2019-10-17). A Student's View of the Chicago Teachers Strike. progressive.org "I experience the disinvestment in public schools on a daily basis."

Stop the Recalls (2019-10-17). Join the No Recalls Truth Squad! indybay.org Recall petitioners are on campus, using deceptive and divisive arguments for the recall. But we are also there, and we're getting a strong response and gratitude from students for clarifying what the recall is about. Please join the No Recalls Truth Squad!

WSWS (2019-10-17). 32,000 Chicago Public Schools teachers and staff strike. wsws.org Teachers must make an independent initiative to expand their struggle against the Democratic Party and its program of austerity and corporate-backed "school reform."

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-10-17). Report Exposes Right-Wing Effort to Ban Criticism of Israel in US Schools. commondreams.org Human rights and free speech advocates responded with alarm Thursday to a Guardian report revealing that pro-Israel and right-wing lobbyists are encouraging Republican state lawmakers to pass legislation that could outlaw discussions about the Israeli government's human rights abuses and occupation of Palestinian territory at all levels of the U.S. public education system under the guise of fighting anti-Semitism. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2019-10-17). Researchers Detail How Slashing Pentagon Budget Could Pay for Medicare for All While Creating Progressive Foreign Policy Americans Want. commondreams.org The Institute for Policy Studies on Thursday shared the result of extensive research into how the $750 billion U.S. military budget could be significantly slashed, freeing up hundreds of billions of dollars per year to cover the cost of Medicare for All—calling into question the notion that the program needs to create any tax burden whatsoever for working families. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Fred_F (2019-10-17). Science and the student fight against climate change. greenleft.org.au Climate Neville SpencerIssue 1241 AustraliaOctober 17, 2019Climate scientist James Hansen has put forward a succinct guide to current climate science in Climate Change in a Nutshell: The Gathering Storm. | It was written as an expert report for Juliana v United Sta…

Staff (2019-10-17). 30,000+ Chicago Teachers & Support Staff Go on Strike Calling on City to Invest More in Schools. democracynow.org More than 30,000 workers are walking out of Chicago Public Schools today to demand better pay and benefits, smaller class sizes and more nurses, counselors, social workers and librarians. The historic strike has brought the country's third-largest school system to a standstill, with classes canceled for more than 350,000 students. The strike was confirmed Wednesday when the Chicago Teachers Union rejected a final offer by the city's new mayor, Lori Lightfoot, following months of labor negotiations. The city offered pay raises of 16% over a five-year period, while union representatives have been calling for a 15%…

Staff (2019-10-17). Headlines for October 17, 2019. democracynow.org Trump Has "Meltdown" After Lawmakers Rebuke His Actions on Syria, Gordon Sondland to Testify in Impeachment Inquiry Today, Britain and European Union Reach Brexit Deal, Protests Continue in Catalonia After Sentencing of Separatist Leaders, Trump Admin Proposes Opening Up Tongass National Forest to Logging, 500,000 Kids Could Lose Free School Lunches Under Changes to Food Stamp Program, Chicago Public School Teachers on Strike Today, General Motors and UAW Reach Tentative Deal Aimed at Ending Strike, NYC Council Slated to Vote on $8 Billion Plan to Close Rikers & Build New Jails, Maryland Congressmember Elijah Cum…

Robert Woodward (2019-10-17). The Brexit Catch 22. The Great Con. globalresearch.ca A catch-22 is a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules or limitations. This is Britain — caught up in its own Brexit Catch 22. It started its own fire, bought no extinguisher and now …

Catherine Henchek (2019-10-16). Chicago teachers prepare to strike. liberationnews.org The unions are ready to fight, and when we fight, we win!

Rachel M. Cohen (2019-10-16). Bernie Sanders Stood Up to Teach for America When Congress Wouldn't. theintercept.com "When we have highly qualified teachers, we don't want all of those teachers being in upper-middle-class neighborhoods educating kids to go to Harvard and Yale."

John Bachtell (2019-10-16). Chicago teachers, support staff strike. peoplesworld.org CHICAGO—Thousands of teachers and support staff are on strike this morning, Oct. 17, after the city failed to reach an agreement with them. Despite ten months of bargaining, the sides remain far apart on restoring staffing levels decimated over the past few decades. Chicago Public Schools yesterday announced the cancellation of classes for today. The …

RT (2019-10-16). Chicago Public Schools cancels classes for 361,000 students over teachers strike. rt.com Chicago Public Schools has canceled classes for some 361,000 students on Thursday after the teachers' union said it will push ahead with a strike over stalled labor negotiations. | The union is calling for greater resources for teaching staff, including higher pay and more nurses in schools, as well as support from social workers and school librarians. | Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said city negotiators had "bent over backwards" to meet the union's concerns and needs in a way that "meets our shared vision" for schools, but that despite the efforts, the union is going ahead with its strike. | Lightfoot claimed…

Eds. (2019-10-16). Marx on the metabolic rift: how capitalism cuts us off from nature. mronline.org Although Karl Marx is not known first and foremost as an environmental theorist, in recent decades students of his work have argued that Marx had a systematic approach to environmental protection, that he recognized the key connections among labor, technology, and nature, and, according to sociologist John Bellamy Foster, that his discussions of the environment […] | Source

teleSUR (2019-10-16). Around 500 Men, Boys Rescued From 'Horror' Camps in Nigeria. telesurenglish.net Nigerian police liberated Wednesday some 500 men and boys aged from seven to 40 from an Islamic school in the northern state of Katsina. The victims had been shackled, sexually assaulted and beaten so hard, some of them could not even walk, according to the authorities. | RELATED: | Nigerian Police Free 19 Women, Girls From Lagos 'Baby Factory' | Mounted by Katsina police and federal police from the country's capital Abuja, the operation rescued some 500 students, and a source sa…

Colin Todhunter (2019-10-16). Bayer Shareholders: Put Health and Nature First and Stop Funding This Company! counterpunch.org Campaigner and environmentalist Dr Rosemary Mason has just written an open letter to Bayer Crop Science shareholders and Chairman of the Board Werner Wenning. She has also sent them a 13,000-word report. Mason is appealing to shareholders to put human health and nature ahead of profit and to stop funding Bayer. In her report, she More

teleSUR (2019-10-16). Coffee Planted by Farc Ex-Soldiers Receives International Award. telesurenglish.net Coffee beans produced by ex-militants of Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) in the mountains of Miranda and Toribío, in northern Cauca, were awarded the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award in New York, United States. | RELATED: | Colombia: Students Demand Duque Fulfill 2018 Agreements | This is Café La Esperanza, exported by the Ascafé company, and belongs to a project supported by the government of Cauca and the Departmental Committee of Coffee Growers. | The Caucasian c…

WSWS (2019-10-16). "PG&E should be nationalized": Berkeley students and residents denounce forced blackout in California. wsws.org Last week's blackout, which affected over two million people and businesses, lasted up to four days in some places and likely caused many premature deaths.

WSWS (2019-10-16). As strike wave grows, UAW scrambles to shut down GM walkout and impose sellout contract. wsws.org With the walkouts by Mack-Volvo truck workers and copper miners in Arizona and Texas, and the announcement of an impending strike by 30,000 Chicago teachers and support staff, the UAW is anxious to shut down the GM strike as soon as possible.

WSWS (2019-10-16). Chicago teachers expected to strike Thursday, as union pledges to limit it to a "short-term" walkout. wsws.org Despite having dropped some of the union's demands and announced "a path to a settlement" with Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot's school board, CTU leaders have said it is unlikely they can avert a strike.

Staff (2019-10-15). Voting Access Still a Problem For Students at HBCU Prairie View A&M University. therealnews.com Students at the historically Black Prairie View A&M University are still fighting for their right to unrestricted access to vote in 2019. We talk to student Jayla Allen about the ongoing legal battle.

Sarah Lahm (2019-10-15). A New California Law Reins in Charter Schools. progressive.org While it can't undo all the harm charters have done, the new law throws public education advocates a lifeline.