2019-12-13: News Headlines

Joan Roelofs (2019-12-13). The Science of Lethality. counterpunch.org While the Pentagon's preeminent mission is to increase lethality of the forces, DARPA notes that its cyborg technology is also used to "augment the loss of functionality from injury or disease," such as implants controlling the use of prosthetics. Nevertheless, it sees a great need for social research to dispel resistance to cyborgs or robots (synthetic autonomous agents) on ethical grounds. More

Joshua Cho (2019-12-13). For Corporate Media, Voters Are Obstacle to Buttigieg's Centrist Rise. commondreams.org Such outlets, after all, don't care as much about winning elections as they do about blocking the threat of a progressive political movement. (Photo: FAIR) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Staff (2019-12-12). The NFL Groomed Us for President Trump. truthdig.com Because everything is so Trumpian these days, there's less air or space for the only other mass entertainment that promotes tribalism and toxic masculinity while keeping violence in vogue: football. | In the age of The Donald, it's hard to remember that football was once the nation's greatest television reality show. Because real people actually got really hurt in real time, you could be sure it wasn't fake news. Now, football is just another runner-up to President Trump, whose policies actually get people killed. | And yet football is still here, in plain sight, waiting to resume its cultural dominance once Trum…

RT (2019-12-12). 'Chill Greta, Chill!' Trump blasts Thunberg on Twitter after she's named TIME Person of the Year. rt.com US President Donald Trump suggested that famed 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg has anger issues and advised her to chill out after TIME magazine named her Person of the Year. | "So ridiculous," Trump tweeted on Thursday while commenting on a tweet by actress and producer Roma Downey, in which she congratulated Thunberg on topping the TIME list of most influential people for 2019. | "Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!" | So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashion…

Slava Zilber (2019-12-11). Lecturer slams the 'absolute rotten failure to the core of our media system' in its reporting on Corbyn. thecanary.co Smears about Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn have once again dominated mainstream media coverage this election. But as Jewish media activist and researcher Justin Schlosberg told The Canary recently, the evidence simply isn't on the side of Corbyn's detractors. And for him…

James Wright (2019-12-11). Hiding in a fridge wasn't the only crucial interview Boris Johnson dodged today. thecanary.co Boris Johnson took over the news agenda on 11 December but perhaps not in the way he'd like. After Good Morning Britain reporters tried to ensure Johnson followed through on his promise of an interview, the sitting prime minister hid in a fridge. | Can't even defend his record to the corporate media: | But the ITV broadcast wasn't the only critical interview Johnson dodged the day before the election. The Conservative prime ministerial candidate skipped scrutiny again and refused to appear on BBC Radio 2: | Boris Johnson has refused to follow the other six leaders who have taken part in the leader intervi…

Peter Bolton (2019-12-11). As in the US, British voters face a stark choice between a gentleman and a rogue. thecanary.co As the UK goes to the polls on December 12, the two men leading the country's major political parties could not be more different. One is a perfect gentleman; the other a perfect rogue. But something is seriously amiss. If this is the case, then how come the rogue is leading the polls and the gentleman is the undoubted underdog? The answer lies in the power structures of the mainstream media. | A stark contrast: | That the current prime minister's career — both before and after he entered politics — has been a chequered one i…

RT (2019-12-11). 'It's either sanctions or impeachment': Lavrov in trolling mode when asked about timing of his visit to US. rt.com Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied there was anything odd about the 'timing' of his trip to Washington on a day that impeachment articles against Donald Trump were announced and the Senate debated new Russia sanctions. | Asked about the "timing" by a suspicious reporter following his Oval Office meeting with Trump on Tuesday, Lavrov joked that it was almost impossible to arrive in Washington at a non-controversial time, since something dramatic is always happening. | "It seems to me that, regardless of the day you choose to visit Washington, it will surely coincide with either sanctions or impeachme…

RT (2019-12-10). 'What's next, accuse Russian diplomats of doping?' Lavrov mocks absurd media storm over his 'secret' meeting with Trump. rt.com Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took a moment to poke fun at US media and members of Congress obsessing about his 'secret' meeting with US President Donald Trump, while throwing shade on WADA for the Russian sports ban. | On a whirlwind trip to Washington, DC on Tuesday, Lavrov met with his US counterpart Mike Pompeo as well as Trump, behind closed doors at the White House. Congressman Adam Schiff (D-California), House Democrats' point man for Trump impeachment, called it a "success of Russian propaganda." | Just had a very good meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and representatives of Russia.

Janine Jackson (2019-12-09). 'This Is Not a Troll. This Is Real Life.' – CounterSpin interview with Michael Edison Hayden about Stephen Miller. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed SPLC's Michael Edison Hayden about Stephen Miller for the November 22, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…

Rick Sterling (2019-12-09). For Sama: A Beautiful Yet Deceptive Documentary That Betrays Reality in Syria. mintpressnews.com The documentary movie "For Sama" has won a host of awards in Europe and North America. Its producers and protagonists, Syrians Waad Kateab and her husband Dr. Hamza Kateab plus English film-maker Edward Watts, have received gushing praise. And the awards will probably keep coming. | Unfortunately, behind the human interest story, the film "For Sama" is little more than propaganda: biased, misleading, and politically partisan. | Hiding Basic Facts about Aleppo: | "For Sama" is a full-length documentary with a moving personal story. It combines…

Ben Norton (2019-12-08). Russiagate media smears against Corbyn brought to you by US and UK military-intelligence apparatus. thegrayzone.com Days before Britain's historic election, the UK's military-intelligence apparatus is turning to the corporate media and US government-funded NATO cut-outs…

Alan MacLeod (2019-12-06). With People in the Streets Worldwide, Media Focus Uniquely on Hong Kong. fair.org Unlike protests against US client states, the Hong Kong demonstrations were frequently given the approving "pro-democracy" label (CNN, 8/30/19). | 2019 may be remembered as the year of the protest, as demonstrations are engulfing the world. From the Yellow Vests in France to demonstrations in Lebanon, Gaza, Chile, Ecuador and Haiti, sustained movements all over the planet have taken to the street demanding change. Yet US corporate media have been disproportionately interested in only one: the Hong Kong protests.

Wyatt Reed (2019-12-05). How middle class Bolivia learned to stop worrying and love the coup. thegrayzone.com In and around La Paz, middle class Bolivians have fallen under the spell of the junta's propaganda campaign against Evo…

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-05). CNN Says US Has "Fresh Intelligence" Of Iran Prepping Attack But Can't Show It & More NYT Propaganda. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/4/19). 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 …

Activist Post (2019-11-12). Pompeo's Iran Nuclear Lies Exposed Using Clear Evidence & The JCPOA Document Itself. thelastamericanvagabond.com Mike Pompeo continues to lead the propaganda push to get the public panicking about an Iran "nuclear breakout" even when all evidence shows that Iran is nowhere near capable of being a nuclear threat. Of course many other countries have far more robust nuclear programs, but because it's Iran we have to come together as …

Activist Post (2019-11-10). Revealed: Breathalyzer Test Is "Fake Science" — What's NOT Fake Today? thelastamericanvagabond.com So much of what we are confronted with in the mainstream media and from government sources is fake. So much so, that the question should be: what is NOT fake? Apparently, the science behind the much-touted breathalyzer used by police to nab drunk drivers ALSO can be added to the list of fakery. Given how …