Daily Archives: May 4, 2020

2020-05-04: News Headlines

Ben Norton (2020-05-04). Anatomy of a fake news campaign: Media spreads lie from US govt-funded Korean outlet that Kim Jong-un died. thegrayzone.com Corporate media outlets spread fake news claiming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had died. The lie originated with a Seoul-based…

RT (2020-05-04). North Korean defectors apologize for Kim Jong-un death rumors — but will Western media ever develop healthy skepticism? rt.com Defectors from North Korea have apologized for spreading fake news about leader Kim Jong-un's death. Will a Western media that believes their every word now finally start fact-checking their wild claims about the country? | Two defectors serving in South Korea's parliament issued public apologies on Monday after insisting the North Korean ruler was dead or close to it. The apologies came on the heels of heavy rebukes from the South's ruling Democratic Party, as well as calls for the defectors to be punished for spreading false rumors. | Over the course of Kim's three-week absence from public duties, the Wester…

Matt Taibbi (2020-05-04). The Inevitable Coronavirus Censorship Crisis Is Here. anti-empire.com

Instead of asking calmly if hydroxychloroquine works, or if the less restrictive Swedish crisis response has merit, or questioning why certain statistical assumptions about the seriousness of the crisis might have been off, we're denouncing the questions themselves as infamous

| Earlier this week, Atlantic magazine — fast becoming the favored media outlet for self-styled intellectual elites of the Aspen Institute type — ran an

Wayne Madsen (2020-05-04). Cults and Bioterrorism: A Toxic Duo. thealtworld.com Although there is no recent history of nation-states propagating biological warfare attacks, there is a history of dangerous religious cults being involved in preparing for or carrying out them. | Far right-wingers in the United States and other countries are pushing the propaganda line that China was somehow involved in the creation or spread of the Covid-19 virus, formally known as SARS [Severe acute respiratory syndrome]-CoV-2, to the rest of the world either deliberately or from an accidental release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Although nation-states have, over the decades, conducted research on and…

Felix Collins (2020-05-04). An Examination of Britain's Coronavirus Strategy and its Corresponding Propaganda. zcomm.org It is somewhat reassuring to see the ineffectiveness of some elements of Britain's propaganda campaigns, but its scope, reality and consequences are disturbing…

graham (2020-05-04). The PM and the 'death certificate' story. truepublica.org.uk TruePublica Editor: I sometimes wonder if the current government is attempting to create its own news then deliberately counter it in order to generate confusion and doubt. In democracies that are fading, it's a common tactic. Some of the mainstream media, both in print and broadcast have promoted the story that Boris Johnson was infected …

Stephen Lendman (2020-05-03). Big Pharma Controlled FDA Approves Inadequately Tested Drug for COVID-19. globalresearch.ca Big Pharma officials run the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), its mandate focused on profit-making over human health and welfare. | Consumer advocate Ralph Nader earlier slammed "unrestrained drug industry havoc." | Big Pharma "receives billions of dollars in tax credits …

RT (2020-05-03). High-ranking Indian military staff killed in prolonged hostage rescue operation in Kashmir. rt.com An Indian colonel and major were among security personnel killed in a gun battle following a hostage crisis in Handwara, Kashmir. The colonel was the highest-ranking army official to die in an operation of this type in five years. | Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, the commander of the special 21 Rashtriya Rifles counter-terrorism unit, was killed in an hours-long gunfight in the Kupwara District of the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, officials told Indian media. | It is reported that Sharma — the recipient of gallantry awards in the past — was the first Indian commanding officer or a colonel-rank militar…

RT (2020-05-03). Dems & loyalist media STILL prioritizing beating Trump over treating Tara Reade's accusations against Biden fairly. rt.com With Joe Biden accused of sexual assault, Democrats and the mainstream media are being exposed as hypocrites willing to compromise their values, cautiously calling for a probe after ignoring the story for too long. | The editorial board at the New York Times actually

Caitlin Johnstone (2020-05-03). Why You Should Oppose The Censorship Of David Icke (Hint: It's Got Nothing To Do With Icke). thealtworld.com Within 48 hours both Facebook and then Youtube have deleted the accounts of David Icke for posting "content that disputes the …

Emily Apple (2020-05-03). Gogglebox is doing a better job holding the government to account than the mainstream media. thecanary.co Twitter users have noticed something disturbing about Channel 4's Gogglebox. Namely that the participants on the show seem to be doing a better job at holding the government to account than the mainstream media: | Surely we should be worried when — The Secret Nurse (@SecretPandemic) "What success?": | This was…

RT (2020-05-03). Kim gossip never dies: 'Resurrected' North Korean leader's footage 'evidence' of heart surgery. rt.com For more than a week, the mainstream media got a lot of mileage out of speculating as to whether North Korea's leader had died. It turns out Kim Jong-un is alive, but that hasn't stemmed the flow of rumors about his health.

RT (2020-05-03). The media & Dems are prioritizing beating Trump over taking Tara Reade's accusations against Biden fairly. rt.com With Joe Biden accused of sexual assault, Democrats and the mainstream media are being exposed as hypocrites willing to compromise their values, cautiously calling for a probe after ignoring the story for too long. | The editorial board at the New York Times actually

Timothy Alexander Guzman (2020-05-03). Challenging the Narrative: Media Propaganda Launches Conspiracy Theories Against Covid-19 Skeptics. globalresearch.ca Following the September 11th attacks in New York City, it instantaneously changed everything, from expanding US wars abroad against Afghanistan and Iraq, the dismantling of whatever civil rights you had left to the increased use of drones for surveillance and …

Tareq Haddad (2020-05-03). Why this Mainstream Media Journalist Resigned from Newsweek. thealtworld.com In this interview we speak with journalist and editor-in-chief of The Watchdog Tareq Haddad about why he chose to resign from his position at Newsweek. Haddad also provides his insight on the state of press freedom world-wide and weighs in on life in the UK during the COVID-19 lockdown. | Tareq Haddad is a UK-based independent journalist. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the online newswire The Watchdog. Tareq was trained with the Press Association. He has worked at the Hull Daily Mail, The International Business Times UK, Airwars & Newsweek. In December 2019, Tareq resigned from his position at Newsweek…

Prof. Dr. Mujahid Kamran (2020-05-03). Who Really Controls the World? Deadly Weapons, Concentration of Wealth, Corporate Media. globalresearch.ca (Article originally published in April 2015) | Since I entered politics, I have chiefly had men's views confided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of something. …

RT (2020-05-02). Hillary ditches pantsuits for Covid face-mask with a message, is immediately MEMED to death with reminders of scandals. rt.com Hillary Clinton took to Twitter to show off her new facemask wardrobe in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic with a political message attached, but the pic quickly became easy cannon fodder for hungry meme-creating trolls. | "No makeup? No pantsuit? No problem," Clinton tweeted on Saturday. "I've got the must-have accessory for spring." | She then included a photo of her with her arms crossed donning a black facemask with the words "VOTE" written on it. | Unfortunately for the failed presidential candidate, the large black cloth mask has proven an irresistible target for meme-crafters online, who used it to…

Peter J Blankestijn, Sabine C Meijvis (2020-05-02). [Comment] Renal denervation: time to refine the focus of research. thelancet.com In The Lancet, Michael Bà∂hm and colleagues report the results of their international, prospective, randomised controlled trial on the effects of renal denervation in unmedicated patients.1 They report that, in a cohort of 331 patients with hypertension assigned to either a renal denervation procedure (n=166; mean age 52 years [SD 11], 36% women) or sham procedure (n=165; 53 years [10], 32% women), treatment differences were ‚àí3 ∑9 mm Hg (Bayesian 95% credible interval ‚àí6 ∑2 to ‚àí1 ∑6) for 24 h systolic blood pressure and ‚&agr…

WSWS (2020-05-02). Trump tweets support for armed right-wing protesters in Michigan. wsws.org The right-wing demonstration in the Michigan state Capitol is part of a high-level campaign to force a return to work in the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

WSWS (2020-05-02). Trump escalates attacks on China over COVID-19. wsws.org US President Trump has stepped up his propaganda war and threats against China, blaming it for the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that has cost the lives of more than 230,000 people internationally.

Joshua Cho (2020-05-01). Corporate Looting as 'Rescue Plan,' Robber Barons as 'Saviors'. fair.org Framing a massive corporate bailout as a "rescue package" (NPR, For a perfect illustration of how corporate media function as ruling class propaganda, watch how they spin a titanic upward redistribution of wealth as a "rescue plan" for the US economy, and paint a robber baron like US Treasury Secretary

Project Censored (2020-05-01). Episode 81 — The Biden Veepstakes and The Media's COVID War Rhetoric and Bernie Coverage with Dr. Robin Andersen. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today's episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

Martha Rosenberg (2020-05-01). Meat/Mental Health Story Latest in Fake Nutritional Science. counterpunch.org "Meat Improves Mental Health" mainstream media blasted out this week, without mentioning the "study," published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, was funded by an "unrestricted research grant from the Beef Checkoff, through the National Cattlemen's Beef Association." Such fake science from the meat industry is becoming more common as people drop meat. Whereas only

David Armiak , Alex Kotch (2020-05-01). ALEC Leading Right-Wing Campaign to Reopen the Economy Despite COVID-19. commondreams.org Recent polling shows ALEC's aggressive position on resuming commercial activity to be outside the mainstream of public opinion. (Photo: CC) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Project Censored (2020-04-30). Episode 80 — The COVID Chronicles #3: Washington D.C. projectcensored.org Along the Line, is a member of the Demcast network, brought to you by the Media Freedom Foundation. On today's episode hosts Nicholas Baham III (Dr. Dreadlocks), Janice Domingo, and Nolan…

yenisafak (2020-05-03). 'Indian TV channels amplify, justify and legitimize fake news'. yenisafak.com As the world marks Press Freedom Day on Sunday, a rising tide of fake news and misinformation pumped through mainstream media has become a major concern in India.Linking an event of a Muslim group Tablighi Jamaat for spreading coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic in the country while overlooking other similar gatherings, the attitude of a section of India's mainstream media created hatred against Muslim community, leading to their social boycott at various places.In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Samar Halarnkar, an award-winning journalist and former editor of the Hindustan Times said the transmission o…

2020-05-04: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Anatomy of a fake news campaign: Media spreads lie from US govt-funded Korean outlet that Kim Jong-un died
Ben Norton | thegrayzone.com | 2020-05-04
Corporate media outlets spread fake news claiming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had died. The lie originated with a Seoul-based…
thegrayzone.com/2020/05/04/fake-news-ned…

An Examination of Britain's Coronavirus Strategy and its Corresponding Propaganda
Felix Collins | zcomm.org | 2020-05-04
It is somewhat reassuring to see the ineffectiveness of some elements of Britain's propaganda campaigns, but its scope, reality and consequences are disturbing…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/an-examination-of-…

Cults and Bioterrorism: A Toxic Duo
Wayne Madsen | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-04
Although there is no recent history of nation-states propagating biological warfare attacks, there is a history of dangerous religious cults being involved in preparing for or carrying out them. | Far right-wingers in the United States and other countries are pushing the propaganda line that China was somehow involved in the creation or spread of the Covid-19 virus, formally known as SARS [Severe acute respiratory syndrome]-CoV-2, to the rest of the world either deliberately or from an accidental release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Although nation-states have, over the decades, conducted research on and…
thealtworld.com/wayne_madsen/cults-and-b…

Cults and Bioterrorism: A Toxic Duo
Andrey Areshev | strategic-culture.org | 2020-05-04
Far right-wingers in the United States and other countries are pushing the propaganda line that China was somehow involved in the creation or spread of the Covid-19 virus, formally known as SARS [Severe acute respiratory syndrome]-CoV-2, to the rest of the world either deliberately or from an accidental release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Although nation-states have, over the decades, conducted research on and produced biological warfare weapons, there is no recent documented proof of a government being engaged in the widespread release of a biological warfare agent to cause maximum deaths. The 1972 Con…
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/05/04/cu…

The Inevitable Coronavirus Censorship Crisis Is Here
Matt Taibbi | anti-empire.com | 2020-05-04

Instead of asking calmly if hydroxychloroquine works, or if the less restrictive Swedish crisis response has merit, or questioning why certain statistical assumptions about the seriousness of the crisis might have been off, we're denouncing the questions themselves as infamous

| Earlier this week, Atlantic magazine

The PM and the 'death certificate' story
graham | truepublica.org.uk | 2020-05-04
TruePublica Editor: I sometimes wonder if the current government is attempting to create its own news then deliberately counter it in order to generate confusion and doubt. In democracies that are fading, it's a common tactic. Some of the mainstream media, both in print and broadcast have promoted the story that Boris Johnson was infected …
truepublica.org.uk/united-kingdom/the-pm-and-the-death-certificate-story/

Big Pharma Controlled FDA Approves Inadequately Tested Drug for COVID-19
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-03
Big Pharma officials run the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), its mandate focused on profit-making over human health and welfare. | Consumer advocate Ralph Nader earlier slammed "unrestrained drug industry havoc." | Big Pharma "receives billions of dollars in tax credits …
globalresearch.ca/big-pharma-controlled-…

High-ranking Indian military staff killed in prolonged hostage rescue operation in Kashmir
rt.com | 2020-05-03
An Indian colonel and major were among security personnel killed in a gun battle following a hostage crisis in Handwara, Kashmir. The colonel was the highest-ranking army official to die in an operation of this type in five years. | Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, the commander of the special 21 Rashtriya Rifles counter-terrorism unit, was killed in an hours-long gunfight in the Kupwara District of the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, officials told Indian media. | It is reported that Sharma

Challenging the Narrative: Media Propaganda Launches Conspiracy Theories Against Covid-19 Skeptics
Timothy Alexander Guzman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-03
Following the September 11th attacks in New York City, it instantaneously changed everything, from expanding US wars abroad against Afghanistan and Iraq, the dismantling of whatever civil rights you had left to the increased use of drones for surveillance and …
globalresearch.ca/media-propaganda-launc…

Why You Should Oppose The Censorship Of David Icke (Hint: It's Got Nothing To Do With Icke)
Caitlin Johnstone | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-03
Within 48 hours both Facebook and then Youtube have deleted the accounts of David Icke for posting "content that disputes the …
thealtworld.com/caitlin_johnston/why-you…

Gogglebox is doing a better job holding the government to account than the mainstream media
Emily Apple | thecanary.co | 2020-05-03
Twitter users have noticed something disturbing about Channel 4's Gogglebox. Namely that the participants on the show seem to be doing a better job at holding the government to account than the mainstream media: | Surely we should be worried when #Gogglebox is the best journalism and social commentary we've had in this country for about 15 years. |

Dems & loyalist media STILL prioritizing beating Trump over treating Tara Reade's accusations against Biden fairly
rt.com | 2020-05-03
With Joe Biden accused of sexual assault, Democrats and the mainstream media are being exposed as hypocrites willing to compromise their values, cautiously calling for a probe after ignoring the story for too long. | The editorial board at the New York Times actually believes the accusations put forth by Tara Reade against Biden should be investigated

The media & Dems are prioritizing beating Trump over taking Tara Reade's accusations against Biden fairly
rt.com | 2020-05-03
With Joe Biden accused of sexual assault, Democrats and the mainstream media are being exposed as hypocrites willing to compromise their values, cautiously calling for a probe after ignoring the story for too long. | The editorial board at the New York Times actually believes the accusations put forth by Tara Reade against Biden should be investigated

Kim gossip never dies: 'Resurrected' North Korean leader's footage 'evidence' of heart surgery
rt.com | 2020-05-03
For more than a week, the mainstream media got a lot of mileage out of speculating as to whether North Korea's leader had died. It turns out Kim Jong-un is alive, but that hasn't stemmed the flow of rumors about his health. | …
rt.com/news/487654-kim-arm-heart-surgery…

Why this Mainstream Media Journalist Resigned from Newsweek
Tareq Haddad | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-03
In this interview we speak with journalist and editor-in-chief of The Watchdog Tareq Haddad about why he chose to resign from his position at Newsweek. Haddad also provides his insight on the state of press freedom world-wide and weighs in on life in the UK during the COVID-19 lockdown. | Tareq Haddad is a UK-based independent journalist. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the online newswire The Watchdog. Tareq was trained with the Press Association. He has worked at the Hull Daily Mail, The International Business Times UK, Airwars & Newsweek. In December 2019, Tareq resigned from his position at Newsweek…
thealtworld.com/tareq_haddad/why-this-ma…

Who Really Controls the World? Deadly Weapons, Concentration of Wealth, Corporate Media
Prof. Dr. Mujahid Kamran | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-03
(Article originally published in April 2015) | Since I entered politics, I have chiefly had men's views confided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of something. …
globalresearch.ca/who-really-controls-th…

[Comment] Renal denervation: time to refine the focus of research
Peter J Blankestijn, Sabine C Meijvis | thelancet.com | 2020-05-02
In The Lancet, Michael Bà∂hm and colleagues report the results of their international, prospective, randomised controlled trial on the effects of renal denervation in unmedicated patients.1 They report that, in a cohort of 331 patients with hypertension assigned to either a renal denervation procedure (n=166; mean age 52 years [SD 11], 36% women) or sham procedure (n=165; 53 years [10], 32% women), treatment differences were ‚àí3 ∑9 mm Hg (Bayesian 95% credible interval ‚àí6 ∑2 to ‚àí1 ∑6) for 24 h systolic blood pressure and ‚&agr…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30853-9/fulltext?rss=yes

Trump tweets support for armed right-wing protesters in Michigan
wsws.org | 2020-05-02
The right-wing demonstration in the Michigan state Capitol is part of a high-level campaign to force a return to work in the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/02/lans…

Hillary ditches pantsuits for Covid face-mask with a message, is immediately MEMED to death with reminders of scandals
rt.com | 2020-05-02
Hillary Clinton took to Twitter to show off her new facemask wardrobe in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic with a political message attached, but the pic quickly became easy cannon fodder for hungry meme-creating trolls. | "No makeup? No pantsuit? No problem," Clinton tweeted on Saturday. "I've got the must-have accessory for spring." | She then included a photo of her with her arms crossed donning a black facemask with the words "VOTE" written on it. | Unfortunately for the failed presidential candidate, the large black cloth mask has proven an irresistible target for meme-crafters online, who used it to…
rt.com/usa/487643-hillary-clinton-corona…

Trump escalates attacks on China over COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-05-02
US President Trump has stepped up his propaganda war and threats against China, blaming it for the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that has cost the lives of more than 230,000 people internationally.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/02/usch…

Corporate Looting as 'Rescue Plan,' Robber Barons as 'Saviors'
Joshua Cho | fair.org | 2020-05-01
Framing a massive corporate bailout as a "rescue package" (NPR, 3/27/20) was a PR coup. | For a perfect illustration of how corporate media function as ruling class propaganda, watch how they spin a titanic upward redistribution of wealth as a "rescue plan" for the US economy, and paint a robber baron like US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin as…
fair.org/home/corporate-looting-as-rescu…

Meat/Mental Health Story Latest in Fake Nutritional Science
Martha Rosenberg | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-01
"Meat Improves Mental Health" mainstream media blasted out this week, without mentioning the "study," published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, was funded by an "unrestricted research grant from the Beef Checkoff, through the National Cattlemen's Beef Association." Such fake science from the meat industry is becoming more common as people drop meat. Whereas only…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/01/meat-mental-…

ALEC Leading Right-Wing Campaign to Reopen the Economy Despite COVID-19
David Armiak , Alex Kotch | commondreams.org | 2020-05-01
Recent polling shows ALEC's aggressive position on resuming commercial activity to be outside the mainstream of public opinion. (Photo: CC) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2020/05/01/alec-l…

'Indian TV channels amplify, justify and legitimize fake news'
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-03
As the world marks Press Freedom Day on Sunday, a rising tide of fake news and misinformation pumped through mainstream media has become a major concern in India.Linking an event of a Muslim group Tablighi Jamaat for spreading coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic in the country while overlooking other similar gatherings, the attitude of a section of India's mainstream media created hatred against Muslim community, leading to their social boycott at various places.In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Samar Halarnkar, an award-winning journalist and former editor of the Hindustan Times said the transmission o…
yenisafak.com/en/world/indian-tv-channel…