Juan Cole(2019-05-05). The Only Way Democrats Can Beat Trump in 2020.truthdig.comThis piece originally appeared on Informed Comment. | A new CNN/SSRS poll of about 1,000 people shows that among a random sample of registered voters, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden each crush Trump by 6 to 7 points, even at this very early point in the campaign. Kamala Harris also wins, but by a smaller margin. This poll shows enormous enthusiasm for Beto O'Rourke, which, however, I suspect is a fluke of some sort. | It isn't enough, as our cable news s…

Staff(2019-05-04). Democrats Are Abandoning Senate Races to Run for President.truthout.orgIt seems like Democrats really love having Mitch McConnell as Senate Majority Leader. Although the Senate battleground is certain to be better for Democrats in 2020 than it was in 2018 — a year when the Democratic vote reached an all-time high in a midterm election, coming within almost a million votes of the 2016 presidential election turnout — several top Democratic recruits announced this week that they won't run for competitive Senate seats. | Republicans currently hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate. There will be at least 34 seats up for election in 2020, and 22 of those are currently held by Rep…

United Nations(2019-05-04). 'Grave consequences' await if new deadly escalation of violence in Gaza continues – top UN official.un.orgThe United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, is "deeply concerned by yet another dangerous escalation in Gaza and the tragic loss of life". According to news reports, approximately 200 rockets were fired on Saturday from the Occupied Palestinian Territory towards Israel, and various Israeli airstrikes and tank fire were carried out in retaliation.

Johnny E. Willliams(2019-05-04). Whiteness Explainer for Dummies.dissidentvoice.orgExamining whiteness is of utmost importance if Americans truly wish to live in a just and peaceful society. To realize this possibility, self-identified 'whites' — and their collaborators from among the racially oppressed — must reckon with their attachment to whiteness. Whiteness was the central concern of sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois in his …

Jon Schwarz(2019-05-04). How to Dismantle the Absurd Profitability of Nuclear Weapons.theintercept.comThe Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists currently has its Doomsday Clock set to two minutes to midnight — the closest we've been to self-obliteration in nuclear history. | But nuclear weapons are more than just a terrifying threat to every living thing on earth. For decades, they've been a terrific way to make money. | A new report from PAX, a Dutch peace organization, both illuminates how profitable it can be for multinational corp…

Anna Massoglia and Kaitlin Washburn(2019-05-04). Obama-tied operatives and Biden supporters launch $60 million 'dark money' group.nationofchange.orgA new "dark money" group is labeling itself the strategy center for Democrats in 2020. | The recently-launched Future Majority will spend up to $60 million to target voters in swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio in the 2020 election, helping Democrats craft messaging that they are fighting for working people while countering conservative talking points, according to Politico. | The 501(c)(4) nonprofit, run by Democratic strategist Mark Riddle, is not required to disclose its donors. The g…

Fight Back(2019-05-03). Wisconsin's May Day celebration demands drivers licenses for undocumented.fightbacknews.orgMadison WI – Thousands gathered on, May 1 in celebration of May Day in Wisconsin's capital. Voces de la Frontera hosted the event and were able to bring in more than 17 different cities to attend. | The march and rally were not only in celebration of May Day, but also to put pressure on Wisconsin Republicans to pass legislation that would allow undocumented people to reinstate their driving licenses. | Hector Hernandez said, "We drove almost three hours this morning to demand drivers licenses. We cannot continue to be harassed by police when all we are trying to do is take our children to school." Currently, Gov…

Derek Royden(2019-05-03). Joe Biden's troubling record.nationofchange.orgOn the basis of this record, the former VP hardly seems like the best person to heal the divisions so fiercely stoked by Donald Trump, the Republican Party and well funded right-wing media over the last few years.

Democracy Now!(2019-05-03). Headlines for May 3, 2019.democracynow.orgPelosi Accuses Barr of Lying to Congress over Mueller Report, Rep. Nadler Threatens to Hold Barr in Contempt, Over a Million Evacuate as Cyclone Slams Northeastern India, Venezuela Court Orders Arrest of Opposition Leader Leopoldo López, Two Activists Arrested Outside Venezuelan Embassy in D.C., EU Threatens to Sue U.S. over New Restrictions on Cuba, Senate Fails to Overturn Trump Veto on Yemen War, Assange to Fight Extradition to the United States, Pentagon Accused of Killing 10x as Many Civilians Overseas as Acknowledged in New Report, Report: U.S. Military Spending Is Higher Than Next Eight Countries Combined,…

Ron Jacobs(2019-05-03). Making (and Raising) Babies in the USA.counterpunch.org In recent months, statements by two very different politicians regarding the act of bearing and raising children have caused a fair amount of controversy. The first comment was from Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who remarked that many people in her generation were hesitant to bring children into a world facing possible climate catastrophe. Her comment was More

Adam Lee(2019-05-03). Climate Change legislation passes the US House.naacp.orgH.R. 9, which was authored by Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL), who is also the Chairwoman of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, would prohibit the U.S. from withdrawing from the accord and also would require the administration to develop a plan for the U.S. to meet its voluntary commitments under the Paris Agreement. …

Jake Johnson(2019-05-03). Pointing to Disastrous History, Sanders Warns Against Military Action in Venezuela.theantimedia.com(CD) — Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday condemned the Trump administration's threats to take military action in support of right-wing coup plotters in Venezuela. The Vermont senator joined the chorus of progressive members of Congress and advocacy groups warning that U.S. intervention would only worsen political turmoil in Venezuela—and could potentially spark an all-out civil war. "The Trump administration …

susan_p(2019-05-03). Kanaky: Independence forces set their sights on 2020 referendum.greenleft.org.au The struggle for self determination in New Caledonia (Kanaky) was boosted last November, when more than 43% of the population voted to support independence from France in a referendum. A second independence referendum will be held next year. | The FLNKS (The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front), a pro-independence alliance of political parties met in March to plan for the general elections in May and to prepare for the 2020 referendum. Green Left Weekly's Susan Price spoke with FLNKS representative in Australia, Charles Wea about the congress and the referendum campaign. | *** | What is the signific…

susan_p(2019-05-03). Spanish elections: Important battle won against the right.greenleft.org.au The question on everyone's lips in the last week of the Spanish election campaign was just how strongly the filthy brown tide of reaction would run — encapsulated in the vote for the racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, anti-feminist, pro-gun and, above all, anti-Catalan outfit Vox. | The average of legal polling, allowed by the Central Electoral Board until one week before the vote, had Vox at 11.2%, yielding around 30-35 seats in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies. | However, illegal and internal party polls in the last week of the campaign — or deliberately scary leaks about them — were assigning…

Jason Ditz(2019-05-03). Senate Fails to Override Trump's Veto on Yemen War Resolution.theantimedia.com(ANTIWAR.COM) — Calls to reassert Congressional authority over US war-making failed to muster enough votes to override President Trump's veto of the Yemen War Powers resolution, which demanded Trump withdraw US involvement from the unauthorized war. The vote was 53-45, short of the two-thirds majority needed to override. Opposition to the war was driven by the war crimes …

Tyler Durden(2019-05-03). Barr Launches Wide-Ranging Probe Into 2016 FBI Spying on Trump.theantimedia.com(ZH) — Attorney General William Barr told the Senate Judiciary Panel this week that he has assembled a team at the Justice Department to probe whether the spying conducted by the FBI against the Trump campaign in 2016 was improper, reports Bloomberg. Barr suggested that he would focus on former senior leaders at the FBI and Justice …

Consortiumnews(2019-05-03). Orwellian Cloud Hovers Over Russia-gate.consortiumnews.comRay McGovern calls out the void of evidence at the heart of the Senate hearing with Attorney General Barr on Wednesday. By Ray McGovern Special to Consortium News George Orwell would have been in stitches Wednesday watching Attorney General William… Read more →

John Feffer(2019-05-03). The Ends of Arms Control.counterpunch.orgMy first trip to Washington, DC to do something other than protest on the streets was to interview for a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship, which brings young people to the nation's capital to work on arms control and disarmament. It was 1987, around the time that Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range More

People's World(2019-05-03). Jewish and Arab Israelis stand together for peace.peoplesworld.org Alon-Lee Green, is co-founder and national director of Standing Together, a grassroots movement uniting Jewish and Arab citizens in Israel. Standing Together is "guided by the principles of peace, equality, and social justice" and recognizes "the interconnections of the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories, the growing social and economic disparities within Israeli society, and the …

Democracy Now!(2019-05-03). Mass. Judge Refuses to Halt Pro-Palestinian Event at UMass Featuring Roger Waters & Linda Sarsour.democracynow.org "Not Backing Down: Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights." That's the title of an event set to take place Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After three anonymous UMass students filed a lawsuit to stop the event, a judge ruled Thursday the event can proceed, saying, "There's nothing that comes even close to a threat of harm or incitement to violence or lawlessness." We get an update from Sut Jhally, event organizer and professor of communication at the University of Massachusetts, and Rachel Weber, attorney and member Jewish Voice for Peace, Western Massachusetts chapt…

Jeffrey St. Clair(2019-05-03). Roaming Charges: Biden in Plain Sight.counterpunch.org Joe Biden will never again be more popular than he was the day before he entered the presidential race. Still his residual appeal, a misbegotten nostalgia for the Obama years, vaulted Biden 20 points ahead of his nearest Democratic Party rivals in a Quinnipiac poll taken a few days after Biden's announcement (in a creepy video) and his first campaign gigs, where, despite decades of service in the legislative ranks of Wall Street, he cunningly wrapped himself in the union label. More

Ted Rall(2019-05-03). The Secret Campaign for 2020: Where the Democratic Candidates Stand on Foreign Policy.counterpunch.orgAmericans vote their pocketbooks. It's the economy, stupid. Absent a war or recent terrorist attack, conventional wisdom believes that voters prioritize domestic issues. Right now, conventional wisdom is correct. According to the latest Pew Research poll, the five most important issues for Democrats are healthcare, education, Medicare, poverty and the environment. So it's not surprising that the major Democratic More

'Still too much': Clintons' speaking tour prices slashed, available for less than $14rt.com | 2019-05-05
Demand for tickets to Bill and Hillary Clinton's speaking tour has been so sluggish that organizers have had to slash prices to get bums on seats. It's almost as if they're a spent political force that no one wants to listen to. | …rt.com/usa/458419-clinton-speaking-tour-…

The DCCC's Anti-Progressive Policy Might Be Backfiring
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-05-05
In March, the DCCC announced its policy against progressive challengers of incumbent Dems. But the policy has been met with widespread scorn, and may be starting to backfire. Ryan Grim, Eugene Puryear, and Jacqueline Luqman discuss the situation…therealnews.com/stories/the-dcccs-anti-p…

AOC Refuses To Condemn Venezuela Couptelesurenglish.net | 2019-05-05
U.S. Representative for New York's 14th congressional district, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, has said she will follow the Democratic Party's leadership in regards to Venezuela, and refused to back President Maduro as the legitimate President of the Bolivarian Republic. | RELATED: | Trump's Neocon Administration Want War in Venezuela: Gabbard | Ocasio Cortez, sometimes referred to as AOC, was asked in an interview with the National Review if she sees President Maduro as legitimate, fo…telesurenglish.net/news/AOC-Refuses-To-C…

Syrian, Iraqi Forces Conduct Joint Border Op Against ISIStelesurenglish.net | 2019-05-05
The Syrian government forces and Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces have banned together to conduct a joint military operation along their shared border, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported on Friday. | RELATED: | US Wants To Carve Up Venezuela Like Syria and Libya: Russia | The operation began on Friday morning and targeted the areas used by the Islamic State to infiltrate between the two neighboring Middle Eastern nations. | On Saturday, the Popular Mobilization Forces announ…telesurenglish.net/news/Syrian-Iraqi-For…

Pelosi fears Trump may borrow page from Democratic playbook by challenging 2020 election legitimacyrt.com | 2019-05-05
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned her fellow Democrats that Donald Trump may question the legitimacy of the 2020 election if he loses by a slim margin — a cowardly political tactic not seen since the Democrats lost in 2016. | …rt.com/usa/458415-nancy-pelosi-trump-dem…

The Only Way Democrats Can Beat Trump in 2020
Juan Cole | truthdig.com | 2019-05-05
This piece originally appeared on Informed Comment. | A new CNN/SSRS poll of about 1,000 people shows that among a random sample of registered voters, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden each crush Trump by 6 to 7 points, even at this very early point in the campaign. Kamala Harris also wins, but by a smaller margin. This poll shows enormous enthusiasm for Beto O'Rourke, which, however, I suspect is a fluke of some sort. | It isn't enough, as our cable news s…truthdig.com/articles/the-only-way-democ…

House passes Climate Action Now bill in first major climate change legislation in a decade
Ashley Curtin | nationofchange.org | 2019-05-04
Three Republicans voted with House Democrats to approve the Climate Action Now bill — the first major climate change legislation in a decade.nationofchange.org/2019/05/04/house-pass…

Democrats Are Abandoning Senate Races to Run for President
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-05-04
It seems like Democrats really love having Mitch McConnell as Senate Majority Leader. Although the Senate battleground is certain to be better for Democrats in 2020 than it was in 2018 — a year when the Democratic vote reached an all-time high in a midterm election, coming within almost a million votes of the 2016 presidential election turnout — several top Democratic recruits announced this week that they won't run for competitive Senate seats. | Republicans currently hold a 53-47 edge in the Senate. There will be at least 34 seats up for election in 2020, and 22 of those are currently held by Rep…truthout.org/articles/democrats-are-aban…

Facebook bans Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulos for breaking its rules
Bryan Wall | thecanary.co | 2019-05-04
Facebook has banned a number of far-right activists and commentators from its platforms for breaking its rules. Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulos were two of those whose accounts were banned by the company. Jones has previously claimed the US government faked the Sandy Hook school shooting and that Hillary C…
thecanary.co/us/us-news-us/2019/05/04/facebook-bans-alex-jones-and-milo-yiannopoulos-for-breaking-its-rules/

Trump's Abortion Lies Are Going to Get Somebody Killed
Sonali Kolhatkar | commondreams.org | 2019-05-04
Demonstrators protest in front of the Thompson Center to voice their support for Planned Parenthood and reproductive rights on February 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. On February 11, rallies are scheduled to be held outside of Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide to call on Congress and President Trump to pull federal funding from Planned Parenthood. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……commondreams.org/views/2019/05/04/trumps…

South Africa: Ramaphosa Heading for Another Electoral Victorytelesurenglish.net | 2019-05-04
A few days before the next May 8 presidential elections, the polls award 59 percent of the votes to Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa's current president and the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party candidate. The Democratic Alliance (DA), a party traditionally associated with conservative white voters is expected to receive about 20 percent of the votes. | RELATED:…telesurenglish.net/news/South-Africa-Ram…

How to Dismantle the Absurd Profitability of Nuclear Weapons
Jon Schwarz | theintercept.com | 2019-05-04
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists currently has its Doomsday Clock set to two minutes to midnight — the closest we've been to self-obliteration in nuclear history. | But nuclear weapons are more than just a terrifying threat to every living thing on earth. For decades, they've been a terrific way to make money. | A new report from PAX, a Dutch peace organization, both illuminates how profitable it can be for multinational corp…theintercept.com/2019/05/04/nuclear-weap…

'Anything is possible': Trump talks North Korea peace after phone call with Putinrt.com | 2019-05-04
President Trump took to Twitter to declare his support for peace on the Korean Peninsula, after discussing the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. North Korea, meanwhile, test-fired short-range missiles. | …rt.com/usa/458382-trump-north-korea-puti…

Whiteness Explainer for Dummies
Johnny E. Willliams | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-05-04
Examining whiteness is of utmost importance if Americans truly wish to live in a just and peaceful society. To realize this possibility, self-identified 'whites' — and their collaborators from among the racially oppressed — must reckon with their attachment to whiteness. Whiteness was the central concern of sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois in his …dissidentvoice.org/2019/05/whiteness-exp…

Nobody has to love Putin, but nuclear peace impossible without communication — Chris Hedgesrt.com | 2019-05-04
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin talked nuclear arms control in a phone call Friday. But what can be achieved when the US shreds treaties and Washington stays hostile to any communication with Russia? | …rt.com/usa/458393-america-russia-nuclear…

US: Felony Charges Against Activist Protesting Arms Dealerstelesurenglish.net | 2019-05-04
A man in the United States is facing felony charges for spray painting 'Yemen' on the Palo Alto offices of arms manufacturers Lockheed Martin. The act was in protest of the U.S.-backed Saudi war in Yemen, which Lockheed Martin has profited from, through arms sales. | RELATED: | Yemen: Saudi Coalition Airstrike Hits School, Kills Children | Bryce Druzin has been branded a 'hero' by peace activists after spraying 'Yemen' in blood red spray paint, on the offices of weapons giant Lock…telesurenglish.net/news/US-Felony-Charge…

Sure. Let's Invade Venezuela. Another Jolly Little War
Eric Margolis | commondreams.org | 2019-05-04
White House National Security Advisor John Bolton talks to reporters outside of the White House West Wing April 30, 2019 in Washington, DC. Bolton answered questions about the security and political turmoil in Venezuela and called for a peaceful transition to a government controlled by acting President Juan Guaido. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……commondreams.org/views/2019/05/04/sure-l…

A War Reporter Covers "The End of Ice" — And It Will Change the Way You Think About Climate Catastrophe
Elise Swain | theintercept.com | 2019-05-04
"It's possible to reach a place of acceptance and inner peace, while enduring the grief and suffering that are inevitable as the biosphere declines."theintercept.com/2019/05/04/climate-chan…

'Grave consequences' await if new deadly escalation of violence in Gaza continues – top UN official
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-04
The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, is "deeply concerned by yet another dangerous escalation in Gaza and the tragic loss of life". According to news reports, approximately 200 rockets were fired on Saturday from the Occupied Palestinian Territory towards Israel, and various Israeli airstrikes and tank fire were carried out in retaliation.news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1…

Obama-tied operatives and Biden supporters launch $60 million 'dark money' group
Anna Massoglia and Kaitlin Washburn | nationofchange.org | 2019-05-04
A new "dark money" group is labeling itself the strategy center for Democrats in 2020. | The recently-launched Future Majority will spend up to $60 million to target voters in swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio in the 2020 election, helping Democrats craft messaging that they are fighting for working people while countering conservative talking points, according to Politico. | The 501(c)(4) nonprofit, run by Democratic strategist Mark Riddle, is not required to disclose its donors. The g…nationofchange.org/2019/05/04/obama-tied…

No One Knows Joe Biden's Healthcare Plans, Maybe Not Even Bidentelesurenglish.net | 2019-05-04
Joe Biden, one of the alleged top Democratic runners in the 2020 United States presidential elections, has yet to inform citizens on his intentions for healthcare and foreign policy. | RELATED: | End of Bromance? Even Obama Doesn't Think Biden Should Run for President | Benefiting from extremely high name recognition and an ability to enteratain an audience, the former U.S. vice president who served President Barack Obama for two terms said he lacked time to lay out his…telesurenglish.net/news/No-One-Knows-Joe…

The Media Is Already Bungling Its Trump Re-Election Coverage
Ryan Cooper | commondreams.org | 2019-05-04
Democratic presidential candidate and former vice president Joe Biden greets guests during a campaign event at The River Center on May 1, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. The event was Biden's final rally in the state, wrapping up his first visit since announcing that he was officially seeking the Democratic nomination for president. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……commondreams.org/views/2019/05/04/media-…

Ukraine's Post-Maidan "Democratic Deficit"
Michael Welch | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-04
Notice to our readers: This week's interview guest Eva Bartlett will be speaking in Edmonton on Saturday May 4th at 7: 30pm at the Ukrainian Centre at 11018 97 Street. | She will also speak in Vancouver on Sunday May 5th …globalresearch.ca/ukraines-post-maidan-d…

Back in Iowa, Sanders Says Big Ag's Stranglehold a Key Part of 'Major Crisis' Facing Rural America
Jon Queally, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-05-04
Back on the campaign trail in Iowa over the weekend, 2020 Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders is set to unveil a major policy vision that will include breaking up powerful agriculture conglomerates as a way to save small farmers and rural communities he says are facing a "major, major crisis." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files……commondreams.org/news/2019/05/04/back-io…

Trump vs. Congress and Our Constitution
Ralph Nader | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-03
Donald Trump is the most impeachable president in American history. Many Democrats, however, are running away from the word "impeachment" for tactical political reasons. Some Democrats say they have a sworn duty under the Constitution to present articles of impeachment for a vote in the House of Representatives, regardless of the refusal by the Republican…counterpunch.org/2019/05/03/trump-vs-con…

Joe Biden's troubling record
Derek Royden | nationofchange.org | 2019-05-03
On the basis of this record, the former VP hardly seems like the best person to heal the divisions so fiercely stoked by Donald Trump, the Republican Party and well funded right-wing media over the last few years.nationofchange.org/2019/05/03/joe-bidens…

Proposed new census question steps up Trump administration's racist attacks on immigrants
Satya Vatti | liberationnews.org | 2019-05-03
Given the track record of the U.S. government, with its racist history of deportations, incarceration and family separations under both the Democratic and Republican parties, the citizenship question on the census is sure to incite anxieties and fear among immigrants who are repeatedly scapegoated by politicians for mass unemployment and poverty that are in fact products of the capitalist economic system.liberationnews.org/proposed-new-census-q…

Wisconsin's May Day celebration demands drivers licenses for undocumented
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-05-03
Madison WI – Thousands gathered on, May 1 in celebration of May Day in Wisconsin's capital. Voces de la Frontera hosted the event and were able to bring in more than 17 different cities to attend. | The march and rally were not only in celebration of May Day, but also to put pressure on Wisconsin Republicans to pass legislation that would allow undocumented people to reinstate their driving licenses. | Hector Hernandez said, "We drove almost three hours this morning to demand drivers licenses. We cannot continue to be harassed by police when all we are trying to do is take our children to school." Currently, Gov…fightbacknews.org/2019/5/3/wisconsin-s-m…

Historic Anti-Nuke 'Golden Rule' Resumes Mission, Bound for Hiroshima, Nagasakiconsortiumnews.com | 2019-05-03
The refurbished peace boat set sail on May 1, with its first leg taking it to Hawaii, reports Colonel Ann Wright. 'Wave Maker' Found Derelict in 2011 By Ann Wright Special to Consortium News A refurbished peace boat that left… Read more ?…consortiumnews.com/2019/05/03/historic-a…

Senate Fails to Override Trump's Veto on Yemen War Resolution
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2019-05-03
(ANTIWAR.COM) — Calls to reassert Congressional authority over US war-making failed to muster enough votes to override President Trump's veto of the Yemen War Powers resolution, which demanded Trump withdraw US involvement from the unauthorized war. The vote was 53-45, short of the two-thirds majority needed to override. Opposition to the war was driven by the war crimes …

Spain's General Election 2019. Pedro Sanchez is the Winner
Iván Orosa Paleo | globalresearch.ca | 2019-05-03
On April 28, a general election, for the National Congress and the Senate, was held in Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called new elections. Sánchez is the leader of the social-liberal, pro-European Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSO), in …globalresearch.ca/spains-general-electio…

Kanaky: Independence forces set their sights on 2020 referendum
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-03
The struggle for self determination in New Caledonia (Kanaky) was boosted last November, when more than 43% of the population voted to support independence from France in a referendum. A second independence referendum will be held next year. | The FLNKS (The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front), a pro-independence alliance of political parties met in March to plan for the general elections in May and to prepare for the 2020 referendum. Green Left Weekly's Susan Price spoke with FLNKS representative in Australia, Charles Wea about the congress and the referendum campaign. | *** | What is the signific…greenleft.org.au/content/kanaky-independence-forces-set-their-sights-2020-referendum

Climate Change legislation passes the US House
Adam Lee | naacp.org | 2019-05-03
H.R. 9, which was authored by Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL), who is also the Chairwoman of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, would prohibit the U.S. from withdrawing from the accord and also would require the administration to develop a plan for the U.S. to meet its voluntary commitments under the Paris Agreement. …naacp.org/latest/climate-change-legislat…

Making (and Raising) Babies in the USA
Ron Jacobs | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-03
In recent months, statements by two very different politicians regarding the act of bearing and raising children have caused a fair amount of controversy. The first comment was from Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who remarked that many people in her generation were hesitant to bring children into a world facing possible climate catastrophe. Her comment was…counterpunch.org/2019/05/03/making-and-r…

Spanish elections: Important battle won against the right
susan_p | greenleft.org.au | 2019-05-03
The question on everyone's lips in the last week of the Spanish election campaign was just how strongly the filthy brown tide of reaction would run — encapsulated in the vote for the racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, anti-feminist, pro-gun and, above all, anti-Catalan outfit Vox. | The average of legal polling, allowed by the Central Electoral Board until one week before the vote, had Vox at 11.2%, yielding around 30-35 seats in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies. | However, illegal and internal party polls in the last week of the campaign — or deliberately scary leaks about them — were assigning…greenleft.org.au/content/spanish-elections-important-battle-won-against-right

Pointing to Disastrous History, Sanders Warns Against Military Action in Venezuela
Jake Johnson | theantimedia.com | 2019-05-03
(CD) — Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday condemned the Trump administration's threats to take military action in support of right-wing coup plotters in Venezuela. The Vermont senator joined the chorus of progressive members of Congress and advocacy groups warning that U.S. intervention would only worsen political turmoil in Venezuela–and could potentially spark an all-out civil war. "The Trump administration …

What Past Civil Wars Tell Us About the Future of Syria
Robert Fisk | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-03
When Syrian government soldiers first recaptured the small village of Deir Hafar from Isis in 2017, they found the black-painted but hurriedly abandoned Islamic "court" strewn with piles of documents. These hundreds of pages contained terrible proof of how the Syrian civilians there had behaved under at least three years of Isis occupation. I arrived in…counterpunch.org/2019/05/03/what-past-ci…

Barr Launches Wide-Ranging Probe Into 2016 FBI Spying on Trump
Tyler Durden | theantimedia.com | 2019-05-03
(ZH) — Attorney General William Barr told the Senate Judiciary Panel this week that he has assembled a team at the Justice Department to probe whether the spying conducted by the FBI against the Trump campaign in 2016 was improper, reports Bloomberg. Barr suggested that he would focus on former senior leaders at the FBI and Justice …

Orwellian Cloud Hovers Over Russia-gateconsortiumnews.com | 2019-05-03
Ray McGovern calls out the void of evidence at the heart of the Senate hearing with Attorney General Barr on Wednesday. By Ray McGovern Special to Consortium News George Orwell would have been in stitches Wednesday watching Attorney General William… Read more ?…consortiumnews.com/2019/05/03/orwellian-…

Engaging world's youth vital to preventing violent extremism, building sustainable peace, UN official tells Baku Forum
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-03
The spotlight for the second and final day of the 5th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku, Azerbaijan, shined brightly on youth, with a lively discussion on the vital role young people play in countering and preventing violent extremism.news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1…

Mass. Judge Refuses to Halt Pro-Palestinian Event at UMass Featuring Roger Waters & Linda Sarsour
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2019-05-03
"Not Backing Down: Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights." That's the title of an event set to take place Saturday at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After three anonymous UMass students filed a lawsuit to stop the event, a judge ruled Thursday the event can proceed, saying, "There's nothing that comes even close to a threat of harm or incitement to violence or lawlessness." We get an update from Sut Jhally, event organizer and professor of communication at the University of Massachusetts, and Rachel Weber, attorney and member Jewish Voice for Peace, Western Massachusetts chapt…www.democracynow.org/2019/5/3/mass_judge…

The Ends of Arms Control
John Feffer | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-03
My first trip to Washington, DC to do something other than protest on the streets was to interview for a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship, which brings young people to the nation's capital to work on arms control and disarmament. It was 1987, around the time that Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range…counterpunch.org/2019/05/03/the-ends-of-…

Jewish and Arab Israelis stand together for peace
People's World | peoplesworld.org | 2019-05-03
Alon-Lee Green, is co-founder and national director of Standing Together, a grassroots movement uniting Jewish and Arab citizens in Israel. Standing Together is "guided by the principles of peace, equality, and social justice" and recognizes "the interconnections of the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories, the growing social and economic disparities within Israeli society, and the …peoplesworld.org/article/jewish-and-arab…

Elections in Spain: Regime Maintenance Disguised as Democratic Vitality and the Possibility of Change
Thomas S. Harrington | counterpunch.org | 2019-05-03
In last Sunday's Spanish elections, Pedro Sánchez's Socialist Party (PSOE) considerably expanded its presence in the country's Parliament, while the Popular Party (PP), which for more than two decades has quite purposefully and successfully driven the country's arena of "thinkable thought" toward the hard right, had its poorest electoral showing in years. The other big…counterpunch.org/2019/05/03/elections-in…

Friday's Daily Brief: hunger in North Korea, human rights in Iran, updates on DR Congo and Benin
United Nations | un.org | 2019-05-03
This Friday, we cover: a worrying food crisis in the Democratic Republic of North Korea; attacks against civilians in DR Congo; outrage after the execution of child offenders in Iran; concerns over a super cereal distributed by the World Food Programme; and post-electoral violence in Benin.news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/05/1…