Daily Archives: March 17, 2020

2020-03-17: News Headlines

RT (2020-03-17). 'Russian troll firm' says it has a $50bn grudge to settle with US after indictment dropped by DoJ. rt.com A Russian firm that the DoJ failed to prosecute for "sowing discord" during the 2016 election aims to take its pound of flesh — or at least a hefty compensation for its tarnished reputation. | The February 2018 indictment of Concord Management & Consulting LLC, one of several issued by the team of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, was praised by the Russiagate crowds as a crucial step in uncovering the holy grail of Trump-Russia collusion. The case was dropped just weeks before going to trial, with prosecutors claiming that the firm's defense strategy — demanding evidence that the company had waged 'i…

RT (2020-03-17). DOJ drops charges against 'Russian trolls' after they dared demand evidence in US court. rt.com The US is dropping the much-hyped indictment for 'election meddling' against a company supposedly behind the so-called Russian troll farm, closing the opening chapter of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russiagate investigation. | Further pursuing the case against Concord Management & Consulting LLC "promotes neither the interests of justice nor the nation's security," the Department of Justice wrote to the federal judge overseeing the case on Monday in a

Robert Fisk (2020-03-17). The Saudi Royal Family Appear Unaware of the Dangers of Settling Scores Among Themselves. counterpunch.org Purges, interrogation, claims of torture, accusations of treason, suspicion of murder, an insane war in Yemen and ruinous plans for a "reformed" kingdom, all supported by the US and the west and an often fawning media. So what's new? Poor Mohammed bin Salman is surely getting a bum rap. Far from being a frightening and uncontrollable new

Jeff Cohen (2020-03-17). Socialists for Biden — and the Power of Corporate Media. zcomm.org The next few weeks offer the Bernie Sanders movement perhaps its last chance to win over — mostly through electronic means — Democratic primary voters…

Staff (2020-03-17). Insurance Industry Ramps Up Propaganda Against Medicare for All Amid Pandemic. truthout.org As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the United States, laying bare the myriad dysfunctions and inefficiencies of America's for-profit healthcare system, a powerful insurance industry front group is openly ramping up its campaign against systemic healthcare reforms that

Masturah Alatas (2020-03-17). No, Italy is Not Consigning 80-Year Olds to Death. counterpunch.org Fake News Alert. Many people around the world are circulating this Telegraph article and it appears that the main source of this news seems to be the Telegraph, not the Italian media. The Italian media, based on accounts and projections from doctors, medical practitioners, family members and analysts, speak, instead, in terms of doctors already

WSWS (2020-03-17). Bipartisan Senate Judiciary Committee introduces bill that censors online content and attacks encryption. wsws.org Leading Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee formally introduced the EARN IT Act, which attacks First and Fourth Amendment rights under the guise of fighting online child sexual exploitation.

Ed Sykes (2020-03-17). People slam MSM bootlicking as Johnson changes coronavirus tactics. thecanary.co People have criticised the mainstream media in recent days for largely failing to hold Boris Johnson to account over his controversial response to the coronavirus crisis. And with his government now changing tactics following

T.P. Wilkinson (2020-03-16). Piety, Propriety, and Propaganda. dissidentvoice.org One of the slogans I learned in an earlier, albeit brief, phase of my life was called the 5 Ps: "Prior planning prevents poor performance." While it is true that planning, which by definition is somehow prior, can improve performance of any task, like all such slogans there is much tautology. Planning can define performance …

RT (2020-03-16). US Health and Human Services faces cyber attack during coronavirus response — reports. rt.com The US Health and Human Services Department's computer system was reportedly hacked on Sunday night, with the National Security Council needing to step in and warn that news of a mass quarantine was fake news. | Three people "familiar with the matter" briefed Bloomberg on the hack and said the breach was meant to slow the department's system down in the middle of the coronavirus response. Though no major damage was done, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump have been informed of the attack, which is said to have included several incidents. The National Security Council tweeted in response…

Stansfield Smith (2020-03-16). A case study of corporate media disinformation. mronline.org Corporate America's disinformation relies on politicians, media and NGOs to implant their messaging. An essential part of combatting that messaging requires us to question our own views, as none of us are entirely immune to disinformation techniques, which have in effect become an advanced science. |

Lucas Koerner (2020-03-15). Corporate Media Condone Destruction of Venezuela's Voting Machines. fair.org The vast majority of Venezuela's voting machines were incinerated on March 7 in a fire that engulfed the main warehouse of the National Electoral Council. Corporate outlets followed the familiar script of blaming the victim, repeating the US State Department talking point that the Venezuelan electoral system is "rigged" and floating outlandish conspiracy theories.

news.un (2020-03-12). Coronavirus update: Countries urged to fight 'controllable' pandemic. news.un.org With the COVID-19 outbreak now a pandemic, countries should not let up on efforts to fight its spread, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said in Geneva on Thursday.

CounterSpin (2020-02-21). Paul Paz y Miño, Saqib Bhatti & Beverly Bell on Environmental Justice & Cross-National Solidarity. fair.org There will only be an increasing number of frontline struggles between extractive, climate-disrupting industry and those willing to stand up to it. Corporate media's inadequate attention, and unwillingness to truly call out the moneyed interests causing present and future harms, make them more often part of the problem than the solution.

2020-03-17: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

The Saudi Royal Family Appear Unaware of the Dangers of Settling Scores Among Themselves
Robert Fisk | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-17
Purges, interrogation, claims of torture, accusations of treason, suspicion of murder, an insane war in Yemen and ruinous plans for a "reformed" kingdom, all supported by the US and the west and an often fawning media. So what's new? Poor Mohammed bin Salman is surely getting a bum rap. Far from being a frightening and uncontrollable new…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/17/the-saudi-ro…

Insurance Industry Ramps Up Propaganda Against Medicare for All Amid Pandemic
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-03-17
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the United States, laying bare the myriad dysfunctions and inefficiencies of America's for-profit healthcare system, a powerful insurance industry front group is openly ramping up its campaign against systemic healthcare reforms that experts say would help mitigate the outbreak and guarantee essential care for all…
truthout.org/articles/insurance-industry…

No, Italy is Not Consigning 80-Year Olds to Death
Masturah Alatas | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-17
Fake News Alert. Many people around the world are circulating this Telegraph article and it appears that the main source of this news seems to be the Telegraph, not the Italian media. The Italian media, based on accounts and projections from doctors, medical practitioners, family members and analysts, speak, instead, in terms of doctors already…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/17/no-italy-is-…

Bipartisan Senate Judiciary Committee introduces bill that censors online content and attacks encryption
wsws.org | 2020-03-17
Leading Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee formally introduced the EARN IT Act, which attacks First and Fourth Amendment rights under the guise of fighting online child sexual exploitation.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/17/earn…

People slam MSM bootlicking as Johnson changes coronavirus tactics
Ed Sykes | thecanary.co | 2020-03-17
People have criticised the mainstream media in recent days for largely failing to hold Boris Johnson to account over his controversial response to the coronavirus crisis. And with his government now changing tactics following widespread scientific criticism, this media fail is all the more apparent. |
thecanary.co/trending/2020/03/17/people-slam-msm-bootlicking-as-johnson-changes-coronavirus-tactics/

DOJ drops charges against 'Russian trolls' after they dared demand evidence in US court
rt.com | 2020-03-17
The US is dropping the much-hyped indictment for 'election meddling' against a company supposedly behind the so-called Russian troll farm, closing the opening chapter of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russiagate investigation. | Further pursuing the case against Concord Management & Consulting LLC "promotes neither the interests of justice nor the nation's security," the Department of Justice wrote to the federal judge overseeing the case on Monday in a motion to dr…
rt.com/usa/483279-concord-russiagate-cha…

'Russian troll firm' says it has a $50bn grudge to settle with US after indictment dropped by DoJ
rt.com | 2020-03-17
A Russian firm that the DoJ failed to prosecute for "sowing discord" during the 2016 election aims to take its pound of flesh

Piety, Propriety, and Propaganda
T.P. Wilkinson | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-16
One of the slogans I learned in an earlier, albeit brief, phase of my life was called the 5 Ps: "Prior planning prevents poor performance." While it is true that planning, which by definition is somehow prior, can improve performance of any task, like all such slogans there is much tautology. Planning can define performance …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/piety-proprie…

A case study of corporate media disinformation
Stansfield Smith | mronline.org | 2020-03-16
Corporate America's disinformation relies on politicians, media and NGOs to implant their messaging. An essential part of combatting that messaging requires us to question our own views, as none of us are entirely immune to disinformation techniques, which have in effect become an advanced science. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/03/16/a-case-study-of-…

Corporate Media Condone Destruction of Venezuela's Voting Machines
Lucas Koerner | fair.org | 2020-03-15
The vast majority of Venezuela's voting machines were incinerated on March 7 in a fire that engulfed the main warehouse of the National Electoral Council. Corporate outlets followed the familiar script of blaming the victim, repeating the US State Department talking point that the Venezuelan electoral system is "rigged" and floating outlandish conspiracy theories.
fair.org/home/corporate-media-condone-de…

Coronavirus update: Countries urged to fight 'controllable' pandemic
news.un.org | 2020-03-12
With the COVID-19 outbreak now a pandemic, countries should not let up on efforts to fight its spread, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said in Geneva on Thursday.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/03/1…

Paul Paz y Miño, Saqib Bhatti & Beverly Bell on Environmental Justice & Cross-National Solidarity
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2020-02-21
There will only be an increasing number of frontline struggles between extractive, climate-disrupting industry and those willing to stand up to it. Corporate media's inadequate attention, and unwillingness to truly call out the moneyed interests causing present and future harms, make them more often part of the problem than the solution.
fair.org/home/paul-paz-y-mino-saqib-bhat…

Paul Paz y Miño, Saqib Bhatti & Beverly Bell on Environmental Justice & Cross-National Solidarity
CounterSpin | fair.org | 2020-02-21
There will only be an increasing number of frontline struggles between extractive, climate-disrupting industry and those willing to stand up to it. Corporate media's inadequate attention, and unwillingness to truly call out the moneyed interests causing present and future harms, make them more often part of the problem than the solution.
fair.org/home/paul-paz-y-mino-saqib-bhat…