(2019-12-12). Perth Pride: LGBTI community challenges corporatisation. greenleft.org.au 
LGBTIQ rights Petrina HarleyIssue 1248 Australia Rainbow Rebellion PerthDecember 12, 2019Perth Pride assembled its biggest parade to date on November 30, with 115 floats. But many in the LGBTIQ comm…
(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…
(2019-12-11). Record Climate-Fueled Wildfires Engulf Australia in Smoke. truthout.org As world leaders gather to address the climate crisis in Madrid, massive wildfires have engulfed Australia in flames and smoke. More than 100 climate-fueled blazes have killed at least six people and pushed air quality levels in Sydney to 12 times hazardous levels. Thousands braved extreme air pollution Wednesday to protest the government's climate inaction outside Sydney Town Hall. As Democracy Now! broadcasts live from inside the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain, we speak with Austral…
(2019-12-11). Corbyn: Elect a government of hope to shock the establishment. peoplesworld.org 
Jeremy Corbyn is urging undecided voters to vote Labour on Thursday and elect a "government of hope" that would send shock waves through the Establishment. The Labour leader has said that this is the "most important" polling day in a generation, taking place at a critical juncture in British politics. And he promises that, as …
(2019-12-11). Hebron Plan is Israel's Reminder to Palestinians that Settler Power knows no Limits. dissidentvoice.org US President Donald Trump told thousands of Israel's supporters at a rally in Florida at the weekend that some American Jews "don't love Israel enough". It is certainly troubling that a US president insists a section of his country's citizens — the Jewish population — be required to love a foreign state. But then Trump …
(2019-12-11). Documentary about journalist Robert Fisk a highlight of Toronto International Film Festival. peoplesworld.org 
TORONTO—One of the most progressive films at the Toronto International Film Festival this year was a National Film Board of Canada documentary, This Is Not a Movie, celebrating the work of lifelong foreign correspondent Robert Fisk. For more than 40 years, he's reported on some of the most violent and divisive conflicts in the world. …
(2019-12-11). The Battle for Abortion Access Is In the States. aclu.org This past year has been a critical one in | the fight for reproductive freedom. For decades, politicians who want to | interfere with people's personal decisions about pregnancy have worked to push | abortion care out of reach. They've quietly passed 483 state abortion | restrictions since 2011 — including 59 new restrictions passed in 2019 alone. | And after Trump was able to put two new justices who are hostile to abortion | rights on the Supreme Court, politicians decided to go for broke. | Since Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation, | seven states have passed laws banning abortion from the earliest day…
(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 …
(2019-12-11). Leaked Draft of Trump Anti-Semitism Executive Order Raises Concerns About Campuses Cracking Down on Critics of Israel. commondreams.org Jewish Insider published a draft executive order on "combating anti-Semitism" that President Donald Trump is expected to sign Wednesday, raising questions about a New York Times report from Tuesday that "the order will effectively interpret Judaism as a race or nationality, not just a religion"—which elicited widespread criticism, particularly among progressive Jews. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/israel.png …
(2019-12-11). "Booming" economy means more bad jobs and faster race to the bottom. mronline.org For the past 30 years, no matter which party has been in power, the U.S. economy has produced more and more "bad" jobs—because the Race to the Bottom is ruling class policy. | Source
(2019-12-11). Nazi Trump Declares Judaism a Nationality, Just Like Hitler. indybay.org In an effort to shut down dissent on college campuses to Israel's policies, Nazi Trump plans to sign an executive order this week declaring Judaism a religion or nationality, the latter being subject to the Civil Rights Act. Hitler did the same. See | www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-executive-order-anti-semitism-college_n_5df04c5ee4b0b75fb53426c3…
(2019-12-11). Chevron to Write Down Assets by at Least $10 Billion, Elevating Investor Concern. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-12-11). Soldiers Abduct Seven Palestinians, Injure Many And Attack Three Journalists. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday at dawn, seven Palestinians from several parts of the occupied West Bank, after the army invaded and searched many homes, and injured many others, in addition to attacking journalists and confiscating two cars. In Ramallah governorate, in central West Bank, the soldiers abducted five Palestinians, …
(2019-12-11). An Evening for Chile: teach in, discussion, music, and stories. indybay.org SubRosa Community Space | 703 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz…
(2019-12-11). Congress: The Snail's Pace Race. counterpunch.org I don't keep count, but I see lots of headlines like this one from The Hill, dated December 5: "Congress races to beat deadline on shutdown." Reporters Jordain Carney and Niv Elis tell us that "Congress is racing the clock" and working on a "tight time frame" to pass yet another stopgap spending measure ("continuing More
(2019-12-11). Video: President al-Assad: Europe Was the Main Player in Creating Chaos in Syria. globalresearch.ca President Bashar al-Assad said that Syria is going to come out of the war stronger and the future of Syria is promising and the situation is much better, pointing out to the achievements of the Syrian Arab army in the …
(2019-12-11). Santa Cruz Faculty Association Solidarity with Graduate Students. indybay.org The SCFA sent the following message to faculty on 12/11/19…
(2019-12-11). Pelosi Backs Down After House Progressives Push to Strengthen Drug Pricing Bill. truthout.org House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, faced with a united front of progressive Democrats pushing back against a drug pricing bill seen as insufficient, blinked on Tuesday and handed her party's left flank a rare victory. | "This is what happens when progressives in Congress, backed by the grassroots, use their power to push for real change," political advocacy group Indivisible said on Twitter. | This is a BIG deal. We're glad to see that H.R. 3 has been improved to protect millions more people from…
(2019-12-11). 'We Are Unstoppable, Another World Is Possible!': Young Climate Activists Storm COP 25 Stage. commondreams.org Protesters with Fridays for Future demand world leaders at the global climate summit urgent address the planetary emergency. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/protesters-storm-stage-cop25.jpg …
(2019-12-11). Colombia: Medellin Will Host a Concert Pro National Strike. telesurenglish.net A student assembly of the University of Antioquia summoned at least 30 local bands to play in Medellin, on December 22nd in support of the national strike, as it happened previously in Bogota with the concert 'A song for Colombia'. | RELATED: | Riot Police Attack Peaceful Protesters in Colombian Capital | The show "will not only be musical, but will be mixed with comparsas (carnival singers)", Alejandra Montoya, one of the organizers of the ev…
(2019-12-11). The British establishment is very afraid of a Corbyn victory. mronline.org 
The negative media barrage on Corbyn and Labour in the UK has been incessant but if Corbyn were to succeed it would be a major boost to the Sanders campaign in the U.S. | Source
(2019-12-11). Majority of Mexicans See United States as Greatest Threat, New Poll Shows. mintpressnews.com 
This is not the first time that a US-based outfit has concluded that the US government is a menace to other countries. A 2014 survey of world public opinion found that the United States was overwhelmingly considered the greatest threat to world peace.
(2019-12-11). House bill restores enforcement strength to Voting Rights Act. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to restore the full strength of the 54-year-old Voting Rights Act. So do Democratic Reps. Terri Sewell of Birmingham, Ala., who authored the bill that strengthened the law, and Marcia Fudge of Cleveland, who helped shepherd the measure through the U.S. House. And so do, strongly, U.S. unions …
(2019-12-11). How Africa Could Power a Green Revolution. counterpunch.org Just before this year's global climate summit opened in Madrid recently, researchers announced that emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels will hit a record high in 2019. Although the 0.6 percent rate of growth is less than last year's 2.1 percent, the total which must be cut to prevent the most catastrophic and irreversible More
(2019-12-11). Mass marches and strikes against Macron's pension cuts continue across France. wsws.org Rail, mass transit and broader sections of the French public sector continued strikes begun on December 5 in an emerging trial of strength between the workers and Macron.
(2019-12-11). Open Letter to Two Mayors. indybay.org The letter conveys numerous demands to outgoing Mayor Watkins and incoming Mayor Justin Cummings regarding the immediate need at the 12-10 Council meeting for emergency action…
(2019-12-11). Guess What Happened After ICE, Which Has Torn Thousands of Families Apart, Tried to Honor Human Rights Day on Twitter. commondreams.org In 2019, a record-breaking 70,000 children were held in ICE custody. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/abolishice.jpeg …
(2019-12-11). Last Straw as Teachers in France Join Nationwide Strike. globalresearch.ca One of the many groups taking part in the massive general strike in France this week, and joining forces with the year-long Yellow Jackets movement, are the country's public school teachers. The "coup de grâce" for teachers was the Macron …
(2019-12-11). Plutocrats Are Trying to Buy the Democratic Nomination. truthdig.com From three different vectors, the oligarchy is on the march to capture the Democratic presidential nomination. Pete Buttigieg has made big gains. A timeworn ally of corporate power, Joe Biden, is on a campaign for his last hurrah. And Michael Bloomberg is swooping down from plutocratic heights. | Those three men are a team of rivals—each fiercely competitive for an individual triumph, yet arrayed against common ideological foes named Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. | The obvious differences between Buttigieg, Biden and Bloomberg are apt to distract from their underlying political similarities. Fundamen…
(2019-12-11). Union moves to end Washington DC-area transit strike, agrees to cost-cutting deal. wsws.org The Amalgamated Transit Union's deal with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority leaves open the possibility of low pay and attacks working conditions.
(2019-12-11). UC Davis solidarity with UCSC striking grad students. indybay.org We UC Davis graduate students, undergraduate students, campus workers, and alumni fully support the striking graduate students at UC Santa Cruz and their demands for a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in one of the most expensive areas to live in the world(1). Graduate students perform essential labor for the university, teaching classes, grading assignments, and helping students in office hours. The University administration knows exactly how much we get paid and how much housing costs, and yet for countless years now they have refused to do anything to alleviate the crisis at Santa Cruz, at Davis, and beyond.
(2019-12-11). US-backed parties have infiltrated Lebanon's protests, pushing the country toward war amid economic collapse. thegrayzone.com By joining the roadblocks around Beirut, protesters allowed themselves to be used by US-allied parties playing a dangerous game that…
(2019-12-11). 'May the (Space) Force be with you,' Congress tells Trump in new Pentagon budget bill. rt.com 
US Space Force is about to become a sixth branch of the military, courtesy of Congress going along with President Donald Trump's popular campaign promise even as Democrats try to impeach him from office. | Included in the 3,500-page National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the fiscal year 2020 is the provision recognizing space as a warfighting domain and establishing the Space Force as a separate service branch. While it is a step up from the current Space Command, the USSF will still be embedded under the US Air Force, in an arrangement mirroring the relationship of the Marines and the Navy. | "Congress…
(2019-12-11). Popular Theatre as Cultural Resistance: Engaging Audiences Worldwide. globalresearch.ca "Primarily, I am a prose writer with axes to grind, and the theatre is a good place to do the grinding in. I prefer comedy to 'serious' drama because I believe one can get the ax sharper on the comedic …
(2019-12-11). We Tortured Some Folks: The Report's Daniel Jones on the Ongoing Fight to Hold the CIA Accountable. theintercept.com The former top Senate Intelligence Committee investigator discusses the yearslong battle to make public the findings of the still-classified torture report.
(2019-12-11). North Korea missile tests 'deeply troubling': senior UN official. news.un.org Recent developments concerning North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes are "deeply troubling", the UN's Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific said on Wednesday, briefed the Security Council.
(2019-12-11). With one photo, Jeremy Corbyn sums up 'nine years of Boris Johnson's Conservatives'. thecanary.co Just hours before we go to the polls, Jeremy Corbyn summed up nine years of Tory rule in one picture. | "Boris Johnson's Conservatives": | The Labour leader shared a heartbreaking image of Boris Johnson and a gaggle of Tory aides walking past a homeless man: | Nine years of Boris Johnson's Conservatives, summed up in one picture. pic.twitter.com/CXWCih0pkC | — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 11, 2019 | And he's spot on. This really does sum it all up. Not least b…
(2019-12-11). The Donald Trump Campaign Is Deploying Phone Location-Tracking Technology. theintercept.com President Donald Trump's reelection effort has retained the services of a technology company that specializes in the mass collection of smartphone location data, which can be used to track voters for political targeting purposes. | Phunware, an Austin, Texas-based firm, announced the connection in a little-noticed press release in October, touting "new and existing customer wins including American Made Media Consultants," the consulting firm set up this year by Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale to handle advertising services for a v…
(2019-12-11). UEFA Champions League highlights – Salah's 200th goal & Barca's Fati becomes youngest goalscorer (VIDEO). rt.com 
The UEFA Champions League is known for its unrivaled excitement and drama. Danny Armstrong casts an eye over a round of matches that saw a 200 goal milestone for Mo Salah and Barcelona's Ansu Fati become the youngest ever scorer. | The Egyptian King helped fire Liverpool through to the knockout stages with a goal from an almost impossibly tight angle in a 2-0 win, becoming a goalscoring double centurion in the process. | Also on rt.com | | Egyptian King! Salah scores 200th goal for club & country from IMPOSSIBLE angle as Liverpool advance in UCL
(2019-12-11). Congress must investigate why America was lied to about Afghanistan for all these years — Gabbard. rt.com 
Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard pledged to seek a congressional inquiry into the Afghanistan war after a damning report said US officials have been lying about what has been happening there since the US occupation began. | Gabbard, a military veteran who runs for the Democratic nomination on an anti-war platform, said there has to be "accountability for the lying" and the lives and taxpayer money lost in the longest military operation in the US history. | "The cost of this war and regime change wars and the nation-building that follows is immeasurable in many ways but it's measurable in the ways that have…
(2019-12-11). Selected Articles: USMCA. The New NAFTA 2.0. globalresearch.ca 
A future without independent media leaves us with an upside down reality where according to the corporate media "NATO deserves a Nobel Peace Prize", and where "nuclear weapons and wars make us safer" | . | . | | | If, like us, this is …
(2019-12-11). I'm a Christian. And I believe 100% that voting for Corbyn's Labour is the right thing to do. thecanary.co People who oppose Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have despicably weaponised religion in an attempt to attack him. This has forced progressives of all faiths and none to speak out and defend him. And I now feel it's my duty as a Christian to say 'I believe 100% that voting for Corbyn's Labour is vital'. | The utterly…
(2019-12-11). 30+ Groups Condemn 'Obscene' $738 Billion Pentagon Bill as Blank Check for War and 'Gift to Donald Trump'. commondreams.org "Every dollar spent by the Pentagon is a dollar not spent on education, healthcare, or climate. When critics attack social spending by asking 'how will you pay for it?' this will be our answer." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pentagon_budget_0.jpg …
(2019-12-11). New California and National Polls Show Sanders Crushing 2020 Rivals Among Voters Under 45. commondreams.org New polling out of California reveals that although former Vice President Joe Biden narrowly edged out Sen. Bernie Sanders by one point in terms of overall support, the progressive senator is garnering the most support from young voters in the state and elicits the most enthusiasm from Californians. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-115765446911.jpg …
(2019-12-11). Protesters Call for Climate Justice at the Peoples' Summit in Chile. truthout.org Overshadowed by events in Madrid, where the United Nations COP25 conference is taking place, activists in the Chilean capital, Santiago, are eager that social justice becomes more central to international climate discussions. On December 2, the first day of COP25, more than 100 environmental groups launched a parallel conference in Santiago. And on Friday, several thousand people participated in a series of marches organized by these groups and their allies. | The week-long Peoples' Summit drew climate…
(2019-12-11). A Second Nakba in the Making. globalresearch.ca Two years ago Friday, President Donald Trump formally recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital. We knew then that this was an irresponsible and cruelly insensitive act that would do grave harm to the rights and well-being of Palestinians and put an …
(2019-12-11). A Cry From Bethlehem to the International Community: Palestinian Christian Advent Message. indybay.org Pacific School of Religion (chapel) | 1798 Scenic Ave. | Berkeley, CA…
(2019-12-11). Women's March Contra Costa 2020 (Walnut Creek). indybay.org Civic Park, 1375 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, CA 94596…
(2019-12-11). Sizzling Arctic: Top 5 Climate Horror Stories in NOAA's Report Card. commondreams.org As a historian, I have taught courses on climate change and history, and one thing I can tell you, it is very unusual during the past million years for the Arctic to be hot. (Photo: Screengrab) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/sizzling-arctic-top-5-climate-ho.jpeg …
(2019-12-11). Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's "Timely Visit" to Washington. Coincides with House Impeachment Procedure. Discusses "Russiagate" with Trump in Oval Office. globalresearch.ca On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov met with Pompeo at the State Department as well as Trump in the White House Oval Office. | Several issues discussed including "Russiagate" | [Careful timing?: | "House Democrats will begin work on completing their articles of …