(2020-02-01). In Rural Areas, a "Quiet Jail-Building Boom" Is Taking Place. truthout.org I live in Champaign County, the heart of the Illinois cornfields. Our somewhat liberal-minded county of 200,000 is home to the flagship campus of the University of Illinois, the "Fighting Illini." But our county has another distinction: While Black people only comprise 13 percent of our population, they consistently make up 50-71 percent of those in the local jail, resulting in one of the highest racial discrepancies in the country. | For the past decade, rather than attempt to correct this gross inequity, loca…
(2020-02-01). As the UK fractures, one Twitter thread should be essential reading. thecanary.co It's the day after Brexit, and the UK seems as divided as ever. But a thread on Twitter not only highlights a growing problem in society, it could also serve as the antidote to our fractured country. | Loneliness: | Alex Tiffin is a disabled writer. He runs the 1/ "Over 9 million people in the UK — almost a fifth of the population — say they are always or…
(2020-01-31). Venezuela's Supreme Court Rejects Attempted Takeover of Telesur. telesurenglish.net The Supreme Tribunal of Justice declared null and voided the decree on the reorganization of Telesur, following an appeal by RELATED: | The court declared the 'Decree on the Creation of a Commission for the Reorganization of Telesur Venezuela and its subsidiaries,' presented by opposition lawmaker Juan Guaido and approved by…
(2020-01-30). US government censorship? Social media giants disappear accounts of Iranian and Venezuelan academics, journalists. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil talks with Professor Mohammad Marandi of the University of Tehran. Professor Marandi's Facebook and Instagram…
(2020-01-30). How Western left media helped legitimate U.S. regime change in Venezuela. mronline.org 
It's been a year since Juan Guaidó began his U.S.-anointed mandate as "interim president" of Venezuela. |
(2020-01-30). Cuba is Testing Products Against Cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. mintpressnews.com While demonized in the United States, the Cuban government has built a comprehensive nationalized healthcare system based on preventative medicine, rather than the curative model the U.S. employs…
(2020-01-30). Headlines for January 30, 2020. democracynow.org Rev. William Barber: Mitch McConnell Is Bringing Old Southern Justice to U.S. Senate, European Parliament Votes to Ratify Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, Coronavirus Death Toll Hits 170, Racial Justice Groups Call on Klobuchar to Suspend Campaign, French Firefighters Clash with Riot Police in Latest Protests Against Pension Overhaul, Cuban Man Dies in ICE Custody, Marking 6th Death Since October, Salvadoran General Admits U.S.-Trained Forces Carried Out 1981 Massacre, South Dakota Passes Bill Criminalizing Gender-Affirming Surgery, #DignidadLiteraria: Latino Writers Launch Campaign in Response to "American Dirt"
(2020-01-29). Ciudadano estadounidense detenido e interrogado por agentes del DHS sobre la solidaridad con Venezuela del movimiento antiguerra. thegrayzone.com Un ciudadano estadounidense que participó en el Colectivo de Protección de la Embajada de Venezuela fue detenido, registrado e interrogado…
(2019-12-20). Notes on a private TV newscast in Bolivia. The contrast with Venezuela is clear as day. zcomm.org In August, I took detailed notes a news broadcast on one of Venezuela's largest TV networks. I summarized these notes in an interview I did with the Real News Network making the point that Venezuela's private media (which reaches 60-90% of households) is remarkably free — most especially when you consider the US is openly
(2019-12-16). Francisco Rodriguez answers some questions I asked about Venezuela. zcomm.org Venezuelan economist Francisco Rodriguez, formerly of Torino Economics, answered a few questions of mine about his country. He was the economic adviser to Henri Falcon, the second place finisher in the May 2018 presidential election. His updated estimate for 2019 is that Venezuela's real GDP will contract by 25% . That's horrific, but less severe