(2020-02-19). Russian cops bust banned radical Islamist group Tablighi Jamaat's 'training camp,' detain leaders & participants. rt.com 
Seven members of a hardline Islamic organization were arrested in Moscow on Wednesday, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB). They are charged with disseminating extremist propaganda and trying to recruit new supporters. | Tablighi Jamaat, which means the Outreach Society or the Society for Spreading Faith, is banned in Russia. Its philosophy is based around the idea that Muslims should revert to practicing their faith as it was done in the 7th century, when the Prophet Mohammed himself lived. It particularly focuses on styles of dress, personal behavior, and forms of ritual. | | Religious literatu…
(2020-02-19). 'If you are conservative, you have no chance': Games journalism insider outs 'clique' that runs industry like private domain. rt.com 
An influential figure from a leading gaming website says that a clique of like-minded media figures are colluding to prevent right-leaning journalists and developers from having a voice in the industry. | "If you were openly a conservative and tried to apply to any of the mainstream outlets that are on the coasts, I don't think you'd have a chance in hell of getting in," says the senior source, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions. | "There's a lot of us that probably think there's a clique, well, that know there's a clique," they say. | The "clique" is composed of journalists from well-kno…
(2020-02-19). McClatchy newspaper chain files for bankruptcy. wsws.org A planned takeover of McClatchy by Chatham Asset Management will mean that the vast majority of US newspapers will be controlled by Wall Street financial firms.
(2020-02-19). Russian Minister Accuses U.S. of Openly Plundering Syrian Oil. telesurenglish.net The United States openly controls and plunders the oil fields belonging to Syria and its people, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday. | RELATED: | "The Syrian oil fields, the territories where the precious substance is produced, are controlled by the United States. There is shameless plundering of the riches that belong to Syria and the Syrian people," denounced Russia's defense minister in Rome, Italy.
(2020-02-19). 'Corporate Media Are Not Observers of the Electoral Process; They Are Participants' – CounterSpin interview with Jim Naureckas on Democratic primaries. fair.org Janine Jackson interviewed FAIR's Jim Naureckas about the Democratic primaries for the February 14, 2020, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. Janine Jackson: From debates that encouraged sparring over substance, to evidence-free declarations about electability or momentum, to the insistence—bordering on gaslighting—of the fringiness of ideas that in fact enjoy broad …
(2020-02-19). China denounces US "lies" at the Munich Security Conference. wsws.org Beijing's blunt language is an attempt to counter Washington's relentless propaganda offensive and also to seek support from the European powers.
(2020-02-19). China central bank sees limited impact to economy from coronavirus. yenisafak.com China's central bank said on Wednesday the impact of the coronavirus on the economy will be limited as the epidemic has not changed the country's economic fundamentals.The People's Bank of China (PBOC) said it would help anti-virus efforts by extending credit, including by providing favourable loans or interest rates to companies involved in controlling the epidemic.In its fourth-quarter monetary policy implementation report, the bank added that it would also would keep the yuan currency stable and maintain its prudent monetary policy to ensure financial stability.
(2020-02-18). Sales for me, tariffs for thee? Trump says US 'OPEN FOR BUSINESS' & blasts China trade restrictions… as tariffs remain in place. rt.com 
President Donald Trump has unloaded on a series of measures that would restrict the sale of US goods to China, saying national security is no "excuse" for disrupting business. Meanwhile, Chinese imports remain penalized. | "The United States cannot, and will not, become such a difficult place to deal with in terms of foreign countries buying our product," Trump tweeted on Tuesday, "including for the always used National Security excuse." | The United States cannot, & will not, become such a difficult place to deal with in terms of foreign countries buying our product, including for the always used National Sec…
(2020-02-18). Factchecking NPR's Attempted Takedown of Bernie Sanders. fair.org 
by Robin Andersen | The Iowa caucuses officially began the Democratic primary, and even in this ongoing, extended battle for the White House, Iowa remains an important marker for candidates and the media. A close look at a piece by two of NPR's leading political reporters, which aired just before the caucuses, provides a view of how journalists speak with authority on issues they seem to know very little about. The conversation between Mary Louise Kelly and her partner Mara Liasson, headlined "Where Iowa Falls in the Big Picture of the 2020 Election" (All Thing…
(2020-02-18). The Slave Trade Used to Be Legal. Let's Not Glorify the Law. truthout.org Throughout the history of Black America, progress has often required breaking the law. For this reason, it's worth questioning why, in sanitized mainstream narratives (for example, those shared in schools and government functions during Black History Month), the story of Black struggle is often divorced from incendiary, illegal acts. Most Black people in the United States are descended from enslaved Africans, and being Black in this country has never been wholly separated from that history. In fact, it still ha…
(2020-02-18). Selected Articles: Trump's War Budget. globalresearch.ca 
A future without independent media leaves us with an upside down reality where according to the corporate media "NATO deserves a Nobel Peace Prize", and where "nuclear weapons and wars make us safer" | | | If, like us, this is a …
(2020-02-17). 8th wonder of the world? 'Leaning tower of Dallas' STILL standing tall day after botched demolition job (VIDEOS). rt.com 
A demolition company failed to completely implode a high-rise office block in Dallas, Texas, leaving the city with a new landmark to rival the famous tower in Pisa. | The 11-story tower block was set for demolition on Sunday morning. Charges were placed and the explosion carried out as planned. However, while two of the building's wings folded in on themselves and fell to the ground, its center column – home to its stairwells and elevator shafts – pitched over at an angle and stayed upright. | An 11-storey building in Dallas has failed to abide by the laws of gravity. A controlled explosive demolition has left…
(2020-02-17). How Bloomberg-Funded Center for American Progress Censored a Report on NYPD Surveillance of Muslims. democracynow.org 
Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg's self-funded campaign has flooded the airwaves with political advertisements, with the billionaire former New York City mayor having already spent more than $400 million on TV, radio and other ads — far outpacing other campaigns. But it's not just Bloomberg's unprecedented campaign spending that has raised eyebrows. As The New York Times reports, Bloomberg has also kept potential critics quiet by making major donations to progressive causes and advocacy groups around the country over the years. This may have played a part in obscuring Bloomberg's checkere…
(2020-02-17). Iraq: Education access still a challenge in former ISIL-controlled areas. news.un.org More than two years after the defeat of ISIL in Iraq, some children in areas formerly controlled by the terrorist group still cannot access school or get the necessary documentation required for enrollment, a UN report published on Monday finds.
(2020-02-15). What "That's Not Realistic" Really Means: Bernie Sanders, Social Democracy, and Capitalist Apologetics. dissidentvoice.org 
When discussing politics, or listening to pundits in the mainstream media in the run up to the 2020 presidential election, you've probably heard a common refrain: certain policies are "not realistic." It's similar to the close-minded remark that certain politicians, such as Bernie Sanders, have issues regarding their "electability". What are these elites and people …
(2020-02-14). The Corporate Media Is Directly Profiting from Mike Bloomberg's Rise as He Spends Fortune on TV Ads. democracynow.org 
Billionaire Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is rising in the polls in the wake of the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Democracy Now! co-host Juan González speaks with us about Bloomberg's approach to campaign spending, the administration's policies during his three terms as mayor of New York City and the scores of lawsuits filed against Bloomberg and his company. "It's amazing to me that Michael Bloomberg is getting as much attention as he is," González says.
(2020-02-13). Can the World's Second Superpower Rise From the Ashes of Twenty Years of War. mintpressnews.com 
While our government's war propaganda has convinced many Americans that we are powerless to stop its catastrophic wars, it has failed to convince most Americans that we are wrong to want to.
(2020-02-12). Neo-Confederate Attorney Accused of Mishandling Clients' Money Promoted Online Trolling, Harassment. splcenter.org Harold Ray Crews, attorney and chairman of the North Carolina chapter of the neo-Confederate hate group League of the South, must attend a hearing Feb. 21 to determine whether the state bar association will suspend his law license.
(2020-02-11). Despite Corporate Media's "War on Bernie," Sanders Rides Wave of Support into New Hampshire Primary. democracynow.org 
Polls have opened in New Hampshire for the first primary of the election season. The vote comes eight days after the still-disputed Iowa caucuses, where both Senator Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg claimed victory. Both candidates have asked for a partial recanvass of the results. We speak with Arnie Arnesen, a longtime radio and TV host in New Hampshire and a former New Hampshire legislator, and Norman Solomon, co-founder and national coordinator of RootsAction.org, which is supporting Bernie Sanders.
(2020-01-30). White Nationalist State Department Official Still Active in Hate Movement. splcenter.org U.S. State Department official Matthew Q. Gebert has been steadily producing white nationalist propaganda in the nearly six months since he was suspended from his job, Hatewatch has learned.
(2020-01-30). White Nationalist Podcaster Identified as U.S. Army Veteran. splcenter.org White nationalist State Department official Matthew Q. Gebert is regularly producing white supremacist propaganda with a man named Michael McKevitt, formerly of the U.S. Army, Hatewatch has determined.