The ever increasing surveillance state we live in is something many either choose to ignore or pay no mind because they are not the ones being targeted. For many others, that is not an option, and as the Nation reports, the ways in which the US government is cataloging and using data on its citizens has far reaching consequences with both intended and unintended consequences.
War and conflict in far off countries are never on Americans top list of priorities, and the daily struggles of the Sudanese don’t rank among peoples chief concerns. However, it is worth noting what is going on in that section of the globe, as it can inform how we view actors on the global stage. In this case, as the Middle East Eyereports, in Sudan, the military was given permission to crack down on protests of the government by Saudi Arabia, despite some US opposition to the move.
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As the Democratic primary ramps up, and the front runners like Biden, Sanders and Warren receive greater scrutiny, it’s only natural that news would take a greater interest in their past. When it comes to Biden, the Intercept has shown a light on how much Biden has actually supported abortion rights in the past and what his stance on the issue is currently.
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There are many phrases that those on the far right have a tendency to use to shut down any form of argument against them by accusing the other side of being one of a myriad of bad things. One of these popular phrases that is being used with increasing frequency, as FAIR reports, is calling someone a “cultural Marxist,” a phrase that is becoming ever more mainstream, despite the vague and ever-changing definition the phrase has.
Many in the US, both political pundits and various politicians, are quick to explain the issues facing those in Russia as entirely due to the influence of Vladimir Putin and the authoritarian regime he has created. What they are less likely to do, and what truthdig examines, is to point out that the presence of unrestricted capitalism has done much to widen the wealth gap in Russia.
While there are many issues that activists jump at the chance to protest, from climate change to gun control, animal rights tend to get less attention among both the news and activists. Even less likely are animal rights activists not only protesting the slaughter of ducks and pigs, but as Democracy Now! reports, getting arrested for breaking in to a slaughterhouse and literally putting themselves on the line to stop more animals from being harmed.
| A big story of the end of last year was about the Yellow Vest protests in France, and the socio-economic forces surrounding the groups rise. But since then, despite the continuation of protests and some concessions from the French president Macron, the movement has, as CounterPunch reports, done little to ensure they have a lasting impacting on the country. Instead the movement has devolved into regular protests that don’t have any coherent political ideology backing them, nor any political backing to leverage their protesting.
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Though many countries in the world, specifically democratic countries, have taken in recent years to voting for more right wing candidates and policies, there are some countries, those well known and less well known, that have succeeded in bucking the trend. One such country, as the Real News Network reports, is Indonesia, where a recent election that recently certified a less right candidate for president, while said candidates response to that loss has been to claim there was massive voter fraud, while his supporters caused rioted.
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While many see the constant accusations of fake news from Trump at news publications he dislikes as proof that an outlet is in the right, it is worth noting that media does get things wrong about various topics that get reported, though usually it is limited to one or two publication. This time however, as the Grayzone reports, the fault of misreporting falls on the shoulders of a dozen or so national news outlets all reporting about the supposed death of a North Korean official.
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As the case against Julian Assange continues to be processed in court, some more mainstream journalists are starting to realize what his case actually means for freedom of the press and that it might be better to not trash Assange as much as they’ve been doing. In this vein, the Ghion Journal is reporting about while an outlet like MSNBC, through Rachel Maddow, is talking about that it might be good to support Assange, they still take the time to insult him.
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The HEADLINES:
1. Trump holds Macron talks on anniversary of Normandy landings, as Theresa May unveils memorial to British troops (The Independent)2. Democrats Learned the Wrong Lesson From Clinton’s Impeachment (The Atlantic)
3. Warriors’ Part-Owner Ejected From NBA Finals After Shoving Raptors’ Kyle Lowry (HuffPost)
4. Parkland shooting: Should school officer be jailed for child neglect? (BBC)
5. Next Tory leader could face immediate confidence vote (The Guardian) |
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