(2019-12-10). Preparing the Stage: A Flawed Prospectus for War, This Time With Iran. iranian.com "This is a historic opportunity", whispered one of Netanyahu's insiders into Ben Caspit (a leading Israeli journalist)'s ear this week: "You have no idea what we can wheedle from the Americans now, what a golden opportunity we face when the US is about to enter an election year". "Bunker busters", he mutters to Caspit, who elaborates that: …
(2019-12-10). Japan Gives ‚Ǩ120 Million Euros Credit For Iran Petrochemical Project. iranian.com Japan has extended 120 million euros credit for development of Iran's Joint Gas field with Qatar in the Persian Gulf, Apadana Petrochemical Co Managing Director Jalil Qassami said on Monday. The Japanese loan will be part of a 462-million-euro investment project, Managing Director of Persian Gulf Apadana Petrochemical Co Jalil Qassami said at a press …
(2019-12-09). Rep. DeFazio's Campaign Declares He Does Not Support Jordan Cove LNG Terminal. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-12-09). Big Energy Front Group Launches Push for Troubled Atlantic Coast Pipeline. truthout.org A lobbying group formed by oil and gas industry insiders to push for increased fossil fuel production has turned its focus from promoting offshore drilling in the Atlantic to championing Dominion Energy's and Duke Energy's controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). It's doing so under the guise of being a pro-consumer group concerned about energy justice, even while its members include major gas production companies as well as Dominion Energy. | Last week, the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) ha…
(2019-12-09). DUP accuses Boris Johnson of breaking his word on union commitment. thecanary.co 
Boris Johnson has been accused of breaking his word over his commitment to protect the union between Great Britain and the north of Ireland by the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party.As the prime minister faced fresh questions over trade within the UK after Brexit, Arlene Foster said government officials had told her there would need to be checks.Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the sense of some in the unionist community that Johnson's deal was a "betrayal", she said: "I think it is right for the leadership of unionism in Northern Ireland to try to work with the prime minister of the day to get t…
(2019-12-09). Normandy Four agree to 'stabilize' eastern Ukraine in Paris communique (WATCH LIVE). rt.com 
The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine have agreed to implement "ceasefire support measures" for eastern Ukraine and "stabilize" the region by the end of the year. | The four leaders are holding a joint media conference after the so-called Normandy Format negotiations on transition to peace in eastern Ukraine. | Following a meeting in Paris, the leaders said in a joint communique that they agreed to "immediate measures to stabilize the situation in the conflict area in east Ukraine." Previous attempts by the 'Normandy Four' group to simmer down the conflict have achieved mixed results at best.
(2019-12-09). Venezuela's Civilian Militia Surpasses Target, Reaches 3.3 Million Members. venezuelanalysis.com The body is due to be legally incorporated into the Armed Forces as a "combat unit."
(2019-12-09). New York transit union offers massive concessions to block strike. wsws.org The tentative agreement agreed by the union seeks to stifle any movement by New York's subway and bus workers against the demands of the Democratic Party for major cuts.
(2019-12-09). 'Staggering' New Data Shows Income of Top 1% Has Grown 100 Times Faster Than Bottom 50% Since 1970. commondreams.org New data released by an economist focused on inequality and the accumulation of wealth by top earners explains the numbers behind Sen. Bernie Sanders' often-cited statistic that the three richest Americans hold more wealth than the 160 million people who make up the bottom 50% of the population. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/picmonkey20image2.jpg …
(2019-12-09). America's torturers and their co-conspirators must be prosecuted. wsws.org Five years after the release of the Senate report on CIA torture, the gruesome drawings contained in the Seton Hall Law School paper on "How America Tortures" are a powerful indictment of the entire US political establishment.
(2019-12-09). A Beautiful but Deceptive Documentary: "For Sama" globalresearch.ca The documentary movie "For Sama" has won a host of awards in Europe and North America. Its producers and protagonists, Syrians Waad Kateab and her husband Dr. Hamza Kateab plus English film-maker Edward Watts, have received gushing praise. And …
(2019-12-09). WATCH LIVE: House Democrats Lay Out Case for Impeaching Trump. truthout.org Members and legal staff of the Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committees on Monday will lay out their case for the impeachment of President Donald Trump in a hearing scheduled to begin at 9: 00am EST. | According to the New York Times: | After hearing from constitutional scholars last week, the House Judiciary Committee turns f…
(2019-12-09). What Have the US and Protesters in Lebanon Achieved over Iran and Its Allies? globalresearch.ca For several weeks now, much of the Lebanese population has turned on the country's traditional political leaders and wrought havoc on the corrupt domestic political system. Those who have ruled the country for decades have offered little in the way …
(2019-12-09). Police Halt Activist-Led "Toxic Tour" of Spain's "Dirtiest" Corporate Polluters Sponsoring COP25. democracynow.org 
In Spain, the country's biggest fossil fuel polluters are also some of the most generous sponsors for this year's U.N. climate talks. On Saturday, we joined activists on a "toxic tour" of Madrid from the Madrid stock exchange to Santander Bank. Activists explained that when Spanish President Pedro Sánchez announced that Spain would host COP25, he went to IBEX 35 — the 35 biggest listed companies in the Spanish stock exchange — offering them a 90% tax break on a $2 million sponsorship. Advocates say that these same companies "have deep and dirty links to the fossil fuel industry." But midway through, t…
(2019-12-09). UN Assembly calls on all States to observe Olympic Truce throughout Tokyo Summer Games. news.un.org The General Assembly on Monday urged United Nations Member States to observe the Olympic Truce — the ancient Greek tradition calling for the cessation of hostilities before, during and after the Games — in the context of next year's Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
(2019-12-09). Kerry's Endorsement of Biden Fits: Two Deceptive Supporters of the Iraq War. globalresearch.ca The spectacle of Kerry praising Biden as a seasoned leader amounts to one supporter of the Iraq catastrophe attesting to the character and experience of another supporter of the same catastrophe. | *** | On Thursday afternoon, the Washington Post sent out …
(2019-12-09). US and UK Military-Intelligence Apparatus Campaigns to Destroy Jeremy Corbyn. globalresearch.ca Days before Britain's historic election, the UK's military-intelligence apparatus is turning to the corporate media and US government-funded NATO cut-outs to smear Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn with evidence-free Russiagate allegations. | *** | The popular socialist leader of Britain's Labour Party, Jeremy …
(2019-12-09). Over 40 workers killed in Indian factory fire. wsws.org All the victims are poor migrant workers from the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in northern India.
(2019-12-09). Scottish Greens outline importance of 'climate election'. thecanary.co 
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has said the UK "can't afford" for the general election not to be climate focused.Harvie, speaking to the PA news agency ahead of polling day on 12 December, said the world had been given about a decade to take radical action.And he outlined the importance of having strong Green voices in the room at Westminster, to push the other parties beyond their "comfort zone" on taking climate action.Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie speaking at a climate strike in Glasgow's George Square (Lewis McKenzie/PA)"People on pretty much every doorstep that I've knocked on have been…
(2019-12-09). 'An Abomination': Sanders Decries Reality in Which GoFundMe Has a 'Six Cancer Fundraising Tips' Webpage. commondreams.org Not upset with with the crowdfunding service for providing resources to those in desperate need, 2020 presidential candidate lashed out against a system that creates the need for such campaigns in the first place. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/abomination_gofundme_medicareforall_0.jpg …
(2019-12-09). US Shocks With Inflated Claim Of 1,000 Iranian Protesters "Murdered" By Regime. iranian.com The Trump administration has issued an assessment of the recent unrest in Iran which had raged for a couple weeks after protests in some 100 cities were triggered by a sudden fuel price hike on Nov. 15 when government subsidies were slashed. Though international reports and human rights monitoring groups have consistently cited a little over 200 …
(2019-12-09). Bloomberg Condoned Sexual Assault by NYPD. counterpunch.org Sunday, Nov. 24, I watched some white media women led by Stephanie Ruhle, a former Bloomberg employee, gush all over Bloomberg's announcement that he was running for president. When the interviewer asked about Bloomberg's condoning Stop and Frisk, Ms. Ruhle said that it brought down the crime rate. She probably had black and Latinx men in mind, whom bourgeois feminists regard as disposable because they're in no position to advance their careers. More
(2019-12-09). Departing Cuban embassy official found curiosity, not confrontation, in U.S. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—As he spoke at college campuses and to state legislators and city councils over the past four years, Miguel Fraga found curiosity, not confrontation, about his homeland, Cuba. "The reception has been better than I expected," he told People's World in an exclusive interview on the eve of his departure back to a senior Foreign …
(2019-12-09). Group Discussion: Dictatorship of the Proletariat. indybay.org NPML, 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (just North of Alcatraz Ave.)…
(2019-12-09). Watchdog Launches Mobile Billboard Highlighting Washington D.C.'s Most Corrupt Duo. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-12-09). John McDonnell promises February budget to end austerity. thecanary.co The Labour Party has promised a February budget that will end austerity "once and for all". | Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he will deliver a budget on 5 February which will save the NHS, rebuild public services, and introduce a Real Living Wage of £10 per hour for all workers over 16. | McDonnell said his budget will also put more money into an emergency package of reforms to Universal Credit while Labour designs a replacement social security system. | The shadow chancellor said a Labour government will provide funding for a 5% pay rise for all public sector workers, establish a Waspi compensation…
(2019-12-09). Iran ready for big prisoner exchange with Washington but 'ball is in US' court' — Zarif. rt.com 
Tehran is open to exchanging more prisoners with the US, but it is now time for Washington to make a move on it, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, after a recent swap left more room for optimism. | "After getting our hostage back this week, fully ready for comprehensive prisoner exchange," Zarif tweeted on Monday. | The ball is in the US' court. | His words came after a two-person Swiss-brokered prisoner swap with Washington concluded over the weekend. Tehran released a…
(2019-12-09). Indigenous Leader Sà¥nia Guajajara: The Amazon Is Burning & Its Defenders Are Being Assassinated. democracynow.org 
Speakers at Friday's climate march in Madrid included Brazilian indigenous leader Sà¥nia Guajajara. A day after she spoke, two indigenous chiefs — Firmino Prexede Guajajara and Raimundo Guajajara — were gunned down in a drive-by shooting Saturday in Brazil.
(2019-12-09). Here's what Boris Johnson did when confronted with the truth about the NHS. thecanary.co On 9 December, ITV journalist Joe Pike confronted Boris Johnson with an image that has shocked the nation. Johnson's reaction was, even by his standards, appalling. In fact, this should be the defining moment that costs him the election. | "He just doesn't care": | Pike tried to show Johnson an image of four-year-old Jack Williment-Barr. As the Yorkshire Evening Post reported, he was forced to sleep on the floor of Leeds Gen…
(2019-12-09). Zombie NATO is obsolete; militarists try to revive it through expanded targets. nationofchange.org It is time to demand an end to this destructive alliance.
(2019-12-09). US Agrees To Japanese Mediation With Iran And Rouhani Trip. iranian.com The United States has indicated its approval with Japan's plan to host a visit by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to Tokyo, Kyodo news agency quoted "diplomatic sources" as saying. Apparently, Rouhani is seeking Japanese mediation in breaking a deadlock with Washington over the 2015 nuclear deal also known as the JCPOA. According to the sources quoted, the …
(2019-12-09). Calling for 'Climate President,' 500+ Groups Demand Next Administration Take Immediate Action. commondreams.org "Swift action to confront the climate emergency has to start the moment the next president enters the Oval Office." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/climate-president.jpg …
(2019-12-09). Will Artificial Intelligence Destroy Us or Simply Make Humans Irrelevant? globalresearch.ca Artificial Intelligence is generally seen as a great advance and benefit for mankind. Smart humans, however, see it as our undoing and even possibly our extermination. | Much of modern technology has far more prospect for harm than for good. | Consider …
(2019-12-09). Dealing with climate PTSD. nationofchange.org Alaska, in other words, is suffering climate death by a thousand cuts, while I struggle daily to accept the new reality: that the state is already irreparably changed.
(2019-12-09). Meet the Climbing Kids: 8- & 11-Year-Old Siblings Who Rappel from Bridge Demanding Climate Action. democracynow.org 
As hundreds of thousands marched to the main stage during Friday's climate march in Madrid, two young children — a brother and sister aged 8 and 11 — staged an act of civil disobedience from a bridge overlooking the protest. While demonstrators marched beneath them, the two children rappelled from an overpass, dangling from ropes in mid-air to hang a banner calling for climate action. Democracy Now! briefly spoke to them after their action.
(2019-12-09). 'Read Every Word of This': WaPo Investigation Reveals US Officials' Public Deception Campaign on Afghan War. commondreams.org Officials repeatedly told the public "progress" was being made, but new documents show they knew that wasn't true. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/afhganistan-papers.jpg …
(2019-12-09). For Sama: A Beautiful Yet Deceptive Documentary That Betrays Reality in Syria. mintpressnews.com 
The documentary movie "For Sama" has won a host of awards in Europe and North America. Its producers and protagonists, Syrians Waad Kateab and her husband Dr. Hamza Kateab plus English film-maker Edward Watts, have received gushing praise. And the awards will probably keep coming. | Unfortunately, behind the human interest story, the film "For Sama" is little more than propaganda: biased, misleading, and politically partisan. | Hiding Basic Facts about Aleppo: | "For Sama" is a full-length documentary with a moving personal story. It combines…
(2019-12-09). International Communication Congress for the People in Caracas Venezuela. globalresearch.ca The first international Communication Congress of the People was held in Caracas Venezuela from the second to the fourth of December 2019, with the motto! It is the Time for the people to speak! | The idea for this Congress took …
(2019-12-09). Elon Musk whacks traffic cone while driving Tesla Cybertruck after night out (VIDEO). rt.com 
Tech mogul Elon Musk mercilessly mowed down a traffic bollard while driving the new Tesla Cybertruck after a night out at a celebrity hotspot in Malibu, California. | The incident took place as the Tesla CEO was pulling out of the parking lot of the high-end Nobu restaurant, where he was dining with his girlfriend Grimes and other friends. | Who's driving @ElonMusk or the Auto-Pilot? $TSLA pic.twitter.com/xvmyHPG8Ol— GuruLeaks…
(2019-12-09). "Cracking Down" on Independent Media: Global Research Needs Your Support. globalresearch.ca We often receive words of encouragement from our readership, praising our comprehensive coverage and our efforts to inform without trying to divide. We appreciate the moral support all the more so in the face of the current online trend to …
(2019-12-09). In Kurdistan, Women Are Coming Into Their Own. truthdig.com 
In a restaurant off a busy road in Sulaymaniyah, in the south of Kurdistan, dozens of women sit in a group, talking animatedly and drinking glasses of black, sweet tea. The women, some wearing headscarves, others in jeans and colorful nail polish, are part of a feminist organization called the Sofia Society. | Ranging in age from 16 to 60, the women are there to talk about raising awareness about sexual violence and harassment of girls in school. It is a tall order, but the Sofia Society women are used to challenges—they have even received death threats from men who consider it an act of dishonor merely to…
(2019-12-09). In just five words a member of the public reveals Jo Swinson's 'true colours'. thecanary.co 
On 8 December Channel 4 broadcast its Britain Decides: Everything But Brexit Debate between representatives from five of the UK's main political parties. Neither the Conservatives nor the Brexit Party bothered to show up. | And wh…
(2019-12-09). Indigenous and Youth Activists Slam Global Leaders for Climate Inaction. truthout.org We broadcast from Madrid, Spain, where the 25th United Nations climate conference is in its second week and representatives from almost 200 countries have gathered for the final days of negotiations. The summit — known as COP25, or conference of parties — has so far focused on meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to "well below 2 degrees Celsius," or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. But climate scientists say the talks are failing to produce the drastic measures nec…
(2019-12-09). Time to move U.S.-Cuba relations forward again—despite Trump. peoplesworld.org 
Cuba gained international prominence when their government consolidated political power after the defeat of U.S. mercenary forces in 1961 at the Bay of Pigs. With the victory of the Cuban revolution assured, these two events altered the course of history in Latin America. Cuba was no longer a U.S. semi-colony. Cuba's status as a pseudo-republic …
(2019-12-09). 3 corrections employees fired over Nazi salute photo. nationofchange.org "This will not be tolerated on my watch—within the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation—or within any agency of state government."
(2019-12-09). The Holocaust, "The Evil One", Fascism and the Bush Family. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in 2003. | "History is a reminder of what's possible." These were the words spoken by President George W. Bush as he emerged from a guided tour of the gas chambers at Auschwitz. The former Nazi …
(2019-12-09). To Survive Crushing Neoliberalism, the World Needs Intersectional Solidarity. commondreams.org Striking university lecturers in the UK hold a poster in solidarity with students in Lahore, Pakistan, demonstrating for the right to form student unions. (Photo: Courtesy of Catherine Rottenberg/Al Jazeera) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/aljazeera.jpeg …
(2019-12-09). Runner BANNED FOR LIFE for slapping female reporter's backside live on TV (VIDEO). rt.com 
A runner has received a permanent ban from the Savannah Sports Council after he was captured on camera slapping a female reporter's rear-end during a race, after which he was slammed for his "violating" actions. | The runner, later identified as Georgia native Tommy Callaway, was broadcast on television smacking the reporter's butt as he ran by WSAV-TV's Alex Bozarjian who was reporting live from the scene during a 5K race. As the runner made his getaway it was clear that Bozarjian didn't appreciate the unwanted attention. | She later described her emotions. "You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me," she…
(2019-12-09). Skin Deep, Journey in the Divisive Science of Race, by Gavin Evans. wsws.org The overwhelming weight of scientific research demonstrates that "race" does not exist as a valid biological category, but is a social construct.
(2019-12-09). From Health Insurance Spin Doctor to Truth Teller. truthout.org "I was getting people to make decisions based on misleading information that could have life or death consequences." | That's Wendell Potter, the former head of public relations for CIGNA. As the executive spin doctor for one of the biggest health insurance companies in the country, he was responsible for concocting tales that enabled CIGNA to deny coverage, discredit critics, and otherwise cast the corporate health insurance machine in a positive light. That was until the numbers in his spreadsheets became actual people…