2019-10-19: News Headlines

RT (2019-10-19). #IamTulsi trending after Gabbard hands Hillary Clinton brutal smackdown. rt.com 2020 candidate Tulsi Gabbard is trending on Twitter, after the Hawaiian lawmaker scorched Hillary Clinton with a devastating put-down. Nevertheless, Hillary fans still maintain Tulsi's popularity is the work of 'Russian bots'. | Gabbard unloaded on Clinton on Friday, after the failed 2016 presidential contender suggested that "the Russians" were "grooming" her to run as a third-party candidate next year to split the Democratic vote. | "Great! Thank you Hillary Clinton," Gabbard tweeted in response. "You, the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Dem…

Staff (2019-10-19). Gabbard Fires Back at Clinton Suggestion That She's Russia's Pawn. truthdig.com The former secretary of state says she believes Russians are grooming someone in the Democratic primary "to be the third-party candidate."

WSWS (2019-10-19). Hillary Clinton slanders Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Green Party candidate Jill Stein as Russian spies. wsws.org Clinton's claims, made without the slightest factual substantiation, are an attempt to criminalize the anti-war statements of the two candidates as treasonous.

teleSUR (2019-10-19). Catalonia: Police Repress Protesters During Overnight Demos. telesurenglish.net After a nationwide strike full of marches, protests and barricades, Barcelona woke up on Saturday with a strong smell of charred objects after a night in which the riot police harshly repressed pro-independence activists and left over 180 people injured and 300 arrested. | RELATED: | 'March for Freedom' Strike Continues Across Catalan Region | In the downtown area of the Catalan capital, a country which decided by means of a referendum to become independent from Spain, pieces…

Peace Action of San Mateo County (2019-10-19). Sharon Tennison's Closer Look at Russia. indybay.org Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo | 300 E. Santa Inez Avenue | San Mateo, CA 94401…

teleSUR (2019-10-19). Turkish Troops are Ready to Resume Northern Syria Operation: DM. telesurenglish.net The Turkish military and their allied rebel forces are ready to resume their offensive dubbed Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Saturday. | RELATED: | Turkey Agrees with US To Pause Syria Attack, Kurds To Speak Soon | Akar vowed to resume the Turkish military operation if the Kurdish fighters along the Syrian border do not withdraw from the area that was supposed to be a safe zone. | Turkey and Washington agreed on Thursday…

WSWS (2019-10-19). General strike paralyzes Catalonia as over half-a-million demonstrate in Barcelona. wsws.org Broad sections of youth and workers mobilized to protest the police state that is emerging in Spain, and more broadly across Europe.

Frances Moore Lappé (2019-10-19). We're Not "Polarized" Everywhere. In Maine, Democracy and Green Energy Win Big. commondreams.org State Rep. Chloe Maxmin and allies celebrate the Maine AFL-CIO signing onto the Green New Deal in April of 2019. (Photo: Maxmin's Twitter) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/maine.gnd_.aflcio_0.jpg

WSWS (2019-10-19). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Doctors in Zimbabwe are demanding their wages be pegged to the US dollar in the face of runaway inflation while Lufthansa cabin crew plan to strike Saturday over wages.

teleSUR-EF (2019-10-19). Cuba's Diaz-Canel Heads to Europe, Russia for NAM Summit. telesurenglish.net Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel will begin an official tour on Sunday that will take him to Ireland, Belarus, Russia and Azerbaijan, where he will attend the XVIII summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) from Oct. 25 until Oct. 26. | RELATED: | Alicia Alonso, Cuba's Ballet Legend, Dies at Age 98 | During his 10-day tour, Díaz-Canel will talk with with the leaders of each of these nations and "carry out other activities," reports a brief statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry, which do…

WSWS (2019-10-19). Fighting continues in wake of US-Turkish agreement on northern Syria. wsws.org The "ceasefire" deal has only intensified opposition within US ruling circles, where the withdrawal of US troops from Syria is seen as strengthening Russia's hand in the Middle East.

Julian Rose (2019-10-19). Are We Witnessing the End of the United Kingdom as an Independent Nation State? globalresearch.ca First published on May 9, 2019 | Ever since 'the wrong result' occurred at the referendum launched by then Prime Minister David Cameron, a fiasco of unprecedented proportions has been taking place in British politics. It is a depressing and, …

Staff (2019-10-19). Boris Johnson Insists He'll Stand Firm Against Brexit Delay. truthdig.com LONDON—A defiant Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday that he would resist attempts to delay Britain's departure from the European Union beyond the end of the month, after Parliament postponed a decision on whether to back his Brexit deal and ordered the government to ask the EU for more time. | Johnson said he still aimed to meet the Oct. 31 deadline and would tell EU leaders that delaying Brexit is a bad idea. The bloc said it would wait to hear from the British government about what it wanted to do next. The government has until 11 p.m. Saturday to send a letter asking the EU for a three-month post…

WSWS (2019-10-19). Labour leads effort to vote down Johnson's Brexit deal. wsws.org UK members of parliament will vote today on whether or not to accept Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal with the European Union.

Clark T. Scott (2019-10-18). Cross-eyed, Fanged and Horned. counterpunch.org Almost 700 years ago, as many people in Europe were trying to climb out of the squalor of so-called feudalism, Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted a series of frescos in the Palazzo Pubblico of Siena which included two allegorical representations of how government can operate. One allegory represented good government and its effects on the land and More

Jeremy Kuzmarov (2019-10-18). Russophobia at Democratic Party Debate. counterpunch.org Russophobia was on full display during Tuesday night's Democratic Party debate, with ominous repercussions for the future of American foreign policy. When asked what he would do to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Beto O'Rourke stated that we "must hold Russia accountable for invading the world's greatest democracy and being able to do More

RT (2019-10-18). You didn't really think all Russian assets & Kremlin puppets in the US have already been exposed, did you? rt.com The 2020 presidential election is still more than a year away, but you wouldn't know that to look at all the Russian plots to subvert it breathlessly discussed in US media. Who are these recently exposed Kremlin agents? | READ MORE: Russian assets in America. A field guide | Ever since the election of Donald Trump as president in 2016, the US media has been ferreting out the Russian meddlers within the country, as it's their patriotic duty to do. Not even the disappointment of the Mueller report finding no Russian collusion could stop them &#150…

RT (2019-10-18). 'Queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption': Tulsi Gabbard DRAGS Hillary Clinton after 'Russian asset' claim. rt.com Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) has accused Hillary Clinton of being behind a 'concerted campaign' to destroy her reputation and challenged her to stop hiding and enter the 2020 presidential race. | "Great! Thank you Hillary Clinton," Gabbard tweeted on Friday afternoon. "You, the queen of warmongers, embodiment of corruption, and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long, have finally come out from behind the curtain." | "From the day I announced my candidacy, there has been a concerted campaign to destroy my reputation. We wondered who was behind it and why. Now we…

CounterSpin (2019-10-18). Khury Petersen-Smith on Turkey & the Kurds, Alex Vitale on the Purpose of Policing. fair.org Media…

Staff (2019-10-18). US-Turkey Frictions Raise Doubts About Nukes at Turk Base. truthdig.com It is almost an open secret that the U.S. has as many as 50 B-61 bombs stored under heavy guard in southern Turkey.

Rebecca Gordon (2019-10-18). Extorting Ukraine is Bad Enough But Trump Has Done Much Worse. counterpunch.org Recently a friend who follows the news a bit less obsessively than I do said, "I thought George W. Bush was bad, but it seems like Donald Trump is even worse. What do you think?" "Well," I replied, "in terms of causing death and destruction, I suspect Bush still has the edge." In fact, the More

Staff (2019-10-18). Why I Can't Get Excited About Impeaching Trump. truthdig.com This piece originally appeared on Chicago Reader. | Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has begun an impeachment inquiry into President Trump for asking Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter. I get that there is a strong desire for many Americans to be rid of what they see as the national nightmare of Trump's presidency. But I urge caution for several reasons. | First, this impeachment inquiry will not succeed in getting rid of Trump. To win, a super…

Staff (2019-10-18). Spain Sentences Catalan Leaders in Contradictory Ruling. therealnews.com Police and protesters clash in Barcelona for a fourth consecutive day over a problematic, contradictory 9-13 year prison sentence for Catalan independence leaders.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2019-10-18). The Eurozone In Crisis? New President of the European Central Bank (ECB) has a Criminal Record. Christine Lagarde. globalresearch.ca Lagarde was found "guilty" without the enforcement of a one year prison sentence. She was accused of "negligence" rather than "complicity" in a multimillion euro fraud. She was rewarded rather than penalized.

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J S Davies (2019-10-18). Trump's Fake Withdrawal From Endless War. commondreams.org Kurdish Syrian civilians flee the town of Kobane on the Turkish border on October 16, 2019 as Turkey and its allies continue their assault on Kurdish-held border towns in northeastern Syria. – Turkey rebuffed international pressure to curb its military offensive against Kurdish militants in Syria today as US President Donald Trump dispatched his deputy Mike Pence to Ankara to demand a ceasefire. (Photo: Bakr Alkasem/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_endless_war_syria_kurds.jpg

Stephen Lendman (2019-10-18). Contradictory US/Turkey Ceasefire in Northern Syria. Turkey is Playing the US and Russia Cards Simultaneously. globalresearch.ca On Thursday in Ankara, Turkish President Erdogan met with Mike Pence and Pompeo, a joint statement by both sides issued following talks. See below. | Trump regime hardliners want their imperial agenda in Syria continued, notably aiming to undermine Russian efforts …

Andrew Korybko (2019-10-18). Serbia Is Surrendering to Greater Albania. globalresearch.ca The geopolitical project of "Greater Albania" received unprecedented support from an extremely unlikely source after Serbia surprisingly surrendered to the policy of passport-free travel for its Albanian and Macedonian neighbors by 2021 as part of an entirely voluntarily initiative that …

Paul Antonopoulos (2019-10-18). US-Greece-US: Lines Being Drawn by the U.S. in the Eastern Mediterranean, against Turkey and Russia? globalresearch.ca Greek-U.S. relations have entered "a new era" with U.S. Secretary of State stating earlier this month that he has "come to Greece to expand the partnership that's already at the best level it has ever been." He followed up this …

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2019-10-18). It's Curtains for US in Syria. Russia, Iran Owe Big Thanks to Erdogan. globalresearch.ca The scenario agreed on behind the curtains through months of confidential exchanges, often one-on-one, between the Russian and Turkish leaders regarding north-eastern Syria is entering a critical phase of implementation on the ground with the agreement between the Kurds and …

Federico Pieraccini (2019-10-18). The Russian Masterpiece in Syria: Everyone Wins. globalresearch.ca "Moscow and Damascus have always maintained they are against any form of partition or illegal foreign presence in Syria." | Moscow has managed to maintain contacts with all parties in the conflict, even in spite of its stance against partition and …

Elijah J. Magnier (2019-10-18). Winners and Losers in the Turkish Attack on Syria. Russia is the Most Successful Player. globalresearch.ca The United States of America emerged victorious from the Second World War, and came out stronger than any other country in the world. The allies- notably the Soviet Union- won the war but emerged much weaker. They needed to reconstruct …

United Nations (2019-10-18). Amid ongoing fighting in northeast Syria, hundreds cross Iraqi border in search of safety. un.org Shelling and clashes in northern Syria on the border with Turkey continue to cause hundreds of people to flee, the UN said on Friday, despite a cessation of hostilities deal between Turkish forces and Syrian-backed Kurdish military.

Brian Terrell (2019-10-18). The United States Air Force at Incirlik, Our National "Black Eye" commondreams.org U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle sits after shortly landing Nov. 12, 2015, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. (Photo: U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Cory W. Bush) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/22878048600_c10ab24117_c.jpg

Ryan Cristián (2019-10-18). Kurds Say Turkey Used Chem Weapons & US Announces Syria Ceasefire That Turkey Says Isn't A Ceasefire. 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 (10/17/19). 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 …

Nermeen Shaikh (2019-10-18). "Meltdown": Trump defends Syria withdrawal as house votes 354 to 60 to condemn his actions. nationofchange.org As the displacement of 300,000 civilians over Turkey's assault on Kurdish-controlled areas continues in northern Syria, the House of Representatives voted Wednesday to condemn President Trump's actions. Turkey invaded the region on October 9, shortly after Trump virtually greenlit the Turkey assault by abruptly withdrawing a small number of U.S. troops who were protecting Kurdish …

Arabi Souri (2019-10-18). Syrian Army Entered Ayn al-Arab at the Borders with Turkey. globalresearch.ca The Syrian Arab Army is deploying at Ayn Al-Arab, the tip of the Syrian northern borders with Turkey, its vanguards arriving in Raqqa, the city which US forces obliterated quite deliberately and claimed it had been liberated it from its …

Staff (2019-10-18). Is Trump More Concerned With Erdoƒüan Relationship Than With Kurdish Lives? truthout.org After meeting with Vice President Mike Pence in Ankara on Thursday, Turkish officials agreed to temporarily pause Turkey's invasion of the Rojava autonomous region in northeast Syria in exchange for the lifting of U.S. sanctions. While the agreement may prevent further bloodshed and blunt a growing humanitarian crisis, it represents a victory for Turkey's authoritarian president and a setback for Syrian Kurdish militias that allied with the United States in the fight against ISIS. | The Syrian D…

Udi Ofer (2019-10-18). Unveiling a State-by-State Plan to End our Mass Incarceration Crisis. aclu.org The United States locks up more of its people than | any other nation in the world. A whopping 2.2 million people are living behind | bars in this country on any given day. Our national incarceration rate is four | times that of Australia, five times that of the United Kingdom, and six times that | of Canada. | This uniquely American problem is not one crisis | — rather, mass incarceration is a series of state-based catastrophes, each one | different from the next. While much attention was paid | to the federal reforms passed last year through the First Step Act, of | the 2.2 million people locked up on…

Hannah Gurman, Kaeten Mistry (2019-10-18). The Ukraine Whistleblowers and the Rise of Partisan Whistleblowing. commondreams.org The national security state and politicians should not be the sole gatekeepers of what information circulates in the public sphere. (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/whistle.jpeg

Aaron Maté (2019-10-18). Ukrainegate Risks Handing Trump Another Gift. thenation.com Ukrainegate Risks Handing Trump Another Gift…

Staff (2019-10-18). Anti-Semitic and Anti-Muslim Murders Are Latest in String of Fascist Attacks. truthout.org Last week's attack on a synagogue and kebab shop was only a blip in the news in the United States. On the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, a fascist tried to storm a synagogue in Halle, Germany. Failing to get through the synagogue's security door, he murdered a bystander on the street and then another in a nearby kebab shop. | For many people, this is yet another racist and anti-Semitic attack among innumerable others. But looking at the details, it is the latest in a sequence of six attacks in…

T.J. Coles (2019-10-18). Boris Johnson's Brexit "Betrayal": Elect a Clown, Expect a Pie in Your Face. counterpunch.org "We have a deal!", said the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, on 17th October, following intense negotiations with the UK. Juncker was referring to a new draft treaty on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union (EU). But early reports suggest that British Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson has merely rehashed former PM Theresa May's disastrous More

The Canary (2019-10-18). Judge rejects legal challenge calling for Brexit deal to be ruled unlawful. thecanary.co A legal bid arguing Boris Johnson's Brexit deal was unlawful has been rejected by a judge.It had been claimed that the Brexit agreement Prime Minister Boris Johnson negotiated with the EU was unlawful and should not be considered by parliament.The legal challenge, heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, suggested that that the proposed deal breaches UK law by leaving Northern Ireland in a separate customs arrangement to the rest of the country.But government lawyers defended the deal and claimed the legal action is a "direct and manifest interference with parliament".On Friday evening, Lord Pentland rejected…

The Canary (2019-10-18). PM's Brexit deal unlawful and should not be put to vote, court told. thecanary.co The Brexit agreement Boris Johnson has claimed is a "great new deal" is unlawful and should not be considered by parliament, a court has heard.A legal challenge argues the proposed deal negotiated with the EU breaches UK law by leaving Northern Ireland in a separate customs arrangement to the rest of the country.But Government lawyers defended the deal and claimed the legal action is a "direct and manifest interference with Parliament".The petition is being heard in the Court of Session in Edinburgh — Scotland's highest civil court — which previously ruled Johnson's prorogation of Parliament was unlawfu…

Staff (2019-10-18). Headlines for October 18, 2019. democracynow.org Under U.S. Deal, Turkish Occupation of Northern Syria Continues; Ethnic Cleansing Feared, "We Do That All the Time": Mulvaney Admits to Quid Pro Quo over Ukraine, Ambassador Sondland Confirms Giuliani Pushed Ukraine Policy, Energy Secretary Rick Perry to Resign, U.S. to Host G7 at Trump Resort in Possible Violation of Constitution, Civilian Casualties Reach New High in Afghanistan, Corbyn Urges Labour Party Members to Reject New Brexit Deal, Chicago Teacher Strike Enters Second Day, NYC City Council Backs Plan to Close Rikers as Activists Call for No New Jails, Cuban Asylum Seeker Dies in Solitary Confinement in…

The Canary (2019-10-18). Scotland 'shafted' by UK Government in Brexit deal — Ian Blackford. thecanary.co The UK government is "shafting" Scotland after agreeing a Brexit deal with the European Union, according to the SNP's Ian Blackford. | Speaking on the BBC's Victoria Live programme, the party's Westminster leader said the deal announced on Thursday by Boris Johnson would give the north of Ireland a competitive advantage over Scotland. | The MP said although he welcomes an agreement which would effectively allow the north of Ireland to stay in the customs union and the single market, he added that calls for Scotland to have a similar arrangement had been ignored. | Westminster will sit on Saturday to vote on the d…

susan_p (2019-10-18). Danish Red-Green Alliance congress: Organising for climate and social justice. greenleft.org.au Dick NicholsIssue 1241 DenmarkOctober 18, 2019Denmark's Red-Green Alliance (RGA) held its 30th congress in Copenhagen on October 5-6, in a political context that contrasted strongly with that of its previous congress. | Eighteen months ago the party's 300-plus congress delegates were preparing for a general election they hoped would lift the RGA into the role of main challenger to the Social Democrats for he…

Eoin Higgins, staff writer (2019-10-18). Jill Stein Challenges Hillary Clinton to Debate After 'Russian Asset' Smear. commondreams.org "It's past time to give the American people the real debate they deserved in 2016." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/hillary_conspiracy_theory.jpg

Gregory Shupak (2019-10-18). Media Alarmed by Imaginary US Pullout From Syria. fair.org President Donald Trump's modification of the US's Syria policy has generated a torrent of confusion, so it's worth reviewing the record. | White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham announced on October 6: Turkey will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into Northern Syria . The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial "Caliphate," will no longer be in the immediate area. | The statement is notable both b…

Ed Sykes (2019-10-18). Ocasio-Cortez nails why Trump's latest pact is so utterly disturbing. thecanary.co On 17 October, the US announced a highly controversial deal with Turkey that would supposedly see Turkish-led invaders suspend their attacks on northern Syria (aka Rojava). The condition was essentially that the largely-Kurdish communities of Rojava would have to stop resisting and leave their homes behind. Turkey would then move other people into the area to replace them (as it previousl…