Month

Archives: March 2017

Was Michael Flynn Russia’s “primary channel of communication with the Trump team”?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Former National Security Adviser to president Trump, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael Flynn, has allegedly offered to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on…

Putin and the Ayatollahs: How Russia’s Alliance with Iran is reshaping the Middle East

By Clément Therme | (The Conversation) | - - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, will meet for the eighth time in four years from March 27 to…

In Shadow of Mideast Wars, Massive Spike in Hunger and Malnutrition

By IPS World Desk | (Inter Press Service) | - - Food security and nutrition levels in the Near East and North Africa have sharply deteriorated over the last five years, undermining…

Why $54 bn for Pentagon won’t fix US Security

By Rajan Menon | ( Tomdispatch.com ) | - - Donald Trump’s supporters believe that his election will end business as usual in Washington. The self-glorifying Trump agrees and indeed his has,…

Why are young Jewish Activists Protesting the Major Israel Lobby?

AJ+ | (Video News Clip) | - - "Here's why these Jewish activists are protesting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in DC. " AJ+: "Jewish Activists Are Protesting AIPAC"

The Untold Violence of the Pax Americana

John W. Dower | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - [This essay is adapted from “Measuring Violence,” the first chapter of John Dower’s new book, The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since…

Are Progressives Suffering from Trump Fatigue?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Many progressives are suffering Trump exhaustion. The new administration has set the country back on so many fronts that it may not even…

Why would Trump Spend $54 Billion More on the Pentagon? To Start a War, Obviously.

By John Feffer | ( Foreign Policy in Focus The president apparently wants to put the U.S. on a permanent war footing to sustain his unpopular presidency. So, let me see if…

Iranian Woman Visiting US arrested, taken to distant Jail Despite Valid Visa

TeleSur | - - Alia Ghandi was denied U.S. entry to visit her family in Portland. Although courts rejected the so-called "Muslim ban," an Iranian tourist was detained at an airport and…

Mosul: As US admits some Responsibility for Civilian deaths, Iraqi PM lashes out at Critics

Mosul: “Some” US Responsibility for Civilian deaths; but Iraqi PM lashes out at Critics

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - As US commanders begin confessing that it is likely that the US military bears responsibility for last Thursday's errant airstrike that killed as…

The Arab Spring and the Western Winter

Ishac Diwan | (Project Syndicate) | - - BEIRUT – There are many striking parallels between the “Arab Spring” that began in 2010 and the United Kingdom’s Brexit referendum, the election of…

Poll: Majority of Jewish Israelis oppose ending 50-year military occupation

Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- A new poll was released by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs on Tuesday, revealing that the majority of Israelis oppose any Israeli…

Trump’s New Decree to ‘Wreak Havoc’ on Climate, Reward Big Oil

TeleSur | - - The latest executive order is seen by critics as a reckless attempt to boost energy industry profits at the cost of the environment and public health. U.S. President…

Congress kills Privacy, Lets Corporations Sell your Browser History

By Ernesto Falcon | (Electronic Frontier Foundation) | - - Putting the interests of Internet providers over Internet users, Congress today voted to erase landmark broadband privacy protections. If the bill is…

The simple Number that will Defeat Trump’s attempt to Roll back Obama Energy Policies

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Trump's Executive Order deregulating dangerous gas emissions is being signed today at the Environmental Protection Agency. This is the greatest mean-spirited reversal since…

As 100,000 Rally in Yemen, Houthis Defy Trump, Saudis

TeleSur | - - According to Yemen’s Legal Center of Rights and Development, the conflict has thus far killed over 12,040 Yemenis and left more than 20,000 others wounded. The leader of…

Would removing illegal Israel Squatters from Palestine really be “Ethnic Cleansing?”

By Dina Matar | Al-Shabaka | via Ma'an News Agency | - - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently claimed in a video posted on his Facebook page that the Palestinian demand…

What if that London attack wasn’t Even Terrorism?

By Steve Hewitt | (The Conversation) | - - A middle-aged man with a history of criminal activity and violence, a variety of aliases, multiple jobs and addresses, and several broken relationships…

Amal Clooney and Nadia Murad Want to Stop an ISIL Genocide

Popsugar Entertainment | (Video Report) | - - "Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney is hoping to help stop a genocide at the hands of ISIL with the help of one brave survivor."…

True, Trump hasn’t Criticized Putin for Navalny Arrest; but Navalny is more like Trump

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The meme du jour about the protests in Russia on Sunday is that Donald Trump did not criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin for…

Mosul: ISIL Scorched Earth Tactics put Civilians in Crossfire

Special Correspondent* | Niqash.org | Baghdad | - - Mosul Locals Explain Extremists’ Desperate Tactics Mosul locals, some of whom have escaped the extremists and some who are still under their control,…

What the Civil Rights Movement can teach us about Resistance in Age of Trump

By Jon Else | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - On a glorious afternoon in August 1963, after the massive March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom wrapped up on the national mall,…

Progressive Young Jews Protest AIPAC, Occupation of Palestine

TeleSur | - - Protesters gathered under the banner, “Jews won’t be free until Palestinians are, reject AIPAC, reject occupation.” Jewish protesters marched Sunday outside the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference…

Video of Day: Kitten tempted by Iran New Year Goldfish

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | (Video Clip) | - - March 21 was the Persian New Year (Now Ruz), marking also the first day of spring (the vernal equinox). In…

After Trump Massacres in Mosul, Campaign against ISIL Halted

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Candidate Donald Trump called last year for carpet-bombing of Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) in Iraq and Syria. It is possible that Trump has loosened…

Can you stop House from selling out your online Privacy, as Senate Just Did?

By Ernesto Falcon | (Electronic Frontier Foundation) | - - Majority Leader McCarthy Confirms House to Immediately Act on Behalf of the Cable and Telephone Industry Following the Senate Vote Last week,…

A distracted Trump administration Couldn’t even focus on its own anti-ISIL summit.

By Paul Rogers | ( OpenDemocracy.net ) | - - Donald Trump's election campaign made much of his predecessor Barack Obama’s failure to control and defeat ISIL, contrasting this with his own…

Trump’s Coal Plants, Auto Emissions are causing our Alzheimer’s Epidemic

By Jiu-Chiuan Chen | (The Conversation) | - - Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease that eventually strips sufferers of their ability to remember, communicate and live independently. By 2050, it…

It’s Class Warfare, Stupid. The GOP crusade against Health Care

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The struggle over health care in the United States is a form of class warfare, complicated by racism. The Republican proposal for the…

In Erdogan’s Turkey, an Artist is Jailed for Painting Reality

TeleSur | - - A Turkish court has handed down a two-year, nine-month and 22-day jail sentence to a Kurdish artist because of her painting of a Kurdish village being razed by…

How to Impeach an American President

Dena Takruri | AJ+ | (Video Clip) | - - "How do you impeach a president? Well, let us explain." AJ+ "How To Impeach An American President"

Dems Should be Careful about using Deep State to get at Trump

By Ian Berman | (Informed Comment) | - - Ever since the November election, Democrats have been looking for a reason to take down President Trump and vindicate Clinton’s loss. Refusing to…

Palestine slams Israeli Database Targeting Israelis Who Support Boycott

IMEMC | - - On March 21st, Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs, Gilad Erdan, announced that his ministry seeks to create a new database of Israeli citizens who support the grassroots Boycott,…

Daesh/ISIL encouraging Loner attacks to Mask its Death Spiral

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The terrorist organization known as Daesh in the Middle East and Europe but as ISIS or ISIL in the US is in a…

Grassroots Resistance forces Republicans to Postpone Health Care Vote

By Lauren McCauley, staff writer | ( Commondreams.org ) | House vote moved to Friday, but with Republicans across the political spectrum unhappy with details of the AHCA, and mounting public opposition,…

Given Trump’s Betrayal, Can we Crowdfund American Aid and Soft Power Abroad?

David Holdridge | (Informed Comment) | - - The current debate between liberals and the Trump Administration on American soft power abroad is not being framed correctly. Liberals should be arguing for…

Top 5 Lessons Saudi should learn from its Failed Yemen War

By Mohammed Nuruzzaman | (Informed Comment) | - - Top 5 Lessons Saudi Arabia Learns from the Yemen War Saudi Arabia’s Yemen war has reached a dead end. Launched in late March…

Did Trump loosen Rules? Charges that US Airstrikes Kill 230 Iraqi Civilians in Mosul

TeleSur | - - "Finding survivors is very difficult because the area is completely destroyed," an authority told reporters. "It's a very big disaster, indeed we can describe it as a disaster."…

The Russian Job: The Plot Thickens

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - An avalanche of news about the connection of key Trump political operatives to Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation rolled down ominously on…

Corporatocracy: Al Franken shows Gorsuch Cold-Hearted toward Freezing Trucker

Amy Goodman | Democracy Now! | (Video News Clip) | - - Transcript via Democracy Now! ALPHONSE MADDIN: In January of 2009, I was working as a commercial truck driver for TransAm…

Ex-Mossad Chief: Occupation of Palestinians Is Israel’s Only Existential Threat

IMEMC | - - Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo asserted, on Tuesday, that the Israeli occupation and the conflict with the Palestinians are the only existential threat facing Israel. Pardo stated, according…

Failed Plan to Reconstruct Gaza Fuels Water, Sanitation Crisis

TeleSur | - - Under the plan, Israel continues to tightly control the materials that are being used to build vital infrastructure in Gaza. The United Nations-backed strategy for the reconstruction of…

Gorsuch Refuses Chance to Condemn ‘Dark Money’ Lobbying on His Behalf

By Lauren McCauley, staff writer | (Commondreams.org) | - - Judge Neil Gorsuch claims he 'speaks for' himself, but secretive sources have spent millions to get him confirmed for a reason During…

Iraq: ISIS Dumped Hundreds in Mass Grave

Via Human Rights Watch | - - Security Forces, Prisoners, Women, Among Those Executed (Erbil) – The Islamic State (also known as ISIS) executed and dumped the bodies of possibly hundreds of…

Isolated Saudi Arabia pivots to Asia; but will it spread Extremism There?

By Babak Mohammadzadeh | (The Conversation) | - - Capital cities across Asia spent the last month rolling out the red carpet for a rarely seen visitor: Saudi Arabia’s ageing King Salman,…

Top 4 Worst pieces of Climate News from WMO in Age of Trump

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The World Meteorological Organization of the United Nations issued its annual report on the climate on Tuesday, making a full and final assessment…

What’s Cuba Really Like?

H. Patricia Hynes | (Informed Comment) | - - What is Cuba like? Since visiting there recently, I have been asked this question hundreds of times and learned that every third person…

How Foreign Powers Could Try to Buy Trump

The Atlantic | (Video Report) | - - "Donald Trump is an unprecedentedly wealthy president, who owns or licenses his name to buildings, casinos, and luxury hotels around the world. An ethics…

Climate Change: 5 Lessons the US Can Learn from Latin America

By Geovanny Vicente Romero | (TeleSur) | - - Taking a look at Latin America can provide some low-budget guidance on making a difference with less. During the week of March 12,…

Ghosts Of ISIL: While All Eyes On Mosul, Extremists Return To Other Iraqi Provinces

Ghosts Of ISIL: While All Eyes are On Mosul, Extremists Return To Other Iraqi Provinces

Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) - - While Iraq’s pro-government forces battle on in Mosul, extremists are heading back to other provinces. Locals say the number of attacks keep rising -…

It is Comey who should be Investigated

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - FBI Director James Comey confirmed Monday that his agency has since last summer been investigating the circle of Donald J. Trump for their…

Does Trump’s slashed Foreign Aid Budget give China the Advantage?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The US foreign aid budget is not mainly about helping the poor. It is an instrument for buying influence in countries important to…

Africa Trade Summit in US Had Zero Africans After Visas Denied

TeleSur | - - "This year it was 100 percent. Every delegation,” organizer Mary Flowers told the media. An African trade summit organized by the University of Southern California ended up with…

Saudi throws Muslims under Bus, Sucks up to Islamophobe Trump

By Daniel Martin Varisco | MENA Tidningen | - - The old saying goes “With friends like this, who needs enemies.” This is especially apparent in the visit of Saudi Prince Mohammed…

Trump picks fights with US Allies: Germany, NATO, EU, Britain etc.

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - After Trump falsely accused President Obama of having him wiretapped at Trump Tower during the campaign, Sean Spicer upped the ante by charging…

Is White Supremacy Making A Comeback?

AJ+ | (Video Clip) "Former FBI undercover agent Mike German discusses the resurgence of the white supremacist movement now under President Trump." AJ+: "Is White Supremacy Making A Comeback?"

Was U.S. Attorney Bharara Investigating HHS Sec. Tom Price when Trump Fired Him?

By Robert Faturechi | (ProPublica) Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who was removed from his post by the Trump administration last week, was overseeing an investigation into stock trades made by the…

As Trump Budget Hurts Old, Meals on Wheels Sees Donations Surge

TeleSur | - - One in six seniors "struggles with hunger," according to Meals on Wheels, which provides free services to those who cannot afford to pay. Meals on Wheels America, the…

Palestinians shocked at craven UN climbdown from report on Israeli Apartheid

Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- After the head of a United Nations agency resigned from her post, citing pressure from the UN Secretary-General to censor a new report…

What everyone Needs to know about alt-NeoNazi President Steve Bannon

AJ+ | (Video Clip) | - - "President Trump is calling for an investigation into voter fraud, and media sources have discovered that his chief strategist, Steve Bannon, was actually registered in…

Wind Power Juggernaut Really doing for 100K Workers what Trump only Promised

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Big news on the wind power front. First, it has emerged in the US as the number one renewable energy source, generating more…

The Rural-Urban Divide in the US in 6 Charts!

By Brian Thiede, Lillie Greiman, Stephan Weiler, Steven C. Beda, Tessa Conroy | (The Conversation) | - - Editor’s note: We’ve all heard of the great divide between life in rural and…

41 Killed in US Attack on Syrian Mosque

TeleSur | - - "It was right after prayers at a time when there are usually religious lessons for men in it," one witness told AFP. On Thursday the U.S. government confirmed…

How the Iraq War came Home & brought us Trump

By Tom Engelhardt | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - If you want to know where President Donald Trump came from, if you want to trace the long winding road (or escalator) that…

Why the UN branded Israel an Apartheid state

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Note: Apparently the Trump administration at Israeli urging threatened to defund the UN if this report was not withdrawn. The UN Secretary-General caved,…

Populist Wilders may have come up short, but Dutch intolerance is still real

By Annemarie Toebosch | (The Conversation) | - - The Dutch elections on March 15 have received a lot of attention in the international media. The reason for the attention is clear:…

I Am an Enemy of the People (Feffer)

By John Feffer | ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) | - - If Trump cracks down on journalists, there might be less uproar than you'd think. Even before the election of…

Hawaii Judge: Trump’s Muslim Ban 2.0 still Violates the Constitution

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Derrick Watson, US District Court judge in Honolulu, has issued a nationwide Temporary Restraining Order against Trump's second attempt at an Executive Order…

Israeli Pol threatens Crimes against Humanity in Lebanon

TeleSur | - - A far-right Israeli minister said Lebanese civilians must be direct targets in a future war over Hezbollah’s rising political sway in Lebanon. The next war Israel will launch…

Islamophobia barring young Western Muslims from Ordinary Politics

By Peter Hopkins and Robin Finlay | (The Conversation) | - - Muslim youths tend to be portrayed as politically disengaged or potentially extremist. Debates about the “war on terror”, and US…

Exit Polls: Tolerant Dutch Reject Wilders’ anti-Muslim Hate Speech

TeleSur | Many see the Dutch vote as a referendum on the viability of the viciously anti-Muslim, anti-migrant politics represented by Geert Wilders. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's center-right VVD Party remained…

Trump & Saudi Arabia: Oil Boycott or Bromance?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Trump is meeting this week with Muhammad bin Salman, the deputy heir apparent of the Saudi Arabian throne and the minister of defense.…

Trump bankrupting us w/ Pentagon Budget suited to 1943

By Michael T. Klare | (Tomdispatch.com) | - - If you are an American male of a certain age -- Donald Trump’s age, to be exact -- you are likely to have…

Israel’s Natural Gas war on Palestinians

Ma'an News Agency | - - Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory does not only exist above ground. Since 1967, Israel has systematically colonized Palestinian natural resources and, in the field of hydrocarbons,…

N. Korea Interview interrupted by Unbearable Cuteness

BBC | (Video News Clip) | - - "There was an unexpected distraction for Professor Robert Kelly when he was being interviewed live on BBC News about South Korea. But he managed…

To understand Muslim ban 2.0, think of Trump as a Crime Boss

By Amir Ahmadi Arian | ( OpenDemocracy.net ) | - - Donald Trump is not an aberration. He is the extreme manifestation of an existing foreign policy doctrine - the ‘mafia principle’…

Is Russia trying to take back over Libya from NATO, Radicals?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Reuters is reporting that some 22 Russian special operations forces have set up a base in Western Egypt near the Libyan border in…

New Scientific Evidence that Middle East may become Uninhabitable

By Baher Kamal | (Inter Press Service) | - - ROME (IPS) - New evidence is deepening scientific fears, advanced few years ago, that the Middle East and North Africa risk becoming…

Kellyanne “Inspector Gadget” alleges Obama Microwave-Camera Surveillance

Huffington Post | (Non-Satirical Satire Video Clip) "Kellyanne Conway is backtracking on her claims that the alleged wiretapping of Trump Tower by President Obama may have been more widespread than first thought.…

Banksy hotel opens in Bethlehem, eliciting heated reactions by Palestinians

By Jaclynn Ashly and Reem Alqam | (Ma'an News Agency) | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Israel’s infamous separation wall in the occupied West Bank, while cutting off Palestinians from their lands…

Dear Rep. King: Our Civilization isn’t White and American Babies aren’t Other

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Rep Steve King of Iowa (whose constituents should be ashamed to show their faces in public went full-on racist again, supporting hate-speech master…

Addicted to Racism: Why Populists Literally get off on Bigotry

By Anne-Ruth Wertheim | (Informed Comment) | - - Only recently did I realise that people with racist prejudices have something to lose: their short-term delight, the balm for their soul. This…

Hey Scott Pruitt: Tom Brokaw says you’re full of it on CO2 & Climate Change

Climate State | (Video News Clip) | - - Climate State: Global Warming ϟ ☼ ❅ What You Need To Know, with Tom Brokaw

Zombie America: Is it too late to Fight Trump’s Real-Life Dystopia?

By John Feffer | (Tomdispatch.com) | - - Dystopias have recently achieved full-spectrum dominance. Kids are drawn to such stories -- The Giver, Hunger Games -- like Goths to piercings. TV shows…

Texas GOP tried Gerrymander away Latino, Austin Votes: Fed. Court

TeleSur | - - "Republicans in Texas have ensured that the dark days of discrimination in Texas continue to loom." Texas lawmakers drew up three U.S. congressional districts to undermine the influence…

How Much of Globe’s Humanitarian Crisis is Fault of US?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned Saturday that the globe is facing the worst humanitarian crisis since the…

Making us Less Safe: Trump bloating Pentagon Budget, cutting Diplomacy, Science

By Miriam Pemberton | OtherWords | - - Throwing money at the Pentagon while gutting other programs that protect Americans shouldn't make anyone feel safer. Millions of Americans are feeling uneasy, disgruntled,…

Under Trump, More Coalition Strikes on Yemen in a Week than in a Year under Obama

TeleSur | - - More drone and airstrikes have rained on Yemen in the past week than in any year of Barack Obama’s administration, with dozens of U.S. coalition airstrikes hitting schools,…

Israeli forces detain Palestinian writer over new novel

Ma'an News Agency | - - JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained Palestinian writer Khalida Ghusheh on Saturday morning after raiding her home in the neighborhood of Beit Hanina in occupied East…

Close the Coal Plants: How to Reply to Pruitt’s Lie about CO2 & Climate

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Having Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency is sort of like the plot of that Showtime thriller Dexter, where the…

Do Syria’s Kurds hold the Key to the future of the Middle East?

By Clemens Hoffmann and Can Cemgil | (The Conversation) | - - The Trump administration’s plans for the war against the so-called Islamic State (IS) are at last becoming clear. And it…

Middle East Studies Assn., joins Md. Suit to block Trump Muslim Ban

Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2017 Groups Challenge Revised Muslim Ban BALTIMORE —- Civil rights and refugee groups today asked a federal court in Maryland to block the Trump administration’s…

To Counter Normalization, deflect Elite tactics to dampen Outrage

By Brian Martin | ( Waging Nonviolence ) | - - The Trump administration’s policies have already triggered public outrage and massive opposition. To understand the techniques that make opposition effective, it…

Turkey’s Erdogan trolls Germany with “Fascist” Charge

By Joel Schalit | EURACTIV | - - Normally, the accusation is reversed. Erdogan undoubtedly knew that when he accused Germany on Sunday of “fascist actions” typical of the Nazi era, for…

Syria: As 400 more Troops go in, What’s Trump’s Mission?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - The US had about 500 troops embedded with the People's Protection Units (Kurdish acronym YPG) until this week, when another 400 were deployed,…

Why are Authorities treating DAPL enviro Protesters like Terrorists?

TeleSur | - - The legal activist group ACLU announced it has filed a motion to quash the warrant, which it argues violates free speech laws. A local police department in the…

Only the Israeli dead matter: Israel’s failure at investigating its bloody wars

By: Ramzy Baroud | (Ma'an News Agency) | - - At a glance, Israel appears a true democracy. Take a closer look, and that facade of democracy will soon dissipate, turning into…

Surging Trump’s America: What didn’t work in Baghdad won’t work in Washington

By Danny Sjursen | ( Tomdispatch.com | - - The other day, I found myself flipping through old photos from my time in Iraq. One in particular from October 2006 stood out.…

Women’s National Strike over Pay inequities, Glass Ceiling

CBS News | Video News Clip | -- "Women worldwide walked off the job Wednesday to protest and demand equality. Anna Werner reports from Alexandria, Virginia, which had to close its schools…

Is the Public turning on Trump over Russia Ties, Sessions’ Perjury?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Americans have become deeply concerned about Russia. Some 75% of them see it as a very or moderately serious threat. This, according to…

As Civil War heats up in S. Syria, Palestinian Refugees displaced Again

Ma'an News Agency | - - BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN agency responsible for providing services to some five million Palestinian refugees, released a…

Cornel West: Israel Anti-BDS Law Would Ban Einstein from Entry

TeleSur | - - The African-American intellectual is one of the BDS movement's most prominent figures and therefore could be denied entry into Israel under the new law. The new Israeli law…

WikiLeaks Vault 7 reveals staggering breadth of ‘CIA hacking’

David Glance | (The Conversation) | - - WikiLeaks today released what it claims is the largest leak of intelligence documents in history. It contains 8,761 documents from the CIA detailing some…

Let them eat iPhones: Jason Chaffetz on Health Care & the Poor (Young Turks)

Cenk Uygur | (The Young Turks Video Clip) | - - TYT metadata: "Poor people don’t fund Jason Chaffetz’s campaigns, so they can take a long walk off a short pier. Cenk…

What Syrian Refugees think of Trump’s Refugee Ban

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Reuters Arabic reports that a wave of anger swept the Syrian refugee camps of southern Lebanon Monday and Tuesday when they learned that…

We ignore the Violence of Radical White Populist Extremism at our Peril

By Sindre Bangstad | ( OpenDemocracy.net) | - - We ignore the terrorist threat from right-wing extremism at our peril. But the main threat to democracy in our time is even more…

It’s Racism, Stupid. America’s Persistent Racial Wealth Divide

By Josh Hoxie | ( Inequality.org ) | - - A new study shows the legacy of racism far outweighs individual financial decisions in driving the growing gap between black and white…

Is Trump at war with Oceana this Week, or Eastasia?

Rebecca Gordon | Tomdispatch.com | - - In his inaugural address, President Trump described a dark and dismal United States, a country overrun by criminal gangs and drugs, a nation stained with…

Why Trump EO is Still a Racist Muslim Ban

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Whether or not the new Trump Executive Order banning visas for citizens of 6 Muslim-majority countries for a 90 day period and likewise…

As Trump Bans Somalis, 100s dying from Hunger in Severe Drought

The Watchers : Watching the World Evolve and Transform | - - 110 people have died from hunger in the past 48 hours in just one region of Somalia as severe drought…

Ben Carson thinks Slaves came as “Immigrants,” earned “Less”

CBS | (Video News Clip) | - - "Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson is facing backlash after referring to slaves as immigrants. CBSN's Vlad Duthiers has the story on…

‘Claim the sky’: a new climate movement for the Trump era

By Robert Costanza | (The Conversation) | - - President Donald Trump is making it less likely the United States will meet the emissions targets it agreed at the 2015 Paris climate…

Israel Bans Entry to Anyone Calling for Country’s Boycott

TeleSur | - - BDS [Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions] has grown into an effective international movement as many companies and celebrities join efforts to hold Israel accountable for illegal actions against Palestinians.…

Dirty, Hot, Deadly: The Real Trump Scandal is What He’s done to the Environment

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - I don't think Trump creates Twitter scandals to deflect attention from his real scandals. I think his mind just works in an odd…

Syrian Musicians Celebrate Palmyra’s Liberation

TeleSur | - - The city and its ruins, designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1980, have traded hands several times during Syria's six-year civil war. The 15-year-old's voice floated over…

AG Jeff Sessions as Gump: SNL Cold Open

Kate McKinnon | (Saturday Night Live) | Video Clip | - - "Attorney General Jeff Sessions (Kate McKinnon) chats with strangers (Octavia Spencer, Leslie Jones, Kyle Mooney, Aidy Bryant, Beck Bennett) at…

“Dear Nasemi: ‘I’m Sorry.'” (ICE doesn’t Keep out Afghan-American Coffins)

By Jonathan S. Addleton | (Informed Comment) | - - Dear Nasemi – I’m sorry. It is hard to believe that it was almost four years ago that we walked together along…

All the President’s Generals: Do they Want War with Iran?

By William D. Hartung | ( Tomdispatch.com) | - - In the splurge of “news,” media-bashing, and Bannonism that’s been Donald Trump’s domestic version of a shock-and-awe campaign, it’s easy to forget…

Trump covers The Police: Sometimes it Feels like, Obama’s Watching You

Trump covers Rockwell: Sometimes it Feels like, Obama’s Watching You

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Donald Trump is angry at his predecessor, former president Barack Obama, this weekend. He says he discovered (from the digital toilet paper 'Breitbart,'…

The Trauma of “Dreamers” under Trump’s Deportation Threats

By Annamarya Scaccia | (Yes! Magazine) | - - After Daniela Vargas’ recent arrest, the future for DACA’s more than 750,000 recipients is more uncertain than ever. They need political support, but…

Sectarian Tensions Flare in Egypt as Christians flee ISIL in Sinai

By Brian Whitaker | (Al-Bab.com) | - - Several hundred Egyptian Christians have fled their homes in North Sinai over the last few days following a series of murders attributed to supporters…

Oppression in the Land of the Free: A Muslim Leader Speaks Out

By Edu Montesanti | TeleSur | - - An interview with Hatem Abudayyeh, head of Chicago's Arab American Action Network, on the rising criminalization of Arab and Muslim life in the US.…

“Media Vandalism?” Top 6 Russian reactions to Trump’s Russia Scandals

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - We're hearing a lot about American reactions to news that AG Jeff Sessions met twice with the Russian ambassador and then lied about…

Is Russian Interference the greatest Threat to Western Democracy?

By Richard Maher | (The Conversation) | - - With important national elections scheduled this year in the Netherlands, France and Germany, European officials on edge about possible Russian interference are pursuing…

Refugees fleeing US for Canada across snowfields even at Cost of Limbs

TeleSur | - - The number of migrants applying for refugee status in Canada after crossing the border from the United States has been rising since the beginning of the year, officials…

Calls Grow for Sessions to Resign Over Perjury Allegations

TeleSur | - - U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reportedly met with the Russian ambassador during the election, contradicting his confirmation hearing testimony. Prominent Democrats called for the resignation of U.S. Attorney…

From Bernie Sanders to Harel: Why is Acknowledging Israeli Apartheid a Shock?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - On Monday, Bernie Sanders gave a historic speech at J Street, the liberal pro-Israel lobby that still believes in a two state solution.…

How Islamophobia is Creating Prejudice toward non-Muslims Too

By Peter Hopkins, Gurchathen Sanghera and Katherine Botterill | (The Conversation) | - - Islamophobia simply cannot be overlooked anymore. It is a wide-ranging issue, impacting public and private lives in ways…

Pundits, stop Swooning: Trump still covering for Radical White Nationalist Extremists

By Peter Certo | (Otherwords.org) | - - The president’s obsession with Muslims and immigrants gives cover to a simmering white nationalist movement at home. Donald Trump began his recent speech to…

Palmyra: Trump about to find out that Hizbullah best anti-ISIL Fighters

TeleSur | - - The so-called Islamic State group [ISIL] has razed ancient monuments during both of its spells in control of Palmyra, a destruction the United Nations has condemned as a…

Is Trump right to doubt that Islam is a Religion?

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka again declined to say on Wednesday in an NPR interview whether President Trump believes Islam is "a religion." He…

Still not Nice: Trump’s Nazi-inspired Demonization of Immigrants

By Deirdre Fulton, staff writer | Commondreams.org | - - New government agency blasted as 'a blatant attempt to humiliate and scare immigrants' Groans and boos greeted President Donald Trump's announcement of…

WP: Sessions spoke with Russian ambassador during Trump campaign (Maddow)

The Rachel Maddow Show | (Video News Clip) | - - Video 1: | MSNBC | THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 3/1/17: WP: Sessions spoke with Russian ambassador during Trump campaign The Washington…

Afghanistan: We Lost a long Time Ago, and are Still at War

William J. Astore | ( Tomdispatch.com ) | - - America’s war in Afghanistan is now in its 16th year, the longest foreign war in our history. The phrase “no end in…

Joining N. Korea, Israel denies Human Rights Watch Work Permit

IMEMC | - - Israeli authorities have denied Human Rights Watch’s application for a work permit for its Israel and Palestine director, on the grounds that it is not a real human…

Further Wave of Bomb Threats against Jewish Centers: Rise of US Far Right

TeleSur | - - Some Jewish groups see the vandalism and threats as a sign that anti-Semitic groups have been emboldened by Trump's election. Jewish community centers and schools in at least…

Sorry, Trump, China’s cut-back on Coal Dooms Industry

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | - - Donald Trump has said many foolish things, but his pledge to bring back coal takes the cake. Coal is the dirtiest source of…

Why ISIL is Targeting Tolerant Sufi Islam

By Peter Gottschalk | (The Conversation) | - - On Feb. 16, 2017, a bomb ripped through a crowd assembled at the tomb of a Sufi saint, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, in southeastern…